Tratto, the new modern trattoria within The Marker, a Joie de Vivre Hotel located in San Francisco’s Theater District, announced that Robert Birnschein has been named as Chef de Cuisine. With a career spanning two decades, the versatile and dynamic chef will work alongside Executive Chef David Feldman to shape Tratto’s menu and manage the kitchen staff.
“Robert is the perfect fit for our team and will help us continue to elevate Tratto’s menu and our presence in this evolving neighborhood,” says Tratto’s General Manager Justin Knoth. “His passion for cooking and his dedication to creating a memorable experience for guests are reflected in his cooking and culinary style. He is an outstanding addition to our team and we look forward to having our guests experience his talent first hand.”
A California native who was born and raised in Sacramento, Robert Birnschein has 17 years of experience cooking in a wide range of establishments from casual to fine dining. He started his career working at a busy pizzeria in Sacramento which taught him how to work quickly and be organized in the kitchen. He fell in love with cooking, and he pursued his passion landing at Piatti Sacramento as a Garde Manager. He developed his culinary technique and his taste for Italian cuisine, and thrived in the buzzing, fast-paced kitchen atmosphere.
Over the years, Birnschein developed a versatile skillset working in a variety of bistros, high-volume restaurants, country clubs and hotels in the Sacramento area, including the Lions Gate Hotel, Eight American Bistro and Winchester Country Club. While he loves all cuisine, his cooking style is a mix of California and European—notably Italian. His skill with Italian cooking will help to distinguish Tratto’s menu—the first of which will debut in September with exciting new fall offerings. With his diverse background working from the line on up, he is adept at all activities in the kitchen—from cooking on the line with his crew to creating fresh, seasonal menus inspired by local farmer’s markets.
Celebrating its one year anniversary, Tratto is a spirited, bar-driven restaurant serving rustic Italian fare and Italian-inspired cocktails. Its ambiance is casual and friendly, and its name is inspired by the Italian happy hour tradition of “aperitivo,” or happy hour. Tratto utilizes the freshest and finest local artisan-produced ingredients in creating the menu featuring house-made pastas, sausages, thin pizzas, and slow-cooked meats. The full bar features traditional Italian-inspired cocktails with a twist, featuring house-made Italian Sodas, limoncellos and orangecellos, and beer and wine sourced from the best of the West Coast and Italy.
Managed and designed by Puccini Group, the bright and airy interior is inspired by European décor and reflective of the vibrant neighborhood surrounding it. Art plays a key role in the design theme with Tratto’s inaugural local artist-in-residence, Amos Goldbaum, who crafted a number of large landscape murals for Tratto’s main dining room, inspired by iconic vistas, streets and skylines of San Francisco. For the private dining room, Goldbaum created a panoramic mural that reflects the rituals and processes of food-making. Goldbaum’s artwork goes beyond the wall art and is incorporated into the menu and uniforms. Classic black and white films are also displayed in the bar area, paying tribute to the neighborhood’s rich theater culture and sparking conversation among patrons.
