Chef Mike Lanham Opens Athanor After Burnout

Chef Mike Lanham is opening Athanor, a 10-course tasting menu restaurant at 2600 Sutter Street in San Francisco. The opening follows the closure of his previous restaurant, Anomaly, in June due to an extreme burnout episode that caused him short-term memory loss and mobility issues in his hand.

Lanham told Eater he pushed himself for 18 months, hitting a wall multiple times. "Straight up, I hit a wall, and my brain quit on me," he said. After Anomaly closed, he took a five-week break, his first real rest since he was a teenager. He described the exhaustion as far worse than any physical injury he had sustained, including a past bout with Epstein-Barr virus.

A New Direction at Athanor

Athanor represents a deliberate shift towards a more sustainable and intentional operation. While it retains a 10-course tasting format and a signature egg dish from the Anomaly era, Lanham calls the new menu a "vast departure." The restaurant's name references an alchemical stove, symbolizing transformation. Lanham aims to transform ingredients into something greater than their original parts.

He wants the restaurant to be slower. The goal is to create a unique experience that brings joy without leading to his collapse.

The Evolving Menu Philosophy

The menu blurs pastry and savory techniques. Dishes involve lengthy processes, like a fermented green tomato meringue requiring a 30-day base. Lanham is solving personal food qualms through cooking. For example, he turns quail legs into sausage for a shumai-like dish to avoid serving tiny bones.

Fermentation is a major focus. Lanham now believes some vegetables taste far better fermented than fresh. He has declared he will never serve a recognizably plain vegetable again. "If I have put a roasted carrot on a plate, I have failed you," he stated. His aim is to make guests experience familiar ingredients in completely new ways.

Practical Details and Interior Upgrades

The restaurant space has received interior upgrades with new art, lamps, and a chandelier. Athanor offers two seatings per night from Tuesday through Saturday.

Reservations are available through the restaurant's website. When asked why he returned after such a severe health scare, Lanham reflected on his career. He wants to leave the industry better than he found it and find meaning in making people happy. The restaurant is his method for achieving that goal while operating differently.