In February, Zuni Café celebrated its 47th year in San Francisco. While many other restaurants folded, Judy Rodgers and her team figured out how to make meals that would beckon diners back for more. In many ways, Zuni is the city’s equivalent of Chez Panisse. It’s not a coincidence that Rodgers, who passed away in 2013, worked for Alice Waters before she opened her restaurant. 

The first time I ate there, in the early 1990s, I shared a plate of roast chicken with my date. Last year, some 30 years later, I ordered that dish again and it was as good as the first time. Decades of serving consistently delicious dishes is just one of the rewards of a return visit there. Nostalgia for the distant past is another.

Open since 2012, the Rich Table brand is keeping up with Zuni’s staying power. Evan and Sarah Rich’s restaurant is a two-minute walk from Zuni Café. The central location must be a contributing factor, in some small way, to the longevity of both restaurants. They’re easy to get to from any direction.

The Riches, though, have departed from their neighbor in one significant way. They’ve expanded their business with sub-brands: RT Rotisserie and the latest, RT Bistro. The primary focus of the more casual rotisseries is a roast chicken, supplemented by soups, salads and sandwiches. RT Bistro, which opened in January, has a smaller footprint than Rich Table but offers an array of similarly comforting and complex dishes.

RT Bistro’s modus vivendi is printed at the top of the menu: “Go to the market, see what’s good and cook it.” Fresh fruits and vegetables, whether unadulterated or made with careful manipulations, appear in every dish. A starter loaf of bread is subtly altered for the better with the addition of wild fennel. An endive “Caesar” salad—no anchovies in the dressing—includes crisp sweet slices of Shinko pears. And a dark green and delectable kale and apple curry moat surrounds a hunk of roasted cauliflower.

When I spoke with the Riches, Evan told me that Zuni has been an ongoing source of inspiration for them. They never saw it as the competition. “Before Judy Rodgers passed away, she came in and ate at Rich Table,” he recalled. “You’re sitting there starstruck. We want to be an institution like them, and we want to do what they’ve done for San Francisco as well.”

CASUAL NEIGHBOR Evan and Sarah Rich’s latest restaurant is an intimate 37-seat bistro next door to their longtime Michelin-recognized Rich Table in Hayes Valley. (Photo by Robbie Gomez Photography)

Sarah said they’ve been going to farmers’ markets since they moved to the Bay Area in 2008. “I know all the farmers and what they grow, and I’m still in awe of just how much variety there is. If you take yourself seriously as a chef, you should be going to the markets and using those amazing products.”

In addition to California’s bountiful harvests, the chefs’ dishes and techniques are informed, in part, by their backgrounds in and around French cuisine. Sarah studied at the French Culinary Institute when Jacques Pépin was still a dean there. Evan worked for David Bouley, who trained in France.

“We definitely did not want to do a French bistro, but we love that atmosphere,” Evan said. “One of the first things we do whenever we go to New York is to eat at Balthazar.” He described the food there as “not overthought, simple and delicious.” But the two had no plans to make steak tartare or escargot at RT Bistro. “We say it’s a California bistro to give you an idea of the vibe you’re going to get.”

The couple has worked together for about two decades. At this point, they’ve figured out how to communicate with each other. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Sarah said. “We’re on the same team and have each other’s backs.” On an operational level, both of them share management duties, but they fit in wherever they’re needed.

Evan is more involved with the savory menu. Sarah makes the desserts. Both of the ones we tried were unapologetically decadent. Topped with a crunchy cocoa nib crumble and vanilla ice cream, the kitchen warmed up the chocolate cake before it was served. And an ice box pie—more of a parfait—is stacked in a glass with layers of a Meyer lemon curd, a graham cracker crumble and chantilly cream.

“We talk about work all the time because it’s very important to us and because we love it,” Sarah said. “We have our kids, but we also have four other kids that are our restaurants.”

RT Bistro, open daily from 5-10pm, 205 Oak St., San Francisco. richtablesf.com/location/rt-bistro