what’s cookin’
I’m in a state of disbelief that it’s already April 1st (joke’s on me!), and Passover (Happy Pesach!), and it’s almost Easter Sunday (Buona Pasqua!). While the sky is currently giving us spring showers, we’re going to have sun and flowers this weekend—it’s shaping up to be another gorgeous weekend.
In today’s column, I feature some Easter brunch options and traditional holiday treats, and I know some of you will be sporting your best bonnets and millinery in Dolores Park for Hunky Jesus (and Foxy Mary) on Sunday, one of SF’s most “only in SF” festivities.
This past weekend, I made sure I got all my work and chores done on Saturday so I could dance and play for a Sunday Funday—I haven’t had a full day off in a long time. Sis and I started the day with a yin/restorative yoga class with Sarah Koh and live guitar at Alchemy Springs, and then it was time for a wardrobe change and we headed over to The Midway for an epic EFUNK day of dancing on the patio with our crew to Sunshine Jones, Soul Clap (who did a heartfelt tribute to DJ Dan), DJ Minx, Ash Lauryn, and David Harness was a fabulous surprise addition when someone on the original lineup dropped out—I hit over 20,000 steps! It was such a fun, eclectic crowd, spanning alllll the things.
Speaking of Mr. David Harness (Mighty Real), did you know he’s Taking You To Church for an open-to-close set (3pm–8pm) at Audio this Sunday? How’s that for a tea dance?! Go twirl in your Easter Sunday best.
But first: don’t forget it’s the First Thursday art walk this Thursday April 2nd—check out the participating Tenderloin/TenderNob galleries here (the list will go live on Thursday, but you can already look at some reposts in their feed of what’s happening in the neighborhood that night). Hope to see you!
Also on Thursday: 7 Adams is releasing tickets to one of the upcoming dinners for their Meet Us in San Francisco series, with chefs David and Serena Fisher welcoming guest chefs from Michelin-starred kitchens across the country. Up next on Sunday May 3rd and Monday May 4th is chef Max Boonthanakit of Los Angeles modern French bistro, Camphor (and he’s behind the Boon line of chile sauces). The evening will feature dueling canapés, followed by a five-course collaborative menu. Tickets are $175/pp. and 10 percent of all proceeds will be donated to City Hope SF, a local nonprofit focused on food security and community support. Tickets will be released on Resy this Thursday April 2nd at 10am PDT.
More cheffy news: on Tuesday, all the James Beard Foundation® 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees were announced, as well as this year’s Achievement Award honorees (Impact, Humanitarian of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement), in advance of the James Beard Awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday June 15th. You can view all the nominees on the James Beard Foundation website.
Locally, I’m happy to see Srijith Gopinathan and partner Ayesha Thapar (Ettan, Copra, Eylan, and Little Blue Door) are finalists for Outstanding Restaurateur, while Harrison Cheney (Sons & Daughters) and Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu (Sun Moon Studio) in Oakland are in the running for Best Chef: California, and Michael Tusk (Quince) is back up for Outstanding Chef (he was previously nominated in 2016, and he won Best Chef: Pacific in 2011). Our local bar scene also had a strong showing: Kevin Diedrich of Pacific Cocktail Haven for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, and Smuggler’s Cove for the Outstanding Bar category. Congrats to all the nominees! 🥂
Mil gracias to Miss Juanita MORE! for highlighting my piece about our recent dinner at Izzy’s Steakhouse and giving tablehopper a lovely shoutout in her latest newsletter (you subscribe, right?). We have so much fun dining together. Here’s to MORE!
Last week, I was busy checking out new places, including Dining Yamamoto (which you can read about in today’s column), and I also had a two-cocktail lunch at The Big Four, cheers to that! It was such a treat to tuck back into a chicken pot pie while seated in that history-filled dining room, and I so enjoyed my tour of the upcoming Arabella’s lounge and the renovated Huntington Hotel. It feels truly uplifting to have one of our city’s iconic hotels back open and looking so good (the rooms are handsome), and you can’t beat the views on all sides of the property, perched high on Nob Hill. I’ll write much more after my dinner next week!
Hoppy Easter,
~Marcia
the chatterbox
A Northern Thai Restaurant Opens in the Castro, Pàng Coming to Inner Sunset, Plus Other News Updates
Wishing You a Hoppy Easter This Sunday
Buona Pasqua! Easter is this Sunday April 5th, which means I’ll be with my family, having our Dad’s traditional capretto with peas and pancetta, and I need to pick up a pastiera napoletana (a dreamy Southern Italian ricotta torta that is just barely sweet, made with cooked wheat berries and orange) to bring home for dessert.
You can preorder a pastiera napoletana from Emporio Rulli in Larkspur (made with fresh ricotta from Sonoma’s Bellwether Farms, the best; $42). Baker Gary Rulli is making another traditional Italian Easter treat: la colomba pasquale, the Easter dove. His dove has similarities to his superlative panettone (and 72-hour process), but it’s made with candied orange peels and orange oil, and topped with almond paste and sugar crumbles (sm. $52; lg. $64). It will help stave off any holiday panettone withdrawals, which is now only eight months away.
Rulli makes delightful cakes and tarts (I ordered my birthday cake from him a few years ago), so take a look at this list of specialty Easter cream cakes (you can see pictures of a bunch of them here), plus there’s an apricot-almond torte, hot cross buns, and I just realized he makes a sacripantina cake! Gary!
You can get a pastiera napoletana from Donato Enoteca in Redwood City—preorder here to ship it (do it now!) or schedule for pick up ($42). They will be offering an Easter menu (3 courses for $58, 4 courses for $76) that is available all day. 1041 Middlefield Rd., Redwood City.
In the East Bay: at Donato & Co., chef Gianluca Guglielmi is offering a four-course Easter menu for $69 (which includes a traditional torta pasqualina!), four courses, and it includes a slice of his homemade pastiera. 2635 Ashby Ave., Berkeley.
Now, where to go for Easter brunch?
If you’re a supporting subscriber, then you already know about the fab-looking Easter service at Izzy’s Steakhouse that I wrote about last week.
54 Mint is hosting a family-style Easter menu all day (2pm–7:45pm), featuring dishes like pizza pasquale (savory bread with cheese and crispy guanciale), eggplant fritters, braised lamb with roasted potatoes, and frittelle di ricotta for the finale. Vegetarian options available. $75. Reservations. 16 Mint Plaza.
Old Skool Cafe will be hosting their annual Easter brunch, serving up soul food classics like Jordan’s fried chicken, plus prime rib, fresh greens, and a full carving station. Enjoy live jazz, and there will be endless mimosas for the adults ($25). Reservations are open (but very limited!) at $65 per person. 1429 Mendell St.
If you’re looking for a classic SF experience, the Palace Hotel is hosting an Easter brunch buffet (two seatings) and afternoon signature tea in the Garden Court with live jazz, a special appearance by the Easter Bunny, and a 5x7 keepsake printed photograph. (They’re hosting Mother’s Day as well, so now would be a good time to book!) Scroll down to reserve here, a few spots remain.
the sugar mama
San Francisco Restaurant Week Returns April 10th—Enter to Win One of Two Gift Certificates to Dine in Style!
Attention all food lovers! Get ready for San Francisco’s most exciting culinary event of the spring: San Francisco Restaurant Week (running Friday April 10th through Sunday April 19th, 2026)! Celebrate the flavors of the City and enter to win a gift certificate at participating San Francisco Restaurant Week restaurants: we’re giving away a $150 gift certificate to Delfina, and another $100 gift certificate to Brenda’s French Soul Food!
Delectable weekend brunch? Indulgent five-star dinner? SF Restaurant Week brings you lunch and dinner options from over 200 restaurants, including Copra, Che Fico Pizzeria, China Live, EPIC Steak, Penny Roma, Rose’s Cafe, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, and more!
Restaurants will offer special prix-fixe menus at one or more of the following price points:
- brunch or lunch (2+ items or courses): $10, $15, $25, $35, $45
- dinner (3+ items or courses): $30, $45, $60, $75, $90
Visit sfrestaurantweek.com to see all participating restaurants and make reservations.
To enter to win a $150 gift certificate to Delfina OR $100 to Brenda’s French Soul Food, visit this @tablehopper post on Instagram! Good luck!
fresh meat
A Skilled Japanese Chef Opens His First SF Restaurant, Offering High-Quality Sushi Bento Boxes for Lunch, and Omakase for Dinner
A few weeks ago, I received word from chef Yukinori Yamamoto (who has been the executive sushi chef for The MINA Group for over a decade) that he was launching his first SF restaurant: Dining Yamamoto. The space was formerly Joint Venture Kitchen in SoMa, and he has added his personal touch to the space that was most recently home to Fare Play. It’s a family affair: his wife, Mikako, and two kids (a son and daughter) are also helping with the business; everyone is so friendly and kind.
Chef Yama-san began his culinary career when he was 18, training in traditional kaiseki and kappo cuisine (which is less formal than kaiseki). He worked at Kagaman in Osaka, was a partner-chef at Sushi Kappo Sushimoto in Japan, and managed five restaurants in Mie Prefecture. When he came to the U.S. in 2015, he started working with The MINA Group, and most recently, he was the sushi master at Mina’s Bungalow Kitchen in Tiburon.
And now, at 55 years young, he’s thrilled to be launching his own concept here in San Francisco: Dining Yamamoto. According to the press release: “The goal is to create a relaxed but refined sushi experience highlighting the best seasonal seafood with a chef-driven approach.” His sourcing is excellent, and will include seasonal California ingredients, too.
This past week was the soft opening, and I swung by on Friday during lunchtime to pick up two special donburi boxes he was offering for the occasion: one was the hearty and flavor-forward chutoro steak donburi ($29), with six thick slices of flash-seared, medium fatty bluefin tuna (with a hit of black pepper), topped with black truffle-soy and crispy garlic chips over beautifully prepared koshihikari rice, with ribbons of nori and sweet egg omelet. Chef made a tare (sake, soy, mirin, honey) that you could drop on to taste.
There was also the elegant bara-chirashi donburi ($28), a jewel box filled with an abundant scattering of marinated bluefin tuna (chutoro), Hokkaido sea urchin, ikura (salmon roe), ocean trout, unagi (eel), kombujime white fish (cured for two days), sweet egg omelet, and English pea pods, with an umami-loaded tamari soy sauce from Japan. Taste the rainbow!
The box was heaped with such petite pieces of seafood—it was one of the more delicate chirashi presentations I’ve had (bara means “chopped”). I nibbled on each individual piece, but also enjoyed tasting the impromptu combinations of seafood and rice together, like the ocean trout with the ikura. It was all top-notch, but the Hokkaido uni was extraordinary—it had a light bouncy texture to it, and such clean, fresh flavor. Each set had ground wasabi made from frozen wasabi stems from Japan.
Starting this week (Wednesday April 1st through Friday April 3rd, 11am–2pm), the daytime menu options are expanding, with five kinds of donburi, from spicy tuna and salmon ($27), to kaisen sushi with two pieces each of hon maguro (bluefin tuna), salmon, hamachi (yellowtail), madai (Japanese sea bream), hotate (scallop), amaebi (sweet shrimp), ikura (salmon roe), and uni (sea urchin) for $45.
There are also chef’s choice nigiri selections (10 pc. for $39 or $57 for premium), sushi rolls (futomaki and hosomaki), and sushi roll and nigiri combinations, as well as some vegetable options. Choose from a few appetizers, like miso soup, a Japanese-style salad, and a carpaccio made of sliced hon maguro (bluefin tuna), salmon, hamachi (yellowtail), kani (Japanese red crab), and Japanese-style handmade truffle dressing ($23).
There are six tables where you can sit and enjoy your lunch, but dishes are also formatted for easy takeout (the donburi boxes can hold at room temp for up to two hours). You may want to eat half, and then bring the rest home (just be sure to eat it on the same day). You can refrigerate your order, but let it come to room temp for 30 minutes before eating it.
No online ordering for now—you have to swing by in person (hours will be Tue–Sat 11am–2:30pm). They will start offering delivery and accepting reservations for online orders in the near future.
While Dining Yamamoto is just getting started with a daytime menu...
The room has a moody and intimate vibe, with blue walls and matching suede pillows on the bench seats at the six tables (which can seat four, or more if you want to get cozy), and there will be four seats at the sushi bar. There isn’t a beer-and-wine license (for now), so plan accordingly.
Private dining is available (you can look at the two different buyout menus here, and the space will be perfect for private events since you get the entire room to yourself). Catering is also offered, as well as having a private chef come to your home or office. Congrats to chef Yama-san and his family on this new venture—he’s very excited, and I’m happy to see him launch his own concept and location. 167 11th St.
the lush
Honor the 120th Anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire at These Two Events
The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel continues its new speaker series—Making History Fun Again—on Thursday April 16th in the hotel’s legendary Redwood Room. This installment will feature historian John Martini on the history of San Francisco’s 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Through photographs, stories, and historical insights, Martini will explore how the earthquake and fires unfolded, how residents responded in the chaotic days afterward, and how the city ultimately rebuilt itself from the ashes. 6pm–7pm. RSVP for free here. Come early or stay after for cocktails and more conversation. 495 Geary St.
Save the date for these upcoming speakers: Thursday June 18th brings the dynamic Shawn Sprockett of Unspeakable Vice; and Thursday July 16th features journalist Ben Fong-Torres, History of Rock & Roll.
In honor of the 120th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, writer Camper English of Alcademics is leading a special cocktail and bar history walking tour on the actual day (Saturday April 18th), focusing on the bars, bartenders, cocktails, and saloons of the city. He partnered with Argonaut California Brandy to provide cocktails and light snacks at three bar stops along the way, but be sure to have a big breakfast or light lunch before showing up. (Interested in more history, less cocktails? See Camper’s other bar and cocktail history walking tours.)
The tour begins at The Old Ship Saloon, the site of the city’s oldest continually operating bar, where you’ll learn about the early days of the Gold Rush. Read more on the event ticketing page. 1:30pm–4:30pm. $100. 21+.
After writing up these two events and looking at a bunch of earthquake memorabilia, I can’t believe we had that temblor late last night, eeeeeee!
the sponsor
Public Works’ Membership Program Is Turning One and Celebrating with a Special tablehopper Offer
Located in the heart of the Mission (since 2012!), Public Works is a community-minded club and event space with a Funktion-One sound system that welcomes international DJs, underground artists, rising talent, and San Francisco’s many art and music communities.
Last year, we launched the PW Union, the city’s first nightlife-focused loyalty program where members get free tickets (including Detroit Love w/ Carl Craig on Friday April 10th!), drinks, coat check, priority entry, and much more. To celebrate the PW Union turning one, we’re offering tablehopper readers an exclusive $5–$20 first-month discount for signing up.
Read about the different tiers, prices, and T&C here, and then use these links (not the ones on our website) to get your discount: Sound Crew (save $5), Floor Supervisor (save $10), Master Builder (save $10), Night Boss (save $20). Offer is valid through April 12th, and everyone who joins through these links will be entered to win their second month free.
Thanks for supporting Public Works, and we’ll see you on the dance floor! 🪩
the archivist
Treat yourself to a subscription to tablehopper, which keeps me hoppin’. 🐇 Thanks Easter bunny, bwok bwok!
