Today, the Academy of Sciences opens a new restaurant called The Terrace, located in the west garden of the museum.
The Terrace features a menu of small, shareable plates that range in price from $6 to $18. Some of the menu items we sampled at the media preview included a delicious orange elderberry mock tail, a toasted farro, wild rice, roasted beet and fennel salad, and a local goat cheese, red pepper and artichoke bruschetta. We didn’t get to try it but heard others cooing over the prosciutto, arugula, and fig jam sandwich.
The Terrace’s setting is lovely, designed for al fresco dining in the garden. But any restaurateur in San Francisco knows outdoor dining is a mixed bag, so the cafe’s retractable, floor to ceiling window panels can be closed when it gets chilly. The cafe also has radiant, in-floor heating.
The space used to be occupied by a bird aviary, and some of its concrete and fencing was re-purposed for the Terrace’s construction.
The opening of the Terrace also marks the start of a new food partnership the Academy established with Sodexo, who will also manage the Academy Cafe. The Moss Room has closed for renovation and will reopen in spring 2015 as a dedicated space for special events.
The Terrace cafe is open during regular museum hours, as well as during the Academy’s Nightlife events on Thursday nights.
Sarah B.
Would you like a mock-tini?
The retractable glass panels
The latest in edutainment. I miss the musty old mineral collections and much prefer natural science museums to chi chi fund raising shrines and mock-tinis. Guess I’m just getting closer to the grave…
Anyone know what became of the vultures and hawks?
Karl Young, I’m certain you’re not alone in missing the minerals and many other aspects of the “old” Academy. Remember the huge collection of historical timepieces that used to be near the pendulum? I also agree with your sentiment about new museums being designed with events in mind. My curatorial friends argue that this is necessary in today’s economic climate and perhaps they’re right, but my impression is that almost everyone who grew up in SF or the Bay Area misses the sense of space (and mystery!) that the old museum had. I guess I’m also getting old since more and more I feel like a stranger in my own home town, sigh. Nevertheless, thanks to Sarah B. for the blog entry. 🙂
Thanks for the comment Dean and yes it might be necessary in this age of sparse funding for public institutions like the Academy to be more in hustle mode – I guess what troubles me a little is that that seems to leak into the educational mission a little too much for my tastes (and I’m not the only curmudgeon around; I have some curatorial friends as well, though they are of a similar vintage to me, and they have similar feelings). I got rid of my membership re. the sense of space you mention; despite having a larger footprint the new museum seemed to have significantly reduced space for exhibitions and those that are there don’t seem to require much imagination. But by no means was I complaining about Sarah B. posting the blog entry ! I love this blog; I don’t have to absolutely support everything someone does in the Richmond District 🙂 (not to mention that Sarah B. is a super hero in my book re. starting a vegan friendly restaurant in the hood).
Karl & Dean, I’m right up there with you and miss the open courtyard pre-Bufano statues where I ate many a PB&J or salami sandwich on locally-baked bread that came from my brown paper bag. The only beverage allowed came from porcelain drinking fountains with big handles. So much time in the tea garden jungle too.
Thanks for the update. I hear what other people are saying. I just think it is a drag that Sodexo is going to be providing the food. They are a terrible union busting company who pay their employees terribly and have huge contracts with many prisons.
Thanks for filling in that detail J – in my general curmudgeonry I missed the Sodexo connection – yet another reason for me to avoid the Academy ! 4thGenRichmond, you’re really making me feel old 🙂
Can the general public visit the restaurant or does one have to buy tickets to the museum to get into the restaurant?
Sodexo is one of the largest companies in the world in its business, with 380,000 employees, representing 130 nationalities, present on 34,000 sites in 80 countries. For fiscal year 2010 (ending August 2009) revenues reached 15.3 billion euros. French multi national.
Count me in as another disillusioned crusty old dude.
A little off topic from the cafe but IMO, The Academy, in an effort to attract the largest number of visitors, has dumbed down their mission to appeal to the lowest common denominator. AKA children, tourists and folks who aren’t science minded and haven’t been exposed to the rigors of scientific method.
I do enjoy the butterflies and the giant reef aquarium and standing on the roof garden and of course Claude the alligator, but I am saddened knowing what it used to be and what it could be.
As a current family membership holder, I also lament the days when it only required a donation to gain entry.
Last I wish they would have kept the frozen great white shark.
I also have many of the same complaints about the new sterile DeYoung. They kept the art, but lost the character.
@Richard – you can only enter through the museum, eg with admission. It’s too bad, would be a nice anytime addition to the park.
You know Andy, if you want the “lowest common denominator aka children” to grow up and be science minded–and we could certainly use that, making the Academy of Sciences more attractive to them certainly wouldn’t hurt. I do agree with your other points though. I grew up with the old Academy and bring my…gasp!…child, to the new one. The new one blows. It’s turned into a little more than a popular date/tourist spot trying to fleece every penny off the public. Britain sets the standard for this model, and we aren’t even close.
Signed,
Disgruntled member & citizen scientist.