Farm-to-Table at the Fairmont San Francisco

Equal parts green and good-natured, the farm-to-table movement has been fielding, so to speak, all over the culinary map. But what might be considered a trendy moneymaker among budding big-city restaurateurs has long been part of the California lifestyle, as evidenced by one of NorCal’s most iconic stays, the Fairmont San Francisco.

With a history of environmental stewardship, the hotel, fresh off a $23 million renovation, has cultivated lasting relationships with many local Bay Area farms and purveyors with its abiding mission to offer local, organic, sustainable cuisine. “Sustainability is not a new concept,” says the Fairmont San Francisco Executive Chef Andrew Court. “It has been a farming practice for thousands of years, from crop rotation in the field to farms that diversify their animal breeding. The techniques of cooking have not changed — it’s differed more so in where we are sourcing our products from and in which seasons.”

Atop the original Beaux Arts-style landmark lives a 1,000-square-foot rooftop culinary garden containing rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, chives, cilantro and lavender — staple ingredients in any seasonal farm-to-table dish offered at the Fairmont San Francisco’s two restaurants and bars. “Sourcing local seasonal foods is one of the most effective first steps,” Court says. “Cooking sustainably takes more thought than effort, but the payoff in how we are treating the environment is paramount. Chefs live in the same communities as our guests.”

In June 2010, the hotel partnered with Napa Valley’s 4.5-acre Marshall’s Farm to install four nascent honey beehives on its rooftop. Now containing about 250,000 bees, the hives help support the city’s bee population, which has downsized by roughly 90 percent since the 1980s.

Producing an impressive 1,200 pounds of honey in a single year, the Fairmont San Francisco bees supply enough honey for various desserts, dressings and afternoon tea in addition to the hotel’s namesake Honey Saison beer available on draft at the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar.

Fall brings robust menu options of hearty root vegetables, organic fruits, artisanal cheeses and meats from local farms, all of which are located within a 150-mile radius of the hotel. Everything from the house-cured meats to the catch of the day show proof of the Fairmont San Francisco’s ongoing green partnership with its sustainable neighbors. “Mutual respect is the most valuable aspect of the relationship between the Fairmont San Francisco and local purveyors and farms,” says Court. “We respect what the farmers are producing and why they are working this way, and they respect how the food is being utilized and presented.”

Sample the bounty with a stay in one of the hotel’s Specialty Suites, which were just renovated as part of the hotels $23 million makeover. Each uniquely designed suite has its own perks—the Buckingham, for example, was inspired by a 1930s cigar room and has a glass-enclosed balcony overlooking the city and a dry bar hidden behind a secret door. The Cambridge has a library nook, the Napoleon a romantic canopy bed, and the Diplomat Tony Bennett bridge-to-bridge views. And then there’s the Fairmont Presidential Suite with a pull-out bar and techy media hub ideal for both business and pleasure. All suites hook you up with special perks, from free WiFi to one-way pick-up from SFO airport and VIP welcome amenities, and are ideal for entertaining. They’re the perfect base for grazing the city’s other farm-to-fork fare.

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