A report from Dana Massey-Todd. As previously noted on tablehopper, there’s a new project on 24th Street that is getting ready to open for business. LA MOVIDA, from Michael Meadows, has taken over the former El Delfín space after the owners retired. The new spot is a wine-focused bar, with a small plate-focused menu.
There are 12 wines on tap and 3 beers, plus about 20 wines available by the bottle and a few bottled beers as well. The wines are almost exclusively from California, with one exception: Owen Roe, from Oregon and Washington state. There will be eight red wines on tap, with a focus on small producers, like East Bay-based Broc Cellars and Dashe Cellars. Meadows is excited to have so many taps to work with, because it means he’ll be able to offer a wide range of California wines, from full cabernet sauvignons to leaner, funkier varietals. There are also four taps for chilled wines, and Meadows plans to offer at least one rosé, likely from Donkey & Goat, alongside the whites. Beers will be from the Cerveceria de MateVeza, and will all be from California. The exact offerings are still being worked out, but look for local craft beers to dominate the list.
In the food department, there’s a pretty interesting program going. In the evenings, you’ll find small plates like charcuterie, local cheeses, a few different flatbreads, and chorizo corndogs. As many ingredients as possible are being sourced from the neighborhood, which means dishes like bread pudding made with Dynamo Donuts (oh my) and sliders on buns from Wise Sons Deli. Meadows is also looking to get La Palma on there, too, perhaps in the form of tamales. The menu hasn’t been finalized yet, but you can take a peek at a sample here.
During the day, La Movida will function as the new home of PAL’S TAKEAWAY, which means owner Jeff Mason will be able to use the additional space to expand his menu, plus use the seating for customers. He’ll be offering his rotating menu of unusual (and delish) sandwiches (Oregon Bay shrimp on Josey Baker bread, yes please), plus a changing side, according to the season and his whims. Take a look at a preview menu here and start plotting your lunches now. Meadows also wants to close every Tuesday evening for a rotating roster of pop-ups, starting in July. He’s still working out who will be first, but is in conversation with a few local chefs to get that rolling.
The space, which was designed by Carolyn Rebuffel, has been painted a bright, cheerful orange, to keep in the vibrant spirit of the location’s former tenants. Meadows wanted to keep El Delfín’s wonderful murals on the walls, but the structural integrity had been compromised enough that it was impossible. Instead, the murals have been transferred to the tops of tables, where they can still be enjoyed. There is a blown glass chandelier on the way, plus banquette seating in the back and stools in the front windows.
They need to pass inspections this week, and then hope to be up and running sometime the week of June 24th. Once open, hours for Pal’s will be Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, and for La Movida Sun-Thu 4:30pm-11pm and Fri-Sat 4:30pm-12am, closed Tuesday for pop-ups. 3066 24th St. at Treat, 415-425-2392.
Photo: Dana Massey-Todd. © tablehopper.com.
