Chef-Owner Mike Lanham walked away from his three-year-old San Francisco restaurant, Anomoly in June, suffering from memory loss, finger mobility issues, and in short, pure exhaustion. Nobody would have faulted him for leaving behind this grueling profession permanently.

But he never contemplated that. Not when compelled by the nagging feeling that he “had unfinished business.”

So, less than three months later, the one-time competitive cyclist returned with renewed vigor to reopen the lower Pacific Heights space anew. He renamed it Athanor, after the Arabic oven that can maintain uniform temperature over a long span.

In a way, it’s a fitting descriptor for his own newfound approach to running the business, balancing out the highs and lows so that it’s more sustainable in the long run — both financially and mentally.

“It’s still a lot of work, but it’s a lot less stress,” he told me, when he invited me to dine as his guest at the restaurant last week.

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