In the vibrant culinary landscape of San Francisco, finding a dish that consistently captures hearts and palates is a rare treasure. Among the city’s gastronomic gems, Zuni Café, nestled on Market Street in San Francisco, CA, stands out, particularly famed for its utterly comforting and restorative roast chicken. While many restaurants experiment with elaborate preparations, Zuni Café has remained steadfast in its approach, honoring the legacy of the late Judy Rogers, the restaurant’s pioneering chef. For over two decades, their roast chicken for two with warm bread salad has been a testament to simplicity and quality, a dish that speaks volumes with minimal adornment. This signature offering, priced at $69, is a masterclass in culinary restraint, showcasing exceptional ingredients treated with respect and cooked to perfection in a fiery, live-fire oven.
The anticipation is part of the experience at Zuni Café. Upon ordering the roast chicken, guests are informed of the approximate 60-minute wait time. Initially, this might seem like a test of patience. However, as Zuni’s executive chef Nathan Norris explains, this deliberate pause is integral to the dish’s magic. “The element of waiting at the table and being here with one another and engaging with one another, that’s what makes it special,” Norris shares. This interlude encourages diners to slow down, connect, and anticipate the culinary delight to come, transforming a meal into a shared experience.
And when the roast chicken arrives, it’s undeniably special. The visual appeal is immediate – a burnished bird with skin that achieves the perfect paradox of crackling crispness and yielding suppleness, enveloping supremely moist meat. The flavor profile is equally impressive; understated yet profound, seasoned just enough to enhance the natural quality of the chicken without overshadowing it. This purity and unpretentious excellence are why Zuni Café reportedly sells around 60 of these roast chickens daily. During peak times, particularly during the pandemic, this number surged to over 100 in just four hours, a testament to the dish’s unwavering popularity and the kitchen’s ability to meet demand under pressure. Chef Norris, who worked alongside Judy Rogers for 18 years, credits his experienced team and a refined approach to cooking that elevates chicken preparation to a precise art.
The foundation of Zuni’s exceptional roast chicken lies in the quality of its primary ingredient. The kitchen sources a smaller breed of chicken from Mary’s Organic Chickens, a purveyor known for consistent quality in mass-produced poultry. These birds, weighing just under three pounds—approximately 20 percent smaller than typical supermarket chickens—are ideal for Zuni’s cooking method. Their size ensures rapid and even cooking in about 40 minutes, a crucial factor in maintaining the chicken’s moisture and texture. This focus on size and consistency is why Zuni opts for Mary’s Organic Chickens over free-range options from local farms, which may lack the necessary uniformity in volume and size.
Every Zuni roast chicken undergoes a meticulous preparation process, beginning with Carlos Garcia, a seasoned prep cook who has been with Zuni for over three decades. Garcia’s initial step involves careful butchery, trimming excess fat from the cavity opening and neck area. He then seasons each bird by hand, relying on his experienced eye to gauge the precise amount of fine sea salt from Giusto’s, a respected local supplier. Zuni’s culinary team favors Giusto’s sea salt over Diamond Kosher salt for its subtly less “salty” taste, allowing for a more generous application, which in turn acts as an effective moisture enhancer.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23939672/Zuni_Eater_Spot_Final_1000x1000_72dpi.jpg)The salting process at Zuni is executed with clockwork precision, especially by Garcia, who has seasoned these chickens for thirty years. While there is a weight ratio for salt, Chef Norris acknowledges the intuitive nature of Garcia’s approach: “There’s a weight ratio for grams of salt,” Norris explains, “But if you salt 80 chickens, you do it by eye.” Garcia instinctively applies more salt to thicker parts of the chicken, ensuring even seasoning throughout. Following salting, the chickens are placed in refrigerators for a 48 to 72-hour curing period. This extended curing time is key to achieving the coveted crispy skin. Subsequently, each chicken is placed on a vintage sizzle platter and introduced to Zuni’s wood-burning, arched oven—a formidable, fire-breathing oven reaching temperatures up to 500 degrees.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23940781/zuni_oven_illo_.jpg)Mastering the oven is crucial. Temperature regulation is paramount, as is the spatial choreography of fitting up to 25 chicken platters inside simultaneously. The first platter goes deepest into the oven, breast side towards the hotter rear. Subsequent platters are arranged in rows of three, zigzagging across the oven in a Tetris-like configuration, as described by Norris: “It’s like a non-stop Serpent process for 40 minutes.” A custom-made, four-and-a-half-foot steel rod allows the staff to maneuver the heavy, chicken-laden platters with relative ease within the intense heat. This high-heat, quick roast, combined with the salt-cure, is the secret to Zuni’s signature crispy skin and succulent interior. After roasting, the chickens rest for five minutes before carving and serving.
Complementing the roast chicken is Zuni’s equally celebrated warm bread salad. The salad’s composition evolves with the seasons, featuring mustard greens, chicory, and radicchio from Central Valley Farms during cooler months, and various greens from coastal farms in the summer. The bread component consists of golf-ball-sized chunks torn from rustic rounds baked by Acme Bread, a Bay Area institution. The bread is peeled, dehydrated, and then grilled to achieve a contrast of textures—crisp exteriors and fluffy interiors. Norris emphasizes the importance of bread size: “If it’s too big, it becomes bready and doesn’t get properly saturated,” he cautions, “If it’s too small, then it doesn’t have enough space to be rich and silky and gooey.”
The bread salad mixture is unified by a dressing of olive oil and Champagne vinegar, and then enriched with pine nuts, scallions, garlic, and sweet currants, finished with a drizzle of red-wine vinegar. This combination creates the salad’s distinctive character—a harmonious blend of richness, sweetness, and a lingering brightness that invigorates the palate.
Like the roast chicken, Zuni’s bread salad is a timeless classic, unlikely to undergo any alterations. Together, they represent the essence of Zuni Café: simple dishes executed flawlessly with the finest ingredients. A meal at Zuni Café on Market Street in San Francisco, CA, is more than just dining; it’s an experience, anchored by the unforgettable roast chicken and warm bread salad – dishes that linger in memory long after the last bite.
