Millennium Restaurant

Vegan Virtuosity in the Heart of San Francisco

Posted by Tent

Eric Tucker, Executive Chef at Millennium Restaurant, is a legend to many in the organic food movement. He has achieved true rock-star status among vegetarians, Foodies, farmers, other chefs, home-cook masters, and really anyone looking for a delicious gourmet meal in San Francisco. My vegan housemate has all of Tucker's books neatly lined up in a small shrine on the top shelf of our pantry, one of which is signed and wrapped in a plastic sleeve. Tucker earned this well-deserved following in part by pioneering important relationships between farmers, chefs, and restaurants, and forging a model for what is now considered an essential, farm-direct supply chain by many new eateries.

More than 15 years ago, before Farm-to Table was the trend, Tucker found himself in Marin with a goal to create healthy, rich-tasting foods that were also environmentally responsible. A large part of achieving that goal relied on his relationships with smaller local farms concerned with organic or sustainable growing practices and delivering seasonal produce to their own local community. Millennium Restaurant was founded on these principles in 1994, and to this day Eric still values his relationships with the farmers, purveyors and other local producers that supply the myriad of ingredients he works with to create Millennium’s constantly evolving-- but always delicious-- cuisine.

Originally focusing on small farms based in Marin County, Tucker expanded his horizons to the greater Bay Area and began working with Happy Boy in 2005. His favorite Happy Boy items include our rapini, orange kabocha squash and, in the summer, our specialty black carbon tomatoes that the Millennium kitchen uses primarily to make a complex, smoky sauce.

His relationships with farmers also extend beyond daily deliveries; he and other millennium chefs can be spotted at several weekly markets throughout the bay area, searching for both seasonal highlights as well as new flavors and ingredients. On top of all that, Eric also believes in keeping his cuisine accessible to the farmers, foragers and other members of the local food community that partner with him. Millennium hosts farms dinners to celebrate and honor farmers, features seasonal menus that focus on local harvests, a Convert-A-Carnivore discount, and even offers cooking classes that help the executive chef in all of us create healthy, locally-informed and worldly inspired dishes of our own.

Millennium Restaurant is located at 580 Geary St. in San Francisco and serves dinner nightly.  Reservations are recommended.

Check out the Millennium website for upcoming events.