Despite critical acclaim, Southern-inspired S.F. fine-dining restaurant to close

A fine-dining Southern restaurant that earned acclaim for serving ambrosia salad and dirty rice-stuffed chicken wings from a swanky downtown San Francisco hotel will close next month.

The Omakase Restaurant Group announced on Wednesday that Prelude, its Michelin-recognized restaurant inside the Jay Hotel, will shut down after service on Sept. 19. Despite critical accolades —  the Chronicle named Prelude one of the Bay Area’s best new restaurants in 2024, and it was listed in the Michelin Guide California the next year — it ultimately didn’t get enough business, said Jason Fox, Omakase’s corporate director of operations.

“For this space there’s something we think is going to be a better fit for the neighborhood,” he said. “I can’t put my finger on why it didn’t do better.”…

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