“At Cala, we are passionate about well-being as it applies to our employees, the animals and ingredients we serve, our local Bay Area community, and the guests that we have the pleasure to serve. We also offer an inclusive, caring work environment for employees with conviction histories, many of whom do not have prior restaurant work experience.”

Trout tostadas with chipotle, avocado, and fried leeks; sweet potato with bone marrow salsa negra; rockfish a la talla.

A renowned chef-restaurateur in her native Mexico City, Gabriela Cámara made her stateside debut with Cala, an airy, casually sophisticated restaurant that has transformed how the city sees Mexican food. Housed in a former garage, Cala is a haven for seafood-centric dining fans: one of its popular dishes is rockfish a la talla, a showstopper featuring a butterflied fish covered with red and green salsas. The food’s stripped-down elegance may be best personified by the blackened whole sweet potato with bone marrow salsa negra, an unassuming but ruthlessly addictive pairing. Service is warm and attentive, adding to the general feeling of good fortune and celebration that pervades the restaurant.

“It’s clear Cámara examined every element, particularly the food. And it shows. The menu at Cala blazes a new path for Mexican food – not only in the Bay Area, but in the United States.”

The San Francisco Chronicle