- Best Afghan Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best American Traditional Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Asian Fusion Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Bakery in San Francisco
- Best Barbecue Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Basque Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Brasserie in San Francisco
- Best Breakfast Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Brewpub in San Francisco
- Best Brunch in San Francisco
- Best Burgers in San Francisco
- Best Burritos in San Francisco
- Best Cafe in San Francisco
- Best Contemporary Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Dessert Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Dim Sum Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Fine Dining Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best French Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best German Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Greek Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Home-style Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Hot Dogs in San Francisco
- Best Indian Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Irish/British Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Italian Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Late-Night Dining in San Francisco
- Best Mediterranean Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Middle Eastern Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Moroccan Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Oysters in San Francisco
- Best Pizza in San Francisco
- Best Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Spanish Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Steak House in San Francisco
- Best Tapas Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Vegetarian Restaurant in San Francisco
- Best Vietnamese Restaurant in San Francisco
Sunday, February 19, 2012
LocalEats 2012 list of best San Francisco restaurants
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Gary Danko Tops Zagat for 6th Straight Year
IN THE NEWS: Zagat's just-released San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants survey has Gary Danko, the Fisherman’s Wharf new American restaurant, taking Top Food honors for the sixth straight year, also capturing the title of Most Popular restaurant; Pacific’s Edge, a Carmel standout, won for Decor; Erna’s Elderberry House in Oakhurst scored for Service; and Perbacco in downtown SF rates as Top Newcomer. zagat.com ... Tablehopper.com visits Brenda's French Soul Food (32 Polk St., 415-345-8100) and reports: the departure of Patrick Robertson as executive chef at Scala's Bistro/Drake and Noah Tucker has left Brick Restaurant. Taking over as executive chef is Alex Marsh, who was the executive chef of Solstice. ... Tablespoon on Upper Polk has morphed into small plates-centric Bar Johnny (John Jasso is the owner) at 2209 Polk St., 415-268-0140. ... Andre and Jennifer Larzul, the owners of Revolution Café, Alamo Square Seafood Grill, and Blue Jay Café, have opened Socha in the Outer Mission (3235 Mission St., 415-643-6848). ... Roosevelt's Tamale Parlor has new owners: Hector Flores, who was in the kitchen at Don Pico’s in San Bruno for eight years, and his wife, who was at Pancho Villa for close to 10. The restaurant has been closed while becoming ADA compliant, and should be open in a couple weeks—by early October. (2817 24th St. at York, 415-824-2600) ... Noted closings: Mediterranean Spirit (1303 Polk St.) and Frjtz, although a new Frjtz is slated to open by the holidays a few doors down, at 581 Hayes. And there’s the new location that recently opened in the Mission. ... The Contra Costa Times reports that Blake's at Boundary Oak, a restaurant and event facility at Walnut Creek's city-owned golf course since 1999, will be out of business by Dec. 31. contracostatimes.com ...
The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars to Northern Italian spot Farina (3560 18th St., San Francisco; 415-565-0360), while Karola Saekel gives two and a half stars in reviewing Sicilian eatery La Finestra Ristorante (100 Lafayette Circle, Suite 100, Lafayette; 650-284-5282, www.lafinestraristorante.com) and Miriam Morgan gives two stars to Venezia (1799 University Ave., Berkeley 510-849-4681, caffevenezia.com). ... The paper notes the openings of Prana (540 Howard St., San Francisco; 415-247-9911) and Bar Johnny (2209 Polk St., San Francisco; (415) 268-0140). ... Inside Scoop reports: Valentino Luchin is the new chef at Rose Pistola, while Patrick Robertson has left Scala's Bistro (432 Powell St.) sfgate.com ... East Bay Express's John Birdsall reviews Sura Korean Cuisine (4869 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 510-685-8670). eastbayexpress.com ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Ducca (50 Third Street, 977-0271, www.duccasf.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Destino (1815 Market, SF, 415-552-4451, www.destinosf.com). sfbg.com
Food Network's new show "The Next Iron Chef" kicks off at 9 pm EST/PDT Sunday, Oct. 7 as eight chefs compete from across the country compete to join the ranks of legendary Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, and Mario Batali. The eight competitors: Aaron Sanchez, chef-owner, Paladar and Centrico, New York; Mourou Outtara, chef/owner, FarrahOlivia by Morou, Alexandria, Va.; John Besh, chef/owner Restaurant August, Luke, The Besh Steakhouse at Harrahs, New Orleans; and La Provence, Lacombe, La.), Traci Des Jardins, chef and co-owner Jardiniere; chef/owner, Mijita; managing chef, ACME Chophouse, San Francisco); Chris Cosentino, chef, Incanto and co-owner, Bocccalone Artisanal Meats, San Francisco); Jill Davie, chef de cuisine, Josie Restaurant, Los Angeles; Michael Symon, chef-owner, Lola and Lolita, Cleveland; and Gavin Kaysen, chef de cuisine, El Bizcocho, San Diego. foodnetwork.com ...
The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars to Northern Italian spot Farina (3560 18th St., San Francisco; 415-565-0360), while Karola Saekel gives two and a half stars in reviewing Sicilian eatery La Finestra Ristorante (100 Lafayette Circle, Suite 100, Lafayette; 650-284-5282, www.lafinestraristorante.com) and Miriam Morgan gives two stars to Venezia (1799 University Ave., Berkeley 510-849-4681, caffevenezia.com). ... The paper notes the openings of Prana (540 Howard St., San Francisco; 415-247-9911) and Bar Johnny (2209 Polk St., San Francisco; (415) 268-0140). ... Inside Scoop reports: Valentino Luchin is the new chef at Rose Pistola, while Patrick Robertson has left Scala's Bistro (432 Powell St.) sfgate.com ... East Bay Express's John Birdsall reviews Sura Korean Cuisine (4869 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 510-685-8670). eastbayexpress.com ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Ducca (50 Third Street, 977-0271, www.duccasf.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Destino (1815 Market, SF, 415-552-4451, www.destinosf.com). sfbg.com
Food Network's new show "The Next Iron Chef" kicks off at 9 pm EST/PDT Sunday, Oct. 7 as eight chefs compete from across the country compete to join the ranks of legendary Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, and Mario Batali. The eight competitors: Aaron Sanchez, chef-owner, Paladar and Centrico, New York; Mourou Outtara, chef/owner, FarrahOlivia by Morou, Alexandria, Va.; John Besh, chef/owner Restaurant August, Luke, The Besh Steakhouse at Harrahs, New Orleans; and La Provence, Lacombe, La.), Traci Des Jardins, chef and co-owner Jardiniere; chef/owner, Mijita; managing chef, ACME Chophouse, San Francisco); Chris Cosentino, chef, Incanto and co-owner, Bocccalone Artisanal Meats, San Francisco); Jill Davie, chef de cuisine, Josie Restaurant, Los Angeles; Michael Symon, chef-owner, Lola and Lolita, Cleveland; and Gavin Kaysen, chef de cuisine, El Bizcocho, San Diego. foodnetwork.com ...
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wharf Fixture A. Sabella's To Close Nov. 4
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's Bargain Bites section appears, while Mandy Erickson gives two stars to Thai eatery Citrus & Spice (1444 Fourth St., San Rafael), and Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars in reviewing Bacar (448 Brannan St., San Francisco; 415-904-4100). ... The Inside Scoop reports: A. Sabella's, a Fisherman's Wharf presence since 1940, plans to close on Nov. 4. ... Aqua executive chef Laurent Manrique will take over the kitchen at the recently sold Fifth Floor (12 Fourth St., in the Palomar Hotel). ... Mexican food expert Rick Bayless, chef-owner of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, will open his first restaurant outside of the Windy City at Macy's Union Square in November with Frontera Fresco, a modified quick-service spot serving Mexican street food. sfgate.com ... Tablehopper.com reports: Chef Michelle Mah is leaving Kimpton’s Ponzu and has a project in the works with Joie De Vivre Hospitality, while Nick Flores is the new chef at Myth (470 Pacific Ave., 415-677-8986) and Tyson Greenwood takes over at Plumpjack Cafe (3127 Fillmore St., 415-563-4755). ... Upcoming openings include Sens (Four Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level, 415-362-0645, Oct. 1), Gustofino Fine Foods (248 Church St., Oct. 8), and Boulange de Hayes (500 Hayes St., 415-863-3376, mid-October). ... After 25 years, Max’s Classic Opera Café has reopened as Max's at the Opera (601 Van Ness Ave., 415 -771-7300). ...SF Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Mexico DF (139 Steuart, 808-1048, www.mex-df.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Parea Wine Bar and Cafe (795 Valencia, SF, 415-255-2102, www.pareawinebar.com), while L.E. Leone picks the best of the Bay's thrifty dishes. sfbg.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Zza Trattoria (550 Grand Ave., Oakland, 510-839-9124, ZzasWineBar.com). eastbayexpress.com ... Menu Pages notes the opening of Frisee (2367 Market St). blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco. ... The San Jose Mercury News' Aleta Watson gives three and a half stars to Myth. mercurynews.com ...
Zagat Buzz reports that to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the James Beard Foundation is hosting a series of food festivals and special dinners in 20 cities nationwide. The events kick off on September 18th in New York with a lavish menu inspired by Beard at Four Seasons. The celebrations continue the next week with elaborate dinners cooked by first-rate toques in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Short Hills, NJ and Washington, DC. All of the events are unique, with different chef lineups and dining formats ranging from gala dinners to walk-around tastings, so check the individual city pages for details. Though prices for the dinners vary, all of them will be followed up on September 29th with special events at local Williams-Sonoma stores where chefs will be offering cooking demos, book signings, specialty food tastings and kids' educational activities free of charge. For more information about the event, logon to www.jbftasteamerica.com. zagat.com
Zagat Buzz reports that to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the James Beard Foundation is hosting a series of food festivals and special dinners in 20 cities nationwide. The events kick off on September 18th in New York with a lavish menu inspired by Beard at Four Seasons. The celebrations continue the next week with elaborate dinners cooked by first-rate toques in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Short Hills, NJ and Washington, DC. All of the events are unique, with different chef lineups and dining formats ranging from gala dinners to walk-around tastings, so check the individual city pages for details. Though prices for the dinners vary, all of them will be followed up on September 29th with special events at local Williams-Sonoma stores where chefs will be offering cooking demos, book signings, specialty food tastings and kids' educational activities free of charge. For more information about the event, logon to www.jbftasteamerica.com. zagat.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Sutra, Bullshead Restaurants Shutter Doors
IN THE NEWS: Menu Pages notes the closings of Sutra, on The Embarcadero, and Bullshead in the Castro, and the opening of Tinderbox Restaurant (803 Cortland Ave., San Francisco, 415.285.8269, tinderboxrestaurant.com). blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco ...The Chronicle's Amanda Gold gives two stars to Goood Frikin' Chicken (10 29th St., San Francisco; 415-970-2428, gfcsf.com), while Michael Bauer doles out one and a half stars to Pleasant Hill's Left Bank (60-A Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill; 925-288-1222, www.leftbank.com) and three stars to Nick's Cove (23240 Highway 1, Marshall; 415-663-1033. sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall compares Chinatown's Saint Anna Coffee Shop (326 Eighth St., Oakland, 510-893-1238) and D&A Cafe (337 Eighth St., Oakland. 510-839-6223). eastbayexpress.com ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Farina Focaccia & Cucina Italiana (3560 18th St., 565-0360, www.farinafoods.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay-Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Parea Wine Bar and Cafe (2032 Union, SF, 415-931-5006, www.palmetto-sf.com), while L.E. Leone considers Pebbles Cafe (2852 Diamond St. S.F., 415-333-2270). sfbg.com ... Tablehopper.com spotlights Ironwood BBQ (Golden Gate Park Golf Course, 47th St., San Francisco, 415-751-8987). ... East Bay Business Times notes the aggressive Bay Area expansion plans for Minnesota-based chain HomeTown Buffet, which plans to add more than a 13 new locations throughout the region over the next five to 10 years.
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Peet's Coffee Founder Alfred Peet Dies
IN THE NEWS: The Oregonian reports that Alfred Peet, founder of Peet's Coffee & Tea, died Aug. 29 at his Ashland, Ore. home at age 87. Peet opened the original Peet's store on the corner of Walnut and Vine in Berkeley, Calif. in 1966, and eventually added shops in Menlo Park, in Oakland and another in Berkeley across from the Claremont Hotel. Although he retired in 1983, Peet never fully gave up his passion in coffee. He continued to consult with coffee companies and was often known to drop by coffee stores and taste samples of coffee beans with its proprietors, his company said in a statement. oregonlive.com ... Tablehopper.com notes the mid-September opening of Frisee (2367 Market Street at 17th, 415-558-1616) in the former Malacca space. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards three stars in reviewing Ducca (50 Third St., in the Westin San Francisco Market Street hotel, San Francisco, 415-977-0271, www.duccasf.com), while Tara Duggan gives two and a half stars in reviewing the Yucatan eatery Popol Vuh (2886 16th St., San Francisco; 415-558-1583), while Miriam Morgan awards two and a half stars in reviewing Ristorante Capellini (310 Baldwin Ave., San Mateo; 650-348-2296). ... The Inside Scoop column notes the late-September opening of Sens, a new restaurant specializing in Southern Mediterranean cuisine, in the space of San Francisco's Monte Cristo Cafe (4 Embarcadero Center). chron.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews the restaurant at Wente Vineyards (5050 Arroyo Rd., Livermore. 925-456-2400. WenteVineyards.com). eastbayexpress.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Elisa's Cafe (4901 Mission, SF, 415-333-3177) and L's Caffe (2871 24th St., SF, 415-206-0274, www.lscaffe.net). sfbg.com ... San Francisco magazine's September 2007 issue reviews Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., S.F., 415-701-8466). sanfran.com ... 7x7 San Francisco magazine features Thai Time (315 Eighth Ave., 415-831-3663) and Ducca. 7x7sf.com ... Bay Area Bites visits Spruce (3640 Sacramento Street, 415-931-5100, San Francisco). kqed.org/weblog/food
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Waterfront Project Lands Peruvian Eatery
IN THE NEWS: San Francisco Waterfront Partners has snagged its first major restaurant tenant for the Piers, the boutique redevelopment just north of the Ferry Building, the San Francisco Business Times reports. La Mar Cebichería Peruana, a Lima, Peru-based restaurant with operations in Mexico City will open its first U.S. venture at Pier 1½. Scheduled to open in spring of 2008, the restaurant is styled after the classic Peruvian cebicherías, specializing in seafood with Andean, Asian and Spanish influences. sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com ... Tablehopper.com reviews Laïola (2031 Chestnut St., San Francisco, 415-346-5641), notes the recent openings of Custom Burger/Lounge (121 Seventh St., 415-252-2633) and Pete's Tavern (128 King St., 415-817-5040), along with the Aug. 31 opening of Tinderbox Restaurant (803 Cortland Ave., 415-285-8269), and the expected November opening of The Monk's Table (3141 16th St.). ... The newsletter also reports that Greg Bronstein has sold Luna in the Castro (558 Castro St., 415-621-2566) to new owners: Ruben Marty, who has a background in hospitality, and Victor Garcia, who plan to renovate. ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews the ice cream stand Nieves Cinco de Mayo (3340 E. 12th St. #2, in the Fruitvale Public Market, Oakland. 510-533-6296). eastbayexpress.com ... The Chronicle's Karola Saekel gives two and a half stars in reviewing Post Meridian @ the Kensington Bistro (1568 Oak View Ave., Kensington; 510-525-1350), while critic Michael Bauer awards two stars to Mexico DF (1395 Steuart St., San Francisco; 415-808-1048) and Pearl Oyster Bar (5634 College Ave., Oakland; 510-654-5426.). ... The Chron's The Inside Scoop notes: the scheduled October opening of Coffee Bar in the former Axis Cafe space (1890 Bryant St.) ... Buca di Beppo's San Francisco restaurant (855 Howard St., near Fifth Street) will close in mid-September for six to eight weeks for repairs and renovations. ... Max's Opera Cafe (601 Van Ness Ave.) will reopen Sept. 1 with a new name (Max's at the Opera), fresh look and updated menu. sfgate.com ... The Bay-Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Sudachi (1217 Sutter, SF, 415-931-6951, www.sudachisushi.com). sfbg.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Helmand To Relocate in Yaya Cuisine Spot
IN THE NEWS: Tablehopper.com details the openings of Sushi Groove in Mint Plaza (54 Mint St.), Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant (330 First St.), and the Aug. 20 reopening of Roe (651 Howard St.), and also reports, "It looks like the Helmand will not be reopening in its current North Beach home at 2424 Van Ness Ave. To recap, it closed in the landslide, and due to some insurance mucky muck and having to finance the repairs themselves, Helmand will instead be moving into Yaya Cuisine’s space on Van Ness in Russian Hill. Yaya plans to close in mid-September or so, and the owner, Yahya Salih, is currently looking for a new space." ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer gives two and a half stars to Spork (1058 Valencia St., San Francisco; sporksf.com) and Brick (1085 Sutter St., San Francisco), while Carol Ness awards two stars to Angel Fish (883 C-2 Island Drive). ... Tara Duggin notes the opening of market and deli Avedano (235 Cortland Ave.) and Capay Valley Farm Shop, (1661 E. Monte Vista Ave. #104, Vacaville). ... The paper's Inside Scoop column notes: the planned spring opening of La Mar Cebichería Peruana, the first U.S. restaurant from Peruvian star chef Gaston Acurio, into spacious seaside digs in the newly renovated Pier 11/2 in the Embarcadero. ... A new chef is on the horizon for Campton Place (340 Stockton St.) to replace Peter Rudolph. sfgate.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Hime (2353 Lombard). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Jang Soo BBQ (6314 Geary, SF), while L.E. Leone considers Tortas El Primo (3242 22nd St., SF). sfbg.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Monday, August 13, 2007
Burger Finals Include Taylor's Automatic
Bon Appetit magazine's September 2007 Restaurant issue features three finalists in a list of quintessential versions of six American classics: pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ribs. Winner will be announced on the Food Network on Aug. 18 (Good Eats with Alton Brown, 6 and 10 pm CDT). The finalists:
PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix; DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY; Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
STEAK: Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn; Cut, Los Angeles; Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, Miss.
TACOS: Taco Taco Cafe, San Antonio; Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; South Beach Bar & Grill, Ocean Beach, Calif.
Hamburgers: Bobcate Bite, Santa Fe, NM; Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, Calif (Napa Valley); The Meers Store and Restaurant, Lawton, Okla.
FRIED CHICKEN: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans; Price's Chicken Coop, Charlotte, NC; Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
RIBS: Charles Vergos Rendezvous, Memphis; 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Ill; Jaspers, Plano, Texas.
The magazine also features favorite restaurant recipes, including: Lucia's in Minneapolis-St. Paul; Eve in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar in Somerville, Mass.; Binkley's Restaurant in Cave Creek, Ariz.; Kelly Liken Restaurant in Vail, Colo; Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles; and Park Kitchen in Portland, Ore. ... And the mag also features 12 small restaurants and their recipes, including: The Little owl, New York City; The Good Fork, Brooklyn; La Laiterie at Farmstead, Providence, RI; Cremant, Seattle; Bonne Soiree, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Hatfield's, Los Angeles; Canteen, San Francisco; Revolver, Findlay, Ohio; Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore; and Komi, Washington, DC. epicurious.com/bonappetit
El Toro Gets 1st Remodeling in 25 Years
IN THE NEWS: Tablehopper.com stops by the new Spruce (3640 Sacramento St. at Spruce) and also reports construction has begun at SPQR, the latest A16 project moving into the former Chez Nous space, with a hoped-for opening of the last week of September. ... Also from Tablehopper, noted openings: Bossa Nova (139 8th St.), Breezy's (409 Gough St.). ... El Toro (598 Valencia St.) is closed for a remodel after 25 years. ... Asian fusion fans in Berkeley familiar with Unicorn, there is now going to be a San Francisco location opening any day now in the Financial District at 191 Pine St. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer award two and a half stars in reviewing Absinthe (398 Hayes St., San Francisco; www.absinthe.com) and Harvest Moon Cafe (487 First St. West, Sonoma; www. harvestmoonsonoma.com), while Mandy Erickson gives two and a half stars to Zitune (325 Main St., Los Altos; www.zitune.com), Tara Duggin gives two stars to Doce Lunas Restaurant & Antiques (8910 Sonoma Hwy. in Kenwood Village Center, Kenwood; www.docelunasrestaurant.com), and Olivia Wu considers Chez Shea (408 Main St., Half Moon Bay; www.chez-shea.com). ... The Inside Scoop reports: Jerry Shaffer, who had sold his Foothill Cafe to Mari Jennings last year, is back at the helm of the Napa favorite, rechristened Foothill Grille. Jennings took over the cafe at 2766 Old Sonoma Road in May 2006, but couldn't make a go of it and closed it in February. ... Lewis Rossman, who left his position as executive chef of Cetrella in Half Moon Bay in May, has returned to the San Mateo Country coast as chef and partner, with Paul Shenkman, of Sam's Chowder House (4210 N. Hwy. 1). ... Bistro Zare (5091 Solano Ave.) in Napa has closed. Chef and owner Hoss Zare says he needs time to deal with his parents' deaths. ... The reopening of Mecca (2029 Market, near Church), closed by fire since June 3, is now set for late September or early October, according to partner Stephen Weber. Best-O-Burger, the Mecca group's mini-burger spot in the Financial District (493 Pine St., at Belden Place), is scheduled to open about the same time. sfgate.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Spork (1028 Valencia, www.sporksf.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Mission Beach Cafe (198 Guerrero, SF, www.missionbeachcafesf.com). sfbg.com ... Bay Area Bites visits the Old Clam House, and Laiola (2031 Chestnut Street, San Francisco). kqed.org/weblog/food ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Metro Lafayette (3524 Mount Diablo Blvd., in the Plaza Center mall, Lafayette, metrolafayette.com). eastbayexpress.com. ... The New York Times' Sunday travel section features San Francisco's NOPA district and mentions restaurants Nopa (560 Divisadero St, nopasf.com), Little Star Pizza (846 Divisadero Street, littlestarpizza.com), Fly Bar (762 Divisadero), and Lilly's Bar B Que (705 Divisadero Street). nytimes.com
PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix; DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY; Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
STEAK: Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn; Cut, Los Angeles; Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, Miss.
TACOS: Taco Taco Cafe, San Antonio; Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; South Beach Bar & Grill, Ocean Beach, Calif.
Hamburgers: Bobcate Bite, Santa Fe, NM; Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, Calif (Napa Valley); The Meers Store and Restaurant, Lawton, Okla.
FRIED CHICKEN: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans; Price's Chicken Coop, Charlotte, NC; Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
RIBS: Charles Vergos Rendezvous, Memphis; 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Ill; Jaspers, Plano, Texas.
The magazine also features favorite restaurant recipes, including: Lucia's in Minneapolis-St. Paul; Eve in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar in Somerville, Mass.; Binkley's Restaurant in Cave Creek, Ariz.; Kelly Liken Restaurant in Vail, Colo; Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles; and Park Kitchen in Portland, Ore. ... And the mag also features 12 small restaurants and their recipes, including: The Little owl, New York City; The Good Fork, Brooklyn; La Laiterie at Farmstead, Providence, RI; Cremant, Seattle; Bonne Soiree, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Hatfield's, Los Angeles; Canteen, San Francisco; Revolver, Findlay, Ohio; Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore; and Komi, Washington, DC. epicurious.com/bonappetit
El Toro Gets 1st Remodeling in 25 Years
IN THE NEWS: Tablehopper.com stops by the new Spruce (3640 Sacramento St. at Spruce) and also reports construction has begun at SPQR, the latest A16 project moving into the former Chez Nous space, with a hoped-for opening of the last week of September. ... Also from Tablehopper, noted openings: Bossa Nova (139 8th St.), Breezy's (409 Gough St.). ... El Toro (598 Valencia St.) is closed for a remodel after 25 years. ... Asian fusion fans in Berkeley familiar with Unicorn, there is now going to be a San Francisco location opening any day now in the Financial District at 191 Pine St. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer award two and a half stars in reviewing Absinthe (398 Hayes St., San Francisco; www.absinthe.com) and Harvest Moon Cafe (487 First St. West, Sonoma; www. harvestmoonsonoma.com), while Mandy Erickson gives two and a half stars to Zitune (325 Main St., Los Altos; www.zitune.com), Tara Duggin gives two stars to Doce Lunas Restaurant & Antiques (8910 Sonoma Hwy. in Kenwood Village Center, Kenwood; www.docelunasrestaurant.com), and Olivia Wu considers Chez Shea (408 Main St., Half Moon Bay; www.chez-shea.com). ... The Inside Scoop reports: Jerry Shaffer, who had sold his Foothill Cafe to Mari Jennings last year, is back at the helm of the Napa favorite, rechristened Foothill Grille. Jennings took over the cafe at 2766 Old Sonoma Road in May 2006, but couldn't make a go of it and closed it in February. ... Lewis Rossman, who left his position as executive chef of Cetrella in Half Moon Bay in May, has returned to the San Mateo Country coast as chef and partner, with Paul Shenkman, of Sam's Chowder House (4210 N. Hwy. 1). ... Bistro Zare (5091 Solano Ave.) in Napa has closed. Chef and owner Hoss Zare says he needs time to deal with his parents' deaths. ... The reopening of Mecca (2029 Market, near Church), closed by fire since June 3, is now set for late September or early October, according to partner Stephen Weber. Best-O-Burger, the Mecca group's mini-burger spot in the Financial District (493 Pine St., at Belden Place), is scheduled to open about the same time. sfgate.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Spork (1028 Valencia, www.sporksf.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Mission Beach Cafe (198 Guerrero, SF, www.missionbeachcafesf.com). sfbg.com ... Bay Area Bites visits the Old Clam House, and Laiola (2031 Chestnut Street, San Francisco). kqed.org/weblog/food ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Metro Lafayette (3524 Mount Diablo Blvd., in the Plaza Center mall, Lafayette, metrolafayette.com). eastbayexpress.com. ... The New York Times' Sunday travel section features San Francisco's NOPA district and mentions restaurants Nopa (560 Divisadero St, nopasf.com), Little Star Pizza (846 Divisadero Street, littlestarpizza.com), Fly Bar (762 Divisadero), and Lilly's Bar B Que (705 Divisadero Street). nytimes.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Nopa, Gary Danko Top Dining Awards
IN THE NEWS: Nopa (560 Divisadero, SF, www.nopasf.com) has been named Best New Restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay readers awards as well as the San Francisco magazine dining awards, with Gary Danko named best overall restaurant by San Francisco magazine readers. sanfran.com, sfbg.com ... The magazine's Jan Newberry reports, "Opening a restaurant in San Francisco is becoming prohibitively expensive, and it’s tougher than ever for untested talent to strike out on its own. Even well-established chefs are beginning to question their future here. A widening rift between city hall and the local restaurant community has pitted two of San Francisco’s most cherished institutions—its culinary soul and its social conscience—against each other, and more and more restaurateurs are feeling like they’re losing the battle. “We’ve been hit by a trifecta,” says Kevin Westlye, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, a trade group that represents the industry. He’s referring to a trio of initiatives put forth by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and endorsed by voters over the past three years: a minimum wage hike that went into effect in 2004, the mandatory paid sick leave bill approved on the ballot in the 2006 election, and the widely praised San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance endorsed by Mayor Newsom and passed unanimously by the supervisors a year ago." ...
The Bay Guardian's L.E. Leone reviews Willie Bird's Restaurant (1150 Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa), while Paul Reidinger considers Farina Focaccia and Cucina Italiana (3560 18th St., SF, www.farinafoods.com). ... Tablehopper.com reviews Cafe Majestic (1500 Sutter St, SF) and features the opening of Temple (540 Howard St., SF) and Spruce (3640 Sacramento St., SF) and notes, "The wickedly talented pastry chef William Werner, who left the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay earlier this year to join the Bacchus Management Group (who oversees Spruce, The Village Pub in Woodside, and four Pizza Antica locations), will be opening Spruce but will soon be heading off elsewhere TBD" ... Kendra Baker, who has been the pastry chef at Bar Tartine since it opened in 2005, was to begin Aug. 3 in her new position at David Kinch's Manresa. ... Jariniere (300 Grove St., SF), is closing Aug. 19 and will reopen to the public on Sept. 13, after celebrating its 10th anniversary in business on the 12th. The main changes include converting part of the downstairs dining room (to the left of the bar as you walk in) into a lounge area, with low tables and new banquette seating. Jardinière will also unveil its new lounge menu. ... Citizen Cake (399 Grove St, SF) is closing on Aug. 13 to expand the dining room and bar area. The hoped-for reopening is slated for Sept. 1. ... Cafe Abir (1300 Fulton St, SF) should be reopening by Aug. 14 or so. New additions will include a wine and sake selection for tasting, and retail purchase. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars to Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., San Francisco; www.barbambino.com) as well as Chapeau (1408 Clement St., San Francisco) and blogs about another memorable meal at The French Laundry, while Jennifer Tomaro gives two stars to Smokin Oakie's BBQ Joint (1941 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill) ... The paper's Inside Scoop column reports that after months of keeping mum on the future of the Fifth Floor (12 Fourth St.), the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group says the top-flight San Francisco restaurant and the Hotel Palomar, in which it's housed, are for sale. Spokeswoman Jamie Law says despite a sale Kimpton will continue managing the restaurant, although details of that arrangement are unclear. Fifth Floor executive chef Melissa Perello left earlier this year, and Kimpton is still searching for a new executive chef. ... Scoop also reports that Zax Tavern (2826 Telegraph Ave.) in Berkeley, will close at the end of the month. Maritime East Restaurant is moving into the space and is scheduled to open the third week of September. Vadim Vozmitsel, partner in the venture with Mark Mitcheltree, says the new seafood spot will be much like Mitcheltree's Cafe Maritime in San Francisco (2417 Lombard St.), and more casual than Zax. ... Scoop also notes that in April, Roe Restaurant & Lounge (651 Howard) in San Francisco underwent a renovation that was supposed to last just a couple weeks, but now, four months later, the finishing touches are just being put into place. Although the upstairs lounge has been open on Saturdays since the remodel began, the restaurant itself, sporting a sleeker monochromatic look, won't reopen until the middle of August. The restaurant has rehired its 29-year-old former chef Alvin San, who has just returned from three months in the kitchen at El Bulli in Spain. San plans to change the focus from Southeast Asian with a Japanese accent to California cuisine with Asian influences. ... More Scoopage: Sam's Deli (1261 Linda Mar Shopping Center), a Pacifica institution, has lost its lease, with some residents suspecting the space will go to a big-box store. Owners Randa and Nabil Khoury took over the cafe about 14 years ago. sfgate.com ...
USA Today rounds up tiki bars, including: Portland's Alibi Lounge, River Grove (Ill.)'s Hala Kahiki, Los Angeles' Tiki-Ti, San Francisco's Tonga Room, Atlanta's Trader Vic's, Saugus (Mass.)'s Kowloon, Fort Lauderdale's Mai-Kai, and Smyrna (Tenn.)'s Omni Hut. usatoday.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Levende East (827 Washington St., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Robert Lauriston reviews the new sushi joint Sebo (517 Hayes). sfweekly.com ... 7X7SF magazine profiles Tyler Florence, Food Network star and new resident of Mill Valley, in its August 2007 Food and Drink issue. ... The mag blogs about visits to Sudachi (1217 Sutter St., SF), and Paladar (329 Kearny St.) 7x7sf.com ... Menu Pages notes the opening of 311 Division's Metro Kathmandu. blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco
The Bay Guardian's L.E. Leone reviews Willie Bird's Restaurant (1150 Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa), while Paul Reidinger considers Farina Focaccia and Cucina Italiana (3560 18th St., SF, www.farinafoods.com). ... Tablehopper.com reviews Cafe Majestic (1500 Sutter St, SF) and features the opening of Temple (540 Howard St., SF) and Spruce (3640 Sacramento St., SF) and notes, "The wickedly talented pastry chef William Werner, who left the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay earlier this year to join the Bacchus Management Group (who oversees Spruce, The Village Pub in Woodside, and four Pizza Antica locations), will be opening Spruce but will soon be heading off elsewhere TBD" ... Kendra Baker, who has been the pastry chef at Bar Tartine since it opened in 2005, was to begin Aug. 3 in her new position at David Kinch's Manresa. ... Jariniere (300 Grove St., SF), is closing Aug. 19 and will reopen to the public on Sept. 13, after celebrating its 10th anniversary in business on the 12th. The main changes include converting part of the downstairs dining room (to the left of the bar as you walk in) into a lounge area, with low tables and new banquette seating. Jardinière will also unveil its new lounge menu. ... Citizen Cake (399 Grove St, SF) is closing on Aug. 13 to expand the dining room and bar area. The hoped-for reopening is slated for Sept. 1. ... Cafe Abir (1300 Fulton St, SF) should be reopening by Aug. 14 or so. New additions will include a wine and sake selection for tasting, and retail purchase. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars to Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., San Francisco; www.barbambino.com) as well as Chapeau (1408 Clement St., San Francisco) and blogs about another memorable meal at The French Laundry, while Jennifer Tomaro gives two stars to Smokin Oakie's BBQ Joint (1941 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill) ... The paper's Inside Scoop column reports that after months of keeping mum on the future of the Fifth Floor (12 Fourth St.), the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group says the top-flight San Francisco restaurant and the Hotel Palomar, in which it's housed, are for sale. Spokeswoman Jamie Law says despite a sale Kimpton will continue managing the restaurant, although details of that arrangement are unclear. Fifth Floor executive chef Melissa Perello left earlier this year, and Kimpton is still searching for a new executive chef. ... Scoop also reports that Zax Tavern (2826 Telegraph Ave.) in Berkeley, will close at the end of the month. Maritime East Restaurant is moving into the space and is scheduled to open the third week of September. Vadim Vozmitsel, partner in the venture with Mark Mitcheltree, says the new seafood spot will be much like Mitcheltree's Cafe Maritime in San Francisco (2417 Lombard St.), and more casual than Zax. ... Scoop also notes that in April, Roe Restaurant & Lounge (651 Howard) in San Francisco underwent a renovation that was supposed to last just a couple weeks, but now, four months later, the finishing touches are just being put into place. Although the upstairs lounge has been open on Saturdays since the remodel began, the restaurant itself, sporting a sleeker monochromatic look, won't reopen until the middle of August. The restaurant has rehired its 29-year-old former chef Alvin San, who has just returned from three months in the kitchen at El Bulli in Spain. San plans to change the focus from Southeast Asian with a Japanese accent to California cuisine with Asian influences. ... More Scoopage: Sam's Deli (1261 Linda Mar Shopping Center), a Pacifica institution, has lost its lease, with some residents suspecting the space will go to a big-box store. Owners Randa and Nabil Khoury took over the cafe about 14 years ago. sfgate.com ...
USA Today rounds up tiki bars, including: Portland's Alibi Lounge, River Grove (Ill.)'s Hala Kahiki, Los Angeles' Tiki-Ti, San Francisco's Tonga Room, Atlanta's Trader Vic's, Saugus (Mass.)'s Kowloon, Fort Lauderdale's Mai-Kai, and Smyrna (Tenn.)'s Omni Hut. usatoday.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Levende East (827 Washington St., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Robert Lauriston reviews the new sushi joint Sebo (517 Hayes). sfweekly.com ... 7X7SF magazine profiles Tyler Florence, Food Network star and new resident of Mill Valley, in its August 2007 Food and Drink issue. ... The mag blogs about visits to Sudachi (1217 Sutter St., SF), and Paladar (329 Kearny St.) 7x7sf.com ... Menu Pages notes the opening of 311 Division's Metro Kathmandu. blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Mag Lauds Local 'Eco-Conscious Chefs'
IN THE NEWS: Grist magazine's list of the world's top 15 eco-conscious chefs includes: Alice Waters, Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Calif; Dan Barber, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, N.Y.; Chris Cosentino, Incanto, San Francisco; Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Ted Walter, Passion Fish, Pacific Grove, Calif.; David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, Calif; and Peter Hoffman, Savoy, New York, N.Y. Runners-up include Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Ala; and Christine Kim, Green Zebra, Chicago. grist.org ... Made in Japan Teriyaki Experience - a Canadian company - will open five Bay Area outlets by year-end, marching to an expansion plan of opening many outlets in one area quickly to grab market share, East Bay Business Times reports. ... Blogger Tablehopper.com visits the new Paladar Cafe Cubano (329 Kearny St). and notes the closings of Hue L'Amour (2080 Van Ness Ave.) and Vignette in the Orchard Hotel on Bush Street. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer gives one-and-a-half stars to Essencia (401 Gough St., San Francisco; www.essenciarestaurant.com) and drops by Coi. sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Mudd's Restaurant (10 Boardwalk, San Ramon, muddsrestaurant.com). eastbayexpress.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Nua (550 Green, www.nuasf.com). sfweekly.com ... Nua also is reviewed by Bay Area Bites, which also considers Clyde Common, Domestic & Foreign Cooking (SW 10th and Stark in the Ace Hotel). wqed.org/weblog/food ... The St. Petersburg, Fla. Times' Chris Sherman profiles San Francisco chef Scott Howard, a former Tampa chef. sptimes.com
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Incanto's Cosentino an 'Iron Chef' Finalist
The Food Network has announced its eight finalists to compete in The Next Iron Chef, which premieres Oct. 7 (7 pm CT). The eight: John Besh (New Orleans), executive chef, Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Lüke, La Provence; Chris Cosentino (San Francisco), executive chef, Incanto; Jill Davie (Santa Monica, Calif.), executive chef, Josie; Traci Des Jardins (San Francisco), executive chef and co-owner, Jardinière, Mijita, Acme Chophouse; Gavin Kaysen (San Diego), chef de cuisine, El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn; Morou Ouattara (Washington, D.C.), executive chef and owner, Farrah Olivia; Aarón Sánchez (New York City), executive chef and owner, Centrico, Paladar; Michael Symon (Cleveland), executive chef and owner, Lola, Lolita.
IN THE NEWS: Tablehopper.com notes the openings of Palmetto (2032 Union St.) and Frjtz Valencia (590 Valencia). ... The Chronicle's Carol Ness gives two stars to Riva Cucina (800 Heinz Ave., Berkeley), as does Amanda Gold to Ristorante Fabrizio (455 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur), while Michael Bauer awards three stars to BarbersQ (3900-D Bel Aire Plaza, Napa), two and a half stars to El Dorado Kitchen (405 First Street West, Sonoma, www.eldoradosonoma.com), and blogs another rave of Bocadillos. ... Noted opening: Laiola (2031 Chestnut St., San Francisco). ... The Chronicle notes Oakland's Pearl Oyster Bar (5634 College Ave.) promoted a new chef, Chad Krawtschenko, replacing Jonathan Luce, who had been in the Pearl kitchen since it opened 31/2 years ago. ... Kendra L. Baker will leave San Francisco's Bar Tartine (561 Valencia) to head to Manresa in Los Gatos (320 Village Lane) as pastry chef. She'll start at the beginning of August, replacing Deanie Fox, who is opening Ubuntu in Napa with her husband, Jeremy Fox. ... As construction continues at her new San Francisco restaurant, Orson (508 Fourth St.), Elizabeth Falkner is realigning her staff at Citizen Cake (399 Grove St. at Gough). Assistant manager Angela Heeney Tunstall moves up to general manager at Citizen, while her husband, Matt Tunstall, formerly an executive in the PlumpJack Group of restaurants, will fill the same post at Orson, which is set to open in October. Citizen's former GM, John Mark, will be wine director for both restaurants. Luis Villavelazquez, Citizen's sous pastry chef, will move over to SoMa as Orson's pastry chef. sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews the new veggie restaurant Herbivore (2451 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, HerbivoreRestaurant.com) and notes that when 86-year-old Ozzie's Soda Fountain in Elmwood closed in early May, it may have been for good. eastbayexpress.com ... Gastronomy.wordpress.com visits 1 Taylor's Automatic Refresher (Ferry Building, San Francisco, www.taylorsrefresher.com). ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Marrakech (419 O'Farrell, 1338 Polk) and Tajine (www.tajinerestaurant.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (600 Stockton), while L.E. Leone considers Taqueria San Jose (2830 Mission). sfbg.com ... BecksPoshNosh.blogspot.com stops by The Alembic Bar (1725 Haight Street).
IN THE NEWS: Tablehopper.com notes the openings of Palmetto (2032 Union St.) and Frjtz Valencia (590 Valencia). ... The Chronicle's Carol Ness gives two stars to Riva Cucina (800 Heinz Ave., Berkeley), as does Amanda Gold to Ristorante Fabrizio (455 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur), while Michael Bauer awards three stars to BarbersQ (3900-D Bel Aire Plaza, Napa), two and a half stars to El Dorado Kitchen (405 First Street West, Sonoma, www.eldoradosonoma.com), and blogs another rave of Bocadillos. ... Noted opening: Laiola (2031 Chestnut St., San Francisco). ... The Chronicle notes Oakland's Pearl Oyster Bar (5634 College Ave.) promoted a new chef, Chad Krawtschenko, replacing Jonathan Luce, who had been in the Pearl kitchen since it opened 31/2 years ago. ... Kendra L. Baker will leave San Francisco's Bar Tartine (561 Valencia) to head to Manresa in Los Gatos (320 Village Lane) as pastry chef. She'll start at the beginning of August, replacing Deanie Fox, who is opening Ubuntu in Napa with her husband, Jeremy Fox. ... As construction continues at her new San Francisco restaurant, Orson (508 Fourth St.), Elizabeth Falkner is realigning her staff at Citizen Cake (399 Grove St. at Gough). Assistant manager Angela Heeney Tunstall moves up to general manager at Citizen, while her husband, Matt Tunstall, formerly an executive in the PlumpJack Group of restaurants, will fill the same post at Orson, which is set to open in October. Citizen's former GM, John Mark, will be wine director for both restaurants. Luis Villavelazquez, Citizen's sous pastry chef, will move over to SoMa as Orson's pastry chef. sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews the new veggie restaurant Herbivore (2451 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, HerbivoreRestaurant.com) and notes that when 86-year-old Ozzie's Soda Fountain in Elmwood closed in early May, it may have been for good. eastbayexpress.com ... Gastronomy.wordpress.com visits 1 Taylor's Automatic Refresher (Ferry Building, San Francisco, www.taylorsrefresher.com). ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Marrakech (419 O'Farrell, 1338 Polk) and Tajine (www.tajinerestaurant.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (600 Stockton), while L.E. Leone considers Taqueria San Jose (2830 Mission). sfbg.com ... BecksPoshNosh.blogspot.com stops by The Alembic Bar (1725 Haight Street).
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Monday, July 16, 2007
Mags Feature PlumpJack Cafe, Out the Door
The August 2007 Bon Appetit magazine's Top Tables feature includes: Seattle's Brasa (2107 Third Avenue, brasa.com); Boulder, Co.'s The Kitchen (1039 Pearl St., thekitchencafe.com); Brenham, Texas' The Inn at Dos Brisas (9400 Champion Drive, dosbrisas.com); Kansas City's Bluestem (900 Westport Road, bluestemkc.com); Chicago's Crust (2056 W. Division St.); Atlanta's The Farmhouse (10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road, Palmetto, serenbe.com); and San Francisco's PlumpJack Cafe (3127 Fillmore St., plumpjack.com). epicurious.com/bonappetit
Food & Wine magazine's August 2007 issue features in its Where to Go Next column: Boston's La Verdad (1 Lansdowne St.); New York's Kefi (222 W. 79th St.); Washington, D.C.'s M'Dawg (2418 18th St. NW); Edwards, Colo.'s Larkburger (105 Edwards Village Blvd); and San Francisco's Out the Door (Westfield San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St., No. 80). foodandwine.com
IN THE NEWS: The Tablehopper tablehopper.com previews Bar Drake (Lobby of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St.), reviews Katana-ya (430 Geary St., San Francisco) and reports: "Brenda Buenviajez (Café Claude, DeLessio) will be opening her own place on lower Polk (632 Polk St.) called Brenda's. She took over and is currently renovating the former Sun’s Cafe space, and hopes to open by the beginning or middle of August ... After three years of business, the plant-covered Acoustic Cafe on the corner of Octavia and Page is being sold ... Pasha Restaurant on Broadway has new owners: After 21 years of service, owner Jelal Takesh decided to retire and travel to New Zealand. The new owners, Zouhair Senhaji, and his wife, Jennifer Senhaji, were friends of the owner and decided to take it over. Zouhair’s brother, Hicham, is the new chef, who is altering the menu to reflect a Moroccan approach with a California twist ... the second location of Malacca, just next to the Café on Market Street, has closed. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards three stars to Cafe Majestic (1500 Sutter St., the Hotel Majestic, www.the hotelmajestic.com.) and gives two stars to Alamo Square Seafood Grill (803 Fillmore St., San Francisco), while Amanda Gold awards two stars to Ginza (41 Main St., Tiburon). ... The paper's Inside Scoop reports: the upcoming opening of MoMo's owner/executive chef Peter Osborne's Pete's Tavern next month, just two doors down from MoMo's (760 Second St., at King) at 128 King St. ... Nick di Arenzo is leaving Zuppa (564 Fourth St.) at the end of July to head to Miami as executive chef at the Biltmore Hotel's 1200 Restaurant. Instead of hiring another chef, co-owner Joseph Manzare will start manning the stoves himself. ... Andre and Jennifer Larzul look for an end-of-July opening for their new Socha (3235 Mission St.). ... The paper's Jane Tunks takes a first look at Nick's Cove on Tomales Bay (23240 Hwy. 1, Marshall). sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews San Miguel (4729 International Blvd., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., www.barbambino.com.). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews La Salette (452 First St. E., suite H, Sonoma, www.lasalette-restaurant.com) ... Bay Area Bites kqed.org/weblog/food visits Bar Bambino.
Food & Wine magazine's August 2007 issue features in its Where to Go Next column: Boston's La Verdad (1 Lansdowne St.); New York's Kefi (222 W. 79th St.); Washington, D.C.'s M'Dawg (2418 18th St. NW); Edwards, Colo.'s Larkburger (105 Edwards Village Blvd); and San Francisco's Out the Door (Westfield San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St., No. 80). foodandwine.com
IN THE NEWS: The Tablehopper tablehopper.com previews Bar Drake (Lobby of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St.), reviews Katana-ya (430 Geary St., San Francisco) and reports: "Brenda Buenviajez (Café Claude, DeLessio) will be opening her own place on lower Polk (632 Polk St.) called Brenda's. She took over and is currently renovating the former Sun’s Cafe space, and hopes to open by the beginning or middle of August ... After three years of business, the plant-covered Acoustic Cafe on the corner of Octavia and Page is being sold ... Pasha Restaurant on Broadway has new owners: After 21 years of service, owner Jelal Takesh decided to retire and travel to New Zealand. The new owners, Zouhair Senhaji, and his wife, Jennifer Senhaji, were friends of the owner and decided to take it over. Zouhair’s brother, Hicham, is the new chef, who is altering the menu to reflect a Moroccan approach with a California twist ... the second location of Malacca, just next to the Café on Market Street, has closed. ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards three stars to Cafe Majestic (1500 Sutter St., the Hotel Majestic, www.the hotelmajestic.com.) and gives two stars to Alamo Square Seafood Grill (803 Fillmore St., San Francisco), while Amanda Gold awards two stars to Ginza (41 Main St., Tiburon). ... The paper's Inside Scoop reports: the upcoming opening of MoMo's owner/executive chef Peter Osborne's Pete's Tavern next month, just two doors down from MoMo's (760 Second St., at King) at 128 King St. ... Nick di Arenzo is leaving Zuppa (564 Fourth St.) at the end of July to head to Miami as executive chef at the Biltmore Hotel's 1200 Restaurant. Instead of hiring another chef, co-owner Joseph Manzare will start manning the stoves himself. ... Andre and Jennifer Larzul look for an end-of-July opening for their new Socha (3235 Mission St.). ... The paper's Jane Tunks takes a first look at Nick's Cove on Tomales Bay (23240 Hwy. 1, Marshall). sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews San Miguel (4729 International Blvd., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., www.barbambino.com.). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews La Salette (452 First St. E., suite H, Sonoma, www.lasalette-restaurant.com) ... Bay Area Bites kqed.org/weblog/food visits Bar Bambino.
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Ozzie's Soda Fountain Taps Out
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars to Cafe Saint Rose (463 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa), two stars to Chez TJ (938 Villa St., Mountain View; www.cheztj.com) and blogs about a stop at Range, while the paper reports: PlumpJack Cafe executive chef James Syhabout, a 2007 Chronicle Rising Star Chef, is heading back to Manresa (320 Village Lane, Los Gatos) to work with his mentor, David Kinch; After parting ways with chef David Cohen in February and a long, nationwide search, the team at Scala's Bistro (432 Powell St., near Post) has finally named Patrick Robertson as the new top toque. Robertson has cooked at Le Cirque and "21" Club in New York, Tewksbury Inn in New Jersey, One Sixtyblue in Chicago, and in France, Italy and England; Elmwood Health and Mercantile (2900 College Ave.) no longer has its most charmingly nostalgic feature. Ozzie's Soda Fountain, one of the last Bay Area outposts of milk shakes in metal beakers, egg creams and old-time sandwiches, has closed after 86 years. ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Taste (1513 Shattuck Ave., in the Epicurious Garden mall, Berkeley). eastbayexpress.com ... SF Weekly's Robert Lauriston reviews Popol Vuh (2886 16th St., SF). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Kabul City (380 Beach, SF, www.kabulcitysf.com), while L.E. Leone considers Burgermeister (138 Church, SF). sfbg.com ... Menu Pages blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco notes the opening of A Bon Port (476 Castro).
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
'SI' Features Big Nate's Barbecue
Sports Illustrated's sicom July 2 double issue spotlights former sports stars who now run restaurants, in particular barbecue joints. Featured athletes and their eateries include: Robert Porcher (Detroit Lions) Seldom Blues jazz and supper club, Detroit Breakfast House & Grill, and Grand City Grille, Detroit; Nate Thurmond (NBA Hall of Fame center), Big Nate's Barbecue, San Francisco; Randy Jones (San Diego Padres pitcher), Randy Jones' BBQ, Petco Park, San Diego; Sammy Walker (Olympic weightlifter), Sammy Walker's Bar-b-que, Rowlett and Forney, Texas; Billy Sims (Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winning running back), Billy Sims Barbecue, Tulsa, Edmond and Broken Bow, Okla; Larry Shreve (pro wrestler), Abdulla the Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food, Atlanta; Lee Roy Selmon (Tampa Bay Bucs star), Lee Roy Selmon's, seven locations in the Tampa area; Al "Bubba" Baker (pro football player), Bubba's Q, Avon, Ohio; Greg "The Bull" Luzinski (Phillies slugger), Bull's Barbecue, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia; and Boog Powell (Orioles slugger), Boog's BBQ, Camden Yards, Baltimore.
Best of San Francisco Magazine Awards Announced
In its July 2007 edition, San Francisco magazine sanfran.com readers have named Americano (8 Mission St., S.F., www.americanorestaurant.com) the area's Best Happy Hour. .. The mag's critics list best comfort foods that are only offered once a week in their respective restaurants, with descriptions:
• Monday: meatballs at A16: "beautifully executed Italian classics with deep, mellow flavor. Paired with a good glass of red, they make Monday blissful"
• Tuesday: bouillabaisse at Mirepoix: "And that’s the fish they ladle out, along with mussels, clams, and a saffron aioli"
• Wednesday: prix fixe at Dry Creek Kitchen: "a hump-day only Family BBQ Night features family-style platters—laden with tri tip, watercress salad, and peach pie"
• Thursday: fried chicken at Magnolia: "fried chicken from free-range, sustainably raised local birds—with local, organic mashed potatoes and greens on the side"
• Friday: cherry cookies at Tea Cake Bakery: "like good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies that collided with Cherry Garcia"
• Saturday: cherry cola baby back ribs at Home: "rich, sweet, slightly hot"
• Sunday: green beans at Dino's Pizza: "Simmered slowly with white wine, garlic, olive oil, and stewed tomatoes and topped with tangy feta"
IN THE NEWS: 7X7 San Francisco magazine 7x7sf.com looks at underground restaurants, including SubCulture Dining (thescdsf.com.), and blogs about the sushi at Sebo. ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall examines the dining options at area farmers markets. eastbayexpress.com ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two stars in his review of Osha Thai No. 5 (2033 Union St., San Francisco), while Karola Saekel also looks at area farmers markets ... Miriam Morgan gives two stars to Magnolia Pub & Brewery (1398 Haight St., San Francisco) and Karola Saekel awards two stars to Musashi (2126 Dwight Way, Berkeley) ... Noted openings: Mexico DF (139 Steuart St., San Francisco); Sudachi (1217 Sutter St., San Francisco), Lagosia (1725 University Ave., Berkeley); Ducca (50 Third St., San Francisco); Charles Chocolates Factory Store & Cafe (6529 Hollis St., Emeryville); and The Kitchenette (405 First Street West, inside the El Dorado Hotel, Sonoma). sfgate.com ... The Chronicle also reports: Lesley Kohn and Ken Harris have closed Simmer, their Corte Madera restaurant (60 Corte Madera Ave.), and are using the space for Chefables, their day-care catering business; Jack and Akiko Ichikawa closed their Palm Tree Cafe June 29 after 18 years in business. The San Francisco breakfast-and-lunch spot at 1785 Divisadero St. is located in a building that is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by condominiums; Husband-and-wife team Jeremy Fox, 31, and Deanie Fox, 30, chef de cuisine and executive pastry chef, respectively, of the four-star Manresa in Los Gatos, have been lured north by Sandy Lawrence, the owner of Lion's Run Winery, to open her new Napa restaurant, Ubuntu, in August. ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody stops by new takeout joints Bi-Rite Market (3639 18th St.) and DeLessio Market & Bakery (302 Broderick, www.delessiomarket.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Redinger reviews new Peruvian restaurant Essencia (401 Gough, SF, www.essenciarestaurant.com), while Le Leone considers Granzella's (451 Sixth St., Williams). sfbg.com ... SFist.com stops by the venerable Tadich Grill. ... Menu Pages blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco reports the opening of Japanese eatery Sudachi, in the old space of Juni and Osaka Grill. ... Tablehopper.com reports the closings of Garden of Tranquility, Sake Lab, the Castro location of Philz Coffee (18th & Sanchez), and Country Station Sushi in the Mission.
Best of San Francisco Magazine Awards Announced
In its July 2007 edition, San Francisco magazine sanfran.com readers have named Americano (8 Mission St., S.F., www.americanorestaurant.com) the area's Best Happy Hour. .. The mag's critics list best comfort foods that are only offered once a week in their respective restaurants, with descriptions:
• Monday: meatballs at A16: "beautifully executed Italian classics with deep, mellow flavor. Paired with a good glass of red, they make Monday blissful"
• Tuesday: bouillabaisse at Mirepoix: "And that’s the fish they ladle out, along with mussels, clams, and a saffron aioli"
• Wednesday: prix fixe at Dry Creek Kitchen: "a hump-day only Family BBQ Night features family-style platters—laden with tri tip, watercress salad, and peach pie"
• Thursday: fried chicken at Magnolia: "fried chicken from free-range, sustainably raised local birds—with local, organic mashed potatoes and greens on the side"
• Friday: cherry cookies at Tea Cake Bakery: "like good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies that collided with Cherry Garcia"
• Saturday: cherry cola baby back ribs at Home: "rich, sweet, slightly hot"
• Sunday: green beans at Dino's Pizza: "Simmered slowly with white wine, garlic, olive oil, and stewed tomatoes and topped with tangy feta"
IN THE NEWS: 7X7 San Francisco magazine 7x7sf.com looks at underground restaurants, including SubCulture Dining (thescdsf.com.), and blogs about the sushi at Sebo. ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall examines the dining options at area farmers markets. eastbayexpress.com ... The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards two stars in his review of Osha Thai No. 5 (2033 Union St., San Francisco), while Karola Saekel also looks at area farmers markets ... Miriam Morgan gives two stars to Magnolia Pub & Brewery (1398 Haight St., San Francisco) and Karola Saekel awards two stars to Musashi (2126 Dwight Way, Berkeley) ... Noted openings: Mexico DF (139 Steuart St., San Francisco); Sudachi (1217 Sutter St., San Francisco), Lagosia (1725 University Ave., Berkeley); Ducca (50 Third St., San Francisco); Charles Chocolates Factory Store & Cafe (6529 Hollis St., Emeryville); and The Kitchenette (405 First Street West, inside the El Dorado Hotel, Sonoma). sfgate.com ... The Chronicle also reports: Lesley Kohn and Ken Harris have closed Simmer, their Corte Madera restaurant (60 Corte Madera Ave.), and are using the space for Chefables, their day-care catering business; Jack and Akiko Ichikawa closed their Palm Tree Cafe June 29 after 18 years in business. The San Francisco breakfast-and-lunch spot at 1785 Divisadero St. is located in a building that is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by condominiums; Husband-and-wife team Jeremy Fox, 31, and Deanie Fox, 30, chef de cuisine and executive pastry chef, respectively, of the four-star Manresa in Los Gatos, have been lured north by Sandy Lawrence, the owner of Lion's Run Winery, to open her new Napa restaurant, Ubuntu, in August. ... San Francisco Weekly's Meredith Brody stops by new takeout joints Bi-Rite Market (3639 18th St.) and DeLessio Market & Bakery (302 Broderick, www.delessiomarket.com). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Redinger reviews new Peruvian restaurant Essencia (401 Gough, SF, www.essenciarestaurant.com), while Le Leone considers Granzella's (451 Sixth St., Williams). sfbg.com ... SFist.com stops by the venerable Tadich Grill. ... Menu Pages blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco reports the opening of Japanese eatery Sudachi, in the old space of Juni and Osaka Grill. ... Tablehopper.com reports the closings of Garden of Tranquility, Sake Lab, the Castro location of Philz Coffee (18th & Sanchez), and Country Station Sushi in the Mission.
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
East Bay Gets Nightclub-Eatery Hybrid
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's sfgate.com Carol Ness notes the recent opening of Old Oakland's first nightclub-restaurant hybrid, Levende East (827 Washington St., Oakland), the East Bay offspring of the popular San Francisco spot. As in San Francisco, the chef is Aaren Caccamo and the menu is French-California with Asian and Middle Eastern flavors. ... The Chronicle also reports on: the opening of vegan eatery Herbivore (2451 Shattuck Ave. in downtown Berkeley); the scheduled June 30 closing of Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood and Jazz, which breathed new life into the site of the legendary Condor Club at the corner of Broadway and Columbus in North Beach; the exit of executive pastry chef Annie Clemmons, whose desserts helped Cyrus earn its four stars, parting ways recently with the destination Wine Country restaurant; the late July opening of Archie Palencia's Filipino restaurant Palencia in the Castro at the end of July at the former Tita's Hale Aina (3870 17th St.). ... Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars to Greek tavern Dio Deka (210 E. Main St. in the Hotel Los Gatos, Los Gatos; www.diodeka.com) and one and a half stars to Tres Agaves (130 Townsend St., San Francisco) and blogs a review of Cetrella (845 Main St., Half Moon Bay), while Miriam Morgan gives two stars (good) to Soi4 (5421 College Ave., Oakland; soifour.com.) and Mandy Erickson doles out two stars to the dim sum at The Kitchen (279 El Camino Real, Millbrae). ... East Bay Business Times eastbay.bizjournals.com profiles T. Gary Rogers of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream ... The New York Times' Katie Hafner profiles the San Francisco-based online reservation service OpenTable.com ... Riva Cucina (800 Heinz Ave., Berkeley) is reviewed by East Bay Express eastbayexpress.com critic John Birdsall. ... SF Weekly's sfweekly.com Meredith Brody visits Kara's Cupcakes (3249 Scott), Bittersweet Cafe (2123 Fillmore) and Bakesale Betty (5098 Telegraph), Oakland. ... The Bay Guardian's sfbg.com Paul Reidinger reviews Canton Seafood and Dim Sum Restaurant (655 Folsom, SF), while L.E. Leone visits Shanghai Dumpling Shop (455 Broadway, Millbrae). ... sfist.com stops by Farina. ... Bay Area Bites kqed.weblog/food reviews B Star Bar (127 Clement St., San Francisco).
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
'Food & Wine' Honors Myth's O'Brien
IN THE NEWS: In its July 2007 issue, Food & Wine magazine foodandwine.com features its prestigious Best New Chefs of 2007 list, including: Ian Schnoebelen of Iris in New Orleans, Sean O' Brien of Myth in San Francisco, Paul Virant of Vie in Western Springs (Ill.), Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland (Ore.), Gabriel Bremer of Salts in Cambridge (Mass.), Gavin Kaysen of El Bizcocho in San Diego, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig in New York City, Johnny Morris of Komi in Washington, D.C, Steve Corry of Five Fifty-Five in Portland (Maine) and Matthew Dillon of Sitka & Spruce in Seattle. ... The mag also features the Best New Wine Lists of 2007, including: San Diego's Addison, San Francisco's Perbacco, New York's Craftsteak, Wheeling, Ill.'s Osteria Di Tramonto, Las Vegas' Restaurant Guy Savoy and Boston's Bin 26 Enoteca. ... The San Francisco Chronicle sfgate.com notes the openings of Farina Focaccia & Cucina Italiana, 3560 18th St., San Francisco), ZZA's Enoteca (550 Grand Ave., Oakland) and the move of Little Joe's (85 Fifth St., San Francisco). ... Tara Duggin gives two stars in her review of Pisces California Cuisine (3414 Judah St.), while Miriam Morgan awards two stars to Kingfish (201 South B St., San Mateo; www.kingfish.net) and Michael Bauer gives two and a half stars to the Nikko Hotel's fusion eatery Anzu (222 Mason St.) and two stars to Japanese eatery Ozumo (161 Steuart St., San Francisco). ... The Chronicle also notes, "Construction will begin later this month on O, an upscale Japanese sports lounge and restaurant taking over the Dot space in Japantown's Miyako Hotel (1625 Post St.). It's named after Sadaharu Oh, the legendary Japanese baseball star, who has also inspired the vintage Japanese baseball decor. O will be a "baseball meets art" spot, says Chip Conley, CEO of Joie de Vivre, which operates the hotel and restaurant" ... Looks like the cleanup after the June 3 fire at Mecca will take longer than originally anticipated. The restaurant will probably be closed through July. ... After eight years of French fare, Le Metro (311 Divisadero St.) in San Francisco, when it reopens early next month, will sport a new name, a new menu and a new chef. Owner Roshan KC is renaming the cafe Metro Kathmandu and has hired Bishnu Chaudhary from Colorado to execute a Nepalese menu with Indian influences." ...
East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Salvadorian spot Pupuseria Lupita (3340 Foothill Blvd., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... Meredith Brody reviews the pizza at Gialina (2842 Diamond, SF; www.gialina.com) for the San Francisco Weekly sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Patisserie Philippe (655 Townsend, SF), while L.E. Leone stops by the Hide-A-way Cafe (6430 Telegraph, Oakland). sfbg.com ... InsideBayArea.com reviews Somerset in Rockridge, and Mandaloun in Redwood City ... Bay Area Bites kqed.org/weblog/food reviews Essencia (401 Gough Street, San Francisco). ... The San Francisco Business Times reports that a new law bans plastic foam containers from all San Francisco eateries. While that piece of the recently-implemented statute has drawn few objections, the law further stipulates that all take-out items, from Chinese food boxes to utensils, be made of biodegradable, recycled or compostable materials, provided they cost no more than 15 percent more than traditional materials. ... The paper also profiles New York-centric chefs based in San Francisco, including Frisson Executive Chef Sarah Schafer. ... A Florida-based restaurant chain is putting out feelers that it wants to greatly expand its reach, the Denver Business Journal reports. Earl of Sandwich, founded in 2004 and based in Orlando, says it's looking for franchisees around the United States, including Denver. Other cities on the company's radar screen include Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, San Francisco (including Oakland and San Jose), Dallas/Ft. Worth, Seattle, Columbus, Nashville, San Diego, Cleveland, St. Louis and Sacramento. The company's president, Michael Grodi, said the goal is to add more than 100 locations a year. A former executive at Denver-based Quiznos, Grodi was named president and CEO of the sandwich chain in January. Quiznos sued Grodi and Earl of Sandwich in federal court in Denver in April, alleging Grodi would hurt Quiznos by disclosing their trade secrets about selling sandwiches to his new employer. Grodi left Quiznos in May 2006. He has denied Quiznos' allegations.
East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Salvadorian spot Pupuseria Lupita (3340 Foothill Blvd., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... Meredith Brody reviews the pizza at Gialina (2842 Diamond, SF; www.gialina.com) for the San Francisco Weekly sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Patisserie Philippe (655 Townsend, SF), while L.E. Leone stops by the Hide-A-way Cafe (6430 Telegraph, Oakland). sfbg.com ... InsideBayArea.com reviews Somerset in Rockridge, and Mandaloun in Redwood City ... Bay Area Bites kqed.org/weblog/food reviews Essencia (401 Gough Street, San Francisco). ... The San Francisco Business Times reports that a new law bans plastic foam containers from all San Francisco eateries. While that piece of the recently-implemented statute has drawn few objections, the law further stipulates that all take-out items, from Chinese food boxes to utensils, be made of biodegradable, recycled or compostable materials, provided they cost no more than 15 percent more than traditional materials. ... The paper also profiles New York-centric chefs based in San Francisco, including Frisson Executive Chef Sarah Schafer. ... A Florida-based restaurant chain is putting out feelers that it wants to greatly expand its reach, the Denver Business Journal reports. Earl of Sandwich, founded in 2004 and based in Orlando, says it's looking for franchisees around the United States, including Denver. Other cities on the company's radar screen include Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, San Francisco (including Oakland and San Jose), Dallas/Ft. Worth, Seattle, Columbus, Nashville, San Diego, Cleveland, St. Louis and Sacramento. The company's president, Michael Grodi, said the goal is to add more than 100 locations a year. A former executive at Denver-based Quiznos, Grodi was named president and CEO of the sandwich chain in January. Quiznos sued Grodi and Earl of Sandwich in federal court in Denver in April, alleging Grodi would hurt Quiznos by disclosing their trade secrets about selling sandwiches to his new employer. Grodi left Quiznos in May 2006. He has denied Quiznos' allegations.
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Monday, June 11, 2007
Ad Hoc Makes 'Bon Appetit' Hot List
The June issue of Bon Appetit magazine epicurious.com/bonappetit lists 10 restaurants as "summer's hotspots," new foodie destinations around the country. Prices range from $10 pizzas at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles to the $54 and $67 prix fixe menus at Bijoux in Dallas. Here's the full list:
Momofuku Ssam Bar, 207 Second Ave., New York City
Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
Trois, 1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta
Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza, 641 N. Highland Ave., and 6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
Tavolata, 2323 Second Ave., Seattle
Radda Trattoria, 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder, Colo.
Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery, 230 W. Kinzie St., Chicago
Bijoux, 5450 West Lovers Lane, Suite 225, Dallas
Osteria, 640 N. Broad St., Philadelphia
Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington St., Yountville, Calif. (Napa Valley)
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's Stacy Finz examines Bay Area restaurants that feature communal tables, including A Cote (5478 College Ave., Oakland). ... Jennifer Tomaro gives two stars in her review of the Vietnamese eatery Huynh (1512 Locust St., Walnut Creek), while Michael Bauer awards two stars to Americano (8 Mission St., San Francisco) and three stars to Restaurant at Meadowood (900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena). ... Bauer also blogs on when NOT to review a restaurant as well as his favorite breakfast spots: Pork Store Cafe, Home Plate, Kate's Kitchen, Dottie's True Blue Cafe, Zazie, Chloe's Cafe, Boogaloos, and Judy's Homestyle Cafe. ... The Chronicle also reports, "Berkeley's Talavera Cafe and Bakery (561 Solano Ave.), the handsomely tiled Mexican restaurant that faltered soon after it opened in the fall of 2005, has reopened. It's been acquired by Juan Romo, who owns the busy Montero restaurant and dance club at Solano and San Pablo in Albany, and also one of the few late-serving restaurants in Berkeley, Monte Cristo Taqueria (1446 University Ave.), which is open until midnight." sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews small plates at the new pub Hobnob (1313 Park St., Alameda). eastbayexpress.com ...The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews the Greek restaurant Myconos (1431 Polk, SF), while Cheap Eats contemplates Subway. sfbg.com ... SF Weekly's Robert Lauriston visits the Burmese eatery Larkin Express Deli (452 Larkin). sfweekly.com ... The E.&J. Gallo Winery, one of the world's largest wine producers, says it's adding to its footprint in Napa Valley by purchasing 182 acres of vineyards in the Chiles Valley, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Modesto-based E.&J. Gallo, ranked as the nation's largest wine producer by Wine Business Monthly by a large margin, acquired the vineyards from the California Wine Co., according to a June 4 Gallo statement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ... Becksposhnosh.com visits Petite Patisserie Organic Bakery (1415 Eighteenth Street, San Francisco).
Momofuku Ssam Bar, 207 Second Ave., New York City
Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
Trois, 1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta
Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza, 641 N. Highland Ave., and 6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
Tavolata, 2323 Second Ave., Seattle
Radda Trattoria, 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder, Colo.
Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery, 230 W. Kinzie St., Chicago
Bijoux, 5450 West Lovers Lane, Suite 225, Dallas
Osteria, 640 N. Broad St., Philadelphia
Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington St., Yountville, Calif. (Napa Valley)
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's Stacy Finz examines Bay Area restaurants that feature communal tables, including A Cote (5478 College Ave., Oakland). ... Jennifer Tomaro gives two stars in her review of the Vietnamese eatery Huynh (1512 Locust St., Walnut Creek), while Michael Bauer awards two stars to Americano (8 Mission St., San Francisco) and three stars to Restaurant at Meadowood (900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena). ... Bauer also blogs on when NOT to review a restaurant as well as his favorite breakfast spots: Pork Store Cafe, Home Plate, Kate's Kitchen, Dottie's True Blue Cafe, Zazie, Chloe's Cafe, Boogaloos, and Judy's Homestyle Cafe. ... The Chronicle also reports, "Berkeley's Talavera Cafe and Bakery (561 Solano Ave.), the handsomely tiled Mexican restaurant that faltered soon after it opened in the fall of 2005, has reopened. It's been acquired by Juan Romo, who owns the busy Montero restaurant and dance club at Solano and San Pablo in Albany, and also one of the few late-serving restaurants in Berkeley, Monte Cristo Taqueria (1446 University Ave.), which is open until midnight." sfgate.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews small plates at the new pub Hobnob (1313 Park St., Alameda). eastbayexpress.com ...The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews the Greek restaurant Myconos (1431 Polk, SF), while Cheap Eats contemplates Subway. sfbg.com ... SF Weekly's Robert Lauriston visits the Burmese eatery Larkin Express Deli (452 Larkin). sfweekly.com ... The E.&J. Gallo Winery, one of the world's largest wine producers, says it's adding to its footprint in Napa Valley by purchasing 182 acres of vineyards in the Chiles Valley, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Modesto-based E.&J. Gallo, ranked as the nation's largest wine producer by Wine Business Monthly by a large margin, acquired the vineyards from the California Wine Co., according to a June 4 Gallo statement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ... Becksposhnosh.com visits Petite Patisserie Organic Bakery (1415 Eighteenth Street, San Francisco).
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Locals Get 'Forbes' Best Hotel Dining Nods
Forbes Traveler forbestraveler.com recently asked asking a panel of food and travel experts for their take on the top hotel dining in the country. The top 15 chosen include: The Peabody Memphis and its upscale restaurant, Chez Philippe; Four Seasons Hotel and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurant in New York City; Jean Georges, Trump International Hotel and Tower, New York; Gordon Ramsay, The London hotel in New York; The Carlyle Restaurant, The Carlyle Hotel in New York; Cathe St. Regis Hotel and Ame restaurant in San Francisco; Michael Mina, Westin St. Francis in San Francisco; Cortez in the Hotel Adagio, San Francisco; Studio Restaurant, Montage, Laguna Beach; the Beverly Wilshire and Cut restaurant in Los Angeles; The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va.; The Wynn Las Vegas; Citronelle, Latham Hotel in Washington, DC.; Azul at Mandarin Oriental hotel in Miami.
Chains May Need to Post Calorie Counts
The Sacramento Bee's Aurelio Rojas reports, "Over howls of "nanny government," the California Senate has approved (on May 31) legislation that would require chain restaurants with 10 or more locations to post calorie counts and other dietary facts about menu items. If approved by the Assembly and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 120 would require table-serving restaurants to disclose the number of calories, grams of saturated and trans fat, sodium and carbohydrates for standard items. Because of space limitations, fast-food restaurants would be required to list only calories. Violators that do not comply with the requirements by Jan. 1, 2009, would be cited with an infraction, punishable by a fine not less than $50 and more than $500. The proposed legislation is modeled after a New York City law that takes effect July 1." sacbee.com
IN THE NEWS: With plans to capitalize on the growing Latino market, Churro Station franchises will roll into new cities this summer, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Although her 800-square-foot San Rafael, Calif., location is the only store in operation, Melanie Farkas has sold four franchises that will open soon in predominantly Hispanic communities in Phoenix and Oakland, Santa Ana and Anaheim, Calif. Three more would-be franchisees in Stockton, Calif., Las Vegas and Austin are in final negotiations. All of the franchises will be minority-owned. Any ballpark aficionado knows churros: those sticks of fried, cinnamon-laden dough that retail for a cool $4. ... Business Times also profiles Shelley Lindgren, the wine director and part-owner of the Marina eatery A16. ... The Chronicle's chron.com Olivia Wu examines the art of cultivating pristine produce for top-flight restaurants, including the efforts of David Kinch, chef-owner of the four-star Manresa in Los Gatos and his work with purveyor Love Apple Farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. ... Critic Michael Bauer awards three stars to Nua (550 Green St., San Francisco) and two and a half stars in his review of Carnelian Room (555 California St., San Francisco), while Carol Ness gives two stars to Piccino (801 22nd St., San Francisco). ... The Chronicle also notes the May 31 closing of Spago in Palo Alto (265 Lytton Ave.) from mega-chef-restaurateur Wolfgang Puck. "He'll be on hand to bid last-night diners farewell before saying sayonara to the nearly 10-year-old spot. Puck is concentrating on his other ventures, including his new Cut steakhouse in the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Puck remains involved in Postrio (545 Post St., San Francisco). GM Jim Minch says it's business as usual, but some are wondering whether a version of Cut might be coming to San Francisco." ... In San Francisco, veteran restaurateur John Hurley and partners have sold 415 (415 Presidio Ave.) and California Street Deli (3200 California) to the landlord, the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. ... In the Richmond District, Chris Yeo has shuttered Spanish Fly (3300 Geary), which went into the space of his original Straits last year. ... In the Tenderloin, the Original Joe's folks have finalized plans for several projects. They'll celebrate the 70th anniversary of Original Joe's (144 Taylor) in October with special events and rollback prices. The restaurant will close for two three-day periods over the next six weeks for remodeling intended to restore its earlier look, according to partner Frank Klein. ... After four-plus years, Beauregard's California Bistro in Albany (1373 Solano Ave.) has closed. In its new persona, the restaurant will be a sushi emporium." ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody stops by for brunch at three area eateries: Maverick (3316 17th, SF), Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission, SF) and Absinthe (398 Hayes, SF). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Caffe Bella Venezia (720 Post, SF), while L.E. Leone drops by Toast (1748 Church, SF). sfbg.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall review Rang Dong (724 Webster St.), Oakland. eastbayexpress.com ... 7X7SF.com blogs "Beloved Jardinière is celebrating its 10th birthday with a face-lift. The restaurant will close for a few weeks in August, then reopen September 13th with a new look". ... Becks & Posh becksposhnosh.blogspot.com visits Houston's (1800 Montgomery St, San Francisco).
Chains May Need to Post Calorie Counts
The Sacramento Bee's Aurelio Rojas reports, "Over howls of "nanny government," the California Senate has approved (on May 31) legislation that would require chain restaurants with 10 or more locations to post calorie counts and other dietary facts about menu items. If approved by the Assembly and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 120 would require table-serving restaurants to disclose the number of calories, grams of saturated and trans fat, sodium and carbohydrates for standard items. Because of space limitations, fast-food restaurants would be required to list only calories. Violators that do not comply with the requirements by Jan. 1, 2009, would be cited with an infraction, punishable by a fine not less than $50 and more than $500. The proposed legislation is modeled after a New York City law that takes effect July 1." sacbee.com
IN THE NEWS: With plans to capitalize on the growing Latino market, Churro Station franchises will roll into new cities this summer, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Although her 800-square-foot San Rafael, Calif., location is the only store in operation, Melanie Farkas has sold four franchises that will open soon in predominantly Hispanic communities in Phoenix and Oakland, Santa Ana and Anaheim, Calif. Three more would-be franchisees in Stockton, Calif., Las Vegas and Austin are in final negotiations. All of the franchises will be minority-owned. Any ballpark aficionado knows churros: those sticks of fried, cinnamon-laden dough that retail for a cool $4. ... Business Times also profiles Shelley Lindgren, the wine director and part-owner of the Marina eatery A16. ... The Chronicle's chron.com Olivia Wu examines the art of cultivating pristine produce for top-flight restaurants, including the efforts of David Kinch, chef-owner of the four-star Manresa in Los Gatos and his work with purveyor Love Apple Farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. ... Critic Michael Bauer awards three stars to Nua (550 Green St., San Francisco) and two and a half stars in his review of Carnelian Room (555 California St., San Francisco), while Carol Ness gives two stars to Piccino (801 22nd St., San Francisco). ... The Chronicle also notes the May 31 closing of Spago in Palo Alto (265 Lytton Ave.) from mega-chef-restaurateur Wolfgang Puck. "He'll be on hand to bid last-night diners farewell before saying sayonara to the nearly 10-year-old spot. Puck is concentrating on his other ventures, including his new Cut steakhouse in the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Puck remains involved in Postrio (545 Post St., San Francisco). GM Jim Minch says it's business as usual, but some are wondering whether a version of Cut might be coming to San Francisco." ... In San Francisco, veteran restaurateur John Hurley and partners have sold 415 (415 Presidio Ave.) and California Street Deli (3200 California) to the landlord, the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. ... In the Richmond District, Chris Yeo has shuttered Spanish Fly (3300 Geary), which went into the space of his original Straits last year. ... In the Tenderloin, the Original Joe's folks have finalized plans for several projects. They'll celebrate the 70th anniversary of Original Joe's (144 Taylor) in October with special events and rollback prices. The restaurant will close for two three-day periods over the next six weeks for remodeling intended to restore its earlier look, according to partner Frank Klein. ... After four-plus years, Beauregard's California Bistro in Albany (1373 Solano Ave.) has closed. In its new persona, the restaurant will be a sushi emporium." ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody stops by for brunch at three area eateries: Maverick (3316 17th, SF), Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission, SF) and Absinthe (398 Hayes, SF). sfweekly.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Caffe Bella Venezia (720 Post, SF), while L.E. Leone drops by Toast (1748 Church, SF). sfbg.com ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall review Rang Dong (724 Webster St.), Oakland. eastbayexpress.com ... 7X7SF.com blogs "Beloved Jardinière is celebrating its 10th birthday with a face-lift. The restaurant will close for a few weeks in August, then reopen September 13th with a new look". ... Becks & Posh becksposhnosh.blogspot.com visits Houston's (1800 Montgomery St, San Francisco).
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Fenton's Creamery Triples Bay Presence
IN THE NEWS: The East Bay Business Times reports, "For its first 112 years, the owners of Fenton's Creamery were satisfied with a single location to sell their sweet, creamy product, whether it was the horse-drawn wagon of founder Elbridge Seth Fenton back in the 1890s or its home for the past 46 years on Oakland's Piedmont Avenue. But so far in 2007, Fenton's has tripled its presence, with an elaborate ice cream stand in the expanded Terminal 2 at Oakland International Airport and a new 7,000-square-foot temple to America's favorite dessert in Vacaville. The latter location had a May 10 "soft" opening. The second full location for the East Bay's legendary ice cream parlor and eatery, nearly twice as large as the Oakland restaurant that was rebuilt and extensively remodeled after a 2001 fire, is part of a new mixed-use development on the site of the former Nut Tree complex along Interstate 80 that includes retail stores, restaurants and a family-oriented recreational area. ... East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Clancy’s Ice Cream Parlour (1234 Manor Blvd., San Leandro). eastbayexpress.com
The Chronicle's Michael Bauer gives two and a half stars in his review of West County Grill (6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol). ... Bauer's blog looks at reborn classic restaurants including Julius' Castle (reopened May 23 with a new look and new owners), the Restaurant at Meadowood, and Cafe Majestic. ... Amanda Gold awards three stars to El Paseo (17 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley). ... The Chronicle notes the recent opening of Cassis (2101 Sutter St., San Francisco) as well as: the anticipated Sept. 1 opening of owner Erin Rooney's Slow Club, in which the popular Multimedia Gulch restaurant (2501 Mariposa St.), is getting a foothold in the up-and-coming Dogpatch neighborhood with a new location at 2495 Third St. Chef Chris Kronner, a 2007 Chronicle Rising Star chef, will oversee the menu at the new location; the hoped-for Labor Day opening of restaurateur Jocelyn Bulow's second Chez Papa (the original Papa is at 1401 18th St., at Missouri), but also a Sushi Groove, making it No. 4 for that local mini chain. Like the 11-year-old original Sushi Groove on Russian Hill (1916 Hyde), SG South (1516 Folsom St.) and SG East (1523 Giammona Drive, Walnut Creek), the Mint Plaza branch will roll out its own personality. The same will be true of Chez Papa, the second. Bulow is bringing back David Bazirgan, a Chronicle Rising Star chef in '05 when he was directing the kitchens at both Chez Papa and Baraka (288 Connecticut St.), to be executive chef at the new downtown restaurant. ... Chris Shepherd and Elizabeth Frumusa, who own Aperto on San Francisco's Portrero Hill, are trying a similar concept with Bellanico (4238 Park Blvd.) in the Glenview neighborhood of Oakland. The couple, who live in Oakland, are converting a former flower shop next door to Blackberry Bistro (4240 Park Blvd.) into an Italian restaurant and wine bar named after their young daughters, Gabriella and Nicoletta, nicknamed Bella and Nico. If all goes well, the restaurant will open in September, when current Aperto sous chef Laura Guagliano-Montiel becomes chef at Aperto, and Shepherd moves over to Bellanico to head up that kitchen. ... Fans of Yokoso Nippon (314 Church) in San Francisco's Castro district, often called "No Name Sushi," may be jonesing for some cheap nigiri since the place was closed by fire on April 28. Owner Shigeko Ichikawa, who has run the place with her husband, Kiyoshi, for 28 years, says they hope to reopen in June. In the meantime, the Ichikawas are working at their second restaurant, also called Yokoso Nippon, in Pacifica (2470 Skyline Drive, near Manor Drive). ... Diners heading for Avenue G in North Beach (1570 Stockton St.) might find the place shuttered. The closure is temporary, says chef-partner Grant Schley, due to differences in the partnership. He hopes to reopen soon. ... Scoop reported recently that Marta Cristina Causone was hired as executive chef at Ducca, the Northern Italian restaurant set to open next month in the new Westin San Francisco Market Street (50 Third St.; the former Argent Hotel). Turns out Causone will not take the job after all. Instead, 28-year-old Richard J. Corbo will fill the spot, leaving a position as Mecca chef de cuisine. sfgate.com ...
InsideBayArea.com stops by Sociale (3665 Sacramento St., San Francisco), Marinus at Bernardus Lodge along rural Carmel Valley Road, and Kurt's Carmel Chop House in Carmel. ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Salt House (545 Mission, San Francisco). ... The paper notes the openings of: Avenue G (1570 Stockton St., SF); Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., SF), Hime (2353 Lombard St., SF), JoVino (2184 Union St., SF), Mercury Appetizer Bar (1434 Lombard St., SF), North Beach Lobster Shack (532 Green, SF), Nua Restaurant and Wine Bar (550 Green St., SF), Panera Bread (301 King St., SF), Philz Coffee (201 Berry, SF), Sotto Mare (552 Green St., SF). sfweekly.com ... San Francisco Bay Guardian critic Paul Reidinger reviews Quixote's Mexican Grill (406 Dewey Blvd., SF), while Cheap Eats visits Phnom Penh (251 Eighth St., Oakland). sfbg.com ... LA-based blogger FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews Lucky Creation (854 Washington St., San Francisco) ... 7X7 San Francisco blog spends a night at Gary Danko. http://www.7x7sf.com/eat_drink/blog ... Blogger Becks & Posh becksposhnosh.blogspot.com reviews Perbacco (230 California, SF).
The Chronicle's Michael Bauer gives two and a half stars in his review of West County Grill (6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol). ... Bauer's blog looks at reborn classic restaurants including Julius' Castle (reopened May 23 with a new look and new owners), the Restaurant at Meadowood, and Cafe Majestic. ... Amanda Gold awards three stars to El Paseo (17 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley). ... The Chronicle notes the recent opening of Cassis (2101 Sutter St., San Francisco) as well as: the anticipated Sept. 1 opening of owner Erin Rooney's Slow Club, in which the popular Multimedia Gulch restaurant (2501 Mariposa St.), is getting a foothold in the up-and-coming Dogpatch neighborhood with a new location at 2495 Third St. Chef Chris Kronner, a 2007 Chronicle Rising Star chef, will oversee the menu at the new location; the hoped-for Labor Day opening of restaurateur Jocelyn Bulow's second Chez Papa (the original Papa is at 1401 18th St., at Missouri), but also a Sushi Groove, making it No. 4 for that local mini chain. Like the 11-year-old original Sushi Groove on Russian Hill (1916 Hyde), SG South (1516 Folsom St.) and SG East (1523 Giammona Drive, Walnut Creek), the Mint Plaza branch will roll out its own personality. The same will be true of Chez Papa, the second. Bulow is bringing back David Bazirgan, a Chronicle Rising Star chef in '05 when he was directing the kitchens at both Chez Papa and Baraka (288 Connecticut St.), to be executive chef at the new downtown restaurant. ... Chris Shepherd and Elizabeth Frumusa, who own Aperto on San Francisco's Portrero Hill, are trying a similar concept with Bellanico (4238 Park Blvd.) in the Glenview neighborhood of Oakland. The couple, who live in Oakland, are converting a former flower shop next door to Blackberry Bistro (4240 Park Blvd.) into an Italian restaurant and wine bar named after their young daughters, Gabriella and Nicoletta, nicknamed Bella and Nico. If all goes well, the restaurant will open in September, when current Aperto sous chef Laura Guagliano-Montiel becomes chef at Aperto, and Shepherd moves over to Bellanico to head up that kitchen. ... Fans of Yokoso Nippon (314 Church) in San Francisco's Castro district, often called "No Name Sushi," may be jonesing for some cheap nigiri since the place was closed by fire on April 28. Owner Shigeko Ichikawa, who has run the place with her husband, Kiyoshi, for 28 years, says they hope to reopen in June. In the meantime, the Ichikawas are working at their second restaurant, also called Yokoso Nippon, in Pacifica (2470 Skyline Drive, near Manor Drive). ... Diners heading for Avenue G in North Beach (1570 Stockton St.) might find the place shuttered. The closure is temporary, says chef-partner Grant Schley, due to differences in the partnership. He hopes to reopen soon. ... Scoop reported recently that Marta Cristina Causone was hired as executive chef at Ducca, the Northern Italian restaurant set to open next month in the new Westin San Francisco Market Street (50 Third St.; the former Argent Hotel). Turns out Causone will not take the job after all. Instead, 28-year-old Richard J. Corbo will fill the spot, leaving a position as Mecca chef de cuisine. sfgate.com ...
InsideBayArea.com stops by Sociale (3665 Sacramento St., San Francisco), Marinus at Bernardus Lodge along rural Carmel Valley Road, and Kurt's Carmel Chop House in Carmel. ... SF Weekly's Meredith Brody reviews Salt House (545 Mission, San Francisco). ... The paper notes the openings of: Avenue G (1570 Stockton St., SF); Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., SF), Hime (2353 Lombard St., SF), JoVino (2184 Union St., SF), Mercury Appetizer Bar (1434 Lombard St., SF), North Beach Lobster Shack (532 Green, SF), Nua Restaurant and Wine Bar (550 Green St., SF), Panera Bread (301 King St., SF), Philz Coffee (201 Berry, SF), Sotto Mare (552 Green St., SF). sfweekly.com ... San Francisco Bay Guardian critic Paul Reidinger reviews Quixote's Mexican Grill (406 Dewey Blvd., SF), while Cheap Eats visits Phnom Penh (251 Eighth St., Oakland). sfbg.com ... LA-based blogger FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews Lucky Creation (854 Washington St., San Francisco) ... 7X7 San Francisco blog spends a night at Gary Danko. http://www.7x7sf.com/eat_drink/blog ... Blogger Becks & Posh becksposhnosh.blogspot.com reviews Perbacco (230 California, SF).
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
Monday, May 21, 2007
SF Weekly's Best of San Francisco List
SF Weekly's sfweekly.com annual Best of San Francisco is out, with Coi named the critics' Best New High End Restaurant. As for the readers choices:
Best Restaurant: Delfina
Best New Restaurant: Umami
Best Chef: Craig Stoll
Best Late-Night Eats: Sparky’s
Best Hidden Restaurant: Nopa
Best Patio: The Ramp
Best Romantic Restaurant: Fleur de Lys
Best Vegetarian Restaurant: Greens
Best Seafood Restaurant: Aqua
Best Greasy Spoon: The Pork Store
Best Thai Restaurant: Marnee Thai
Best Ethiopian Restaurant: Axum Café
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant: Yumma’s Mediterranean Grill
Best Italian Restaurant: Delfina
Best Chinese Restaurant: House of Nanking
Best Greek Restaurant: Kokkari Estiatorio
Best Japanese Restaurant: Umami
Best Indian Restaurant: Naan n Curry
Best French Restaurant: Jeanty at Jack’s
Best California Cuisine: Zuni
Best Bakery: Tartine
Best Desserts: Citizen Cake
Best Ice Cream: Mitchell’s
Best Sandwiches: House of Bagels
Best Burrito: Papalote
Best Burger: Burgermeister
Best Steak: Izzy’s
Best Dim Sum: Yank Sing
Best Pizza: Little Star
Best Sushi: Ozumo
Best Brunch: Mama’s
Best Tapas/Small Plates: Cha Cha Cha
Best Barbecue: Memphis Minnie’s
Best Coffeehouse: Philz Coffee
Best Teahouse: Samovar
Best Grocery Store: Rainbow
Best Produce: Whole Foods
Best Farmers’ Market: Ferry Plaza
Best Bar: Zeitgeist
Best Brewpub: San Francisco Brewing Company
Best Wine Bar: CAV Wine Bar and Kitchen
Best Pickup Bar: Beauty Bar
Best Dyke Bar: The Lexington
Best Gay Bar: The Café
Best Hipster Bar: Zeitgeist
Best Karaoke Bar: The Mint
Best Smoking Bar: Amber
Best Happy Hour: The Elbo Room
Esquire's Best Bars Includes SF Foursome
Esquire magazine's second annual Best Bars of America list is out in the June 2007 issue. They include:
Lou's Pub & Package, Birmingham, Ala.; J Lounge, Golden Gopher, The Edison, The Broadway Bar, La Cita, Bordello, Redwood, and Bar 107, Los Angeles; Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood, Calif.; The Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills; Beach Ball, Newport Beach, Calif.; Brennan's Pub, Marina Del Ray, Calif.; Bourbon & Branch, The Owl Tree, Vesuvio, and Zeitgeist, San Francisco; The Sportsman, Sonora, Calif.; Cruise Room, and El Chapultepec, Denver; Jimbo's, and Churchill's Pub, Miami; The Clermont Lounge, Atlanta; Lewers Lounge at the Halekulani Hotel, and La Mariana Sailing Club, Honolulu; The California Clipper, The Red Lion Pub, Bungalow, The Matchbox, Hideout, and Chipp Inn, Chicago; The Red Key, and Nicky Blaine's, Indianapolis; The Old Seelbach Bar, Louisville; The Chart Room, The Bar at Tujague's, Fritzel's European Jazz Pub, and Napoleon House, New Orleans; The Brewer's Art, and Shamrock Inn, Baltimore; B-Side Lounge, Cambridge, Mass.; No. 9 Park, Boston; Doyle's Cafe, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; The Bar at Seldom Blues, Detroit; Miller's Bar, Dearborn, Mich.; Bulldog NE, and Nye's Polonaise Room, Minneapolis; Half Time Rec, St. Paul; John D. McGurk's, St. Louis; Any bar on the Strip, Double Down Saloon, and Petrossian Bar, Las Vegas; Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel, Little Branch, The Bar at Keens Steakhouse, Minetta Tavern, Jimmy's Corner, The Angel's Share, The Brooklyn Inn, The Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, Flatiron Lounge, The Saloon, San Domenico Restaurant, Spuyten Duyvil, 21 Club, Grassroots Tavern, Bill's Gay 90s, Julius', and Pegu Club, New York City; Freddy's Bar & Backroom, Brooklyn; Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, Queens; Thomas Street Tavern, Charlotte, NC; Andyman's Treehouse, Columbus, Ohio; The Library Bar & Grill, Norman, Okla.; Friendly Lounge, The Grey Lodge, and Southwark, Philadelphia; Dee's Cafe, Pittsburgh; Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and Robert's Western World, Nashville; La Tuna, San Antonio; Donn's Depot, Austin; The Inwood Lounge, Dallas; Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, Utah; Sambar, Zig Zag Cafe, and Fu Kun Wu, Seattle; Hawk 'n' Dove, and The Tune Inn, Washington, DC; Holler House, Milwaukee.
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards three stars (excellent) to Cav (1666 Market St., San Francisco) as well as to Shanghai 1930 (133 Steuart St., San Francisco), while Amanda Gold gives two stars to Apadana (555 E. Francisco Blvd., San Rafael). The paper also reports the May 14 opening of Essencia, the long-awaited restaurant from former Postrio and Hawthorne Lane chef Anne Gingrass, in San Francisco's Hayes Valley. sfgate.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Weird Fish (2193 Mission, SF), while Cheap Eats looks at Pho Clement (239 Clement, SF). sfbg.com ... The East Bay Business Times reports West Berkeley store owners are looking forward to the annual Berkeley International Food Festival, scheduled for June 24 and projected to attract at least 10,000 people ... The East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Taqueria Campos (3659 Foothill Blvd., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... InsideBayArea.com reviews Tabla Desi Cafe in Pleasanton ... Blogger Bay Area Bites stops by Piqueo's (830 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco). ... Obsessionwithfood.com rediscovers Oakland's A Cote.
Best Restaurant: Delfina
Best New Restaurant: Umami
Best Chef: Craig Stoll
Best Late-Night Eats: Sparky’s
Best Hidden Restaurant: Nopa
Best Patio: The Ramp
Best Romantic Restaurant: Fleur de Lys
Best Vegetarian Restaurant: Greens
Best Seafood Restaurant: Aqua
Best Greasy Spoon: The Pork Store
Best Thai Restaurant: Marnee Thai
Best Ethiopian Restaurant: Axum Café
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant: Yumma’s Mediterranean Grill
Best Italian Restaurant: Delfina
Best Chinese Restaurant: House of Nanking
Best Greek Restaurant: Kokkari Estiatorio
Best Japanese Restaurant: Umami
Best Indian Restaurant: Naan n Curry
Best French Restaurant: Jeanty at Jack’s
Best California Cuisine: Zuni
Best Bakery: Tartine
Best Desserts: Citizen Cake
Best Ice Cream: Mitchell’s
Best Sandwiches: House of Bagels
Best Burrito: Papalote
Best Burger: Burgermeister
Best Steak: Izzy’s
Best Dim Sum: Yank Sing
Best Pizza: Little Star
Best Sushi: Ozumo
Best Brunch: Mama’s
Best Tapas/Small Plates: Cha Cha Cha
Best Barbecue: Memphis Minnie’s
Best Coffeehouse: Philz Coffee
Best Teahouse: Samovar
Best Grocery Store: Rainbow
Best Produce: Whole Foods
Best Farmers’ Market: Ferry Plaza
Best Bar: Zeitgeist
Best Brewpub: San Francisco Brewing Company
Best Wine Bar: CAV Wine Bar and Kitchen
Best Pickup Bar: Beauty Bar
Best Dyke Bar: The Lexington
Best Gay Bar: The Café
Best Hipster Bar: Zeitgeist
Best Karaoke Bar: The Mint
Best Smoking Bar: Amber
Best Happy Hour: The Elbo Room
Esquire's Best Bars Includes SF Foursome
Esquire magazine's second annual Best Bars of America list is out in the June 2007 issue. They include:
Lou's Pub & Package, Birmingham, Ala.; J Lounge, Golden Gopher, The Edison, The Broadway Bar, La Cita, Bordello, Redwood, and Bar 107, Los Angeles; Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood, Calif.; The Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills; Beach Ball, Newport Beach, Calif.; Brennan's Pub, Marina Del Ray, Calif.; Bourbon & Branch, The Owl Tree, Vesuvio, and Zeitgeist, San Francisco; The Sportsman, Sonora, Calif.; Cruise Room, and El Chapultepec, Denver; Jimbo's, and Churchill's Pub, Miami; The Clermont Lounge, Atlanta; Lewers Lounge at the Halekulani Hotel, and La Mariana Sailing Club, Honolulu; The California Clipper, The Red Lion Pub, Bungalow, The Matchbox, Hideout, and Chipp Inn, Chicago; The Red Key, and Nicky Blaine's, Indianapolis; The Old Seelbach Bar, Louisville; The Chart Room, The Bar at Tujague's, Fritzel's European Jazz Pub, and Napoleon House, New Orleans; The Brewer's Art, and Shamrock Inn, Baltimore; B-Side Lounge, Cambridge, Mass.; No. 9 Park, Boston; Doyle's Cafe, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; The Bar at Seldom Blues, Detroit; Miller's Bar, Dearborn, Mich.; Bulldog NE, and Nye's Polonaise Room, Minneapolis; Half Time Rec, St. Paul; John D. McGurk's, St. Louis; Any bar on the Strip, Double Down Saloon, and Petrossian Bar, Las Vegas; Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel, Little Branch, The Bar at Keens Steakhouse, Minetta Tavern, Jimmy's Corner, The Angel's Share, The Brooklyn Inn, The Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, Flatiron Lounge, The Saloon, San Domenico Restaurant, Spuyten Duyvil, 21 Club, Grassroots Tavern, Bill's Gay 90s, Julius', and Pegu Club, New York City; Freddy's Bar & Backroom, Brooklyn; Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, Queens; Thomas Street Tavern, Charlotte, NC; Andyman's Treehouse, Columbus, Ohio; The Library Bar & Grill, Norman, Okla.; Friendly Lounge, The Grey Lodge, and Southwark, Philadelphia; Dee's Cafe, Pittsburgh; Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and Robert's Western World, Nashville; La Tuna, San Antonio; Donn's Depot, Austin; The Inwood Lounge, Dallas; Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, Utah; Sambar, Zig Zag Cafe, and Fu Kun Wu, Seattle; Hawk 'n' Dove, and The Tune Inn, Washington, DC; Holler House, Milwaukee.
IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle's Michael Bauer awards three stars (excellent) to Cav (1666 Market St., San Francisco) as well as to Shanghai 1930 (133 Steuart St., San Francisco), while Amanda Gold gives two stars to Apadana (555 E. Francisco Blvd., San Rafael). The paper also reports the May 14 opening of Essencia, the long-awaited restaurant from former Postrio and Hawthorne Lane chef Anne Gingrass, in San Francisco's Hayes Valley. sfgate.com ... The Bay Guardian's Paul Reidinger reviews Weird Fish (2193 Mission, SF), while Cheap Eats looks at Pho Clement (239 Clement, SF). sfbg.com ... The East Bay Business Times reports West Berkeley store owners are looking forward to the annual Berkeley International Food Festival, scheduled for June 24 and projected to attract at least 10,000 people ... The East Bay Express' John Birdsall reviews Taqueria Campos (3659 Foothill Blvd., Oakland). eastbayexpress.com ... InsideBayArea.com reviews Tabla Desi Cafe in Pleasanton ... Blogger Bay Area Bites stops by Piqueo's (830 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco). ... Obsessionwithfood.com rediscovers Oakland's A Cote.
Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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