Hello from San Francisco –
Good Karma and Great Food at Tangerine SF

Our day long excursion to Muir Woods and the adjoining tour of the Sonoma Valley wine country had definitely made us hungry. So for dinner we decided to explore a different area of San Francisco: the area south of Market Street.

We headed into an attractive restaurant called Tangerine SF where we were greeted by one of the co-owners, Peter Goss. Peter was so kind to spend some time with us and sat down with us in a cozy corner by the window and started to talk about the twists and turns that took him into the hospitality business.

Peter Goss from Tangerine SF

Peter originally hails from Boston, and in his early twenties spent some time working for Disney in Florida and then moved to Lexington, Virginia, where he became the director of tourism during a summer employment program. At age 21 he put together group tour programs and spent three years in this role, only to decide to go back to university and finish his degree.

After graduating he spent one year in Key West where he met his partner who was from Montreal. After one year together in Key West they moved to Washington, DC and Peter lived there from 1981 to 1999. In 1991 his partner passed away from AIDS, and to this day Peter still visits his former partner’s mother. For about 15 years in Washington Peter worked in real estate and became one of the top-selling agents in the entire city, but admitted that he hated his life there. By the end of 1999 he had had enough of the rat race.

A view of the restaurant

He was looking around for where he wanted to settle down and became attracted to San Francisco because of its diversity and open-mindedness. He felt that Washington, DC, in many ways was segregated while San Francisco was integrated. To this day he still loves living in San Francisco. Even his attitude towards real estate changed – now his focus is on helping people and no longer on being number one.

After relocating to San Francisco Peter met his new life partner in 2000. Sean Pattansuvoranun had been a web designer who had lost his job in the dot com bust. For a long time his dream had been to open a restaurant. After all he had already run a restaurant in his home country of Thailand and had always been passionate about the hospitality industry.

View towards the front

A friend of theirs was interested in becoming an investor, and so the three of them decided to open a restaurant with Sean as the executive chef. Looking back Peter says that had they known everything that was going to be involved in opening and running a restaurant, he probably would not have had the courage to do it. A short time after opening Peter and Sean bought out their investor, and they have been running Tangerine SF together ever since.

Peter still works as a real estate agent and helps out wherever he can in the restaurant. He meets and greets people, takes away plates and supports his staff in any way he can. During the first two years they both worked 16 to 18 hour days. Peter, a passionate traveler, did not get to travel for two years.

Tangerine SF showcases great art

He explained that the location of his restaurant, just south of Market Street, has had an impact on their business and added that “you are either on the avenue or you are off the avenue”. In their case, they were just off the avenue, and Peter admits it took them longer to get established. In addition, their location had never been a dinner restaurant before, so it took more time to build a clientele for their eatery. Peter frankly stated that they were able to hang on long enough with their business to be able to make it. Today Tangerine SF is doing very well.

One of the small hurdles along the way was a rise in the minimum wage just after they started their business. While Peter fully agrees with the need to raise working people’s wages, their restaurant could not afford any extra financial burden when they started. But through this whole learning curve they persevered and managed to get through the tough times.

More impressive paintings at Tangerine SF

Today their employees have become their family, and many of them have been at Tangerine SF for five years or more. Peter added that the staff is excellent, and his three outstanding servers take really good care of the patrons. One of the servers was a second runner up in the Miss Gay San Francisco contest. Every once in a while he comes to work in drag, to the delight of the customers who cheer him on. All the employees at Tangerine SF have become part of the success story of this dining establishment.

Peter’s partner Sean had already had a restaurant before in Bangkok, but the clientele was very different. People in San Francisco are very sophisticated when it comes to food, and running a restaurant here was eminently more complicated. But with a large dose of good luck and perseverance their entrepreneurial dream survived. Peter explained that this venture challenged them on many levels: physically, emotionally and financially; he is very grateful that it worked out in the end.

Peter and Sean, co-owners of Tangerine SF

Opening day was on December 2, 2002. Sean’s mother passed away a few short month’s later in Thailand, and she never had a chance to see her son’s restaurant. As Sean went to Thailand to take care of her funeral arrangements he swore to himself that whatever it was going to take, he would keep the restaurant going. The restaurant took on much larger significance in their lives.

With a very philosophical outlook on life Peter said that he feels that there is so much love embodied in this place. When his restaurant is full of people it is the most satisfying feeling for him. Virtually every day he has his evening meals here as well as brunch. He feels comfortable here.

My delicious starter: fresh bread with flavoured butter

Tangerine SF offers Pan Asian / Pacific Rim cuisine. Peter described it as California cuisine with Asian sensibilities. Sean, a shy but very talented chef, is very creative and loves to come up with unusual dishes. In addition to great food, the portion sizes at Tangerine SF are generous, and the prices are reasonable. Peter added that they have always wanted to offer diners great value and smiled when he said that the portion sizes are calibrated to the appetite of the owner.

But Tangerine SF is more than just a nice restaurant in a great neighbourhood. Peter and Sean have always had a heart for the community and have gotten involved in a variety of ways, helping local organizations. Every first Monday of the month, for example, 15% of all restaurant sales go to the Lyon-Martin’s Women’s Health Centre. This clinic was founded in 1979 to provide health care to lesbian women who lacked access to non-judgmental and affordable health care.

Butternut Squash Soup and my favourite corn appetizer: Spicy Corn Fritters

Every first Wednesday of the month 15% of Tangerine SF’s sales are donated to an organization called the New Leaf, a non-profit multi-purpose counseling centre for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities of San Francisco and the surrounding area. Tangerine SF regularly makes contributions to local organizations, provides gift certificates and hosts special events.

Peter’s next door neighbour is a public-school principal in a school where 80% of children come from socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Peter added that “this school is a place where miracles happen”; the principal is so inspiring that people simply want to be part of his initiatives. To help this organization, Peter and Sean hold regular fundraising events where they close their restaurant for half a night to hold a benefit event. This month two of these events are scheduled at Tangerine SF.

Sea Bass Adamame

As we continued to talk, Peter’s philosophical side revealed itself some more. Throughout his travels he has experienced many different cultures and realized that there is a greater power out there, regardless of what people might call it. Even back in college he and his friends were asking themselves “what does it all mean?” As long as he can remember, Peter has had an interest in the deeper issues of life.

We enjoyed ourselves listening to Peter’s life experiences and philosophies, and the environment at Tangerine SF was indeed attractive and pleasant. Peter made some suggestions from the menu, including Spicy Corn Fritters which were an absolutey delicious slightly sweet appetizer made from kernels of corn held together by a sticky caramel type sauce. Given that my preference is usually vegetarian food, the menu at Tangerine SF with its 25+ appetizers was a delight to my senses. I also had to taste the Cauliflower and Broccoli with Fried Garlic and while I was feasting on these creative appetizers my travel partner Leslie enjoyed a Butternut Squash Soup with a crispy Goat Cheese Wonton, followed by a Sea Bass Edamame, which is a seared sea bass with edamame-black bean sauce, served with sautéed jasmine rice. The exotic sweet and savoury tastes just melted inside my mouth.

Cauliflower and Broccoli with Fried Garlic

For dessert we had a real tangerine filled with ice cream, beautifully presented in an elegant long-stemmed glass, garnished with orange and lemon slices. Of course a sampling of Tangerine SF’s famous home-made cheese cake could not miss. Our taste buds had truly been satiated by this symphony of eclectic flavours.

Finally, towards the end of the evening, Sean, the chef himself, joined us and together with Peter showed us the 60-seat restaurant. It was evident that these two business partners shared a deep love for one another and for this business that they have so painstakingly built. A lot of thought and care has gone into the design of this stylish eatery. Tangerine SF features beautiful art by local artists. Impressive large size canvasses of colourful paintings were adorning the wall, and huge exotic flower arrangements decorated the bar. Tangerine SF offers a sophisticated yet comfortable ambience and a large patio is located outside the large panorama windows.

For dessert: home-made cheese cake and a real tangerine with ice cream

At close to midnight we left this restaurant, still inspired from this long conversation and from the positive karma that emanated from this place. Our delicious dinner at Tangerine SF had not only been an exceptional culinary experience, but our conversation with Peter had revealed a spirit of love and human caring that you do not often see in a business establishment. Somehow I had gotten the feeling that Tangerine SF was much more than a business venture; it was a symbol of Peter and Sean’s love for one another and their way of making a positive contribution to the community.

During our three days in San Francisco several people had mentioned that San Francisco is a very compassionate city, a term you do not often hear in connection with a big urban centre. Tangerine SF was a perfect example of this spirit.

Sean and Peter behind the bar

Related Links:

Hello from San Francisco: Arrival in San Francisco & the Queen Anne Hotel
Hello from San Francisco: Fisherman's Wharf & Dinner at Neptune's Palace
Hello from San Francisco: A Culinary Tour through North Beach
Hello from San Francisco: The Coit Tower Murals, a Bike Ride across the Golden Gate Bridge & Dinner at McCormick & Kuletos
Hello from San Francisco: A Victorian Homes Tour & the City's History Explained
Hello from San Francisco: The Handlery Hotel & Exotic Entertainment at Asia SF
Hello from San Francisco: An Excursion to Muir Woods and a Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting
Hello from San Francisco: Good Karma & Great Food at Tangerine SF
Hello from San Francisco: A Ride on a Cable Car & Explorations of Alcatraz
Hello from San Francisco: Our Final Bike Ride to Golden Gate Park & Dinner at Colibri's
Only in San Francisco (Part I): An Interview with the San Francisco Visitors & Convention Bureau
Only in San Francisco (Part II): An Interview with the San Francisco Visitors & Convention Bureau

Useful Links:

Travel planning with the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau

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