Man on the Move

Joseph Manzare redefines San Francisco dining,

one restaurant at a time
by Marc Peacock Brush

How far can one man and his bicycle take the San Francisco dining scene? With Joseph Manzare, the chef
behind four San Francisco institutions—Globe, Zuppa, Tres Agaves, Pescheria—there’s just no telling. If
you see him pedaling his way up and down your neighborhood streets, expect another top restaurant
to soon follow in his wake.

This is the story of a 14-year-old busboy, of a young man at Baruch College in Manhattan who caught
the business bug early and, at age 17, knew that he would work in restaurants for the rest of his
career. It’s a story of determination, long hours and a dedication to high-quality, fresh ingredients served
with flair and convenience. It’s a story that starts in the Bronx and greater New York, but quickly moves
to California.

Among Chef Manzare’s many accomplishments, he points specifically to Los Angeles, where he first
worked at L’Orangerie under renowned chef Jean François Meteigner and learned classic French
techniques from the master. This led to two years at Spago, where he worked all of the stations and
met his lifelong mentor, Wolfgang Puck, or “Wolf,” as Manzare fondly refers to him. “Wolf sent me to
Italy, twice,” says Manzare. “I worked at some of the top restaurants—San Domenico di Imola, Al Fornello
da Ricci, Ristorante Bacco—and I was just 26 years old.”

Working with Puck to open Postrio in San Francisco and Granita in Malibu was trial by fire for Manzare.
“You cook for everybody,” he says. “Every night, it’s a who’s who of power players—tycoons, movie stars,
top athletes, you name it.” Given the relationship Manzare formed with Wolf after nine years of drinking
red wine and talking shop, it’s no surprise he got the itch for his very own gig.

But Manzare was planning all along for the day when he would open his own restaurant. He knew what
to do, and it’s a formula that he still follows: Hop on your bike, and ride the city in search of that perfect
little spot. Head to the source for design and menu inspiration—Rome, Sicily and the tiny villages of
Calabria for Zuppa; Jalisco and the highlands of Mexico for Tres Agaves; Ancona and the coastline of
Northern Italy for Pescheria. Take hundreds of photos. Sketch out a concept on the proverbial napkin,
and the rest is all execution.

Globe, now a Jackson Square favorite, opened in 1997. “The idea was to stay open late,” says Manzare.
“That’s my New York influence, and I knew it was a niche that needed to be filled here.” What started
as an after-hours chef hangout quickly grew to capture the entire restaurant industry, and then crossed

Zuppa

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 Globe

Tres Agaves

Pescheria

Zuppa

www.diningoutonline.com 15
 over to all of the city’s late-night denizens.
“Everybody came down,” says Manzare. “It became
this crazy mix, an ongoing party.” Think Spike Lee,
Sharon Stone and Laurence Fishburne. Think
Sammy Hagar, Metallica, REM, bands and fans
dining side by side after a show.
With Globe, Manzare introduced his unique style of
simple yet elegant and flavorful dishes. “The menu
is casual and fun, but good,” he says. Ingredients
are sourced from local farms, a dedication to quality
and community that Manzare maintains across his
restaurants. It’s something he learned from Wolf.
With Globe on the rise, Manzare took another bike
ride and dreamed up Zuppa. The retro building, an
old abandoned restaurant that kept catching his
eye, finally came on the market and Manzare bought
it outright 24 hours later. (This is another facet of
his business plan—don’t lease; buy your location
and control your own destiny by building out the
real estate to diversify beyond the core restaurant.)
At Zuppa, the interior features hot rolled steel in the
kitchen, exposed ceilings, wood floors and a zinc
bar that’s always packed with locals. With
the aromas of homemade pastas and pizzas from
the wood-burning oven, Zuppa blends the old
with the new, 16th-century Italy with 21st-century
San Francisco. The 100-percent Italian wine list
developed by Manzare’s wife and business
partner, Mary Klingbeil, draws aficionados from
across the world.
The success of Globe and Zuppa led to a catering
endeavor that again brought Manzare into the
spotlight. His spreads of rustic Mexican food—
rotisserie pork, tacos, all kinds of wild salsas—for
openings held by the artist Robert Graham and
his wife Anjelica Huston, led to his next concept.
“I was making tacos for the stars,” Manzare says.
“Why not start a high-end tequila bar, with true
Jaliscan cuisine?”
Tres Agaves is the result, a vibrant collaboration
of partners Julio Bermejo (the US Ambassador of
Tequila), Sammy Hagar and Eric Rubin. Named for
the three types of premium 100-percent agave
tequila, Tres Agaves boasts 110 different
selections, with margaritas simply composed of
nothing more than tequila, organic natural
sweetener, and fresh-squeezed Persian limes
imported from Mexico. Manzare’s menu offers
diners a classic Mexican meal without pretense,
instead focusing on traditional preparation
techniques and quality ingredients—handmade
tortillas, fresh and dried chiles, toasted pumpkin
seeds. Patrons enjoy a true tequila education,
complemented by favorites such as carnitas and
chiles rellenos.
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“What keeps Manzare focused is that
commitment to authenticity and freshness
in his cooking, a desire to do Wolf proud,
and an urge to fill those missing niches
he keeps discovering across the
San Francisco culinary scene.”
Zuppa
But the man just won’t stop. Manzare wasted little
time in launching his latest enterprise in another
neighborhood lacking his brand of casual, quality
fare. This time he rode his bike through Noe Valley,
and last autumn, Pescheria opened its doors for
business. As its name suggests, Pescheria serves a
range of seafood dishes that benefit from the Bay
Area’s bounty of fresh fish and shellfish. Once
again it has proved a hit with both locals and
visitors. The décor is clean and bright, with blue
glass tiles, white marble, and seating options that
range from a vibrant raw bar to intimate tables
laden with mainstays such as halibut baked in
parchment paper.
Does Manzare have his hands full with four
different, though equally compelling, restaurants?
You bet. What keeps him focused is that
commitment to authenticity and freshness in his
cooking, a desire to do Wolf proud, and an urge to
fill those missing niches he keeps discovering
across the San Francisco culinary scene.
When asked about his next step, Manzare’s voice
accelerates a bit and takes on a noticeable tinge of
excitement. “I’m thinking of a high-end sushi bar, Globe
with amazing, fresh fish,” he says. “Already booked
a trip to Japan in April.” As for its location, Manzare’s
lips are sealed, but you could always keep your
eyes open for a man on his bike, scouring the
streets of San Francisco for his next source of
inspiration.