Richmond’s Marina Bay Scene Features World Class Cuisine

Published: October, 2008 

A Private Affaire Catering and the Artisan Kitchen

In fact, it is this passion and discerning perspective that, 15 years ago, inspired her to open her own catering company. Since then, A Private Affaire has been serving a highly sophisticated Bay Area clientele with creative and inspired menu offerings. Born and raised in Europe, Ingham has been a chef for the past 20 years and has a wealth of experience that she draws from when designing world-class menus for each event.

A Private Affaire takes pride in the fact that it works with clients to create customized events that are a reflection of the clients’ own personal visions. After designing the event, the company handles all of the details—from cuisine to décor and everything in between. The chefs work to incorporate the latest trends in local cuisine and use only the finest and freshest ingredients; they personally select herbs and produce at the local farmer’s markets and use locally produced meat and dairy products. From ocean cuisine to vegetarian, Pan Asian to Southern American comfort food, A Private Affaire specializes in preparing only the freshest menus, producing the finest and most creative cuisine for each event and incorporating the wide variety of ethnic ingredients that are available in the Bay Area.

After years of renting what she considered substandard commercial kitchens around the area for A Private Affaire, Ingham thought, There has to be more for the culinary community. With that notion in her mind she began a search for warehouse space to build her own commercial kitchen that she can both utilize and rent to other high-end caterers. That search soon brought her to Richmond, partly due to its central location in the Bay and easy access to several highways and bridges. According to Ingham, I had no idea about Richmond, this whole Marina Bay community, it’s just fascinating! Ingham says that the City of Richmond and her landlord were extremely helpful in assisting her both before and after the move. For instance, when Ingham wanted to make a more green kitchen, she added skylights to conserve electricity and worked with PG&E to purchase energy-efficient appliances. Having that kind of support behind you is just really great, Ingham added.

Ingham named her new facility the Artisan Kitchen. It’s called the Artisan Kitchen because I wanted artisans to come in and create. There isn’t anywhere, I feel, in the Bay Area that offers a nice kitchen and a really great community. Until now, that is. The output of the Artisan Kitchen is by no means limited to catering services, as there are cookies, pies and even butter that you can find in local stores that came from the facility.

After setting up the Artisan Kitchen, the idea came to Ingham to open a small café out of the front of the building that could serve the local community. Her idea was for a decidedly unfancy spot that would serve fresh homemade-style cuisine and, most importantly, her beloved Peet’s Coffee. In the end, she was able to work out a deal with Peet’s to serve their product line along with a menu that includes an assortment of fresh salads made with farmers’ market ingredients, exceptionally unique sandwiches, homemade pot pies, tamales, empanadas and quiches. She started it as a take-out business, but customers soon asked her where they could sit, so she added a few tables out front. The Artisan Kitchen Café is now very popular for the local lunch crowd, including the nearby police station and the State Health Department across the street.

Just a few blocks away from the Artisan Kitchen, in a picturesque, waterfront Victorian overlooking Richmond’s Marina Bay, is Salute E Vita Ristorante. Salute serves authentic Italian cuisine, with updated, creative dishes as well as traditional pastas, pizzas, raviolis, salads and entrees and the restaurant’s own handmade delectable desserts.

The owner, Menbere Aklilu, grew up in Italy. She speaks four languages and worked with family restaurateurs in Rome before moving to the United States in 1995. Aklilu says, When people think of Richmond, they have the wrong mentality. Then, they come here and are surprised because they see this beautiful atmosphere, gorgeous views and nice location.

She started by working at Salute as a hostess for $7 an hour and was promoted to a managerial position within the first six months. Six years ago, when the previous owners wanted to sell the restaurant, they thought Aklilu would be the best person to take ownership, and she jumped at the opportunity. Her first proprietary decision was to make changes to the recipes to more authentically represent the food from her native Italy, replacing dishes she terms Italian food, Americanized.

Aklilu insists on fresh authentic ingredients and sauces. Everything on the menu is made from scratch with local, fresh and organic ingredients. Even the tomato sauce is always made with fresh tomatoes, never canned ingredients. The result is a true representation of what you would find in Italy in a restaurant operated by knowledgeable staff native to that region.

Although Salute has always done well with the local business crowds for lunch, and has been a popular destination spot for discerning diners throughout the Bay Area, the recent new residential developments around Marina Bay have proved to be even more beneficial to the restaurant’s business. Salute has now become the de facto gathering place for the thriving Bayside community that Marina Bay has become. Families and couples come to dine in the evenings, while complimentary homemade appetizers help the bar maintain a brisk happy hour business—also, Salute offers the only local night spot. Plus, many of the local families now choose Salute as a place to dine on holidays in lieu of preparing an intricate meal at home. Salute also does very well hosting banquets, receptions and meetings

Last year Salute opened a new open-air dining area that Aklilu calls her own little private Piazza complete with a water fountain. The very popular patio area seats up to 65 people and offers wonderful views of Marina Bay, while also offering the temperate climate that Richmond’s waterfront has to offer, in a quiet and welcoming atmosphere.