Heyday, A Sleek FiDi Takeout Spot

Heyday
180 Spear St., Financial District
Phone: (415) 284-4515
Web: heydaysf.com
Status: Open

Financial District workers must have been very good this year, because they're experiencing a rush of cool new breakfast and lunch spots: Foundation Cafe, Shorty Goldstein's, and now Heyday, from owner Caleb Canning and former Chez Panisse Cafe chef Jeremy Scheiblauer, who's been getting some menu help from his currently idle pals at the temporarily shuttered Berkeley institution. Morning offerings include steel-cut oatmeal with toppings like cocoa nibs and cherry granola, Straus yogurt, and pastries from Starter Bakery, but the real centerpiece is lunch, featuring seasonal dishes like Moroccan chickpea, carrot, and quinoa salad; a roasted red onion sandwich on Acme foccacia with ricotta salata; and rotating soups. The price structure is also unique, with any one menu item going for $6, two for $10, and 3 for $14. Eventually, as the day winds down, Scheiblauer will also offer take-home dinners of roast Mary's chicken with two sides.

The space is sleek and simple, with a small counter and a menu displayed on rolls of butcher paper. Opening hours are currently 7 am-3 pm, with plans to go later as things pick up. And in case this space sounds familiar but the name doesn't, it was originally supposed to be called Almanac; they changed it so as not to conflict with fellow locals Almanac Beer Co.

· Heyday, a New Downtown Lunch Spot, Opens on Spear Street [Grub Street]