Lentils with roasted beets and goat cheese. Glasses of hibiscus tea passed among guests. Cherry blossoms, bowls of exotic citrus fruit and paintings to boost the ambiance. It could have been any posh restaurant opening in the Marina or Pacific Heights, but today’s ribbon cutting by Mayor Ed Lee was to celebrate Radio Africa and Kitchen’s grand opening in an unlikely spot: Third Street and Oakdale in the Bayview.

The spot was a seedy check cashing venue – and before that, a fast food chicken outlet – that was eventually torn down and rebuilt along with affordable condos through a collaboration of city agencies. Chef and owner Eskender Aseged, who was born in Ethiopia and ran pop-up restaurants here before opening his first restaurant, spoke only briefly because he had something in the oven to tend to.

He then presented Lee and Supervisor Malia Cohen with several dishes to sample including chicken jambalaya with rice and salad with preserved lemons. Asked how she liked it, Cohen raved, “Delicious! Delicious, she said, with an exclamation point!”

The restaurant officially opens Wednesday and joins Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Grocery and Limon Rotisserie in what city officials hope will be the city’s next dining mecca. (Not to be a Debbie Downer, but didn’t they say that about Sixth Street too? Granted, some casual restaurants there are making it work, but the more upscale Passion Cafe sure didn’t seeing as how its owner shut it down after getting assaulted.)

In any case, optimism reigned today. Al Norman of the Bayview Merchants Association was looking particularly spiffy and said he dreams of food lovers flocking to Third Street with all the confidence and anticipation of a night out on Union Street.

“Keep your suits pressed and all your clothes ready because we’re going to have a lot more openings like this one,” he said.