LONGTIME CULINARY TRAILBLAZERS Margie Conard and Dana Tommasino will continue their gardening theme when they open Gardenias a few doors from Fillmore at 1963 Sutter Street, the former home of Roostertail and Cafe Kati. They previously owned and operated Woodward’s Garden in the Mission for 22 years before losing their lease last October.
Margie Conard and Dana Tommasino
“We have always bowed to the breadth and beauty of California produce in our food,” says Tommasino. “We have also just inherited one very serious commercial rotisserie that we plan to have lots of fun with. We’re imagining whole herb-stuffed goat or lamb on the spit, with leafy meze sides, along with rotisserie birds, pork, fish, etc.”
They plan to offer small plates for casual dining, as well as full dinners.
“We also have the capacity for doing wines on tap in the new place, which is something we’ve wanted to do for years,” says Tommasino. “We love how green and forward-thinking it is, and many beautiful wineries offer their wines this way now.” They also plan to work with wineries to make their own Gardenias blends.
“We are more than thrilled to have found such a sweet neighborhood and location for our new place,” says Tommasino, and hope to be open for dinner six nights a week by mid-July. “We want to create a space that serves the neighborhood” and also “suits both casual dining and more fancy crowds.”
Tommasino curated various art, reading and dinner events at Woodward’s Garden and plans to continue to host events at Gardenias.
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