Hilda and Jesse

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
Hilda and Jesse
Interactive map of Hilda and Jesse
Restaurant information
EstablishedNovember 1, 2021 (2021-11-01)
Owner(s)Rachel Sillcocks and Ollie K.C. Liedags
ChefOllie K.C. Liedags
Food typeContemporary American
Dress codeCasual
Rating1 Michelin star (Michelin Guide)
Location701 Union Street, San Francisco, California, 94133, United States
Seating capacity
30
Websitehildaandjessesf.com

Hilda and Jesse is a Michelin-starred, queer-owned restaurant in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States. Previously a pop-up, the restaurant opened in November 2021.

History

Rachel Sillcocks and Ollie K.C. Liedags, both experienced chefs, trialed Hilda and Jesse as a brunch pop-up in the Richmond District in 2019,[1] partly inspired by Liedags' family heritage of Latvian cuisine[2] and named for two of their grandparents.[3][4] They opened the restaurant on Union Street in North Beach on November 1, 2021.[3][5] At opening, it served a tasting menu brunch;[6] a five-course dinner was later added.[7][8]

Hilda and Jesse was added to the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand list in November 2022[9] and in November 2024 was awarded a Michelin star,[10] with Sillcocks also receiving an award for outstanding service.[11][12][13] Liedags was also a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef, California.[10][14]

Restaurant

Hilda and Jesse's co-owners, Liedags, who is the chef, and Sillcocks, who is general manager, are both queer[8][11][15] and describe their cooking and decor as queer.[7][16] They have advertised their pancakes as the "gayest pancakes ever"[7][8] and as made by a "soft butch chef",[11] and sourcing from "queer farmers and wine producers".[17] Designed by Noz Nozawa, the restaurant has a zebra-striped bathroom[3] and is otherwise decorated in bright colors[16] including checkered floors, striped walls, and murals, producing an effect a San Francisco Chronicle reviewer likened to "an American diner in Pee-Wee's Play House"[7] and another reviewer to "Pee-Wee's Playhouse: Miami Edition".[18] The former characterized the food as "dissident comfort food", including for example an avocado toast made with sweet potato tempura instead of bread and topped with sour cream infused with onion and shaved horseradish.[6][7][8][11]

Hilda and Jesse has become known as a "queer oasis".[7] In December 2021, shortly after it opened, there was online backlash after staff asked three uniformed San Francisco Police Department officers who had come there to eat to leave because of staff discomfort with weapons in a safe space. The owners apologized and said that police were welcome when off-duty and unarmed.[5][19][20] They have since periodically shared screenshots on social media of negative reviews that they attribute to their political positions.[11] Liedags wore a "Protect trans youth" T-shirt to the Michelin awards event.[11][12]

Reception

The Michelin Guide singles out Hilda and Jesse for "what may well be the Bay Area's most creative and ambitious take on brunch", and describes the cooking as "often bold and brash, a total riot of flavors mixed with stellar ingredients".[4] In the San Francisco Chronicle, it was featured in the 2025 list of 100 best restaurants in the Bay Area,[17] and on the 2026 list rose from 92nd place to 32nd, with the reviewer describing the food as "enchanting" in its "skillful balance" and the dining experience as feeling like "nothing short of a party".[7] As of May 2026, Eater SF lists Hilda and Jesse as one of the most beautiful restaurants in San Francisco.[21]

See also

References

  1. Ho, Soleil (December 12, 2019). "The best new Bay Area pop-ups of 2019". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  2. Fort, Ellen (May 7, 2019). "Two Fine Dining Chefs Trade Dinner for Latvian-Inspired Brunch". Eater SF. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  3. Duffett, Becky (October 29, 2021). "Swing into the Retro-Cool New Hilda and Jesse That's Breaking Brunch Expectations in North Beach". Eater SF. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  4. "Hilda and Jesse". Michelin Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  5. Buchmann, Anna; Flores, Jessica; DiFeliciantonio, Chase (December 6, 2021). "S.F. restaurant, facing backlash, apologizes for ushering out police officers over 'the presence of their weapons'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  6. Kadvany, Elena (October 19, 2021). "Avocado toast with no toast: S.F.'s brunch tasting menu restaurant opens soon". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  7. Hernandez, Cesar (April 7, 2026). "How one S.F. restaurant jumped 60 spots on the Top 100 list". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  8. Landis, David (February 12, 2026). "Hilda and Jesse: A Queer-Owned Michelin Star Gem". San Francisco Bay Times. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  9. Bicchieri, Paolo (November 29, 2022). "Three Bay Area Restaurants Just Joined the Michelin Bib Gourmands List for 2022". Eater SF. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  10. Barraza, Paris (August 20, 2024). "Your guide to Michelin star dining in California, including 7 new additions in 2024 not to miss". Palm Springs Desert Sun. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Ventura County Star.
  11. Wells, Madeline (August 7, 2024). "'Unbelievable': Owners of SF brunch restaurant shocked by Michelin win". SFGate. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  12. De Guzman, Dianne (August 6, 2024). "Here Are the 2024 Michelin Star Winners in the Bay Area". Eater SF. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  13. "Rachel Sillcocks of Hilda and Jesse is The Michelin Guide California 2024 Service Award Winner". Michelin Guide. August 5, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  14. "The 2024 James Beard Awards Semifinalists". James Beard Foundation. January 19, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  15. "Hidden Gems: Meet Kristina Compton of Hilda and Jesse". CanvasRebel. November 21, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  16. Snowden, Jeremy (April 28, 2026). "Top 100: This chef makes S.F.'s most fun tasting menu". San Francisco Chronicle (with video, 2 mins 25 secs). Retrieved May 13, 2026. I think queerness is like a great way to describe what this restaurant is.
  17. Fegan, MacKenzie Chung; Hernandez, Cesar (March 11, 2026) [March 31, 2025]. "Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area in 2025". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  18. Fegan, McKenzie Chung (November 21, 2024). "Tasting menus dominate San Francisco's restaurant scene. There's a simple reason why". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  19. Quintana, Sergio (December 5, 2021) [December 54, 2021]. "SF Restaurant Apologizes After Refusing Service to 3 Officers That Made Staff 'Uncomfortable'". KNTV. San Jose, California. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  20. Duffett, Becky (December 6, 2021). "New Brunch Spot Hilda & Jesse Refuses to Serve Armed Police Officers". Eater SF. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  21. Tsapovsky, Flora (March 17, 2026). "Take a Look at San Francisco's Most Beautiful Restaurants". Eater SF. Retrieved May 13, 2026.

37°48′00″N 122°24′40″W / 37.8001°N 122.4111°W / 37.8001; -122.4111