SF MOMA expansion continues
19 Wednesday Nov 2014
19 Wednesday Nov 2014
17 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted Natoma Street Blues
inFrom Curbed’s SF.eater.com
Natoma Cabana, A Summery FiDi Bar and Getaway
Thursday, July 17, 2014, by Allie Pape
Poolside cocktails, lazy summer days on lounge chairs, lush tropical foliage: three things that San Franciscans generally have to leave our fair city to find. But while we may be condemned to suffer through June (and July, and August) gloom, new bar Natoma Cabana is a respectable alternative. The latest from crazy-prolific Empire-Builders of the Year Dennis Leary and Eric Passetti (it’s their third bar to open since last October, having been preceded by Cafe Terminus and Trocadero Club), the former John Colins space is perched just on the edge of the forthcoming Transbay Terminal. And it’s been designed to instill the kind of equatorial vibe that’s hard to come by in San Francisco, much less in the bustling precincts of the FiDi.
Known for knocking out projects on the cheap, Leary and Passetti turned this one into a family affair: Passetti’s father headed up construction, while his sister was in charge of the decor. Passetti himself is once again behind the cocktail menu ($8-11), which favor the duo’s no-mixology style in interpreting what Leary calls “drinks of the Southern latitudes.” You’ll find a Natoma Paloma, a Whiskey Vic (a take on the Trader Vic’s mai tai, made with white whiskey), a strawberry-bourbon mule, and a take on a Penicillin called the Antidote, with rye and mezcal in place of Scotch. And take note of the little blurb at the bottom of the menu: “House-made Fireball upon request.” Is this becoming a trend?
On the beer side, the duo have curated a quirky list of drafts, including Uncommon Brewers’ bacon brown ale, Ale Industries’ Uncle Jesse, and Knee Deep’s Hoptologist IPA. There’s a handful of wines, some bottled brews, and a stocked back bar as well.
The brick-walled warehouse space boasts an AstroTurf carpet, big skylights, and plenty of potted plants and patio furniture that Passetti says is supposed to evoke the outdoors brought indoors. Artist Ian Ross did the cool, graffiti-style exterior. Natoma Cabana has around 30 seats; the duo also plan to bring in a DJ on weekend nights. You’ll also notice a roasting machine next to the bar, where all the beans used at Cafe Terminus and Leary’s breakfast/lunch spots The Sentinel and Golden West are roasted. Natoma Cabana opens tonight; hours are 2 pm-2 am, Monday-Saturday.
Photos by Patricia Chang:
16 Wednesday Jul 2014
Posted Natoma Street Blues
in16 Wednesday Jul 2014
Posted Natoma Street Blues
inDuring my visit today to attend the monthly TJPA Community Meeting, I did my usual tour of the neighborhood.
Imagine how surprised I was to see a new exterior paint job on 90 Natoma Street, a man on a ladder installing outdoor lighting, a super-cool neon arrow sign hanging on the edge of the roof, and the front doors wide open ! As you may recall, this is the former John Colins site that was at one time scheduled for demolition for the new Transbay Center. The excavation actually comes up very close to the east side of this building, which is the Natoma Street side of the same structure that houses Anchor & Hope restaurant on the Minna Street side.
Eventually, it was determined that Transbay did not need to take the site, so Anchor & Hope has continued on as usual, while John Colins relocated to Minna Street across the street from 140 New Montgomery. For a short while, there was a pop-up eatery here, but the place has been vacant for quite awhile. I have never gotten the chance to ask owner Jim Patrick about any plans he had for the place.
And once I returned home, the always informed San Francisco Business Times brought the scoop about what is going on !
Serial bar owner opens his next act in S.F.’s SoMa
Annie Sciacca, Hospitality and Restaurant Reporter
San Francisco Business Times
San Francisco bar star Dennis Leary has made a name for himself creating simple bar concepts with a big impact. He did it with popular San Francisco establishments such as the Sentinal, Golden West and House of Shields, and partnered with Eric Passetti on recent ventures Trocadero Club and Café Terminus.
Now, the pair will try again with their next act, Natoma Cabana, opening tomorrow in the former John Colins spot at 90 Natoma St.
Leary and Passetti are among a new crop of serial bar owners in San Francisco.
Leary said he and Passetti haven’t much changed the building, which at one time was a blacksmith shop, as he’s long admired the space and wants the atmosphere to be casual and the décor minimalist. A mural from graffiti artist Ian Ross makes up the building’s facade, and a mix of garden party décor like wicker chairs and palm trees is inside.
“I can’t stop buying plants,” Leary said. “We wanted it to be like an outdoor party taken indoors, so I guess it’d be a hybrid between an adult cocktail party and a teenage keg party in the woods.”
As for the drinks, bar manager Passetti is keeping things simple. Imbibers can expect a list of craft beer, and outdoor-inspired, Southern cocktails like juleps, mojitos, and a “whiskey cooler that is probably delicious,” Leary said.
Open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., the menu will showcase booze at night and coffee during the afternoon at least six days a week — “We’ll be closed on Sunday most likely, but I kind of want to have some sort of Sunday dance party.”
Most of all, Leary wants people to have fun.
“We can’t engineer fun … so we’re not trying too hard,” Leary said. “But I don’t want people sitting down sniffing cocktails.”
22 Saturday Mar 2014
Having spent much of the last two years at my little perch on Natoma Street, I have become very familiar with all the buildings here, and what happens within them.
At 145 Natoma Street, there once was a little place called Natoma Café. They say it was the first place in the neighborhood where you could get an espresso, in the olden, olden days.
Later, it became a Burmese restaurant.
Over a year ago, the radio station (!) moved out.
College Spring, Ruby Seven Studios, and other new tenants moved in.
I once met the owner out here on the sidewalk. She must be happier now that she has many new tenants leasing space. To some degree, she has 140 NM to thank for that !
And now, John King of the San Francisco Chronicle has discovered this place as well. Too bad he didn’t know about the sculptures in the lobby and up on the top floor balcony. But then, you have to be a true member of the “Natoma Street Blues” club to possess such secret information.
Down SoMa alley, a shot of odd ’70s charm
John King, San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Urban alleys are full of surprises, including structural ones. This tight blunt stack of offices looks as if it was molded in plastic and then coated in brick, with scalloped balconies above an entrance that includes a dainty iron railing. The city’s historic survey praises “a superb example of the late Third Bay Region Tradition,” but the snug redcoat’s odd charm defies labels. It stands across from the plaza of newly restored 140 New Montgomery, close by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s new wing. Amid the upgrades, let eccentricity shine.
145 Natoma St. | Architect: Thomas Lile | Style: Third Bay Region | Size: 5 stories | Date built: 1970
02 Saturday Nov 2013
05 Friday Jul 2013
Posted Natoma Street Blues
inOne of the most attractive vistas in the neighborhood is the short block of Natoma Street that (now) dead-ends at the western end of the Transbay site.
The old brick building at the corner of Second & Natoma, along with this row of trees on the north side of the street, are really quite beautiful.
These trees get so little care, and in fact have endured so much abuse at the street has been trenched over and over again, that it is amazing that they survive.
I know that they will most likely be removed when the buildings on Second Street between Natoma & Howard are demolished during Phase II of the project.
And I also know that many people probably find them ugly, as they have become a bit gnarled and misshapen by the tough life they have experienced.
But for now they live on, and I love them very much.
06 Saturday Oct 2012
Posted Natoma Street Blues
in04 Friday May 2012
Posted 666 Folsom, Natoma Street Blues
inI don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before to go into the garage behind 140 to take a few snaps.
While you cannot see out toward the east — the direction of 140 — the views of my favorite buildings along Natoma Alley were interesting. You get a great view of the construction at 666 Folsom also.
Like Andy has told me, the L. Myers building is one of the few that go all the way through the block.
Last week, while watching the construction on 140 from Natoma alley, I had the chance to chat with the lady who owns 145 Natoma. She told me that the old Natoma Cafe moved out around 2005, and I told her I was there when the radio station moved out about a month ago. She said she is actively looking for new tenants, and we discussed the plans for 140, and how it might benefit her. Interestingly, she told me those things in the street-level window that look like votive candle holders are actually part of a sculpture that she commissioned that also provides some security around the windows. Little did I know that there is some sculpture up on top of the building also.
And then this. You never know what you are going to see from such a great vantage point.
27 Friday Jan 2012
Posted Natoma Street Blues
in