The Last Night of the Legendary Tosca Café

Owner Jeannette Etheredge was as occupied as she has been for the last thirty-three years, receiving customers and friends at the historic Tosca Cafè in North Beach. But tonight it was different: Sunday marked the last night of the historic landmark—at least as we know it.

This past Sunday, North Beach’s venerable Tosca Cafè opened its door for the last time since its foundation in 1920. For nearly a century, the upscale location has become a landmark, not only for the Italian neighborhood, but for the entire City of San Francisco.

As has been the case for decades, glasses of Tosca Special were aligned on the bar, encouraging the clientele to order a signature drink while enjoying the warm atmosphere, replete with history and tradition.

Throughout the night, the spotlight was continually on Jeannette Etheredge, who was chased by photographers trying to immortalize the special day. Welcoming guests while simultaneously tending her famous bar, Ms. Etheredge took a short break to receive greetings and answer a few questions from the media, including from L’Italo-Americano.

“I owned Tosca Cafè for thirty-three years,” said Etheredge. “…this place is ninety-three years old, and today I feel very good.”

When I ask what North Beach will be like after the old Tosca Café closes, she replies, “Yes it has been a big part of the neighborhood for sure, but It’s gonna be fine and it will re-open in August. You know, there is a kitchen here, that hasn’t been used for seventy years. So we’re going to open up the kitchen. That’s why we’re closing for a couple of months. But Tosca will be here again, and the sign Tosca Café, it will always be there.”

When the new management re-opens the business, customers will enjoy not just drinks, but also Italian food. “It’s going to be Italian Rustic Bar Food,” she continues. “The chef is an English Michelin star chef, and food served will represent not one region in particular, but all Italian traditions.”

When asked what, after all these years, is her best memory, her reply is what one might expect: “I have plenty of memories; I can’t really say which one is my favorite.”

As has been well publicized in the past several months, Tosca Cafè was acquired by Ken Friedman, owner of the New York based, Michelin Star restaurant Spotted Pig. Along with Chef April Bloomfield, Friedman is the owner of many other successful venues, all of which are located in New York.

“The plan is to keep it exactly the same. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” declared Friedman, before quickly adding, “We’ll fix what’s broke though.”

Beside making the necessary changes and needed repairs demanded by a historic place like Tosca Café, it is safe to say that the entire Italian-American community in North Beach hopes the decor and furniture of the venue will remain—at least somewhat—the same. In fact, together with the warmth of owner Jeannette Etheredge and her exceptional staff, it is the vintage atmosphere that has always attracted customers to the legendary landmark for nearly a century.