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Ghetto Fabulous No matter what you call it, the middle stretch of Market Street is coming back to life with great food, drink and design left and right. |
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posted on April 01, 2006 |
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If anyone’s fingerprints can be found in the newly revitalized stretch of Market from Guerrero to Franklin, it’s those of Oakland architecture firm Envelope A + D. A first-place winner in the Octavia Boulevard Housing Design Competition, the firm also designed the area’s new wine bar, Cav, where you can sip a Gewürztraminer from Long Island with your green-lipped mussels. The neighborhood responds to many names—the Hub, Mid-Market, the Gourmet Ghetto and LUMa (Lower Upper Market, so dubbed by the owners of the food boutique Yum). But the most popular handle seems to be Deco Ghetto, inspired by the initial influx of art-deco galleries that is now giving way to a more diverse spread of shops and services. DECKED OUT Living up to the reputation of the ’hood, L’Art Deco Français specializes in French furniture from the ’20s through the ’40s. A little less deco but definitely not ghetto, National Product exemplifies the fashionable gallery-boutique hybrid, with SF-themed attire in the front and local art in the back. For those who agree that what once was old is new again, Modern Artifacts sells mid-century furniture, such as Eames chairs, and postwar art. Further proof that you can find everything on Craigslist: The owners of The Seventh Heart once posted an ad on their website for art to decorate their gallery and boutique, which sells dead-stock ’80s wallets, vintage shoes and locally designed clothes. The records that spangle the front of Grooves are more than a design accent: The store sells no CDs, just authentic vinyl. Linc Art holds both local and international shows, and an espresso maker and turntables keep the gallery’s mood upbeat and relaxed. DINING BY DESIGN Toast the Deco Ghetto with an apple, hibiscus and Campari Continental cocktail at the bar-cum-cafe Orbit Room or a glass of amontillado at Cav. The orange vinyl booths at It’s Tops Fountain Coffee Shop may suggest ’50s retro, but the macrobiotic-friendly buckwheat waffles keep this diner current. Thoroughly modern Millies love Zuni Café’s sleek dining rooms with windows suitable for peering in at the platters of Sweetwater oysters or chef Judy Rodgers’ famous roasted chicken. Tiny Sushi Zone fits only a handful of people, but the mango-and-striped-bass appetizer is worth the 90-minute wait. Wine bar and gallery Hôtel Biron, tucked behind Zuni, oozes quiet Euro romance. The candy-colored walls at the LGBT Center’s Three Dollarbill Cafe make even gloomy days dandy again—and a pour of their blueberry milk never hurts. Jonesing for a sugar rush? DeLessio Market & Bakery’s mini spice cupcakes with lemon buttercream pair nicely with a Frostie cream soda from food gallery Yum. RUNNING WITH SCISSORS The new Metamorphosis Salon offers clients instruction on how to use styling tools at home. At Louie Hair Salon, the wall art changes every three months and Kérastase hair products are sold alongside handbags. Bring your own clothes to the Miranda Caroligne boutique for a transformation courtesy of the owner’s shears. Live out your arts-and-crafts fantasies at Flax, the home of chalkboard fabric and more than 10,000 kinds of paper. For the finishing touches, Bell’occhio is like a magical apothecary that sells silky spools of ribbon and antique linens instead of potions and tonics. x Decked Out Grooves 1797 Market St. 415-436-9933 L’Art Deco Français 1680 Market St. 415-863-5483 Linc Art 1632 C Market St. 415-503-1981 Modern Artifacts 1639 Market St. 415-255-9000 National Product 1845 Market St. 415-255-1920 The Seventh Heart 1592 Market St. 415-431-1955 Dining by Design Cav 1666 Market St. 415-437-1770 DeLessio Market & Bakery 1695 Market St. 415-552-5559 Hôtel Biron 45 Rose St. 415-703-0403 It’s Tops Fountain Coffee Shop 1801 Market St. 415-431-6395 Orbit Room 1900 Market St. 415-252-9525 Sushi Zone 1815 Market St. (enter on Pearl Street) 415-621-1114 Three DollarBill Cafe 1800 Market St. 415-503-1532 Yum 1750 Market St. 415-626-9866 Zuni Café 1658 Market St. 415-552-2522 Running with Scissors Bell’occhio 8 & 10 Brady St. 415-864-4048 Flax 1699 Market St. 415-552-2355 Louie Hair Salon 4 Brady St. 415-864-3012 Metamorphosis Salon 1841 Market St. 415-252-1020 Miranda Caroligne 485 14th St. 415-355-1900
If anyone’s fingerprints can be found in the newly revitalized stretch of Market from Guerrero to Franklin, it’s those of Oakland architecture firm Envelope A + D. A first-place winner in the Octavia Boulevard Housing Design Competition, the firm also designed the area’s new wine bar, Cav, where you can sip a Gewürztraminer from Long Island with your green-lipped mussels. The neighborhood responds to many names—the Hub, Mid-Market, the Gourmet Ghetto and LUMa (Lower Upper Market, so dubbed by the owners of the food boutique Yum). But the most popular handle seems to be Deco Ghetto, inspired by the initial influx of art-deco galleries that is now giving way to a more diverse spread of shops and services. |
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