Lord Stanley, the Upper Polk restaurant that returned to form two years ago after a pandemic spent doing takeout and hosting pop-ups, has announced its closure — in part because its latest chef is leaving town.
Lord Stanley made waves when it debuted a decade ago, earning Best New Restaurant honors from Bon Appetit in 2016 and landing a Michelin star that year as well. It began as the cozy fine-dining showcase of husband-and-wife team, the co-chefs and co-owners Rupert and Carrie Blease, offering a unique take on modern California-French cuisine, with Rupert having studied and worked in France throughout his teen years.
The couple met in New York working in Michelin-starred kitchens at Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, traveled and worked in England, but decided to return to Carrie Blease's home of San Francisco to settle and raise a family.
They continue raising a daughter in the Russian Hill neighborhood, and both stepped away from day-to-day operations of the kitchen and dining room when the pandemic arrived, turning to takeout and then to Turntable at Lord Stanley, a series of high-profile, limited-time pop-ups with visiting chefs from around the globe.
In late 2023, Lord Stanley 2.0 debuted with modern takes on bistro fare, under the leadership of chef de cuisine Nathan Matkowsky (pictured above, at left, with the Bleases), who had worked in the kitchen since 2015.
And, the Bleases say, the closure is coming just as Matkowsky has decided to return to his original home back east — he grew up in New Hampshire — to pursue new projects there, and just as the 10-year lease on the restaurant at 2065 Polk Street is expiring.
The couple tells the Chronicle that the restaurant has actually been doing well, business-wise, and better each year since the early pandemic. But they decided, after a year-long deliberation, to say goodbye to the space and start afresh elsewhere in the city.
"This was the 10 years that the restaurant deserved," Rupert Blease tells the paper. "We are leaving on a high note just like we opened: doing things on our terms and cooking what we want to cook."
In an Instagram post about the closure, the Bleases say, "This is a decision that we have thought about for quite some time, and it was one of the hardest we have ever had to make, but all things must come to an end."
They add, "We plan on our last few months to be nothing short of a celebration for Lord Stanley and those who contributed tirelessly over the years."
The last night for Lord Stanley will be May 31.
After that, we'll have to wait and see what the Bleases have planned. They hint that another restaurant project in San Francisco will be coming down the line.
Top image via Instagram
