JUNE
30,
2009 | SAN FRANCISCO The
opening for ~TRADEMARK~ in
the former Voda space in Belden Alley is
looking like this Friday, or next Monday.
To recap, this 85-seater is from Peter Snyderman
of Elite Café and the Café Bastille/Plouf/B44
crew of Olivier Azancot and Eric Klein. The
deets: it's a contemporary American grill,
with full liquor and custom cocktails, a 70-bottle wine list, and
yay, outdoor seating (heated, natch). The chef is the executive chef
of The Elite Café, Jerry Mendoza. A peek at a preliminary menu includes
potential dishes like Niman Ranch sirloin rolls stuffed with sweet
peppers and Vidalia onions; six tasty-sounding salads, like grilled
summer corn salad with fire roasted peppers, cucumber, tomatoes,
crumbled feta, and chipotle vinaigrette; and main dishes like bacon-wrapped
red trout with beluga lentils, braised escarole, fingerling potatoes,
and sherry vinaigrette. Dinner Mon–Sat, lunch Mon–Fri, and open continuously
during the afternoon hours. 56 Belden Place at Sutter, 415-397-8800.
Got word that ~THE
PUB~ is opening this Thursday in the former O'Neill's
spot at Ghirardelli Square. Look for
a Southern (and value-priced) menu with
BBQ ribs, brisket, hot links, and chicken in a signature Southern
style (saucier), plus Cajun-style numbers like jambalaya, dirty
rice, and corn bread. Scott Broccoli (my new favorite in industry
names, sorry Emily Wines and Pierre Mangé, you've been bumped!),
Barbi Tice, and Tom Whalen are behind the project. Barbi Tice
and Scott Broccoli jointly own Aces at Sutter, and Barbi Tice
is a partner in the Bell Tower on Polk Street. There will be
60 seats inside (including large booths) and 24 outside on the
heated outdoor patio with waterfront views. Food served daily
from 11am–10pm, with a bar menu from 10pm–1:30am. Validated parking
is available at the Ghirardelli Square garage. 851 Beach St.
(the North side of Ghirardelli Square), 415-351-0500.
And now, the pizza report:
Fantastico!
Tony Gemignani's ~TONY'S
PIZZA NAPOLETANA~ opened
this past weekend in the former La Felce/Lou's
space on Washington Square. I gotta tell
ya, I am mighty excited to try this pizza.
I looked at the menu, and here's how the
margherita ($18), which was the 2007 World
Pizza Cup winner in Naples, Italy
breaks down: the dough is mixed by hand
using San Felice flour and then proofed
in Neapolitan wood boxes, topped with San
Marzano tomatoes DOP, sea salt, fior di
latte mozzarella, fresh basil, and extra
virgin olive oil from Campania; limited
to 73 per day. There
are a variety of pizzas, including calzone,
stromboli, Sicilian pizza a teglia, and pastas, plus there
is a kid's menu. The space has about 75
seats inside, sporting a New York/Milano
classic pizza place look, a bit 1950s in
style. The dining room is definitely family
friendly, but there is also a full bar
for those who want to hang out at the bar
instead. And bonus, there should be 26
seats available outside, hopefully by this
weekend. Line for a table too long? You
can also do takeout. To read past tablehopper details about
the project, including the four pizza ovens
in use, Tony's unique team-building classes, and his pizza
school (which has classes for the home chef or proand students
are then able to buy the special ingredients
Tony uses directly from him), click
here and scroll down. Hours are Wed–Sun 12pm–10pm, with later
hours Fri–Sun (it's a little TBD at the moment
since it's the opening month). 1570 Stockton
St. at Union, 415-835-9888.
And here's
more on the pizza place called ~PI
BAR~ opening in the former Suriya Thai space: look
for hand-thrown, New York style-pizza
and specialty items paired with local
craft beer and wine. Owners Richard Rosen
(who will continue working with his partners
in the Chenery Park/Eureka group) and
Jennifer Garris intend to keep the space
open and simplethey opted to open up
the kitchen so kids can watch the pizza man do his thing.
The owners are focused on using local
ingredients, and organic ingredients when feasible. The place
will ideally have 65 seats (permits pending), and they plan to
serve until midnight. They are shooting for a mid-August or early
September opening. 1432 Valencia St. at 25th St.
What's more popular than pizza right now? That's right, hot
dogs. Here's the latest:
First up, the Foreign Cinema duo of Gayle Pirie and John Clark
are getting close on opening their hot dog shop, ~SHOWDOGS~.
The name is inspired by all the neighboring theaters, like the Golden
Gate Theater, which is just across the street (not to be confused with
the Crazy Horse Theaterand you can just keep those hot dog jokes to
yourself, okay?). There will be something like 13 dogs, all from various
makers, like Let's Be Frank, 4505 Meats, Fatted Calf, and more. They
are also having Acme make a custom sesame bun for them. All the condiments
will be house-made, so there will be an ancho BBQ sauce to go with
the Louisiana hot link, for example, or the Fatted Calf knockwurst
will come with piperade and raita. Yup, these are some gourmet dogs!
They will cost around $8 or so. There will also be corndogs, plus some
killer beer-battered onion rings and fries with "spicy dust" (which
sounds like something you could buy in the neighborhood). Local beers
on tap, too. There will be 25 seats, with white marble tables. The
hours will be Mon–Sat 11am–8:30pm. 1020 Market St. at Taylor.
~BIX~ is
kicking off Martinis and Weenies, a happy hour that runs Mon–Thu
from 4:30pm–6:30pm. You'll be able to order
a featured premium martini (the booze will change weekly) for $7.50
(regular price $10–$11), which will be served with complimentary pigs
in a blanket: Schwarz frankfurters wrapped in homemade brioche dough
and Dijon mustard. 56 Gold St. off Montgomery St. between Jackson and
Pacific, 415-433-6300.
Starting
today, ~LET'S
BE FRANK~ is offering a special Twofer Tuesday deal:
any two dogs at a special price of two for
$8 (regularly priced at $11). Available all
day every Tuesday. They are also hoping their
beer and wine license will be ready any day now. Did you know the
doghouse is open until 2am Fri–Sat, and they are delivering to local
bars in the Marina?! Just give 'em a call from yer barstool (or if
you are too incapacitated, have your bartender call for you). 3318
Steiner St. at Chestnut, 415-675-6755.
A sweet treat in the Marina: ~MIETTE~ on
Chestnut just started making ice cream sandwiches using their
house-made graham crackers and ice cream from Three
Twins. There are two kinds: graham cracker with sweet cream,
and chocolate wafer with mint confetti, each $4 a pop. They will also
be available at the Octavia shop this weekend, but not at the Ferry
Building for a while. 2109 Chestnut St. at Steiner, 415-359-0628.
An interesting
tidbit: a retail shop selling honey and beekeeping supplies, ~HER
MAJESTY'S SECRET BEEKEEPER~, has opened in the Mission.
Owner and beekeeper Cameo Wood will be carrying
up to 15 different kinds of honeys from around California, four of
them local (the numbers will increase in time). There are also honey-based
body products, like lip balm. This week the shop will be open every
day from 12pm–7pm, but closed on Saturday July 4th, and open again
on Sunday the 5th. Normal business hours will be Wed–Sun 12pm–7pm.
3540 20th St. at Valencia, 415-744-1465.
Starting
this Saturday July 4th (if everything goes according to plan), ~PIAZZA
PELLEGRINI~ will be serving takeaway panini from
the cable car next door to the restaurant,
kind of like an Italian
taco truck. On the menu: porchetta panini (pulled pork with
a special sauce), Italian sausage panini
with a red and yellow bell pepper sauce,
and an Italian meatball panino with a
marina sauce. There will also be granita al caffè, which has
me fired up to head on over, like, now. Everything will be priced
under $10. The owner, Dario Hadjian, has surrounded the area
with plants and flowers, and has set up mosaic cafe tables and
chairs. Hours will be 7am–8pm. This Saturday, Dario will donate
20 percent of sales from the cable car to the Telegraph Hill
Community Center. 659 Columbus Ave. at Union, 415-397-7355.
More on
the project moving into the former Asqew Grill space in the Castro:
it is going to be called ~STARBELLY~. Also got an update
on some potential items on chef Adam Timney's menu: there will be
a pizza oven and a rotisserie, so you can look for dishes like porchetta
and pasture-raised chicken, plus house-made charcuterie, a Prather
Ranch burger with aged cheddar and house-made pickle, and seasonal
vegetable dishes like romano beans with roasted tomato sauce and
raw feta, or creamed local corn with mascarpone. Opening in fall
2009. 3583 16th St. at Market.
Author
Giulia Melucci (I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti)
is going to be at ~OMNIVORE
BOOKS ON FOOD~ for a reading and book signing next
Saturday July 11th at 3pm. Her book is sitting
here on my bookshelf, waiting for me to crack
it in August when I finally get to read instead
of just write, can't wait. Author Emily Franklin
of Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and
102 Recipes will also be there to discuss food, love, kids, men, and
cooking. There is also a fried chicken taste-off at the shop on
July 7th! Read all about it and other events
here.
3885-A Cesar Chavez St. at Church, 415-282-4712..
Unless you know some hunter types, it can be difficult to score a
taste of wild game. So I thought you'd like to know about this event
sooner rather than later: ~COOKWITHJAMES~ is
hosting a wild
game dinner on Saturday August 1st. The dinner will feature
an assortment of wild game animals and birds,
many cooked over a wood fire on a Tuscan grill inside Stolich's fireplace.
Click the link for more on the menu and details! Cost is $95 per person
(wine is BYOB). Space is limited.
I thought
folks in San Mateo and Pleasant Hill should know their ~LEFT
BANK~ brasseries have unfortunately closed. (The
Pleasant Hill location had been in business
since October 2000, and San Mateo since November 2003.) Alas,
the recession proved too challenging to weather. The Left Bank
restaurants in Larkspur, Menlo Park, and San Jose have been less
impacted by the recession.
Seems
owner James Syhabout (formerly of Manresa)
has been trying to keep media away from the
real opening date of his restaurant, ~COMMIS~ (it
went into the previous Jojo space).
Well, it's open. When I spoke with him a month
ago, he said it has 30 seats and an open
kitchen, and the seasonal menu will stylistically
be fine dining that is laid back and fun
(as Syhabout summarized, "serious food but
relaxing, like Aziza"). Commis has a prix-fixe
menu, currently $49 (no idea if this is just
for the opening). Since it's been difficult to
get any real information, I'll let these
additional details on Yelp fill
you in, and someone mailed an initial menu
to Eater.
Open Wed–Sun. 3859 Piedmont Ave. at Rio Vista,
Oakland, 510-653-3902.
~PICÁN
RESTAURANT~ in Oakland's Uptown has started
serving lunch and brunch. Lunch is Mon–Fri
from 11:30am–2pm, and Sunday brunch is
10:30am–3pm. The line-up includes buttermilk
biscuits and gravy, a pimiento cheeseburger,
and a smoked chicken, fried green tomato, and little gem lettuce
salad with buttermilk dressing. 2295 Broadway at 23rd St., Oakland,
510-834-1000. 
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