Downtown Dining Trivia

Scenario 1: The tired FiDi happy hour scene is prematurely killing your buzz.
Scenario 2: Clients/parents/friends are in town. You’d better scale up — big time.
Scenario 3: You yearn for alfresco dinners, but the impending deep freeze scares you off.

Solution: Bluestem Brasserie.

The slick-but-welcoming space by Lundberg Design (a stunning Indonesian wood floor, cushy banquettes, rad fiber optic-lit bar) opens tomorrow for your lunch, dinner, and lounging pleasure. The gold star goes to the protected rooftop patio. (Fear not: heaters and pashminas are on hand.)

The menu is classic brasserie with a twist: Start with house-made charcuterie or watermelon salad with Castelvetrano olives, and then savor whole-roasted dorade and crispy duck confit. Save room for award-winning pastry chef James Ornsby’s nostalgic treats (vanilla ice cream profiteroles, butterscotch tapioca brulee).

Looks like you’ve hit the trifecta.

Bluestem Brasserie, 1 Yerba Buena Lane, at Market Street (415-547-1111 or bluestembrasserie.com).

Photo: Angie Silvy / Courtesy of Bluestem Brasserie