New Biz Oly: San Francisco Street Bakery’s new Bistro

Introducing you to new locally-owned businesses…

San Francisco Street Bakery Bistro

Twenty-three years ago, Gene Otto and his wife, Judi Mendoza, opened The San Francisco Street Bakery, destined to become a culinary mainstay in Olympia. Since early June, they’ve begun an evening Bistro offering a menu created by Cordon Bleu-trained Chef Tram Hoang, whom Gene describes as “a force of nature”, and Pastry Chef Pat Stanley’s lush desserts for which the bakery is famous.

“It’s a family business,” Gene said. “My daughter, Carmen, and her husband, Jeremy Schwartz, run the Bistro. My son, Nolan, wears many hats and handles finances. Last year we launched the Bistro, running it through summer, working out the logistics. This year, we’ll operate the Bistro year ‘round, seating folks outside in the gardens until the weather changes.”

Landscaper Linda Andrews and the City of Olympia re-figured a front parking lot  into a lovely cobble-paved flower garden where big canvas umbrellas shade circular tables. More seating’s available in the native plant salvage garden and inside.

“Our kid-friendly menu changes to reflect local, seasonable availability,” says Gene. “Inspired by The Farmers Market’s lovely offerings, we serve specialty-greens salads, Caesars, bruscietta, avocado toast with tomatoes and grapefruit, clams, mussels, Sea Blossom salmon, charcouterie, Frisia’s Dutch cheeses, French cheeses, house-made pickled asparagus, carrots, onions, and beets. Specials include a clam-linguine, pasta bolognaise, pasta primavera, and the Otto family passion, a variety of pizzas for which we make our own sausage, with hand-tossed crusts baked in our hearth oven.”

“Our desserts are amazing, too,” Gene smiles, “fruit plates, from-scratch banana cream, lime, tirramisu tarts, burnt-orange chocolate cake, chocolate ciao, éclairs, ice creams, a classic affogatto. Folks can order pizzas to go, but we encourage them to dine here. We’ve got wines from Washington, Oregon, Italy and France, local and Austrian beers. We love this Northeast neighborhood. Ours is a place people can walk to. We want to keep it simple. No reservations needed.”

San Francisco Street Bakery Bistro

at San Francisco Street and

Bethel Avenue

Thursday – Sunday, 5:30 – 9:30 PM

360-753-8553

new-biz-oly is written by Holly Graham. To suggest a new locally-owned business to be featured, please email olympiapowerandlight@gmail.com.