[Photos: Patricia Chang]
Back in April, we brought word of a new restaurant headed to the former Blue Star Elephant on Cortland Ave. This weekend, Red Hill Station officially opened its door to the public, debuting a fresh seafood concept from longtime Bernal residents Taylor Pederson and Amy Reticker.
Formerly of Anchor Oyster Bar, the pair envision Red Hill as a neighborhood gathering spot, with Pederson in the kitchen and Reticker managing front-of-house. The menu will rotate depending on what's fresh and in season, but their opening menu includes dishes like oysters on the half shell, Oregon bay shrimp cocktail, tuna carpaccio with pesto di limone, Alaskan-halibut fish and chips and clam fettuccine with garlic white wine sauce. If seafood's not your thing, they'll always have a meat and vegetarian option on hand as well.
On the beverage side, they're offering four wines on tap with a locally-sourced focus, as well as four draft beers (right now, it's Trumer Pils, Prohibition Ale, Mendocino Anniversary Ale and 21st Amendment Back in Black).
The new spot has a bright yet cozy vibe, with a mix of two- and four-top tables and a private eight-seat dining room in back that peers into the kitchen. Special touches include handmade benches made of reclaimed redwood, as well as a signature illuminated sign, designed by a friend, that's made of mixing bowls and steel.
For the first three weeks after opening, Red Hill will serve only dinner, but in mid-July they'll debut both a lunch service and an afternoon fish market component where neighbors can come in, see what's fresh, and buy something to take home and cook for dinner. Reticker says that this element of the restaurant is "very important" to them, and they look forward to offering oysters, clams, mussels, and whatever fish comes in fresh that day, as well as educating local residents about how to cook it in their own kitchens.
Once they're fully up and running, they'll be open 11am-10pm daily, and closed Tuesday-Wednesday. For the next three weeks, head on over for dinner from 5-10pm.
· Red Hill Station En Route to Bernal Heights [~ ESF ~]
· All Eater Insides [~ ESF ~]
