You have a new lunch option to add to your roster, and it’s a great one: AINA in Dogpatch is launching lunch Wed-Fri 10am-2:30pm, with their housemade Spam musubi and some new lunch-only dishes, including a pork tonkatsu sandwich (kalua pig terrine, fermented cabbage, namasu, kimchi aioli; $14), North Shore garlic shrimp (ginger, garlic, XO, scallion, smoked sesame; $11), and a bento box (egg custard omelet, pickle, roasted cauliflower, mac salad; $15). The brunch menu will continue on the weekends. And if you haven’t headed in there for the mo’olelo tasting menu, you really should. Trust me on this. 900 22nd St. at Minnesota, 415-814-3815.
Over in Hayes Valley, BARCINO has launched weekend brunch, with dishes like the ou (slow-poached eggs, housemade chorizo hash, piperade, green harissa, toast), the tortilla (Catalan egg and potato omelet, Dungeness crab, Meyer lemon migas, holandesa), and the torrijas (cinnamon French toast, caramel apples, whipped crème fraîche, candied almond). Sat-Sun 11am-2:30pm. 399 Grove St. at Gough.
At ~COMMONWEALTH~, chef Jason Fox has launched a new extended tasting menu: $125 for 12 courses, including a few snacks and mignardises, plus $70 for beverage pairing. He was already creating these extra courses for advance guest requests and decided he may as well roll it out as a menu. This way you can taste his favorite dishes, including some rare seasonal items. Take a look here. Really, take a look. Wow. There are courses like shrimp mousse wrapped in lettuce, sweetbreads cooked in beeswax, popcorn puree, yuzu kosho milk. Boom. The regular tasting menu is $85 for 7 courses, plus $55 for beverage pairing, and will remain a menu option.
Spam musubi at Aina. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
