Zero Zero Press Release - Postcard Communications and Consulting

Contact: Olga Katsnelson | Postcard Communications
917.698.3192 | olga@postcardpr.com
Click here to download a pdf of this press release, fact sheet and menus.
San Francisco, CA, July 28, 2010 – Noted chef and certified pizzaiolo Bruce Hill
(BIX, Picco, Pizzeria Picco) is offering diners a new venue for his wood-fired
pizzas and Italian small plates. Opening today in the SoMa neighborhood [826
Folsom Street, SF 94107], Zero Zero takes its name from the ultra-finely ground
flour used in traditional Neapolitan pizza dough and features variations on the
pizzas that have developed a devoted following at Chef Hill’s Pizzeria Picco in
Larkspur, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. The menu also includes inventive
pasta dishes, a range of starters and antipasti, including crudo, house-cured
salumi, a changing selection of bruschette and salads, and Hill’s signature softserve organic ice cream. Chris Whaley, serves as Chef de Cuisine after honing
his skills for the past 5 years at Picco.
A revolving selection of 10 pizzas, dubbed “Calipolitan” by Chef Hill for the
combination of California ingredients and Neapolitan tradition, are topped with
highest-quality components, made in house, sourced nearby or imported from
Italy. House-made mozzarella is stretched daily using curd from locally based
Fromaggi de Ferrante, sausage is cooked sous vide so as to retain the flavor
typically lost when rendering fat, and the tomato sauce, a blend of San Marzano
tomatoes imported from Italy and Sicilian sea salt, testifies to the notion that topnotch ingredients often benefit from the simplest approach. Selections will
showcase seasonal vegetables (Hill’s relationship with local farms is so strong
that many of his purveyors carry kitchen keys), sustainable seafood and a
delectable array of house-cured salumi. Cooked for just 90 seconds in the 900
degree-oven, the handcrafted pies are exceptionally light, with a delicately thin,
crispy, and blistered perimeter that softens towards the center. Among the
offerings are The Geary, a zesty combination of Manila clams, tomato sauce,
garlic, sopressata, pecorino, parsley and Calabrian chiles; The Market, with
mortadella, Padron peppers, mozzarella, roasted garlic, and oregano; and The
Mission, a vegetarian offering with broccoli rabe, olive, chiles, roasted garlic, and
Crescenza and mozzarella cheeses.
–
continued
–
To kick off a meal, diners can select from a variety of crudo. The elegantly plated
Hiramasa with Cucumber, Radish and Jalapeño, and Basil Seeds contrasts the
buttery fish against bright notes from the vegetables and tapioca-textured basil
seeds. Among the antipasti, Roasted Hen of the Woods Mushrooms with Fried
Polenta and Slow Cooked Organic Egg, is a rich combination of savory umami
and the silken textures of the polenta and egg yolk. A highlight of the salad
selection is the Pressed Watermelon, Cucumber, Shaved Red Onion, Lime,
Nepitella and Feta.
Pastas, such as the carbonara-like Nuvole with Organic Egg, Mascarpone,
Mushrooms and Bacon, and a Pappardelle with Braised Pork Shoulder and
Grilled Summer Squash take inspiration from classic recipes as well as the
seasons. For dessert its build-your-own sundaes that start with Hill’s signature
organic soft-serve made from a proprietary Straus Dairy Farms ice cream blend.
A sundae can begin with a base such as cinnamon waffle or plum crostata, then
get crowned with anything from the nostalgic (hot fudge; butterscotch; candied
peanuts) to the creative (pine nut brittle, strawberries and Manodori balsamic
vinegar; Da Vero olive oil and sea salt). Diners receive a menu that doubles as a
check-off sheet where they mark their particular combination of ice cream, base,
and toppings.
Zero Zero’s beverage offerings include a selection of beers, wines and cocktails.
The wine list will focus on Italian varietals grown in California, with up to twelve
wines available on tap. A cocktail program created by Joel Teitelbaum, recently
of Credo, draws on classics of the pre-prohibition era while Teitelbaum’s farm-toglass approach makes use of seasonal produce. Zero Zero boasts two full bars,
and for groups gathering upstairs, punch service, complete with vintage bowls,
will provide a delightfully social format for drinking.
Michael Brennan has designed a space that’s at once industrial and welcoming.
The “action” centers around the wood-burning oven, visible from multiple vantage
points throughout the first floor. Sconces and hanging lights that recall dancing
flames, red-brown woods and leathers, and mirrors with a vintage patina warm
the interior. Much of the first floor’s seating is comprised of booths and a long
bar, and a central staircase adorned with old-fashioned metal-work by Alameda’s
Freeman Troutman group leads to a second floor replete with its own full bar.
There, a communal table and flexible seating plan can accommodate groups of
all sizes. Above the bar, Michael Brennan has painted a colorful trompe l’oeilinspired mural dedicated to the “story” of pizza.
Zero Zero is open for dinner Sunday – Thursday (5:30-10:30pm) and Friday –
Saturday (5:30 – 11:00pm) with plans to offer lunch in the near future. Parties of
5 or more can make reservations by calling Zero Zero directly at 415-348-8800 or
by visiting www.opentable.com.
Click here to download a pdf of this press release, fact sheet and menus.
MEDIA CONTACT
Postcard Communications | Olga Katsnelson | (917) 698-3192 | olga@postcardpr.com