A report by Dana Massey-Todd: As previously reported on tablehopper, MISSION ROCK RESORT is coming to Dogpatch this month. Owner Peter Osborne, of Golden Bear Restaurants (MoMo’s, Pedro’s Cantina, Pete’s Tavern), led me and other media types on a sneak-peek tour last week and, boy, does it look swell. It fills the space formerly occupied by Kelly’s Mission Rock, and the face-lift is unfussy but excellent. Osborne teamed with MBH Architects and Kathy Bloodworth Interior Design for the redesign and remodel. The space is darn huge (10,000 square feet!), with seating inside for 162, plus 23 at the oyster bar and an additional 160 spots outside. There are two levels, each with floor-to-ceiling windows that emphasize the view, and rightly so, because it is quite the view. You can see the cranes and hills of the East Bay in the distance, but closer in are the dry docks of San Francisco and the city’s oldest boatyard. It’s a cool, tucked-away part of San Francisco, and it still feels like an industrial part of town, not just some hip nod to an industrial past. And rather than shy away from this, Osborne and his team have decided to embrace it, much to their credit.
Each level also features a large deck lined with heaters, for though this area is magically fog-free most of the time, the wind still picks up and gets chilly. There will also be a cocktail garden in front, with a living seawall of plants where boozehounds can sip and hang out. The space boasts some great industrial details, in keeping with the location and view. The bar and front façade are both made from reclaimed wood from the bleachers of Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, and the row and seat numbers are still stamped in. Over the bar are some pretty sweet lamps made from old car rotors, and at the top of the stairs on the second floor hangs a chandelier designed by Kathy Bloodworth that’s made from old soda bottles. Check for messages!
On the first floor will be the daytime cafe, where diners will be able to order breakfast and lunch at the counter all day long, and then enjoy it where they please, whether it be inside by the fireplace or outside in the sunshine. Then, at 3pm, the whole restaurant will open for happy hour and dinner. No official word yet on what the happy hour specials will be, but there is an oyster and raw bar on the top floor, and you can check out the cocktail, wine, and beer lists now. The dinner menu is seafood-focused and features something for everyone, from shoestring fries and rib-eye to ceviche and sea scallop crudo. Chefs Sam Ehrlich and Tony Flier plan to change the menu seasonally. There will also be brunch on weekends. The space will be available to accommodate large groups of up to 50 people for your next grand event. Opening is officially set for August 10th. Terry A Francois St. at Illinois, 415-701-7625.
The oyster bar, with those cool rotor lamps. Photo: Dana Massey-Todd. © tablehopper.com.
