The Chatterbox

Okay, you cream puff phreeks: ~BEARD PAPA~ has finally and officially opened. They opened their doors last Friday. It would have probably been an even bigger deal if people could find the damned place since it's on a weird little alley that isn't on any maps…

So you already know what a fan I am of ~DESTINO~. And now James Schenk is going to start Sunday brunch, because he's smart like that. The whole thing kicks in on Mother's Day, which is Sunday, May 14th (you didn't forget, did you?…

After what seems like an interminable amount of waiting and construction delays, at last, the ~FALLETTI'S FOODS~ project at Broderick Place (Broderick and Oak Streets) is looking close. How close? If all goes well, they're looking at a September launch. The Fallettis lost their lease in…

There's so much going on this week, we're going to have to do this neighborhood by neighborhood. First, to Russian Hill we go. It ends up local favorite, ~FRASCATI~, has new owners since April 1: Jon and Rebecca Rader. Jon was the GM of Scala'…

FiDi workers will be fired up on a new lunch destination opening on April 18, ~MIXT GREENS~. The project comes from executive chef Andrew Swallow, a former manager of Restaurant Gary Danko, who also did a stint in the kitchen of Gramercy Tavern in NYC. The restaurant will be offering…

Indian is what's happening in the Mission, and it's not just DOSA-hubbub—Rasoi is under new ownership and is presently closed for some remodeling and freshening up. In the next week or so it will reopen as ~ASLAM'S RASOI~. The chef/owner is Mohammed…

After five months or so at ~BAR TARTINE~, it ends up executive chef Andy Kitko has left—the classic explanation of "creative differences" was stated. Taking over the helm is Tracy McGillis (YAY, a female chef—can we please see more of these?) who hails from Incanto and…

I had a chance to chat with ~SANTE SALVONI~, the former chef of ~SLOW CLUB~ who has very recently left the restaurant, but who was very elated to land that gig over seven years ago. He was extremely diplomatic when stating, "the restaurant was going in another direction."…

Hopefully this Thursday, Nick Fasanella's latest venture, ~NICKY'S PIZZERIA RUSTICA~, will be firing up its brick-lined ovens and opening its doors (call and make sure they are open if you plan on heading over). Nick is well known for his last venture next door in the…

A new business is bravely moving into the ever-cursed corner of Divisadero and Bush, ~TORTILLA HEIGHTS~, the former location of the Greek establishment, Minerva Café. The soft opening is possibly next Mon, and it should be officially abierto on Tuesday the 14th. The partners are Diane Mulligan (one of the…