Typically when you’re looking for a place to dine you have one of two options: Devote an hour or two to a legit sit down meal or relegate yourself to the land of fast food. Corridor in San Francisco, California flips that notion on its head. What if you could have the best of both worlds rolled conveniently under one roof?

 

Two Set Tables and a Large Mirror at the Second Floor Fine Dining Room in Corridor Restaurant in San Francisco, California
Sitting Pretty – Corridor Restaurant’s Elegant Second Floor Dining Space in San Francisco

 

The philosophy behind Corridor’s new wave food fueling station, which has one foot squarely in elegant fine dining and the other planted in the land of convenience, should come as no surprise once you realize that its part of the innovative Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group. Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group has a number of forward thinking restaurants in its stable including Fat Angel, Stones Throw and Trestle. (Trestle, as an example, offers a three course prix fixe meal every night.) Jason Kirmse, Ryan Cole, Jason Halverson, Tai Ricci, Michael Gibson, Jeff Hester, Tara Lewis, Kevin Schantz and Dan Davidson are all part of the Corridor crew (many of whom have alumni ties to SF’s storied Michael Minna restaurant group).

 

A View of the First Floor of Corridor Restaurant From the Second Floor Fine Dining Area
Point of View – The More Casual First Floor Eating Area of Corridor as Seen From the Second Floor Fine Dining Room

 

What struck us first about Corridor was its two tiered physical structure. Upstairs you’ll find a quieter dining area made up of tables that overlook the more laid back family style communal tables that exists at street level. The second thing is how friendly the staff is. As soon as you pop through the door smiling beaming faces are ready to greet you, even if you only intend to snag a cup of coffee and then head out the door. Oh, and the third thing? The third thing we noticed was that it has a mimosa menu… yes, a mimosa menu. Even though we didn’t taste test that portion of the menu during our visit, the tropical mimosa (made with pineapple, lime and, of course, sparkling bubbles) kept beckoning us. Since we popped in for a weekday brunch we opted for the salty flavored green tea mojito instead.

 

A Mojito on a Table at Corridor Restaurant in San Francisco, California
I’ll be There in a Mojito – The Gorgeous Green Tea Mojito at Corridor in San Francisco

 

We also order the five pea salad. (This was primarily because, as far as we know, we’ve been a one pea salad kinda gal up until this point. So we decided to shake things up a bit and give the quintuplets a whirl.) The five pea salad (in addition to peas of course) consists of mint, preserved lemon, ricotta and brioche.

 

In addition to Corridor, here’s a list of other neat little local spots we love across the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

 

Once it arrived our server informed us that the chef recommends breaking the brioche apart first and then giving the whole salad a good mix. If you’re looking for a very light lunch dish (something that’s not too filling and won’t put you in a food coma before your next meeting), the five pea salad is a refreshing warm weather option.

 

A Salad Made Out of Five Kinds of Peas on a Plate at Corridor Restaurant in San Francisco, California
You Make Me So Hap-Pea – The Five Pea Salad at Corridor Restaurant

 

Our dining compadre ordered the fried chicken sandwich which was served with cabbage and romaine slaw, french fries and, apparently, Chef Jason’s secret hot sauce which came in its own little squeezy bottle. Sadly, we do not have photos of this alleged fried chicken incident because our friend promptly mauled it (likely a good sign).

 

A Menu on a Set Table at Corridor Restaurant in San Francisco, California
The Table is Set at Corridor in San Francisco’s Mid-Market Neighborhood

 

In addition to its high low dining, Corridor also offers a happy hour Monday through Friday from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. Happy hour translates to $5.00 draft beers, wines by the glass and cocktails. Since Corridor is located in San Francisco’s Mid-Market area (on Van Ness just a stone’s throw away from Davies Symphony Hall), it’s a welcome addition to the pre-performance offerings in the area. A lot of companies have sprouted offices in the Mid-Market area (Twitter and Uber, just to name a few), so if you have a meeting around the corner, it just might make sense for you to schedule a 15 minute catch up at Corridor’s counter …or book a more intense one-on-one meeting upstairs in Corridor’s dining area.

 

Exterior Photo of Corridor Restaurant in San Francisco, California From the Sidewalk on Van Ness Street

 

Corridor
100 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102
Hours: Monday Through Friday 7:00am to Close, Saturday 9:00am to 10:00pm and Sunday 4:00pm to 9:00pm
Phone: (415) 834-5684
Email: info@corridorSF.com
Pricing (All in USD): Breakfast $11.00 to $16.00, Lunch $10.00 to $16.00, Starters $6.00 to $16.00, Pasta $15.00 to $17.00, Entrees $16.00 to $23.00, Desserts $8.00