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OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Mreow. Actually, pfffft. Am officially cranky from these annoying allergies I've had the past few weeks. I thought they were gone, but no, achoo, they're back. As one friend posited, maybe I'm allergic to mildew. Grrrrreat, I sure picked the right city to be in for the winter.

Now that my little rant is out of the way, let's talk about more interesting things. Like the mightily impressive dinner I had at COI last week (pictured here, an ethereal course of oysters, roasted beets, and glacier lettuce). And just as delicate and refined as that meal was, its exact opposite was the chaotic and brash banquet/spectacle by OPENrestaurant on Saturday at the SFMOMA—more on this in fresh meat (literally).

And somewhere in the middle of meat mayhem and fine dining was the Mini Cupcake Clash at Stable Cafe on Sunday, part of the ongoing SF Food Wars series. I ended up totally falling for some of the savory-sweet combos (my favorite was the pear cupcake frosted with whipped Brie cream by Sweetiecups). My faboo intern Daisy took this photo album of the event, and VidSF posted this chirpy video (with a somewhat sugar-high host). Coming up in December: Holiday Fixins.

This week I have some more culinary shenanigans planned, but we'll see how my last week of book edits goes—I'm not exactly in charge of my calendar at the moment.

Since we're on the topic of shenanigans, here's a link to a recent linecook podcast when I was a guest, along with HotFoodPorn's Eddie Lau, and Corey Nead, a nopa kitchen compatriot to our host, Richie Nakano. We feasted on cheese and Delfina pizza, we drank bubbly and Manhattans, we hung out, we chatted about all kinds of stuff, from cookbooks (how on earth did I forget Marcella Hazan?) to bars to female chefs. Have a listen.

Speaking of next week, I'll be announcing an upcoming tablehopper tasting event! Mark your calendar for Tuesday November 10th. A little teaser: it's going to feature a very special guest in town from... si, España!

Ciao for now,

~Marcia

OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Yesterday was a red-letter day in San Francisco. Actually, a red book one, since the ~MICHELIN GUIDE~ released its San Francisco ratings. Congrats to one-star newcomers Aziza, Commis, and Luce, and up in wine country, étoile, Santé, Solbar, Terra, and Ubuntu. More on the local scene: Quince also got its star back after the hocus pocus that surrounded their move to their new location. Michael Mina was bumped down to one star, while COI maintained its two stars. Congrats to all the winners, and to any disgruntled losers, I have a little bobble-head Michelin doll you are welcome to bash into tiny pieces if you want to take out some aggression, just drop me a line.

A couple new openings this Wednesday October 21st: in SoMa, say hello to ~THE IRON CACTUS~. This new casual cantina/taqueria from The Creamery folks is opening in... (surprise!) the old Gilt Edge Creamery location, across from the Caltrans station. A look at the menu reveals burritos (for $6.95, and the price includes sour cream), tacos, quesadillas, salads, and special plates like enchiladas or tacos, all made with hormone-free meats. Here are more details from the press release: "Much of the interior is recycled wood from the original Creamery and the tall barrel-shaped ceilings with exposed wood, left untouched from the time it was a depot stop back in the 1950s, create a very authentic cantina-style atmosphere. Above the barrel-shaped ceiling is a huge skylight that brings in lots of natural light and together with bright yellow faux finishes, wrought iron panels, and exposed concrete. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating for up to 100 people." You can also fax or call your order in. Hours are Mon–Wed 11am–9pm, Thu–Sat 11am–10pm. 683 4th St. at Townsend, 415-777-1010.

And as I mentioned last week, ~PANAM~, a new restaurant, bar, and lounge, is opening in the former Frisee space in the Castro this Wednesday. Open nightly for dinner and drinks 5pm–1am, plus there will be a weekend brunch from 10am–4pm. 2367 Market St. at Castro, 415-556-6200.

Got some details on the new restaurant opening in the Julie's Supper Club space, and no, the name will not be Julie's III (lame!). It's going to be called ~RADIUS~, and they will be serving farm-to-table California cuisine with a French influence. All the meats, produce, dairy, beer, and wine will be sourced from a 100-mile radius, hence the name. (It will be open nightly.) The plan is to open the restaurant by February, but in the meantime, they're converting the old dance floor section of Julie's into a cafe and takeaway area with a separate entrance, which will be open for lunch and dinner by the end of the year.

The executive chef will be Kelly Hughett, who has quite the background, but highlights include four years under Sylvain Portay at The Ritz Carlton San Francisco, Mix Restaurant in Las Vegas, Alain Ducasse's Plaza Athénée and Aux Lyonnais, the A.D.F. School for Professional Chefs, two years at Louis XV in Monaco, and sous chef at Adour Restaurant in New York. Mon dieu. She will be moving back to her native California from New York in the next couple of months. Radius is an owner-operated restaurant from partners Jon Whitehead, and Yong and Christian Baker (Christian has worked at Aqua and The Ritz Carlton, and has been working at an architecture firm for the last seven years). They are currently going through demo right now—Julie's bar will remain, but it will be beer and wine only, FYI. Seating will probably be 50 in the main restaurant and 25 in the cafe. You can follow their progress on Twitter at @radiussf. 1123 Folsom St. at Langton.

Ages ago I mentioned the organic vegan Mexican restaurant coming from the Cafe Gratitude folks, ~GRACIAS MADRE~. Well, it's getting close: the opening is slated for November. Tortillas and tamales will be handmade from organic heirloom corn grown on Matthew and Terces Englehart's Be Love Farm in Vacaville. The menu will also highlight beans, corn, squash, chiles, and spices, along with greens, vegetables, and nut-based "cheeses" (if you've eaten at Cafe Gratitude, you'll be familiar with these "cheeses"). The idea for the restaurant began when the Engleharts were inspired to visit some of their employees' hometowns in Mexico. If you imagine you'll be a regular customer at Gracias Madre, check their site for details on their immediate "Builders Card" offering. I'll share more details on the project as it gets closer. 2211 Mission St. at 18th St.

This may be in the old news category, but ~JAY'S DELI~ in Potrero Hill has closed after two years in business (it was the deli in the former Klein's location). 501 Connecticut St. at 20th St.

As a daughter of a former deli owner, I was hoping to be able to meet up with author David Sax of ~SAVE THE DELI: IN SEARCH OF PERFECT PASTRAMI, CRUSTY RYE AND THE HEART OF JEWISH DELICATESSEN~, his new book dedicated to the preservation of the Jewish delicatessen. The book's cover shot of a stacked pastrami sandwich keeps making me hungry. Alas, my schedule isn't allowing it, but I did want to mention a couple of his Bay Area appearances: on Saturday October 24th, Sax will be at Saul's Restaurant & Deli for a lecture, Q&A, and book signing at 4pm (1475 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley). There will be a tasting plate on the menu that day, comparing grass-fed Marin Sun Farms corned beef; grass-raised and corn-finished Niman Ranch pastrami; and top conventional/factory farmed suppliers for Katz's in NY and Langer's in NY, plus house-made sodas. On Monday October 26th, he'll be at Book Passage in San Francisco for a talk and Q&A at 6pm (1 Ferry Building, #42, San Francisco, 415-835-1020).

More meaty news: ~DARIO CECCHINI'S~ artisan butchery demo this weekend has been moved to nopa, which is generously underwriting the event. Which means the steep price has dropped significantly to $175. The demo is now from 1pm–4pm, when Cecchini will break down a steer (my second in a week) and a pig. Read more here for info about how to get tickets. Hope to see you there! 560 Divisadero St. at Hayes.

Starting Sunday November 1st, ~1300 ON FILLMORE~ will extend its gospel brunch to every Sunday, with house band Future Perfect alternating Sundays with other local musicians. Brunch is priced at $39 per person, and includes a Bellini or mimosa and coffee and tea, plus the performance and a three-course prix-fixe meal. Seatings are offered at 11am or 1pm. 1300 Fillmore St. at Eddy, 415-771-7100.

Since this event tends to fill up quickly, I thought you should know the 20th Wild Game Week will be held at the ~BIG 4~ from Tuesday November 3rd–7th. Highlights from chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls's menu include piranha, alligator, Himalayan yak Wellington, and wild paella with giant crispy frog legs, house made rabbit-rattlesnake sausage, Nigerian salt prawns, and mussels. Rawr. 1075 California St. at Taylor, 415-771-1140.

More special dinners are coming up (and these in particular help me cope with any sadness I have over tomato season ending): truffle dinners! ~DELFINA'S~ will be on Tuesday November 3rd and Wednesday the 4th, and they will be pouring Barolo (and possibly Barbaresco) flights. (They will have truffles and Barolo again for their 11-year anniversary dinners November 17th–19th.) Past dishes you could have truffle shaved over have included kuri squash sformatino with fonduta and chestnuts, and hand-cut tajarin in bianco (butter, cream, and Parmigiano). You can read more on their Facebook page. 3621 18th St. at Dolores, 415-552-4055.

And if you're in the South Bay/Peninsula, ~DONATO ENOTECA~ will have white truffles from November 11th–22nd (or while supplies last) shaved atop dishes in a special tartufi bianchi menu (the four-course truffle tasting menu is approximately $125), or you can choose from à la carte dishes and have the truffles shaved on top. 1041 Middlefield Rd., Redwood City, 650-701-1000.

In the East Bay, a couple new projects have opened this week: ~SUMMER KITCHEN BAKE SHOP~ from chef-owners Paul Arenstam (Americano) and wife Charlene Reis and chef Greer Nuttall. You can check out the menu of take-away fare, which contains soup, vegetable side dishes, main dishes for lunch and dinner, and sandwiches, plus baked goods, tarts, and more, all made with local and seasonal ingredients. Open daily from 9am–9pm. 2944 College Ave. at Ashby, Berkeley, 510-981-0538.

And ~BLUE BOTTLE~ has opened their new roastery, kitchen, and cafe location in the Jack London Square District of Oakland. Hours for now are Mon–Fri 8am–2pm; follow them on Twitter at @bluebottleroast. 300 Webster St. at 3rd St., Oakland, 510-653-3394. (Photo courtesy of Blue Bottle photostream.)

More Jack London Square news: Eric Tucker (executive chef at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco), Lacey Sher (former owner of Down To Earth Restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey) and Linda Braz will be opening ~ENCUENTRO CAFE AND WINE BAR~ early in November. It will be a neighborhood wine bar and café featuring enoteca-style organic and local vegetarian cuisine (think bocadillos, salads, cheeses, tapas, and chocolates). To drink, there will be organic/sustainable wines, small brewery beers, organic teas, coffee, and artisanal non-alcoholic beverages. There will be a combo of bar and table seating, and a simple look fashioned from recycled materials. Hours will be Mon–Fri 11am–2pm, Wed–Thu 5pm–10pm, and Fri–Sat 5pm–11pm. 202 2nd St. at Jackson, 510-832-9643.

Errata (I love this section)...

This isn't a really erratum, actually. More like a mailbag item. Anyway. A reader wrote in, "Just an F.Y.I. for you to pass down to Namu's restaurant owners to tweak this a bit: ‘Namu's loco moco gravy.' In Spanish, moco means ‘booger,' so any Latin, Hispanic, or Spanish person reading this on a menu may be completely turned off. A crazy booger gravy just isn't appetizing! Pretty funny though.

~A concerned reader, J."

Funny indeed, J. So I wrote back to her, explaining the Hawaiian origin of the loco moco dish, but of course had to share this hilarious moco fact with the owners of Namu, who had this to say, "So funny, we have encountered that misunderstanding from day one when one of my Mexican line cooks pointed it out... but he still loves to eat it!" So, there's our booger joke for the week.

Now, this is a true erratum. Last week, when I was copying the contents of the ~BURGER BAR~ menu into my column late at night, I failed to notice the mistake of this entry, the "Atlantic King Salmon Steak." Reader Gary writes: "I'm a little confused. I'm familier [stet] with Atlantic Salmon and King Salmon but not Atlantic King Salmon. Please tell me this was just a typo." Not quite a typo like that little misspelling of familiar, Gary, but check this out: Hubert Keller totally had a new hybrid species of salmon created just for Burger Bar, and it's only a paltry $8.50 to have it in a burger! Here's more from the menu: "This delicious omega 3 rich salmon comes from the icy waters of the North Atlantic. You will love its luxurious and velvety texture. Hand selected and filleted at Burger Bar." Sounds delicious, no? But alas, you were correct, hawk-eye Gary: they're just serving Atlantic salmon. Bon appétit!

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

There are plenty of nights in a year you can dine out (365, to be exact), but if there was one night to really dine out, it would be on Wednesday November 11th. Why the 11th? Because it's Food for Thought, a fundraising night for the Mission Graduates nonprofit organization.

Dine out at select Mission District restaurants like Bar Bambino, Farina, Range, Regalito, Slow Club, and Specchio and they will generously donate a portion of their sales that evening to help pave the way to college for K-12 students in the Mission District. A delish proposition, right?!

Click here for a list of participating restaurants and make your reservation today! Let your fork help you indulge in support of young people.

For more information, contact Art at 415-864-5205 or art@missiongraduates.org.

OPENfuture: Spinning Marinetti's Wheels
Sat., Oct. 17th, 2009

SFMOMA
Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Atrium
San Francisco, CA

OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Oh. My. God. Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod. OH. MY. GOD. That's what kept racing through my mind as I watched a 650-pound spit-roasted steer get lifted out of a bicycle-powered trailer and unwrapped on an equally massive butcher-block table at the latest OPENrestaurant event this past Saturday October 17th. The large shimmering tapestry that covered it was lifted away—I couldn't help but think of Jesus and the shroud, or weirdly, images of Aslan came to me, being brought to the stone table in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. The crowd of people surrounding the table pressed close, buzzing in a combination of excitement and discomfort, not knowing what was going to happen next. It was noisy, exhilarating, and strange.

The corporeality of the steer was surreal, its massive haunches gradually revealed after enough aluminum foil to create a small planet was peeled off its tremendous frame. The smell of meat and fennel started to permeate the atrium of the SFMOMA (the animal's entire cavity was filled with stalks of wild fennel). Yeah, we were in a museum, and there was a huge roasted steer in the middle of the room. Bizarre.

Members of the OPENrestaurant family (because that's really what it is) pedaled the beast through the city on a tricycle, pulling a trailer all the way from Alemany Farm at Alemany and Bayshore, where the steer had been roasting for 20 hours. The steer had two rods that crossed through its hulking frame so it could be properly suspended and maneuvered over a fire; one spit had to be tapped out with a sledgehammer in front of the crowd, it was so deeply embedded (yes, it was grotesque to watch). Morgan Maki of Bi-Rite told me about the elaborate fire pit and process—here are some pictures from Sasha Wizansky, taken over several days, of the transit to Avedano's Meats and then to the pit so you can see how the hell they roasted this thing.

After the foil was peeled away and the spits were extracted, a fleet of white-jacketed female chefs and butchers began to carve and disassemble the steer. It was like a barbaric surgery, a bit shocking in its carnality. Ohmygod, ohmygod. A live video projection on the wall above showing an aerial view of the proceedings looked almost Caravaggio-esque with its dramatic lighting.

As the steer was cut into smaller pieces, the chunks of meat were either slapped down on a long conveyor belt, or placed in metal containers, where the meat was eventually "processed" by chefs to make a variety of dishes. One plate featured slices of the beef topped with "crude oil" mole and "methane bean foam" over pieces of Tartine Bakery bread and wild arugula. I actually scraped the mole off so I could taste the meat, which was juicy and so flavorful, a bit feral tasting. An amazing feat to cook an animal of that size and have it come out so well. It fed an entire room (and I think it's still feeding the event organizers).

The room was full of controlled chaos and cacophony, with video projections on the walls by Chris Sollars, air raid sounds and live audio by sound artist Matt Volla and composer Luciano Chessa, dark and dramatic lighting, and a huge tapestry of the manifesto that originally covered the steer was eventually hung from the second story; I spoke with the artist who made the tapestry, Leslie Terzian Markoff—she didn't sleep the last three days in order to finish weaving the piece, the largest one she had ever done. It had words from the manifesto and even had pieces of tinfoil that she wove into it—an astounding accomplishment, so much texture.

The event was part of a larger series SFMOMA was hosting (Metal + Machine + Manifesto = Futurism's First 100 Years) to celebrate the anniversary of Futurism, an important movement that started Italy a century ago. This specific OPENrestaurant event used F. T. Marinetti's Futurist Cookbook from 1932 for inspiration, modernizing it and turning it on its ear. The room was full of mini installations of food and drink, each rife with symbolism and meaning. For example, "Saving Flavor Tomatoes" stuffed with ceviche were passed around the room to guests, a reference to Monsanto's genetic engineering attempt to splice a gene from a flounder into a tomato (FAIL). St. George Spirits made a grappa from the roasted heart and tongue of the steer (you could taste a little peppery funk to it). A model plane above the butcher-block table started spinning once the carving was done, "crop dusting" with orange blossom water made from oranges planted by the inventor of Agent Orange. There were "meat cones" from 4505 Meats in corn tortilla cones, topped with shaved beef tendon and "marrownaise," served on custom-made resin trays with corn embedded in them. Corn, beef, do the math...

I could go on. (You can view a pdf of the evening's "menu" designed by Sasha Wizansky for an idea of all the contributors.) There were so many details, a tremendous amount of elements and moving parts—it was like a Rube Goldberg machine, and it all magically came together. Well, not magically—there was an immeasurable amount of hours and hard work behind it all. As SFMOMA's curator of the event, Frank Smigiel, said to me, "We didn't want this to be about extreme catering." And it wasn't. It was too smart to be that.

I couldn't help but reflect on how the event felt so very uniquely San Franciscan, in so many ways. The event wasn't about what New York does, or Europe. It was about here, from the beef raised in California to the room full of Chez Panisse cooks to the local female butchers to the bread makers and beer makers and winemakers... Everything was hyper-local, artisanal, political, and edgy, in our own punk rock-culinary-farmer way.

The finale of the night featured propaganda parachutes holding packages of panforte made by Stacie Pierce cast off from the upper floor of the museum onto the crowd below. Each piece of panforte was so beautifully wrapped up in the Futurist manifesto, with manifesto language adhered to the chewy honey cakes with edible rice paper. We were eating Marinetti's words.

At the end of the night, the picked-over carcass was abandoned in the center of the room, left like a wildebeest on the Serengeti. The smell of meat and fennel continued to waft from it, the room heavy with the animal's pungency. Even as a devout meat eater, this particular spectacle was strong, and a lot to watch and process; kind of like the first time I saw Fellini's Satyricon.

Thank you to all the organizers, and especially to Sam White, Jerome Waag, and Stacie Pierce of OPENrestaurant, for putting on ever-more amazing and clever and important installations.

I posted some videos of the event here (start with this one), and images here since words can't describe it all accurately. Sadly my images and video don't either. Please note: some of the images and video are not for the faint of heart, or vegans.

OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Over in the Mission, things are getting close for ~SOM~, which will have a grand opening on Friday November 6th. The former Pink space is going to have an articulated (but not fussy) cocktail program of accessible and classic cocktails served from 4:30pm–10pm nightly, and then the DJ programming will kick in at 10pm. Since long-term promoter Hakobo (Fresco) is behind the project, look for a varied and edgy lineup of music spanning hip-hop, electronica, soul, and jazz, with up-and-coming talent getting featured as well. Opening night will have Vanka spinning Brazilian tracks, and word is Chelsea Starr (Hot Pants) will have a girls' night on third Fridays, the People from Oakland will have a night... it's going to be a sick lineup each month. Even better, the nightly club will be able to go after hours until 4am Fri–Sat. Woot. 2925 16th St. at South Van Ness, 415-558-8521.

Swing by ~CANTINA~ this week for cocktails from guest bartenders Toby Maloney of the Violet Hour and formerly of Milk & Honey, and Joaquin Simo from Death & Co. in New York. They will be behind the stick this Wednesday October 21st from 7pm–10pm. 580 Sutter St. at Mason, 415-398-0195.

A drink from ~HEAVEN'S DOG~ is a very good thing, but two-for-one is even better. All you have to do is buy a cocktail and you get a chip for a freebie. Daily from 4:30pm–7pm. 1148 Mission St. at 7th St., 415-863-6008.

Jordan Mackay noted on the 7x7 Buzzed blog that ~TERROIR WINE BAR~ will be temporarily closed until early November due to some flooding damage that happened from the apartments above them. 1116 Folsom St. at 7th St., 415-558 9946.

This Friday October 23rd is ~CCOF'S 4TH ANNUAL BEER, WINE, AND SPIRITS TASTING~ at the Ferry Building. There will be award-winning organic wines, beers, and spirits alongside sample pairings from the Ferry Building's restaurants and specialty food vendors. You can read more here. 4pm–8pm. Tickets are $25 for 10 tastes or $15 for 5 tastes, which includes a commemorative wine glass. Proceeds from the event will help fund CCOF's education and outreach programs.

And on Monday October 26th, ~CANTINA~ and ~LA COCINA~ are teaming up for a tasting, mixing, and educational night around mezcal. Proceeds of this event go to benefit the program of La Cocina. $80 (75% is tax-deductible) includes dinner from Los Cilantros, drinks, and a cocktail lesson. Buy tickets. 6:30pm. 580 Sutter St. at Mason.

If you've been wanting to head to ~MANRESA~ for dinner, The Champagne Dinner on Sunday November 1st would definitely be an evening to do so. David Kinch is preparing a six-course dinner inspired by a selection of Champagnes chosen by Jeff Bareilles, wine director of Manresa, and Rebecca Rapaszky, manager of Vin, Vino, Wine Bottle Shop & Tasting Bar of Palo Alto. Ms. Rapaszky and Victor Pugliese, owner of Vin, Vino, Wine, will be on hand to welcome guests to the Champagne reception at 6pm and to introduce the selection of Champagnes during the evening. Dinner is at 7pm. The Champagne Dinner is $250 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Reservations are available through Manresa by calling 408-354-4330. 320 Village Lane at North Santa Cruz, Los Gatos.

Wednesday November 4th is a ~DEVIL'S GULCH BELGIAN BEER DINNER~ at Magnolia. The three-course dinner ($45 with beer pairings) will feature pork, quail, and rabbit from farmer Mark Pasternak (who will be at the event). Each dish will be paired with one of the first three Belgian beers from the BRU/SFO Project. Each dish will also be available à la carte. More details coming soon. 1398 Haight St. at Masonic, 415-864-7468.

Perfect Pairings
through October 31st, 2009

Various locations
San Francisco

website

OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO For the next 12 days (through October 31st), be sure to look for the ~PERFECT PAIRINGS~ fork and bottle logo on menus around town at participating restaurants. If you order the pairing, a portion of proceeds goes to the local Meals-on-Wheels program. These pairings may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic and may involve a one-of-a-kind dish, the chef's signature specialty, or a prix-fixe menu.

25 San Francisco restaurants are involved, including: Acquerello, AME at the St. Regis Hotel, Aqua, Dosa on Fillmore, Ducca, Emporio Rulli Gran Caffè, Fifth Floor, Grand Café Brasserie & Bar, Home, Jardinière, La Folie, Laïola, Le Colonial, Luce, Masa's, Ozumo, Ritz Carlton San Francisco, RN74, Seasons at the Four Seasons, South Food & Wine Bar, Urban Tavern, Wexler's, XYZ at the W Hotel San Francisco, and Zinnia. The promo is not only in San Francisco; it's also in New York City and Southern Florida.

Here are a couple examples of "perfect pairings" around town:

Ame at the St. Regis Hotel

Chef Hiro Sone is featuring:

A tasting of BBQ eel on Japanese cucumber salad with yuzu vinaigrette

Paired with Schramsberg Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Brut, North Coast 2006

Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton

Chef Ron Siegel is pairing a number of items on his small bites/half bottle menu. A few examples include:

64˚ quail egg, or lobster risotto, or seared foie gras

Paired with any of their extensive wine collection, including:

MV Krug, Brut Rose; 2002 Kiralyudvar, Tokaji, Cuvee Ilona, Hungary; 2005 Opus One, Napa

Sugar Rush
Thu. Nov. 12th, 2009

111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna St.
Cross: 2nd St.
San Francisco, CA 94105

website

$50 online
$60 at the door

OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO ~SUGAR RUSH~ is back, a night of dessert tastings from the Bay Area's best restaurants, plus a silent auction, and cocktails to help support Spark's youth programs!

There will be dessert tastings from Boulevard, Chez Panisse, Michael Mina, Millennium, Range, Recchiuti Confections, Sibby's Cupcakery, Humphry Slocombe, and Spruce.

100% of the proceeds from Sugar Rush go to support Spark's youth apprenticeship programs. Spark is the only program in the nation addressing the dropout crisis by re-engaging at-risk middle school students in their education with individualized, hands-on apprenticeships. Attend Sugar Rush and help support empowering apprenticeships for Bay Area middle school youth!

Group discounts are available online.

OCTOBER 20, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Random sightings galore: Matt Ross (Alby Grant of HBO's Big Love) was spotted at Pizzaiolo.

Another reader writes, "For all your subscribers who are also fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (I know I love it!), Amber Tamblyn (who plays Tibby) [had] shots of Jager at the Phoenix Irish Pub & Gathering House on 19th & Valencia! She sat by the jukebox and played Queen and Elvis Presley. We thought, ‘Hmm... So this is what famous people listen to.'"

Sandra Bernhard came into Kuleto's for a post-show (Whatever It Takes) bite of tonno crudo Tuesday night, and ate at the new Quince (and tweeted about it) on Saturday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi dined on sardines at Scala's after Obama's fundraising speech at the St. Francis.

And Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon were at the Blue Bottle kiosk on Sunday; as the Blue Bottle tweet queried, they were "maybe doing movie research about baristi making coffee out of a garage..."