Story and Photos by Deborah Grossman.
Feature Image: Holiday cable car outside the Beacon Grand Hotel.
The saying goes that all who visited the Starlight Room in San Francisco had a story to tell about it. I am no exception. To escape the hectic work life of booming Silicon Valley in the 1990s, my husband and I opted for a change of scenery at the well-known Union Square hotel then known as Sir Francis Drake. Here, on the 21st floor, celebrities and everyone-in-the-know danced and cocktailed the night away in the famed Starlight Room. Topped off with a Starlight cocktail, I felt rejuvenated after my memorable stay at the storied hotel.
With extensive renovations and a renaming by the new owners, the Beacon Grand Hotel relaunched in 2022 followed by the redesigned and renamed Starlite in 2024. The buzz around the hotel was the vast improvement in dining at Starlite and the new mezzanine venue, The Post Room. Starlite’s menu was designed by Johnny Spero, the celebrity chef from Washington, D.C. who owns Michelin-starred Reverie. Impressed that a chef with Michelin credentials would consult at a San Francisco lounge, I journeyed to the city during various seasons with friends and my husband to experience the hotel, taste the new dining options and build more memories.
The hotel’s storied history: Local newspapers reported that 10,000 visitors came to the grand opening of the Sir Francis Drake hotel in 1928 with movie stars storming the Starlight Room. The recent World’s Fair had elevated San Francisco’s reputation; the stock market was still intact. The artisan interiors evoked Renaissance splendors, but each room featured the latest newfangled tech toy, the radio. A two-story lobby above the grand staircase featured marble and gold leaf galore. Today, the view from the mezzanine continues to impress.
In honor of the British allies during World War II, hotel management bought Beefeater uniforms for the bellmen who posed daily for iconic San Francisco photos. During the 1990s, celebrated bartender Harry Denton managed the famed top floor venue.
Our escape weekend occurred while the name of the lounge was still called Harry Denton’s Starlight Room. My husband and I settled into our room with its magnificent view, a respite from my daily view of bumpers on the interstate. After shopping, I stood at the window to watch the sun’s evolving reflections on Union Square. I debated whether to visit art galleries, try for tickets at nearby theaters, or people watch in the square’s park.
That evening, we elevatored up to the Starlite Room. I vividly remember snaring a window seat, eating a fancy nut mix, and slowly sipping a well-made dirty vodka martini while savoring the excitement of guests also partaking in cocktails and conversation.
By 2020, the former owners observed other protocols such as removing branded names which referred to slave owners. Explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake had also facilitated the slave trade on his ships. So, when Northview Hotel Group, owner of properties from Oregon to Florida, bought the hotel that year, they changed the name to Beacon Grand, referencing the rotating star atop the hotel.
The new owners also renovated and changed the name of the lounge to a single word, Starlite. In the spring, I enjoyed a happy hour at Starlite with a friend. The hotel lobby bloomed with cherry blossom décor at the time. I vowed to spend the night at the Beacon Grand later for the full experience.
Our happy hour experience was rewarding. A lovely panorama of sunny San Francisco greeted us at our window table. Like a homing pigeon, I asked for the Starlite version of my preferred cocktail. Served with a bonus side pour, the craft elements of the Dirty 90’s Martini included vodka infused with extra virgin olive oil to impart additional texture, inhouse olive-brined Vermouth, and Saint Agur blue cheese stuffed olives. My friend laughed at the name Porn Star Martini and immediately chose the drink starring her favorite alcoholic beverages, Champagne and vodka.
We ordered the crudités on the all-day Bites menu. Described as, “California’s bounty paired with a SF original Green Goddess,” the dish again marked an artisanal touch. The veggies were Farmer’s Market-fresh. Common in Europe, the baby radishes were served with the stems, and the harder veggies were blanched and lightly salted. We asked the server about the curly, textured, dark green veggies. They were ice plant, from San Diego and delicious. The tuna crudo with house-smoked olive oil, were cut for easy access and gently spiked with ginger and smokiness.
We both kept dipping into the flavorful green goddess dressing. On my first trip to San Francisco, I experienced the city from a nearby hotel and ate the dressing for the first time. I enjoyed the city so much that I vowed to reside near there. I moved to the San Francisco area five years later and have continued my admiration for well-made green goddess dressing.
The Bites menu stated, “A celebration of San Francisco’s distinctive ingredients and international fare, Starlite’s Bites menu was created by Johnny Spero as a love note to our favorite city.”
What started Spero’s love for the city? And how did he create such delectable green goddess dressing? I contacted him to find out.
“Food is linked to time and place. I love the city, its neighbors, and ingredients. I enjoy going to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market and all the special late-night places. As a Baltimore native and current resident and chef-restaurateur in Washington, D.C., fresh produce is easy to find during our summer. But California offers fresh produce, and seafood is a dream year-round,” said Spero.
Spero had dreamed of a project on the West Coast. A friend consulted on the hotel’s renovation project and introduced him to the owners. Spero also wanted to collaborate with award-winning mixologist Scott Baird who leads the cocktail program. “I established my restaurant Reverie in a historic building. It is wonderful to be here with so much history and such an awesome view,” added Spero.
The Beacon Grand boasts 418 rooms with suite options. When my spouse and I stayed overnight recently, the classic craftsmanship with European oak floors, lofty ceilings and elegant decor were still present. The addition of modern amenities added up to a sense of grandeur just steps from Union Square. Our room was a Grand King High Floor and View replete with vintage reproduction postcards of the hotel’s façade. Inspired, I wrote a card to a friend who also has fond memories of the city and then gravitated once more to the view.
The hotel’s concierge staff offer recommendations, insider tips and provide access to a fitness studio. The Social Hosts develop exclusive, curated experiences for guests on a variety of topics from the best urban hikes to the live music scene, nightlife, whiskey bars, and consignment shops.
My husband and I finally planned our overdue overnight at the hotel. During our stay, I was eager to explore Starlite at nightfall. The view was colorful and stunning. Though we did not join the late-night party, we knew that Starlite turned into a haven for those following DJ Nina Tarr as she spins all-vinyl sets and albums.
I expected my health-oriented husband to gobble up all the crudités, but he generously shared due to awareness of my green goddess dressing addiction. When Spero learned that the creamy dressing was invented in San Francisco, he began to develop a bespoke recipe for Starlite. “It is about the fresh flavors of the herbs. We make our own intense green oil from tarragon, chervil and more,” he said.
The meatloaf sandwich description was tempting. The server mentioned that longtime guests have called room service for meatloaf sandwiches as word spread on their ability to ameliorate hangovers. Spero knew that story and continued the tradition. He added an OG touch by piling stewed onion and American cheese on the meat and slathering the bun with in-house smoked ketchup.
Top quality Osetra caviar is the first item on the Starlite menu. But Spero believes, “Everyone deserves nice, tasty things beyond the luxe items.” Spero calls the hot fried chicken buns with spicy fried chicken, pickled daikon, and kewpie mayonnaise, “trashy but classy” food. The dish was inspired by his trips with friends and family to Chinatown where they often order hot, spicy dishes with Szechuan pepper which numbs the tongue. Spero makes his own intense chili oil for the dish.
Intrigued by his description, I ordered it. With the textural contrast of soft bun and crispy chicken, Spero added a touch of Japanese kewpie mayonnaise, heavy on egg yolks and without additives, to temper the heat. All the food served from the small Starlite kitchen arrived promptly including the outstanding crème caramel for dessert.
I also ventured to The Post Room. Previously the Sir Francis Drake hotel had a lobby bar and lounge on the mezzanine level. The Beacon Grand reimagined the area to serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea. Named after the glass-fronted postal boxes intact on the wall by the elevators on every floor, The Post Room honors the hotel’s heritage when guests could conveniently mail their postcards.
The Post Room décor is a mix of heritage grandeur and modern photo-rotating screens. Pianists play later in the day and during teatime.
Off the main room, we peeked into the Hidden Library where one can read books while sipping a cocktail. But later in the day, the space transforms into a whiskey room with many curated bottles including single malt Scotch and rare Rémy Martin Louis XIII Crystal Cognac. The cozy room is already known for its three-ingredient classic cocktails.
But I was hungry for lunch. The theme of the menu is Coastal Mediterranean. Beverages include a well-curated wine list, creative and innovative cocktails. For my entree, I chose Spanish octopus, cooked well with an elegant sauce of lemon preserve, Marcona almonds, and Romesco sauce. I also could not resist the buffalo burrata salad with seasonal fruit compote and fried portobello mushrooms with za’atar spice to share with my friend. There is also an Executive lunch for a reasonable price.
We didn’t have breakfast at the hotel, or I would have ordered the Maine lobster Benedict and my husband, the Grand ricotta pancakes with citrus butter and maple syrup. For brunch, there is house made pappardelle, shakshuka, and more. As for gourmet options at dinner, consider whole branzino, house-made lobster ravioli, and mushroom risotto with truffle butter.
Another noteworthy aspect of The Post Room is the upcoming Wine Dinners Series. Exclusive wineries calendared for 2025 include Ridge Vineyards of Sonoma and Barnett Vineyards of Spring Mountain in Napa Valley.
At holiday time. I treated my friend to tea at The Post Room. The hotel was decked out in festive colors.
The tea sommelier welcomed us with a glass of Rosé Prosecco. An aficionado of tea, my friend was impressed by the sommelier’s approach to serving J’enwey loose leaves from the tea cart.
I chose the Black Vanilla Rose tea to sip along with house-made scones, brioche with fig jam and prosciutto, lobster rolls, and homemade breads, including a spinach version with egg salad, lemon aioli, and relish. The desserts—macaroons, bread pudding bites, and more—and our heartfelt conversation made more Beacon Grand memories.
Between the hotel and dining experience plus new perspectives on the city and life in general, I have many tales to share.
Spero has stories to tell about the Beacon Grand as well. “Before I opened Reverie, my work life was at restaurants open for only 10 or 20 years. It was exciting to develop the menu for Starlite, operating for over a century. People talk to me and relive their wonderful moments at Starlite and the hotel. This is a special venue on so many levels.”
IF YOU GO: Beacon Grand https://www.beacongrand.com: Starlite https://www.beacongrand.com/starlite; The Post Room https://www.beacongrand.com/dine-drink ; Visit San Francisco Union Square https://www.sftravel.com/neighborhoods/union-square; Reverie Restaurant https://www.reveriedc.com/