Eight months after opening the Tuscan-inspired fine-dining restaurant Via Aurelia across from Oracle Park and about a year and a half after debuting Che Fico Pizzeria near Chase Center, chef David Nayfeld and business partner Matt Brewer are tripling down on their commitment to SF’s eastern waterfront. 

On Saturday, the Back Home Hospitality team will open their first standalone bar, Golden Rule, a nostalgia-fueled cocktail destination at Thrive City, the multi-use complex surrounding the home of the Golden State Warriors. Nayfeld says operating businesses in San Francisco — particularly in the fast-developing Mission Rock area — continues to be a challenge. But he and Brewer are committed for the long run. 

“I hope on my fucking grave it says, ‘The grass isn’t greener on the other side,’” Nayfeld says. “It’s greener where you water it.” 

The Warriors approached the duo with the opportunity to take the ground floor, bay-facing space near upscale steakhouse Miller & Lux and ice cream shop The Baked Bear. “It just felt very obvious that one of the missing pieces of our company was a cocktail bar,” Nayfeld says. 

Beyond the chance to fill that hole in their repertoire, the chef sees the expansion as a way to let Back Home’s bar director, Danielle Peters-Clossey, step into the spotlight. “To me, that’s the real reason — Danielle is the reason — why we’re doing this.” 

“Golden Rule” is both a direct reference to the idea of treating others the way you want to be treated and a nod to the basketball team. But Nayfeld and Peters-Clossey are adamant this is not a place solely for sports fans or the healthcare and tech workers who have helped fuel the neighborhood’s revival. Instead, they’re hoping to provide a shot of nostalgia to anyone who grew up drinking a Capri Sun after soccer practice and graduated from crushing Red Bull vodkas at the club to sipping espresso martinis after work. 

“If you were born in, like, the ’70s, ’80s, or ’90s, this bar is meant to be like a little hug for your soul,” Nayfeld says. 

For example, the MIP — “most improved player” — blends gin, bitter aperitif, musk melon, mezcal, and vermouth for a smoky, spirit-forward drink that’s finished with Hubba Bubba mist, a tincture made from actual bubble gum. On the lighter side, the Halftime Snacks channels orange-slices-on-the-sidelines energy with vodka, guava eau de vie, pomegranate honey, and lime. And because a coffee cocktail has become a requirement for every San Francisco bar menu, there’s the Bi-Coastal, which features rum, cold brew, espresso liqueur, and banana cold foam. 

For a city where salads can top $30 and a $25 glass of wine is the new normal, affordability was top of mind. “I think a lot of times, you know, you see a [bar] program, and you’re priced out of it from the get-go,” Peters-Clossey says. To keep things approachable, the menu has half a dozen miniature cocktails dubbed “The Little Treats.” The options include a mini freezer martini — gin with a splash of shio koji — and the Elevator Pitch, a combo of bourbon with a Crodino sidecar. Even easier to understand: the Bananagrams, a 50/50 blend of Fernet Branca and banana liqueur. 

“It’s kind of making fun of ourselves, because we don’t technically allow shots in our restaurants,” Nayfeld explains. “So this is, in the smallest way, poking fun at ourselves and saying, ‘Hey, here’s your shot.’”

Nayfeld and Brewer tapped their go-to designer, Jon De La Cruz, to transform the interior into a bright, welcoming space with bold pops of orange, red, and blue, inspired by the Warriors’ 1962 jerseys. The bar seats 16, with tables throughout and room for 30 on the outdoor patio. To start, the bar will be open Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m., as well as on all Chase Center event days.

Though first and foremost a cocktail bar — Nayfeld encourages anyone hungry for dinner to head upstairs to Che Fico Pizzeria — Golden Rule will have a small menu of retro-inspired flavors and snacks, including barbecue “corn nuts,” potato chips dusted in chile and lime, and pizza rolls for any latchkey kids who microwaved Totino’s after school.