Almost exactly a year ago, we mentioned a new café that would open in the Outer Richmond called ORSON’S BELLY. Cinephile Cem Salur hoped to open last year in time for Outside Lands, and thanks to the insane levels of bureaucracy one has to navigate to open a business in San Francisco, he’ll be open in time for this year’s Outside Lands instead. In fact, he’ll be open on Monday May 23rd.
To recap, the 50-seat café will be open in the morning at 8am for breakfast and coffee service from De La Paz. The menu has some appetizing picks, from Turkish breakfast (the owner is Turkish) to a superfood waffle with honey peanut butter, strawberry, almonds, and chia seeds.
Lunchtime brings bagel sandwiches to some awesome salads (the menu is mostly vegetarian, and very fresh), like a veggie Cobb with romaine, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, feta, roasted chickpeas, and Worcestershire dressing.
Starting at 4pm, there will be a meze platter, tacos, and bar bites to go with the beers and wines, many from California. Coffee drinks will range from espresso to pour-over to Turkish coffee.
There will be themed nights including poetry, programmed cinema (programmed by Salur), lectures on writing and cinema, children’s happy hour, and much more. The room looks great, with original film posters and lots of wood, and brightly colored Tolix chairs and groovy light fixtures. Hours will be Mon-Thu 8am-8pm, Fri-Sat 8am-10am, and Sun 11am-6pm. Follow along on Facebook for updates. 1737 Balboa St. at 19th Ave.
The cheerful interior of Orson’s Belly. Photo courtesy of Cem Salur.
