Much-anticipated new Presidio Restaurant Name is Revealed

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Presidio of San Francisco (January 15, 2014 ) – The Presidio Trust today announced that it will name its much-anticipated new restaurant “The Commissary.” The restaurant is a partnership between the Trust and local chef and restaurateur Tracy Des Jardins. The Trust and Des Jardins decided on the name ​​​”Commissary” as a nod to the Presidio’s rich military history.

“Commissary is a perfect name for the Trust’s first full service restaurant,” said Craig Middleton Presidio Trust executive director. “As we welcome new visitors to the Presidio, the name honors its past.”

Des Jardins described the palate of the restaurant’s menu as; “Californian with Spanish inspiration. Influenced by the bay, its seafood and the farmers and ranchers of nearby Marin/Sonoma counties; that natural bounty will serve as the backdrop for the cuisine of the Commissary.”

​The Commissary will be housed on the first floor of a former barracks at 101 Montgomery Street. Built in 1895 and known colloquially as “infantry row,” the MontgomeryStreetBarracks are among the Presidio’s signature structures. They line the historic Main Parade Ground and once housed hundreds of soldiers en route to conflicts from the Spanish-American War and the conquest of the Philippines to Vietnam.  A company of 109 soldiers lived in each half of the duplex buildings. Fittingly, the Commissary will be located in the former barracks mess hall.

​”The restaurant design is simple, American feeling, paired down using the original details and layout of the building,” said Des Jardins. “The first room will have a private dining room to the right when you walk in, retail wine and grab and go along the wall.”

The table tops and other interior elements will be made of Douglas fir salvaged from a historic building in the Presidio that was demolished to make way for the new Presidio Parkway. A bar will serve coffee and food to go during the day, and act as a full bar in the evening. The restaurant will include an open kitchen and several large high top tables.

The Commissary will complement the Inn at the Presidio, a popular, award winning hotel opened by the Presidio Trust in 2012. Additional restaurants and visitor amenities are expected in the coming year.

The Presidio’s former commissary was closed when the Army departed the Presidio in 1998. The building that housed the commissary is now being considered as the site for a cultural institution.

About the Presidio Trust 

The Presidio Trust is a distinctive federal agency created to save the Presidio of San Francisco, a historic Army base, and transform it for a new national purpose. Since 1998, the Trust has worked to catalyze ideas, partners, and resources from all sectors to save the Presidio as a public place. In 2013, we reached a key milestone established by Congress and now care for the Presidio without annual taxpayer support. The Trust is guided by a clear vision for the future: To ensure that the Presidio will forever be a public place–vital to life in the Bay Area, valued by all Americans, and celebrated as an international destination. The Presidio Trust actively shares its knowledge, promotes leadership and service, and fosters innovative problem solving. For more information on the Presidio please visit: www.presidio.gov.