The Chatterbox

Celebrate the beauty, class, and style of all things food with a party for the amazing Todd Selby on Tuesday October 23rd. He’ll be at ~BAR JULES~, toasting his new book, Edible Selby. This most fabulous of parties will feature The Selby himself, as well as yakitori, kushiage, and…

Every Sunday in October, catch OFF THE GRID in the Presidio from 11am-4pm. This gathering of vendors will be called Picnic at the Presidio, and aims to bring back the old-school tradition of outdoor lawn eating, so bring a blanket and a basket! They’ll be debuting on…

Whoa, it’s about to get all wingy-dingy: ~WING WINGS~ is hosting its first-ever Chicken Wing Eating Contest, a fundraiser benefitting Western Addition Beacon Center, which is part of the Buchanan YMCA and administers after-school, summer school, and art programs at John Muir Elementary School. The event…

Open today (Tuesday September 18th) is BORGO ITALIA in the former B Restaurant space in Old Oakland; chef Franco Camboli and general manager Fabio Dalle Vacche (yes, they are Italian) are opening the restaurant with support from investor and entrepreneur Paul Ferrari (A.G. Ferrari). The press release mentions authentic…

Back in February, we reported that the former Green Papaya space at 2016 Shattuck in Berkeley would be turning into Thanu’s Kitchen, but word now is that it will become the Italian restaurant BELLI instead. Belli, from co-owners Paul Oprescu and Damien Morrison, will feature housemade fresh pastas,…

Some chef changes at ~NOMBE~ in the Mission: chef Noriyuki-san (of Ramen Bull fame) went to Japan for a month this summer and did not return to Nombe (I will let you know if I hear where he is now). Taking his place is Brandon Armstrong (Clift Hotel chef,…

I know I’m not the only one excited that I’ll be able to sink my choppers into a honking hoagie from 1058 HOAGIE very soon, maybe even this Friday (or Monday at the latest)—owner Adam Mesnick (Deli Board) is just waiting on inspections. As previously mentioned on…

This week is ~JARDINIÈRE~’s 15-year anniversary, a commendable feat, so it’s time for a fête! In honor of the occasion, the team has put together an updated and redesigned menu, which you can check out right here. Basically, diners will have more choice in how they order,…

This remains unconfirmed at this time, but according to this post on Chowhound, HAMA-KO, the traditional sushi place in Cole Valley, will be closing at the end of September after 28 years in business. The owners are reportedly taking a much-needed retirement—and just like that, the city’…

Some news about expansions around town: First, before I went on vacation I announced Oakland’s CAÑA CUBAN RESTAURANT was moving into the Circolo space. Grub Street did some further sleuthing, revealing the menu will be “similar to the Oakland location, though with the wood-burning oven at the new…