Press Releases - 2007
Café Andrée Announces Evan Crandall Is Executive Chef
New Chef Brings Refreshing Concept and Menu to Union Square Bistro
San Francisco (February 23, 2007) - Café Andrée, the intimate bistro located adjacent to San Francisco’s Hotel Rex, recently appointed Evan Crandall to the position of executive chef and unveiled his new menu and concept for the restaurant.
With the new menu of “seasonal California cuisine,” Crandall celebrates the diversity of his native San Francisco and the many influences of the city’s famous neighborhoods. Dishes range from the Japanese-influenced Nori and Sesame Crusted Seabass with forbidden fried rice to Italian Pumpkin Ravioli with pancetta, wild mushrooms and red pepper cream. Specializing in delicate handmade pastas and seasonal desserts, Café Andree’s diverse menu promises a memorable meal for everyone.
Prior to joining Café Andrée, Crandall was the chef/partner for two years at Jou Jou Café, located in San Francisco’s Financial District. Before then, Crandall held the positions of executive sous chef at the Carnelian Room, chef de cuisine at San Francisco’s Park Hyatt and most recently as the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, Calif.
“I was always fascinated with cooking, even as a kid. I’d throw a bunch of stuff in a bowl, throw it in the oven, and see what came out. Sometimes it was a cake, sometimes a rock, it didn’t matter,” says Crandall. “Then I’d make everyone come over and try it out.” Crandall’s childhood fascination persevered, and he started cooking professionally at 17, right out of high school. At 19, he graduated from the City College Culinary Program and was selected for a coveted culinary apprenticeship at the San Francisco Hilton, from which he graduated in 1992. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Crandall appreciates the culinary variety and wealth of knowledge right in his backyard – even when he’s not cooking at Café Andrée, friends will find him seeking out more things to throw in a bowl to see what comes out.
Located just steps from San Francisco’s Union Square, Café Andrée in the Hotel Rex features a cozy setting that is an enchanting mix of San Francisco café and French bistro. With mirrored walls featuring the day’s specials, original pen and ink drawings, and a soothing color scheme of buttery yellow and burgundy red, Café Andrée offers an inviting destination after a day spent seeing the sights of San Francisco.
Click here for PDF of new menu.
About Joie de Vivre Hospitality
Based in San Francisco, Joie de Vivre Hospitality (www.jdvhotels.com) is a creative collection of lifestyle businesses. As California's largest independent boutique hotelier, Joie de Vivre encompasses other hospitality businesses such as restaurants and spas. Celebrating 20 years of creating dreams, Joie de Vivre Hospitality is expanding its California presence in Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sunnyvale, Huntington Beach and beyond.
