Lauding chefs for works of art may be commonplace, but Peter J. Hemsley expands the metaphor into new dimensions at Palette, his 7-month-old restaurant and art gallery in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. Trained in Paris, where he also worked at three-Michelin-starred L’Arpège, Hemsley designs dishes by sketching them first. “It’s a great way to zone in and capture the creative process,” he notes. Rotating exhibitions by other artists surround diners, who can also buy works by local artisans in Palette’s retail space. For Palette’s new Saturday dinner series ($185 per person), which changes themes every six weeks and seats 20, artisan-made serving ware corresponds with each of eight courses. December’s Resolution series, for example, will feature an olive-based dessert called Peace, served on an olive leaf-inspired dish by Palette’s head ceramicist, Andrew Kontrabecki. “It’s really a collaborative effort,” Hemsley says. Reservations via exploretock.com/palette, 816 Folsom St., 415.865.0529, palette-sf.com