By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet–
Romantic. Unpretentious. Cozy. Affordable. Magical morsels. Oh, and by the way, a Michelin star in its first year. Those words describe Marlena, the inviting bistro at the corner of Precita and Folsom in Bernal Heights. The Gay Gourmet has been going to this location since it was Cozzolino (a neighborhood Italian spot), as well as the short-lived Hillside Supper Club. But now, it’s blossomed into one of our city’s finest culinary destinations.
Run by the effervescent husband-and-wife team of David Fisher (savory chef) and Serena Chow Fisher (pastry chef), Marlena is a welcome addition to the southern part of the city. It’s innovative and fresh, but at $75, the four-course tasting menu is a bargain to boot. The Gay Gourmet caught up with this talented duo and here’s what they had to say:
Gay Gourmet: So, how did you two meet? You were working together in New York at the time, right?
Serena Chow Fisher: Yes. We worked at Pearl & Ash (in Manhattan) and we were cooks there. David ignored me in the beginning! I would text him when I’m off work and he would say he’s already in Brooklyn.
David Fisher: I did that on purpose to make her want me more.
Gay Gourmet: What’s it like to be married and run a business together?
Serena Chow Fisher: It works out for us. This is our 10th year together. In those 10 years, we’ve only worked in separate restaurants for 8 months. It’s what we know. It’s helpful that we’re in 2 different departments.
David Fisher: If she was the savory cook, it wouldn’t work, but because we can control each department and 2 different styles, it works.
Serena Chow Fisher: We balance each other out. You have the other person who gives you perspective. I know his food and style so well it’s easy.
Gay Gourmet: Why is your restaurant called “Marlena”?
David Fisher: It’s named after my mom, who passed away when I was 25. Her name was Marlene, but we twisted it up to Marlena to give it a better ring. It’s named after what she meant to me. A connection to her.
Serena Chow Fisher: David’s family owns the Fisher’s family restaurant in his hometown (back East). He grew up in restaurants, and his family was supportive. It’s a nice way to be a part of it.
Gay Gourmet: I used to go to your restaurant when it was “Café Cozzolino” and “Hillside Supper Club.” What made you decide to open in Bernal Heights?
David Fisher: Funny story. When we got our Michelin star at Sorrel (where I worked before), we had a Michelin party at Precita Park. I was scanning the area, thinking about a nice potential space. That building stood out to me. I thought it would be a good space. People said it’s a tough neighborhood. COVID hits, everything shut down, Hillside Supper Club had to shut down. I saw a job posting for a turnkey restaurant—I threw my résumé out there. I went, and as I pulled up, it happened to be that restaurant. I thought, “This is too coincidental for me to pass up.” I felt strongly about the neighborhood—there’s not so much fine dining there, and this could be a key restaurant moving forward. I felt it was a good opportunity and wanted to go after it.
Serena Chow Fisher: I love the bay windows, and the Edwardian architecture. It’s quintessential San Francisco.
Gay Gourmet: What are your favorite menu items right now? And how often do you change the menu?
David Fisher: The menu changes often. We try to normally change half the menu within one month if not the entire menu. It’s what’s in season—and boredom!
Serena Chow Fisher: This time of year is so exciting because so many things are popping up. In the winter, you have to be creative with root vegetables. Now, new things pop up quickly. We try to change pretty frequently. The structure of the 4-course menu—if you keep it too long, it gets robotic. We like to change as fast as the market allows.
David Fisher: It keeps the staff and our minds fresh. It doesn’t create stagnancy.
Gay Gourmet: I like that both your tasting menu and your wine list are affordable.
Serena Chow Fisher: The idea of the $75 four-course menu came about because we understood we were opening in a neighborhood. It’s an area with people who have been in apartments for 40 years, as well as new starter family homes. Our idea is to have accessibility. We’re near a bus line, public parking, and are ADA accessible. We try to bridge the gap in terms of accessibility. It’s important to have a price point where people don’t have to save for a month just to eat here. If you’re celebrating on a budget, you can spend $75, but if you have the flexibility, you can add supplements and build a higher price point and add on more luxury products to your dinner.
David Fisher: I select ingredients that might be a little less expensive—a lot of produce is involved. You can build around that to keep the costs lower. We can control how we shape the menu if there’s a greens first course, pasta, then a heavier course, and a lighter dessert. If you do enough numbers at the end of the day, you’ll come out on top.
Serena Chow Fisher: The whole idea of being farm-to-table works out for us. Those products are in the best price range. We’ll use different proteins, for instance, like sturgeon instead of black cod, using proteins that are seasonal and competitive.
David Fisher: The wine program goes hand in hand with the food itself. We buy things by the case. I understand that alcohol is where you make money, but if you believe in accessibility, we’ll make an effort to make it work. Our wine program has had multiple people to help us but now we have a wine program director: Jason Durham; he’s a transplant from Texas, new to the market. It’s a new mentality to what we had previously going on. We try to accommodate customer tastes. If we hear the same criticism about food, we’ll reassess. Same thing with the wine program; if it doesn’t move for too long, we can adapt.
Gay Gourmet: OK, so you both decided to open a restaurant right before the pandemic? Then, you took on a renovation? I guess you both are up for a challenge.
Serena Chow Fisher: We always wanted to renovate, but we didn’t know what was going on. We thought, “Let’s slap some paint on the walls; let’s see how it rolls.” We had high hopes of renovating. It got decided for us because the building was slotted for seismic retrofitting. So, we decided to go all in. When they broke ground, we found out the building had no foundation. 6 weeks turned into 5 months. So, we pivoted, and we opened at the Hotel Zeppelin—mostly as a way to retain our staff. We started as a pop-up to see if it would work and we learned a lot.
Gay Gourmet: Also, you did those fabulous picnic baskets during the pandemic. So well done and how innovative!
David Fisher: We did it just for the pandemic. We thought, “What are we going to do?” We were shut down. We didn’t have parklets. Someone said, “How about a picnic basket? There’s a park right across the street.”
Gay Gourmet: So, you tried to make it easy for a family to have a ready-made picnic?
Serena Chow Fisher: Yes. We thought, “When you have two dogs and kids, the hardest part is getting out the door.” [At Marlena], we have this location and people are outside because of the pandemic. [With our picnic basket], you can have it all—the blanket, the silverware, the food; come pick it up, and drop it off. It made sense. David loves making charcuteries, so the pâtés made sense. We said, “How can we put together an experience people will enjoy?” Convenience was key.
Gay Gourmet: Will you continue your parklet outdoor dining? Are you still dog-friendly?
Serena Chow Fisher: First of all, we love dogs. We always like to keep the parklets. It’s challenging now, because the regulations changed. We’ll definitely keep the one on Precita. We’re trying to figure out Folsom Street. From a service perspective, it’s a full minute walk from the kitchen. Bernal is all about the dogs. Now we have the luxury of time to plan it—we got our permits approved and we’re mapping it out.
Gay Gourmet: What was it like to get such Michelin recognition so early for Marlena?
David Fisher: That was amazing. It made all this hard work, the pain, the blood, sweat and tears—it paid off in that moment. I don’t think we saw it coming. When we first opened the restaurant, a Michelin star was a goal. It’s something you hope for but don’t know if it’s going to come to fruition. It was a great experience and terrific that it happened during COVID.
Serena Chow Fisher: Dave (was so happy), he just jumped onto the sofa!
David Fisher: I had sciatica at the time and it went right away.
Gay Gourmet: David and Serena: when you’re not dining at Marlena, where do you like to eat in San Francisco?
Serena Chow Fisher and David Fisher (jointly): Progress, Californios, and Benu. We just ate at Nopa for the first time. We had a great time at Anchovy Bar around the corner, too. Liholiho was a standout. [We] like food with a lot of crunch. We also like the Harbor House Inn in Mendocino.
Gay Gourmet: San Francisco has so many great chefs and restaurants, yet the James Beard folks only gave our city 3 finalists. Why do you think that was?
Serena Chow Fisher: I do feel like San Francisco was overlooked. There’s so much talent. Some of the names that keep popping up, there’s a lot of young talent that maybe isn’t meeting the qualifications of being there for a while. But I’m glad that one of my friends was nominated. Genie Kwon in Chicago was nominated; she was on the line with me at Eleven Madison.
David Fisher: I feel that San Francisco has been talked about a lot in the past and they’re trying to make it a little more equal, giving more opportunities to the rest of the nation.
Gay Gourmet: So, what are the standouts food-wise at Marlena? Based on our recent visit, I’d recommend the following: the cured wild hiramasa with green tomato vinaigrette (a fish crudo); the poached corvina (another fresh fish, cooked beautifully) with a scallop mousseline and artichoke barigoule; the house-made Marlena milk bread with cultured butter; and the star of the show, the rhubarb + cream with what is described as “rhubarb funfetti and brown butter milk solids.”
Marlena: a great meal, at a great price.
Marlena: https://tinyurl.com/bdd4xhb8
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com
Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @ GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com.
The Gay Gourmet
Published on June 8, 2023
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