Cow Marlowe Fills the Gap in San Francisco’s Marina Triangle
Author:Michelle KonstantinovskyLate last year, the closure of San Francisco’s Eastside West left a glaring vacancy in one vertice of the infamous Marina Triangle. The intersection at Filmore and Greenwich is peppered with an array of bars and restaurants, but the empty spot left locals wondering what the future held for the neighborhood haunt.
Last month, Marina residents (and enthusiasts) got their answer in Cow Marlowe, the latest addition to Big Night Restaurant Group’s impressive roster, which includes Marlowe, Petit Marlowe, Leo’s Oyster Bar, Park Tavern, The Cavalier, and Marianne’s. Featuring Marlowe classics alongside new dishes, Cow Marlowe brings its design-focused flavor to the area.
Big Night Restaurant Group’s founders, Anna Weinberg and James Nicholas, teamed up with chef partner Jennifer Puccio and Chief Pastry Officer Emily Luchetti to transport the beloved taste of the original Marlowe to Cow Hollow. The new space pays homage to the style of its warm, inviting predecessor but incorporates fresh finishes, layered interiors, and custom and antique detailing. That means custom brass lighting and black millwork throughout, with retrofitted antique cabinets as the hostess stand and wine station. There’s also a combination of sepia-toned and striped wallpaper hung alongside Carrara marble tiles laid in a herringbone pattern juxtaposed by navy grouting. The bar counters and communal table are constructed of rare, cobalt-blue Sodalite Blue Granite with waves and specks of black and white, and wood tables paired with leather banquettes and a collection of vintage Thonet-style chairs arranged over dark navy concrete flooring.
Cow Marlowe’s bar program expands on the original Marlowe beverages, with a newly developed cocktail menu from Mike Anders of Marianne’s and Leo’s Oyster Bar. The location-exclusive “Cow Marlowe House Cocktails” feature the Forgive and Fernet with Fernet Francisco, rum, pineapple & mint, Jungle Juice with Avion Reposado Tequila, Mezcal, ruby port, Averna, passion fruit, lime, and pineapple gum, and a Mezcal Mule with lime, orange juice, jalapeno, basil, and ginger beer. Cow Marlowe is also well aware of its surroundings boasting a special “Marina Girls & Boys” section to its bar menu, which feaetures drinks like the aptly-named Lululemon Drop (Tito’s Vodka, Acqua di Cedro, lemon, and thyme) and Brad & Chad made with Avion Reposado Tequila, gin, and Green Chartreuse. The list of “Marlowe Classics” offers The Baker, The Juicer, and The Country Lawyer.
As for the food, Chef Puccio features Marlowe staples alongside new dishes, and dedicates an entire section of the menu exclusively to bar bites, like her Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips with Meyer lemon, and sea salt, and her Warm Deviled Egg, made with aged provolone, pickled jalapeno, and bacon. New offerings include Grilled Furikake Green Beans with smoked egg yolk, caviar and truffle aioli (a healthier play on the popular Park Tavern Fries), and exclusively for the ‘Late Night Menu,’ “Cow Marlowe Poutine,” featuring Kennebec fries with braised beef short ribs, cracklings, Caesar aioli and parmesan cheese. Late night guests can also enjoy Leo’s Fries with dynamite sauce and Park Tavern Fries with truffle, soft-boiled egg and caviar.
Chef de Cuisine Steve Dustin oversees the rest of the menu, adhering to Marlowe’s original philosophy of “the food we want to eat on our days off.” Starters include a Warm Brussels Sprout and Chicory Caesar with Spanish anchovies, and Crispy Hen Egg & Caviar. For the mains, Seafood Stuffed Petrale Sole with diver scallops and bay shrimp, celery root, spinach, smoked paprika, and sunchoke chips, is added to the menu as a seafood option alongside Marlowe’s well-known meat dishes like the Grilled Marin Sun Farms Pork Chop, and the “Poulet Vert.” Vegetarians can enjoy Anson Mills Polenta with sautéed wild mushrooms, shaved parmesan, truffle salsa verde, and a poached farm egg.
Luchetti serves up sweet American classic desserts like the Orange Creamsicle Sundae with bourbon and caramel soaked oranges, vanilla bean ice cream, orange sorbet, and candied almonds. Also on the menu: Key Lime Cheesecake with wild blueberry sauce, and a Guittard Chocolate Pudding with Chantilly cream, cocoa nibs and sea salt (a Townsend Street Original).
Cow Marlowe is located at 3154 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. For hours of operation or to book a reservation, call 415-508-5898 or visit www.cowmarlowesf.com.
