Michelin-Starred Chef Opens SF Deli

This is the third location for Loveski Deli, which first opened in Napa's Oxbow Public Market in 2022 and expanded to the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur in the fall of 2023. The name "Loveski" is a nod to Chef Christopher Kostow's family name, Koslovski, before it was changed at Ellis Island. The San Francisco outpost is located at 499 Jackson Street, taking over the former Postscript Cafe. To ensure a smooth transition, about 90% of the Postscript staff were retained. The new deli will focus more on grab-and-go options compared to its other locations, catering to the downtown lunch crowd. Chef Kostow earned three Michelin stars for his work at The Restaurant at Meadowood in the Napa Valley, making him the third-youngest chef and second American-born chef to receive that honor. He also operates The Charter Oak, a more casual, family-style restaurant in St. Helena that focuses on seasonal ingredients from its own 3.5-acre farm. The "Jew-ish" menu combines traditional deli staples with Northern California and Thai influences, a nod to Kostow's wife and business partner, Martina. The bagels are handmade, sourdough, and boiled in honey. Unique offerings include cream cheese spreads like miso-vegetable and fermented onion, as well as a breakfast burrito with pastrami and a smashed latke. San Francisco has a long history of Jewish delicatessens, though many have closed over the years. Notable establishments of the past include Shenson's Deli, which operated for over a century, and more recent closures like Miller's East Coast Deli and Moishe's Pippic. Loveski enters a scene with established players like Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen.