A couple days ago, I ventured to the Bayview-Hunter's Point district in San Francisco to try out a 1940's styled supper diner run by at risk youth called the Old Skool Cafe. Bayview-Hunter's Point has been historically described as a marginalized community plagued by high rates of crime, unemployment, and poverty. It's location between the beautiful AT&T Park and former naval shipwreck of Hunter's Point renders this neighborhood as a gray area that is easily overlooked and left behind when it comes to urban and city development. Filled with abandoned warehouses and train tracks that lead to nowhere, plans to redevelop the community into one that provides affordable housing, safe community facilities, and economic opportunities, have taken place within the past ten years as a means to turn this vision into reality.
Now for the actual dining experience...all I can say is, yummmm. I'm not much of a food critic, but the entrees my friend and I ordered were delicious. The menu here is styled after a tap-less bar, so basically all the portions are smaller than usual, but still manage to pack in the same punch and filling a normal entree would bring. My friend and I ordered Abu's West African Peanut Butter Stew, Daniel's Gumbo, and Grexican Burgers. I totally forgot to take pictures of the stew and gumbo because I was so hungry, but I did manage to get a shot of the sliders :) The food was pretty heavy, but soul food is supposed to have that "what-did-i-just-eat-why-am-i-so-bloated" feeling that fills the soul...and stomach. To wash everything down, we had mint lemonade, which was SO GOOD. I really need to try making my own mint lemonade when I get back to San Diego, because I can probably inhale an entire galloon of that stuff if I'm not careful. For dessert, I was squealing with delight when I discovered lavender cheesecake was an option. As an avid lavender fan, I was in heaven when I took the first bite. It was the perfect balance of lavender and cheesecake--not too much lavender that it tastes like you're biting into flower petals, but definitely still a sneaky hint of it.
Overall, the dining experience was great. The ambiance of the diner was warm and intimate, welcoming gentle conversations and laughter. I loved that they had live jazz music, it really added a fuller atmosphere to the feel of the diner. What a great way to spend my friday night, I mean, what else can beat dining at a 1940's styled diner, while supporting your local community? ;)
Read more about Old Skool Cafe's story right here.
I was trying to go for a 1940's look. Or maybe 1950's. Or 60's. Or whatever.
Mint lemonade, yum!
Grexican Sliders, I loved the aioli on it!
Lavender cheesecake...why are you so delicious.
The bathroom decor was too cute!
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