One of my favorite gems of the city, ~PICCINO~, is going to be moving down the block and into an amazing, spacious, historical building. The immense size of the 150-year-old yellow building is rather breathtaking—and it’s actually going to house three businesses: Piccino, DIG (more on this fab wine shop in a sec), and a second location for Hayes Valley (and tablehopper) favorite, MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing) from Ben and Chris Ospital.
Piccino owners Margherita Stewart-Sagan and Sheryl Rogat will now have room for 70 diners indoors (instead of its current 24), with another 35 outdoor seats on a quiet, 12-foot, west-facing (read: sunny) sidewalk. The building is currently undergoing a significant foundation and seismic upgrade, and will eventually house the new Piccino dining room, as well as Piccino’s coffee bar, which currently sits in the middle of the block. The coffee bar will seat an additional 12 to 14 people, and will feature an expanded breakfast menu. The restaurant’s daily menu will continue to feature thin-crust pizzas and many long-standing favorites, plus new special entrées, like meaty roasts or roast quails or risotto, plus a new fry station means dishes like fritto misto.
Garcia will be busy with his boutique wine store, DIG, which will focus on food-friendly wines from the regions of France and Italy. DIG will eventually ramp up to a selection of roughly 150 bottles (but will be starting with approximately half that number). There will also be weekly tasting menus and theme-based tasting events. And there’s going to be an actual cellar—750 square feet, in fact (just check out the pic). The ground-level storefront will house a retail space with special olive oils, salts, and Recchiuti confections, and there will be a comfy tasting lounge with music playing on vinyl records, and a communal farm table in the cellar for special tasting events and dinners. MAC will be nestled in the space between Piccino and DIG.
The architectural firm Sagan-Piechota (partner Loring Sagan is married to Margherita) is designing the restaurant and retail spaces, which will share a garden-like atrium entrance on Minnesota Street. The new Piccino/MAC/DIG location plans to open at the corner of 22nd Street and Minnesota in late 2010.
Exterior of 845 22nd St.
