The Chatterbox

Good news for SF’s Embarcadero (and for his many lady fans): chef Michael Chiarello of Bottega (Napa), television, book, and NapaStyle fame is going to be opening a Spanish restaurant in spring 2013 in the former Lafitte space at Pier 5. As reported in the Scoop and one-two punch…

Some new chefs in the mix. First, Rachel Herbert at PRECITA PARK CAFE has hired chef Tu David Phu to launch a new dinner menu. Phu has spent the past two years at Saul’s Deli in Berkeley, and he’ll be bringing a similar “make it by hand” ethos…

BEACON COFFEE & PANTRY, from cousins Alexis Liu and Christian Chan, opened over the weekend. As previously reported on tablehopper, they’ll be serving Sightglass coffee, plus pastries from Artisan Bakers in Sonoma and some retail goodies too. The duo boasts a pretty impressive background in design, and the space…

Great news: ~GITANE~ reopened last Friday after a fire closed it down for about a week. Now the team can get back to launching their new menu: it’s obviously a hot one. Richmond Blog notes the Outer Richmond’s PERILLA has morphed into a Cajun crawfish spot (do those…

Out shopping and need a pick-me-up? Feeling a little broke with all the holiday spending? Or just too busy to cook? Here are some festive deals to keep you frugally well fed. If you just can’t resist a good Black Friday buying frenzy in Union Square but the whole…

The holidays are a fun time to get out and have a good time with all the folks you know and love. But in the middle of all the revelry and consumption, it’s also a good time to remember that there are people in our community who go without.…

Wait, is that Ebenezer Scrooge? The Bay Area holiday institution the Dickens Fair is back, and bigger than ever. The Victorian-themed fair, which has been going strong since 1970, takes place at the Cow Palace, and features a variety of activities, most of them involving dancing, drinking, and carousing (and…

Wow, the East Bay Express has put together quite a list of upcoming bar projects in Oakland, like PARLIAMENT and more. Check it out here. One to add to that list is THE HOG’S APOTHECARY, which some folks on Chowhound mentioned will be a new “sausage beer pub” coming…

Marin is getting a couple of new spots for vittles, music, and more. First up is FENIX, a new live music venue with a full bar and food from Amey Shaw, formerly of Piccolo Teatro. She says they are currently planning to open their doors the first week of December.…

Many of you have been downloading the tablehopper late-night dining app (thanks, glad you dig it!) and now here’s another one in the Know What network of apps you’re gonna want in your iPhone’s arsenal of AWESOME APPS: San Francisco’s Top 30 Taquerias from Burritoeater.com.…