Chef Nancy Oakes
Boulevard Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

Chef Nancy Oakes has reached and sustained a level of awareness and culinary excellence held by few chefs in America today. Recently honored by the Sustainable Foods Institute for her commitment to honoring sustainable food practices, Nancy Oakes continues to demonstrate her commitment to excellence in every aspect of her restaurant, whether it be the selection of each ingredient her restaurant uses, or the development of a new recipe for her constantly changing menu.

Prior to opening Boulevard in 1993, Chef Oakes earned high praise at her restaurant, L'Avenue, a 50-seat San Francisco neighborhood bistro where she created and sustained a wonderful loyalty and intimacy with her diners. This relationship continues at the 145-seat Boulevard. Before L'Avenue, Oakes and a friend created a popular waterfront restaurant called Barnacle, During her years of study at the San Francisco Art Institute, Oakes was also known in San Francisco for her down-to-earth yet elegant service and hospitality while working at such places as Alexis on Nob Hill.

As a self-taught chef, Oakes enhanced her philosophy with the knowledge she gained from great teachers under whom she served informally. From Girard Boyer and Taillevent to Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon, Oakes learned to cherish all aspects of food from searching for the freshest ingredients to perfect service.

At Boulevard, Nancy Oakes is able to fulfill her dream of giving diners a truly sensuous experience. She and her crew continue to cook 'a la minute' for each diner, having created a menu such that in any evening, they are preparing a relatively small number of each item.

"When you order a chicken, we actually cook it to order for you over the open fire in our wood-burning oven. There are no shortcuts. Even our pastries and cookies are made in small batches so they have a home-baked quality. We all feel a reverence for the food we use... we choose diver scallops rather than dredged, and fruits and vegetables straight from the farm or the farmer's market. In our kitchen, we all share San Francisco's love and commitment to good food," says Oakes.

Chef Participant: Cooking for Solutions Conference 2006

Chef Recipes:
Cider Brined Pork Loin with Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Smoked Applewood Bacon, Pomegranate Relish and a Natural Jus

Quail Stuffed with Foie Gras and Roasted Fresh Porcini, Sauteed Spinach and Potato Mousseline and Natural Jus

Pan Roasted Squab Foie gras Bruschetta,
Autumn Vegetables with Truffle Relish, Natural Sauce

Pumpkin Brioche Pain Perdu with Spiced Blackberries

Sea of Cortez Rock Scallop Vegetables Carpaccio
and Ginger Riesling Vinaigrette

Yellowfin Tuna with Pickled Wasabi Leaves, Avocado, Yuru Vinaigrette, Radish Salad and Lotus Chips

Other Great Related Links:
Cooking for Solutions

Healthy Choices, Healthy Oceans Cooking for Solutions and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Programs are empowering seafood consumers and businesses to make choices for healthy oceans. To learn more, visit www.seafoodwatch.org.

Chef Nancy Oakes & Meals on Wheels, May 18, 2008, Fort Mason, CA
Nancy Oakes of Boulevard returns for her fifth year as Gala Chef Chairwoman, who along with her A-list colleagues will prepare the food lover's feast. . .

Oakes Pairs Wines of Alsace with Flair
Although this French wine and food pairing took place approxi-mately 5 years ago, the recipes that Nancy Oakes prepared especially for Hubert Trimbach. .