Woodhouse Fish Co. Team Plots Breakfast in the Swedish American Hall

Here’s some sudden news on what will become of the former Aatxe space in the Swedish American Hall: It’s Wooden Spoon, a breakfast and lunch restaurant from the brothers behind Woodhouse Fish Co. and West of Pecos.

Brothers Dylan and Rowan MacNiven, and partner/chef August Shuchman took over the property from Ne Timeas restaurant group (Aatxe, Flour + Water), which also included the Swedish American Hall and downstairs Cafe du Nord last year. Cafe du Nord immediately switched back to a live music venue from the cocktail den into which it had been transformed, with a small menu of food and cocktails.

Now the upstairs restaurant space, previously occupied by Spanish restaurant Aatxe, is switching gears to serve the neighborhood all-day food from Shuchman.

“The building is pretty heavily utilized in the evening with Cafe du Nord,” Dylan MacNiven told Eater SF. “We thought it’d be fun to counter that with a morning spot.”

And because Wooden Spoon shares a liquor license with Cafe du Nord, there will be cocktails like bloody marys and greyhounds on the menu, too. The food menu will range from healthy to full-on hangover breakfast, says MacNiven, with breakfast classics like eggs and pancakes to a Dungeness crab frittata and vegan chorizo hash; coffee will be from Sightglass. In a nod to the Swedish American Hall connection, a few Scandinavian dishes like Swedish pancakes, and open-faced sandwiches will also join the American classics.

“[Woodhouse Fish Co.] has been in the neighborhood for 12 years,” said MacNiven. “We know the neighborhood really well at this point. Wooden Spoon will be casual and family-friendly.”

It’s also a return to the MacNiven family’s roots: their parents have run a brunch restaurant in Woodside for 25 years. “I never thought we’d turn into our parents,” laughed MacNiven.

Because the space — which was remodeled as Aatxe in 2015 — was in such good shape, the interiors received a small remodel to brighten things up. When it opens on May 16, Wooden Spoon will serve Wednesday-Sunday from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m.; MacNiven expects to open seven days a week within a few weeks of opening, and possibly opening earlier if there’s interest.

Note: Menu could change at opening, check Wooden Spoon’s website for updates.

• You’ll Never Eat Cafe Du Nord’s Delicious Burger Again [ESF]
• Inside the Revamped Café du Nord [ESF]