I moved to San Francisco in 1998 and…forget Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge…there were two places I wanted to, not just go to, but experience: Chez Panisse and Stars.
They were both restaurants and they had something very much in common. Jeremiah Tower was the former chef of Chez Panisse and Jeremiah Tower was the current chef of Stars. Jeremiah Tower was also one of two people I had ever heard referred to as a celebrity chef (the other was Wolfgang Puck) and I had all the qualifications to be his groupie.
Tower was part of a movement in the United States…“a revolution” the press called it. There was talk about new ingredients, new recipes, but the real change was what was happening socially to the restaurant business. In the past, dinner in America had always been part of something else. It was dinner and a movie, dinner and the symphony, dinner and the game. In the nineties, dinner became the event, the be-all and the end-all, and Jeremiah Tower was the matinee idol, the superstar, the headline attraction.
I read the newspapers, poured through the magazines, checked out his guest shots on TV shows, and became fascinated by this larger-than-life character.
I thought he was British. He had that upper class air and style; carriage they call it. Very tall, very handsome, very elegant. Think David Niven, George Sanders, or Peter O’Toole. But he was born in Connecticut, graduated from Harvard. Supposedly had no food experience other than eating well when he got his first kitchen job at Chez Panisse. There he worked with owner Alice Waters and, apparently, had a romantic relationship with the woman who, deservedly, they called the queen of California cuisine.
But I never quite got that. But, then again, I’ve never been very good at putting people on teams. I was wrong about Niven, Sanders and O’Toole.
Anyway, though I frequently braved the bridge traffic to eat across the bay at Chez Panisse, I never did eat at Stars. When I arrived in San Francisco, I was told the restaurant…and Jeremiah Tower…were so “yesterday”. And, sure enough, less than one year later, the doors of Stars were locked and Jeremiah Tower was mysteriously missing.
So why I am I telling you all this? Did Jeremiah Tower end up in Mexico? Might he soon be cooking in San Miguel de Allende?
I found out what happened to the former superstar recently when I watched “Jeremiah Tower. The Last Magnificent.” You can find out too at Bellas Artes on February 21. To check out how to purchase tickets, details on special lunches and dinners and the rest of the fine print, go to https://www.foodinfilmsanmiguel.com/. There are at least three other “worth watching” movies in the Food in Films festival as well.
There’s even a rumor that Jeremiah Tower might be there in the flesh. Now that would be “magnificent”.
I grew up in San Francisco and Stars was one of the most exciting places to go. Every meal was impeccable and the people watching was the best. We ate at Chez Panisse years after it became famous. I remember a radish on a plate. That was it; a radish on a plate. Suffice it to say, we never went back.
Thank you for this post! Now, want to go to this event! From SF, had Chez Panisse cookbook…
What are the other three?
I like Julie & Julia, King George, and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover.
Big Night.
Sorry but it’s: Bellas Artes!
I loved Stars, and went many times. The space itself was incredible and his food perfection. Can’t wait for the movie. I was so sad Stars closed. Alice Waters taught us all. Everyone who is a “foodie” should read the United States of Arugula!
I worked for JT in San Fran in the 80’s. He was a brilliant chef and a joy to work for!
As a representative of the So Others May Eat Program (SOME), the non-profit program connected to the Food in Film Festival, I appreciate your article. Hopefully when you talk more about the Festival with your readers and friends you’ll note SOME, particularly as the inspiration that surrounds food and feeding others happens at many levels.
Chef Jeremiah Tower will be signing his book at the opening of 2019 Food in Film festival
Jeremiah Tower The Magnificent is also on Netflix. Watched it a couple of months ago. Vale la pena, really good!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👌👌👌👌yes indeedy. All that and executive producer Anthony Bourdain.
Paula
Senor Day: I lived in SF for 30 years and was at Stars most Friday nights; I was probably next to you at the bar at one point in time; I saw this doc at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival 2 years ago; fascinating story; we lived part time in SMA for 12 years and sold our house in San Antonio last summer; want to be renters not owners; am also a friend of Susan York; we are both Chicago
natives; hope to meet you some time when we are down there. Buen provecho.