The Chatterbox

Congrats to the official ~JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARD~ local restaurant nominees, including Boulevard for Outstanding Restaurant; Nate Appleman (A16, SPQR) for Rising Star Chef; and the Best Chefs in America/Pacific candidates: Jeremy Fox (Ubuntu, Napa), Douglas Keane (Cyrus, Healdsburg), Loretta Keller (Coco500), David Kinch (Manresa, Los Gatos),and Daniel…

I know, it’s quite the week of celebrating ~ST. PATRICK’S DAY~ (I think some people are still recovering from the weekend’s festivities)—but tonight is the night. I’m going to be cruising home to the 650 to celebrate the Irish side of my heritage with my…

Folks in Noe Valley are fired up to finally be able to claim ~CONTIGO~ as their own—this cheerful Cal-Catalan spot opens its doors tonight! The restaurant doesn’t take reservations (unless there are six people in your party), but there’s a bar area for mingling while waiting for…

Last week I scouted out a couple soon-to-open projects in North Beach. First, I got a tour of the updated ~WASHINGTON SQUARE BAR & GRILL~, which is on target to reopen on March 2nd. The new owners are business partners Liam and Susan Tiernan of Tiernan's Pub in…

Found out that after 12-plus years at Hawthorne Lane and ~TWO~, executive chef Bridget Batson is moving on. She’s looking forward to having a break, and is considering other new opportunities, but isn’t in a big rush for her next gig. Her last day at TWO is this…

It looks like ~TSUNAMI MISSION BAY~ is on track to open in the Avalon Towers this Thursday February 12th. The loft-like space features brick-layered and white oak-paneled walls and a custom granite bar, where a variety of spirits, including 20 gins and of course a number of sakes will be…

Hey, muchas gracias to everyone who entered the giveaway for Joanne Weir’s Wine Country Cooking. Yes, all 63 of you! ~BELOW IS A LIST OF YOUR FAVORITE WINE COUNTRY RESTAURANTS~; I thought you’d like to see what’s on everyone’s list! I grouped any similar answers together,…