LAZY BEAR

California Love in San Francisco

-  AARON ROMANO

Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it’s so much more. This Mission District restaurant effortlessly strips away the formality of a multicourse dinner and replaces it with conviviality, nostalgia and curiosity. With reverence for time and place, Lazy Bear is an ode to California where guests dine in concert with the season and can explore diverse wines, including an impressive collection of older California vintages.

“Unity is very important to me,” explains founder and chef David Barzelay. “We cultivate a sense of place by evoking what’s great about the Bay Area and California. Every aspect of our work ties into everything else.”

Barzelay, a former lawyer, got into cooking during law school. After getting laid off in 2009, he began staging at local restaurants and hosting dinner parties in his apartment. After six months, he introduced clandestine pop-up dinners in a nearby warehouse. He opened Lazy Bear in 2014. From the beginning, Barzelay had a clear vision and has been building on the concept ever since. Upon opening, the restaurant was lauded for its communal dining experience.