The Chatterbox

A tip on Chowhound mentions the opening of SMOKE BERKELEY, which has opened in the “little Mexican restaurant adjoining the car wash on the west side of San Pablo.” Further details mention chef Tina Ferguson-Riffe is from Texas, and she reportedly won the blue ribbon at the Blanco County Fair…

After The Tender announced earlier this year that the beloved DOTTIE’S TRUE BLUE CAFE was going to be relocating, the big question was: where? I heard rumors a month or so ago, and today I received a call from chef-owner Kurt Abney, who says he is picking up the…

I recently heard some rumblings about Quince/Cotogna’s wine director, David Lynch, doing a project in the Mission, and according to this story in the Inside Scoop, he is taking over the ~HEART~ space and opening a restaurant. Heart’s current owner, Jeff Segal, is moving back to New…

The Inside Scoop was provided the news first, but a just-released press release confirms that partner Gordon Drysdale (formerly of Bix, Gordon’s House of Fine Eats, Caffe Verbena) has left Bacchus Management Group after 10 years with the group. Drysdale worked on the Café des Amis opening, and most…

KEN KEN RAMEN is already trying out some soft opening nights in their new brick-and-mortar space in the Mission, previously mentioned here. They plan to be fully open in a week or two, but will only be serving three or maybe four nights a week, Thu-Sat (maybe Sun) 6pm-10pm or…

One of the city’s most popular places for dim sum on the weekends (and family dinners), the three-year-old HONG KONG LOUNGE at 5322 Geary is opening a second location in the Pot de Pho space. The hours will be the same (lunch Mon-Fri 10:30am-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-2:30pm,…

Over in Cow Hollow, BISTRO UNIQUE is scheduled to open today. Eater has been tracking the project, but we have a few additional details for you, like a preliminary menu. It’s a familiar French bistro menu, with a variety of salads, mussels, cassoulet, and steak frites ($25 at dinner)…

Via a tip on Chowhound, there’s a new dessert place and café in Chinatown called SOUFFLÉS CAFE. The speciality is, you guessed it, soufflés. There are 10 flavors to choose from—ranging from almond to red bean-coconut to sesame to orange—for $9.75. Egg puff fans will also…

Well, that was fast: THE CHUBBY NOODLE is back in pop-up business at Amante. 570 Green St. at Stockton. A tablehopper reader was lamenting over the closure of CHAI-YO THAI on Polk, but further sleuthing reveals the restaurant is just in the midst of a renovation, and will be reopening…

JOEY & PAT’S ITALIAN BAKERY & CAFE is now open on Folsom Street at 21st, and according to a post on Chowhound, “the baker Joey makes everything fresh that day, he worked at Stella’s Bakery and other places.” So now you know where to go grab some cookies…