The Chatterbox

The Tenderloin is about to get a new coffee shop from a Four Barrel alum, Hoodline reports. It’s called GEORGE AND LENNIE, which may ring a bell for readers familiar with the Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men. Owner Brett Walker decided to name the shop after his favorite…

The Castro location of A.G. FERRARI has closed, according to Hoodline. The company’s other five Bay Area locations remain in operation, though, despite some financial hard times for the local chain. 468 Castro St. at 18th St. Back in July, we reported that Iza Ramen had filed for…

Yup, the GastroMagic stage returns to Outside Lands this weekend, with the return of the Beignets & Bounce Brunch with Big Freedia & Brenda’s Soul Food, karaoke with Morimoto, World Pizza Cup Champion Tony Gemignani spinning dough to DJ MoPo, and more. (Kudos to partner ChefsFeed for the pairing…

The second restaurant from John Paluska and Andrew Hoffman, the pair behind Comal, is officially opening Friday August 7th. It’s called THE ADVOCATE and marks a departure from Comal’s Mexican cuisine. They’ve brought on chef John Griffiths, who hails from Michigan and previously worked at Truffles and…

Some big news over at 16th Street and Guerrero: ~CHINO~ has gone dark for a couple of weeks, and when it reopens on Monday August 10th, there will be a new chef-partner, Ron Pei, and a new menu too. There will also be an updated kitchen and some interior design…

Like a phoenix rising from some tragic flames earlier this year, the ~WISE SONS DELI~ duo, Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman, have some great news to share: they found a new commissary location to replace the one they lost in the January Mission fire. And they’re going to be…

We reported in June that the FINE & RARE team (Scott Peterson and Ted Wilson) found a permanent location in the former Stars space. They are now open Monday through Friday, serving sandwiches and salads featuring their impeccably sourced seasonal seafood and produce. The menu is tight, with just a…

Back in June, we reported that the Marina location of Udupi Palace had closed, and a new restaurant called KOBANI MEDITERRANEAN GRILL would be moving in. According to Yelp it is now open, and a great story on Berkeleyside Nosh explains even more about the project. It’s from owner…

On Sunday August 2nd, catch another fab pop-up from chef Telmo Faria’s Portuguese Uma Casa at Merigan Sub Shop. It’s happening from 6pm to 9pm, and no tickets or reservations are required. This week, the menu includes caldo verde, pasteis de bacalhau, salada de polvo, and a francesinha…

A couple of closures to report: URCHIN BISTROT—the restaurant in the former Slanted Door/Wo Hing space on Valencia from Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani—is closing after service this Friday July 31st. (Via Scoop.) 584 Valencia St. at 17th St., 415-861-1844. Meanwhile, Eater reports TAPS SOCIAL HOUSE AND…