Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/912565
98 / the tasting panel / december 2017 BEHIND THE SCENES WITH FRED DAME, MS Wendy Shoemaker and Fred Dame, MS, VP/Prestige Accounts for American Wine & Spirits (a division of Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits of CA). Wendy Shoemaker A Conversation with 98 / the tasting panel / december 2017 Fred Dame: What a week for you and Chef Val Cantu—four stars in the San Francisco Chronicle, Best New Chef 2017, and two Michelin stars! Not a bad way to begin the holiday season! Wendy Shoemaker: What a whirlwind! I think that our location is a great advan- tage, as the Mission is becoming a culinary mecca for the city. We now have five Michelin-star restaurants in the Mission. I agree that the dining patterns are changing dramatically. On the other hand, you aren't exactly taking up a great amount of space here. How many seats are there? Twenty-four. We serve a maximum of 34 diners a night. This is not your "turn- and-burn" experience. SOMMELIER, CALIFORNIOS, SAN FRANCISCO photos by John Curley