Chefs to Watch 2017: Kim Alter, Nightbird, San Francisco

Someone was burning sage in Nightbird’s dining room. It was August 2016—opening night—and the first guests were about to arrive at Kim Alter’s long-awaited San Francisco restaurant. The burning sage was there to clear the air of the construction delays and general frustration that came with getting the 1,400-square-foot space ready for business.

After the ritual, Alter gathered everyone in the dining...