CALA

Gosh, there’s been so much hype around CALA from Bauer’s rave review to celebrities like Jake Gyllenhaal showing up that my pulse was racing from anticipation. OK, it wasn’t exactly racing, but I think I did experience something of afterglow when I landed a reservation here for Jamie W. and me a month in advance. In the meantime, I was not aware that owner Gabriela Cámara was the chef whose dominance on the Mexico City food scene was featured on Rick Bayless’ PBS series, «Mexico: One Plate at a Time». Going to her seafood restaurant Contramar is still on my wish list the next time I go down there, but let me get back to CALA…
The space is inviting. What was once an auto garage is now an industrial-​chic spot with skylights and a fairly busy bar scene (photo:
). We had a table in the central row which felt a bit crowded since there was a large party right next to us, and they were taking up much of the aisle where diners would inevitably bump into my shoulder. Given the upscale nature of the restaurant, we most certainly did not get a basket of chips with a basic red salsa when we sat down but rather a serving of pickled carrots and peppers with marinated shaved onions and a spicy tomatillo-​based salsa on the side (photo:
).
It was a nice, fresh change-​of-​pace but not really substantial on its own. We ordered a couple of the $ 14 Mezcal Margaritas, which turned out to be sweetly potent with Amaras Mezcal, Citrus Cane Syrup, Lime and Orange Bitters (photo:
). It didn’t take long to get our buzz on as we had our first plate, the $ 14 Quesadilla with Greens, Nettles and Toma Cheese (photo:
). Interestingly, they looked more like crispy empanadas, a trio of them, although we had no complaints because they were quite tasty with the melted cheese oozing out as we sank our forks into them (photo:
).
Next came the $ 16 quartet of Trout Tostadas with Chipotle, Avocado and Fried Leeks, which I would have preferred with almost any other fish since I tend to react badly to too much trout (photo:
). Again, it was not an overly adventurous appetizer, but the fresh ingredients, especially the bits of avocado, were welcome. I liked the $ 15 Little Gems with Domingo Rojo Beans, especially because the lettuce spears were plentiful and nicely charred and it came with fresh flour tortillas (photo:
). Jamie was less of a fan since all he saw was lettuce and bean tacos which he felt left something to be desired. Like meat.
We both found the $ 16 Mussel Tamal with Chile Serrano and Leeks a bit contrived as the mussels were mixed into the masa making for a bit of a mess to maneuver the shells out of the leaves (photo:
). The flavors were pretty good albeit bland, but alas, the execution didn’t work for us. Our last savory dish was the $ 19 Sweet Potato with Bone Marrow Salsa Negro (photo:
). The sweet potato came grilled and whole, so it required balancing a bit of the creamy salsa with a touch of rock salt with spoonfuls of the potato on a chunk of tortilla. We confronted the same issue here: good flavors but lacking true punch and another awkward execution.
Fortunately the meal ended on a sweet note of satisfaction with the $ 9 Flan de Coco, a refreshingly light custard sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and toasted coconut shavings (photo:
). It was rather small to share much to Jamie’s chagrin since I’m the custard lover of the two of us. In hindsight, we kept wondering if one of their premium cod dishes would have gotten us more excited about our dinner, though looking at our $ 170 bill (service charge included), I guess we ordered enough. It was clear that Cámara gave considerable thought to her menu, but I wonder if our taqueria-​trained palates just weren’t ready for it.
FOOD — 3 stars… fresh ingredients marred by some awkward executions and surprisingly a lack of spices
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… a nice open space though not all tables are placed equally
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… quietly attentive if a tad automatic
TOTAL — 3 stars… perhaps another try in a few months would buoy my enthusiasm

This place seemed a bit on the pricey side but every dish we had was quite unique, unusual, and very tasty. They had mostly seafood dishes here, not much meat dishes.
The service was very good and they all seemed nothing but friendly here despite the fact that this place charges 20% tip automatically no matter if they are good or bad, (which I’m knocking a star off for).

I really wanted to love the food at CALA. My friend made a reservation and I was really excited to try, after reading some great reviews. Someone supposedly wrote this is the best Mexican Restaurant in the country? I’d love to know why they thought that.
SPACE/​AMBIANCE
The space itself was the best part of the dining experience. The inside is beautiful, a little loud, but the design is really spectacular.
DRINK
I ordered an agua fresca and was surprised that the drink came so watered down by the ice, it just tasted like water. I didn’t finish this one drink.
FOOD
We decided to share four starters, Trout Tostadas, Dumplings, Ceviche, and Quesadillas. The tastes were fine, but nothing even close to best in the country level. Also at $ 16 each, the portions were on the smaller side. Compared to some of the other Mexican restaurants around the Mission, CALAs flavors didn’t even come close.
SERVICE
The waiter said it was his first night, so it was a bit awkward. The rest of the staff was attentive and friendly, but it seems odd that tip is already included for just two people. Overall, it just didn’t feel like the quality of the staff matched the overall design /​goal for the restaurant.
SUMMARY
A cute spot for a night out in a beautiful setting, but definitely nothing special. For $ 55/​pp the food didn’t live up to my expectation. And, we didn’t even order one of the mains. I would come back for a second impression, but it won’t be my suggestion. Three stars for this Mexican restaurant. There’s definitely potential, but much work to be done.

Ugh. The worst experience I can remember. Where to begin? This allegedly hoity toity Mexican cuisine was far worse than a basic carne Carne Asada plate in the Mish. The staff seemed either stoned or didn’t seem to care at all. Speaking of stones, I bit into one as I ate our $ 28 Opah Salpićon– see picture. 20% service is included with the tab. I figure it’s like welfare for this staff who figure that means that they just don’t need to go the extra mile. I left there wondering if El Chapo decided to diversify funds by investing in a San Fran restaurant. Will NEVER return here.

a group of us came for dinner here on fri, and it was really good. my friend tried for a long time to get a reservationf or 6 of us, and she could only get an 845 pm reservation. however, when we got there, the table before us did not seem to want to leave, so we didn’t get seated til about 915. the servers felt bad and gave us drinks while we waited, and they actually served us some appetizers right when we sat down. i thought that was really nice and thoughtful.
for food, the highlight for me was the trout tostada. i could eat those all day. the sweet potato was also great, as was the whole fish for 2. i was not that into the abalone dish, b/​c there was a cream w/​it, and i don’t particularly like dairy w/​my seafood.
i would come back again if i could score a reservation.

This is my favorite new discovery in SF. Beautiful space where the architect has transformed an indoor place into a elegant indoor oasis with plenty of light, air, height and green plants.
Between the four of us, we ordered probably 20% of the menu and got a good cross section of flavors and ingredients.
The chef hails from Contramar from Mexico City which is a well known restaurant that I wanted to try when I was there. And the food at CALA is as authentic and innovative (not traditional) as the top food in Mexico City.
Everything was delicious. The desserts were exceptional (one of us ordered a second portion and we had four desserts in total even though four of us usually share one dessert). The dishes are not so sweet rather than the usual offering which serves the American palette, each dish had quite a bit air and flavor — one can’t stop eating until every bite is demolished on the plate.
Must have’s:
Trout tostada — the texture of this dish is incredibly — very buttery (not usually the texture when I think of trout and contained none of the fishiness or coldness that usually accompanies smoked salmon that comes straight from the fridge.) Fantastic flavor to bring out the best of the trout.
Tamal de cazuela with sea urchin and charred habanero-​leek relish is a must-​have. It was first described of having the to me as CALA’s version of masa (as in the tamales) and topped with sea urchin. After seeing the beautiful presentation on the next table, we decide to take a gamble on this one and it completely paid off. Whereas the masa in tamales is often too dry for me, the consistency in this dish was phenomenal — sort of reminded me of a corn polenta (comfort food style) topped with delicious sea urchin. A truly exceptional dish with quite a bit of ingenuity.
We also orders a bottle of Sicilian wine (with nerello mascalese varietal) and it lived up to the food.
The black beans/​mole side dish is also a must. Can’t wait to come back here and try the other dishes on the menu!

Cala serves an amazing brunch with enough spice to chase away any lingering Sunday morning headache!
We started with a cold glass of cava to help wake up followed by a shared round of appetizers. The black bean sopes are delicious, the sopes are hot, crispy pucks of masa topped with black beans, salsa and crema. We also shared a bowl of Manila clams in a spicy red stew. I’ll take 2^nd servings of both, please! I also ordered the pumpkin seed salad, it was tasty and helped me to believe that I’m keeping my New Years resolution of eating more healthy…
For the next course, Our table shared the carnitas torta and chicken chilaquiles. I probably wouldn’t order the chilaquiles again but the torta was amazingly delicious. A Crispy grilled baguette filled with carnitas, avocado, black bean paste and other flavorful things, then dipped into a spicy red sauce before being served. Messy, oh yeah but so delicious!
Also note that the portions here are quite large.
The dining room feels light and airy even on a cold, rainy Sunday morning. I’ll come back to check out dinner…

3.5 STARS
I find it hard to properly rate this place as it operates as a taco stand in a back alley during the weekdays at lunch and otherwise is a full service restaurant for dinner weeknights and sunday brunch.
The back alley taco stand was fantastic. My favorite taco was the chicharrones, which i spread runny egg yolk and salsa verde all over. I also totally dug the espresso horchata drink. Their horchata is silky smooth and not overly sweet, unlike some mexican places in town.
Taco Stand: 4 STARS
Onto the brunch — the restaurant itself is lovely. Exposed concrete walls, natural light spilling everywhere, and clean white color accents everywhere — whoever designed this place should win a medal. They also probably charged a pretty penny, which Cala passes along to the customer it seems. I found most items on the brunch menu to be priced much higher than what it should have cost.
The trout tostada, which was fantastic, was just way expensive at $ 16. Imagine raw trout tossed with chipotle aioli lying on 4 tostadas with some fried leeks. They forgot to put avocado on mine as well. Nice taste profile — but nothing special.
The torta, which we were really looking forward to, was especially disappointing. It was basically a toasted baguette (with some roasted pork, onions, and a dab of sour cream) sitting on top of an overly salty tomato sauce. The tomato sauce was so salty it was impossible to even eat a spoonful of it. The torta itself was nothing special, especially for $ 20. Very visually appealing though.
Brunch: 3 STARS

I was very excited to eat at Cala, since lunch at Contramar was one of the top meals I had on a food-​filled Mexico City vacation.
The presentation was wonderful and the flavors delightful, but the meal was pricey. 5 stars for the food, 4 stars for the price. Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in D.F. anymore.
* Bloody Mary — $ 12
My favorite part of a Bloody Mary is the pickled stuff on skewers, so I was happy this one came with 2 skewers of olives, peppers, and little potatoes. The chili salt rim added quite the kick to my drink.
* Bloody Maria with mezcal — $ 12
This was good for a Bloody Maria, but I prefer Bloody Marys.
* Trout tostadas — $ 16
Yum. Especially the crispy leeks. Thick slabs of trout. Not quite as good as the tuna tostadas at Contramar but still really good.
* Bonito ceviche verde — $ 22
Served with beautiful slices of radish and kolhrabi. The green sauce of cilantro and sorrel was so delicious. Bonito is not high on my list of fish to eat, but it worked in this dish. The chips were thick and tasty but not greasy.
* Huevos rancheros on sopes — $ 17
Beautiful presentation. One egg in green sauce, one egg in red sauce. We saved the sauce for the next dish.
* Molletes with Toma cheese — $ 17
Canoe-​shaped toast with melted Toma cheese and pockets of beans. Served with salsa on the side.
Gratuity of 20% on the subtotal added to all checks.
I really liked the bright open converted warehouse look with climbing vines by the door.

Cool place, trendy, high ceilings cool crowd and full bar. This is basically the Rich Table of Mexican food. Dishes are extremely derivative, and small portions.
The food could be more substantial and more recognizable or at least better labelled on the menu. The quesadilla is just a hot pocket. The tamale is actually grits. The ceviche is covered in pesto and is a rather meager portion.
Drinks are great an mixology is the standard.

I went to CALA after reading about their seafood focused menu and praises of their chef Gabriela Cámara.
Made a reservation over a week in advance and waited to be amazed.
What was amazing is the ambience, décor, welcoming atmosphere and very friendly service. I LOVE when there are good recommendations on what to order and waiters are familiar with the menu. Makes it so easy to choose!
But here is my first warning — if you don’t like spicy, you will be challenged here… So, I was… keep this in mind as you are reading this review…
From what we ordered — four things really stood out: Yellowtail Ceviche, Sangria, and another awesome tequila based cocktail (which I was not able to locate on their online menu), and cappuccinos. I think this should have been our meal, and I would come back and order that any time.
The rest of our food was less impressive… Trout Tostadas were pretty nice, I definitely enjoyed how the fish was prepared, but the sauce didn’t hit home for me. True cod mixiote with red chile adobo in collard greens was not bad — but nothing special; again too spicy for my taste.
Definitely skip:
Sopas — very plain, I’ve had better in a hole-​in-​the-​wall places in the Bay Are
Green salad with super spicy dressing
Flavourless tamal dessert — really not a great combination of flavor. May be go for Mexican wedding cookies instead?
I wish I ordered their mackerel dish — a full cooked fish that looked pretty good.

11.11.15
I was stoked to hear that my friend scored a prime time reservation at one of the hottest new restaurants in SF. Take this with a grain of salt because I had extremely high expectations and the experience fell short.
We ended up as a party of five exploring most of the menu. Nine items (some multiple) later, my palate was satisfied, and pleasantly surprised. The highlights were the sea urchin and the sweet potato. Given that it’s a tapas style place, the portions are not huge, so we doubled up on certain dishes.
The food was stellar. And I truly believe they tried really hard on the service, but just fell flat. Given the price point, and the set percentage service charge, I expected all touch points of deliveries to run smoothly. However, it took 20-​plus minutes for a round of drinks to arrive (and some came even later). And again the second time around. Just… not on par.
Don’t get me started on «math». We split the bill evenly among the five of us, then realized that they overcharged all of us. Perhaps it’s an honest mistake. Perhaps not. Regardless, it ended the experience on a sour note, especially since it took 20-​plus minutes (feels like a recurring theme) to fix the issue.
Total damage for five (after the hiccup): $ 451

I really liked the inventiveness and the fresh take on Mexican food here. The space is nice and swanky and NOT overly loud (someone restauranteur finally got that memo). The service is good, but it is still obviously working out some kinks.
Cockails:
Had a gin and tonic-​esque cocktail that was pretty good (a bit dry) and then a spicy mezcal cocktail that was great.
Food:
Sea bass ceviche: skip it. I have had better ceviches and they did not cost $ 24. If you are going to charge that much for a ceviche it better be special and this, unfortunately, was not. It wasn’t bad, but it was not inventive and not a good value
Green salad: skip it. Although it was perfectly fine, it was $ 13 and was a few pieces of lettuce with a viniagrette and some seeds thrown on there. Not inventive, not a good value.
Trout tostadas: amazing! one of the best things I have eaten all year. Smooth, almost creamy textured trout laid out on top of a chipotle sauce on top of a crispy fried tortilla and topped with crispy leeks. They are kind of hard to eat… it is best to just shove the whole thing in your mouth in one bite. This was unique and inventive.
Abalone: WOW! This is was delectable! Truly unique. Never had anything like it. It had these delicious potatoes and slices of abalone served on top of this serrano crema served in the shells. It was so delicious. I licked the shell and gave zero fucks.
Black cod for two: I only tried my friend’s, but I really liked what I ate, and would consider ordering this next time.
So, although I feel like there are some things on the menu that are not up to snuff, I believe that they will work these kinks out eventually. The creativity of the chef is apparent here, and I am eager to try more of her food.

We came here for brunch on a Sunday, and the first few things that impressed me immediately:
1. They take reservations for brunch!
2. Chef Gabriela was at the front when we walked in
3. The architecture/​interior of this place is gorgeous — exposed beams and pipes but lots of green, tons of natural light, and a slight modern touch. I absolutely loved the décor and design of the place
They hadn’t been open that long, so service wasn’t super polished, but all of the servers were really nice, gracious, and clearly trying very hard. As far as brunch drinks go, the Paloma was a great choice. Next time I’ll have to try the Maria (mezcal bloody Mary).
They started us with escabeche (pickled potatoes, carrots, onions, cauliflower). Usually, pickles are too salty or too sour, but theirs were very flavorful, and we ended up asking for more (complimentary).
Onto Food:
1. Chilaquiles: we added $ 4 for chicken thighs. The dish was very flavorful (the salsa verde was awesome), and the fried egg on top was awesome. It was my guilt about all the carbs that prevented me from eating more
2. Torta ahogada: amazing french bread sandwich drenched in a really rich and flavorful but not salty sauce with cranitas, black beans, avocado, pickled onions, and a bit of crema. The sauce underneath was super flavorful without being too salty, and I ended up saving it for the sopes (they didn’t need the sauce, but I was literally eating the sauce with a spoon…)
3. Sopes playeros con pescado: we got the ones with pescado adobado so there was super flavorful fish on top of the black beans and ricotta salata. The sopes had a good texture, and the fish really made the dish
We were very happy with the brunch. All the dishes had so much flavor without just being straight salty, which is hard to find. I usually add salt to my food (they provide some on the table), but it was not necessary at all.
For service, they automatically include gratuity (menu prices don’t include gratuity).
The combination of the setting and the very complex and refined flavors of the dishes made for an amazing brunch in a gorgeous setting. Also, it was pretty cool to see chef Gabriela there overseeing everything. Definitely get the sopes playeros (with the pescado adobado!) and the torta, and take advantage of the fact that you can make reservations for brunch!

I have been so excited to check this place out and I finally had the opportunity the other weekend. I love the restaurant is giving back to the community by hiring people who need a second chance and bringing sophisticated seafood to the scene. The whole combination is understated yet elegant with a sophisticated menu of drinks and tapas.
I came with a group of friends without a reservation so we arrived right when the restaurant opened. My only point of advice would be for the front of the house to understand table flipping better as we were initially turned away because their first reservation was almost 2 hours away but she was holding the table instead of seating us in that window of time. The general manager, Emma, did seat us after we settled at the bar and we were in fact cleared before the next reservation so it worked out overall.
Onto the food and drinks — overall a clean and yummy experience. I ordered one of their signature cocktails not on the current menu, so I am not sure what was in it besides citrus and gin. The second cocktail was a prickly pear and delicious with beautiful color.
My highlight dishes ordered were the trout tostadas and abalone. My dining companion even licked his abalone shell once the nibble was devoured. The dish was small, but sensually satisfying in texture and flavor with the Serrano cream.
I have some dishes I want to go back for, so I’m looking forward to the next trip. I think this a unique and great addition to the SF scene but it is a little pricey for the plate sizes on some options. Just know going in to expect this and there shouldn’t be any surprises.

I want to applaud Cala for its fresh take on Mexican cuisine. My big gripe was that our reservation was at 8:30pm and we weren’t seated until after 9pm. There was an apology by the hostess but nothing else — no complimentary drinks or dessert. At other similarly nice places, the service is held to a higher standard.
That said, it was very lively and packed. It’s a very cool atmosphere in a chic but casual setting.
The best dish is trout tostadas. That was mind blowing good.
The mussel tamal was really interesting and worth trying.
The sweet potato was done really well (probably their highest margin item) but with the sauce, it was really lovely and different from any other sweet potato I ever had. It comes with some sauce and tortilla. My only complaint was they weren’t great at explaining how to eat it even after I asked. I wish they were trained by the chef on how the chef intended it to be eaten.
I thought the fish sopes were really overrated and just average at best. I could have done without ordering it.

Nothing gets me more excited than when a new restaurant pops up in the Civic Center area. If you work in the area, you know the limited choices we have:
1) A $ 5 Subway sandwich next to a hobo
2) A $ 17 burger with a view of a hobo *ahem Alta CA ahem*
Thankfully, there’s now a medium: $ 3.50 tacos de guisado from Tacos Cala (a «taco stand» in the back of Cala’s restaurant in the Hickory alleyway:
…)! Tacos Cala grand opened today and will only be open Monday — Friday from 11 am — 3 pm. On the rotating menu, there will be three tacos offered daily ($ 3.50 each): one meat, one veggie, and one vegan:
. The menu wasn’t very clear but I think there’s also an option to add a soft boiled egg? Agua frescas ($ 3), horchata ($ 3), horchata iced coffee ($ 4) are also available. Suggestion to Management: Perhaps you can post your weekly taco menu on Cala’s website? Beer and wine for dine-​in only (there’s only one standing table so it’s more of a to-​go place). Cc’s accepted.
I’ve been to Cala (opened late September 2015) which I really enjoyed though it was very pricey for just apps and drinks (we spent over $ 100 for two people). I like that Tacos Cala makes it more accessible to those to get a taste of Gabriela Camara’s quality eats without burning a hole in your wallet.
The tacos are made with housemade corn tortillas and with braised and stewed («guisado») meats and veggies. I ordered one vegan taco: Rajas Poblano & Potato and two meat tacos: Chili Verde & Green Beans:
, and a horchata to wash it all down.
The corn tortillas are thinner than I remembered it at Cala’s but you can tell they’re made in-​house (didn’t taste like chewing on a rubberband). They’re soft yet sturdy; they didn’t fall apart when I ate the tacos 10 minutes later after getting back to the office. Surprisingly, I liked vegan taco over the meat one. The potatoes were silky smooth and fluffy. The pork chili verde was über tender but I got a lot more green beans than pork. Do make sure to ladle on the housemade salsas. The salsa verde is lightly creamy and vibrant while the salsa verde packs a medium punch. Two tacos were enough for lunch because they all contain rice and beans as a filling. Personally, I would have like the rice and beans on the side.
The creamy horchata helped cool down some of that spice. I liked that it wasn’t too sweet and you can taste the vanilla and cinnamon. It wasn’t filled to the top though. =(Usually at my local taqueria, I order half horchata and half agua fresca for a Mexican milkshake (so good!). I’m sure they can accommodate the same here.
Can’t wait to see what’s in store for their future taco menu – lengua for the win!
P. S. — To Unilocal,Tacos Cala is separate from Cala with a different menu, operating times, and entryway:
.

Great place! I would say its a mixture of Mexican/​Seafood place. They have tables and also have tall shared tables too. I would recommend getting reservations. I really enjoyed majority of the food that I ordered but some were okay.
Things I ordered:
— Raw Marin Miyagi oyster with celery, jalapeño and beet chamoy (the oysters were good but I was not a fan of the toppings)
— Sopes playeros with midnight black beans, crema and ricotta salata (super tasteful and very delicious. deff get this one. one of my faves)
— Trout tostada with chipotle, avocado and fried leeks
— White Sea Bass ceviche a la mexicana with avocado
— Mussel tamale with chile serrano and leeks (SOO GOOD. hands down one of the best dishes.
)
–Black cod mixiote with red chile adobo in collard greens (really good but they also give you a side of tortillas which you don’t really need.)

Cala is a new addition to the Hayes Valley spread, sitting inconspicuously on a relatively dark street. The restaurant itself is bright and airy, with a full bar and open kitchen. My boyfriend and I just came in for some drinks and appetizers and were quickly seated at the bar. The Paloma is a refreshing choice, with grapefruit and tequila. My favorite dish was the sopes with fish. The sopes itself had a great texture and the fish was perfectly cooked. The tuna tostadas were also a popular choice, almost like a sashimi on a tortilla chip. We also had the calamari, which was good but nothing spectacular. There are definitely some unique takes on Mexican cuisine here, but be prepared to shell out a good amount of money to sample the menu.

I have to assume that most of the reviews were given by people who did not grow up eating real Mexican food.
We had reservations at 10, which is when the restaurant opens, yet they did not open the doors until 10:05. The menus were being printed and the staff wasn’t up to date on all the changes.
The food was definitely overpriced for the amount and quality of it. Lackluster is the best way to describe it and I do not believe it warrants a second trip. I will not come back and certainly will not recommend it to anyone I know. Not to mention we were overcharged for a dish by $ 2 and the restaurant did not realize that until we had mentioned it. Four other tables around us had ordered the same dish and that would mean they were all overcharged.