[Photo: Molly DeCoudreaux]
Today marks Original Joe's official first day of its new life in North Beach. With a ribbon cutting, a monk's blessing, and Mayor Ed Lee's proclamation of city-wide Original Joe's day, it certainly hasn't been the usual "soft" hush-hush affair. Many of you are aware of the joint's storied past. The Duggan family, whose patriarch opened the original Original Joe’s in 1937, will operate the newest restaurant on Washington Square Park. It's a highly anticipated return to San Francisco since a heart-breaking fire leveled the historic Taylor Street location back in 2007.
Anthony Fish oversaw a complete overhaul of the former Joe DiMaggio's space, featuring burgundy colored booths (to remind of the laid-to-rest tenderloin location), a piano lounge, open kitchen, Art Deco mermaids, and a vintage-seeming neon sign above the door. What's old is new again on the menu as well, with held over "unpretentious" classics like chicken piccata, Dungeness crab rolls, even calf's liver.
Take a look at the opening menu to get a better idea how this will work. A circa 1950 cocktail list is still in rotation—with a Vesper, Screwdriver, Grasshopper and Sazerac all getting play on the opening bar list. Now, a virtual tour awaits in the interior slideshow above, complete with bonus snaps of Ed Lee in action at this morning's ceremony. You can visit Original Joe's daily until 10 p.m. most weeknights and 11 p.m. Thurs. through Sat.
· All Original Joe's Coverage [~ ESF ~]
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