Whatever happened to Alain Rondelli, former Clement Street restaurateur?

Some of you may remember a Clement Street restaurant named for its chef, Alain Rondelli. It was located at 126 Clement Street which is now Chapeau.

On his Chronicle blog Michael Bauer wrote a ‘Where are they now?’ profile on Rondelli, who virtually disappeared from the food scene after selling his restaurant in 1998.

When it was open, his restaurant received four star reviews from critic Michael Bauer and Rondelli, a former chef at the legendary Ernie’s, was admired for his culinary innovation. “Back in 1991 he was infusing oils with main ingredients he was featuring, to intensify flavors in his food. He was also using emulsions and presenting food in an entirely different, often playful way.”

Since leaving the restaurant biz, Rondelli has remained with one foot in the food world and another in tech, focusing on e-commerce and online ventures like creating Kinkith, software that allows restaurant owners to customize their own marketing initiatives.

“I love the high end of the restaurant industry, but I feel like I gave everything I could give to it and I felt at peace with what I did,” Rondelli told the Chronicle.

If you were a fan of his food, you can still rub elbows with him and pick up some tips – he conducts cooking classes in people’s homes.

Read the full story at SFGate.com

Sarah B.