Grub StreetSan Francisco

• New York
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Chicago
• Philadelphia
• Boston

Dominique Crenn's first non-hotel, solo restaurant effort, Atelier Crenn, opened last month in the former PlumpJack digs in Cow Hollow, and the response to her poetry on a plate so far has been reverent and enthusiastic (though no formal review has been filed to date). Elle magazine even published a profile of her last week, focusing mostly on her style and her place in a male-dominated field doing ambitious, sometimes molecular cuisine — women chefs are, stereotypically, known to do more rustic or "home-y" food. Crenn is clearly aiming for something that's both personal and unexpected, describing a dish like "The Sea" as her "interpretation of aquatic flavors," and a delicious potato dish with Comté cheese and ham broth as "a memory of childhood" in France. Her plating is painterly and intricate, with the experience of her dishes — like any high-end cuisine should be — as much a visual one as it is sensual.

The full chef's tasting menu, which we illustrate for you here along with several dishes from the a la carte menu as well, is 95 dollars, with an additional 35 for wine pairings. There are also three- and five-course options as well, though it seems obvious to us already that the most satisfying experience of Crenn's food will likely come from the nine-course tasting menu, which also comes with an amuse and an "epilogue."

See our full slideshow below.

Earlier: A First Look Inside Atelier Crenn, Opening January 21 [Grub Street]