Cala

Cal of Duty

A Mexico City–Style Date Spot on Fell

By UrbanDaddy Staff ·
None 12 Photos Cala
Big night last night.

Tuxedos and gowns were placed upon bodies.

Small golden statues were exchanged.

The final touches were put on a former garage in preparation for its debut as a showstopping Mexican date spot.

This is the age of Cala, a shiny new datery from chef Gabriela Cámara. It’s her first stateside restaurant, and it’s soft-opening tonight on Fell Street. (Your slideshow awaits.)

Come with a date after a show at the Jazz Center. Make sure you’re craving seafood—because, yes, the dinner menu is only seafood.

You’ll step into a concrete space with a big wall of ivy and sun flooding through the skylights above. There’s also a fig tree, so nice touch there. It’s the type of spot that may or may not have formerly been a garage (it was).

To one side of the black limestone bar: a golden kitchen, alive with promises of pescado a la talla and salmon tostadas and housemade tortillas. But bank toward the other side, where tables wait for you to kick back with sotol-spiked Old Fashioneds or something involving wild-foraged bacanora (the stuff was bootlegged until 1992).

And soon, they’ll offer weekend brunch and a back-alley taco lunch stand.

As far as back alleys go, that’ll be a good one.

Vitals

Cala
149 Fell St
(between Franklin and Van Ness)
San Francisco, CA, 94102
415-660-7701
website

Extras

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