Bon Appétit Management Company

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Tucked in against the coastline of South San Francisco’s Oyster Point, Kilroy Realty Corporation’s new waterfront campus boasts 12 office buildings, thoughtfully designed workspaces, and a stunning view of the Oyster Point marina and San Francisco Bay. A centerpiece of the campus is The Anecdote, a light-filled restaurant designed to bring people together over coastally inspired food and drink.

Bon Appétit Management Company recently partnered with Kilroy to open The Anecdote at the company’s waterfront campus, the newest in a series of public restaurants operated by Bon Appétit in Oyster Point. Beyond just a place to grab a delicious meal, The Anecdote serves as a social hub for the area. It brings together employees of noteworthy tenants like Stripe and Cytokinetics for meetings, lunches, and after-work happy hours. But the space facilitates community connections, too. Many diners consist of soon-to-be (or recently disembarked) ferry passengers, runners, hikers, and bikers who pass by the campus on the San Francisco Bay Trail, as well as anglers and sailboaters who dock up at the marina.

The restaurant’s proximity to the water is reflected in both its interior design and menu. Inside, guests are treated to a bright and airy, bi-level eatery designed by award-winning firm SkB Architects. The space is open concept while still possessing many cozy nooks and crannies that facilitate smaller gatherings and intimate conversations. Art and interior touches, including a stunning plate-wall by ceramic artist Molly Hatch, add to the space’s ambiance. On the second floor, The Anecdote’s bar a gives guests a place to sip on a coastally inspired cocktail or California Pinot while taking in views across the bay.

On the menu, an alchemy of classic seasonal California cooking and globally inspired coastal cuisine takes place. Under the leadership of Executive Chef Ilya Yakubov and General Manager Alexandra Shier, this diversity of dishes remains flexible without feeling disjointed or disconnected. Breakfast favorites include a bagel with smoked Passmore Ranch rainbow trout, chia seed pudding, and humita hand pie with butternut squash, corn, cheese, and chimichurri. For lunch, signature dishes include the Anecdote panzanella, tuna niçoise, and baby kale bowl, which showcases Hass avocados, local cucumbers, and a Meyer lemon dressing. In addition to the diverse regular menu of entrees, chef Ilya plates up rotating specials, like linguine and clams and Cajun salmon tacos.

Once the restaurant got its sea legs after opening, the team expanded its offerings to include a happy hour at bar a. Under the guidance of Enrique Sanchez, who most recently worked with Traci Des Jardins and Bon Appétit to create the bar program at el Alto, bar a’s drink list is highly curated, with creative cocktails and a stellar list of local wines and beers. Highlights on the cocktail list include the Oyster Pirat cocktail with pear brandy, honey, lemon and Kolsch float, as well as the refreshing Puerto Escondido, which consists of mezcal, grilled orange, lime, and chipotle salt.

Now open, frequenters of the South San Francisco area have ample opportunity to try Oyster Point’s newest culinary pearl.

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