Foundation Cafe Brings Breakfast and Lunch to FiDi

Financial District workers looking for better breakfast and lunch options will be pleased to learn of the existence of newly-opened Foundation Cafe, which has taken over the former Pan de Mie space at Kearny and Pine. It's run by the sibling duo of Andie Sobrepeña (Jardiniere, Frog Hollow Cafe) and Martha Sobrepeña (a former private chef), and the inventive menu from chef Alex Placencia, a Boulevard and Colibri alum who was most recently at the Hotel Adagio, is definitely a cut above most of the area's other options. "It's such an awesome location and an awesome market that was being underserved, and food options were so minimal in the area," says Andie Sobrepeña.

For breakfast, Foundation offers Four Barrel coffee and items like a carnitas omelet with chipotle aioli on ciabatta and homemade granola with yogurt and dried apples. Lunch items include a porcini-crusted tri-tip sandwich with wild mushrooms and goat cheese, a blackened rockfish sandwich with pineapple slaw and cilantro-chipotle cream, and a mixed-greens salad with purple quinoa and roasted banana squash. (The full menu is viewable on their website.) "We like to take advantage of California's really awesome agricultural resources and keep the food fresh and wholesome," Andie Sobrepeña notes.

The space was designed by a third Sobrepeña sister, Julia, and has a clean, minimalist aesthetic, with white subway tile, chalkboards, and reclaimed wood. Though most folks take out, there's also seating for 17. At the moment, hours are 7 am-3 pm, Monday-Friday, but Andie Sobrepeña says she's considering applying for a beer and wine license and adding happy-hour service, depending on demand.

· Foundation Cafe [Official website]