Another fine-dining chef goes casual

Dominque Crenn, chef-owner of Michelin two-star restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, is opening a casual sibling in August called Petit Crenn.

The all-day cafe will be serving Stumptown coffee, omelets, pastries and other light fare for breakfast and lunch, reported sflist.com. But Crenn hopes to attract an evening crowd as well, with a five-course prix-fixe $72 seafood dinner featuring Breton specialties. The meal will be served in two seatings—one at 6 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m.—putting a more formal spin on the casualization trend.

Crenn is following in the footsteps of such renowned chefs as David Chang, Jose Andres, Donald Link, Bobby Flay and Bradley Ogden in stepped outside fine dining to open fast-casual and cafe concepts. 

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