The Chatterbox

In the “only in San Francisco” category, here’s an upcoming dinner called BEAN-OUT on Sunday May 16th. Organizer Mark Gravel is a major advocate for beans as a cheap, delicious protein source, so he’s putting on a Bean-Out at the lovely Mission shop, Gravel & Gold (no relation)…

As a local, I confess I never tire of the view from the TOP OF THE MARK at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins (surprisingly, many locals have never been). And with this new Dinner & Cocktails With A View offer, it’s kind of hard to resist. For $80 per person…

I had a chance to catch up with Ray Tang, who wanted to fill me in on a few changes as he is stepping back in as owner of ~PRESIDIO SOCIAL CLUB~. First, there is a new chef: Derek McCarthy, who was previously at Blue Plate. Look for a new…

Just a quick public service announcement: ~SOCIAL KITCHEN & BREWERY~ is now open. The restaurant is only open for dinner service, for now, from 5pm-10pm. They are not allowed to serve any alcoholic beverages after 10pm, so last call is currently at 9:30pm. (They are working with the city…

THE RITZ-CARLTON, SAN FRANCISCO has named Patrick Callarec executive chef, whose duties will encompass all hotel-specific culinary activities, including dining in The Lobby Lounge, In-Room Dining, banquets, and catering. French-born Callarec’s background includes executive chef for The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, and owner of the award-winning Chez Paul Restaurant in Olowalu.…

I was surprised to discover a new permit for Alexander’s Steakhouse in the ~BACAR~ address, and sure enough, the upscale and award-winning Cupertino restaurant is opening a San Francisco location—it ends up they have been targeting the city for a couple of years. Chef Jeffrey Stout will head…