A vibrant new cultural hub has emerged in San Francisco’s heart: Meski, a one-of-a-kind Afro-Latino fusion restaurant created by NBA champion Draymond Green, Nelson German, a ‘Top Chef’ alum, and Guma Fassil, a hospitality visionary, are the owners of Meski.
Meski is more than just a restaurant; it is a cultural experience that offers a bold new food concept that combines the rich flavors of Ethiopian and Dominican cuisines with Afro-Caribbean influences.
A New Kind Of Dining In The Bay Area
Meski is not a typical restaurant. It is a celebration of community, heritage, and flavor. It combines the pungent spices and traditional techniques of two intensely flavorful cultures, Ethiopian and Dominican while incorporating the modern, bar-forward dining experience.
“Meski, it’s an Ethiopian-Dominican fusion restaurant, kind of with a bar-forward type concept,” Green said in an interview with Landon Buford. “I just want to bring culture back to San Francisco… A space where we feel comfortable, where we have [a] spot to go to. But not just us— [A] spot for everybody to go, have a great time, and have a great meal.”
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A Venue Steeped In Luxury And History
1000 Larkin Street was once home to a members-only cigar lounge and The Saratoga. Meski’s lush interior design, featuring gold accents, towering spiral plant arrangements, and industrial bulb chandeliers, makes the space feel like a sophisticated and soulful escape from the everyday.
The ideal setting for what Draymond Green, Nelson German, and Guma Fassil envision is a revitalized San Francisco dining scene based on Black culture and diaspora storytelling through food.
The Power Trio Behind Meski
The collaboration between the three co-founders emerged from a chance encounter rooted in hospitality. Fassil and Green were in search of the right culinary partner. They decided after being greeted by Nelson German at Sobre Mesa cocktail lounge in Oakland for a late dinner.
Meski now has an executive chef and creative force behind its menu: Nelson German. German has been a culinary veteran for 26 years and has succeeded at Alamar and Sobre Mesa. This project is more than just a career move for German, who has just become a father. It is a legacy building.
“Because of [my son Mason], honestly, I’m motivated to do things differently this time,” German shared with SFGATE. “I want to live this dream and expand and build… have generational wealth for my family.”
Reviving Black Culture In San Francisco
Meski is more than a restaurant. As part of a larger mission, German and his associates serve not just food but also identity, community, and vision. The objective is to restore the Black presence and culture in a city that has declined for the past 50 years.
“In Oakland, we’re a very diverse melting pot, and we want to bring that same sentiment to the whole Bay Area,” German said. “San Francisco is the bigger city and has a lot more eyes on it throughout the world. It’s about representation and trying to make San Francisco as diverse as it was in the past.”
A Taste Of The Future
Meski’s unique menu, chic and soulful ambiance, and mission grounded in legacy and representation are set to make it a cornerstone in San Francisco’s evolving culinary scene. Through its elevated cocktails, vibrant flavors, and community-centered atmosphere, Meski provides a meal and a movement.
