Merchant Roots in San Francisco offers a constantly evolving culinary experience. Every few months, the restaurant unveils a new tasting menu and theme, transforming itself into a completely new dining destination. “We try as much as possible for this to be a new restaurant every time we change our themes,” explains Chef and owner Ryan Shelton.
Each theme is a significant undertaking, requiring approximately nine months of meticulous planning and execution. Past themes have included the whimsical “Merchant Roots and the Chocolate Factory” and the sophisticated “God of Wine,” each featuring a unique menu of up to 20 courses. The current Fall 2024 theme, “Color Theory,” presents a captivating 10-course monochromatic exploration of the beauty of different colors.
However, the experience extends far beyond the food itself. Shelton emphasizes the immersive nature of the dining experience: “We change the lights in the room. We change the projection in the room. We have a few other kind of really silly little multimedia effects that try as much as possible to just amplify the experience of that color. We serve foods that, eyes closed, you would say they taste green or they taste purple. And it’s all about just an exploration of how color affects us and how we interact with color.”
Shelton attributes the success of these elaborate themes to his dedicated team. “I have been so lucky to have a really incredible team that is so participatory in just every level of everything. The brainstorming sessions that we have together where we come up with these ideas are super duper fun,” he says.
For those curious about the upcoming Winter 2024 theme, Shelton offers a tantalizing clue: think Humpty Dumpty and a focus on eggs. Learn more about Merchant Roots [here](insert link here).