W
hile you won’t find beaches lined with bright umbrellas along the dunes of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, you will find an entirely new surfside community awaits, one that isn’t your traditional warm-weathered fare, but a type of community — laid back, calm, kind, creative people living next to the sea — that makes you wonder why we all don’t move here.
“When Mollusk Surf Shop opened its doors in 2005, a bunch of us decided this neighborhood would be a good place to call home,” says Dave Muller, co-founder of the popular joint Outerlands that he and his wife, Lana Porcello, opened three years ago. After Mollusk, Woodshop opened, a workspace and showroom that houses talented artisans who shape everything from surfboards to chairs. Bound by a love of the sea and a shared passion for good food and beautiful design, the neighboring businesses established a new kind of surf community. “Back then, our friends and neighbors gathered in our tiny backyard for whatever we were serving up through our kitchen window,” says Lana. “These days, we retreat to the restaurant, which feels like an extension of our home and sits a few blocks up from the beach and a couple blocks from our home,” says Lana smiling. The restaurant is as homey as it is beautiful — driftwood and salvaged fence wood cover the walls, while brightly colored shawls in bas-
kets wait to be donned by the hipsters who frequent the eight-table nook. The simple menu that always includes a soup or two is anything but ordinary. The menu changes with the seasons, including delicious bites like Glazed Berkshire Pork Belly and Beet and Farro Salad. The levain bread is baked fresh daily by Dave, who learned is craft from surfing buddy and Tartine Bakery’s Chad Robertson. “For us surfing isn’t just for fun; it’s a way of life,” says Dave. The recent swells of surfside artisans who live on the foggy outskirts of San Francisco are giving us a whole new perspective on beach living. No longer is sun required, and bonfires aren’t just for show: they are a necessity. Despite the buzz, this humble Ocean Beach community continues to embrace the simple pleasures in life.
IT’S THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY THAT MAKES YOU WONDER WHY WE ALL DON’T MOVE HERE.
su m m er 2012 / way fa r e 43