A report by Dana Eastland. The former home of Annabelle’s in SoMa is reopening on Monday August 24th as THE KEYSTONE. Earlier this month, we gave you a preview on the plans for the food and the new concept. The final details have been worked out and now it’s ready to open.
Chef Zack Freitas has created the new menu. To recap, the focus is on American comfort food, with a decidedly modern, California style; the menu is divided into categories like Morsels, Popular, Delights, and Ambitious. There is also a selection of desserts from pastry chef Jenny Yang, with an emphasis on seasonal fruit (though the fiend brownie is no joke, with chunks of macadamia nut, toffee, and chocolate). Kelly Naughton is the bar manager, and the drink menu is approachable and fun, with cocktails, 20 beers on draft, and 15 wines available by the glass, including 2 sparkling options. Plus, they are offering two happy hours, one from 4:30pm-6:30pm and again from 10pm-12am.
The space has been redesigned by D-Scheme Studio to simultaneously look back to the building’s history and to the future, with a modernized vibe. They’ve stripped down the space and exposed more brick as well as an original skylight. The bar is still the anchor of the space, but they’ve added seating on both sides of it, and opened up the dining room. It opens Monday August 24th, and hours will be daily 11:30am-12am. 68 4th St. at Mission, 415-777-1200.
Another blast from the past is getting a makeover: CADILLAC BAR AND GRILL has been resurrected and is opening in The Market on the ground floor of the Twitter building. The original Cadillac opened in SoMa in 1982 and closed in 1999 to make room for the Moscone Center South, and it was quite infamous for its giant margaritas, platters of fajitas, and generally good times. For a fun trip through the restaurant’s history, check out this visual history on their site.
History aside, the new location is serving an (almost refreshingly) un-updated menu with pitchers of margaritas, chile con queso, guacamole, mesquite-grilled fajitas, and their “puffy tacos.” Hours are Mon-Thu 11am-10pm (bar until 11pm), Friday 11am-11pm (bar until 12am), Sat 5pm-11pm (bar until 12am), closed Sun. Happy hour Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm. 44 9th St. at Market, 415-554-0181.
The bar at The Keystone. Photo courtesy of The Keystone.
