the chatterbox
the word on the street
the regular
it's about time we met
the lush
put it on my tab
the socialite
shindigs/feasts/festivals
the starlet
no photos please

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO So Bourbon Mondays have been cut off at the pass by Suds Sundays, an equally dangerous kick-start to the week. All I can say is thank you lord for late-night taco trucks. I also give thanks for decent delivery in this town on my rare nights in. So with the rainy season on its way, and bad parking every night, I thought I'd do a roundup of a few of my favorite (and mostly bad for you) delivery options so you can eat well on your nights in when you are snuggled in your jammies, and all you have in your fridge are condiments and batteries.

Feel free to clue me in on any of your delivery faves and I'll see about doing a second sweep in the future. I would especially love some Indian and Chinese recos, and for the record, I am not a fan of Rotee for delivery (tasty but too expensive and takes forever), Andy's Chinese (you will soon read why), Al Hamra (too greasy) and Ha's (like Ho's but the name isn't half as funny).

Chow ciao,
~Marcia

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Okay, this is a tough one. Folks all over the city have been saddened and shocked by the violent and very unfortunate car accident that involved three members of the ~BAR CRUDO~ team last week. Graciela "Gracie" Sholl was tragically killed when the driver of a minivan ran a red light on Laguna St. and broadsided the taxicab that was also carrying chef/owner Mike Selvera and sous chef Carina Lampkin (the cab was traveling on Fulton Street). Carina is still in the critical unit at SF General but thankfully is now in stable condition, suffering from a broken pelvis and internal bleeding (she is going to have surgery this week), while Mike suffered from a broken jaw and a punctured lung. Mike had surgery on Monday, and is expected to return home on Wednesday to heal, with a wired jaw (poor guy, but good thing: I've heard he likes milkshakes). For details about the accident, the Examiner has the story here) and the Chronicle also wrote up the accident here.

Many people are wondering what they can do and how to help… I spoke with Mike's twin brother and partner in the restaurant, Tim, and he said they expect to reopen Bar Crudo on Wednesday, so the first thing you can do is patronize the restaurant, one of my favorites in the City, in the coming weeks.

Tim also mentioned they are holding a benefit this Sunday, the 10th, from noon until 6pm. There will be oysters, crudos, beer, and wine served. The benefit will be a $10-$25 sliding scale. A percentage of the proceeds will go toward a variety of purposes, from the victims' needs to the fact that Bar Crudo has lost a week of revenue since it's been closed as of last Thursday. Hog Island has magnanimously donated 800 oysters and a shucker for the benefit on Sunday (hearts). If you are a restaurant (or an individual) and want to figure out how to help or what to donate, feel free to get in touch with Tim at the restaurant (415-956-0396), or through email at tim [at] barcrudo [dot] com. Definitely try to come by on Sunday and show this dear group of folks some support and care. We love you Bar Crudo, and are so sorry for your great loss and tribulations right now. Our thoughts and condolences are with you, and especially with the Sholl family.

Okay, I don't really know how to switch gears here, so I'm just gonna throw it into third.

I know a bunch of you loved those ~COZMO CARDS~/restaurant discount cards I was able to give away earlier this year. Sorry to act like a crack dealer and get you all hooked on them, and then hit you up for cash when you want some more, but that's how business goes. The 2007 deck is out and Cozmo Cards have offered tablehopper readers 10% off! The individual decks are $30 each, or you can customize your 52-card deck and take your pick of just your favorites (i.e. you can pick multiples of just one place, like ten Mamacita cards) for $65. There are definitely some fun and quality restaurants in there, like Globe, El Raigon, Deep Sushi, and Destino. To refresh your memory, all you have to do is spend $40 and when you present that restaurant's Cozmo Card you get $15 off your bill.

Just be sure to use the code "tablehopper" when purchasing your deck, and if you're opting for the custom option, simply specify which restaurants and the quantity of each in the comment box of the order form to complete your order. Perfect stocking stuffer for your food-obsessed friends.

Last Monday night (11/26) was the last night for a slice of pizza with Nick AKA "The Mayor of Polk Street" Fasanella at ~NICKY'S PIZZERIA RUSTICA~—he is handing the keys over to some new owners, Escape From New York, and is taking a break. We'll see where he turns up next… for now he's doing some consulting around town, and has some potential international projects in the mix. Nick also said he's "feeling NYC" at the moment, and is mulling over the possibility of opening a taqueria there. It would certainly offer a bit more distance from his former partner who's still next-door at Nick's Crispy Tacos. Escape From New York should be opening early in 2007.

Just up the street, there's a new chef in the kitchen at ~TABLESPOON~. Rob Riescher left in early October and returned to New York, while Alvin Luna has scooted over from Antica Trattoria to take his place. Luna's track record includes Antica for 2 1/2 years, plus Gary Danko when it first opened (which is where he met John Jasso, managing partner of Tablespoon), and Viognier down in San Mateo. Luna will be continuing Tablespoon's legacy of inventive takes on American cuisine, adding a rotating array of dishes, like some wintertime-appropriate braised Kurobuta pork cheeks with Savoy cabbage, and braised short rib ravioli. Luna stressed how important simplicity and good ingredients are for him, something he really honed in on while at Antica. (His presentations are also supposed to be quite elegant.) Just a little reminder to you all: since Tablespoon recently got a liquor license, you should swing by to sip some quality spirits at the bar, plus they are open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. They also offer a $35 three-course prix-fixe menu, and a Sunday prix fixe for $26.49. I've always enjoyed dining at this joint—it's cozy, friendly, and his some nice style to boot. 2209 Polk St. at Vallejo St., 415-268-0140.

I caught up with Sharon Ardiana of ~LIME~ in the Castro, and as of December 1, you will no longer find her in the kitchen there. She was the opening chef at Lime (since July 2004). They will be promoting from within, but Ardiana will still be offering her guidance in the coming weeks. Ardiana is busy getting her soon-to-open Glen Park pizzeria ramped up. It was originally going to be named Angelina in honor of her grandmother, but has been renamed to ~GIALINA~ (Gialina was her nonna's nickname). The pizzeria is going into the Sunset Pizza space, and will have 38 seats with room for four at the counter. There will also be a display of personal family photos on the deep red walls. Ardiana looooooooooves pizza, and enjoys how it brings people together, which is exactly what she'll be doing with thin-crust pizzas like a classic margherita, a white clam pizza, and probably five other pies influenced by seasonal toppings. Get ready, she even developed a dessert pizza concept. There will also be some Italian ices offered. Gialina will be open for dinner seven nights a week, and will eventually start lunch too, which is when she plans to introduce some Sicilian/thicker-crust style pizzas. Intended opening hours will be 4pm-10pm, and probably until 11pm Fri-Sat. (When lunch kicks in, it will open around 11am.) 2842 Diamond St. at Kern St., 415-239-8500.

I was just at Weird Fish this weekend, and owner Timothy Holt is also working on another project a few doors down in the former Fabuloid space, on the corner of 18th and Mission. The café is tentatively going to be called ~MILK & HONEY~, or perhaps ~MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO~. The concept is to have some serious ovens that will crank out fresh pastry, flatbreads, roasted vegetables, and sandwiches, along with "vegan junk food" (how's that for an oxymoron?). Puerto Rican-style coffees will also be offered, plus a wine bar. Holt is bringing in a chef, Bradford, who has a vegetarian/vegan background (he cooked at Millennium for some time) and he will also be helping out at Weird Fish.

Large sliding glass door are going in, and will open up to 18th Street, which will have plentiful outdoor seating, and an awning with heaters and speakers. They plan to have live music and a big street scene, almost like the vibe over at Revolution Café. In an odd twist, all the furnishings will be for sale, even the tables and chairs. Arrangements and the actual partnership are still being worked out (there are some folks from Boogaloo's involved in the deal) so none of this is totally final yet. They are gunning for a May 1 opening.

One thing that is official: ~WEIRD FISH~ is now serving brunch every day from 9am-3pm. You can get eggs, hash browns that are made-to-order, shrimp and crab omelettes, buckwheat pancakes, French toast, and grits, like one dish called Little Al's Grits, with grilled shrimp, blackened catfish, mixed veggies, and corn tortillas. There are also a number of vegan offerings, like vegan pancakes, vegan sausage, and vegan bacon. Dude! 2193 Mission St. at 18th St., 415-863-4744.

Hayes Valley will soon have a cute little place for sweets—the owners of Miette in the Ferry Building Marketplace, Meg Ray and Caitlin Williams, are opening ~MIETTE CONFISERIE~, "a modern candy store that blends penny candy simplicity with the bygone opulence of European sweet shops." (I was not even going to attempt to rewrite that one.) The tiny space will be chock-full of candies displayed in apothecary jars, like saltwater taffy and caramels, literally from floor to ceiling. The shop is in the former Bank of American building, just next door to Café Grillades, overlooking the Octavia Green. The hope is to open in mid-January, Tue-Sun, 11am-7pm. 449 Octavia St. at Linden, 415-626-6221.

Over in the Marina, there is a new Indian place opening next Sunday in the old Bombay Curry House space called ~ASHOKA FINE INDIAN CUISINE~. It's an intimate little space, and will be serving Indian classics, like curries and some tandoori faves, plus some newer dishes as well. The husband and wife owners are Benny Singh and Maria Kinard, and they will be serving dinner nightly. 2034 Chestnut St. at Fillmore St., 415-567-8124.

Oh, and ~GILBERT PILGRAM~ has officially started at Zuni.

Some openings to report: ~OUT THE DOOR~ finally opened on the concourse level (i.e. downstairs) of the Westfield Centre on November 29. There are 138 seats for those who want to get their fill of some Ferry Building location faves like chicken claypot, plus some new dishes from a rotisserie and a duck oven (food is also available to-go). Sustainable, organic, and local in full effect. There are also some cooking kits offered (minimal assembly required, and I can tell you firsthand these things are delish and ridiculously fast). Lundberg Design has put together a unique interior, with a one-of-a-kind wok setup where the woks are cooled from the runoff of water cascading down a long window (you gotta see it to believe it) and a glowing 60-foot honey wall made of Plexiglas. (Sweet.) Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-8pm. 845 Market Street, concourse level, Westfield Shopping Centre.

~PRES A VI~ opened in the Presidio last week. Take your pick from one of their 300+ seats, and have fun attacking the wine list. One Letterman Drive, 415-409-3000.

~BIONDIVINO~, the cute Italian wine boutique I mentioned weeks back opened up at 1415 Green St. at Polk St., 415-673-2320.

Those of you bumming over the closure of ~CAFÉ VENUE~ on Market and Third can now head over to its new digs in the former Boudin space, right across from the old Mint (AKA the granite lady), open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 8am-5:30pm, Sun 11am-5:30pm. 67 5th Street at Jessie St., near Mission St., 415-546-1144.

Here are some offers around town:
On Mondays through the month of December, ~CITIZEN THAI & THE MONKEY~ will offer 50% off on almost all of the wines on their wine list—there are over 50 wines from around the world to choose from. (Bottles only.) 1268 Grant St. at Vallejo St., 415-364-0008.

~LE METRO CAFÉ~ on Divis has launched a kids and family night on Mondays, offering a chef's special kid's meal for $10, with drinks and dessert. Crayons will be on hand, plus smoothies and juices for the tykes. On Tuesdays, you can bring a bottle of wine in and they will not charge you a corkage fee. Isn't it time to go check out what the new chef, Nathan Foot, is up to? 311 Divisadero St. at Page St., 415-552-0903.

~CORTEZ~ has launched a special Iowa Heritage Suckling Pig menu, with dishes like baby gem lettuces with torn basil, pomegranate seeds, Fuyu persimmon and crispy house-cured guanciale; hand-cut noodles with tender pulled pork, Meyer lemon and black pepper sabayon and pecorino; and a presentation of various cuts of suckling pig: herb-roasted porchetta, slow-cooked leg and "sous vide" loin with grain mustard-glazed Russian banana potatoes, buttered cabbage and cippolini onions. (These dishes can be ordered a la carte, or all together to form a piggy deluxe menu, with wine pairings.) 550 Geary St. at Jones St., 415-292-6360.

~SCOTT HOWARD~ is now serving lunch during the holiday season (until December 22), Monday through Friday from 11:30am-2pm. The new lunch menu will offer a choice of appetizers, such as Kumamoto oysters with pineapple and vanilla bean mignonette and chipotle cocktail sauce; smoked trout truffled egg salad with crostini; and the famed carrot broth with chervil sabayon and black truffle oil. The entrées will include short ribs, salmon, and white cheddar grilled cheese on brioche with tomato soup. 500 Jackson St. between Columbus and Montgomery, 415-956-7040.

Sai Jai Thai
771 O'Farrell St.
Cross: Hyde St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

415-673-5774

11am-11pm daily

Apps $5.95-$6.95
Entrées $5.95-$10.95
Desserts $2.50-$3.95

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Okay, my friends who turned me on to this joint are gonna kill me for mentioning this place, but hey, you gotta share the wealth. ~SAI JAI THAI~ (a name worthy of yelling three times fast before unloading a series of swift kicks on some crazed ninja opponent wielding customized nun chucks) totally rocks my delivery world. Granted, they sometimes take a long time, but it's also because I plead with them to deliver to me out in the Western Addition (tip: make it worth their while and spend more than the $15 minimum if they tell you that you live too far away).

Winner dishes: the mieng come ($5.95), a funky and refreshing little starter of laloop or spinach leaves that you fill with shredded coconut, dried shrimp, roasted peanuts, and lime juice, plus some ginger and their "special sauce." Like mini tacos, without carnitas.

I also am a sucker for their angel wings ($6.95), but these aren't exactly ideal for delivery because the crispy crust can get a little soggy. Still pretty delish though.

The winner of the crack delivery dish title, however, is the kor moo yang ($7.50), a whomping pile of fatty and grilled pork shoulder with the most awesome (yes, awesome) nutty fried rice and a spicy chili and fish sauce you dunk your pork into. Hold me.

Beef salad ($7.95) is another one that is totally worth the price-point (it's not THAT steep, seriously), with thin slices of broiled beef mixed with spicy lime dressing and mint, plus a shaking of rice powder. You can also get the beef on its own ($7.50) in the beef barbecue dish, with slices of garlic-marinated sirloin on a bed of lettuce with the spicy chili and fish sauce. No, this is not the best beef you'll ever stick your fork into, and it's a far moo from Niman Ranch, but hey, we're talking Tenderloin Thai here.

My hangover special is the kao rad nah gai ($7.25), a pile of sautéed chicken, mushrooms, and onions in gravy, with Chinese sausage and a fried egg on top. Healed!

Oh, and I can't forget the pad kee mao ($5.95), which is totally meow: stir-fried rice noodles with carrot, cabbage, broccoli, basil, and a spicy sauce, with your pick of pork, chicken, or beef. Purr.

There are all kinds of other dishes on the menu that aren't your typical fare—I am still working my way through the menu (54 dishes total, must finish the menu…). Be adventurous, you'll usually be rewarded. (Which is not always the case in dating or investing.)

I actually ate at the restaurant for the first time just this week, and it was almost like a bad internet date—the real thing was not at all what I thought it was going to be. While the striped walls alternating between orange sherbet and ivory was, uh, cheerful, I almost wish I hadn't seen the scary pile of office supplies and all kinds of crap in the back of the restaurant, which showed they are kind of sloppy. Not even kind of sloppy, actually; try totally sloppy. Like Pig Pen is their patron saint. I peeked into the back kitchen and things were not much prettier. Ignorance=bliss. Although they magically scored an 85 on their SF Department of Health inspection, so their kitchen isn't totally filthy. Service, while sweet, was also painfully slow. I'm sticking with ordering in—when it gets there, it gets there.

Ho's
2360 Van Ness Ave.
Cross: Clay St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

415-776-4666
415-776-1666
website

Sun-Thu 11am-10:30pm
Fri-Sat 11am-11pm

Apps $3.50-$6.95
Entrées $4.50-$10.95
Desserts $1.75

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO After I had a serious altercation with the chumps at Andy's Chinese (they delivered the wrong order after a 50-minute wait, and it was cold, and when I called to complain they didn't care to fix it), I needed another lousy Chinese joint to take their place. (My ex was furious that I cut off Andy's completely because he loved their fried rice, but this is what happens when you cross an Italian: Andy's was dead to me. Whaddya know, I'm not talking to the ex anymore either. Huh. I am quite sure he's happily eating their fried rice now that we're through.)

My friend Andrew recommended ~HO'S~, and I was like hey, I can get down with anyplace called Ho's. Let's party. Here's an amazing tip about Ho's (any of you folks who are low on funds will totally live for this ridiculous happy hour deal): order two main courses from 3pm-6pm, and you get a starter, soup, and fried rice or chow mein for two people. Dude, it's seriously a pile of food for a week for something like $13. Ho's got me and my boyfriend through the dark years (2001-2003) with this special.

Or for you single folks (high five) the "Ho's Combo for One" is a pretty smokin' deal—for $8.50 you get your choice from a list o' classics (Kung Pao Chicken, fine, whatever) and you get one of three apps (egg roll, pot sticker, or chicken salad), plus wonton or hot and sour soup AND fried rice, steamed rice, or chow mein. Again, mountain of food. You'll be tired of it in two days, which is exactly how long it will last. Unless you're a boy with a bottomless pit for a stomach.

Be sure to order it without MSG if you're sensitive to it because Ho's is loading it on like a tranny with a can of Aqua Net.

Anything with the BBQ pork is pretty good. Pork chops, also not bad. Otherwise it's all about your favorite classic Chinese dishes. Whatever it is, it will show up quickly, you'll get a hefty portion of it, and it will be made with sub-par ingredients that you will still eat because that's kind of the state of Chinese delivery in this town. I really want to boot Ho's from my shortlist of tragic Chinese delivery options, I mean really, this place mostly sucks and I can now afford much better Chinese, but I haven't quite found another skank to take Ho's place. So that's why I'm putting this out there. Can you help me? I will definitely keep you posted on any good Chinese delivery developments/discoveries.

Mozzarella di Bufala
1529 Fillmore St.
Cross: Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA
415-346-9888

69 West Portal Ave.
Cross: Vicente St.
San Francisco, CA
415-661-8900

Sun-Thu 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat 11am-midnight

website

Large Brazilian* $20.85

*yes, it's a pizza.

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Whenever I suggest ordering my favorite pizza from this place, people totally arch their brows and look like I suggested a large kitten pizza with pineapple. But once they have a slice of the thin-crust (very important) Brazilian pizza (no, it doesn't hurt at all, it's quite gentle in fact) from ~MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA~, they become part of my posse o' pizza converts. This pizza has saved my hung-over ass so many times I should create a shrine to it, made of bottles of Jack. Anything that got me through the aftermath of going out as Tina Mastrelli from Hoboken last Halloween is a pizza with very special healing properties. (And gawwwwd, that chick knew how to PARTY. Thank god she went back to Joi-sey. Whoa, Tina.)

Black olives, linguica, onion, and hard-boiled egg that is all crumbled up. Thin crust! Don't forget! It's my own personal Lourdes of pizzas, seriously. And nab one of their coupons off their website to save some dough when you order your cheese-topped dough. And if you want to send me your "Save 10, Save $15" magnets, I'll take that as a lovely token of gratitude, thank you.

Image courtesy of Zante's Pizza

Zante's Indian Pizza
3489 Mission St.
Cross: Cortland St.
San Francisco, CA 94110

415-821-3949
website

Daily 11am-3pm,
5pm-11pm

Large Indian Pizza $21.99

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Huh, are you craving pizza? Or Indian? Oh, decisions. Darling, you really can have it all, and the answer is ~ZANTE'S INDIAN PIZZA~. Their specialty pizza totally suffers from multiple personality disorder, but manages to appear totally together: tandoori chicken, lamb, and prawns, plus cauliflower, eggplant, spinach, onion, cilantro, and a scary pile of garlic and ginger. (They also do a vegetarian version.) Make sure you don't have any important meetings or dates for the next 48 hours—the garlic on this thing is as deathly as hobo breath. I also ask them to make the crust as thin as possible since it's a little doughy and sweet for my taste.

This is a once-a-year kind of pizza for me, but man, it warms up like a dream, and I crave its wacky mother lode of ingredients more than I'd like to admit. Don't be tempted to use their online ordering service—just call, it's faster.

The parking in that neighborhood is almost as bad as Russian Hill, so thank god Zante's delivers because otherwise I'd never get to scratch my schizo pizza itch.

Harlot
46 Minna St.
Cross: Shaw Alley
between 1st and 2nd Streets and Mission and Howard Streets
San Francisco, CA 94105

website

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Opening just next door to Salt House will be ~HARLOT~, an upscale lounge from local talents/party posse Martel, Nabiel, Jacek Ostoya, and Robert Nuñez. The name was, ahem, inspired by local Barbary Coast history, when street names in SoMa actually referenced famous prostitutes (supposedly that Minna put on quite a show, and that Jessie, oooooh girl).

The lounge will be quite spacious, with room for 250, and will have a ground floor and a mezzanine level. The space will reveal some elements of its early-1900s bone structure, like riveted steel columns, 16-foot ceilings, original wood beams, and brick walls that have been sandblasted. The décor will be somewhat of a cross between the look of NYC's Gotham Bar & Grill meets Viennese baroque, with elements like a custom-made chandelier of porcelain white deer antlers, oversized mirrors, pony hair along the front of the two bars (the upstairs bar is 15 feet long and the downstairs bar is 22 feet), cocktail tables with images "engraved" on them through a special process, a shimmery floor, and antique chairs and loveseats with wood detailing. The space will mostly have a darker and monochromatic tonality in order for the manor-style art on the walls and the crowd to really "pop."

There will be generous seating offered, with groupings of furnishings that can facilitate conversation—and there will be cocktail waitresses, and bottle service. (You will also be able to order from a light bar menu courtesy of Salt House.) The after-work crowd will dig the fee Wi-Fi, and later in the evening expect things to ramp up. Frisky, perhaps. Harlot will be open Mon-Sat 5:30pm-2am (earlier closing times Mon-Wed). Expect a mid-February opening.

Parties That Cook!

Succulent: A Spicy Evening Of Gourmet Dating For Gay Men
Wed., January 31, 2007

Sur La Table
77 Maiden Lane
(off Union Square)
San Francisco, CA
415-732-7900

6:30pm-8:30pm

website

tickets

$75 per person

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Hello homos! (Sorry, I don't have drink tickets, a bubble butt, or a Tom of Finland getup to get your attention.) Okay, after checking out one of the singles cooking classes at Parties That Cook!, I asked Bibby, the fab organizer behind these events, why not have a gay singles cooking class? (See, I was thinking of all my boys who love to cook!) I suggested showing how to make all kinds of low-carb dishes, and to teach tasty ways to integrate protein powders and muscle supplements, ya know. Ha ha.

Ends up she threw a gay cooking class some time ago and after a few very successful ones everyone eventually knew each other and not enough new guys were signing up for additional classes. Well, after we chatted she decided to host another event, called ~SUCCULENT: A SPICY EVENING OF GOURMET DATING FOR GAY MEN~, and I am here to blow the gay trumpet, so to speak, to get you boys all mingling and cooking together. Just think: even you hot couples out there can come and look for a third, or just make some new friends who like to cook.

Here's the scoop from Bibby:
Tired of the Castro bars and clubs? Parties That Cook introduces a fresh way to meet new friends and turn up the heat in mid-winter with other hot single gay men and couples. Please join us for the debut of Succulent, an upscale culinary event where you can learn gourmet-cooking techniques, eat delicious food, drink your favorite bottle of wine (BYOW) and meet other fun gay men and couples. At this hands-on cooking party, guests are greeted at the door with a nibble and a nametag. After an introductory cooking lesson, featuring tips like the fastest way to dice an onion without a tear, guests are broken into cooking teams. Each team works on a recipe from the evening's tapas menu, while sipping wine and listening to upbeat music. The group savors the 'fruits' of their labor with new friends (or maybe a new hottie)! After the event, copies of the recipes, digital photos and e-mail addresses are sent to the group.

Succulent Small Plates:
• Lamb Skewer with Mint-Basil Pesto
• Blue Cheese and Pecan Puff Pastry Spirals
• Smoked Salmon Spirals with Dilled Crème Fraîche
• Wild Mushroom Crostini with Stilton and Thyme
• Crab Pot Stickers with Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce
• Sweet Potato Galettes with Bacon and Sour Cream
• Key Lime Tartlets with Graham Cracker Crust

Parties That Cook designs fresh seasonal tapas menus for each event. Guests don't need cooking experience to attend. Tickets are $75 per person. The price includes cooking instruction by professional chefs, tapas using the finest, freshest ingredients, copies of the recipes, and the camaraderie of cooking with new friends (or maybe a romance)! Please bring a bottle of wine to share with your group. As an added bonus, you'll receive a 15% discount to the Sur La Table kitchen store!

DECEMBER 5, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO Mos Def in the hizzy. Actually, he was spotted at Levende Lounge.

Elijah Wood and a companion were having drunken noodles and hot toddies at the bar at Bambuddha Lounge on Friday night. They ordered the food "to go" but ended up camped at the bar all night.

And a very happy tablehopper reader saw Eric Dane (Dr. McSteamy née Dr. Mark Sloan) of Grey's Anatomy this weekend while having brunch at Foreign Cinema. And I quote, "I was with a group of my girlfriends and suddenly a wave of school girl squeals (mostly from me) came over our table as he took off his coat, adjusted his tight white shirt and sat down. He was eating with a table of five others, maybe relatives. Seeing him definitely made our day in LadyLand more complete." Sing it, sisters.