what’s cookin’
Howdy, fellow fog-dwelling friends. I hope you got after some sun or at least some fun over the weekend. I tried to dial down my work and focus on socializing and sleep, both of which make me happy (along with some apartment organizing and catching up on a few episodes of The Bear while snuggling with Fortuna). I also did a little cooking, which included this easy and summery One-Pot Orzo with Tomatoes, Corn, and Zucchini for Sunday dinner (I recommend using ricotta salata instead of Parmesan).
I hope today’s column helps provide some joy and distraction. Here are a few things on my radar for this coming week: this Wednesday evening, my dear friend Rob Delamater of Lost Art Salon is leading another ArtTalk at Saint Joseph’s Arts Foundation: “Cocteau to Haring”: Queer Art of the 20th Century. “From Jean Cocteau and Paul Cadmus to Claude Cahun, Beauford Delaney, Tamara de Lempicka, David Hockney, and Keith Haring, these visionaries expressed their queer identities both openly and subtly, creating powerful, boundary-pushing works that continue to shape our understanding of queer culture.” The last one I attended was so informative and interesting. Hope to see you! It’s just $10, doors at 5:30pm, talk at 6pm. 1401 Howard St.
I have really been loving the music of Esotérica Tropical lately, a self-described “queer Boricua bruja,” and FYI, they’re performing on Friday at the Rickshaw Stop, along with La Perla (a Colombian indie-cumbia-rock trio from Bogotá), and others.
If you want a tasty way to beat the cruel summer, book one of the last spots for Sunday’s Cooking With Rosetta class: Street Foods of Palermo. You’ll learn to cook Sicilian dishes like arancine, panelle, anelletti al forno (you may have seen my Instagram story about this dish a couple days ago), and cannoli! You’ll cook in her Oakland kitchen, which is sure to be sunny over there; Sunday July 27th, 4pm, $185.
One of my favorite things about having this relationship with you rad subscribers is when you write back with more stories or information about something that we have included in an archivist post. Last week...
This week, I was finally able to snag enough time to write about the new tasting menu at Tiya in the Marina, nestled in with a bunch of news updates that we have for you (the good, the bad, and the tasty).
Take good care.
~Marcia
the chatterbox
The Latest Tasting Menu at the New Indian Tiya Is a Feast for the Senses
A couple months ago, my sister and I went to experience the recently launched four-course tasting menu at Tiya, the upscale New Indian restaurant that opened in the Marina just over a year ago from brothers Sujan and Pujan Sarkar (previously ROOH).
We started our evening at their glam horseshoe bar, and I recommend you do the same. You’ll have a blast trying their inventive cocktails and chatting with their engaging bar team (led by bar director Izler Thomas, with the talented Umesh Gupta and Akshay Waghmare). Whether you want to meet a friend for a drink, or have a date, this bar is destination-worthy for both its style and craft.
The North Beach cocktail, and Umesh Gupta and Akshay Waghmare behind the bar at Tiya. Photos: © tablehopper.com.
The vibrant cocktails are named after different SF neighborhoods, and, of course, I went for the North Beach first (a vodka martini that pays homage to pizza with notes of sourdough, Parmesan, cherry tomato and basil pickle, and EVOO).
I’m a tarragon fanatic, so The Embarcadero (mezcal, aperitivo, banana, tangerine, apricot, and tarragon) really spoke to me—it’s a fruity-herbal salute to the farmers’ market. The Mission featured a kicky and bright combination of tequila, salsa verde, nopales cordial, and a touch of salt, with a cute chip garnish. (Although it looks like they have an update to the cocktail list launching soon, so stand by.)
The warm hospitality continues as you take your seat in one of the dining areas—we sat in the back dining room, replete with swanky textures, reflective notes from the shiny pressed tin ceiling, smoky mirrors, and glass bubble light fixtures, and uplifting colors in the chartreuse booths, powder blue chairs, and floral wallpaper.
The abundant tasting menu is $105, with your choice of three courses, plus canapés (including the fantastic passion fruit water pani puri with avocado, green apple, and mango; and a Lucknow-inspired duck galouti–stuffed éclair with apricot “fruit leather”), your choice of a main that comes with exquisitely executed classic accompaniments (rich black dal, garlic naan with the most delightful puffed texture from the tandoor, and saffron rice), plus dessert, and optional supplements.
It’s quite the tour de force of sophisticated flavors and modern presentations and technique, but still lighthearted and unstuffy (go ahead, you can pick up your lamb chop bone for final nibbles). Every dish is quite beautiful and painstakingly plated, full of color and artfully presented vegetables and flower petals—it’s like walking through a garden.
A yogurt chaat dish is reinvented as a cloud of yogurt panna cotta and raspberry chaat masala topped with a satisfying crunch from the potato nest (in honor of the tiya, which in the Bengali language is an indigenous green parrot found in the eastern part of India).
I’m obsessed with sea buckthorn, so the scallop balchao (pictured above, served in its shell, decorated with flower blossoms along its edge) topped with caviar and finished with tableside-poured uni Malai curry was the clear choice for me...
I loved seeing how passionate the team is, from our server giving us the origin stories behind some Indian dishes or explaining what the names/ingredients were, to the vibrant, exciting, globetrotting wine pairings ($65) from sommelier Madison Pettit (which included a sparkling chenin blanc from Clarksburg, assyrtiko from Thessaly, an aglianico made like a white wine from Central Coast, and a beguiling Tokaji Szamorondni)—if you want to deep dive with the staff on the food and wine, go for it, because they will turn it up. You can tell when a team is really happy about their work, and it’s on clear display here.
Book your table and enjoy this exotic bird that has nested in the Marina, a colorful addition to our culinary scene. Dinner nightly. 3213 Scott St. at Lombard.
A Cozy Mediterranean Café Is Now Open and Serving Baklava Cheesecake
By Olivia Casellini
Penaber, a Mediterranean Restaurant, Opens in Nob Hill
A new Mediterranean meze restaurant, Penaber, opened this week in the former Colombini (thanks to two tablehopper readers for the tip!). The name means “immigrant” in Kurdish, which owner Ismail Akar chose to honor the resilience of himself, his partners, and his employees, since they all came to the United States from Kurdistan. The team is excited to join the neighborhood and collaborate with nearby businesses like the art gallery, Venus & Victory. The compact space, including the kitchen, has been completely renovated; solo diners will find a perch at the wine bar.
The menu focuses on an array of chicken, lamb, and vegetable skewers, salads, Greek and Turkish wine, an ample variety of mezes (including stuffed meatballs and zucchini fritters), and more.
They pride themselves in making nearly all of their mezes fresh in house (check out this video of them making sarma/stuffed grape leaves)! Open daily 11am–11pm. 835 Hyde St. at Sutter.
Closures and Concept Changes
I was sorry to read in Hoodline that after completing a massive remodel of the former Cafe Flore location and opening just a year ago, that Fisch & Flore in the Castro closed on Sunday July 13th. Owner Serhat Zorlu has posted a note to the front of the restaurant, which says: “For now, the restaurant will be temporarily closing as we take this time to prepare for an exciting new chapter; transitioning into a vibrant café concept that we can’t wait to share with you.” Zorlu is also open to input: “If you’d like to share ideas, offer feedback, or be involved in what comes next, please feel free to reach out.” (You can reach him at info@fischandflore.com.) Here’s hoping the next concept works out. 2298 Market St. at Noe.
Last week, I attended the closing party at WesBurger ’N’ More, which was a heartfelt gathering of the local community who adored that place (and Wes Rowe) for the past 10 years and beyond. While it was bittersweet, it was a lovely and generous way to wind down a beloved business: with friends and family and tots and toasts and burgers and beer.
The next day, The SF Standard reported another good guy (and Texan) is taking over the space: Seth Stowaway of the former Osito. He’s going to be opening a casual restaurant (the working name for now is Chicken Fried Palace) that will pay homage to his Texas roots and will specialize in his special preparation of chicken-fried steak (along with a chicken-fried Reuben), and more. Stand by for a fall opening. 2240 Mission St. at 18th St.
This just in: after three years of serving their upcycled pizza, Shuggie’s Trash Pie + Natural Wine in the Mission is pivoting their concept and menu, and going to relaunch as Shuggie’s: “an immersive dinner club showcasing whole-harvest cooking, lower-on-the-food-chain proteins, and small farm biodiversity through nostalgic American favorites reimagined by chef David [Murphy].” Co-owners Murphy and Kayla Abe want to evolve their climate-positive restaurant and focus on food waste, so this new version will allow them to expand their partnerships and feature an even broader diversity of upcycled ingredients. The last day to come in for your favorite trash pie will be Saturday August 16th—after a short break, they’ll reopen with some renovations to the psychedelic space and a look that will feel “less retro diner, more Old Vegas.” I can’t wait to see what’s next, I dig their joyful love of color (and upcycling!). 3349 23rd St. at Bartlett.
There’s Something Else on the Shelves at Gemini Bottle Co.
By Olivia Casellini
Join a Virtual Conversation with Local Culinary Legend Joyce Goldstein on Sunday July 27th
By Olivia Casellini
Bay Area Culinary Historians (BACH) are hosting a virtual and live conversation with chef, author, and culinary educator Joyce Goldstein in honor of her 90th birthday on Sunday July 27th (what a force!). Goldstein achieved recognition for her San Francisco restaurant Square One, which had an innovative approach to Mediterranean cuisine. Her many contributions to the culinary world include writing over 25 books, including The Mediterranean Kitchen and Inside the California Food Revolution, founding the California Street Cooking School, and more. Here’s to the 90 years of her extraordinary life, and more! Tickets are free, but you must register to receive a link. The interview will run from 5:30pm–7pm.
Japanese Tuna Carving Ceremony and Dinner Party at The Bungalow Kitchen on Wednesday July 30th
By Olivia Casellini
The Bungalow Kitchen in Tiburon is hosting a second round of The Art of Tuna next Wednesday July 30th. Chef Michael Mina, chef Yukinori Yama, and friends will break down a whole bluefin tuna, followed by fresh sushi and omakase-style bites made to order from the carving board.
General seating tickets are $165 and include a welcome cocktail, a full tasting of featured bites, interactive tasting stations, caviar lagoon, binchotan grill, access to live and late-night entertainment, and a curated takeaway.
Captain’s Table tickets are $195 and include the perks of general seating, in addition to premier table placement, a bottle of sake, exclusive takeaways, and branded merchandise. A cash bar will also be open throughout the night. 5:30pm–9pm. 5 Main St., Tiburon.
the lush
GURL, NO! The Legendary, the Iconic, the Fierce Oasis Nightclub Announces Impending Closure
Yesterday, the Oasis nightclub released some really tough news about its upcoming closure (after 10 years of business) on January 1st, 2026—if it can make it to that date (it’s up to us to turn up and out and support!).
Current (and now sole) owner D’Arcy Drollinger opened the queer cabaret and club on New Year’s Eve in 2014 with Heklina (RIP), as well as Jason Beebout and Geoffrey Benjamin, creating a safe space and fabulous stage for queer culture, performance, arts, and nightlife, and a glamorous haus for the drag community.
The timing of the announcement was extra-powerful since on Monday night, Oasis was also hosting a tribute to Heklina (thanks to Peaches Christ!), a fundraiser to digitize her drag video archive, so the community was out in full force and mourning the closure while honoring D’Arcy as well.
In the online post, Oasis shares: “Today, Oasis is at a critical point of change, and after immense soul searching, analysis, discussion, and exploration of options, we have made the impossibly difficult decision to close our physical space and transform again. Speaking frankly, the rising cost of operations, paired with declining attendance and sales, have put us in a financial loss for quite some time and made sustaining Oasis, in its current form, untenable.”
It’s so sad that this important and vital space for the queer community and our city has to close, especially when queer rights, visibility, and safety are under attack. Where are the generous benefactors when we need them the most to donate some serious coin and help subsidize this legendary club? (I swear, I wish I was a multimillionaire benefactress.) Why isn’t the City helping? Anyone? You know that it was such a hard decision to close. We all owe a tremendous thank you to D’Arcy, who has done so much to keep the club going—it was a miracle that the crew got Oasis to the other side of the pandemic, and last year’s armed robbery was also a tough hit. But Drollinger just dug those high heels in and kept on going. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
Be sure to read this post from Marke B. at 48Hills, who has a poignant interview with Drollinger and shares a deep and broad perspective on everything happening.
Thankfully, this isn’t totally the end. Here’s more from the Oasis post: “However, the spirit of Oasis lives on through Oasis Arts. Oasis has become much more than a physical space. It has become a very special community creating a movement to showcase and inspire authentically and uniquely queer art. Oasis Arts was created to foster that creativity and envisioned a world touched by queer joy beyond the walls of Oasis itself. Oasis Arts will continue and we look forward to bringing this art to new venues and places around San Francisco, and beyond.”
“For those asking “How can I help?”, we love and thank you for asking and we say, with the fervor of our drag numbers on that stage: Come out to Oasis LOTS in our final months! Bring your friends. Bring your family. Bring your co-worker. Bring your crush. Bring anyone who deserves a little joy in their life and show them what an iconic experience we created in San Francisco. We have a beautiful and diverse roster of events to close out the Best of Oasis in style, concluding with a New Year’s Eve Spectacular. Help us celebrate this last decade+ of iconic art!”
“Dig deep into your pockets and donate to Oasis Arts! We have always been committed to our community first and foremost, and with our brick and mortar space closing, our artists, staff, collaborators, and community need your support more than ever. If we ever made you smile, help us smile in these difficult times through your donation. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you San Francisco, the Bay Area, and beyond! We love you, and we are grateful that we got to spend this time with you. We’ll see you on the dance floor!”
So, let’s do this. Oasis is a great venue to book private and holiday parties! Check the Oasis events calendar and start planning your nights out with friends. I just got my ticket for Fauxnique’s upcoming cabaret show, So Relevant (she is performing Wed August 13th and September 10th) and it’s going to be fantastic. Hope to see you there. 298 11th St. at Folsom.
East Brother Beer Co. Coming Soon to San Francisco
By Olivia Casellini
Book Your Spot on a Cocktail and Bar History Hop with Camper English
Last Friday afternoon, I punched the clock early and took such an engaging walking tour through the Financial District and North Beach with friend and local drinks writer Camper English (Alcademics) along with a bunch of fellow cocktail and history buffs. I loved the new things I learned about SF’s cocktail and bar history and the Barbary Coast—Camper is so passionate about cocktails and has done deep research, so you’re going to walk away with all kinds of interesting anecdotes and insights. You’ll also get thirsty, so, thankfully, the informative tour ends with a Boothby (one of my favorite SF cocktails) at Comstock Saloon. Take a look at the calendar and book here. It’s just under two hours, $55 per person.
the socialite
Celebrate Jacques Pépin’s 90th Birthday in Napa this October
By Olivia Casellini
The Jacques Pépin Foundation is coming to both Napa and Sonoma Valleys from October 23rd–November 2nd as part of their 90/90 Dinner Series, a nationwide fundraising campaign of 90 dinners in honor of Jacques Pépin’s 90th birthday. Jacques will attend each star-studded, chef-hosted event. The ticketed dinners will advance the foundation’s mission to support free culinary and life-skills training through community-based programs.
The Napa Valley leg of the dinner series will begin at TORC on Tuesday October 23rd. Sean O’Toole of Torc and Kyle Connaughton of SingleThread Farms will host Jacques and his daughter, Claudine, for a dinner featuring highly sought-after Napa Valley wines, Stephen Curry’s Gentlemen’s Cut bourbons, and a birthday cake by award-winning pastry chef Lincoln Carson. There will also be an auction on an etched Amuse Bouche Winery Jeroboam and a matching original painting by Jacques. Seats are $1,750. 1140 Main St., Napa. 5:30pm–9pm.
On Thursday October 25th, Le Grand Pique-Nique at the Culinary Institute of America at COPIA will bring together over 20 Bay Area chefs. The evening will begin with a welcome reception featuring small plates from a dozen chefs, followed by a family-style dinner with Jacques and a live auction. Participants include many of our own beloved San Francisco chefs, such as Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn, and Michael Tusk of Quince. Tickets range from $750–$1,500. 500 1st St., Napa. 5pm–10pm.
Jacques will share his memories of his storied career during Cake and Conversation on Sunday October 26th. After the discussion, samples of cake will be available from a wonderful array of Bay Area pastry chefs, including Deirdre Balao of Dalida, Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions, Michelle Polzine of City of Hope, Sarah Rich of Rich Table, and many more. Tickets are $90. 500 1st St., Napa. 2pm–5pm.
On Thursday October 30th, chef Philip Tessier will host The Art of Being Jacques. The evening will begin with a reception at the Napa Valley Museum of Art and Culture, followed by a four-course dinner paired with rare Penfolds wines at Under-Study. Tickets are $2,500. 607 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena. 5:30pm–9:30pm.
Additional events include a book signing at Hestan on Tuesday October 28th, a dinner at the French Laundry on Saturday November 1st, and a panel, A Legacy of the Heart & Soul, on Sunday November 2nd.
