The jazz club scene in the Mission district of San Francisco has been less than lively since retro-modern Bruno’s Supper Club closed its doors in 2005. The tight-knit musical community that has been created there is back in town thanks to newly opened Coda Jazz Supper Club. Located in the North Mission, it perfectly re-captures the spirit of a hip restaurant/club where locals can catch a great jazz, have a delicious meal, or just get together with friends for cocktails.
It’s not a coincidence that the masterminds behind Coda — partners Chris Pastena, who is also a chef, and musicians Chris Arenas and Jeff Hanson — also ran Bruno’s back in its heyday. When Bruno's shut its doors, they felt that something really important was lost for the entire community of jazz fans and musicians alike. By opening Coda, they complete a full circle bringing that swinging energy back to the city.
Located on the corner of Mission and Duboce streets, Coda occupies an attractive, contemporary space with concrete floors, exposed brick walls and aluminum glass windows. Plush olive green curtains, mood lighting and original neo-noir avant-garde artwork by Georgianne Fastaia warm up the ambiance and create a bohemian vibe.
"We built the sound stage ourselves and worked with an acoustics engineer to create just the right sound here," says Hanson. Indeed, the studio quality sound is suitable for live-session recordings and the stage is large enough for a 12-piece band. Coda is a new home for 1956 vintage B-3 organ (truly a museum piece) which gets plenty of recognition and appreciation during Wednesday’s B-3 organ sessions. On Tuesdays, Adam Theis’s Jazz Mafia holds its weekly residency, and on other nights Coda features the best of local talent in bop, Latin, funk and hip-hop categories of jazz.
The magic of the place continues with its irresistible American Mediterranean cuisine. Innovative proteins like coffee-crusted pork loin with Jameson cream sauce ($18), miso fried cornish game hen with cole slaw ($14.50), and roasted halibut with soba noodles in a red wine sauce ($12) are offered a la carte with side dishes like sautéed broccoli rabe ($4), mixed summer squash with Japanese eggplant ($3.50) and truffled fried Kennebec potatoes ($5.25). The user-friendly menu is designed to fit large parties or complement an intimate cocktail outing.
"We wanted to take rules out of dining and without losing the formality of a sitdown dinner experience create a true a la carte menu so people can share plates and create a community within the table," explains chef Pastena.
An interesting and innovative aspect of Coda’s wine list is the selection of excellent wines ‘on tap’. Vintages like Truchard’s Carneros Chardonnay and Saintsbury’s Pinot Noir are purchased directly from wineries by the oxygen-free barrel instead of bottles, and available by the glass ($6.50-$12) or carafe ($26-$48). The wine list also offers over 20 well-selected French, Italian and California wines by the bottle, which bound to satisfy most discerning wine aficionados.
Just a little over eight weeks into its launch, Coda Jazz Supper Club has been lining up local musical heavyweights six nights a week, and is planning to open its doors on Mondays as well for some sit-in sessions. Finally, there is a place in San Francisco created for musicians and fans: classy and sophisticated yet without the high costs.
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Coda Jazz Supper Club is located at 1710 Mission Street in San Francisco. Call 415.551.CODA (2632) or visit www.codalive.com.
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