I've joined S+M Vegan at their multi-course vegan pop-ups as well as various pop-ups around the Bay Area ("Eat Real Festival", Jack London Farmers' Market, The Double Standard, all in Oakland). Because Shane and Marie use local and seasonal ingredients, it doesn't much matter what they serve because it's not uber-likely that the exact same thing will be repeated again. Currently, S+M offers weekly multi-course pop-ups in San Francisco and Oakland (often through Feastly), on Tuesdays and Sundays, as well as weekly Friday night pop-ups from 5-9p at the Double Standard on Telegraph (get there early, as they often sell out well before 9p). They used to do local farmers' markets, but I'm not sure that's part of their rotation any longer.
The multi-course meals are inventive affairs, usually three courses, while their Blind Tiger end-of-the-month dinners are six. At farmers' markets, festivals and pop-ups like the Double Standard, the emphasis appears to be on comfort foods, vegan-style, like pizzas, mac & cheese, sandwiches, and fried indulgences. I love that they make their own vegan cheese. I believe they make their own seitan. One doesn't have to be vegan or vegetarian to appreciate their sophistication. Their food is flavorful, subtle, creative, well-designed, and well-executed. At places like the Double Standard, it seems that the menus often have similar items in rotation, at least conceptually -- like pizza -- even though the exact same pizza may not be repeated. I've seen mac & cheese on their menu several times, but it always seems to be different: different sauces, different noodles, different twists. I respect all of the food that Shane and Marie have prepared, even if I haven't loved all of it equally. There was one noodle dish I had once -- could it have been made from yuba? -- in which the sauce wasn't quite bold enough to withstand the innate earthiness and strength of the starch.
The food is five stars. Whether or not I love everything they do, their food is great. It's five stars, if not five and a half. Even the comfort/junk foods are well-done and worthy of praise. They are great chefs. I'm entirely sold on flavor and execution and creativity. The reason for my four-star rating comes down to price-point and organics.
Price-wise, nothing is cheap. The weekly haute multi-course pop-up dinners can range from $39-65, depending on the number of courses and whether there is some beer or wine pairing offered (most of the dinners are BYOB). For a sophisticated six-course meal for $55 or $60, I have no problem. For a more modest three-course meal of comfort food -- like spaghetti & seitan meatballs or lasagna -- which are delicious -- $39+ seems high. At the simpler pop-ups, a piece of pizza is $8; it feels like it should be no more than $5 or $6. Desserts, which, at least at the Double Standard, often come from Well-Fed, are usually $5. It often feels like they should be no more than $4 or maybe even $3.50. Sandwiches or other entrees can be $11-12, and I feel the pricing would be more appropriate topping out at $10. Maybe more affordable pricing simply isn't possible when a small pop-up is preparing vegan ingredients almost completely from scratch to create these culinary wonderments. This is, after-all, the Bay Area.
This leads me to my second reservation: Organics. The food at S+M isn't organic and there's simply no commitment to it in their operation. The menus are still sourced from farmers' market fresh ingredients -- which is far better than sourcing from Safeway -- but I would have thought it would have been both local and organic. Were the food organic, perhaps I'd feel different about the price-point (though $8 for a slice of pizza, organic or otherwise seems high; ditto for mac & cheese). And, while I do pay the premiums that S+M charges when the menu strikes my fancy, the prices have caused hesitation and have stopped me from partaking as often as I might have otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I support Shane and Marie, their mission, their concept, and their creativity. I don't go to their multi-course dinners as often as I'd like because organic or not, $39 or more for comfort-food -- no matter how heightened they may elevate it -- is just too dear to warrant for such items that I can either re-create in my own kitchen or get vegetarian/vegan elsewhere for far less. Were the food organic, however, I'd give S+M five stars notwithstanding the expense at its current price point.
Reservations aside, I'm always happy to see S+M, I'm delighted of their success, and I'm happy to support them. The food is a treat, and their pop-ups can be eye-opening, particularly to those who aren't familiar with the brilliance and creativity of modern vegan cuisine. read more