Michelin-Starred Bagels Arrive Downtown
Loveski Deli, a new bagel shop from three-star Michelin chef Christopher Kostow, opened this week in downtown San Francisco. The shop offers bagels, sandwiches, and other classic deli items, bringing a high-end culinary pedigree to the city's casual food scene.
Chef Christopher Kostow's former flagship, The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, held a coveted three-star Michelin rating for nearly a decade before it was destroyed in the 2020 Glass Fire. Kostow also owns the more casual The Charter Oak in St. Helena, which focuses on family-style dining with a massive hearth at its center. This new downtown outpost at 499 Jackson Street marks Loveski's third location, joining the original in Napa's Oxbow Public Market (opened in 2022) and a second in the Marin County Mart. The San Francisco shop takes over the space formerly occupied by Postscript Cafe, retaining some of the former's staff and coffee offerings. Loveski's bagels are made in a Montreal-style, boiled in honey and baked from a 30-year-old sourdough starter. Last year, the San Francisco Chronicle's food team blind-tasted 20 Bay Area bagels and named Loveski's the best. Beyond bagels, the "Jew-ish" deli menu includes items with Asian influences, a nod to co-founder and Kostow's wife, Martina. The menu features matzoh ball soup, a pastrami egg and cheese sandwich, and a whitefish salad sandwich inspired by Japanese convenience store sandos. The SF location will also emphasize grab-and-go options and a larder section with items like everything bagel chili crisp.
