![]() "We fry our own tortilla chips, and it’s at a good price point, so people really like it." It only went on the menu three months ago, but "when we put it on the menu, it was one of those ‘duh’ moments,” said Tice. The most popular item at the moment is the pulled pork nachos, with melted pepperjack and cheddar cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, and sour cream. The Bell Tower's food is simple, with pizzas, salads, burgers, steaks, salmon, and sandwiches. One interior mural features some of Tice and some of her staff in the '90s. "The paintings weren't even necessarily his typical style, but he did what we asked for, and we are very happy with it," she said. She was broke at the time, but managed to come up with the money to pay him well and help get his career going. Twenty years ago, Tice said, Ball walked in off the street and offered his services. One of the most notable elements of the Bell Tower is its murals, painted by local artist David Ball. “They protested with the wrong group of people." The sidewalk patio. Neighbors protested with the ABC when they should have protested with the city, causing more delays. I had to borrow money just to clean it out and bring all the stuff to the dump." In the end, it took about a year of major renovations to get the Bell Tower running.Įven worse than the construction, Tice said, was the pushback from neighbors once the new tenant was announced. We had no general contractor, and I certainly didn’t have the money to hire one. When we opened, we had no idea what we were doing. “The Bell was built out of our ignorance. At the time, Tice told us, its space was a vacant building that needed a lot of work to get up to speed. The restaurant's debut came with some challenges. In June 1993, they finally got the Bell Tower up and running. He told her that he wanted to own a bar as a silent partner, and they agreed to go into business together. While bartending at Royal Oak, she met Lou Vittes, a regular who was about to retire. Before opening it in the early '90s, Tice, who moved to San Francisco from Minnesota, worked at Pat O’Sheas Mad Hatter, which is now closed, and Royal Oak, just down the street. ![]() The Bell Tower is Tice's first business venture. We met up with Tice to discuss her 23 years on Polk, how she went from newcomer to fixture at Polk and Jackson streets, and the Bell Tower's future. “Kaleidoscope” is the term that Bell Tower owner Barbi Tice uses to describe both the food and clientele at her longtime restaurant and bar at 1900 Polk Street.
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