tablehopper

letter from the tablehopper: June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

I don't really need to explain why this week's issue is royally abridged—things are heatin' up in manuscript land. Or at least are gettin' heavy. The first part of my manuscript is due Monday… eep. May stress-related temporary blindness or carpal tunnel syndrome be things I've only heard about.

Anyway, I was fired up to learn from a couple readers that tablehopper won "Best Bay Area Scoop" in the San Francisco Magazine The Best of the Bay Area 2009: Readers' Poll! Had I been able to attend last week's Best of the Bay party, I might have learned this myself. Glad someone is out there partying and reading on my behalf. Thanks for the votes, yo! Charmed.

One small break I had from burning up my keyboard (no joke, the comma and "A" buttons currently need to be replaced) was filming my first Eye On The Bay segment with Liam Mayclem on Friday. We did a full-tilt, no-tables-but-much-hopping tour around town, scouting out street food. It was like a five-hour lunch.

Photo: chicken and waffle from Little Skillet.

Our first stop was Kitchenette in Dogpatch (uh, if you ever see the Lexington-style pork BBQ sandwich on the daily menu, drop everything and head over there, stat); we snarfed some chicken and waffles (and biscuits and sausage gravy and red velvet cupcakes and shrimp po'boys and bacon-wrapped waffle dogs) at Little Skillet; then headed off for a sneak preview of Carte 415 (the croque monsieur is one of those sandwiches you have to suspend fat gram belief over if you're going to enjoy it—which I did); and finished with some fully-loaded Chicago dogs at Da Beef.

The entire afternoon was like an episode of When Animals Attack. I'd love to have Liam as my wingman in a professional tag-team dining competition; in the ring, his trademark move would be unleashing some "Mayclem Mayhem." Meanwhile, I'd be responsible for the "tablehopper Hoover Maneuver." Sunday Sunday Sunday! Anyway, I'll let you know when it's about to air, (naturally) we had a blast.

Otherwise my nose has either been to the grindstone, or in a menu. Last week was yet another tour de force(meat): a sunset dinner at Sutro's at the Cliff House, drinks and dinner at the bar at Michael Mina (did you know you can order a la carte off the tasting menu at the bar?), a slam-dunk meal at Contigo (can't wait to have the sardines and avocado on toast again), an intimate dinner at Olea (perfect for a quiet date or tête a tête), some killer chilaquiles at Los Pastores, and eggs Benedict while Sunday brunching on the oh-so-civilized garden patio at Magic Flute. Oh yeah, and revisits to Firefly and Street for my fried chicken tour, plus Globe, and Brazenhead. I'm gonna have to go to a fat farm when this manuscript is turned in, mamma mia.

And now, this week's issue of tablehopper lite: easy on your eyes, and the clock.

Have a Happy Fourth of July this weekend—may your briquettes burn evenly, your burgers be juicy, and your fleece remain in the closet.

Ciao/kapow!
~Marcia

the chatterbox: June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

The opening for ~TRADEMARK~ in the former Voda space in Belden Alley is looking like this Friday, or next Monday. To recap, this 85-seater is from Peter Snyderman of Elite Café and the Café Bastille/Plouf/B44 crew of Olivier Azancot and Eric Klein. The deets: it's a contemporary American grill, with full liquor and custom cocktails, a 70-bottle wine list, and yay, outdoor seating (heated, natch). The chef is the executive chef of The Elite Café, Jerry Mendoza. A peek at a preliminary menu includes potential dishes like Niman Ranch sirloin rolls stuffed with sweet peppers and Vidalia onions; six tasty-sounding salads, like grilled summer corn salad with fire roasted peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, crumbled feta, and chipotle vinaigrette; and main dishes like bacon-wrapped red trout with beluga lentils, braised escarole, fingerling potatoes, and sherry vinaigrette. Dinner Mon–Sat, lunch Mon–Fri, and open continuously during the afternoon hours. 56 Belden Place at Sutter, 415-397-8800.

Got word that ~THE PUB~ is opening this Thursday in the former O'Neill's spot at Ghirardelli Square. Look for a Southern (and value-priced) menu with BBQ ribs, brisket, hot links, and chicken in a signature Southern style (saucier), plus Cajun-style numbers like jambalaya, dirty rice, and corn bread. Scott Broccoli (my new favorite in industry names, sorry Emily Wines and Pierre Mangé, you've been bumped!), Barbi Tice, and Tom Whalen are behind the project. Barbi Tice and Scott Broccoli jointly own Aces at Sutter, and Barbi Tice is a partner in the Bell Tower on Polk Street. There will be 60 seats inside (including large booths) and 24 outside on the heated outdoor patio with waterfront views. Food served daily from 11am–10pm, with a bar menu from 10pm–1:30am. Validated parking is available at the Ghirardelli Square garage. 851 Beach St. (the North side of Ghirardelli Square), 415-351-0500.

And now, the pizza report:

Fantastico! Tony Gemignani's ~TONY'S PIZZA NAPOLETANA~ opened this past weekend in the former La Felce/Lou's space on Washington Square. I gotta tell ya, I am mighty excited to try this pizza. I looked at the menu, and here's how the margherita ($18), which was the 2007 World Pizza Cup winner in Naples, Italy breaks down: the dough is mixed by hand using San Felice flour and then proofed in Neapolitan wood boxes, topped with San Marzano tomatoes DOP, sea salt, fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil from Campania; limited to 73 per day. There are a variety of pizzas, including calzone, stromboli, Sicilian pizza a teglia, and pastas, plus there is a kid's menu. The space has about 75 seats inside, sporting a New York/Milano classic pizza place look, a bit 1950s in style. The dining room is definitely family friendly, but there is also a full bar for those who want to hang out at the bar instead. And bonus, there should be 26 seats available outside, hopefully by this weekend. Line for a table too long? You can also do takeout. To read past tablehopper details about the project, including the four pizza ovens in use, Tony's unique team-building classes, and his pizza school (which has classes for the home chef or pro—and students are then able to buy the special ingredients Tony uses directly from him), click here and scroll down. Hours are Wed–Sun 12pm–10pm, with later hours Fri–Sun (it's a little TBD at the moment since it's the opening month). 1570 Stockton St. at Union, 415-835-9888.

And here's more on the pizza place called ~PI BAR~ opening in the former Suriya Thai space: look for hand-thrown, New York style-pizza and specialty items paired with local craft beer and wine. Owners Richard Rosen (who will continue working with his partners in the Chenery Park/Eureka group) and Jennifer Garris intend to keep the space open and simple—they opted to open up the kitchen so kids can watch the pizza man do his thing. The owners are focused on using local ingredients, and organic ingredients when feasible. The place will ideally have 65 seats (permits pending), and they plan to serve until midnight. They are shooting for a mid-August or early September opening. 1432 Valencia St. at 25th St.

What's more popular than pizza right now? That's right, hot dogs. Here's the latest:

First up, the Foreign Cinema duo of Gayle Pirie and John Clark are getting close on opening their hot dog shop, ~SHOWDOGS~. The name is inspired by all the neighboring theaters, like the Golden Gate Theater, which is just across the street (not to be confused with the Crazy Horse Theater—and you can just keep those hot dog jokes to yourself, okay?). There will be something like 13 dogs, all from various makers, like Let's Be Frank, 4505 Meats, Fatted Calf, and more. They are also having Acme make a custom sesame bun for them. All the condiments will be house-made, so there will be an ancho BBQ sauce to go with the Louisiana hot link, for example, or the Fatted Calf knockwurst will come with piperade and raita. Yup, these are some gourmet dogs! They will cost around $8 or so. There will also be corndogs, plus some killer beer-battered onion rings and fries with "spicy dust" (which sounds like something you could buy in the neighborhood). Local beers on tap, too. There will be 25 seats, with white marble tables. The hours will be Mon–Sat 11am–8:30pm. 1020 Market St. at Taylor.

~BIX~ is kicking off Martinis and Weenies, a happy hour that runs Mon–Thu from 4:30pm–6:30pm. You'll be able to order a featured premium martini (the booze will change weekly) for $7.50 (regular price $10–$11), which will be served with complimentary pigs in a blanket: Schwarz frankfurters wrapped in homemade brioche dough and Dijon mustard. 56 Gold St. off Montgomery St. between Jackson and Pacific, 415-433-6300.

Starting today, ~LET'S BE FRANK~ is offering a special Twofer Tuesday deal: any two dogs at a special price of two for $8 (regularly priced at $11). Available all day every Tuesday. They are also hoping their beer and wine license will be ready any day now. Did you know the doghouse is open until 2am Fri–Sat, and they are delivering to local bars in the Marina?! Just give 'em a call from yer barstool (or if you are too incapacitated, have your bartender call for you). 3318 Steiner St. at Chestnut, 415-675-6755.

A sweet treat in the Marina: ~MIETTE~ on Chestnut just started making ice cream sandwiches using their house-made graham crackers and ice cream from Three Twins. There are two kinds: graham cracker with sweet cream, and chocolate wafer with mint confetti, each $4 a pop. They will also be available at the Octavia shop this weekend, but not at the Ferry Building for a while. 2109 Chestnut St. at Steiner, 415-359-0628.

An interesting tidbit: a retail shop selling honey and beekeeping supplies, ~HER MAJESTY'S SECRET BEEKEEPER~, has opened in the Mission. Owner and beekeeper Cameo Wood will be carrying up to 15 different kinds of honeys from around California, four of them local (the numbers will increase in time). There are also honey-based body products, like lip balm. This week the shop will be open every day from 12pm–7pm, but closed on Saturday July 4th, and open again on Sunday the 5th. Normal business hours will be Wed–Sun 12pm–7pm. 3540 20th St. at Valencia, 415-744-1465.

Starting this Saturday July 4th (if everything goes according to plan), ~PIAZZA PELLEGRINI~ will be serving takeaway panini from the cable car next door to the restaurant, kind of like an Italian taco truck. On the menu: porchetta panini (pulled pork with a special sauce), Italian sausage panini with a red and yellow bell pepper sauce, and an Italian meatball panino with a marina sauce. There will also be granita al caffè, which has me fired up to head on over, like, now. Everything will be priced under $10. The owner, Dario Hadjian, has surrounded the area with plants and flowers, and has set up mosaic cafe tables and chairs. Hours will be 7am–8pm. This Saturday, Dario will donate 20 percent of sales from the cable car to the Telegraph Hill Community Center. 659 Columbus Ave. at Union, 415-397-7355.

More on the project moving into the former Asqew Grill space in the Castro: it is going to be called ~STARBELLY~. Also got an update on some potential items on chef Adam Timney's menu: there will be a pizza oven and a rotisserie, so you can look for dishes like porchetta and pasture-raised chicken, plus house-made charcuterie, a Prather Ranch burger with aged cheddar and house-made pickle, and seasonal vegetable dishes like romano beans with roasted tomato sauce and raw feta, or creamed local corn with mascarpone. Opening in fall 2009. 3583 16th St. at Market.

Author Giulia Melucci (I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti) is going to be at ~OMNIVORE BOOKS ON FOOD~ for a reading and book signing next Saturday July 11th at 3pm. Her book is sitting here on my bookshelf, waiting for me to crack it in August when I finally get to read instead of just write, can't wait. Author Emily Franklin of Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and 102 Recipes will also be there to discuss food, love, kids, men, and cooking. There is also a fried chicken taste-off at the shop on July 7th! Read all about it and other events here. 3885-A Cesar Chavez St. at Church, 415-282-4712..

Unless you know some hunter types, it can be difficult to score a taste of wild game. So I thought you'd like to know about this event sooner rather than later: ~COOKWITHJAMES~ is hosting a wild game dinner on Saturday August 1st. The dinner will feature an assortment of wild game animals and birds, many cooked over a wood fire on a Tuscan grill inside Stolich's fireplace. Click the link for more on the menu and details! Cost is $95 per person (wine is BYOB). Space is limited.

I thought folks in San Mateo and Pleasant Hill should know their ~LEFT BANK~ brasseries have unfortunately closed. (The Pleasant Hill location had been in business since October 2000, and San Mateo since November 2003.) Alas, the recession proved too challenging to weather. The Left Bank restaurants in Larkspur, Menlo Park, and San Jose have been less impacted by the recession.

Seems owner James Syhabout (formerly of Manresa) has been trying to keep media away from the real opening date of his restaurant, ~COMMIS~ (it went into the previous Jojo space). Well, it's open. When I spoke with him a month ago, he said it has 30 seats and an open kitchen, and the seasonal menu will stylistically be fine dining that is laid back and fun (as Syhabout summarized, "serious food but relaxing, like Aziza"). Commis has a prix-fixe menu, currently $49 (no idea if this is just for the opening). Since it's been difficult to get any real information, I'll let these additional details on Yelp fill you in, and someone mailed an initial menu to Eater. Open Wed–Sun. 3859 Piedmont Ave. at Rio Vista, Oakland, 510-653-3902.

~PICÁN RESTAURANT~ in Oakland's Uptown has started serving lunch and brunch. Lunch is Mon–Fri from 11:30am–2pm, and Sunday brunch is 10:30am–3pm. The line-up includes buttermilk biscuits and gravy, a pimiento cheeseburger, and a smoked chicken, fried green tomato, and little gem lettuce salad with buttermilk dressing. 2295 Broadway at 23rd St., Oakland, 510-834-1000.

the lush: June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

If all goes well, Bourbon & Branch's ~RICKHOUSE~ will be soft opening this Wednesday. (It's the bar that is opening in the former Ginger's Trois space in the Financial District.) It's quite the looker—you can take a peek at some preliminary pics on Alcademics. According to the B&B website, "The focus is going to be modern-takes on vintage and obscure classics with an emphasis on a diverse option of choices." If you want to read more back-story on it, here's a tablehopper mention. 246 Kearny St. at Sutter, 415-398-2827. (Photo: Camper English/Alcademics.)

And in North Beach, Dario Zucconi of Tommaso's has opened his ~THE VIN CLUB WINE BAR~. The wine bar is currently in the middle of its soft opening, with the grand opening scheduled for Wednesday July 1st. (In case you're wondering where it is, it was previously Broadway Joe's.) There will be an extensive selection of wines by the taste, glass, and bottle available, plus specialty cheeses, salumi, charcuterie plates, panini, and homemade desserts. The looks is a classic, contemporary wine lounge with mahogany floors, 12-foot ceilings, hand-blown pendant lights, and a custom-built bar crafted from wooden wine box tops. Open Wed–Thu 4pm–11pm, Fri 4pm–12:30am, Sat 12pm–12:30am, Sun 12pm–10pm. 515 Broadway St. at Kearny, 415-277-7228.

I'm lucky to have a somm friend I can call when I need to figure out what will pair best with some vittles I'm cooking up at home (with the occasional call or text while I am at a restaurant). But, sometimes I am outta luck, which is when the ~DRINKS MATCHER FROM NAT DECANTS~ is my friend—you just enter in the food you're trying to pair with, or if you have a special wine and you're trying to figure out what would pair best with it, you just enter the wine. And how handy, there is now a Drinks Matcher mobile application for iPhone, iPod Touch, and BlackBerry, with 380,000 wine and food pairings in all. I haven't had a chance to check out the mobile app, but The Nat Decants Drinks Matcher is $2.99 and you can download it from the online stores for iPhone or BlackBerry—here's the link to the homepage for the Mobile Matcher.

Winos, it's about that time: every wine list at each of ~LARK CREEK RESTAURANT GROUP'S~ Bay Area restaurants (One Market Restaurant, LarkCreekSteak, The Tavern at Lark Creek, Lark Creek Walnut Creek, Yankee Pier in Larkspur, Lafayette, and Santana Row, and Parcel 104) will be offered at half price for brunch, lunch, and dinner throughout the entire month of July.

the starlet: June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

(Anyone want to play six degrees of Kevin Bacon with this lineup? It's quite the hodgepodge.)

A tablehopper reader spotted Jeffery Self from Logo Network's Jeffery & Cole Casserole having drinks in the lounge at Jardinière last Thursday.

Matthew McConaughey had dinner with five friends at Spruce.

Cloris Leachman dined at Fish & Farm.

Mackenzie Astin, known as Andy of The Facts of Life, brother of Sean Astin, and son of Patty Duke and John Astin (Gomez from The Addams Family) was spotted at Zeitgeist last Tuesday evening sharing a pitcher with a female friend out on the back patio. He was in town to see his mother in Wicked.

Sean Penn was in the back garden at Tipsy Pig last night with three buddies enjoying some beers.

the matchmaker: June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

A16 is looking for a strong, experienced line cook with a passion for rustic Southern Italian cuisine to join our team. Please either come by the restaurant (2355 Chestnut) with resume in hand or email Liza Shaw at liza [at] a16sf [dot] com.

letter from the tablehopper: June 23, 2009

2009-06-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

(Photo: Eggs in a cazuela from brunch at Olea.)

This book is putting me into overdrive, packing my calendar full of restaurant revisits and fab tastes around town (I will admit, I love what is "research" for me right now), including the divine hummus and baked-to-order pita at Terzo, a totally authentic Thai feast at Lers Ros in the Tenderloin, ridiculously decadent A5 Wagyu beef at 5A5 Steak Lounge, properly made mint juleps at The Alembic, a warm banh mi from Irving Café and Deli, a cozy brunch at Olea, and a balmy Sunday night dinner of cebiche, causas, and anticuchos de corazon on the back patio at La Mar. I am just itching to write so many of these meals up—but darn, it'll be another four weeks.

The most memorable happening of last week was the closing dinner at Postrio on Wednesday night. I swung by with a friend after our Thai feast to have some dessert and a drink and watch the final night wrap up. The dining room was a swirl of activity and color and flash—society ladies in brightly colored dresses, gents spiffed up with polished teeth and shoes, tables full of wine glasses and temporary tablehopping guests. Denise Hale was tucked into a power booth with Tatiana and Serge Sorokko, all looking so chic and smiling even more broadly as the night (and wine) wore on.

It was quite the who's who of chefs, either in the kitchen (Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal, Craig Stoll, Richard Reddington, Quinn Hatfield, who flew up from Los Angeles, David Gingrass, Anne Gingrass-Paik, Jordan Grosser, and Janet Rikala), to Kim Beto pouring wine and working the floor, plus chefs dining, from Roland Passot to Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, to chefs hanging out in the kitchen after service in their own restaurants, like Jan Birnbaum and Chad Newton. Say what you will about Postrio; what is irrefutable is so much local talent has come from its kitchen. Everyone was raving about the food, doubly delicious since the restaurant had kindly chosen to roll back to 1989 prices (so classy, I thought).

And, of course, the ever-ebullient Wolfgang Puck was making his way around the room, kindly greeting everyone, shaking hands, and signing last-meal menus. There was so much warmth in the room—it made me reflect on what a close-knit city we really have. Here's a Flickr photo album I took of the evening.

It truly was a bittersweet night; I spoke with Mitch Rosenthal for a moment, who said, "20 years, man. It's been such a night of good memories, and a fun one too, but it's also really, really sad. So many people are losing their jobs, people who have been here a long, long time." (Here's hoping they all land in good places—chef Seis Kamimura is very talented, and the restaurant that snaps up the ever-gracious GM James Minch is one lucky business.)

I have to hand it to Willie Brown, who was beaming like a proud papa (with a huge table of guests, natch). He led such a fitting and fantastic toast, with one of my favorite lines I've heard in a while: "Here's to Postrio, a San Francisco icon, like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pyramid, and me!" (The room exploded in laughter.) I also took a video of Wolfgang Puck's final toast if you'd like to watch it (please excuse a couple bad orientation moments, I forgot my screen and the video have zero relation to each other, oops—I blame the wine).

So, as for the immediate fate of the restaurant, the bar and café will continue to be open from morning through the evening hours, keeping the pizza oven fired up, churning out Puck's famed pizzas. Once the Prescott Hotel's renovation is underway, the café will close. We'll see what Puck's new concept is soon enough. It's slated to reopen in late 2010.

A sincere cheers to 20 very special years.

As for this week's issue, a big thanks to Evan Goldstein, who wrote an interesting piece on non-native/"expatriate" grapes for the wino. You'll also find plenty of other reasons to raise a glass in this week's lush.

Here's looking at you, kid.
~Marcia

the chatterbox: June 23, 2009

2009-06-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

What is touted to be the City's greenest café, ~THE PLANT CAFE ORGANIC~ will open this Thursday June 25th in Pier 3 on the city's waterfront, just north of the Ferry Building. It's a spacious one: 4,600 square feet, and 112 seats. CCS Architecture/Cass Calder Smith designed the space (La Mar, Perbacco, Delica rf-1, Terzo, Restaurant Lulu, and the Plant Cafe Organic's Steiner Street location are other CCS-designed spaces). There will be plenty of natural light, views of the Bay, natural wood furnishings, a private patio on the waterfront, and a live-fire pizza oven. Flora Grubb will also design and install a living green wall, made with air plants in the dining room. The south space will feature quick-service organic coffee, pastries, lunches, dinners, and grab-and-go items (like soba noodles, quinoa, etc.), while the north space will provide a full-service lunch and dinner menu (items are $20 and under). Both spaces will be lined with sidewalk seating on the Embarcadero.

For those who aren't familiar with the Marina location, The Plant Cafe Organic (formerly known as lettüs) serves an almost purely organic (95%) and primarily locally sourced menu—but to clarify, it's not just vegetarian. There will be fresh juices and smoothies, soups, salads (like one of avocado, ruby red grapefruit, arugula, and creamy black pepper and macadamia nut dressing), and sandwiches (like BBQ chicken or tempeh with chipotle BBQ sauce, roasted red onion, cheddar cheese, and garlic aioli), plus organic appetizers (how about some oysters, or spicy fava bean and cherry tomato bruschetta?), entrées (including my favorite vegetarian burger), pizza (there's one of roasted chicken, caramelized onion, Point Reyes blue cheese, fennel soubise), organic beer and wines, cocktails (like the honeycomb colada with coconut milk, organic pineapple juice, rum chilled with local honeycomb, garnished with toasted coconut flakes), and house-made desserts.

Here's more on how green the project is: the sustainably designed restaurant space utilizes non-toxic, natural, and in many cases recycled building materials plus solar panels on the roof; take-out packaging is either recyclable or biodegradable; all paper materials use recycled paper; and all biodegradable waste will be composted. The Plant also serves free, filtered water (both flat and carbonated). Café hours are 7:30am–10pm, with the sit-down menu served from 11am–10pm. Pier 3, at Jackson.

This just in: ~CANE ROSSO~, the project from Daniel Patterson and Lauren Kiino at the Ferry Building Marketplace (in the former Mistral space) has an opening date: Monday July 13th. They are just finishing construction this week, and it's reportedly looking pretty darned good. The chef is Doug Borkowski, who was most recently a sous chef at Google. Before that, he worked together with Kiino for five years at Delfina. I will share more details about the concept, hours, etc. next week. 1 Ferry Plaza.

According to some liquor license permit changes, looks like the gents from Tonic on Polk (Ben Bleiman, Duncan Ley) are taking over ~BAR JOHNNY~. I didn't hear back from either party by post-time, so I will have more details about the fate of Russian Hill's late-night burger next week. 2209 Polk St. at Vallejo, 415-268-0140.

A few more details about the place I mentioned last week that is opening in the now-closed City Grille: ~BISTRO 24~ (site not live yet). (This is a project from Stefano Coppola of Lupa.) The chef is Pierre Mangé (how's that for a last name for a chef?), formerly an opening sous at Contigo, a lead line cook at SPQR, and a sous at Chow. The new contemporary American comfort menu (with some international and Mediterranean influences) will include 10–15 small plates ranging from $5.50–$11, plus main dishes. Look for a rotating menu of dishes like lamb sliders, grilled oysters, and mac and cheese, all made with quality and sustainable products. The wine list is getting revamped, with up to 50 international wines, and 15–20 by the glass. The place is also getting repainted, with new artwork, and candles on the tables. The opening should be around July 1st or so. 4123 24th St. at Castro, 415-285-2400.

Also in Noe Valley: a ~LA BOULANGE~ will be opening in the Noe Valley Pizza space, probably late this fall. No word on when Noe Valley Pizza will close since it's hard to tell when permits will go through. I spoke with Bay Bread's Thomas Lefort, who mentioned they are going to be putting some outdoor seating and benches on the sides of the corner building. 3898 24th St. at Sanchez.

After that unfortunate (but fortunately contained) fire three-and-a-half weeks ago, ~E & O TRADING COMPANY~ is back open. 314 Sutter St. at Grant, 415-693-0303.

Lunchtime in SoMa just keeps getting better: yesterday ~TOWN HALL~ kicked off their first lunchtime BBQ in the courtyard flanking the restaurant, serving fried chicken sandwiches for $9 (they do some of my favorite fried chicken in SF), a smoked and grilled andouille po' boy for $8 (look for other kinds of sausages in the future), and their St. Louis spareribs with sides, plus cookies and Town Hall's famous butterscotch pot de crème for dessert. In the future, Mitch Rosenthal said to look for some quirky specials, like BBQ baloney or a Taylor pork roll, a Jersey-style sandwich he remembers from his childhood. (Follow menu updates on their Twitter feed.) The Town Hall folks have been trying to work out a take-out concept for a while, so it seems they have found it. The first day was all hands on deck, since over 150 people showed up. You can enter the courtyard either off Fremont or Howard—it's just north of the restaurant. Hours are Mon–Fri 11:30am–2pm, and there are high hopes to do a happy hour in the future (maybe… and with grilled oysters, can you imagine?). 342 Howard St. at Fremont, 415-908-3900.

Meanwhile, over at their sister restaurant, ~ANCHOR & HOPE~, it looks like the already-popular beer selection is seriously ramping up. They brought on Eric Cripe from The Jug Shop to consult on the list, and are putting in 16 taps, plus they will have a beer engine to hand pump beer from casks (how British), and eventually will have 60–80 bottles. The menu is already quite beer-friendly, so this is going to be a fun program to see take shape. The new beer list will be in place on July 8th, when Anchor & Hope kicks off a happy hour with $1 oysters, and chef Sarah Schafer is making some sausages (she's actually using the first smoker Town Hall bought since they are now on their third). 83 Minna St. at 2nd St., 415-501-9100.

John Quintos of Cento (the awesome alley café next to Little Skillet) just opened an offshoot kiosk on Monday, ~VEGA AT LANGTON~. There is Blue Bottle Coffee espresso and a drip bar (and the wonderful New Orleans iced coffee), but no French press. The Little Skillet/330 Ritch kitchen is baking some sweet baked goods for the kiosk, like bread pudding, scones, and other goodies, some with a little bit of a Southern bent. Hours are currently 8:30am–3:30pm, and they may extend until 6pm or so later on. 1246 Folsom St. at 8th St.

Speaking of Cento, looks like both Cento and Little Skillet will be open on the weekends, starting July 11th. Cento's hours will be Sat–Sun 8am–4pm, and Little Skillet will be open on Saturdays from 9am–3:30pm. Mmmmm, fried chicken and waffles and breakfast po' boys and coffee weekends are imminent! 330 and 360 Ritch St. at Townsend.

While we're on chicken and waffles, ~GUSSIE'S~ keeps getting closer: now we're looking at July 6th. More on this soon! 1521 Eddy St. at Fillmore.

Say prost over this good news for ~SCHMIDT'S DELI~: after some tedious delays, their beer and wine license is in effect! Dinner service will be kicking off on July 7th. Hours will then be Tue–Sun 11am–11pm (no more lunch service on Mondays). 2400 Folsom St. at 20th St., 415-410-0200.

Looks like ~GOOD EVENING THURSDAY~, the weekly secret steakhouse upstairs at Bruno's in the Pussycat Lounge, is wrapping up at the end of July as OPEN Restaurant prepares for an event at SFMOMA in October. So get your booty over there soon if you want to experience it! Every Thursday from 7pm–2am. 2389 Mission St. at 20th St. For reservations, contact goodeveningthursday [at] gmail [dot] com.

After 20 years in business, the owners of neighborhood fixture ~NEW SAIGON RESTAURANT~ are retiring, and a place called ~MATCHA SUSHI~ is taking its place. Look for the change to happen in July or so. 915 Kearny St. at Jackson, 415-982-3853.

Pizza news: according to permits, a pizza places called ~PI BAR~ is coming to the Mission in the former Suriya Thai space. More details coming atcha if and when the owners (Richard Rosen and Jennifer Garris) get in touch with me. Anyone? Bueller? 1432 Valencia St. at 25th St.

In three or four months, Hayes Valley's ~PATXI'S PIZZA~ is going to be opening a location for their deep-dish pizza in the Marina. The spacious location is opening in a new building, and will have a large zinc-topped bar (25 feet long), plus room for 40 seated in the dining room, with banquettes and a communal table, and a mezzanine that will be the perfect party spot, with room for 20. There will also be 16 outdoor seats with heat lamps, and it's on the sunny side of Fillmore, bonus. There will be 30 wines, and 10 beers on tap. Lunch and dinner will be served daily. 3318 Fillmore St. at Chestnut. (Photo from Patxi's Pizza.)

FYI, ~COI~ will be closed from June 28th–July 8th or so for a kitchen upgrade. 373 Broadway at Montgomery, 415-393-9000.

The tablehopper tipster Jason B. writes: "In Embarcadero 5, Saigon Deli Express (not sure who used to be here) and Rosanero Pizza (used to be Parkway Pizza) opened, and Mediterranean Fresh (kebabs, platters, the usual) has taken over Mama Lucy's" in SoMa (1 Gilbert St. at Bryant, 415-252-9464).

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (it's for charity) is on, running from June 20th–28th. Thanks to tablehopper reader Susan W. who tipped me off about the ~VIOLET SWEET SHOPPE~. A variety of 100% vegan baked goods made with organic, local, and fair-trade ingredients were available at Little Otsu over the weekend, and at the Hemlock on Monday night. Not sure about any future Violet Sweet Shoppe bake sale locations—check the website for details. Here's the menu, which includes items like cupcakes, peanut butter cookies, and gingerbread sandwich cookies. You can make special orders on the site. (Photo from Violet Sweet Shoppe.)

And this Saturday June 27th, the writers behind SF blogs The Urban Housewife and Vegansaurus! are putting on ~TWO MORE VEGAN BAKE SALES~ for the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. There will be cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pie, whoopie pies, and more. There will also be gluten-free options and treats for dogs. Additionally, a selection of cupcakes will be provided by local vegan bakery Sugar Beat Sweets. Sales will benefit Animal Place (a sanctuary for abused and discarded farmed animals) and East Bay Animal Animal Advocates. Saturday June 27th from 11am–4pm at 3506 16th St. at Sanchez, in front of Ike's Place, and Sunday June 28th from 11am–4pm in the 800 block of Capp St. near 24th St.

More sweets: MenuPages had the scoop on ~SWEET~ on Church, "a new confectionary … in the tiny space between Sparky's and Crepevine, the Small Potatoes [Catering] off-shoot deals in cakes, cookies, candy, and other tooth-rotting things. There was a chalkboard out front advertising cupcakes, but the last one had just been sold minutes before our arrival. We did manage to sample the house-made spiced caramel (caramel laced with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon), which was a lot like eating a caramel apple without the annoying apple part. They also had regular caramel apples on the shelf (if that's your thing), along with rocky road, and fresh marshmallows." The website also mentions root beer float or Mexican red chili chocolate cupcakes, and a peppered peanut brittle. I also wanna know about their "I F***ed Up" gift box, hilarious. (I just don't want anyone to eff up with me so I get it.) Open Sun–Thu 11am–7pm, Fri–Sat 11am–8pm. 218 Church St. at Market, 415-552-8992.

Also this Thursday June 25th, Fran Gage is coming to the ~THE TYLER FLORENCE SHOP~. Fran, who owned Fran Gage Patisserie for 10 years in San Francisco and is a noted food writer, will be signing her new book, The New American Olive Oil and conducting an olive oil tasting from 6pm–8pm. 59 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley.

I wouldn't delay on getting tickets for this event on Tuesday July 7th, the latest in the ~A MOVEABLE FEAST~ series to benefit CUESA. At Aziza restaurant, join executive chef Mourad Lahlou and James Syhabout, formerly chef de cuisine of Manresa (and opening Commis in Oakland later this year) as they highlight farmer Jesse Kuhn's produce from Marin Roots Farm. $80, or $100 including wine, inclusive of tax and gratuity (a percentage of each ticket cost will benefit CUESA). 7pm. Aziza Restaurant, 5800 Geary Blvd. at 22nd Ave.

A couple all-you-can-consume meal deals (consider yourself warned):

Why stop at all-you-can-drink mimosas, when there are still wines and beer to consume? ~CIRCA~ is kicking off Pink Wednesdays: for $19, you can take your pick from a couple salads, and for an entrée, you can choose from a half-pound hamburger or turkey burger and French fries, or a roasted half-chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables, or fish and chips. Oh yeah, and you get bottomless wine (white or red) or beer (Coors Light, hmmm). Dinner seating starts at 5:30pm, and a DJ will be coming in at 8pm. Once you're good and heated, you can continue your buzz at the bar, which is where 10% of all sales from 8pm–12am will be donated to the Komen San Francisco Race for the Cure, which is on September 27th. Pink Wednesdays will be happening every Wednesday until the race. 2001 Chestnut St. at Fillmore, 415-351-0175.

This isn't really helping our seafood population in our oceans, but here goes: ~OZUMO RESTAURANT IN OAKLAND~ has announced the introduction of Sushi Mondays with an "all you can eat" menu priced at $30 per person, offered every Monday night from 5pm–10pm. The special is available only at the restaurant's sushi bar and includes rolls, nigiri, and select appetizers prepared by master sushi chef Ido Kiyotaka. Guests who choose to make reservations are asked to mention that they will be coming in specifically for Sushi Monday; walk-in diners are also welcome. 2251 Broadway at Grand, Oakland, 510-286-9866.

the lush: June 23, 2009

2009-06-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our city's electronic ABC permit system, yesterday I noticed what the location of Martin Cate's ~SMUGGLERS COVE~ is going to be, and I didn't even have to suffer through the brain teaser (or hurter) Cate has been hosting (it was designed to reveal the location to those who solve the online puzzle). Since Eater and MenuPages let the cat out of the bag, I'll just link to their sites with the news about the Hayes Valley location since there may still be some folks playing the game who don't want to know the answer. The good news for those still playing the game and who do know the location: per MenuPages, "The location reveal won't affect the contest, Cate said. People still have to solve the online clues in order to win." I'll share more details about the where and when soon.

Starting this Wednesday June 24th, Ronaldo Colli (Americano's bartender who won this year's U.S. Bartenders' Guild Association contest during Cocktail Week), is presenting customers with the opportunity to learn his tricks of the trade. Every Wednesday, Colli will show guests at ~AMERICANO~ how to make his famous $6 cocktails, providing pointers on preparing the Kama Sutra, a margarita, and a daiquiri, just to name a few. Guests can also enjoy $3 antipasti, like marinated mushrooms. Come to Americano between 6pm–7pm each Wednesday and you will receive a complimentary cocktail (based on the week's cocktail). Wednesdays until August 26th. 8 Mission St. at Embarcadero, 415-278-3777.

Want more free drinks? Of course you do. This is why you're even reading the lush section to begin with. A tablehopper reader wanted to point out this little promo at ~TROPISUENO~: bring in five friends for drinks at the bar in the evening, and you (the host) get to drink for free for the entire evening. (Does not apply to parties with dinner reservations.) Time to round up your buddies—and I hear Manuel's margaritas are pretty dang sabrocito. 75 Yerba Buena Lane at Market, 415-243-0299.

It's almost the end of the month-long promo, but I thought you'd like to know that next Monday at ~APERTO~ in Potrero Hill, all of their wines by the glass are half-off. 1434 18th St. at Connecticut, 415-252-1625.

Every Tuesday at ~PISCO LATIN LOUNGE~ is La Escuelita (the "little schoolhouse") with musical host Juan Data showing you the ropes about retro Latino, pop sintetico, old school, and dance nostalgia music from throughout the Spanish-speaking world. There will also be cocktails using Lotus Vodka (with a portion of proceeds donated by Lotus to charity), including a $7 cucumber martini and pom-mojito with vodka, pomegranate juice, lime, and mint. There's also a brand-new parking lot for only $7 all night at the corner of Buchanan and Market Street, a little over a block away. 6pm–11pm. 1817 Market St. at Guerrero, 415-874-9951.

the wino: Evan Goldstein on the Expats of the Wine Community

2009-06-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Photo: Wine Review (Korea)

Evan Goldstein, MS, and President and Chief Education Officer of Full Circle Wine Solutions Inc., is one of the nation's most prolific food and wine industry veterans. His food and wine career started at age 19 in Paris, and in 1984 he joined his mother, chef and author Joyce Goldstein, in opening Square One, where as sommelier his wine lists received a myriad of awards. In 1987, he became the eighth American and youngest ever at the time to pass the Master Sommelier examination. Since 1990, Evan has created education programs, wine training and service hospitality schools with Seagram Chateau & Estates Wines Company, Diageo, Allied Domecq, and most recently, as the Vice President of Global Wine & Brand Education at Beam Wine Estates. In addition, Evan continues to train and examine candidates for the Court of Master Sommeliers as a Founding Board member.

Evan is the author of Five Star Service: Your Guide to Hospitality Excellence and Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food (University of California Press). His sequel wine and food book for the University of California Press, Daring Pairings, is planned for release in Spring 2010.

EXPATS OF THE WINE COMMUNITY

The American Heritage dictionary defines an expatriate as "one who has taken up residence in a foreign country." Most all of us have a few expats in our lives and would likely agree that we are better off and more interesting people for knowing these individuals of diverse backgrounds. They enrich us, bringing with them their culture, values, social attributes, and indeed enhance the surroundings in which they choose to live.

There are many foods that we take for granted today that are, in fact, expats. The origins of such modern staples as chocolate and tomatoes from Mexico, oranges and lemons from China, potatoes from Peru, or eggplant from India indeed demonstrate what a small world it really is.

In the big picture, the impact of grapes emigrating is less dramatic on our day-to-day lives when compared to foods moving through ambitious migrations, such as the Silk Road and other Asian spice routes, or the back-and-forth movement of new ingredients on ships returning from the New World in the times of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Vasco da Gama. That said, grapes have made their way around the world from the times of the Romans and the Etruscans—and in many cases, modern viticulture and the end-consumer are the proud beneficiaries of these emigrations from native lands.

A number of these immigrants have found inviting homes, great happiness, and even some have found greater success than they had with their indigenous origins. Others have thrived a bit less, while a few have proven themselves to be malleable and adaptable to many surroundings and are as happy traveling as they are being domestic. Let's explore a few.

Better on the road than at home!

It's hard to imagine that some grapes needed to simply move to flourish, but there are a few varietals that have clearly made better wines in foreign lands than they have at home. On the white side of wines, it's hard to imagine gewürztraminer as coming from anywhere but France's Alsace or perhaps, given the name, Germany. Such dense and rich wines redolent of lychee, pear, and sweet citrus set off by aromatics of freesia, rose petal, and narcissus is about as varietally correct as it gets. And similar wines can be found in as disparate locations as Gisborne, New Zealand, and the Anderson and Edna Valleys of California.

Yet this flavorful and forward grape actually was born in northeastern Italy, in a little town called Tramin. And while it makes tasty wines in that corner of the world, they pale in comparison. Such intriguing disparity can also be found arguably with viognier (at least as interesting in places like America and Australia as it is in its native France).

With red grapes, we can find several grapes that have taken better to foreign lands. It would be hard to dispute the amazing success of malbec in Argentina. Amazingly multifaceted versions emanate today from Mendoza (concentrated ripe black fruit, zesty acidity with balanced but ample tannins), San Juan (equally ripe fruit, more plush tannins and a rounder smoother texture), and beyond: Patagonia, and the northern extremes of Salta's Colomé. While your preference may be subjective, many of those interpretations are more complex and pleasing than French counterparts in Cahors and the Loire Valley.

This could also be said about carmenère (better in Chile than Bordeaux), tannat (more often better in Uruguay than Southwest France), and zinfandel (clearly more interesting in California than in its now-proven home of Croatia).

Happy travelers

Some grapes have shown to be extraordinarily malleable and capable of producing amazing wines in a multitude of locales and countries. These grapes are among the most noble and complex (despite their origins), and that popularity is demonstrated on restaurant wine lists and store retail shelves daily. For white grapes, the most evident example would be chardonnay, whose success originates in France's Champagne and Burgundy, but has not been limited to those two areas. Amazing and thought-provoking chardonnays are found in Australia (especially in regions such as Margaret River and the Adelaide Hills), California (Sonoma's Russian River Valley and the Central Coast's Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez counties being exemplary), and Chile's Casablanca.

I find that while in a more-limited production context, both riesling, with its origins in Germany, and sauvignon blanc, which finds its native roots in France's Loire Valley and Bordeaux, have also proven themselves away from home. Indeed, riesling today can be found in small quantity (but very high quality) in places as divergent as Australia's Clare and Eden Valleys, New Zealand's Central Otago, or New York State's Finger Lake district. World-class sauvignon blanc is readily available to us in New Zealand's Marlborough, Chile's Central Valley, and Israel's Golan Heights.

With reds, there are so many. The clear and obvious front-runner would be cabernet sauvignon. While originally from France's Bordeaux-Medoc peninsula, where its deep cassis-scented wines are set off by notes of cedar, cigar box, and tobacco, very credible bottlings of cabernet come from locations as far flung as California's Napa Valley, Australia's Barossa Valley and Limestone Coast, Argentina's Uco Valley in Mendoza, and Washington State's greater Columbia Valley region. And while each appellation maintains signatures that are expressive of their local terroir, all are capable of producing complex and layered wines.

This same diversity of style with successful results worldwide can be found with syrah—native to France, but equally delectable from California (Paso Robles, South Central Coast), Argentina's San Juan and Mendoza, South Africa's Coastal region and, of course, throughout much of Australia with stunning examples emanating from the Barossa and Yarra Valleys, the Adelaide Hills, and Mudgee to name a few.

And while it may still be a frustrating grape in many places, pinot noir's ability to make great wines in places as far ranging as New Zealand's Martinborough, Central Otago, and Marlborough, to Oregon's Willamette Valley, to California's Russian River Valley, to Argentina's Patagonia land it on this list which also includes the very globally-flexible grapes merlot and grenache.

Should have stayed home

Finally, there are a handful of grapes that have moved with aspirational thoughts, but have never really proven the same level of success on the road as they have in their 'native lands.' These so-called 'native strangers' are complicated in that they should be able to happily acquire new foundations abroad but, for the occasional rare exception, have had minimal success. Intriguingly, the varietals seem to come (mostly) from a small number of countries. In whites, Italy's native grapes of arneis (Piedmont) and cortese (the grape of Gavi) make wonderful wines locally, but efforts outside their native land have provided challenges.

In Spain, verdejo (of Rueda fame) and albariño (from Galicia's Rias Baixas) have had initial trouble transcending borders, though the wines are improving, especially in California. Finally, and though it's still early, grüner veltliner outside of Austria seems, at this point, only a dream. Okay, maybe not to Rudy Von Strasser, but to most!

Several great red grapes have had equal problem with their vinous visas. Two of my favorite all-time grapes from Italy, Piedmont's nebbiolo (responsible for those breathtaking Barolos and Barbarescos which are among the world's greatest reds) and Tuscany's sangiovese (the grape of Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico, among others) have yet to find a spot outside of their homelands where they thrive as well.

Spain's most famous red grape, tempranillo, has had a battle not only getting out of Spain, but finding more than limited local success once it does. Throughout Spain itself, one needn't go far to find terrific bottles from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Navarra to name just a few regions that excel with this remarkable varietal. Just not much anywhere else.

Other grapes that you don't find much of out of their homes include France's gamay (of Beaujolais fame) and Portugal's touriga nacional (the complex red grape that provides the foundation for the Duoro Valley's great ports and dry red table wines).

So next time you pull the cork out of a bottle, think about its genealogy. Like most of us, a little research on the family tree may provide some interesting insights, and maybe a surprise or two as well.

the socialite: Fourth of July

2009-06-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Photo: bluePantone292

Any San Franciscan knows the ~FOURTH OF JULY~ is a foggy joke of a night, with colored fog and barbecuing while in mittens and fleece. Here are a few dining options around town where the wind and fog won't matter:

CAV
By popular demand they're hosting a BBQ with ribs and all the fixings again. Vegetarian dishes will also be available. $35 per person. To make a reservation, please go to opentable.com or call 415-437-1770.

La Folie
For the first time ever, La Folie will be open to celebrate the 4th of July.

Jardinière
Red, white, and blue tablecloths will be out, with family-style dining and a Jardinière take on the quintessential Fourth of July BBQ. The prix-fixe menu is $55 per person and includes:

Pickled watermelon
Lobster rolls
Potato chips with onion dip
Pigs in a blanket (house-made sausage baked in brioche)

Hoffman Ranch fried chicken
Berkshire pork ribs

Accompanied by
Coleslaw, potato salad, mac-n-cheese, corn on the cob, corn bread, buttermilk biscuits

Cherry pie a la mode
Root beer floats

Fourth of July
Sat. July 4th, 2009

Various locations

the starlet: June 23, 2009

2009-06-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

A tablehopper reader was at brunch at Foreign Cinema on Sunday and saw Neil Patrick Harris. He was brunching with his partner, a producer, and another female.

Another reader wrote in: "Gavin Rossdale of Bush and married to Gwen Stefani fame was having dinner at Orson this past Saturday with what I presumed to be his band mates. They enjoyed a bottle of red wine in at the bar and then moved upstairs for dinner." Elizabeth Falkner confirmed that Rossdale and his band mate were dining with Joe Haller and Ian Hannula from Nice Collective.

Jane Wiedlin from the Go-Go's and her family came in to dine at Absinthe. They shared a variety of dishes, including crudo, stuffed chicken, and my fave, the pork confit. It ends up it was a mutual love-fest, because Wiedlin and chef Jamie Lauren are both fans of each other.

Chef Alex Ong of Betelnut had quite the night last week: Sean Penn, and Chuck Williams (of Williams Sonoma) and culinary doyenne Cecilia Chiang were all in the house on the same night. A tablehopper reader spotted Penn at the "chef's bar just at the corner around the back. About an hour into dinner they moved to a booth. He was pretty much left alone by other diners. A bachelorette party in the back requested he stop by (via the waiter). But he declined (can't blame him for that choice)." He ordered spring rolls, minced chicken with lettuce cups, rib eye, Maojitos (Betelnut's version of mojitos), and two shots of Fernet.

As for Chuck and Cecilia, a little fun back story for you: they are really close friends from way back when Chuck opened his first shop on Sutter Street. (They come in to Betelnut quite often and always have the beggar's chicken—what a dish!) Chuck and Herb Caen used to dine at the original The Mandarin Restaurant, which was Cecilia's first restaurant on Polk Street.

letter from the tablehopper: June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

No sleep for the wicked. Cold or no cold, I still had major book research to do, and fortunately my ability to taste was not affected. Last week I did a tablehoppin' trip around Oakland (Flora, Tamarindo, MUA, Bar Lata), plus a mini Italian tour of 54 Mint (pictured), flour + water, and Pizza Nostra, and let's not forget Sunday brunch at Pomelo on Church, and a boozy dinner at Heaven's Dog. Quite the international tour, no? I have a little over three weeks left before the SF portion of my manuscript is due, and I have about 40 places to check out in the meantime, eep. If you want to keep up with 140-word reports of my tablehopping, you can follow my Twitter feed.

And now in the media file: I'm going to be heading down to Palo Alto to be on the Ask "Dr." Business show with Roy Blitzer this Thursday June 18th as part of his cable access series on PEOPLE WHO EARN THEIR LIVING WITH FOOD AND WINE. The show is live at 9pm with viewer call-ins, so please call in with questions at 650-856-1491. I'd be really stoked to have some tablehopper readers call in, and to answer any questions you have about how to make it as a food writer! Reach out and touch someone, yo. Anyone can watch via the internet through the webcast, here's the link. The channels are 27 or 30.

I am making one exception to my "no food or wine events this month" rule (you know it is KILLING me to not go to The Golden Glass this Sunday), and will be swinging by the SummerTini event this Friday June 19th at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Since ticket sales are down a bit this year, they wanted to offer a special tablehopper discount: for just $65 you can sip on martinis, graze on hors d'oeuvres from restaurants like Poleng Lounge, Ducca, LarkCreekSteak, 4505 Meats, and more, and help fight homelessness in San Francisco. Really good auction lots, too. Will I see you this Friday? It's from 6pm–9pm. Just write in "Tablehopper" as the discount code when buying your tickets on brownpapertickets.com. All proceeds benefit CHEFS (Conquering Homelessness through Employment in Food Service). Please consider coming (surprise a friend with a ticket?)—it's an effective and very important cause to support.

Thanks to my guest writer this week, Pete Mulvihill from Green Apple, I have a bookworm to share with you about Novella Carpenter's new book, Farm City. Watch out, you might get inspired to raise some critters. Although really now, who am I kidding? The most I can currently manage is making my own kombucha (batch two was a success!); but I do hope to have my own chickens someday—I love eggs too much. I just can't quite raise them on a fire escape, the extent of my "backyard" at the moment.

On that note, let's get crack-a-lackin'.

Bwok!
~Marcia

the chatterbox: June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

A little birdie tells me Erica Holland-Toll (most recently the chef at the former Lark Creek Inn) is the new executive chef of ~DUCCA~ and the Westin (she just started yesterday). The current menu is going to be intact for a few months, and she will start making changes then. Chef Richard Corbo's last day is this Friday. 50 Third St. at Market, 415-977-0271.

~MARINO~ in Hayes Valley has opened (it's the spot that used to house Frjtz, and Mad Magda's for you old timers). Owner Raul Vargas has put together a menu that is designed to please the neighborhood: namely, he acquiesced and is offering burritos. But they don't come cheap: the initial menu I received says $8.95. There are also a number of seafood dishes, from a coctel or tostada or tacos de camaron to shrimp and crab enchiladas. The menu seems pretty straightforward (plates of carne asada, carnitas, or chile verde with rice, beans, and tortillas) and isn't specific to any one region of Mexico. But it's definitely more of a restaurante than a taqueria. Beer and wine served. Open daily 11am–10pm. 579 Hayes St. at Laguna, 415-626-1162.

Your outdoor dining options with a view just got bigger and better: ~SLANTED DOOR~ is now offering seating on their patio, 44 seats in all. The tables are available for walk-ins, but if someone with a reservation for inside wants an outside table, they get first dibs. The tables are good for two or four, and there are heat lamps to help deal with our typical brisk weather. The full menu is available, and the tables are open for both lunch and dinner. 1 Ferry Building #3, 415-861-8032.

More in Phan-land… I have some exciting news for late-night diners: starting on Monday June 29th, ~HEAVEN'S DOG~ will serve the full menu from Monday–Saturday until 1am! Based on the delicious meal I just had last week, I am pretty excited with the prospect of having their edamame salad (made with bean curd ribbons and chili oil) and the meaty/fatty char sui pork late in the evening. This would be after getting tipsy off of Erik Adkins's bevvies, like the tasty Gin Fizz Tropical, and the Manhattan I tried that he made with absinthe and curacao. Yes, dangerous. (FYI, hours on Sunday are 4:30pm–9:30pm). 1148 Mission St. at 7th St., 415-863-6008.

Fortunately the other place where I am likely to tie one on while dining is also extending their kitchen hours to 1am: ~ALEMBIC~! The kitchen is doing their magic until 1am nightly. Huzzah. 1725 Haight St. at Cole, 415-666-0822.

In case you happen to run into Steven Oliver at ~ENRICO'S~, it's because the local GM and (party) host extraordinaire has been brought on to help out for a few months. Swing by, have a cocktail, and say hello! 504 Broadway Ave. at Kearny, 415-982-6223.

When I was pedaling home from brunch on Sunday at Pomelo, I noticed the long-awaited/mysterious ~XANATH ICE CREAM~ is finally open. While every ice cream place around town is giving us flavors like burnt caramel or prosciutto, Xanath is being true to its name and offering a variety of vanillas, including Mexican or regular vanilla. There's also saffron, espresso, and 10 or so other flavors (using Straus Family Creamery ice cream mix), plus frozen yogurt, and milkshakes. Everything is organic, and the spoons and cups are compostable. Fun fact: the owners import vanilla and saffron, hence the ginormous bottles of vanilla extract in the window. The windows could also use a little merchandising help, but hey, we all can't be Simon Doonan. Hours Sun–Thu 12pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–11pm. 951 Valencia St. at 21st St., 415-648-8996.

Thanks to a tip from tablehopper reader Paul G., ~CHA-YA~, the Japanese-vegetarian restaurant on Valencia will be opening a third location, this time in the Inner Sunset. It's going to be in the long-shuttered Empress Garden Restaurant space. I called to confirm with the Cha-Ya folks, and it should be open within the next week or two. 1386 9th Ave. at Judah.

The Cha-Ya opening will perhaps help soften the blow of the closure of ~CAFÉ GRATITUDE~ for vegans and vegetarians, which just shuttered its Sunset location after three years of business. 1336 9th Ave. at Irving.

A little activity out in the Richmond: some soju-lovin' locals were bummed with the closure of ~ROHAN LOUNGE~ back in May. Well, a former Rohan server, her sister (who is a chef), and their good friend (who was a bartender and server at Rohan) all went in together, and are now taking over the space. They are going to reopen it in July as ~MAZU~, named after a mythological goddess of the sea. The partners are sisters KK and Silma Salamin, and Leah Adiol—they are all local San Franciscans who grew up together. They will continue the soju lounge style, serving Pan-Asian fare (chef Silma Salamin has worked at Ozumo, Hayes Street Grill, and Mezze in Oakland). Look for new art, DJs, and a freshening up of the space (new upholstery for the booths, paint, etc.). They're excited to take good care of the space and bring it back. I'll keep you posted as it gets closer. 3809 Geary Blvd. at 2nd Ave.

More Richmond news: the second location of ~PAGAN~ is now open in the former Eva's Hawaiian Restaurant, serving Burmese dishes for lunch and dinner, Tue–Sun (but they won't be serving any Thai food like the original location does). 731 Clement St. at 8th Ave., 415-221-3888.

According to permits, it looks like there's a shabu place opening called ~PRIME RIB SHABU~ in the Wang Daegam tofu/BBQ house, a few doors over from Troya. 308 5th Ave. at Clement, 415-668-1858.

tablehopper reader Peter F. went to check out ~ORALIA'S~, the new café/deli from The New Spot owners (Julia and Gilbert Rivera), and even sent in this picture of his pastrami sandwich. On the menu: hand-carved meats, like corned beef, ham, turkey, pastrami, and roast beef, which you can have put into a sandwich ($8) or as a lunch plate with two sides and a roll ($8.49). There are also some hearty daily specials like lamb or ribs, salads made with organic greens, and regular cold sandwiches, like egg salad, plus coffee from La Colombe, and bagels for breakfast. Oh yeah, and Fridays you get a free side with an order of a hot sandwich. Hours are Mon–Fri 7:30am–4pm. 2347 3rd St. at 22nd St., 415-621-2346.

Also a bit off the beaten path, reader Karen Z. writes in this tip about ~LA MICHOACANA ON BAYSHORE~: "In the space of the former El Potrillo, 300A Bayshore at Oakdale. I used to like Potrillo for its big beefy carne asada burritos, but haven't been to the new version: fresh paint, a newly glassed-in patio, big 'Grand Opening' sign. Maybe they're preparing for an influx of visitors to what may be Lowe's in the site of the old Goodman's Lumber (where "

Just a reminder for you Showplace Square-worker types: ~HORATIUS~, a bistro and market in Potrero Hill, is slated to open tomorrow, on Wednesday June 17th. And the 30 outdoor seats are reportedly on the sunny side of Kansas Street. Bistro hours: Mon–Sat 7am–3pm, and lunch entrées start at 11am. 350 Kansas St. at 16th St., 415-252-3500.

Curious what is going into the soon-to-be-revamped line-up at the ~METREON~? The fast-casual players include a La Boulange from Bay Bread, Mixt Greens, a Best-o-Burger, and a "new Asian noodle concept from Arnold Eric Wong and the other owners of E&O Trading Co." You can read the San Francisco Business Times article here for all the details. (The article also mentioned that Steve Weber's Best-o-Burger will be opening "in One Market in about two months and a third will open near Union Square before the Metreon's official rebirth." As for Tavern on the Green opening here in SF, the timing is still TBD since the New York location's lease renewal is in flux—stand by. Mission and 4th St.

More life is happening on Sacramento Street: as previously reported, ~WEXLER'S~ opened last week, servin' up southern comfort food and new American BBQ and more for lunch and dinner. 568 Sacramento St. at Montgomery, 415-983-0102.

And now ~PALIO D'ASTI~ is open on Saturday nights again, from 6pm–9pm. (They haven't been open on Saturdays since 1995.) And bonus, there's plenty of free street parking around there after 7pm, so you can actually go out in heels without the hike. On Saturdays only, they will also throw in a complimentary antipasto platter. A few more things to note: every night, including Saturday, the first martini is only $1 with a three-course meal ($37/head, no matter what you order). And if you're doing the three-courser, there is no corkage either (every night)! That makes for one heck of an inexpensive meal: a $1 martini, $37 for three courses, and you could even bring your own wine. Plus a free antipasto platter if you're comin' in on a Saturday. 640 Sacramento St. at Montgomery St., 415-362-6003.

Sounds like it's time to segue to meal deals, no?

Does it get much cheaper than hot dogs? They may be recession-friendly, but they are also perfect for customizing and gourmand-izing. I got to taste an early prototype of ~4505 MEATS'~ hawt dawg a few weeks ago (verdict: delicious, naturally). And now the 2.0 version of the dog will be served at Wexler's, in addition to a BBQ at Elixir on Sunday from 4pm–7pm. $5 for a hot dog, just pay inside and you'll get a ticket, then go visit mister-chef Ryan Farr, who will be manning the big half-keg grill setup outside. Elixir will then have the dogs available at the bar on other nights, warmed up on a George Foreman grill. Good old George. 3200 16th St. at Guerrero, 415-552-1633.

~PALS' TAKEAWAY~ is going to be doing a weekly 4505 chili dog every Friday, consistently starting next Friday the 26th.There will be various styles (cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, etc.) at about $7 a pop (I am basing this on a previous chili dog Friday price). 2751 24th St. at Hampshire.

I also hear those evil geniuses at ~BROKEN RECORD~ are wrapping their 4505 dogs in bacon, dipping them in corn batter, and deep frying 'em. Brutal. Beautiful. 1166 Geneva Ave. at Naples St., 415-963-1713.

~SOZAI~ in the Sunset is now offering $1 oysters during their happy hour, which runs Wed–Sun from 5:30pm–7pm. During happy hour, Sapporo pitchers are $8, 12 oz. Asahi beers are $3, and warm sake is $5 per carafe. There are also two happy hour food specials daily, each for $3. 1500 Irving St. at 16th Ave., 415-235-7745.

Dine About Town has ended, which means ~ANA MANDARA'S~ Stimulus Menu will be available again. It's $35 per person, with your choice of starter (lemongrass chicken skewers, vegetarian wraps, or banana blossom salad); an entrée (sautéed garlic prawns, crispy-skin five-spiced poussin, or wokked lemongrass beef); and for dessert, Valhrona dark chocolate semifreddo or house-made ice cream or sorbet. Ana Mandara also has live jazz and happy hour specials in the Cham Bar Thu–Sat every week. I have to admit I have never eaten there, but I was impressed with chef Khai's cookin' at Pot de Pho, so it's now on my "to check out" list. 891 Beach St. at Polk, 415-771-6800.

And now, the bad news: some closures/changes:

Noe Valley blog noticed that Stefano Coppola's short-lived ~CITY GRILL~ (previously Kookez) has shuttered. According to a commenter, Coppola is reportedly opening a French bistro in its place, Bistro 24. Stand by for more. 4123 24th St. at Castro, 415-285-2400.

A reader wrote in to tell me it appears that ~INDULGENCE~ in the Financial District has closed. Didn't get a chance to indulge? Me neither. 375 Bush St. at Belden.

Another Financial District casualty: was informed by Jason B. that the ~FIRE HOUSE CAFÉ~ has closed as well. 545 Sansome St. at Washington.

Some news south of the City:

Redwood City's ~MARTINS WEST~ finally got its liquor license, cheers. Cocktails will now be shaken, and Scotch will be lovingly poured. 831 Main St., Redwood City, 650-366-4366.

~DONATO ENOTECA~ in Redwood City will open on Monday June 22nd. Chef Scotti (who is from Bergamo) has crafted a menu that looks mighty appetizing, including fried baby artichokes, house-made pastas like agnolotti dal plin and ravioli made of fava beans and ricotta. There are also a few pizzas from the wood oven, plus grilled branzino, and a couple meat dishes. 1041 Middlefield Rd. at Jefferson, Redwood City, 650-701-1000.

~SAKOON~, the new Indian restaurant in downtown Mountain View, is due to open this Friday the 19th. 357 Castro St., Mountain View, 650-965-2000.

Down in San Jose, Roland Passot's ~LB STEAK~ (as in Left Bank) opens today, June 16th. To recap, this is the modern steakhouse that's opening in the Tanglewood space. You can read a sneak peek from Carolyn Jung on her Food Gal blog. One staggering item on the menu: Passot's escargot-bone marrow gratin. Mon dieu. The lunch menu includes sandwiches, pastas, salads, and six kinds of burgers, plus seafood and vegetarian dishes. There is also a bar and lounge area for drinks and small bites. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 334 Santana Row, San Jose, 408-551-4611.

the lush: June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

This Saturday June 20th is the ~ST. GEORGE SPIRITS SUMMER OPEN HOUSE~! They open up the hangar doors, fire up the stills, and let you get a close-up look at the distillation process in action. Your entry includes three cocktail tasters, food from La Cocina and 4505, Absinthe root beer floats with a custom root beer sorbet, live music, shuttle service, and a few cool surprises. Also included: tastings of most of their spirits.They are providing shuttle service between the West Oakland BART station and the Alameda Main Street ferry building to and from the distillery. Shuttle service from West Oakland BART starts at 12:30pm and continues every half hour until 5pm. Yes, the shuttle is free, just show the driver your Open House ticket and get on! Main Street ferry service at 12:15pm, 1:50pm, and 3:45pm. Tickets are available in the distillery store and by phone for $35 (during tasting room hours). Call 510-864-0635 (Wed–Sat noon–7pm) to order your tickets. Tickets will be $45 at the door. Cash only at the door. This is a 21 and over event. Please bring your picture ID! 1pm–6pm. St. George Spirits/Hangar One Distillery, Alameda.

Ay, dios mio, this event may get you into trouble: Duggan McDonnell of Cantina and Joanne Weir are doing a ~TEQUILA TASTING~ in honor of Weir's newest book, Tequila: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails and Bites. You'll get to learn about the brewing, distilling, and aging process, how to appreciate Tequila in a vertical tasting, plus how to make a couple drinks in the cocktail portion of the class, and there will be fantastic Mexican food from El Huarache Loco. AND you get to leave with a copy of the book. It all goes down on Thursday June 25th at La Cocina from 6pm–8pm. $60 per person. 70% of all ticket sales are tax-deductible. Buy tickets here. 2948 Folsom St. at 25th St., 415-824-2729.

~FARALLON~ has kicked off a happy hour program called 6 until 7, which features six bites and six drinks for $6 each from 4:30pm–7pm every night. They're serving fried oysters with lobster relish, wild mushroom gnocchi, and the Jack Rose cocktail, just to name a few items. (These items are only available in the bar areas.) You can peek here at a PDF of the menu. Farallon is also celebrating their 12th anniversary for the rest of June with a four-course menu of Farallon classics for $65, and an additional $35 for wine pairings. 450 Post St. at Powell, 415-956-6969.

Who knew? ~LIMON ROTISSERIE~ in the Mission has a new lounge downstairs that is open on the weekends (serving wine and bites). Read all about it in Urban Daddy. Looks like it would be a perfect party rental space. 1001 South Van Ness Ave. at 21st St., 415-821-2134.

From June 24th–June 28th is the fifth annual ~PINOT DAYS~, culminating in the Grand Tasting, featuring 200 acclaimed pinot producers and their spectacular 2007s. In an effort to share the weight of the %$#$ economy, they reduced their Grand Festival ticket price by $15, so it's only $50. The tasting event will run from 1pm–5pm on June the 28th. There are special talks, tastings, dinner and more: check it all out on the site.

the socialite: Mediterranean Dinner Benefit with Joyce Goldstein and Hoss Zaré

2009-06-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Zaré at Fly Trap chef and owner Hoss Zaré and Joyce Goldstein are hosting a ~MEDITERRANEAN DINNER BENEFIT~, a special evening including a cocktail reception and five-course Mediterranean feast, benefiting Meals On Wheels of San Francisco. The dinner celebrates and commemorates three decades in the evolution of Mediterranean cuisine in the Bay Area. Goldstein and Zaré will prepare alternate dishes in the five-course meal.

Master Sommeliers Evan Goldstein, Joyce Goldstein's son, and Chris Blanchard will pair unique Mediterranean wines with the five-course feast. Each sommelier will pour a two-ounce taste of their selected wine to accompany each dish.

It all begins with a Champagne reception with light appetizers at 6pm, followed by dinner at 7pm. Seats are available for $200 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Net proceeds will be donated to Meals On Wheels of San Francisco.

For twelve years, Joyce Goldstein was chef and owner of SQUARE ONE restaurant, which pioneered Mediterranean cuisine in San Francisco by combining influences from Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa. Goldstein is the recipient of several James Beard Awards including Best Chef, California, in 1993. A prolific cookbook author, many of her works have won industry awards.

Hoss Zaré, who immigrated to San Francisco from Tabriz, Iran in 1986, ran his namesake Zaré restaurant and Bistro Zaré in San Francisco and Zaré Napa before buying historic The Fly Trap, the restaurant where he held his first job in the U.S. as a line cook, in August of last year.

Mediterranean Dinner Benefit with Joyce Goldstein and Hoss Zaré
Sun. July 12th, 2009

Zaré at Fly Trap
606 Folsom St.
Cross: 2nd St.
San Francisco, CA 94107

415-243-0580
website

6pm reception
7pm dinner

$200 per person excluding tax and gratuity

For reservations, contact GM Mario Nocifera at 415-243-0580.

the bookworm: Farm City by Novella Carpenter

2009-06-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

photo by Pete Mulvihill

Pete Mulvihill of Green Apple Recommends

Don't forget: the books mentioned below are available at 20% off for tablehopper readers for two weeks following this mention at Green Apple Books—simply use the code "tablehopper" at checkout (either at the store or online) for your discount.

Here's the story of the woman who convinced me to raise chickens in the Sunset (like three-year-old twins isn't hard enough). Actually, Farm City: the Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter is much more than that: it's a very cool book. It's not perfect, but it's very cool: inspirational, bold, funny, sometimes outrageous.

I should back up. Novella Carpenter moved to a, um, "very affordable" part of Oakland from Seattle a few years ago. Next to her apartment was a vacant lot. She planted a few plants, then got some bees, then chickens and turkeys and rabbits, pigs, goats. Oh my. Now she's a bone fide urban farmer, not a backyard enthusiast.

She has some hippie roots: her parents were back-to-the-landers in Idaho. And she's more willing than I am to let her livestock into her home. So slaughtering her first "game bird" wasn't quite as harrowing as it would be for many city slickers, but it was tough (as was the meat—she still had much to learn).

The book traces her journey and that of the vacant lot as Novella learns the ins and outs of farming in Oakland, from dumpster diving for scraps to feed the animals to "harvesting" her own rabbits, from loading horse manure into a borrowed truck, to buying baby pigs at auction.

As I said, it's inspirational. My wife and I had been toying with the idea of raising a few laying hens in our Sunset backyard, and Novella's experiments inspired us to pull the trigger and go for it. (The verdict is still out for us; we're in between cute fuzzy chicks and having eggs, so it's a waiting game.)

Novella goes way further than most people can or want to, of course. What is she thinking raising pigs in Oakland? But at a publicity party for the book's launch, I got to try some salumi made from her pigs, and while I didn't exactly taste the Oakland terroir, it was darn yummy, and I much enjoyed reading about her learning processes.

This book has a rich cast, populated by other lively Oakland characters, Novella's (amazingly patient) boyfriend, and her livestock. Her voice is no-nonsense and earnest and self-effacing. Overall, this book is a great read for anyone at all interested in food.

NOTE: You can come meet Novella and buy her book at the following East Bay events:

Tuesday June 16th, Eccolo restaurant on 4th Street in Berkeley, book release party! Featuring produce grown on Bay Area urban farms and the prosciutto she made with chef Chris Lee. Nima from Analog books will be there to sell Farm City.

Friday June 18th, Berkeley, in conversation with Michael Pollan as part of the Berkeley Arts and Lectures author series. First Congregational Church, 7:30pm, $10 at door.

the health nut: June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night (June 17th) is the latest session of ~GET SMART RADIO~: Food Fight! The Challenge of Making Food Taste Good While it Saves Your Life. Join Get Smart Radio's host Deborah Pardes with Dr. Daphne Miller, author of The Jungle Effect: A Doctor Discovers the Healthiest Diets From Around the World—Why They Work and How to Bring Them Home, along with chef Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière, Acme Chophouse, Mijita). They will discuss indigenous diets and specific foods and food combinations that Dr. Miller has found to fight specific modern diseases like heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes. Every time she mentions a food, Traci will provide easy preparation tips and recipes to make sure we can easily integrate good food into our lifestyles. Bring your questions about everything from lard to lentils. This show is going to whet your appetite and help you live to eat and eat to live. Audience questions are essential. And there's a quiz show at the end with food prizes, plus live music. 7pm seating, 8pm show. Coffee Bar, 1890 Bryant St. (on the corner of Florida and Mariposa). More info: 415-307-3181.

I was also sent this little tidbit about a kombucha-making class with ~URBAN KITCHEN SF~ in the Mission on June 25th at 7pm. A local herbalist will talk about the history and benefits of kombucha, and then participants will be taught how to brew their own tea. Everyone goes home with a starter kit containing a SCOBY starter baby (the culture that makes tea into kombucha). $30, plus $15 supply fee (check the website for info on the sliding scale price). The Women's Building, Rm. B, 3543 18th St. #8 at Guerrero.

the starlet: June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett of Metallica had dinner at Ozumo San Francisco. He preferred mainly sushi and was reportedly very interested in the origin of each cut. He drank Kubota Manju and also seemed quite knowledgeable about sake. Rock!

John O'Hurley, AKA King Arthur in Spamalot (and the unforgettable J. Peterman in Seinfeld) came into Venticello.

Last Thursday, Robin Williams was at Bardessono in Yountville with the winemakers from Twenty Rows (they also produce wines from his land in Napa).

letter from the tablehopper: June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Damn, I woke up Monday morning feeling totally under the weather. Well, that's what I get for spending the weekend in, burning up my keyboard instead of a dancefloor. Fortunately my cold decided to roll in after last week's Sicilian wine event with Alex Fox, because it would have sucked to not be able to taste all those wines, cheeses, and bites from CookWithJames to their full extent. Big thanks to Domaine Select Wine Estates and The Cheese School of San Francisco for helping to make it such a classy event. The evening's guests want to do this again and explore additional wine regions (like Spain, Australia, I vote for Champagne), so look for some future fetes down the road. You can check out some pictures of the event and see what you missed on my flickr page (thanks to Mathew Sumner!), and in this photo gallery from James Stolich here.

More wino news: besides a lot of wine-related buzz (har) in this week's lush, the latest wine couch episode I did with Evan Goldstein has posted; this one is about Ubuntu in Napa.

So gang, in order for me to keep this column going and get my book done, I have decided to shelve any fresh meat or the regular reviews until my manuscript is done in early July. Something had to give, and so I determined that's what had to go. Fortunately I have some fantastic writers for upcoming wino, hardhat, and bookworm columns this month while I keep my eye on the prize. And with all the places I've had to research this month, just think, July will be chock-full of write-ups about places for you to check out. Thanks for understanding.

Okay, back to trying to kick this cold to the curb.

Over and out,
~Marcia

the chatterbox: June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

The former London Wine Bar ("America's First Wine Bar") space in the Fugazi Building has a new tenant: ~GEORGES~. I had a chance to catch up with co-owner Elias Bikahi (Nook, Caffe Sapore, Sapore Catering, and he started Valentina), who is partnering with Leo Lippi on the project. Come August or so, the 55-seat restaurant will be open and focused on serving sustainable seafood, including a raw bar up front, plus local produce, and other sustainably raised ingredients (the partners have a close relationship with a family fish market and numerous farms). The menu will feature clean and simply prepared dishes with Mediterranean flair, like house-cured sardines, fish and chips, calamari, plus free-range chicken, and a variety of seasonal vegetables. The owners want the business to be as green and sustainable as possible, whether they are crushing the oyster shells from the bar for use as fertilizer for the farms they work with, to only offering house-filtered water instead of bottled. Of course all the interior materials will be reclaimed and recycled, too. Lunch and dinner will be served Mon–Fri, and perhaps Saturday service will start later. They are discussing launching a sherry club during the afternoon (between lunch and dinner service). There will be a full bar, and around 70 wines. As for the name, it looks like there were a lot of Georges in the family, so the name is an homage to them (although it's meant to be pronounced like the singular French name of "Georges"). Will let you know more, like the chef and specific menu items as it gets closer to the opening. 415 Sansome St. at Sacramento.

Some changes in the Tenderloin: ~FISH & FARM~ not only has a new chef (Jake des Voignes is out, Chad Newton, recently of Urban Tavern and Baraka is in), and therefore a new menu, but there is also a refreshed interior. Oh, and a new menu format. Basically, what you see pricewise for all appetizers, entrées, desserts, and beverages is what you get: no healthy SF charge, no tax, no need to tip. (It'll be kind of like Europe.) Restaurant employees will still receive tips because the restaurant's computer automatically backs out an 18.5 percent gratuity, as well as taxes. Newton's menu will continue using local, seasonal ingredients, and he will also be able to maintain the relationship that he started at Baraka with Blue House Farm of Pescadero to exclusively supply the restaurant with its produce. On the menu: the pole bean salad I loved at Baraka ($11), with crispy shallots, marinated sweet 100 tomatoes, and dill crème fraîche; country pork chop with house-made cavatelli and cheese, farm chard, and Worcestershire pan sauce ($22); baked rigatoni ($20) with tomato-braised lamb and house-made ricotta; and Southern-fried Petaluma chicken ($20) with vinegar slaw, mashed potatoes, Gracie's cornbread, and Tabasco butter. For dessert, there is cheesecake in a jar or a Bi-Rite Creamery ice cream sundae (both $10). 339 Taylor St. at Ellis, 415-474-3474.

Over in the Western Addition, after two years as a Nepali restaurant, ~METRO KATHMANDU~ is going through a re-concepting. The restaurant will close starting Saturday July 4th, and will reopen in mid-July with a new chef and menu, serving California cuisine. I'll have more details in the coming weeks… But for now, go get your last order of their delicious momos while you can (I requested they keep it as a secret off-the-menu item). The wine list will continue to be affordable, and look for a revamped weekend brunch as well. 311 Divisadero St. at Page, 415-552-0903.

Many regulars at the Latin-American Club, Revolution Café, and the Make-Out Room are familiar with the Girl from Empanada, AKA Paula Tejeda, who shows up with a basket of homemade empanadas during the weekend (she bakes them at her shop, Chile Lindo Empanadas at 2944 16th Street and Capp). In a couple weeks, she is going to be set up inside the now-closed Minimum Wine and Champagne Bar next to Esperpento. She is repainting and making changes to the tiny slip of a space, and will reopen it as ~CHILE LINDO EMPANADAS AND ESPERPENTO WINE BAR~ in a couple weeks or so. You'll be able to enjoy a glass of wine over one of her classic pino empanadas (onion, cumin, paprika, beef, hard boiled egg, raisins, and one black olive), and the "chilanga" vegetarian version made with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses and jalapeno. They're big and filling empanadas, at only $5 a pop. Hours will be Thu–Sun 6pm–midnight. (The 16th Street location will continue to be open on the weekends.) If you'd like to read more about Paula, Thy Tran wrote a nice piece about her on Bay Area Bites here. 3283 22nd St. at Bartlett, 415-850-4778.

So a few weeks back after the Meals on Wheels event, there was a big goodbye party at ~YUET LEE~ for the affable Timmy Yu, who has been there since 1977 (interesting fact: it was the first Chinese resto to open on "that side" of Broadway, which back then was "the Italian side"). No idea what Timmy is up to next—he's on a much-deserved three-week vacation at the moment. Industry people, take note: one unfortunate change is Yuet Lee's awesome late-night hours have changed. It's now closing at midnight on Sunday and Wednesday–Thursday; the 3am closing time only applies to Fridays and Saturdays now. That's the problem with late-night places—if you don't support them, the hours go away. 1300 Stockton St. at Broadway, 415-982-6020.

Partners in Beretta, Deborah Blum and Adriano Paganini, have taken over the ~ASQEW GRILL~ space in the Castro, and have brought on Adam Timney (bacar, E&O, Boccalone) as the chef. Look for a casual place (the project doesn't have a name yet) serving California comfort food, with a few dinner entrées and pizzas, plus salads, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, and cured meats, plus weekend brunch that will be served all day (a bonus with its sunny patio—although don't pick any herbs from the herb garden that will be back there, you troublemaker). Lane Ford (Beretta, Heaven's Dog, Flora) is heading up the bar program, but since there's no hard liquor, you'll find some creative juices and herb-based options instead, plus 30 beers, beer cocktails (like micheladas), and wine with a domestic focus. The 100-seat restaurant will open in fall 2009, and Jim Zack of Zack / deVito Architects is the architect. 3583 16th St. at Market.

And now let's clear up some rumors about some of the big places around town.

First, there has been some buzz about what is going on at ~FIFTH FLOOR~—I heard rumors of closure (this town looooooves to talk), but fortunately those are just rumors. What has happened is GM Todd Stillman was laid off last week—Scott Stewart, the AGM, will now be moving into more of a restaurant management role. Since the bar business seems to be a popular one during these leaner times, Fifth Floor has brought on Jacques Bezuidenhout to focus his attention on the bar program—I'll have some news about his new cocktails (featuring herbs from the garden) plus some cool things Emily Wines will be doing with the wine program in coming weeks. 12 4th St. at Stevenson, 415-348-1555.

I've also heard plenty of doozy rumors about the fate of ~MICHAEL MINA'S~ restaurant on Union Square, ranging from BCBG taking over the space, to a relocation, to the restaurant shuttering because its lease was up (here's one blog speculating on some of the possible changes). Now, true, the lease was up for review and negotiation with the hotel (Westin St. Francis/Starwood Hotel Group) and union. Since there is now a new agreement acceptable for all, it's business as usual, well, not exactly as usual since they have seen a 22 percent decrease in volume, but there is no relocation happening. Here is the official statement from Michael Mina: "The partnership with the Westin St Francis Hotel has been incredibly important for the restaurant. We've worked very hard with the hotel and union partners these past months to reach and sign a new agreement which makes it possible for the restaurant to remain in the existing space. We couldn't be happier with the outcome. It's been a wonderful space for us.

"The restaurant industry has been hard hit by the recession and economic realities we are in and adjustment and creativity are necessary to keep afloat and stay successful. Although the restaurant has been affected by the times, as we've all felt, it is doing well. We've seen continued success through maintaining a strong, core staff and offering guests new ways to dine at MICHAEL MINA. I am optimistic that as an industry we'll turn the corner in this economy, but success will be determined in part by our ability to respond to the needs and realities of our patrons. We welcome our guests to continue to join us not only for special occasions, but for everyday great values."

More in the hard-hit fancy land: so now the Sunday brunch at the ~RITZ-CARLTON SAN FRANCISCO~ has been relegated to Saturday and Sunday breakfast in The Lobby Lounge, and Saturday and Sunday lunch in The Dining Room, effective Sunday June 13th. Specialty holiday brunches will continue to be offered for Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day (see the socialite for news on this year's Father's Day event), Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I really hope when things get better (and dammit, they will), that the brunch returns soon, because I have fond memories of some Sundays on that patio. 600 Stockton St. at California, 415-296-7465.

Some changes over at ~ORSON~: while many places are cutting back or eliminating lunch service, Orson is actually starting lunch service this Wednesday June 10th, and then running it Tue–Fri from 11:30am–2:30pm. There are a lot of SoMa workers who are sure to appreciate a menu of pizzas (five kinds, $12–$14), plus a fried chicken sando on a Parmesan bun ($8), fish tacos ($9), and the Orson burger ($12). There will also be some grab-and-go sandwiches, like shaved house-made Wiltshire Sides/Canadian Bacon (more like smoked ham rather than a brunchy-eggs Benedict version) with pickled onions and mustard on Josh's sourdough rolls; and egg salad with celery and dill. There is also a new FOH manager, Kristen Capella, whose background includes Horizons in Sausalito and La Folie. Also look for a Bind boutique (the clothing line Sabrina Riddle is behind) to take over the kiosk area. 508 4th St. at Bryant, 415-777-1508.

A tablehoppin' Polk Street reader pointed out a Moroccan restaurant named ~AICHA MOROCCAN CUISINE~ is up and running in the former De Afghanan Kebab House space. MenuPages has a PDF of the menu (albeit an upside-down one), and a few Yelp reports can be found here. 1303 Polk St. at Bush, 415-345-9947.

Over in Fisherman's Wharf, two tipsters let me know a sign says ~MIYABI~ is moving into the former Bob's Sushi place (which, according to a link from a Yelper, it looks like Bob's used to buy black-market abalone, so good riddance). 393 Bay St. at Mason.

tablehopper reader James S. wrote in with this news: "~GRANDEHO'S KAMEKYO~ in Cole Valley has a new owner. Long-time employee and sushi chef Byron bought the business and has taken over. He's a great guy originally from China and he cooked for five years in Japan before coming to the States." 943 Cole St. at Parnassus, 415-759-8428.

Are you a carb lover? Uh huh. Starting tonight, June 9th, ~QUINCE~ is adding a special pasta tasting menu, featuring traditional Italian pastas along with chef/owner Michael Tusk's modern interpretations. Five courses for $50, and wine pairings for a $35 supplement. Sample menu items include: Senatore Cappelli spaghetti (Manila clams, melon, and espresso); tortelloni of watercress (Bellwether Farm ricotta cheese, calendula, and chive); egg tagliatelle (salsa di porcini, squash, and their blossoms); bittersweet chocolate gnocchi (duck polpettine, eggplant, Chelan cherry, and smoked sea salt); and lasagnette (Tomatero Farm golden raspberry sorbetto and fino verde basil meringue). Now, those are some flavors I gotta try—vewy intewesting. 1701 Octavia St. at Bush, 415-775-8500.

Another week, another pig: Ryan Farr from 4505 Meats and Taylor Boetticher from Fatted Calf will be doing a pig butchering demonstration and party called Porkapalooza on Tuesday June 16th at ~BLOODHOUND~. There is a 250-lb. Duroc pig from Good Farm that will end up on the BBQ, plus there will be pulled-pork sliders, homemade corn dogs, and hot dogs with all the fixins, chicharrones, and an assortment of Taylor's fine meats and pates. This is also your chance to try bacon-infused bourbon in a custom Old Fashioned. The cost is $30. Buy tickets here. 6pm–10pm. 1145 Folsom St. at 7th St.

Been reading about ~FORAGED FOODS MEALS~? (As in found and real, not forged, har.) There are two coming up from The Wild Kitchen on Sunday June 14th (East Bay), and Thursday June 18th (Mission). Dinner is $40, and $10 reservation tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com. All dinners start at 8pm, and the exact location will be sent out the day of your meal.

And now, this week's deals on meals:

Sushi falls a bit into the luxury category right now (unless you're eating lousy stuff from the grocery store), so you should definitely consider this promo: 15 pieces of sushi for $15 during the Lucky 15 at ~KYO-YA~. It happens on the 15th of June and July during lunchtime (11:30am–2pm). You can get your 15 pieces to go, but if you dine in, you get a complimentary Ichigo lemonade. Check out the flyer here. Reservations requested. Palace Hotel, New Montgomery St. at Market, 415-546-5089.

I also heard ~MOMO'S~ has a New York steak three-course dinner deal: for $29, you get your choice of soup or iceberg wedge salad, a 14-ounce New York steak (center cut, dry-aged for 21 days), some daily sides, and a chef's selection for your dessert. 760 2nd St. at King, 415-227-8660.

For all of this week (through Friday the 12th), downtown's ~URBAN TAVERN~ has announced a limited time "pay what you think it's worth" promotion to launch executive chef Mary O'Neill's new summer lunch menu. Diners can eat up to a three-course meal and then pay what they think it's worth. There's room for 100 diners per day, and you have to make a reservation. Lunch can include food, soft drinks, coffee, and tea, but no alcohol. The existing offer of five hours of free parking while dining will also be valid during this time. 11:30am–2:30pm. 333 O'Farrell St. at Mason, 415-923-4400.

Since we're talkin' parking, did you know that ~SOUTH~ has struck a deal with the Bank of America parking lot? (It's the one behind South on the corner of Fourth & Brannan.) South customers are entitled to $5 parking Mon–Sat from 5pm onwards, even on Giants game days! All you have to do is call South for the code and then keep your South receipt. Suh-weet. Now you can apply all that money you saved to something you can actually taste: Aussie eats and vino. 330 Townsend St. at 4th St., 415-974-5599.

Would you be happy with some free ice cream? Of course you would. On Sunday June 14th from 1:30pm–3:30pm, you can ~GET A FREE SCOOP~ of a Dreyer's MAXX flavor (not available in retail stores) and a mix-in. Flavors include: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk, Java Mash Up, NESTLÉ® DRUMSTICK® Cone, or Chocolate Cookies 'N Cream Collision. It all goes down at the Dreyer's PIER 39 Scoop Shop. Embarcadero St. at Beach.

Last week I mentioned the upcoming ~SUMMERTINI~ event on Friday June 19th, and for those of you in an auction frame of mind, I wanted to give you a sneak preview of some of the items on the auction block: you can dine with Michael Bauer in the "Critic Review Dinner" lot, dine with a guest at the chef's table in Chez Panisse's kitchen (plus stay overnight at Joie de Vivre's nearby Hotel Durant in Berkeley), and more. Check out all the lots and purchase your tickets here.

This Friday June 12th is a screening of the movie ~FRESH~, another important film to come out about our food system, and how to change how America eats. There will be a panel following the screening with Ari Derfel (moderator), co-founder of Back to Earth and Terrain Restaurant; Michael Pollan, author: In Defense of Food; An Eater's Manifesto and The Omnivore's Dilemma; Brahm Ahmadi, co-founder and executive director of People's Grocery; Annie Shattuck, FoodFirst researcher and co-author of an upcoming book on the food crisis, Food Rebellions!; and Ana Joanes, director of FRESH. $15. 7pm at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St. Click here to purchase tickets. (There is a second screening in Berkeley on Monday June 15th with different speakers—read about it and buy tickets here.)

~FARMERS' MARKET~ news: this last Sunday, the one that started in the Inner Sunset was a hit, and if its success continues, it should be running until November 22nd from 9am–1pm on Sundays. It's in the parking lot between 8th and 9th Avenues and Judah and Irving Streets.

And then in the lousy market news department, Eater broke the story that "some of the most popular vendors from the ~ALEMANY FARMERS MARKET~—including All Star Tamales, El Huarache Loco, Estrellita's Snacks, and Sabores del Sur—have been given notice that they will be booted at the end of the month." Uh, a lot of people go to the market just for their food, hello! Read more about the RFP brouhaha, and here's a petition you can sign in an attempt to keep these vendors in their spot at the market here.

San Francisco isn't the only one with a bunch of street food news: Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay is starting the engine of ~SAM'S CHOWDER MOBILE~, which will be hitting office parks in the Peninsula (like Oracle, etc.), and a variety of upcoming events. A year in the making, this lobster-red mobile seafood shack will be serving Sam's delicious Maine lobster roll (my mouth waters just thinking about it), plus fish and chips, crab Louie salad, clam chowder, and fish tacos (all made with sustainably-fished seafood), as well as key lime pie for dessert. Prices range from $4.95 for a fish taco or 16 oz. bowl of Sam's famous clam chowder, to $9.95 for fish and chips to $14.95 for Sam's lobster roll. Lunch and dinner customers can find the Van's current location by following it on Twitter @samschowdermobile, or by visiting samschowdermobile.com, where there will be a live Twitter stream describing the Van's current location, plus there will be a live events calendar where you can find the Van (like the Santa Clara County Fair). You will be able to hire the van for private events, and even hold lobster clambakes. The cooking oil is recycled, and all packaging and utensils used on the Van are 100% biodegradable and compostable. Beep beep!

Now for some East Bay news: according to a press release, "Christopher Losa of Bar Bambino is opening a new project in Oakland's Jack London Square Marketplace. Currently the project only has the working name of ~DELICATESSEN~, which is more a reference to the overall concept. It will be a retail shop and cafe focusing on artisanal food and drink. Celebrating the best of the best, cheese, wine, craft beer, distilled spirits, cured meats, and prepared foods will be sourced from around the world and in our own backyard. For this project Losa is stepping beyond Italy and looking globally to bring together a collection of culinary treats. Additionally some special relationships are being cultivated to showcase exceptional hard-to-find products. All involved will be working hard to open late winter, early spring 2010."

Also heard chef Alex Marsh of ~LEVENDE EAST~ is no longer with the restaurant. Taking his place is his sous chef, Ron Miranda.

This little party seems downright irresistible: Frog Hollow Farms will be in the house at ~SOLANO CELLARS~ on Thursday June 18th. They'll be offering up the season's sweetest Bing cherries, Golden Sweet apricots, and Gold Dust peaches for sampling along with some of their conserves, dried fruit, granola, and olive oil. Kirstin (Solano Cellars' resident wine bar manager and cheese aficionado) will pair some tasty cheeses and pour wines by the glass at the bar. No charge to attend. All food samples are gratis. If this event generates enough interest, Solano Cellars will become a Frog Hollow CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) drop-off point, and neighbors will be able to pick up boxes of fresh produce at their shop each week. 5:30pm–7:30pm. 1580 Solano Avenue B at Ordway, Albany, 510-525-9463.

Tomorrow night, Wednesday June 10th, ~BRAVO'S TOP CHEF MASTERS~ starts at 10pm. 24 renowned chefs will be competing for charity. The first show kicks off with Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys), Christopher Lee (Aureole), Michael Schlow (Radius Restaurant), and Tim Love (The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro). Other local chefs competing on the show will include Elizabeth Falkner, Michael Chiarello, and Cindy Pawlcyn. Check 'em all out here.

the lush: June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Big shifts in the wine universe: Nicole Burke, the now-former wine director of ~EPIC ROASTHOUSE~ just got married in Ireland and is off to India for her honeymoon. When she returns at the end of month, she is going to be working at Domaine Select Wine Estates as the Northern California Regional Manager. She says, "My decision to leave the restaurant industry was motivated by my passion for the authenticity of the portfolio and the company."

And we're getting quite an import on the local scene, and I'm not talking about a nerello mascalese here: wine expert David Lynch, known for his book Vino Italiano, the leading Italian wine reference, and a former GM/wine director at The John Dory and Babbo in New York, is joining ~QUINCE~ restaurant as Director of Wine & Beverage. He will be working with Claudio Villani of Wynn Las Vegas and Incanto, and Michael Ireland from The French Laundry. This is all in preparation for when Quince opens late this summer on Pacific Avenue, and then later in the fall, Cotogna. From the press release: "he will expand Quince's wine program to introduce small, lesser-known producers from North West Italy as well as some of the fine international wines of the world. As an accomplished wine educator, he will work with the staff at both Quince and Cotogna to increase their knowledge and elevate their service. Lynch will also oversee Quince's new Italian-inspired cocktail program." Although he has been in New York for the past 16 years, Lynch's wife is from the Bay Area and wanted to return, and so they decided to move west. Lucky us.

Next Wednesday June 17th at ~THE MOSS ROOM~ is a five-course tasting menu of locally sourced seafood paired with the wines of Abe Schoener and the Scholium Project. (Pssst, there's geoduck clam and abalone and uni on the menu—you can view the PDF here.) $80. Wine pairing, $45. Inside the California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, 415-876-6121.

~CRUSHPAD~ in Dogpatch is hosting their annual Open House on Saturday June 20th from 2pm–6pm. It's their largest event of the year, with over 1,200 winos turning out to taste wines and dine on tacos from their local taco truck. 2573 Third St. at 23rd St.

~TERZO~ is extending their Spring Wine Special to run through Labor Day, Monday September 7th. To recap, all bottles of wine (there are 20) priced at $40 or less are half-off for dinner guests Sun–Thu. (Dinner is defined as two small plates or one large plate per person.) 3011 Steiner St. at Union, 415-441-3200.

Boozehounds and tiki fanatics rejoice, because Martin Cate (formerly of Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge in Alameda) is going to be opening ~SMUGGLER'S COVE~ later this year in San Francisco, probably in November. The bar is going to be an homage to rum, offering traditional Caribbean drinks, classic libations of Prohibition-era Havana, and famous exotic cocktails from legendary tiki bars. The drinks will be made with top-notch spirits, fresh-squeezed juices, and house-made ingredients. There will also be plenty of rare and premium rums for sippin'. And that's not all: there will also be waterfalls, vintage nautical décor and rum memorabilia, and relics from some of San Francisco's most famous historic watering holes. Where is it going to be? Well, some avid game-players will know first, because Cate has a fun little scavenger hunt underway on his site. If you're a game-player, Eater had a clue on their site here for getting the game started.

~BUCK TAVERN~ (across the street from Zuni and Cav) got its liquor license, so now you'll be able to slug more than just beer there. They have also rolled out an updated menu, with sliders (Niman Ranch beef or free-range ground turkey), English pub-style fish and chips (cod filets), and crispy calamari, plus onion rings. Nightly happy hour until 8pm expanded to include $5 house martinis and some additional specialty cocktails. 1655 Market St. at Gough, 415-874-9183.

the wino: Duggan McDonnell on Cachaça

2009-06-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Muddling Herb Cane.

Fresh-cut sugar cane.

Bees in fresh-pressed cane juice.

Duggan McDonnell is a culinary boozehound, an educator, consultant, and a partner in the Latin cocktail lounge, Cantina.

Raising Cane!

Portuguese can be tough on the tongue. Like the word cachaça (kuh-shaw-suh), for instance. When sloppily said, the word might sound as if it came from a fat kid slurring through a mouth full of Snickers. Another tough one, caipirinha (ky-purr-rean-yuh), makes for an interesting dichotomy: one of the more increasingly popular cocktails in the States is also one of the most difficult to pronounce. I know; in the two years since we opened Cantina and after muddling nearly 50,000 caipirinhas, the staff feels as though they've been teaching 'Portuguese for Dummies.' (At least through the guise of Brazilian booze.) And this coming Friday for International Cachaça Day, I'm certain time spent on language lessons and cocktail muddling will respectably increase.

Cachaça is Brazil's national spirit and the second most-oft distilled spirit in the world. Its chief vehicle also belongs to Brazil in the form of its national cocktail, the quarto-syllabic caipirinha. The caipirinha is a damn fine cocktail, delicious and refreshing. At Cantina, we sling a California-esque riff on the traditional recipe which Food & Wine recently published in their Cocktails '09 guide, while 7x7 features another of my riffs, the Mango & Cardamom Caipirinha, as their Drink of the Month.

When we opened Cantina, just over two years ago, our shelves held the largest collection of cachaça stateside. Why? Because it could be done. With over 28 different bottlings, a flight of cachaça at Cantina was a daunting endeavor. And it's this sort of silly, albeit improbable, task that excited me. I've long loved culture South of the Border; I've loved those countries born of being conquered by the greedy men from Romance countries; I've loved the story of survival and the indigenous, new spirits that South and Central America have shared with the world; and still, I love the taste of heat, the jungle, and the vine present in these spirits.

This past winter I had the opportunity to visit Brazil, to taste and touch cane, and to see an old alembic pot still. If you like good booze, then you'll agree with me: pot stills are a thing of beauty. And in my opinion, one should only drink good booze. Lucky for us there are several delicious pot-distilled cachaças in the States.

To the question, "What is cachaça?," I most often answer, "Brazilian rum," because that is what the U.S. government decreed was the proper label for American consumers. But it isn't, really. Cachaça is more, er, different than rum. Where rum is traditionally distilled from a molasses often sourced from outside the producer's own country, the best cachaças are not only from Brazil, but estate-produced, with sugar cane grown and hand-cut, pressed into a fermentable 'wine' and then distilled. It's a longer, closer-to-the-earth process, resulting in more terroir-driven flavors: olives, lemon verbena, young vanilla, and oily cinnamon.

To be in Brazil, where it's muggy yet so, so beautiful, to touch cane, and to see an old alembic still and to know its history, was as amazing for me as standing atop of Spring Mountain and eyeing all the Napa Valley's vineyards below.

This Friday June 12th, remembers June 12, 1744, when Portugal banned the production of cachaça in their then colony, Brazil. Of course, the Brazilians didn't stop and today they have a rich cultural and cocktail history because of their resilience. It's just this type of spirit that we in the Barbary Coast should celebrate. Joining me in this celebration will be some of my favorite restaurants and bars in San Francisco slinging signature cachaça cocktails of their own. Some folks are already planning a Cachaça Cocktail Crawl. How fun will it be to slur a little Portuguese after a night spent swilling San Francisco's best cocktails?

As for the cocktail I will be making on Friday, it will be a uniquely San Franciscan-Brazilian hybrid: the Herb Cane.

4 basil leaves and 4 leaves of mint

2 oz. Cachaça

.5 oz. Chartreuse (Green)

.5 oz. Sugar Syrup

1 oz. Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice

Muddle the herbs, pour the liquids, then shake vigorously, and double-strain the liquid into an empty rocks glass. Garnish with a long orange peel squeezed and dropped into the cocktail.

At Cantina, and around San Francisco, talented barfolk have given homes to cachaça in many new cocktail ways beyond the tried-and-true caipirinha. I find this exactly as it should be. Cachaça bears its history of ingenuity and resilience, and San Francisco upholds its culture of culinary innovation. If only our linguistic skills matched those of our palates, our tongues could speak better to cachaça's delicious possibilities.

Saudé!

the socialite: Father's Day at the Ritz

2009-06-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Thought I should point out a few fun ~FATHER'S DAY~ events coming up at two Ritz-Carlton locations. I loved the sound of this one at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay: the Resort's executive chef Xavier Salomon and his father, Jean Salomon, will be cooking together in the Navio kitchen. They will be preparing a Father's Day tasting menu, and the menu is made up of chef Xavier's father's famous recipes from his Michelin-starred restaurants in France. Chef Xavier has even brought his father from France! They will be cooking together for two nights (June 20th and 21st), two generations of Salomons, each a Maitre Cuisinier de France (French Master Chef). Fun fact: Xavier is fourth in his family to earn the prestigious title of Maitre Cuisinier de France and a fifth generation chef and restaurateur.

The five-course tasting menu is $75 per person; with wine pairings, $125 per person. For reservations, contact 650-712-7000, or visit the website here. The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, One Miramontes Point Road, Half Moon Bay.

Bavarois de saumon fume au coulis de tomate fraiche
Chilled Smoked Salmon "Bavarois" with fresh tomato coulis

Sole en croute, sauce homard
Filet of Dover sole "en croute" with lobster coulis

Filet de veau aux morilles, Fond d'artichauds au foie gras, Gratin Dauphinois
Veal tenderloin with spring morels and artichokes filled with foie gras

Tomme des Bauges, Salade frisée aux noix
Tomme des Bauges, frisée with walnuts

Pave glace aux fruits rouges, Tuiles aux amandes
Frozen berries parfait and almond tuiles

Meanwhile, on Sunday June 21st, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco will be holding a barbecue brunch buffet featuring jerk-marinated shrimp and scallop kebabs, whole spit-roasted pig, and bourbon-marinated skirt steak, plus a bunch of delicious dishes you can find in their usual brunch buffet. The Terrace Courtyard will be open for the event, and will include big-screen televisions broadcasting the day's sporting events, along with optional pairings of micro-brewed beers, and a jazz trio.

10am–3pm. $98 for adults; $49 for children five to 12, exclusive of tax and gratuity

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, 600 Stockton Street at California, 415-773-6198 or 415-296-7465.

Father's Day at the Ritz
Sun. June 21st, 200

Various locations

the socialite: For the Love of Ramen

2009-06-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Are you noodle obsessed? Then you will want to check out this upcoming event from the Asian Culinary Forum, ~FOR THE LOVE OF RAMEN~. There will bea panel of noodle experts who will explore how a dish born of extreme need after World War II was transformed into a meal of luxury, endless regional specialties, and then, finally, an iconic convenience food.

The humble wheat noodles, originally from China, were radically re-invented by Momofuku Ando. Affectionately known in Japan as Noodle Papa, Ando developed new technology to make instant ramen noodles, all the while believing that: "Peace will come to the world when people have enough to eat."

Come join the conversation with:

Eric Nakamura, publisher and co-editor, Giant Robot magazine

Andy Raskin, author, The Ramen King and I

George Solt, assistant professor, Department of History, New York University

Thy Tran (moderator), director, Asian Culinary Forum

Delica rf-1 will provide Japanese nibbles and drinks, and Book Passage will be onsite to sell copies of The Ramen King and I.

For the Love of Ramen
Wed. June 24th, 2009

San Francisco Ferry Building
Second Floor
San Francisco, CA

6:30pm–8:30pm

$20
$15 (full-time students with I.D.)

buy tickets here

the starlet: June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Patricia Clarkson was spotted dining at Bar Jules.

Over the weekend, Sean Penn was at Piazza D'Angelo restaurant in Mill Valley with a party of 14 to celebrate a birthday.

Peter Coyote and Phil Bronstein dined at Poggio.

Ludacris had lunch at ThirstyBear on Saturday. He had empanadas and a paella. After lunch, he came back to the kitchen to say hi and thanks to all the crew. Classy!

A tablehopper reader was having an after-dinner brew at The Grove on Fillmore, and just ahead in line was Will Forte from Saturday Night Live. The reader says, "SUCH a wee cutie, with his scruffy beard and plaid shirt—he was hanging out with two friends."

James Spader was spotted at the Huntington Hotel. No, it's not exactly a celebrity sighting in a restaurant or bar, but I'll let this one slide.