A new family-friendly restaurant and bar
is touching down in the Inner Sunset, thanks to two restaurant owners who should be familiar with Giants fans. Scott and Caitlin Morton of Momo’s in SoMa will open Maggie & Mac’s on Friday, June 5, serving what the couple is dubbing California comfort food. Named after their two daughters, Margaret and Mackenzie, the Mortons hope their new spot becomes a special go-to restaurant for locals in the area.Momo’s chef Daniel Bermudes and bar manager Gill Gallegos are also spearheading the menus at Maggie & Mac’s. Momo’s regulars may recognize some items, like the French dip sandwich made with tri-tip or the shishito peppers and onion strings served with chile de árbol dip. There’ll also be classics like a smash
burger made of ground chuck and brisket and a Caesar salad that gets a hit of Dungeness crab for flair. Thin-crust pizzas are on deck as well, with a trio of pies offered during the restaurant’s opening; that includes the Hot One, starring the trio of spicy marinara, spicy coppa, and pickled Fresno chiles, with salami and pepperoni, all topped in hot honey. “[These are] things that’ll create that comfort food element, but then also drive in the local ingredients that we have here in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California — seafood and vegetables and some lighter fare stuff,” Scott Morton says.
But the food menu diverges a bit from the Momo’s playbook, including the addition of a few family recipes, such as a macaroni salad from Caitlin’s mother, Kelly. “She makes a macaroni salad that she brings to every family event, where people are like, ‘Kelly’s coming, we need the macaroni salad,’” Caitlin Morton says. Mom’s Meatloaf, meanwhile, is a nod to Scott’s mother and her meatloaf recipe, an item which the couple says they don’t see as often these days.
They’re also planning for a separate kids’ menu with seven or so items that the Mortons hope will speak to kids (and won’t force parents into ordering full-priced items off the adult menu for them). Think classics like chicken strips with french fries, but also a kid-sized cheese pizza with customizable toppings, mac and cheese, a miniature kids’ salad, and even a version of an Uncrustable filled with peanut butter and homemade strawberry jam. “We want this place to feel like the people are stepping into either our living room or into our backyard and getting an idea of some of the things that we like to make for ourselves,” Scott Morton says.
There is still a bar menu with cocktails, wine, and beer for the adults to enjoy. The cocktails lean toward classics with some twists. A dark and stormy rebranded to TTYL features the requisite rum and ginger beer, but gets a hit of blackberry along with the typical lime and mint; Sunset’s Own pairs vodka with lemon and lime, plus cucumber and basil; and the 9th Avenue margarita is a tribute to a Tommy’s margarita. The drinks are also relatively affordable: Cocktails and the trio of nonalcoholic options are all priced at $14, while glasses of wine don’t venture much past $13. The beers are a mix of local favorites such as Fort Point and Henhouse and bar staples like Stella and Budweiser, with drafts selling for $7 and bottles going for $6.
For the restaurant itself, the couple installed booths in the former Social Kitchen & Brewery space, with warm tones to make the place feel comfortable and familiar — a place that feels like it’s been there for years. “We want people who walk through here to feel important, to feel like their time is of great value to us, which it is, and to really just remind people what full-service hospitality is all about, which is from start to finish taking care of the people that are there,” Scott Morton says.
Maggie & Mac’s (1326 9th Avenue, San Francisco) debuts on Friday, June 5, and is open from noon to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
