The Story Of… The Stinking Rose in San Francisco

Exclusive interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of The Stinking Rose

The Stinking Rose is a North Beach institution in San Francisco. It opened its doors in 1991. The food is all about garlic which is chopped, roasted the whole bulb, poached, pickled, pureed and chopped in extra virgin olive oil. The colorful exterior remembers guests they are about to do some fun dining, not fine dining. The Stinking Rose 40 Clove Garlic Chicken is the bestseller on the menu. Many celebrities have visited the restaurant over the years. When visiting San Francisco, The Stinking Rose is a must see. After eating you will carry the odor of the Garlic for at least a day. With that in mind and if you don’t mind: Go Check Out The Stinking Rose!

KB: Describe to the RSR readers how The Stinking Rose was founded and by who?

The Stinking Rose was founded in 1990 and opened in 1991. The Founders were Jerry Dal Bozzo and Dante Serafini. Both natives of the Italian neighborhood of NorthBeach in San Francisco.

KB: Who came up with the name and what is the meaning behind it?

The name The Stinking Rose has existed for centuries dating back to the Roman Empire…La Rosa Puzzolente and Shakespeare had referred to Garlic with this name in some of his writings…There was also an organization in San Francisco called The Lovers of the Stinking Rose. Jerry had had the idea of a garlic restaurant since he was young and visited the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California.

KB: What is so special about garlic that you use it in almost all your food?

Garlic is a seasoning that you will find throughout the world in every continent and every culture. We use Garlic as a seasoning and as a garnish. We quickly discovered after we opened in 1991 that Garlic was not easily blended into every dish. It has flavor nuances that surface with different types of cooking.
Our Garlic is chopped, roasted the whole bulb, poached, pickled, pureed and chopped in extra virgin olive oil… each use of the garlic renders a different taste and is used for specific reasons. Garlic is high in phosphorus and easily becomes bitter if not used correctly.

KB: The exterior is so colorful! What is the inspiration behind it?

We refer to The Stinking Rose as FUN DINING and not Fine Dining…The colorful decor fits in well with the concept and our designer, Jerry, likes to use bright colors.

KB: What is the best on your menu?

Our menu has many specialties and favorites. Our biggest selling dish is The Stinking Rose 40 Clove Garlic Chicken.
Other favorites are The Prime Rib of Beef with a garlic and salt crusted rub…The Dungeness Crab in our Secret Garlic Sauce…the Garlic Noodles, The Filet Mignon Steak with a Garlic Butter Sauce.

KB: In which series and movies did the restaurant appear in?

We had a Stinking Rose in Los Angeles before Covid where there were many celebrities on a daily basis. We were in countless television series and visible as a backdrop for different series when actors were eating.

KB: Did you have famous visitors over the years?

Here are celebrities who have visited us over the years:

Usher, David Foster, Christie Brinkley, Hugh Hefner, Alice Cooper, Angela Bassett, Macauley Culkin, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Faye Dunaway, Eminem, Tony Curtis, Richard Widmark, Natalie Portman, Robert Downey Jr., Tony Bennett, Bonnie Raitt, King Abdullah of Jordan, David Beckham, Bob Saget and many more…

KB: Describe for the RSR readers what they would see on a visit to The Stinking Rose.

You will see a brightly lit restaurant with the walls full of Garlic Decor. We have photographs in frames of many of the Celebrities who have visited over the years.
Beautifully decorated table tops and a large bay window overlooking Columbus Ave in San Francisco.

KB: Why should people visit The Stinking Rose?

When visiting San Francisco, The Stinking Rose is a must see.

It is the only restaurant of its type in the world…it’s an experience you’ll enjoy with fond memories. After eating you will carry the odor of the Garlic for at least a day.
In San Francisco, the Taxi Cabs will not pick up our customers in front of the Restaurant because of the strong garlic odor.

As I said before…it is FUN DINING.

Check out The Stinking Rose’s website: HERE

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