Greens Gets a Refresh, Reopens Today

New dining room, same view.

​Greens, the venerable vegetarian restaurant in Fort Mason, turned 30 late last year. San Francisco restaurant years are about the same as dog years, so that makes Greens . . . practically immortal. The benefits of a vegetarian diet, we suppose. After 30 years, Greens' view of the Bay is still stunning. The carpet: not so much.

So in mid-January, the restaurant shut down for a much-needed "refresh," a procedure with far more promising results than the average opera board member will ever achieve. Over the past 10 days, the workers have ripped out the old tiles in the entryway and replaced them with slate, repainted the walls taupe, installed a new counter for the Greens to Go takeout business, and other cosmetic necessities.

Today is the big reveal: Greens to Go is open at its normal time of 8 a.m. The restaurant reopens for lunch at 11:45 and dinner at 5:30. One thing that will not change is chef Annie Somerville, who has been at the restaurant for 28 years (in chef years, again, practically immortal); and since she revises the menu weekly, she doesn't plan any major revamping to either the cafe or prix-fixe meals. If you go, let me know what you thought.