The Corner Store, San Francisco
Tiring of the Prohibition-era style pervasive in San Francisco's bars and restaurants, the owners and design team behind recently opened The Corner Store opted to channel "something more in tune with the happy, hopeful, and welcoming vibe of a 1950s community corner store and soda shop—minus the kitsch and cliche of a typical diner," says Clinton Miller, the project's architect. Located on Masonic at Geary, right above the Geary underpass, the restaurant is a welcome addition to the neighborhood with a menu that tastes as good as the interior looks (be sure not to miss the house burger with bacon jam). "I wanted to create a light airy interior where someone could just as easily sit and enjoy the classic food with a homemade soda at lunch or a boozy milkshake after a nice long dinner," says Miller.