San Francisco: Presidio Officers' Club + Arguello restaurant (CLOSED); things to do + restaurant review

San Francisco 

Presidio Officers’ Club  

50 Moraga Blvd., (415) 561-4400.  Tu-Sun 10-6.  Free.  Public events scheduled Thur & F eves; kids’ events Sat & Sun; free. 

This storied former Victorian building that is home to the Presidio Officers' Club was converted to Spanish Colonial style in a 1934 remodel.

Moraga Hall in Officers Club at the Presidio in San Francisco, California

Once an elite gathering place for military brass and accessible only with an officer, the lovely main Moraga Hall—which was always a celebratory room--has been recently brought back to life as the site of an array of free public programs that include lectures and films.

Mesa Room in Officers Club at the Presidio in San Francisco, California

The adjacent Mesa Room, which was a billiard room in the 1930s,  now is a museum where you can see exposed adobe walls, 1930s stencil work, and hand-distressed wall beams.

military uniforms displayed at Presidio Heritage Gallery in Officers Club
at the Presidio in San Francisco, California

Upstairs, the high-ceilinged Ortega Ballroom is modernized with concrete floors and exposed ductwork and has been transformed into the Presidio Heritage Gallery museum.  It displays artifacts, photographs, and rare videos as well as some of the 60 species of bee that live in the Presidio.

Andrew Goldsworthy's "Earth Wall" in Officers Club
at the Presidio in San Francisco, California

A patio is home to the Presidio’s fourth Andrew Goldsworthy art installation, “Earth Wall.”  Installed in 2014, this piece is made of dead-found Eucalyptus logs protruding from a rammed-earth wall.  A tree line shows above the wall and gravel ground is below.  This is to be Goldsworthy’s last piece at the Presidio.  Andrew Goldsworthy's other installations at the Presidio. 

Arguello  

CLOSED  (415) 561-3650.  L-D W-Sat, SunBr; $$. 

the bar at Arguello restaurant in Officers Club at the Presidio
in San Francisco, California

Owned and operated by local celebrity chef Traci Des Jardins, the small Arguello restaurant is just off Moraga Hall--the main room of the Officer’s Club.  Bar bites and cocktail service are available there.  It is named for Luis Antonio Arguello, who was Presidio commander from 1806 to 1822 and then became the first Mexican Governor of Alta California.  Mexican cuisine is the specialty, including tacos and Tequila cocktails.  I was particularly fond of the carnitas tostada, but the meaty mushroom quesadilla and the shrimp taco were also delicious.  A simple but tasty jicama salad with orange, avocado, and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds made a good starter and some powdery wedding cookies provided a nice ending.  An outdoor courtyard with fire pit and heaters is particularly inviting in good weather.

carnitas tostadas at Arguello restaurant in Officers Club at the Presidio
in San Francisco, California

More things to do at The Presidio.
 
More things to do in San Francisco.

 
Way more things to do in San Francisco.
 
More ideas for exploring Northern California.  

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers