Mourad Lahlou's Aziza is one of many SF State alumni-owned and operated restaurants that continue to receive critical acclaim. The San Francisco Chronicle recently ranked Aziza as one of the 100 Best Restaurants of the Bay Area alongside Foreign Cinema, owned by chefs John Clark(B.A., '85) and Gayle Pirie(B.A., '91); Café La Haye, owned by Saul Gropman(attended'72 - '75), a retired lecturer in the School of Music and Dance; Rivoli and Corso Trattoria, both co-owned by chef Roscoe Skipper (B.A., '84); and BayWolf Restaurant, owned by chef Michael Wild(B.A., '62).
Here are some other alumni keeping things cooking at Bay Area establishments:
Jed and Megan Ayres(M.B.A., '05 / M.A., '00) owners, MacCallum House Inn and Restaurant
Howard Bulka(B.A., '77 - '81), owner and chef, Howie's Artisan Pizza
Paul Jeffrey Hemming(attended '94 - '99), owner, Temple Nightclub and Prana Restaurant
Dan Hountalas(attended '55 - '56), owner, The Cliff House
George and Judy Marcus(B.A., '65 / B.A., '62), co-owners, Kokkari Estiatorio and Evvia Estiatorio
Spiros Kalogerias(B.S., '85), owner, Viva Pizza & Fine Italian Food
Cindy Krikorian(M.A., '82), co-owner, Fonda, Sea Salt, Lalime's, Jimmy Beans and T-Rex
Kishore Kripalani(M.B.A., '71), founder, Gaylord India Restaurants
Chad S. Newton(attended '01 - '04), executive chef, Fish & Farm Restaurant
Agonafer Shiferaw(attended '74 - '82), owner, Rasselas Jazz Club and Restaurant
Gar and Lara Truppelli(M.B.A., '94 / B.A., '93), owners, Beach Chalet, Park Chalet and Lake Chalet
Mike Yakura(B.A., '95), executive chef, Ozumo San Francisco
SF State's annual Taste of the Bay fundraiser is helping add more names to this list. Proceeds from this year's event, to be held Oct. 19, 2010 aboard the San Francisco Belle, will benefit the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program.
For more information and tickets, visit http://cob.sfsu.edu/cob/tasteofthebay