what’s cookin’
Howdy, friends. It’s your hopper, with a quick dispatch before the weekend. Life tossed me some lemons, so I decided to make lemonade, and on Wednesday, I packed up Fortuna (my cat) and my laptop and hopped in my Fiat for an unplanned jaunt to Tahoe to soak up some majestic lake beauty and breathe in the mountain air. Hello, sun. It’s a special kind of therapy.
On my drive up, I’m so glad I was able to make it in time to Ikedas market in Auburn to pick up a couple baskets of their forever-fabulous peaches (O’Henry, thanks for showing up early, you handsome, freestone, hunk of a peach). Ikedas—a third-generation, Japanese American family business—has an incredible story, and it was just named the No. 1 Pie Shop in America in the USA Today 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards (so well deserved). I didn’t pick up a pie, because having a whole Ikedas peach pie all to myself would be a problem, but I should have snagged a slice à la mode from the restaurant—or a pie milkshake! (On my way back to SF in a couple weeks, peach pie is happening.)
More stone fruit: last week, I was able to slip into the recently opened Esme on Divisadero for a restorative dinner with a dear friend—I’ll be writing more about this charming neighborhood bistro very soon. But, for now, if you happen to have a reservation (or want to try your luck walking in for a seat at the kitchen bar), don’t miss the current special written on one of the bistro mirrors on the wall: seared halloumi with grilled stone fruit (our server revealed they were golden apricots of heaven), which had a lightly smoky kiss that let you pretend you’re at a summer barbecue instead of swaddled in the middle of SF’s sweater weather. The dish gets an acidic counterpoint from the shallot gastrique and pickled Fresno chile, plus more kicky zip from piment d’Espelette, with some mint sprinkled on top (and I believe there were petite fronds of chervil—I didn’t fact-check this). However, we made a mistake and didn’t have a side of bread on the table to mop up the smoky-sweet-tangy juices at the end. (Get the bread.) And then, there’s the bonkers luscious pairing of Camin Larredya Jurançon moelleux (late harvest) dessert wine that tastes like a star-crossed lover with this dish. I can’t wait to write about sommelier and GM Andre Sydnor’s utterly fantastic wine list—the Champagne section alone made me swoon. More soon, bisous!
So, it’s the weekend. Finally. If I was in The City right now, I’d have a busy Saturday lined up. There are two World Cup quarterfinal matches to watch (at 2pm and 6pm), and there’s SF Magazine’s 25th annual Best of the Bay party (that link will take you to my special discount code!), and if drinking California wines crafted from Italian grape varieties with porchetta sliders and amatriciana on the patio at 54 Mint is more your speed, take a look at the sponsored event below: ViNO in PiAZZA. Or, do it all! More is more.
You know what else is more? Having some extra hands over here at Hopper HQ! I’m so pleased to announce I have a summer intern, Francesca Gasparini, who just started with me this week. (Her last name should be familiar if you love cocktails in SF.) The other night, I started laughing to myself that your last name has to end in “ini” if you’re going to intern over here—last year, we had the wonderful Olivia Casellini.
Francesca will be helping me research and write local restaurant news stories (we’ve been working in tandem this week to get her ramped up, so you’ll see her byline all over today’s column, yay). I’m pleased to learn she’s a fellow history buff, so she’ll also be writing some archivist posts for supporting subscribers, as well as working on other special projects (did someone say 20th anniversary?).
Get to know Francesca:
Hello, everyone, my name is Francesca Gasparini and I’m beyond excited to introduce myself as a new summer intern for tablehopper! I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and am currently home for the summer before I return to UC Santa Barbara in the fall as a second year Sociology and Environmental Studies double major. I’m thrilled to combine my two greatest passions— food and journalism—working here at tablehopper!
Growing up in the Bay has made me a foodie since the womb, not to mention having Jon Gasparini—co-owner of Rye on the Road and the soon-to-reopen 15 Romolo—as my father. I’ve grown up around the food industry and have been conditioned to love and appreciate food and hospitality all my life. I love the rich cultural history of San Francisco (as well as all the tasty treats that are made here) and am delighted to get to explore it further with all of you!
Benvenuta, Francesca! It looks like we’ll need to start digging through all my vintage San Francisco books to put together an archivist piece on Julius’ Castle, which seems to finally, really, truly be close to reopening this fall. It first opened in the early 1920s, and has been sitting dark at the top of Telegraph Hill since 2008. (Oh, I just remembered, I shared a vintage postcard of Julius’ Castle from the 1950s a couple years ago in the archivist—I love how it looks like a beach castle.)
I look forward to catching up with owner Paul Scott soon, who has been through so many setbacks and hurdles since he purchased the location in a bankruptcy sale in 2012, but he has really stuck with it. Strong work! In the meantime, you can read the latest updates via these stories in the SF Chronicle, SFGATE, and SFist, and Tony Bravo shared some pics from 2024 of the in-progress interior (and a table that will have the best view in The City). I wish my grandpa Ernie was still here to tell me stories about dining at Julius’ Castle. Feel free to write in with any memories you have of going there, and what you loved.
Cheers to SF!
~Marcia
the chatterbox
Talk to the Hand: SF’s First Aussie-Style Handroll Shop Is Coming to Russian Hill
There’s a new style of casual eats coming to San Francisco this fall, thanks to Romi Trower, an Australian filmmaker and Melbourne native who has been missing Australian-style, grab-and-go handrolls since she moved here in 2019. She enlisted the Flour + Water Hospitality Group as consulting partners to launch Handroll Hawker, which will be bringing upbeat vibes to Russian Hill with a punchy pink palette and a mural from Serge Gay Jr. (Hoodline first noticed the buildout in March).
In SF, we only see temaki handrolls while at a sushi bar (like the nearby Saru, and the former Handroll Project in the Mission), but in Melbourne (and Sydney, too), Trower explains handrolls are a casual lunchtime staple and available everywhere, kind of like the way we are with burritos here. Aussie handrolls feature fresh fish and accompanying ingredients with sushi rice, which all gets wrapped up in nori in a cylindrical shape (not a cone), and boom, a few minutes later, you’re good to go. No chopsticks, no sliced maki—you can hold it in your hand and drive a bus. (Actually, don’t do that, but you can walk your dog or go down the street, easy.)
Trower explains Aussie handroll fillings can be standard like what we see in maki...
2360 Polk St. at Union.
More Casual Openings Around Town
Back in May, supporting subscribers received the news (thanks to a neighborhood tipster) that a third location of Bonita Taqueria y Rotisserie was coming to the former Tacolicious/Todo el Día in Noe Valley, and the opening just happened on Wednesday July 8th. The project is from owner JJ Sweidan, working alongside his sister, Jenna Salah—their father is Issa Sweidan (founder-owner of Squat & Gobble), so they grew up in the restaurant industry...
Oklava Cafe Brings Turkish and Mediterranean-Inspired Cuisine to Market Street
By Francesca Gasparini
As you may remember reading in tablehopper back in May, there’s a new project, Oklava Cafe, that is one of Saluhall’s latest downtown additions, and it just opened July 7th in 945 Market. The Turkish team behind Palo Alto’s flagship location and SF’s Turquaz, Aziz Aslan and Elif Uzun, opened Oklava Cafe on the ground floor at Saluhall, which will make it easy to access for all-day dining.
Expect an authentic Turkish coffee program, as well as new creations, like pistachio and baklava lattes, served alongside a variety of their housemade Turkish pastries and desserts, including baklava (Marcia loves their cold milky pistachio baklava at Turquaz), kataifi, simit, poğaça, and borek.
The café offers an all-day breakfast menu, from Mediterranean avocado toast to Turkish breakfast, in addition to a variety of grab-and-go-style Turkish dishes. Pop in for lahmacun (a traditional Turkish flatbread that is thin and crispy, topped with minced meat, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs), or choose from their selection of hot and cold mezes, including baba ghanoush, kofte, and hummus. Open Sun–Thu 11am–7pm and Fri–Sat 11am–8pm. 945 Market St. at 5th St.
Summer Solstice Prompts a New Wave of Affordable, Prix-Fixe Menus
By Francesca Gasparini
Co-chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow introduce Flour + Water’s new, late-night, prix-fixe menu for the summer: Al Dente After Dark. Nestled at the heart of the Mission, Flour +Water has been serving up quality Italian cuisine with a Northern-Californian influence for the past 17 years, and this new menu should inspire you to return if it has been a while since your last visit.
Only offered Sunday through Thursday after 8:45pm until closing, these hours should really appeal to industry folks (and with more light in the evenings, we’re all eating later in the day). For $59 per person, this vibrant, three-course menu offers a selection of bright summer salads and Flour +Water’s innovative, hand-crafted pastas using seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. Menu items will rotate as the summer progresses.
Elevate your experience with a personalized wine pairing for an additional $35 and pretend you’re in Italy enjoying a late-night dinner. You can reserve ahead of time, and walk-ins are welcome at the bar. 2401 Harrison St. at 20th St.
Hayes Street Grill is also offering their own three-course, prix-fixe seasonal menu that lists an assortment of crisp salads and freshly prepared seafood for your weekend outings this summer. Their Summer in the City menu runs Thursday through Saturday, from 6:30pm until closing. At just $49 per person, you get the opportunity to try light summer starters, like their Oregon Bay shrimp salad with gold beets, jade beans, eggs, and Green Goddess dressing, or grilled Monterey calamari, butter bean, and arugula salad. Mains include grilled steelhead salmon with Brentwood corn succotash and beurre blanc, and finish your night with a Meyer lemon chiffon mousse. To maximize freshness, the menu is subject to slight alterations depending on what’s at the market. 320 Hayes St. at Franklin.
sponsored event
This Saturday Evening! ViNO in PiAZZA: Italian Roots, California Terroir at 54 Mint
Raise your glass (again and again) at the first edition of ViNO in PiAZZA, an open-air tasting on 54 Mint’s comfy patio this Saturday evening (July 11th), featuring local wines made from Italian varietals by Ghostnote Wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Prima Materia from Lake County.
Pair every glass with Roman bites from chef Mattia Marcelli, like amatriciana, sliders with housemade porchetta, bruschetta with butter and anchovies, and supplì al telefono.
Meet the teams behind the bottles, taste their wines, and hear the stories that shaped them as you mingle with fellow wine lovers on a summer evening in Mint Plaza.
$71.40 per person, all-inclusive (wine and food pairings)
Buy your ticket here
Saturday July 11th
5pm–8pm
54 Mint
16 Mint Plaza, San Francisco
the lush
Two New Brewery and Taproom Projects in SF Bring Something to Cheers To
By Francesca Gasparini
The recent wave of brewery closures across The City has caused concern amongst beer-drinking locals, including the unfortunate closure of Black Hammer Brewery back in March, and the announcement of Ballast Point’s abrupt closure that they just posted to their Instagram last week. However, with two new taproom projects to announce, it looks like the local brewing industry is turning a new tide this summer.
San Francisco Brewing Co. just opened its largest project yet in the former Seven Stills Brewery and Distillery in Mission Bay, joining their existing brewery at Ghirardelli Square (established in 2012 by Josh Leavy). Their new property has a mind-boggling, 18,680 square feet of both indoor and outdoor dining space (designed by King O’Kelly Architects), featuring a full kitchen, 40-foot bar, large courtyard, and even an arcade! 7,000 square feet is dedicated to brewing space for their signature craft beers and rotating seasonal brews, with multiple, large, in-house beer tanks.
There’s also a 750-gallon copper pot still imported from Scotland (the largest in California!) for their new distilling operation: Hooper St. Distilling Co., which is launching with gin, vodka, and whiskey later this year.
Designed to be a family- and pet-friendly space, SFBCo. is planning to host live music and DJs every weekend, alongside game-day events (and private events, too). There’s a full-service dining experience led by executive chef Nas (Ignacio) Maldonado—previously at Cellarmaker Brewing Company’s House of Pizza—who collaborated with restaurant consultant Brian Reccow. Expect an elevated bar food menu featuring everything from Sicilian-style pizza and IPA pulled pork, to al pastor chicken, smash burgers, and skewers. This monster space has plenty of room for friends to gather after work and for families on the weekends to socialize, enjoy an ice-cold beer, a cocktail, and perhaps even shoot your shot at the Pac-Man leaderboard. 100 Hooper St. at 7th St.
On the other side of the city...
