This weekend I swung by the soon-to-open SECOND ACT MARKETPLACE AND EVENTS to see how it’s taking shape. Yup, it’s very, very close. To recap, Betsy and Jack Rix have transformed the former Red Vic Movie House (they were two of the original founders) into a marketplace and business incubator with five food stalls, each with their own locking gates (the concept is a bit similar to 331 Cortland). The space is clean and classic, with a vintage-looking paneled ceiling, concrete floors, and light coming in from a skylight in the back. In the back is also a set of doors that open into an event space that is still under construction; there will also be a concession area, eventually serving wine and beer from Magnolia, but let’s focus on the marketplace businesses for now.
The tenants include High Cotton Kitchen, a New Orleans-style lunch spot that will serve soup, salad, gumbo, two kinds of red beans and rice (one is vegetarian), a po’boy and a sandwich each day, as well as Beauty’s Bagels (yes!), Meetinghouse biscuits, gluten-free toast, and Sightglass coffee. Hours will be 7am-7pm daily. The partners in the biz are Neely Thomas (previously Bar Tartine) and Terrell Brunet, a Louisiana native who has been in the industry for some time, and is the man behind the recipes—look for a bit of a California spin on some of the dishes.
Just next door, Thomas and Brunet are also behind Community Craft, a cooperative bakeshop selling items from nine bakers (with gluten-free options), including Bread SRSLY (vegan, gluten-free bread) from Sadie Scheffer, Ebbs Bakery from Robert Hac (look for cakes and trifles from this ex-Scott Howard pastry chef), pies by Barbara Caldwell for Butter Water Salt Flour, Eat Me NatuRaw from Tanya Fislar, Park Bench (offering pain garni/garnished bread) from Brandywine White, Sweets Simply by Nicole Faraclas, and Meetinghouse Biscuits from Joanna Karlinsky, plus Beauty’s Bagels (available every day except Mondays). Hours will be 11am-7pm.
Other tenants include a second location of Anda Piroshki, who will be serving her delicious piroshki, borscht, and more; the juice bar RAW, with their small-batch and fresh-squeezed juices; and Spice Hound, the excellent spice shop that already has a location in Bernal.
There are still some inspections under way, but they hope to open in the beginning of February, ideally the first week, or maybe the 8th-10th. I’ll let you know for sure. 1727 Haight St. at Cole.
A look into High Cotton’s space. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
