The Chatterbox

Last night, I took a break from my writing to go listen to chef RENÉ REDZEPI OF NOMA (interviewed by Daniel Patterson) at the Delancey Theater. It takes a lot to get me to leave my usual Monday night prison (my desk) on deadline night, but when the chef of…

Last Thursday, while dining at Morimoto, my table was visited at separate times by Tyler Florence, Rob Mondavi, Jr., Michael Mondavi, and chef Jeremy Fox. (For once I didn’t have to tablehop—thanks for coming to me, gents.) I got to taste Tyler’s new and delicious ‘08 cabernet…

The ALL CAPS ARE BACK: the transition from MICHAEL MINA to BOURBON STEAK at The Westin St. Francis on Union Square is complete, and the steakhouse opens this Thursday October 7th. The executive chef is Omri Aflalo, an extern from the Culinary Institute of America at AQUA when Mina first…

After Deep Sushi/Deep Modern Izakaya didn’t work out in Noe Valley, the owners of Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar on California Street have officially opened their second location in the space this past weekend, TATAKI SOUTH. The menu will continue their focus on only serving sustainable sushi, although…

As of this past Sunday, ~PROSPECT~ started serving Sunday brunch from 11am-3pm. Dishes on chef Ravi Kapur’s menu include fried chicken with biscuits and Jimmy Nardello pepper jelly ($15); a double-smoked BLT ($12); and eggs Benedict ($14), along with a burger ($10)—you can view the entire menu on…

Depending on where you work (or where you ladies like to lunch), here are three new lunch specials you can check out. First up is a $28 prix-fixe business lunch at CAMPTON PLACE RESTAURANT, where they will get you in and out in an hour. The menu is available during…

Now here’s a brilliant way to handle your vacation: while Elan and Brett Emerson of ~CONTIGO~ are in Spain for their honeymoon from October 12th-30th, they invited chef Mark Denham to be the guest chef in their absence. Mark will of course be bringing in a few whole animals,…

A few new pastry chefs around town: Sarah Ballard has left ~PERBACCO~ to take a break, and her replacement is Suzanne LaFleur. Her new dessert menu features zeppole (warm orange-scented doughnuts) with salted hazelnut caramel; chocolate torrone with marinated black berries; and lingue di gatto and fig leaf panna cotta…

Coming to the Civic Center/Tenderloin area at the end of the year will be MIRTILLE, a café that will be open all day and into the evening. The owners, François and Isabelle Chevillotte, are French—this will be their first business in San Francisco. Their focus is on serving…