The Chatterbox

After noting some ABC license activity, we were wondering what was going into the former Sea Salt space on San Pablo in Berkeley. Scoop reports that David Stevenson of neighboring Paisan has taken over the space. He’s calling the project THE LONGBRANCH, which is an homage to the Berkeley…

Here are the first details and menus for the brand-new and expanded HOG ISLAND OYSTER BAR at the Ferry Building Marketplace, although the opening date is still a bit up in the air due to a snag with the ventilation system (it’s “early May” for now). As we previously…

An update from the ~OUTERLANDS~ team: after letting go of chef Brett Cooper, owners David Muller and Lana Porcello have named a replacement: Greg Kuzia-Carmel. He is a new recruit from New York, where he worked at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and Michael White’s Altamarea Group; prior to…

After hearing some rumors about who the chef was going to be for the ~BIG 4~, replacing longtime chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls, the official hire has just been named: Kevin Scott, formerly of Paragon, Bar Jules, and Hog Island Oyster Bar. He will be working with the Puccini Group operations team…

After completing its run of preview parties for local tech companies (including Uber and Twitter), the (unfortunately named) DIRTY HABIT is opening to the public this Thursday May 1st. The former Fifth Floor in the Hotel Palomar has been converted into this bar-centric project, led by chef David Bazirgan and…

After literally years of false starts and false hope (and some really wacky window signs), it looks like LA RONDALLA in the Mission may finally be ready to reopen, according to Scoop. The current opening date is Thursday May 1st (yes, just in time for Cinco de Mayo), and they’…

Here’s a trio of new restaurants with funny names that want to get you fat. First up is ADAM’S GRUB AT CHUG PUB. It looks like food truck Adam’s Grub now has a permanent home at Chug Pub in the Sunset. The menu is the same as…

TROU NORMAND is now serving breakfast Mon-Fri from 8:30am-10:30am. You can sit in one of their tufted leather booths and enjoy table service, or order at the takeout counter. In addition to Four Barrel espresso and drip coffee, there’s a breakfast sandwich on the menu with pancetta,…

At FIREHOUSE 8 there is a new opportunity to check out some brunch. On Sunday May 4th from 11am-3pm, SunnySide Biscuits will be popping up with their signature biscuits. Options include a brisket biscuit (do not try to say that before coffee) on a cheddar biscuit with yogurt horseradish, or…

Here’s a new happy hour for your antennae, and this one involves cheese! Now that the weather is nicer, THE CHEESE SCHOOL OF SAN FRANCISCO is offering a special Cheese Makes Me Happy Hour every Wednesday from 5:30pm-8pm. Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and…