SoMa workers and residents will be fired up with this new lunchtime option: DABBA has opened their first brick-and-mortar location (you may know it from its existence as a food truck with the elephant on a surfboard). It’s “fine casual,” with a California take on international street food, one that’s healthy and sustainable, with flavors from India, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The concept is inspired by Ashok Kumar’s Indian-Mexican restaurant Avatar’s in Marin County, home of the Punjabi burrito! Chef Walter Abrams (previously Spruce and French Laundry) is working with social tech entrepreneur Andy Mercy on this interesting project.
The menu includes some riffs and updates on Avatar’s combos (chicken and pumpkin, lamb and eggplant, or pork and mustard greens) and recipes, which you can get in a paratha burrito, taco, or bowl, plus a main course salad and sides. There’s also a happy hour from 4pm-6pm Monday through Friday, with specials like a spiced hummus platter and more.
High-quality ingredients, many sourced from local farmers and artisans, will be featured prominently, like produce from SMIP Ranch and Mariquita Farm as well as antibiotic-free meats. Vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free diners will find plenty of options. Yogurt lassis, kombucha on tap, agua frescas, and beer and wine are also offered.
The 2,000-square-foot interior, by Zero Ten Design with interior designer Laura Martin Bovard, has 30 seats inside and 50 outside in an interior courtyard with a fountain. And it’s a socially responsible business, working with Summer Search, an organization that gives disadvantaged students mentorship, college guidance, and more. Open Mon-Fri 10:30am-6pm, breakfast coming soon. 71 Stevenson St. at , 415-236-3984.
Dabba bowl with mango lassi. Photo courtesy of Dabba.
