Frances is an ode to refined but comfortable sensibilities in both food and decor. Whether it’s the technique-rich, yet relatable approach to food, or the open, familiar atmosphere and service, Frances is about elevated food in a casual neighborhood setting.
MELISSA PERELLO, CHEF OWNER
Chef Melissa Perello has been an avid cook since childhood. Spending summers in the kitchen with her grandmother, Frances, in Northern Texas, the young chef was influenced by culinary titans like Julia Child and Nathalie Dupree. Following her passion by working in a kitchen at a local country club during high school, she later attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
Upon graduation, Chef Perello moved across the country to San Francisco to begin working at Aqua, where Michael Mina was both a teacher and an important influence on the rising star chef. After her time at Aqua, Perello moved to Charles Nob Hill, working alongside Ron Siegel. Shortly after, Chef Perello ascended to the position of Executive Chef. Under her culinary leadership and guidance, she helped garner critical acclaim from local and national outlets, and was named one of San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Star Chefs in 2002. She also earned three consecutive James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef nominations from 2002-2004, and was lauded as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2004.
Crediting Siegel as another defining influence, his teachings inspired the young chef to cultivate long-lasting relationships with purveyors and farmers, giving her access to the finest locally produced ingredients – a practice that would become a staple of her culinary style. “Ron taught me how to create relationships with purveyors and make ingredients shine,” explains Chef Perello.
In 2005 Perello took the helm at the highly respected Fifth Floor restaurant located in downtown San Francisco. The Fifth Floor already had a reputation as one of the country’s top restaurants, however, with Chef Perello’s arrival and talent, she managed to improve upon that reputation, winning the restaurant a coveted Michelin star in 2006.
Chef Perello then took a hiatus from the San Francisco restaurant industry. She took this time to travel and refocus on food, with the ultimate goal of opening a restaurant and making a mark on San Francisco that was completely her own. And in 2009, Frances was born, named for the grandmother who had nurtured her young talents. It was no surprise Frances quickly gained effusive praise and glowing reviews, both nationally and locally, from such institutions as the James Beard Foundation, Bon Appétit magazine, Esquire magazine, as well as earning a Michelin star.
Chef Perello opened her second San Francisco restaurant, Octavia in 2015. An ode to refined but comfortable sensibilities in both food and decor, Octavia earned its first Michelin star in 2015, which it maintained through 2020. Recently re-opened after closing in 2020 due to COVID-19, Octavia has been lauded by such publications as San Francisco Chronicle, Zagat, Food & Wine Magazine, and Eater for it’s approach to farm-to-table fine dining.
rICKY CHU, CHEF DE CUISINE
Chef Ricky Chu is a first-generation Chinese American hailing from the vibrant culinary landscape of San Francisco. Ricky attributes childhood experiences of large family dinners- making chili oil alongside his mother and helping prepare the annual Chinese New Year feast- as the foundation of his culinary path.
Honing his skills under the guidance of Chef Isaac Miller at Maven, Ricky earned his stripes and became versed in classic Italian and French techniques before joining Octavia’s opening team in 2015. With acclaimed chef Melissa Perello at the helm, Octavia and sister restaurant Frances served as a canvas for Ricky to shape his culinary perspective, citing Connie Tsui, Chelsea Olsen, and Brandon Peralta as mentors along the way.
Ascending to the role of Chef de Cuisine at Perello’s Frances in 2023, Ricky’s dishes are rooted largely in the use of local, seasonal ingredients, balancing local sourcing with classic techniques to express a diversity of stories and inspirations.
IRIS ROWLEE, WINE DIRECTOR
A perpetual student and avid traveler, Iris's quest for wine education led her across the Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia, India and Australia, embracing the terrains and their tenants through local viniculture.
Prior to helming the wine programs at Frances and Octavia, Iris's aptitude for the finer points of wine first blossomed while managing Francis Ford Coppola’s historic Cafe Zoetrope. She's also overseen the wine programs at Cotogna, Perbacco, and A16, which received the James Beard award for Best Wine Program in the Nation in 2015, while Rowlee was acting Sommelier.
Iris is a Court of Masters certified Sommelier, a Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Ambassador, and a 3iC Certified Educator. Since 2019 she has served as the elected West Coast Ambassador for Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, and has been a participant in the Barolo based Collisioni Wine Education Board with Dr. Ian d’Agata and is a Knight of the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba.
Accolades aside, Iris cites continuing education as the key to growth and takes joy in sharing her favorite wines and telling their stories through her wine list.