By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet –
My pal Olive Corya-Pace, who works at AF&Co, smartly identified a new trend in restaurants that she calls “maxxing.” As she explained to me, “In today’s chaotic hospitality landscape, I’ve noticed more and more restaurants doing what I’m coining as ‘restaurant maxxing.’ With tighter wallets, rising rents, and increased costs of goods, simply serving amazing food is not always enough. Think of the sandwich window in the latest season of The Bear: a clever, street-facing extension of a fine dining restaurant which absolutely kills it!”
So, I asked her for some examples. One that quickly came to mind for her is Meyhouse, a Turkish restaurant in Palo Alto (they have a second location sans jazz in Sunnyvale), which besides serving Turkish cuisine in the front, has a jazz club with a full food menu in the back. I asked Co-Founder Koray Altinsoy what the impetus was for such an idea. Here’s what he had to say:
Koray Altinsoy: When we opened Meyhouse, our mission was simple: to share authentic Turkish cuisine and hospitality with the community in Silicon Valley. But from the very start, Meyhouse has been about more than food. In the Turkish tradition of the meyhane, music, food, and conversation are inseparable. That’s why music has always been integral to our identity. We curated playlists, hosted monthly live music nights tied to culinary themes, and created evenings where our guests could experience the spirit of Turkey through both sound and taste. These gatherings quickly became one of the most beloved traditions of Meyhouse.
My partner Omer Artun and I both come from tech and corporate backgrounds, and that shaped how we look at potential. In those worlds, you are always asking: How can we get more out of what we already have? That mindset carried over when we opened our Palo Alto location. At the back of the building was a room that could have been used for storage. Instead, we saw possibility. We asked: What if this became a place where food and music lived side by side? That idea became Meyhouse Jazz, an intimate live music venue that feels like a natural extension of our restaurant.
Some have called this approach “restaurant maxxing”: making the most of a restaurant’s footprint by layering multiple experiences under one roof. To me, it’s about staying true to the heart of the restaurant while giving guests more ways to connect. Meyhouse Jazz doesn’t feel like an add-on; it feels like what Meyhouse was always meant to be.
Today, that once-quiet room is alive with sound and energy. On one night, guests may hear a Grammy-winning artist. On another, they’ll discover rising local talent. Every performance is paired with our full menu of Turkish specialties and beverage program, making each evening as much about dining as it is about music. The space itself was designed with intention. We worked with SFJAZZ sound engineers to ensure world-class acoustics in an intimate setting.
The result is a multi-layered experience that has deepened the identity of Meyhouse. Guests don’t just come to eat; they come to share in culture, community, and creativity. A space that could have been overlooked has instead become a place to bring people together in ways that extend far beyond the table.
Meyhouse Jazz is proof that when a restaurant fully embraces its potential, it can transform from a dining destination into something greater: a living, breathing experience of culture. For us, that is the most rewarding part: seeing how warmly our guests have embraced it as part of the Meyhouse tradition.
So, are there any other examples of maxxing? Well, yours truly has a few additional thoughts:
The York Street Collective, a pop-up that recently opened in the former Lucca Ravioli space in the Mission, embraces this idea with a coffee shop and rotating art gallery during the day, while programming poetry readings, artist panels, and performances with mocktails at night. “We have the opportunity to offer something that doesn’t fall into a traditional bucket of businesses,” owner Anand Upender told The San Francisco Chronicle. “York Street Collective is a hybrid community gathering place that is being built and run by an ecosystem of musicians, fine artists, food business owners, poets, furniture builders, and more—all platforming their ideas for our curious, local neighbors.”
Manny’s, operated by gay owner and District 8 supervisor candidate Manny Yekutiel, carries maxxing and the idea of a community “hub” one step further. A coffee shop operates in the front. But, in the back, the comfy space dotted with old sofas showcases national and local politicians, community activists, artists, and civic leaders who want to make their mark and engage with the community.
Drag brunches have become a way for restaurants to make that middle of the day meal come alive, enticing new audiences to get out of the house even on a rainy day. Honestly, what’s better than a liquid Bloody Mary paired with a real-life Bloody Mary singing “Bloody Mary is the girl I love”? When drag meets brunch, anything can happen! Some of the best are now occurring on a semi-regular basis at Starbelly (hosted by one of my all-time favorite queens, Bobby Friday), Midnight Sun, Lookout, Hotel Zeppelin, and Beaux.
Over in Oakland, Friends and Family, which my San Francisco Chronicle colleague MacKenzie Chung Fegan turned me onto, not only has a rockstar chef cooking in the back, but they also offer up “Queer Speed Dating,” where you can (potentially) meet the spouse of your dreams.
Back in San Francisco, Chouquet’s French bistro on Fillmore Street presents jazz trios to accompany delicious weekend brunches (including a yummy Croque Madame) on the outdoor patio. And, yes, you can bring your pooches, too!
At Mission Bowling Club, you can reserve a lane and bowl to your heart’s content while you munch on mac and cheese bites, chicken wings, or taquitos. Plus, you can swill it down with craft cocktails, beer, or wine—or your favorite zero-proof mocktail.
Keys Jazz Bistro in North Beach has a full bar in the front and an upscale cabaret in the back where, among other bites, you can order Australian meat pies and a chocolate charcuterie from Z Cioccolato for dessert. Upcoming shows include Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers and the indomitable Mary Stallings.
And, of course, there’s the classic supper club cum jazz club, Bix, in Jackson Square. It’s like being transported back in time with comfy booths, oysters, juicy steaks, and, of course, the smooth stylings of jazz singers and performers entertaining nightly.
So, when next you decide to go out to eat, pick a place that does double duty. You’ll have twice the fun!
Meyhouse: https://www.meyhouserestaurant.com/
York Street Collective: https://www.yorkstreetsf.com/
Manny’s: https://welcometomannys.com/
Starbelly: https://www.starbellysf.com/
Midnight Sun: https://www.midnightsunsf.com/
Hotel Zeppelin: https://tinyurl.com/4nejrahd
Lookout: www.lookoutsf.com
Beaux: https://www.beauxsf.com/
Friends and Family: https://www.friendsandfamilybar.com/
Chouquet’s: https://www.chouquets.com/
Mission Bowling Club: https://www.missionbowlingclub.com/
Keys Jazz Bistro: https://keysjazzbistro.com/
Bix: https://bixrestaurant.com/
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. You can email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
The Gay Gourmet
Published on October 9, 2025
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