First it was the Boba Guys opening at 838 Divisadero under Che Fico, and now opening just next door is THEORITA from the Che Fico team. As I previously mentioned, the name is in homage to pastry chef Angela Pinkerton’s grandmother and is a pie shop and dinette. It’s reportedly opening this Wednesday August 22nd, serving some sick breakfast sandwiches, Danishes, salted pecan sticky buns, and coffee for breakfast, plus burgers, salads, and pie whenever you want it. Breakfast and lunch to start, and dinner is coming next week. The 60-seat space has booths and a kitchen counter. Open Wed-Sun 7am-3pm; dinner will be 5pm-11pm. 838 Divisadero St. at McAllister.
Downtown workers have a new lunchtime spot: MENDOCINO FARMS, which originally launched in LA, but is gradually making its way up north (founders Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen are NorCal natives). It’s a fast-casual chain primarily known for salads and sandwiches made with quality local ingredients—some menu classics include the “Not So Fried” Mary’s Chicken Sandwich, Mendo’s Original Pork Belly Banh Mi, and the Avocado and Quinoa Superfood Ensalada. There are also breakfast items and coffee (from Verve Coffee Roasters), and in a first for this location, there will be grab-and-go items as well. It’s located in the Merchants Exchange Building, a spacious 5,882 square feet designed by Valerio Architects. There is a variety of seating options, including a patio. Initial hours are Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, with breakfast service launching soon. 465 California St. at Montgomery.
Opening Friday August 24th in Bernal is OUTER ORBIT, a family-friendly and retro-inspired pinball saloon that also serves food and drink. It’s opening in the former Bel from Christian Gainsley and Elisabeth Kohnke, with chef Sam DeCamp (Gibson, Finn Town) leading the Hawaiian-inspired menu. Dishes include musubi with spicy McFarland Springs trout; togarashi tots; a Hawaiian plate lunch; and a kalua pig melt with guava-smoked pork shoulder, wasabi-lime aioli, provolone, and house-pickled shallots, on toasted brioche dipped in au jus. Brunch includes mochi chicken and waffles, classic loco moco, mazemen ramen, and more. There’s also a kids’ menu, so Mom and Dad can enjoy some beer off the 12 taps while everyone plays pinball (there’s wine too).
As for the pins, look for nine machines, from retro to current, plus a vinyl jukebox that also spans many musical eras. Open Wed-Thu 4pm-10pm, Fri 4pm-12am, Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-10pm. 3215 Mission St. at Valencia.
A selection of baked goods from Theorita. Photo via Facebook.
