Facts About the Private Dining Room

Description: Absinthe Private Dining reflects the romantic atmosphere of Absinthe’s main dining room, with whimsical hand-painted murals of the garden of Versailles designed by Willem Racké, plush upholstered furniture, a large century-old, richly framed, pre-1906 earthquake mirror from Blue Rock Inn in Marin County, mohair curtains and hand- cast curvilinear iron work.

Location: 388 Hayes Street (between Franklin & Gough Streets) San Francisco, CA 94102

Contact: (415) 551-1453 telephone/voicemail (415) 255-2386 fax [email protected] www.absinthe.com

Cuisine: The menus at Absinthe offer classic French brasserie selections; a well stocked raw-seafood bar, and award-winning desserts. Private Dining menus compliment the flavors and ingredients of our restaurant menus, which change frequently, allowing variety and seasonal freshness for your guests. We look forward to designing the perfect menu for your event.

Established: January 1998, Private Dining Room in 2003.

Executive Chef: Adam Keough

Events & Marketing: Vanessa Harris

Capacity: Up to 45 seated guests and up to 60 standing guests

Reservations: Required for private dining; recommended for main restaurant

Credit Cards: American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club and Discover

Parking: Valet is available Tuesday through Saturday evenings after 5 p.m. and other times upon request on a fee for service basis.

Vanessa Harris – Director of Events & Marketing Telephone (415) 551-1453 • Fax (415) 255-2386 • email: [email protected]

Absinthe Private Dining Information

Menus & Pricing

• Private: A Food and Beverage minimum for dinner, ranging from $1800 to $2400, applies. For lunch, the Food and Beverage Minimum ranges from $800 to $1500. This is an opportunity to have a private restaurant experience without the investment of reserving an entire restaurant facility. Note that you have exclusive use of a private bar (a set-up fee applies), a separate sound system (where you may plug in an ipod), Internet access, audio- visual equipment (rentals apply) and other exclusive amenities. • Absinthe Private Dining offers tailored prix-fixe menus in a range of budgets. Our sample lunch menu prices are $40, $45 and $50 per person (see enclosed sample menus). • Absinthe Private Dining offers a lunch tasting menu for $55, which is designed by the Executive Chef, Adam Keough and can have wines paired by our Sommelier. • A selection of tray-passed hors d’ oeuvres can be offered, for pre-dinner or cocktail receptions, for an additional cost. • Wedding, birthday, congratulatory cakes and special desserts can be created for your event by Executive Pastry Chef Bill Corbett (advance consultations may be required). Event Types & Offerings

• Traditional sit-down dinners can be organized complete with personalized menus tailored to your and your guests’ tastes, designer floral arrangements, and elegant linens. • Corporate presentation sit-down dinners can be arranged to accommodate audio-visual presentations, telephone conferences, internet-streamed presentations via wireless or wired Internet connectivity, and simple, elegant menus designed to be served with minimum disruption to your oral and media presentations. • A private stand-up cocktail event with food stations and passed hors d’ oeuvres is an exciting alternative to a sit-down dinner. These events could include personalized reception gifts, stylized linens, and seasonal floral arrangements. • Private full bar set up in Absinthe Private Dining available for a fee ranging from $150-$200. Bar packages available. • A simple stand-up cocktail party with tray-passed hors d’ oeuvres can also be organized (subject to minimum staffing fees).

Additions at Your Discretion

• Simple, elegant table settings on white tablecloths are our standard table settings. • Stylized, richly textured and/or colored linens may be ordered beginning at $25 per table. • Tables can be set with Spiegelau Vino Grande crystal wine glasses for $1.50 per glass. • Floral centerpieces and side arrangements can be ordered to suit a range of budgets. • A projection screen and stand for LCD projectors is available for a $75 rental fee. • LCD projectors and other AV equipment can be rented and staged for all events (we’ll be happy to provide a quote for your needs upon request). • Guest take-home ‘favors’ including delectable treats such as chocolates and wine from the wine shop next door (Arlequin Wine Merchant) and “The Art of the Bar” books can be arranged (associated costs can be quoted upon request).

Sample Lunch Menu One Three Courses

$40 per person

First Course

French onion soup gratinèe or Little Gem lettuce, shaved radish, cucumber, red wine vinaigrette

Main Course

Grilled cheese & portabella sandwich , smoked provolone, roasted bell pepper, jalapeno basil pesto or Fulton Valley chicken, mascarpone polenta, grilled Treviso, sweet onion jus or Croque Monsieur Black Forest ham, gruyère, Dijon mustard on toasted levain

Dessert

Grapefruit sorbet, tarragon syrup, sable Breton cookie or Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée, huckleberry violet compote & short bread

Additional Sides (The side dishes are in addition to the per person price)

Chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables Pommes frites served with smoked tomato ketchup, sweet onion aïoli

All items subject to seasonal availability Vegetarian options available

Sample Lunch Menu Two Three Courses

$45 per person

First Course

Acorn squash soup, porcini syrup, sage croutons or Hearts of romaine, garlic croutons, Parmesan, Caesar dressing

Main Course

Arctic char, sunchoke puree, grape caper relish, Minus 8 vinegar or Fulton Valley chicken, mascarpone polenta, grilled Treviso, sweet onion jus or Grilled flat iron steak frites, green peppercorn jus, mixed greens

Dessert Choices

Valrhona Nyangbo chocolate pot de crème, crème chantilly or Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée, huckleberry violet compote & short bread

Additional Sides (The side dishes are in addition to the per person price)

Chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables Pommes frites served with smoked tomato ketchup, sweet onion aïoli

All items subject to seasonal availability Vegetarian options available

Sample Lunch Menu Three Four Courses

$50 per person

First Course

Acorn squash soup, porcini syrup, sage croutons or Hearts of romaine, garlic croutons, Parmesan, Caesar dressing

Main Course

Arctic char, sunchoke puree, grape caper relish, Minus 8 vinegar or Market pasta or Grilled flat iron steak frites, green peppercorn jus, mixed greens

Cheese Course A selection of Artisan cheese served family style

Tome du haut Languedoc with rose-petal jam (Languedoc, France) Raw goat’s milk, rustic, semi-hard, rich, grassy, earthy

Agour marinated with olives (Pyrenees, France) Goat-sheep, semi-firm, smooth, mild flavor

Colston Bassett Stilton with aged balsamic (Nottinghamshire, England) Cow, earthy, moist, minerally, fruity

Brillat Savarin with red grapes (Normandy, France) Triple cream, sweet, slightly sour, buttery, smooth

served with warm walnut bread

Dessert

Grapefruit sorbet, tarragon syrup, sable Breton cookie or Valrhona Nyangbo chocolate pot de crème, crème Chantilly or Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée, huckleberry violet compote & short bread

Additional Sides (The side dishes are in addition to the per person price)

Chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables Pommes frites served with smoked tomato ketchup, sweet onion aïoli

All items subject to seasonal availability. Vegetarian options available

Hors D’œuvres

$3-$5 per piece Choice of up to 3 Hors d’ œuvres for sit down dinner Choice of 5 or more Hors d’ œuvres for cocktail/wine reception (All items subject to seasonal availability)

Fish/Seafood

Oysters on the half shell Oyster & caviar, champagne mignonette Tuna tartare poached egg, potato cake, olive relish Smoked salmon, hard cooked egg, crispy potato cake and Osetra caviar Smoked salmon with pickled cucumber & onion, chive crème fraîche, crostini Mini crab cakes, tabasco aioli Shrimp salad, toasted brioche

Vegetarian

Seasonal shots of soup Red wine braised figs, goat cheese on crostini Peruvian purple potato spring roll, truffle Hollandaise Seasonal vegetarian flatbread Soft garlic pretzels Vermont cheddar Mornay Marinated mixed olives, citrus, toasted garlic, cinnamon Spicy fried chickpeas Assorted spiced nuts

Meat

Marin Sun Farms beef sliders, Gorgonzola, spicy onions Artichoke & pancetta flatbread, San Marzano tomatoes, wild arugula, Pecorino Romano Country pâté with Guinness mustard, plum marmalade, country toast Beef tartare on crostini Pancetta wrapped dates, goat cheese mousse Duck rillette tartine, date mustard, Asian pear, chicory Mini croque monsieur

Platters Seafood platters with raw and cooked seafood A selection of cheeses’ with condiments and toasts Grilled seasonal vegetables with bagna cauda Charcuterie with pickled onions, mustards and cornichons

All items subject to seasonal availability