A restaurant group that's had success in SoMa is expanding to the FiDi with a panini shop expected to open in mid-May in 3 Embarcadero Center.
Mission Bay Foods operates five restaurants in SoMa, but Pressed will be its first north of Market. (The new spot is not to be confused with Pressed Juicery, which operates multiple locations nationwide, including spots in SoMa, the Ferry Building and Westfield San Francisco Centre.)
"We are very excited about that concept," said Zeeshan Ansari, principal of Mission Bay Foods. "It’s all fresh. We will not have a freezer in that restaurant; we will not have a microwave in that restaurant. We have a plan to get fresh produce; fresh product to our clientele at a reasonable price as well." Nothing will be above $10, he promised.
Hours will be 7am–6pm Monday through Friday and 10am–3pm Saturday. During the week, they'll dish up breakfast and lunch panini along with salads, quiche and pasta. Saturday they'll only serve lunch items—no breakfast. They'll also serve espresso drinks and plan to eventually offer freshly-squeezed juices.
Look for breakfast panini with combos such as Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese and scrambled eggs or Applewood smoked bacon with Provolone, tomato and eggs. Lunch will include 10 different panini, including caprese, Italian, meatball, chicken salad and grilled eggplant. There will also be a ham quiche, lasagna Bolognese and meat-free lasagna verde. The carb-averse can choose from three salads: Italian chopped, Caesar or a side salad. Semifreddi's out of Alameda will supply the bread.
The space will have an al fresco feel, with oversized windows that can slide open to let the Bay breezes filter through. Inside, it'll have 30 seats. Outside, the plaza level of Embarcadero Center beckons with a patio with seating and foliage, or diners can take their lunch downstairs to the urban patio.
Ansari knows that the space used to house a similar concept: Toaster Oven. But he thinks Pressed will prevail because of its quality ingredients, its commitment to getting people through the line quickly, and his dedication to the service industry. He's worked in restaurants for 25 years and co-owns (with silent partners) five other restaurants: Dos Piñas, which opened in 1997 at 251 Rhode Island St.; Publico Urban Taqueria on the UCSF Mission Bay campus and inside Bed, Bath & Beyond on 9th Street; Café Pazzo in the San Francisco Design Center and Cafe 24, also on the Mission Bay campus and not open to the public.
"I live for that moment where people are leaving with a big smile on their face," Ansari said. "Not just for the food, but for the whole experience.”
