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
the matchmaker
let's get it on

the sponsor
this round is on me

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Well, I am back from NYC, and I think I have finally caught up on my sleep. Catching up on my work is another matter entirely. And I have caught a cold. Blergh. Since I missed you, and the holiday restaurant madness is over, I decided it’s time to host the third tablehopper supper! It’s coming up in a couple weeks—read all about it in the socialite.

This week I’ve also got another fun giveaway for you. This was one of my favorite events last year: tickets to the walk-around food and wine Good Eats event at Fort Mason during the ZAP festival (more on this below, in the socialite). It’s quite the feast, and a really social event. I’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner! To enter the drawing, one, you have to be a tablehopper subscriber, and two, you have to forward this week's newsletter to just two people (or more is great, you rock star, you) in order to be eligible to win. Just cc luckyme@tablehopper.com when you forward the newsletter to your pals (it's best if you explain why you're sending it to them). I promise 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.

Since the event is next Thursday, the deadline to enter is by midnight, this Friday, January 18. I will be randomly drawing the winner and will email you over the weekend to let you know you've won. Good luck!

Ciao chow and meow,

~Marcia

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO

Julio Bermejo is putting together the drink program, so while the popular bloody Marys and mojitos will remain, you know there is going to be some additionally good cocktailing to be had. Some proposed changes: the music will be less clubby but still upbeat, there will be a strong focus on the food (so people won’t just be drinking their dinner), some alfresco dining will be available (the back room is going to be opened up), and the look will be sleek since Walid Mando of FORMA LLC will be doing the redesign (he also did the recent redesign of La Folie, Fleur de Lys, and The Plumed Horse). Kurt Niver, general manager extraordinaire, will be acting as GM, so service will be tight. Eastside West should be going dark in late March, and the new concept should be launching in May or June. I’ll reveal more in the coming months. 3154 Fillmore St. at Greenwich.

And now, in the TV chef world: folks have been wondering what Food Network star ~TYLER FLORENCE~ was going to do out here since moving to the 415 last year. (Any time a hotel project said their restaurant was going to have a “big time chef” moving in, people often wondered if it was going to be Florence.) Well, the rumor mill can stop, because Florence is partnering with Personality Hotels to open his first signature restaurant here. The restaurant will be opening in the former Empire Plush Room space, in the Hotel Vertigo (currently the York Hotel), and should be opening this summer. Thomas Schoos Design, Inc. is renovating The York Hotel (past projects include the Huntley Hotel and O-Bar, Koi, Table 8, and Tao restaurants). For you fellow cinephiles, the York Hotel will be renamed Hotel Vertigo after the Alfred Hitchcock film (it ends up Kim Novak’s character lived in the York Hotel during the last half of the film). No word on the restaurant’s food, style, etc. yet—the ink is still wet on this one, but I’ll be able to share more details as the concept takes shape. 940 Sutter St. at Leavenworth.

If all goes well, you may find legendary Washbag (and formerly Perry’s) bartender ~MICHAEL MCCOURT~ behind the bar at Amante’s during the day. Yup, it seems the bar will be opening earlier in the day. Which would mean two things: McCourt’s throngs of fans in North Beach won’t have to wait too long in the day nor have too far to go for their next drink, and his inimitable company. 570 Green St. at Columbus, 415-362-4400.
 
Things are moving along and getting close for ~EPIC ROASTHOUSE~ and ~WATERBAR~—they are both on target for their opening date of Jan 29. Impressive. From what I hear, the test dinners are deeeeelish, and Camber Lay is going to be the bar chef at EPIC, so you know where I’ll be cocktailing soon. Nicole Burke is going to be the wine director over there too (she was most recently at Garibaldi’s, and 415 Restaurant & Lounge). Get ready to make those OpenTable reservations on the 29th (although you can actually call either restaurant and make reservations now)! Epic Roasthouse, 369 Embarcadero, 415-369-9955; Waterbar, 399 The Embarcadero, 415-284-9922.

Folks in Potrero will be bummed to hear that the charming ~PETITE PATISSERIE~ on 18th Street has closed. They have left a note on the window saying they'd like to sell the business to someone who would like to continue in a similar vein and continue the relationship with the folks on the hill. You can call Rachel and Kirsten at 415-794-0319. 1415 Eighteenth St. at Missouri.

But let’s not leave things like that. Here’s some good news on the hill: hopefully by the end of the month, ~UMI~ will be opening in the former Thai Bar-B-Que space (the name means “ocean” in Japanese). This 30-seat sushi restaurant comes from three partners, Stuart Chen of the former Skipjack Sushi in Cow Hollow (he has 19 years of preparing sushi under his belt—he reportedly goes direct to distributors to select and then filet his own fish); Shamus Booth (a contractor who did the Skipjack space and is doing Umi); and Russell Richardson. Umi will be open for lunch and dinner, and Beau Timken of True Sake, who put together the Skipjack sake list, will also be refreshing the sake list for this project, with something like 27 sakes to choose from. In addition to the sushi offering, there will be seasonal specials, and Chen is adding eight–ten new small dishes to the menu, like albacore tataki with yuzu soy, and grilled miso-marinated black cod with pineapple salsa. There is also a patio in the back they hope to upgrade and open soon. Opening hours to start are lunch Mon–Fri 11:30am–2pm; dinner Mon–Thu 5pm–9:30pm, Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm, and Sun 4:30pm–9:30pm. 1328 18th St. at Missouri, 415-355-1328.

Was very bummed to be reading The New York Times food section last week (although it was fun to be reading it while I was actually in New York) and discover the talented ~JEREMY BEARMAN~ is leaving LarkCreekSteak for a Brussels-based restaurant launching in New York, Rouge Tomate. Like, crap.

After the paper being up in the windows for months, the mysterious café at the corner of Turk and Divisadero has opened for business. I swung by for a cappuccino yesterday, and got the word on what it’s all about. The café’s name is ~APOLLO~, and you can get Equator coffee and espresso drinks, a variety of tea, beer and wine, along with an array of pressed panini, and sweet treats like macaroons, brownies, Madeleines, and the like. They are just having a soft opening for now, but look for Wi-Fi and other details to come… The space has a contemporary look, with wood tables, a bright color palette, and lots of tall windows. Starting next week, the hours will be 7am–11pm. It’s nice to see this stretch of Divis get a little something something. 1064 Divisadero at Turk.

So I know I already listed all the other unofficial alt names for ~THE HUB~ neighborhood last week, but I couldn’t resist this little bit from a reader, “Heh, I have a friend that lives on Haight at Gough and he and his neighbors have always referred to the neighborhood as 'The Flax'...” Love it!

Okay, I was pretty shocked with how many emails and reports I received from folks in the industry who have received the exact same phony phone call from the ~SCAMMING “DR. SUSSMAN”~ (the fraud I mentioned last week who calls restaurants saying he’s a big regular and asks for money so his son can get a cab ride downtown because he locked his keys in his car, blah blah blah).

Here is what a few industry folks had to say:

“I received the exact same Dr. Sussman call, only I told him I did not feel comfortable with his request and suggested his son go to a fire dept., so they could break into his car!!”

“OMG – that Dr. Sussman tried the same scam here. I told him I couldn’t give him money, but that I would be glad to drive his son to the dealership. Imagine how surprised I was that he turned down my offer!”

“About the scam artist "Dr. Sussman" you mentioned. It happened to us as well. I took the call and had the exact same conversation. I looked up the name in OpenTable as he continued to compliment the restaurant, only to not find his name in the system. Once he got to the cash part, I told him I cannot give out cash, there are just too many scammers out there to trust anyone. This guy was very convincing and I actually felt bad saying no.

Two weeks later I walk to the front door of my restaurant to find one of my managers standing there with an envelope. I asked him what he was up to and he said a doctor called. I started laughing. He said his son was on his way in. I thought man, this will be fun. I didn't have the time to call the police as he showed up a few minutes later. He came in and I took over the conversation asking what's up. He starting telling me how pissed his dad was at him and I said "I would be pissed off at you too since you did the same thing just two weeks ago." He still played it off asking what do you mean and then I got to lay into him. It was great fun. I only now wish there would've been enough time to have the police question him. Thanks for these posts. There's enough of this out there to start a full time blog of these losers.”

“I had that guy try the same trick on us twice in the last 2 years! He looks up the managers’ names ahead of time. Last time he made the call from the phone in the hotel lobby. I'm sure he has made the rounds.”

“I too was contacted by Dr. Sussman, but I have been around a little. Almost got me with something similar years ago. Thanks again.”

I also wanted to post this from a reader, in response to the poor restaurant worker who got robbed last week in the Marina. Some good info here:

“May I suggest that people who are interested in knowing ~WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS~ are completely allowed to be in the know by asking the station commander at your local police station to be included in the 'summary report' that is a daily email thing. Our district Captain Chignell/Taraval Station sends us one daily. All you need to do is call the station and ask if they have such a report, I think they all do. The one I get daily is very clear and concise and really helps, and at our last community wide meeting the officers from OUR station showed up and ASKED us to sign up for it. It makes us feel slightly more secure, we do live in a city after all.”

I also want to post this reader comment, because I think there’s a really important observation here:

“I've been tending bar or serving tables in SF for 20 years, and I am always blown away to see my colleagues heading home in the late night hours wearing the ~DEAD-GIVE-AWAY BLACK SHOES AND BLACK PANTS!~ Why not wear a sign that says "Carrying Cash!?” (and I have no comment for the guy on the BART platform at midnight in all white still wearing the Cheesecake Factory apron). Marcia, tell them to change clothes before heading out into the streets.”

So I am doing just that. Please be careful out there.

According to a tip on Eater, ~SAGE~, the casual café I mentioned back in October that was going to open in the Performing Arts Garage is now open, and its sister restaurant, ~THE BLUE MUSE~, offering Asian fusion with French influences has reopened in its new location, too. Sage, 340 Grove St. at Gough, 415-252-9887; Blue Muse, 370 Grove St. at Gough, 415-701-9888.

Looks like the ~LA CASTRO TAQUERIA~ is morphing into an Indian place? According to the new permit, it will be Kasa Indian Eatery. That’s about all I have; anyone know anything? 4001 18th St. at Noe.

~ABSINTHE BRASSERIE AND BAR~ is celebrating their ten-year anniversary, no easy feat in this town. In honor of the decade, Absinthe will be rolling back the prices of select signature menu items (so the French onion soup will be $4.50) and cocktails (hello, Ginger Rogers) to reflect their opening menu in 1998, as well as offer a selection of premium 1998 vintage wines (like a Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs Champagne). The promotion will run from January 20–February 1. 398 Hayes St. at Gough, 415-551-1590.

And now, some booze news. ~DOMINIC VENEGAS~ has joined the Gitane team as "bar chef.” And they are still hoping to be open in May. Meow. 5 Claude Ln. at Bush.

Over the holidays I made some mugs of hot buttered rum for my pals at our annual Christmas party. But I am quite sure the ones that will be prepared at Elixir on January 17, for ~NATIONAL HOT BUTTERED RUM DAY~, will be far superior. I had no idea the drink dates back to George Washington’s time. I guess there’s a reason this drink has stuck around—it’s good. $6 Gosling's Hot Buttered Rum cocktails, 6pm until close. 3200 16th St. at Guerrero, 415-552-1633.

I was sorry to miss the benefit last night at Cantina for ~BROOKE ARTHUR~, the poor bar manager at Range (and also an employee of Umami) who is currently hospitalized due to a horrible fire in her apartment on December 31. She suffered second-degree burns on her back, and terrible lung damage from smoke inhalation and soot—she is currently on a ventilator and fighting some infections, but is slowly improving day by day. Her co-workers, friends, and fellow bartenders are trying to raise money for her to help cover the costs of her hospital stay, the loss of all her belongings, and no income for the past two weeks (and counting). At Range, their past bartenders have helped by picking up her shifts and are trying to raise some money for her. Tuesdays and Thursdays they will have guest ex-Range bartenders, including Carlos Yturria, Dominic Venegas, Thomas Waugh, Camber Lay, and Enrique Sanchez mixing drinks behind the bar and creating a cocktail of the day in her honor. All tips for those evenings will be matched by Range and put into a fund for Brooke. Let’s make those evenings jam packed, and tip big, people. There is also a website set up to follow her daily progress, where you can also donate money via PayPal. Here’s wishing her a speedy recovery—I know a lot of people are pulling for her.

Got a hot tip? You know I'd love it (and you). Just reply to this email!

PPQ Dungeness Island
2332 Clement St.
Cross: 24th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94121

415-386-8266
website

Lunch
Wed–Mon 11am–5pm
Dinner
Wed–Mon 5pm–10pm
Closed Tuesdays

Apps $5.75–$11.95
Entrées $11.50–$13.25
Crabs @ $35
Desserts $2.95–$3.95

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO You know when you have friends visiting from out of town and they want an SF seafood experience? This is not about some soup in a sourdough bowl—it’s prime time to hook them up with a crab fest! And seriously now, where are you going to find dinner for four for $106.95? ~PPQ DUNGENESS ISLAND~, baby! (Actually, when my friends from LA recently came to town, we chose our own courses and didn’t do the special set dinner, but if I was in a big group, I’d totally consider it.) There’s also dinner for two for $49.95, which gets you imperial rolls, chicken salad, roasted crab, garlic noodles, and fried banana with ice cream. Pretty damned irresistible.

The place is packed with groups of people, PACKED, sporting ever-stylish yet oh-so-practical bibs (which charmingly say “Let’s get cracking”—I guess an “I feel crabby” option wouldn’t be very festive after all) and everyone is gettin’ all garlicky together. Yes, your breath will reek of alllium when you get out of here, so don’t come here on date number one (or two or three), or if you plan on going dancing later, and drinking anything carbonated that night, like a Jack and Coke.

There is nothing quite like a room full of people attacking some crab. It’s a sight. And no, not a pretty one. It’s almost like a variation of the Roman Coliseum. You will witness all kinds of crab carnage and interesting crab dissection techniques—my personal favorite was this dainty-looking chick who was practically gnawing the crabmeat off its legs. Go sister—get that crab.

You will end up with bits in your hair, and some crab shrapnel will most likely fly into your beer glass, your lap, and your neighbor’s lap. Your grubby little greasy hands will destroy your wine glass, your napkins, and anything else in your vicinity, so please, hold all calls.

The menu is full of options, like pho (at lunch), and some dishes like five spice chicken, peppercorn prawns, or some bun/vermicelli dishes. I have no idea how any of these dishes taste—we were on a crab mission. But we did start with six crispy imperial rolls (cha gio) ($5.75)—what is there to not always and totally and completely and utterly love about this dish? Wrap ‘em up in lettuce, dunk dunk into the nuoc cham, munch munch. We also tried the asparagus and crab soup ($12.95)—a bit too mild for our taste, next time, the fish mau! Oh, and I am sure the peppercorn chicken wings ($11.95) rock—call it a feeling.

We ordered up two crabs for the three of us, which was a total bounty. We still had quite a bit of leftover legs when all was said and done and destroyed, but they made an excellent salad the next day after I spent 20 minutes picking them apart. So much work, but so worth it.

The crabs run at a seasonal market price, but usually cost about $35 a pop. Yes, you could be doing all this at home, but then again you’d have a big fried crab mess to deal with, so skipping the oily clean up alone is worth the $35. Besides, these folks know what’s up, and cook them perfectly.

You can choose from the peppercorn crab (coated in garlic and a black pepper batter—a well known crowd pleaser here), the roasted crab (AKA garlic and butter fest), drunken crab (in wine broth, hic), curry crab, and our personal fave, the spicy crab (coated with jalapeno, basil, garlic, scallions, black pepper). The crabs were fresh and hot and meaty and juicy, and come conveniently hacked up in easy-to-handle pieces, which also means they get fried in as much coating as possible. Just wait until you get the crunchy little fried garlicky bits all mixed up with your garlic egg noodles ($6.50) and then you dump on some crab sauce—it’s a ten on the taste-a-rama and texture scale. Yes, you will totally stuff yourself.

Our server was great—notably helpful, and nice and attentive. Thanks dude. And the place was clean. Considering the crab vivisection that goes on in there, it’s impressive. As for décor, it’s not a hole in the wall, but it’s not quite what I’d call classy either. Functional is about right.

A few tips to make this painless as possible:

• Parking is the pits, so take the bus, or a cab. There is also a lot where the first hour is validated, and after that it’s something like $3 an hour. So worth it.
• Make a reservation—this place gets packed like, uh, insert fish analogy here.
• If you’re ordering the set dinner, I think you can substitute the kind of crab you want—just ask nicely. It comes with the roasted crab, but I think the salty peppercorn version is a great place to start.
• Do NOT wear clothes that are dry clean only.
• Don’t come here if you’re on a diet—you’ll hit your butter and oil quotient for the month in one sitting.
• And no kissing people outside your crab feast circle for 24 hours.

Why go with a box cake mix when you can go custom? Inticing Creations can create a custom cake for any special occasion or event. How about a shotgun cake for a shotgun wedding, or a 3-D replica of R2D2? We do what others won’t (from naughty to complicated to quirky).

Why have just chocolate when you can have yummy cake flavors such as White Chocolate Chai or Salted Chocolate Caramel? Mention this tablehopper ad and receive $25 off all cake orders. Offer good until March 1, 2008.

Inticing Creations puts a custom flair on special occasion cakes!

Buck Tavern
1655 Market St.
Cross: Gough St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

Hours 2pm–2am

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Just across the street from Zuni and CAV, in the former Sun Rise Chinese restaurant space, will be ~BUCK TAVERN~. This new addition to “The Hub” will offer beer and wine, with a focus on California microbrews, and some Euro numbers, both in the bottle and on tap (there will be 12 taps to start). There will also be a casual and affordable tavern-style menu, with appetizers like tempura green beans, calamari, and dishes with some Mexican flair, like nachos. There will also be sandwiches, burgers, and flatbreads—they are big on organics, so the ingredients will be quality. There are also plans to open for lunch once things get settled and ironed out after the opening.

The owners, Mark Landregan and Michael Gouddou, also own the art-centric Gallery Lounge (510 Brannan St.) and DaDa (86 2nd St.). Buck Tavern will have more of a lodge-y atmosphere, with dark colors of greys and greens. Look for an opening in early April.

ZAP Festival
January 23-26, 2008

Various locations
San Francisco, CA

website

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO The 17th Annual ~ZINFANDEL ADVOCATES & PRODUCERS FESTIVAL (ZAP)~ has a variety of events coming up, and always draws quite the crowd. For more details, check out the site links below, but here are the highlights:

Flights: A Showcase of California Zinfandels, an afternoon of seated tastings and panel discussions, is Wednesday, January 23 from 2pm–6pm. Ticket prices are $100 per person for ZAP members, and $130 per person for non-ZAP members. Tickets are sold only in advance and not at the door. Read more about the event here.
 
Good Eats, a dine-around extravaganza, where zinfandel producers team up with restaurants and purveyors to offer fine-tuned food and wine “marriages,” will take place on Thursday, January 24 from 6pm–9pm at Herbst Pavilion (Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco, 415-441-3400). Ticket prices for members are $95 and $125 for non-members. This is a signature event at the annual ZAP Festival, where you spend the evening talking to zinfandel producers and chefs as you taste some winning wine-and-food combos. Tickets are sold only in advance and not at the door. There is some limited seating, but this is a walk-around event. There is limited parking at Ft. Mason Center (first hour is free; a maximum charge of $8/car). View complete details here.

Evening With the Winemakers, a live auction and dinner benefiting The Heritage Vineyard Projects, is Friday, January 25 at The Westin St. Francis Hotel (on Union Square, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco, 415-397-7000). Ticket prices are $210 for ZAP members and $260 for non-members. There is also a VIP ticket for Evening with the Winemakers at $350 per person. The pre-dinner tasting and reception starts at 5pm; the live auction and dinner at 6:15pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance. This will be the first place to taste the 2006 Heritage Vineyard Zinfandel, not to mention meeting winemakers and winery owners who will be pouring their zinfandels during the evening. Read all about the live auction lots here and the event here.

The 17th Annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers Tasting will take place Saturday January 26 at the Herbst and Festival Pavilions at Ft. Mason Center (Marina Blvd. at Buchanan, San Francisco, 415-441-3400). Between 260 and 275 wineries will pour their zinfandels, highlighting the 2006 vintage, as well as barrel samples and new releases of other vintages. Here’s the complete list of participating wineries here.

tablehopper supper
Wed., Jan. 30, 2008

Aziza
5800 Geary Blvd.
Cross: 22nd Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94121

415-752-2222

website

6:30pm mingle
7:15pm dinner

$125
wine, tax, and tip included
reservations required

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO So the holidays have ended, and now it’s time for another gathering of the gourmand tribes for the third ~TABLEHOPPER SUPPER~. I am hosting this supper at one of my very favorite restaurants, Aziza. There is room for 24 guests total, and if the last two parties are any indication, everyone is quite friendly and way into their food and drink—be prepared to talk restaurants!

We’ll start with some nibbles and a little something bubbly to drink from 6:30pm–7:15pm, and then we’ll sit down for a hearty family-style supper. Executive chef Mourad Lahlou has put together a Moroccan-inspired feast, highlighting the freshest ingredients of local farmers.

The cost is $125, with wine pairings, tax, and tip all included.

The last dinner sold out in two days, so please don’t delay if you’re interested in coming! One small detail: Aziza is closed on Tuesday, i.e. today, so pleeeeease don’t call until Wednesday to reserve your space! When making your reservation, just tell them it’s for the tablehopper supper, and be prepared to provide the reservationist with a credit card number to secure your place. Be sure to let them know if you have any dietary restrictions or queries.

Shared nibbles:
An array of spreads and flatbread; Bodega goat cheese with Joyce's cherry tomato jam, pistachios, sumac toast, argan oil; herb and citrus-marinated olives; toasted cayenne-cumin almonds

Family-Style Dinner

First Course:
A seasonal salad (weather deciding what greens are available); Knoll Farm cardoons with caper-parsley dressing; kefta and grape skewers; Prather Ranch lamb riblets

Main Course:
Marin Sun Farms beef stew with coriander, wild fennel, baby turnips, rutabaga, parsnip; chicken and almond basteeya; root vegetable couscous with chickpeas, raisins, Meyer lemon zest, cipollini onion

There will be a couple wines paired with the courses by Mark Ellenbogen.

Dessert:
A selection of seasonal sweet treats, and mint tea

JANUARY 15, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's had dinner at frisson (reportedly the foie was a hit).

Executive chef needed for established, busy, Mission district restaurant. Position offers artistic freedom and requires significant kitchen management experience (minimum two years as head chef). Job is a lot of fun and a lot of work. Position offers good pay, full health coverage, and two weeks paid vacation.

Please send your resume and inquiries to restaurantposition@gmail.com.

...................................................................................

New gastro-steakhouse concept looking to open in early fall of ‘08 is looking for an executive chef to take on all back-of-house responsibilities for menu development, kitchen design, as well as kitchen staff hiring and training. Candidate must have at least 10 years experience working in kitchens of highly rated restaurants. We are looking for someone who has been trained in classic French technique, with some experience in Italian and Spanish. We prefer someone who has cooked in Europe, New York, San Francisco, or for a highly acclaimed chef.

Please send resume to alyshalujan49@yahoo.com.