By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet–
Umberto Gibin is the long-time proprietor at one of the Financial District’s best Italian restaurants, Perbacco. We met years ago at the Grand Café on Geary, where Umberto oversaw a divinely luxurious dining space that was part of the Kimpton’s Monaco Hotel at the time. It was my “go-to “spot for a business lunch, or a place to impress out of towners. But beyond the room, Umberto made you feel like part of the family. As my friend Laura Werlin said, “Umberto is the consummate Maitre’d—the type you don’t see anymore, who makes everyone feel special, is unflappable, classy (no one dresses better than he does), and somehow manages to keep his head above water.” So, it seemed appropriate to ask Umberto about what makes a great host, and the secret to his success.
David Landis: We met years ago at the Grand Café. Tell me a little bit about your background, and your hospitality trajectory.
Umberto Gibin: I got into hospitality because I didn’t want to go to school for a long time, becoming an attorney or doctor. The teacher in Turino (Turin) gave all of us direction on our expertise. She suggested to go to hotel school because it would allow me to travel, and languages were easy for me. I had no knowledge of the hotel/hospitality business. I got a degree in hotel management. My very first job (at 15) was at a luxurious hotel outside Frankfurt. They gave me a black tuxedo suit. I thought, “I’m in heaven.” I worked all over Europe: France, England, Italy, and Switzerland. Then I decided to come to San Francisco.
I took a cruise and met a young lady in November of 1978 and thought San Francisco was beautiful: it was misty, I. Magnin was decorated for Christmas, and I fell in love with the city. I left only for a short time to go to Los Angeles to come back with a beautiful wife and a daughter. My first job in San Francisco was at Ernie’s (1979–1981); I worked at Donatello with the chef who later went to Acquerello and at Ciao in Jackson Square during lunchtime. Larry Mindel, who became my partner, came to lunch, phoned me after lunch, and offered me the assistant manager position at Ciao. It was a great opportunity to move up.
Three months later, he asked me to go to Chianti on Melrose in Los Angeles until1986, when Larry, myself, and a couple of people left Spectrum (the owning partners at Chianti) to start Il Fornaio. Il Fornaio at the time was only bakeries, and the only restaurant was in Los Angeles. Then Il Fornaio expanded in Northern California, and we opened many restaurants. In 1999, I joined Kimpton, and I met Andrew Freeman. The Grand Café was a very special place. I loved it. It reminded me of a La Coupole in Paris. Kimpton was a great place to work, I was promoted to Operations Manager, overseeing Masa’s, the Fifth Floor, and Splendido.
In 2004, a group of friends encouraged me to open a restaurant. I finally decided to (take the plunge), and my wife asked who should be my partner/chef: I immediately thought about Staffan Terje—we met years before when he was working in Irvine in 1986. We got reacquainted when he worked at Scala’s. He said sure. We met at Campton Place and that’s where Perbacco was born. We wanted a restaurant focused on the region of Piemonte. I remembered that the name was displayed on a closed restaurant in Turino (Turin). The word “perbacco” explains a pleasant surprise, or to make a point about the positive things you’ve said, always in a very good way. “Per Bacco” (a twist on the name) is a node to the god of Bacchus, the god of food and wine. I took a job at Poggio in Sausalito while I was preparing for the restaurant (with Larry Mindel). In October 2006(almost 18 years ago), we opened Perbacco.
David Landis: What’s the most important way to make customers feel welcome? And how do you do it?
Umberto Gibin: To me, either you have it, or you don’t. You must like people. You’re dealing with that. I don’t see any other way to do it. They come in to have some good food, but they always go back where they are treated well, valued, and recognized. To me, this is essential. I remember reading the social columns all the time to recognize people’s names. That way I could remember the faces as well, and greet people by name when they came in—creating “a pleasant surprise.”
When Open Table came around, we were the first to adopt the system. One of the sales points is to capture information about guests so you can properly serve them. To enjoy myself is to see people happy. At Perbacco, I’ve seen families grow. The kids who were three are now in college. The families keep coming around. I don’t take anything for granted. The restaurant is my stage. Every day you need to perform; it’s never the same. You find different challenges, different guests.
The only way to do it is to be positive. If you do the right thing, nothing will go wrong. If something happens, at least you know you tried everything, and you move on because another guest needs your attention. How do you stay unflappable? You only have to make sure that your face is always relaxed. Always look at the guests. Don’t move fast. Show that you’re in control. The guest smells the blood. Give the guest the feeling that everything will be fine. I also like to dress properly, but I do it for myself. I come from a very humble family. When I was in Boy Scouts, my mom didn’t have the money to buy a uniform, and I wore my friend’s uniform. When I earned some money, the first thing I did was buy good clothing. I always bought quality.
David Landis: Do you think that the role of the maître’d is a dying art?
Umberto Gibin: Things are changing in the restaurant business. What we used to do on a regular basis, the new generation doesn’t have teachers anymore. You can’t run a restaurant without hospitality. It is a dying art in a way. The new managers of this new generation aren’t willing to put in the effort, learn the details, make sure someone is at the door who greets you in and out, take time at each table, and read the faces of the guests. The new generation isn’t up for that. I remember at Scala’s: There was a young manager that walked around the entire time, never stopped to talk to anybody. He must have been exhausted, but what did he accomplish? Zero. You must make it work for you.
David Landis: Do you remember Hans Brandt, the maître’d par excellence at the old Trader Vic’s? What made him special?
Umberto Gibin: I believe I met him once. He was probably one of the first to call the newspapers (to provide new items from the restaurant). Being featured in Herb Caen, Pat Steger, and Leah Garchik was important. He knew the art. He knew everybody. He knew the children. He was old school.
David Landis: Which hosts/hostesses in town do you think do an exemplary job?
Umberto Gibin: I don’t know every hostess in town—a couple I like are: one who used to work with me, Bethlehem, at Kokkari. She is attractive, with a sweet face and a sweet voice, and always very poised. You never see the stress on her face. The first time she sees you, she is happy to see you. She was the manager at Barbacco before we closed. A quintessential hostess. In Montclair in Oakland, another former employee is at Perle; her name is Helen. She also has the sweet demeanor, a great smile—that’s all it takes. It’s important to be genuine, not phony.
David Landis: Tell me about the worst customer experience you had, and how you handled it. How do you win a customer back when there’s been a misstep?
Umberto Gibin: We had just opened Perbacco, and had a family in a semi-private room upstairs. They were very rude, disputing the bill, etc. I did lose it, and I said, “Please don’t comeback anymore.” This is something you should never say. They wrote a terrible review. The minute I said it, I knew I was in the wrong by saying it. I told them I will do anything to make it up and I tried to make it up to them. I learned from that to keep going, and just walk away if you can’t adjust the situation.
David Landis: What do you think of the trend towards QR codes, less waiters, no hosts, robots, etc.in restaurants?
Umberto Gibin: Personally, I hate the QR codes. In my opinion, with QR codes you can lose sales. We wanted to have another glass of wine at a restaurant with QR codes, but it was too complicated, so we left. Some organization just did a survey and found that a majority of people don’t like QR codes. I can see the trend that ordering at the counter with limited service may work out. Is it a big deal to go up to a counter to ask for something? To me, yes. I think this type of service may multiply because it cuts the labor down; if you’re ok with less service, it may work.
David Landis: I heard you had a health scare a while back. Everything ok? Did that affect your perspective for work?
Umberto Gibin: I was diagnosed with cancer in my neck 4 l/2 years ago. I started therapy 3 days before we had to shut down the restaurant due to COVID-19. I was told by the doctors I had to be quarantined at home, because I was immune compromised. I was scared to death. The support I got from friends and family kept me going. I kept a positive attitude, and I thought I’m going to beat this. The restaurant changed to takeout only, and Staffan had to do it all on his own. It was eating me inside that I couldn’t be here. Luckily, everything went well. I’m still under observation but the disease is gone. I have no symptoms. I went back into my regular routine immediately. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was able to defeat this and move on.
David Landis: Do you think that the Financial District is coming back? Will we see more activity soon?
Umberto Gibin: In my opinion, it has gotten a bit worse, so I don’t really know when things will change. Currently, we work well on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (people are back at work those days). Fridays are up and down (people usually take off on Fridays for the weekend), and Saturdays are a disaster.
David Landis: What’s your favorite dish at Perbacco?
Umberto Gibin: Personally, I have two favorites: the agnolotti dal plin (pinched pasta with roasted meats and vegetables), and the tajarin (thin noodles with pork sugo and porcini mushrooms).These are two of the pastas that have never left the menu.
David Landis: Any plans to bring back Barbacco?
Umberto Gibin: I have thought of a limited-service type of restaurant if we reopen Barbacco, but we need foot traffic, which we don’t have quite yet.
David Landis: Where do you like to eat out when you’re not at Perbacco?
Umberto Gibin: I like to try new places. But in my neighborhood, Montclair, I like to go to Perle, Wood Tavern, and À Côté. In San Francisco, I also like Waterbar and Hog Island at the Ferry Building. I think Hog Island has the only people who really know how to shuck oysters.
David Landis: Anything else?
Umberto Gibin: What happened with the pandemic turned the city around, at least certain areas. I wish things would change, and change quickly. It’s great to see the support we get from our guests. This keeps me alive. Perbacco is still relevant, and well thought of by our guests. You never slow down. You have to be the very best. You’re only as good as the last dish of pasta you serve. Don’t ever take it for granted.
Bits and Bites
New openings in the Castro: It’s uplifting to see some new, great enterprises opening in the Castro, including:
Catch French Bistro is a great new incarnation of the former Catch on Market near Castro. The restaurant still pays homage to the Names Quilt project that was housed there in the ‘80s, with a portion of the quilt displayed prominently in the entranceway. The Gay Gourmet recommends the salmon, the Caesar salad, the fritto misto, and the artichoke. Be sure to go there on weekends when the talented Dee Spencer is tickling the ivories, now downstairs for the enjoyment of all.
Fisch & Flore, in the former Café Flore, is modern and buzzy, but still retains the vibe of the former Flore that was the nexus of the Castro for years. Expect some great seafood dishes like a Dungeness crab roll for lunch or mussels for dinner, as well as a fun, full bar, a great dog-friendly outdoor space, and views of the streetcars from around the world passing you by on Market Street.
Bar 49, from an alumnus of Hi Tops, just opened at the site of the old Bagdad Café. I haven’t tried it yet, but they have an interesting selection of wines and beers, along with some great bar bites.
A nod to locally owned Handlery Hotels, which is helping some great nonprofits in the Castro and elsewhere. According to the property, the hotel is “shining a light on San Francisco neighborhoods with its Summer Lights celebration through August. The Handlery Union Square Hotel has kicked off the celebration by lighting up the hotel with new dynamic streaming lights. Part of a complete refurbishing of the exterior facade, the lights brighten up the Union Square area as it continues to make a comeback. To recognize Pride, the Handlery family donated $10,000 to the SF LGBT Center in the Castro. The family will also donate another $10,000 to the Salvation Army’s Kroc Center in the Tenderloin. A final $10,000 will be given to the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center.”
Perbacco: https://www.perbaccosf.com/
Catch French Bistro: https://catchfrenchbistro.com/
Fisch & Flore: https://www.fischandflore.com/
Bar 49: https://bar49sf.com/
Handlery Hotel Union Square: https://sf.handlery.com/
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet, “is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF oremail him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
The Gay Gourmet
Published on July 11, 2024
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