Restaurants adjust by partnering at temporary locations
Three new popups began operations this week, a reflection of how San Francisco restaurants are collaborating during the pandemic.
At the Ferry Building, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant opened Ferry Plaza Wine Bar Thursday in the empty MarketBar space. It’s good timing for the wine shop, which has seen reduced traffic inside the Ferry Building — especially after San Francisco public health orders forced parts of the food hall to close Wednesday, a move that was then reversed by the state Thursday.
“We are just making the best of what we can do right now,” said Debbie Zachareas of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant.
The popup wine bar will pour on what was formerly MarketBar’s massive patio,
where customers can also buy bottles to take home. Woodfired pizzas and salads will come from Ferry Building restaurant Boulibar, but on hours that Boulibar isn’t open, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant will roll out cheese and charcuterie plates. Under state guidelines, restaurants can only serve alcohol with meals.
In the Mission, Daily Driver is continuing its zippy expansion with a popup inside Mission Cheese on Saturday. Four mornings a week, the space will belong to Daily Driver, which will sell woodfired bagels — including a new hamandcheese version — with its housemade organic cream cheese, cultured butter and other spreads. Unlike Daily Driver’s sparse new location in Hayes Valley, this location will also make bagel sandwiches, including grilled cheeses that may incorporate local artisan cheese chosen by Mission Cheese.
In the evenings, Mission Cheese will take over again. If the popup finds a following, Daily Driver and Mission Cheese hope to share the space permanently.
Also opening this week is Tosca Cafe’s popup outside Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, a former church in SoMa. It is being done in collaboration with San Francisco’s A16, which is providing some pizzas and a wine list. In addition, its cocktail list comes from Greg Lindgren, who coowns Rosewood Bar and Rye in San Francisco.
These partnerships aren’t the first time restaurants joined forces to help survive shelterinplace. Tasting menu restaurant Lord Stanley and upscale Cantonese spot Mister Jiu’s teamed up to create Lord Jiu’s, a virtual restaurant that sells a fivecourse meal kit every week.
Ferry Plaza Wine Bar. 11:30 a.m.7 p.m. MondayFriday, 10 a.m.7 p.m. SaturdaySunday; hours subject to change. One Ferry Building, San Francisco. https://fpwm.com
Daily Driver. Opening Saturday. 8 a.m.2 p.m. ThursdaySunday. 736 Valencia St., San Francisco. https://dailydriver.com
Tosca Cafe. Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, 1401 Howard St., San Francisco. 5:3011 p.m. ThursdaySaturday. Reservations available at https://www. exploretock.com/toscacafe/