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San Francisco's Infusion Lounge Opens for Dinner with Provocative Cal-Asian Menu

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 March 2009, 05:00 CST

Innovative Cuisine Imbued with Tantalizing Flavors and Exotic Ingredients

SAN FRANCISCO, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In a city known for its pioneering invention and culinary excellence, a new restaurant has opened that boldly blurs the lines between socially-driven nightlife and modern innovative dining. Infusion Lounge near San Francisco's Union Square has begun dinner service Tuesdays through Saturdays, with a menu designed to engage and delight its guests.

Executive Chef Brian Beach has designed his menu to be perpetually-changing and seasonally-conscious, with a strong emphasis on ingredients that are grown or raised locally. He often utilizes Asian elements or preparation techniques as he layers his flavors and textures, embracing cooking as a craft of passion.

Moreover, Beach is taking the dining concept at Infusion Lounge in a vibrant new direction, describing the experience as an 'interactive dining dialogue' intended to stimulate the palate as well as the table conversation. "We've moved away from the traditional first course, second course, entree structure," said Beach. "The menu has no prescribed starting or ending place. We've conceived it to be flexible to your mood." Menu selections are named after feelings or emotions that reflect the spirit of the dish, thus allowing Infusion's guests to tailor their individual dining experience to best accommodate their personal desires for that particular evening.

Infusion's high-tech illuminated menus reveal Beach's intriguing flavors and thought-inspiring titles. His "Provocative" silky Walu fish is flown in fresh from Hawaii and served sashimi-style with pickled strawberries and finely minced spring onion. "Distinction" is composed of tender pieces of New York strip steak adorned with bright pea leaves, cocoa nibs and topped with a dashi gel. "Seduction" describes Dungeness crab paired with asparagus and scented with truffle oil and a dash of ginger-carrot emulsion. For "Harmony" Beach sits a luscious parmesan flan next to perfectly grilled romaine leaves that are lightly dressed with a miso and date dressing. "Fierce" is his succulent braised pork belly that arrives with a piquant salad of apple, smoked grapes and watercress.

Beginning at the popular Couvron Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, Beach's first professional experience in California was with Michael Mina at Aqua Restaurant in San Francisco. His extensive culinary background also includes the Waterfront, mc2, and the Cosmopolitan restaurants in San Francisco, and the Lark Creek Restaurant Group.

Infusion Lounge is open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday, 5 pm -10 pm. For more information, including a calendar of Infusion Lounge's special events and promotions, or for reservations, please visit www.infusionlounge.com.

About C-Two Group

C-Two Group (www.ctwogroup.com) is a privately held company headquartered in San Francisco that includes C-Two Entertainment and C-Two Hotels, and is the Managing Partner of Infusion Lounge.

For more information, images, or an interview with Brian Beach, please contact Kevin Sanchez of Hollenbeck Associates at 415-227-1150 ext 110 or kevin@hollenbeckassociates.com.

SOURCE C-Two Group

Source: PR Newswire

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