City Counter has opened in the Financial District, bringing another lunch option that is less #saddesklunch and more updated luncheonette from first time SF restaurateur Harper Matheson. That means a fresh take on the lunch counter vibe and menu, with options like deviled egg salad, a beet reuben, and more from consulting chef Sean Thomas (Blue Plate).
The menu matches the clean design of the restaurant, with refined dishes like salt cod deviled eggs, a club sandwich with chicken breast, bacon, smoked cheddar, counter sauce, and caper-avocado spread on focaccia. (See the full menu here.) There’s also beer and wines from California.
The restaurant is located in the old Standard Oil building, the same art deco beauty that is home to Blue Bottle Coffee and cocktail bar The Treasury. The space was designed by partner Nicole Huang, and is inspired by the lunch counters of the 1940s, but is very 2017 SF, with exposed concrete walls, globe lighting, and a 60-foot white stone counter that seats 30 people. Along the windows are cafe tables with built-in benches for 35 more people. It’s definitely the best vantage point in town for watching the FiDi throngs passing by on the way to Montgomery BART, particularly with a glass of rosé in hand.
City Counter is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.; eventually delivery and catering will added.