SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Cute
new restaurant alert! In the former Vogalonga space in the Mission
is ~LOLO~, a friendly little spot with
one heck of an intriguing concept: Latin American meets Mediterranean.
A friend dined there on the opening night and said the flavors
were fab and fresh—the restaurant has a focus on local and
organic ingredients, with produce from Happy Boy Farms. Lolo is
the nickname of owner Lorena Zerpuche, who owns the restaurant
with her husband, Jorge Martinez, and their biz partner, Merdol
Erkal, who is Turkish. Lorena and Jorge usually live in Guadalajara,
where they have two other restaurants, I
Latina and Anita
li—check out the sites, they’re playful
and fun. I want to fly to Mexico and visit both restaurants, right
now. (Why are people so afraid of color here? Seriously.) Lorena,
who designs restaurants
and furnishings,
designed Lolo’s space, and is inspired by the styles and
colors found in smaller cities in Mexico. My friend said the food
was beautifully presented; dishes include panko-encrusted fried
shrimp wrapped in jicama with chipotle aioli ($7.50); huitlacoche
and ricotta-stuffed gyoza skin steamed with roasted pepper, tomato,
and squash blossom sauce ($8); and roasted eggplant puree with
braised grass-fed Superior Valley lamb wrapped in an eggplant flower
($15). Some of Lolo’s kitchen staff previously worked at
the couple’s restaurants in Mexico, so the staff will be
holding it down since Lorena and Jorge will be traveling back and
forth between Mexico and SF. Open at 6pm for dinner nightly. 3234
22nd St. at Bartlett (between Mission and Valencia), 415-643-5656.
Okay,
fellow guanciale lovers: A16’s latest venture, ~SPQR~,
passed its inspections and opened last week! And it swung the
door aperto with
a bang, see, the town is obviously fired up to eat straciatella
(Roman egg drop soup), mozzarella in carrozza (with anchovies,
yum), local sand dabs, and you can indulge in afore-mentioned guanciale
in the pasta all’amatriciana (my favorite) or carbonara
(decisions, decisions). And try finding house-made fusilli anywhere
else around town. So check this out: you can be seated until 11pm!
The A16 folks are trying to keep late hours at this newest restaurant,
and debunk the myth that there is nowhere to eat in this town after
9pm (well, besides the ones we all know and love, like NOPA, etc.).
So act like a New Yorker and support the late hours, or at least
swing by for a bite and glass of vino after a movie, otherwise
the late nights will say “ciao.” (In the goodbye sense,
not the hello sense.) Dinner nightly 5:30pm–11pm. Lunch kicks
in next week on October 1 and hours will be 11:30pm–2:30pm
Mon–Fri. (Wait until you see the list of panini, including
bresaola with Robiola and artichokes, I am so sold.) Brunch starts
on Saturday, October 6, and the hours will be 9am–2:30pm.
1911 Fillmore St. at Bush, 415-771-7779.
So
thanks to a dedicated reader, I got more word on ~MEDITERRANEAN
SPIRIT~,
and why it closed. Fortunately it wasn’t due to something
tragic (some of us were a little worried there)—the owners
decided the restaurant was taking too much time away from their
kids, so they decided to sell it. A kebab place is opening in
its stead (I’ve heard it called the Afghan Kebab House
or something like that), and Khalil, the former Mediterranean
Spirit owner, hopes people will support it. Sure, but I’ll
still miss Mediterranean Spirit something crazy. I know I’m
not alone. 1303 Polk St. at Bush.
A
new restaurant has joined the city’s izakaya ranks (okay, it’s officially
a trend now): ~SOZAI
RESTAURANT & SAKE LOUNGE~ has opened in the Sunset. The owner and executive chef is Mari
Takahashi (of Mari’s Catering, Inc.), who has put together
a menu that blends authentic Japanese dishes, like filet katsu,
ochazuke, and assorted fresh sashimi, with some California-cuisine
inspired small plates, like edamame hummus, all served izakaya/tapas
style. Beau Timken of True Sake has chosen handcrafted sakes
from some of best master brewers of Japan to pair with various
menu items, which you can enjoy at the six-seat bar in the lounge,
or while dining in the 32-seat minimalist Japanese-influenced
dining room, with woodwork by Tim Frick. There is also an open
kitchen, where you are sure to hear welcoming shouts of “Irassaimase!” And
now it’s time for your Japanese lesson: sozai means “ingredient” in
Japanese. Open Wed–Sun, 5pm-10pm. 1500 Irving St. at 16th,
415-681-7150.
Thirsty
for more wine? You better be. By mid to late October, ~BIN
38~ is opening in the Marina at the
former Mi Lindo Peru space, and will be pouring an array of New
World numbers (think South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, Oregon,
Washington, and California; 40 by the glass), plus some fab international
brews as well: 15–20
bottled brews, to be exact, and they will be served in proper
glassware, yay. My favorite little detail: partner Don Davis
of Uncorked
Events loves bubbles
about as much as I do, if not more, so there will be at least
five sparklers available by the glass, along with plans to sell
Krug at retail, making it the least expensive pour in town. (Davis
even mentioned having some available by the glass during the
holidays.) Oh, and there will also be some food beyond olives
and cheese plates: James Schenk of Destino consulted
on the culinary concept, and Glenn Christiansen, previously at
NOPA and Delfina, will be the chef, so you know the local/seasonal
approach will be in effect. I peeked at a preliminary menu, and
dishes may include a ricotta tart, some salads, hand-cut steak
tartare, quinoa-crusted fried calamari, and quail and garlic
sausage with polenta and a sauce from roasted grapes. Just wait
until you try some fries with a flute of bubbles, which is sure
to become a house favorite (it’s one of my favorite combos
to get at Zuni.)
The
sunny space will include sidewalk seating, a front area with
large windows facing the street, and a spacious patio to boot.
(Yes, there will also be plenty of heat lamps, this isn’t
Miami, and don’t we know it.) Jim Maxwell and Cindy Beckman
of Architects II are the architects and designers, creating a warm
and woody space, adding touches like an onyx bar, a communal table,
and private alcoves. Speaking of private, there will be a variety
of opps for renting part or all of the space out for private parties.
Joining Davis in the project are Peter Scully of Dolce and 38 NORTH,
and Shaw Amirghassemkhany and David Sheridan, from Shaw Management
Group. About the name: 38 represents the latitude of San Francisco,
and a bin is a term that signifies a grape-growing parcel of land.
Got it? Good! Mon–Wed 3pm–12am; Thu–Fri 3pm–1am;
Sat noon–1am; Sun noon–12am. 3232 Scott St. at Chestnut.
Many of you know what a big fan I am of ~BORIS
PORTNOY’S~ desserts,
the talented pastry chef at Campton Place. Well, guess who is consulting
on the Magnolia Pub and Alembic dessert menus? Meow! Look for some yum magnets like chocolate pudding
with tea caramel mousse, and how about this, “Baked” Alaska
with hempseed meringue and passion fruit mousse! Brilliant. How
perfect for the Haight. Dude.
Starting October 1, ~DOSA~ will
be open on Monday nights, so grab that wait-free table while
you can. 995 Valencia St. at 21st, 415-642-3672.
The
opening of ~FISH & FARM~ is
nearing. It's a new restaurant adjacent to the Mark Twain Hotel
that should be open by early October. The website proclaims “New
American Seafood and Artisan Meats,” and there is a strong
eco-friendly and sustainable focus as well. The majority of the
food is sourced from small farms within 100 miles of the restaurant,
there is a rooftop garden, materials used in construction included
reclaimed bamboo floors and recycled marble countertops, plus there
is an emphasis on recycling, composting, and there are plans to
be carbon neutral. Partners are Frank Klein (First Crush Wine Bar,
Biscuits & Blues), and brother and sister John Duggan
and Elena Duggan of Original Joe’s.
Commandeering
the kitchen is chef Michael Morrison, previously an executive
sous chef at Ame—he also worked at Michael Mina, Bizou,
and Fringale. If you want to look at the menu, it’s online,
take a look
here—it’s
full of house-made touches, from the pappardelle to malt vinegar
and tartar sauce to cured fish. (I do think the “hand-smashed
red potatoes” designation is taking it a little far, however.)
The staff will be making dessert, offering American classics like
crumbles, pie, and the like. There will also be cocktails and a
worldwide and affordable wine list. Sheri
Sheridan of Swallowtail Design designed the American “vintage
chic” space (she also did Salt
House, The
Ambassador,
and Otis)—the
dining room has 42 seats, while the neighboring bar seats 16.
Design elements include booths, a tufted banquette, an antique
clock that stretches five feet across, and bell-shaped lanterns
with Edison bulb fixtures. Open for dinner Tue–Sun, 5pm–10pm
(until 11pm Thu–Sat). 339 Taylor St. at Ellis, 415-474-FISH
(3474).
Some random downtown news for you (these are not recommendations,
mind you): the short-lived ~BETTY BOOP DINER~ on
Powell is now going to be Herbert Cafe (I guess Betty just couldn’t
draw a crowd like she did in the ’30s—let’s see
how Herbert fares) and ~TAD'S STEAKS~ (with one
of my favorite groovy signs ever—here’s a link to a
pic I found on the SFphotorama.com site) is reopening around
October 1. I think they had a fire there earlier this year? Broiled
steaks, for real.
Since
we’re
in the random zone, why not a random thought? Okay, is it a good
thing or bad thing if the ~TAMALE LADY~ recognizes you? Does this mean you have a drinking problem? No
need to answer, just musing over this out loud.
Since
we’re
now on topic for booze, tonight is CHOW's inaugural ~SQUARE
OFF~ organic
cocktail competition from 5:30pm–7:30pm at the Ferry Building.
The chosen finalists, the manager of a theater company from New
York and Ronaldo Colli from Bar Americano, are facing off using
organic ingredients from the farmer's market, with Cantina's
Duggan McDonnell (AKA Shotzi) emceeing. Judges include Jeff Hollinger
(Absinthe), Jane Goldman (CHOW), and Natalie Bovis-Nelsen (The
Liquid Muse). Robbie
Lewis of Bacar is preparing hors d’oeuvres. Proceeds benefit
CUESA and Om Organics. $10 per person, includes cocktails and
food. Buy your tickets online.
This event is right up my alley, but it’s a shame (a crying
shame, I tell you!) I spend every Monday night home writing this
column: ~LA COCINA AND DUGGAN MCDONNELL OF CANTINA~ are
hosting a mixology class, with some mighty tasty eats to keep you
from getting too wasted on your handiwork. The event will be held
at Cantina, on Monday, October 15, from 6pm–8:30pm.
$125. RSVP to caleb@lacocinasf.org ASAP (like, right now) since
space is limited to 20 people. All proceeds go to the programs
at La Cocina and a portion of the cost can be considered a tax-deductible
donation.
And now, boozing you can feel good about: next Tuesday, October
2, from 6pm to 7:30pm, ~ONE MARKET RESTAURANT~ will
host a special happy hour open to the public with Vernon Davis
of the San Francisco 49ers and several other linemen to promote
the Streetsmart4Kids campaign,
a non-profit organization that benefits local city youth and family
programs. There is no entrance fee or minimum donation required,
and One Market will offer a 49er Red & Gold Martini, with 100%
of the proceeds from the sale of the drink to benefit StreetSmart.
One Market will also host a silent auction of 49er memorabilia
with all proceeds to benefit Streetsmart. Vernon will be available
for photo opportunities and autographs, and voluntary donations
will be accepted at the event. The event kicks off the Streetsmart4
Kids campaign, running October 1–November 18, with participating
Bay Area restaurants asking diners to make a voluntary $3 donation
when paying their bill, with all proceeds directly donated to San
Francisco's Huckleberry Youth Programs, La Casa de Las Madres,
and Larkin Street Youth Services. 1 Market Plaza at Steuart, 415-777-5577.
Just a reminder that ~EAT LOCAL WEEK~ is
going on until Saturday—there are a couple dozen restaurants
offering nightly specials made with local ingredients (like Scott
Howard, Café Maritime, and the new Mexico DF), plus markets
and a slew of producers taking part. You can also look for Eat Local
SF at San Francisco magazine’s upcoming FallFest on
October 6, highlighting locally sourced ingredients at all the food
tables. There is some word that the coalition is considering a “DRINK & Eat
Local Week” for the spring depending on the website traffic
and response, so let them know that you care, and clickity click
click!
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