A collaborative effort, The Monk's Kettle is owned by managing partners Christian Albertson and Nat Cutler. The two met several years ago through their wives, Aileen and Theresa, best pals from college. With Christian's background in restaurant management (including four years at Boulder's Mountain Sun Brewery) and Nat's business operations experience, the two decided to make a dream happen. It did. Since the doors opened, this charming and inviting place has been hopping. Nat said there's been a line out the door as late as 1:00 a.m.

This is a small place, with 10 or so booths and only eight stools surrounding an awesome bar. The decor is warm and unpretentious (as are Christian and Nat). The bar is arched by an enormous fireplace hearth from an old home in Blackhawk, Calif., picked up along with several other decorative touches from architectural salvage. The kitchen is tiny, but Chef de Cuisine Kevin Kroger cooks big. Dishes are flavorful and designed to match well with beer.

Kevin is focused on his “100-mile program,” in which he uses only product grown or raised within 100 miles of the place. All menu items are organic or come from sustainable farms. And, as Kevin says, the menu is a living thing, changing to the tastes and wants of the patrons.

Bottom line, The Monk's Kettle is quite a treasure. It's both a local and a destination place — a perfect melding of historic American tavern meeting European alehouse.

The Monk's Kettle
3141 16th St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-865-9523
monkskettle.com