The Chatterbox

Opening in early May on Hayes is A MANO (“by hand”), the latest restaurant from Adriano Paganini’s restaurant group, Back of the House. The full-service Italian restaurant will specialize in housemade pasta; the executive chef is Freedom Rains (Belga), whose background also includes Flour + Water and Incanto, so…

I have quite a lineup of coming soon news for you, so let’s rip through it. More news from the CHE FICO team, who are opening their project in a former auto body shop on Divisadero this fall. James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Angela Pinkerton will be opening…

There is quite the random pileup of openings this week, starting with BARONS MEATS opening in the former Drewes Meats in Noe Valley. Look for humanely raised meats free of hormones and antibiotics in the case, plus the addition of seafood! And bring on the sausages. Note the original Alameda…

Consider this your meatball report. Mondays are now Meatball Mondays at ~BARBACCO~, where they will be serving them up with complimentary spaghetti alla marinara. Look for the classic polpette (Sicilian meatballs with pine nuts, raisins, braised chard, spicy tomato sugo), and two other kinds, like beef or chicken (all $16)…

If you feel like playing around this Saturday April 1st (April Fools’ Day)—and I’m not talking about telling people you’re pregnant or you won the lottery or other tomfoolery—you may want to consider swinging by one of the four ~CRAFTSMAN AND WOLVES~ locations and order a…

Word up, the LocoL crew is opening LOCOL BAKERY this Friday March 31st and will be feeding their neighborhood affordable and well-prepared items like their line of bunnzz (plain, buttery, or egg and cheese), pizza (whole or by the slice), chili, salads, and coffee for a buck, plus green…

Some great news for Dogpatch—the Piccino family (owners Margherita Stewart Sagan and Sher Rogat and director of operations Kerry Glancy) are busy working on the opening of a new project, NOON ALL DAY, slated to open this summer at 690 Indiana. It will be flanking Esprit Park and the…

If you have ever had the opportunity to sit at chef Ryo Sakai’s counter while he was making sushi at the now-closed Pink Zebra or at Domo in Hayes Valley, you’ll be happy to hear he has partnered with longtime friend Cory Jackson to open a restaurant…

There are a couple of new taquerias that have opened up, starting with LITTLE TAQUERIA in the Inner Richmond. Tacos are $3.50 each, burritos are $9, and platos are $11 (served with rice and beans). You can peek at a menu here, which lists options like slow-simmered beef,…

Maybe you love cocktails. (If you’re reading this column, that’s likely.) Maybe you love cocktail books, and even better, vintage ones. Well, on Sunday March 26th, you can have it all at Tipple & Snack, a vintage cocktail book fair and party courtesy of ~OMNIVORE BOOKS~, to be…