Proper Food, Fresh Takeaway in the FiDi

Proper Food
100 First St. (entrance on Mission St.), Financial District
Phone: (415) 992-6781
Web: properfood.com
Status: Opening today

Downtown workers seeking an easy grab-and-go outlet have a new option today with the opening of Proper Food, a breakfast and lunch spot with a healthy, made-from-scratch ethos. The new spot comes from Howard Bloom, who was inspired by his years living in London, where homemade to-go spots are more prevalent. He's enlisted Juan Munoz (The Plant Café, Balboa Café, Campton Place) to lead the project as executive chef, with lots of local, seasonal breakfast and lunch fare for hungry cube-dwellers to take back to their desks.

In addition to breakfast items like yogurt parfait, breakfast sandwiches and a sweet potato and egg muffin nest, the menu emphasizes fresh preparations like spring vegetable lasagna, grilled octopus and garbanzo salad, and a charbroiled flank steak rice and bean bowl. Soups, wraps and sandwiches round out the daytime menu, which also includes snacks (like a homemade energy bar with goji berries, flaxseed, coconut peanut butter, dark chocolate and dried cranberries) and fresh-pressed juices (like the Detox, with apple, broccoli, and celery). Here's the full menu.

Designed by Abueg-Morris Architects, the 600-square-foot space is cozy and clean, with a bright, modern interior. Select your preferred item from the fridge, then pay at the counter; they'll heat up anything you desire, and make you a cup of organic fair-trade coffee or organic tea. Proper Food is open on weekdays only, from 7 a.m. 'til 3 p.m.

[Photo: Eva Kolenko]

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