The Chatterbox

~NAMU GAJI~ is now offering free snacks with every drink ordered during happy hour, Tue-Fri 5pm-6:30pm. Each day, you’ll have a choice of three different dishes like spiced beef jerky, duck pâté, or kimchi arancini to accompany any beverage from their list. Their regular happy hour menu and…

The Fourth of July is this Friday (meaning a nice long weekend, woohoo!), and it’s a great excuse to enjoy some American foodstuffs and plenty of grilled meats. Here are some places to enjoy yourself, as well as some excellent spots to pick up all the supplies you’ll…

On Monday July 14th, learn all about banh mi from author Andrea Nguyen, who recently released her book, The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches. She’ll be celebrating the book’s launch at ~OMNIVORE BOOKS~ from 6:30pm-9:30pm. The free event will include a banh mi…

After reopening about two years ago, it looks like Berkeley’s SKETCH ICE CREAM is closing again, this time forever. Chowhounders originally caught the news from Sketch’s Facebook page, saying their last day will be Sunday July 6th, with modified hours. It sounds like they are hoping to spend…

As of Thursday June 26th, you’ll find Off the Grid at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center in Novato every Thursday from 5pm-9pm. There will be nine trucks in attendance each week, with a rotating roster of trucks including El Porteño, Rib Whip, Smokey’s and the Oyster Guy, and…

Some changes to Charles Phan’s SOUTH AT SFJAZZ: the space is closed for renovations as of Sunday June 22nd, and when it reopens on Saturday July 12th, the Southern menu will be scrapped for a Mexican one. (No one can accuse Phan of being a one-trick pony, that’s…

We’ve been tracking the opening of RED HILL STATION in Bernal Heights, and we’re happy to report this 36-seat neighborhood restaurant is now open for dinner. Owners Amy Reticker and Taylor Pedersen are both longtime Bernal residents, and both worked at Anchor Oyster Bar. The seafood-focused menu has…

We were sorry to miss the pre-opening party of BIG CHEF TOM’S BELLY BURGERS last week, but we’ll be coming by for a belly burger soon enough! Tom Pizzica’s brand-new brick-and-mortar spot is now open in the former Taqueria Reina’s in SoMa. Congrats on moving on…

Some changes over at ~AMERICANO~ and Hotel Vitale: executive chef Kory Stewart is departing after seven years (he is reportedly going to be a part of a restaurant that’s being constructed from the ground up in the Napa Valley—best wishes to you, Kory). His replacement is chef de…

~LOLÓ~ is bringing brunch to their colorful new Valencia Street location, every Friday (oh yeah!), Saturday, and Sunday from 11am-4pm. The menu includes the Mexican Benedict eggs, with corn gorditas, creamy poblano sauces, refried beans, and shishito peppers ($10), or check out the egg scramble with chorizo, spring onion, and…