25Forty Bistro and Bakehouse (Permanently Closed)
Nobody expected that these guys would last. An East Village–type bistro in Old Town? For starters, it’s not on San Diego Avenue, or in the Plaza, but on less-traveled Congress Street. The house is old (1917), and everything around it has that Old Town atmosphere: pink walls, red tile, cactus, yellow stucco, old wagon wheels, purple bougainvillea drooping in the drowsy heat. 25Forty, on the other hand, is all black and white, with a glass barrier protecting gray marble tables, and glinty metal chairs with black woven plastic backs sitting on a big hillside terrace. It looks way upscale. But it turns out that Mark Pellicia, the chef-owner, wants this to be a true bistro, a “small and unpretentious restaurant.” And just look at the menu: breakfasts, all $7. Lunch salads or sandwiches, $8. Snacks, like pissaladière (like a mini-pizza), all $3. Prices at night are pretty much the same, though entrées can be a bit higher. Pasta runs $13, meat dishes, $16.
Additional Info
Hours
| Sunday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Monday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Thursday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Friday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |