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MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Wow, the fog bank cleared so everyone could have a proper Memorial Day BBQ, or bike ride, or hangover; you know the kind—when you feel guilty about the gorg day you are missing while you drink a Coke and nibble crackers in bed, right? And me? Well, after burning the midnight oil at too many bars and clubs to count this long weekend, I flipped my hazards on and pulled it on over. I also can’t wait to finish writing this column so I can get back into reading Marco Pierre White’s The Devil in the Kitchen (thanks to a star tablehopper reader who stoked me with the book, meow!). Yup, the only table I hopped to this Memorial Day was my kitchen table. Hello, old friend. Did ya miss me? Okay, so speaking of books and barbecues, since we have Father’s Day coming up on June 17, I thought I’d do another tablehopper giveaway! This time I’m giving away two books from Chronicle Books: one is Extreme Barbecue—Smokin' Rigs and Real Good Recipes by Dan Huntley and Lisa Grace Lednicer, with “in-depth profiles, outrageous photographs, and nearly 100 personal recipes [that reveal] the daring men and women and their crazy homemade grilling apparatuses.” The other is Gentlemen, Start Your Ovens—Killer Recipes for Guys by Tucker Shaw, “the ultimate course in culinary basics, with over 60 recipes for every hour of the day (or night).” Smokin’! To enter, first, you have to be a tablehopper subscriber, and second, you have to forward the tablehopper newsletter to three pals—just be sure to cc luckyme [at] tablehopper [dot] com on the email so I know you forwarded it to three folks. No, I won’t be collecting your friends’ emails, those will stay private—I just need to keep track of how many folks you forwarded it to. The deadline to enter is by midnight, Sunday, June 3. I will be randomly drawing the two winners and will email you to let you know you’ve won on Monday, June 4. The first winner gets first pick of the two books. Lastly, I am running a couple “wino” pieces on the ever-controversial topic of corkage policies over the next two weeks—I think it will be interesting to hear a couple perspectives from both sides of the wine list (i.e. from someone ordering off it, and someone who writes them). Cheers, yo-
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 MAY
29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Whew,
at last, the ~PURSE SNATCHING DRAMA~ has ended:
the police have stopped what was actually a nasty purse-snatching
ring. The Examiner has the entire story here.
It all went down when the alleged suspect decided to pay a return
visit to the St. Regis, and a member of the staff recognized her
and notified hotel security. The alleged suspect got nervous and
ended up leaving the hotel and jumping into a car, but a St. Regis
security guard trailed her and noted the plate and make of the vehicle.
The sister of the suspect was later detained in a routine traffic
stop in the same vehicle, and arrested by Alameda Sheriff Deputies.
Inspector D. Fabbri of SFPD was a big part of getting this ring closed
down. I know a lot of people in the City are really glad this whole
thing is over, but remember, you can never be too careful with your
purse or bag.
So, here’s some good downtown news: Franck Leclerc, the owner of Café Claude, will soon be the unofficial patron of Claude Lane since he is also taking over the Blupointe space, just across the alley. He is naming it ~GITANE~, French for female gypsy. The vibe of the space will be eclectic and feature some fun and funky European flair from the ’50s–’60s—Charles Doell AKA Mr. Important, formerly of FUN! Display, is designing the space. Well, I should say redesigning since he originally did the Blupointe space. Anyway. There will be 30 seats outside on the heated terrace, with room for 30 inside on the mezzanine, and another 15 at the bar. Gitane has a full liquor license, so Leclerc is happy to be creating a late-night destination for the neighborhood. There will also be a fireplace, a wood pizza oven, and sexy flamenco music. Behind
the stoves will be Lisa Eyherabide (27), who has Basque roots
that will surely be felt on the menu, mingling with some southern
French and Portuguese influences. She has worked at Le Charm
and Piperade, as well as at the Côte d'Or in France
under the late Bernard
Loiseau—yes, the chef who tragically committed suicide in 2003
after the Gault-Millau guide downgraded his restaurant rating two
points (from 19 to 17) and he believed rumors that Michelin was
about to remove one of his three stars. (I remember spotting “Frogs
Legs Bernard Loiseau” on the menu at La
Folie a couple years ago). Escrow closes by the end of June, and so will
Blupointe—Gitane will hopefully be open by the end of August.
6 Claude Lane at Bush. So the individual slated to be the executive chef for ~DUCCA~, Marta Cristina Causone, has been replaced with Richard Corbo, the current chef de cuisine of Mecca—his last day at Mecca will be June 2. Corbo is thrilled with the position, calling it a dream job—he studied at a culinary school in Florence, and staged and traveled a lot in Italy. From what I heard, Causone has a baby, and unfortunately having enough hours in the day to concurrently open a restaurant and be mamma weren’t going to jive. Ducca will open for breakfast and lunch initially, and is slated to start a limited number of dinner reservations on June 17. 50 Third St. at Market, adjacent to The Westin San Francisco Market Street, 415-977-0271. Due to open this Wednesday on Upper Polk is ~CAFÉ LAMBRETTA~ a new deli-café-magazine stand moving into a former grocery/deli space. On the deli side of things, expect some fab rustic-style panini made with local/sustainable/organic produce and cured Italian meats, like hot coppa, marinated artichokes, caciottona capra (a mild semi-hard goat cheese), and radicchio; or prosciutto di Parma, Mission fig, arugula, pear, and pecorino on bread from Bay Bread (they plan to bake bread in-house later on). There will also be some small bites, like Gioia mozzarella di bufala with sea salt, olive oil, and crostini, plus salads, like one made of butter beans, arugula, shaved prosciutto, and pecorino. Now, for the café portion: you lucky ducks in the neighborhood will be getting Blue Bottle coffee, made from baristas trained in the Blue Bottle method (i.e. the right way). Ristrettos, baby! As for the mags, expect up to 70 titles of lifestyle magazines, like design, food, and motor sports. I spoke with owner John Quintos, who has over 15 years of restaurant experience (he was formerly a GM at Caprice in Tiburon, Flying Saucer, and additionally worked at Fog City Diner, Gordon’s House of Fine Eats, and Blowfish), and he said Café Lambretta is all about the things he loves: coffee, food, and Lambrettas! In fact, he still has his first Lambretta from when he was 16, and even ran Brevetto Italia, a Lambretta shop on Van Ness in the early nineties. Coming soon will be some cool Lambretta art on the walls, and there are some fixtures that incorporate some Lambretta parts; there are even a couple Lambrettas inside. The café has 15 seats plus six outside, with a lot of food designed to go. Hours will be Tue–Fri 7am–6pm, and Sat–Sun 8:30am–3:30pm. 1806 Polk St. at Washington, 415-673-0772. I also got (last-minute) word of a groovy Belgian café opening this Wednesday called ~A BON PORT~ in the cursed café space on Castro. (A friend calls it the “Revolving Door Café.”) The young Belgian owner is reportedly going to be offering Belgian desserts you can’t find anywhere else in the city. Definitely sounds like one to check out. Opening party is this Wednesday, 6pm-10pm. 476 Castro St. at Market, 415-558-0893. Some
folks have been asking me what’s up with ~PICKLES~,
the new incarnation of Clown Alley on Columbus. Tom Duffy of Myth
has bought the place, but for now, the menu hasn’t been launched,
so no frozen custard (yet). Once things are taking shape over there
I’ll let you know—for now there is just a temporary
sign, and that’s about it. 42 Columbus Ave. at Montgomery. I was walking up Divisadero this weekend and was happy to see ~MOJO BICYCLE CAFÉ~ has opened its doors. They will be getting more food items in the coming weeks, but for now you can definitely get your bike fixed (or shop for a new one) over a bagel or some java or suds. 639-A Divisadero St. at Grove, 415-440-2338. Famed local landmark ~JULIUS’ CASTLE~ opened last week, high up on Telegraph Hill above North Beach. The French-Italian menu is from executive chef Michael Hammonds, and features a bunch of old-school classics for dinner nightly 5pm-9:30pm, plus weekend brunch 10am-3pm. I took a look at the menu, and it’s definitely a throwback, with clams casino, escargot, three different veal dishes (but a sign of modern times: it’s free range), and filet mignon. Brunch items include seafood omelette Newburg, a Monte Cristo sandwich, crab Louis, and crepes Suzette. The newly renovated restaurant, an official San Francisco Historical Landmark, has been around since 1922, when Julius Roz, an Italian immigrant, dreamed of and built his “castle on the hill.” 1541 Montgomery St. at Union, 415-392-2222. The second ~MIXT GREENS~ location is opening Monday, June 4, at 475 Sansome St. at Commercial (between Sacramento and Clay), 415-433-6498. I thought this was rather cool: Todd Smith of ~BOURBON AND BRANCH~ has started a blog. It’s a little hard to read at the moment, but I’m sure that will get sorted. Maybe he was drinking while he wrote it. Anyway, he mentions a new drink, the “Bourbon Peach Smash,” with peach-infused bourbon, fresh peaches and mint, which is hello, downright custom-made for me. (See you there.) B&B is also open on Mondays now, too. AND it seems they have a “Beverage Academy” starting up. Once I hear back from Todd what that entails I’ll share the deets. ~LUELLA~ has launched a three-course prix-fixe menu that is available Mon-Thu, and includes a choice of asparagus soup with lemon oil or a goat cheese and beet salad; mushroom risotto or grilled bavette steak au poivre with French fries; and chocolate pudding with mascarpone cream or an ice cream sundae for dessert; it’s only $33, and $50 with wine pairings. 1896 Hyde St. at Green, 415-674-4343. Got
a hot tip? You know I'd love it (and you). Just reply
to this email!
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Nua
Restaurant and Wine Bar 415-433-4000 Tue-Sun 6pm-11pm Apps $7-$13
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MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO What was once a popular local hangout for inexpensive home-style food and strong drinks, Dante Benedetti’s New Pisa, has now morphed into the city-chic ~NUA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR~. I know, before you start groaning about yet another wine bar opening up, I actually think the “and Wine Bar” emblazoned on the playful orange awning is a bit of a misnomer. It’s really a restaurant, with room for only nine wine imbibers at the compact bar (and based on what I’ve seen, the bar stools and bar height are not playing nice together). If you just want to hang out and sample some of the swell swills on the list, the petite bar is the only place where you can park it. If you’re pinning your hopes on sitting your tookus at one of the tables, then you better plan on tucking into some dinner. Which is actually a good idea, because executive chef Anna Bautista’s rustic menu has plenty to choose from; well, unless you are a vegetarian—you might need to do a few subs, because there was only a soup, salad, and pasta the night I was there. Actually, the three sides were vegetarian too, so you’ll be just fine. Bautista was formerly at the Public and Jardinière—you can see the intersection of Mediterranean simplicity and Frenchie technique in her dishes. I personally think the length of the menu is a touch ambitious considering the size of the kitchen (take a peek in the back) and the fact there are only 35 seats in the dining room, but hey, it’s their menu and they can rock it any way they want to! Dishes globetrot to Spain, like tender veal and pork albondigas ($8) or brandade-stuffed Piquillo peppers ($9), France (elements like duck confit, beurre blanc, and gratin are in the hizzy), and Italy says “ciao!” with some pasta dishes and hello there, guanciale. I also witnessed a couple daytrips to Morocco, with ingredients like harissa and couscous making a few appearances. My partner in crime (because what we were about to eat was downright criminal) and I started with the chicken liver mousse and country pate ($11) with crostini. After your knife cuts into the ramekin of pate and reveals its ruby-red interior, get ready for a mouthful of pure glorious gourmet fat. Yes, it’s delicious, and yup, there’s a f*ckload of butter in there. The pistachio-studded country pate struck me as a little flat, but I really dug the perky kumquat and quince mostarda that came along for the ride. Our faves were the “deconstructed” crispy sardines escabeche ($10), two butterflied sardines served atop a tangy scattering of blue lake beans, carrot, cauliflower, shallots, and currants that all had a nice sweet pickling; and the two coils of juicy house-made Merguez sausage ($13) served on skewers, made with a savory combo of lamb shoulder, pork back fat, roasted bell pepper, Spanish paprika, and chili flakes. The side salad of cucumber, mint, fennel, and parsley made a spot-on counterpoint. Delish. Call me an appetizer addict, but the two mains we tried didn’t quite hold my attention like the apps. It was kind of like being on a date with someone new, and you think they’re kinda hot and the date is going pretty well until your date randomly mentions they just ended their third marriage (and they are 32) or hands you an informative pamphlet entitled “Dating Someone with Herpes.” Okay, the drop-off in interest wasn’t that severe, but my pal’s rack of lamb ($25) had a few too many flavors going on from the seasonings on the meat and the drizzling of salmoriglio sauce, a pungent sauce of oregano, garlic, lemon, and olive oil that I tend to prefer on fish. I asked chef Bautista about the accompanying green garlic gratin, and an interesting fact is there is no cream in it—it was just layers of potato with a leek puree, clever. I ordered the porterhouse pork chop ($23), whose description wooed me with the springtime promise of morels and ramps. But I guess food costs prevailed because I only had three small bites of morels—the tender turnips and artichokes were actually more of the sideshow. My Niman Ranch chop was quite substantial and cooked just right, like, spot-on, but I think it was brined for too long—let’s just say I was very thirsty later that evening. I’m not going to go into detail on the desserts because there is supposedly a new pastry consultant who is changing things up. Which is just as well, because the tartness of the passion fruit and strawberry granite ($6.50) we tried was like a pimp slap to the tongue. Okay, so the vinos. Oenophiles will have definitely enjoy imbibing here, and if you get a chance to engage owner David White in crafting some pairings, you’ll get some solid tableside education. And you have 29 to choose from by the glass, many of them Old World—White’s passion for wine is really apparent. Service has a lot of finer dining touches, like a switching out of all flatware with each course, quality stemware, and your napkin is folded if you head off to the loo. Very attentive water service too—my glass was never empty. The cheerful space has a tri-color banquette with panels of carrot orange, aubergine, and a sandy taupe, with additional punches of color from a bright powder blue back wall, and an orange swath running along the ceiling. Woods abound, from the dark oak floors to tables inlaid with zebrawood to the handcrafted wood bar—you can tell a lot of work went into all the furnishing. But couple all the hard surfaces with the closely aligned tables and the narrow space, and, well, you’ve got some serious restaurant chatter. Nua means “new’ in Irish, and while the restaurant’s non-Italian concept and clean contemporary look are definitely new for North Beach, the minimalist modern look and color scheme reminded me of what I was seeing at the 2001 ICFF in New York. I know plenty of people who will be attracted to the Wallpaper*-esque design aesthetic, complete with a downtempo future jazz electronica soundtrack, but when you hang out with a bunch of talented designer homos like I do, you can become a little, uh, choosy? I’ll cop to it. On
a Friday night the space was buzzing with a mostly hip and urban
crowd, from double-dating couples to some restaurant industry
folks checking the restaurant out, with the added spice of some
cougars from Lafayette out on the prowl (rawr). Lunch is launching
this summer, and since the restaurant is on the sunny side of
the street, perhaps that’s when the wine bar part of the
name will be felt more, with folks lingering too long over glasses,
heck, a bottle, of the Robert Sinskey vin gris of pinot noir in
the afternoon light. |
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When
looking for a new space for your restaurant (or café,
or wine shop, or whatever your concept is), imagine if your commercial
real estate broker spoke your language. Retail West understands the needs of restaurants—we’re aware of
trends, we know which areas are hot (or ready for revitalization),
we believe in quality and cutting-edge project design, we innovate,
we are experienced. Oh, and we’re way into good food. |
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MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Jerry Horn: Ask Your Doctor if Corkage is Right for You I’ve been in the retail wine and spirits industry since 1972. I owned a well-regarded store in Tiburon called Marinwine and Spirits for 12 years. I’m now employed with the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in the Ferry Building—perhaps you’ve heard of us. My focus and passion for Champagne started when I discovered that women just love the stuff, which made me like it even more. Having Champagne is the wine equivalent to being in the band. The Dr. Champagne nickname grew out of that. We’ve all been here before: you’re finally seated for a reservation you made months ago at one of our finest eating establishments—maybe one that’s named after somebody like Michael or Gary. You’ve just finished ordering four carefully selected courses and now it’s time for the wine decision. You check the Yellow Pages-sized Captain’s Book and realize there’s nothing worthy of accompanying the fab meal you are anticipating for under $150! “Arrgghh,” you growl under your breath (or worse) as you end up with $75 worth of something that will just suffice. Sure, your $75 Gigondas will get it done, but not like the Premiere Cru Burgundy you really crave to complete this gastronomic experience. Ya should have had the limo driver take that short five-minute detour to D&M Wines and Liquors or some other reasonably fine wine shop and spent your $75-$100 on what you knew would be exactly right for tonight’s repast. And then you’d be ready to take advantage of the restaurant’s corkage policy. California has the somewhat unique law that allows you to walk into a restaurant with your own bottle, and for a small fee have the wait staff open and pour it for you. Then you can enjoy your fine wine selection with their fine menu. Corkage started for my colleagues and me in the early ’70s when we were drinking Heitz, Martin Ray, and Mayacamas, but all the restaurants were offering at the time was Charles Krug, Louis Martini, and Wente products. In 30-plus years, wine lists have gotten more sophisticated and complete, but I still use corkage to this day for a couple of reasons. As a Champagne geek, most of the stuff I dearly love to drink, brut roses and vintage issues, are regularly priced way outside of what I can realistically afford on a wine list at $100-$150 or more, and the selections are often limited in the category. A quick stop on the way to dinner at one of my favorite retailers usually affords me a $50-$75 bottle of something special that will easily be a buck-fifty on the carte des vins. Add a $25 corkage fee and I still come out ahead dollar-wise, while drinking exactly what I want with this meal. Another good reason I utilize corkage service is when my chosen restaurant for the evening doesn’t offer anything close to what I want to drink with their food. Let’s use Delfina as a fine example. I love nothing better than to pair the coolest French Champagne with Craig Stoll’s pristine, ingredient-driven Tuscan-aise cuisine. His lovely Italian cooking just screams for the greatest wine you can get your hands on. Sticking with their Tuscan theme, Delfina offers wine selections that are for the most part, exclusively Italian. That certainly eliminates Champagne as a wine-list category and I’m sorry, Prosecco is just not a suitable substitute for me. So bringing my own is imperative to my fullest enjoyment of the evening’s fare. It’s then that a corkage fee looks positively cheap in the face of drinking something I’m just not fond of with this stunning meal. Let’s address the corkage fee for a moment. Many folks think a restaurateur shouldn’t charge for just opening a bottle they didn’t sell you and pouring it into glassware. That’s just the point—they didn’t sell you anything when their profitability as a business enterprise all but depends on that sale. When you recognize how a corkage fee covers the cost of your server to pour your wine into clean, quality stemware, that’s a portion of the expense. (Ditto on that server or wine professional’s salary.) Think of the corkage fee as the rock-bottom profit dollars the restaurant would have made selling you the least expensive wine on their list. Taking all of those things into account, corkage fees start looking like a veritable bargain. And believe me, they usually are. Some hints when intending to use the corkage policy in your chosen establishment: corkage, like driving, is a privilege, not a God-given right, so one shouldn’t demand corkage service. Be polite and kind when inquiring as to its availability, as though you’re asking for a favor—which for all intents and purposes, you are. Also, do your homework: don’t show up with a bottle of something that is already on the list, so not hip. Lastly, if you offer to cut your server, the captain, or your bartender in on your deal by giving them a taste of your little gem, sometimes the corkage fee magically just doesn’t show up on your check. Please,
just don’t tell ’em I sent ya! |
Cheese School of SF 415-346-7530
6:30pm–8:30pm $60 per person
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MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Some of you may recall the recent piece ~KARLETTA MONIZ~ wrote
on pairing chocolate
and booze for “the wino” section of the ’hopper.
Karletta packs some serious skills in the chocolate department,
helping chocolate lovers cut through the ins and outs of cacao
percentages and single origin estates. She is leading a class this
Friday at the Cheese School of San Francisco that is designed to
reconnect people with all of the wonderful, sensory qualities that
make indulgence in chocolate a totally satisfying experience. Learn
how dark is too dark, what it means when a chocolate bar reads ‘single estate’ versus ‘single
variety,' and how certain chocolate, dessert wine, and cheese pairings
can be a taste of heaven on earth. |
Mina Dresden Gallery 415-826-2402 6:30pm–9:30pm $30
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MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO I know this event seems a bit more arty than food and winey, but read on! I got this from Julia, a waitress at Delfina who is also the event coordinator for this place. Here’s the dealio: “Come experience a vibrant representation of the creative culture of San Francisco: ~THE RED POPPY ART HOUSE~ is auctioning off a beautiful collection of works by some of the Bay Area’s most talented artists, in an evening set to celebrate art, music, and food. Five composer/musicians improvise an evening of jazz, classical, Argentine tango, and Balkan music, while five artists craft works and draw from a live model. Delicious wine and culinary creations by three up-and-coming chefs from a variety of top Bay Area restaurants: Delfina, Chez Panisse, and the Radio Africa Kitchen. We will begin with a silent auction (from 6:30pm–7:45pm), followed by a live auction at 8pm. Come out to support and be a part of the San Francisco artists’ community! The
Red Poppy Art House is a working artists’ studio, gallery,
classroom, and performance space. We are dedicated to providing
an accessible and intimate experience of the arts, and are convinced
that the joy and power of the arts lie in the creative process
much more than in the creative product. We are committed to bringing
that process to public light. The Art House hosts interdisciplinary
arts events, collaborative exhibitions, workshops, small concerts,
and private parties.” |
Club
Sportiva & On
The Fly Showrooms 6:30pm-9pm
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MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO ~UNCORKED EVENTS~, a premier wine lifestyle company known for their fun tasting events around town, is hosting a special evening in celebration of their one-year anniversary. You’ll be able to taste over 100 wines from all over the globe, most of which have received scores of 90pts+ in the major wine publications. Wineries pouring include: Blackbird Vineyards, Château de Beaucastel, d'Arenberg, Duckhorn, Elderton, Frescobaldi, JC Cellars, Lambert Bridge, Leeuwin Estate, Louis Latour, Medlock-Ames, Olson Ogden Wines, Rosenblum Cellars, Spring Mountain Vineyards, Tablas Creek & Vie Winery. And if wines weren't enough, there will be a tasting of the finest Belgian beers from Duvel, Maredsous and Ommegang. San Francisco Chronicle “Top 100 Restaurant” Andalu will be serving up their signature ahi tuna tacos, along with a beef tartare and salmon tartare. A.G. Ferrari will also be on hand providing a wide variety of artisan cheeses, breads, olives, and salumi. Hosting
this very special night are the adjoining Club Sportiva and
On The Fly showrooms. Club Sportiva is an exotic, classic,
and luxury car-share club—so
you'll be sipping white Burgundys and Napa Cabs amidst Aston Martins
and Lamborghinis! Continuing the luxury theme, On The Fly is a
high-end men's retail and gift shop that will be offering a 30%
discount the night of the event on everything in the store—perfect
timing for Father's Day. |
MAY 29, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Following a dinner at PlumpJack Cafe for the San Francisco Professional Food Society to discuss his recently published book, Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook, Jacques Pépin stopped by the kitchen to say hello to the staff and talk roast suckling pig with the executive chef, James Syhabout. Andrew Shue and entourage dined at Venticello Thursday night late—he is reportedly “still babealicious.” Jay Leno recently had a slice at Golden Boy. Tessa, the woman who won The Bachelor, was spotted at Mamacita. Not sure if she had a single red rose at her table. Billionaire Brandon Davis (“oily” heir and male "socialite") was on what looked like a date with a model/actress at Perbacco. |
All content © 2007 Marcia Gagliardi
I am more than happy if you want to link to my reviews and content elsewhere (thanks, glad you dig it), but republishing any part of them in any way, shape or form is strictly prohibited until we talk first. Please take a look at my Creative Commons license for more detail.
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