Bay Area restaurateur Adriano Paganini has opened another eatery in San Francisco. Owner of popular spots like Starbelly, Delarosa, Pesce and Beretta, his latest endeavor, Belga, opened its door just last night. Occupying the Union Street corner space in Cow Hollow, Paganini hopes his new European-inspired eatery will eventually be a neighborhood landmark and gathering place for locals—a goal that may easily be accomplished with the fusion dishes and rare Belgian brews they serve in-house.
Plating up a California-influenced blend of French, Belgian and Germanic cuisine, Belga offers original dishes from Bay Area chef Freedom Rains. As the executive chef of Belga, Rains has chosen to blend urban Northern California fare with traditional European dishes, using local ingredients when possible. The menu includes favorites like pan roasted mussels with whitbier, shallots and green garlic; duck leg confit with French lentils, mirepoix and herb salad; currywurst with tomato chutney; and roasted bone marrows served with onion marmalade and horseradish toast.
Of course it could be considered a sin to run a Belgian and German restaurant without a few choice beers. Bar manager Ryan Murphy has chosen to offer 10 beers on tap and another 50 bottled that range from popular favorites to hard-to-find imports. In addition guests will find a large selection of wine, spirits and even beer cocktails.
Belga is open Sunday through Thursday from 5-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5-11 p.m. The bar is open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight. Brunch and lunch hours will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
