After being dark for over a year, the fate of former PlumpJack Café space at 3127 Fillmore Street in Cow Hollow was the focus of intense speculation last week and now the news is out. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday, the bold-faced chef that will resuscitate the restaurant is none other than Dominique Crenn, current chef of Luce at the Intercontinental and recent victor of the Iron Chef “Battle Yogurt.” We caught up with Crenn last night in L.A. where she shared with us her plans for her new venue, which is to be called Atelier Crenn.

Dominique Crenn: First, I want to clear up any confusion. I am still the chef at Luce – that’s my baby and I’m going to be staying on for a long time. Atelier Crenn will just be another venture for me.

Zagat Buzz: Tell us about the name. And what to expect.

DC: Atelier means “workshop” in French. It’s an homage to my father who had a painting studio in Brittany. I’m hoping to open in December but who knows how long things will take.

ZB: The old PlumpJack had lots of design references to Shakespeare. What will Atelier Crenn look like?

DC: I want the place to feel very playful and make people feel at home. It will reflect my heritage – very European in feel, modern but very warm. Nancy Nielsen, who is originally from Denmark, will be designing it. There’s going to be a lot of girl energy/girl power in the space. My business partner Michele Astorian will be the other half of the venture (PlumpJack backers will stay on as silent partners). There will be 40 seats in the front, plus a 20-seat private room in the back that we’re going to call the Garden Room. In addition, I’m working with a bunch of gardeners to create a real garden filled with lots of herbs and flowers that we will grow and use in the kitchen – since the food will be seasonally driven. People will be able to walk through the garden to get to the back room or sit out there and enjoy a glass of wine while they wait for their table.

ZB: How will the menu be different than what you do at Luce?

DC: It will be much more focused – at Luce I do the dining room, but I’m also in charge of the bar, the private dining and room service. Here, the food will be more focused. It will be similar in that it will be seasonal and ingredient-focused, reflective of my French heritage. The menu format will also be very European – or like Jean Georges here in the States. There’ll be a list of, say, 15 courses and guests can create their own five-course menu for $55, six courses for $65 or a tasting menu of 10–14 courses for $95. It will be beer and wine only. The wines will have an emphasis on California, mostly small producers and biodynamic producers, and I anticipate changing the wine list every month – just like the menu. I want it to feel really special but still be affordable for people.

ZB: You said you want the food to reflect you and your team. Who’s going to be in the kitchen with you?

DC: I can’t say yet but it will be people who have worked for me for a long time, and not necessarily at Luce. People I’ve worked with doing private event  at other restaurants.

ZB: What else?

DC: I plan to be open for dinner five nights a week. I’m not sure which night yet, but I’d like to open up specially for an Industry Night, maybe on Sunday evenings, where all my friends in the business can crowd around the kitchen and we can all cook together and enjoy a meal together. I really want to do that.

Atelier Crenn, coming soon at 3127 Fillmore Street in December 2010 (or later).

– Meesha Halm