what’s cookin’
I hope you had a fab weekend. Not to start my column as Debbie Downer, but would you believe fricking Covid derailed my family’s Mother’s Day get-together on Sunday? (It wasn’t me this time, shockingly.) La Puta Rona is back in town! This is the third story I’ve heard over the past week of friends and family getting Covid, so if you suddenly can’t taste your food, that’s why. Surprise! I guess it’s time for me to schedule my booster. (And I’m upping my ginger intake with this One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Ginger recipe from Uncle Lou in New York!)
Last week, I attended such a heartfelt and beautiful dinner at Foreign Cinema, with guest chef Bruce Hill bringing some of his iconic dishes to the menu (plus his white Negroni and two desserts), while collaborating with Gayle Pirie and the FC team on some seasonal dishes. I loved seeing longtime restaurant industry friends dining there, like Sean Crowley (AQUA) and Tim Quaintance (Boulevard). Thank you to Foreign Cinema for honoring our local restaurant history and lifting up the people who have made it great. Up next: Jeremiah Tower on September 25th!
I’ve been watching the weather like a hawk, and am so pleased it’s going to be pleasant in Sonoma County for this weekend’s Healdsburg Food & Wine Weekend. On Friday, I’m punching the clock early and driving up to Orsi Family Vineyards for a barbecue lunch with Matt Horn, followed by a tasting at Mascarin Family Wines, and an aperitivo party with Massican and Idlewild (not part of HWFE). I’ll be heading back down to Sebastopol for dinner with friends since I’m staying at the stunning The Dalya Estate.
On Saturday, I’ll be starting my day with PopUp Bagels (visiting from New York at Single Thread), and then enjoying some bubbles and bites at The Matheson’s Rooftop Lounge before heading over to the HWFE Vintners Plaza Grand Tasting, featuring wines and spirits from over 150 local and world-renowned artisans and makers—the last time I attended, it was an awesome and varied lineup of pours. I look forward to tasting what chefs Crista Luedtke and Stephanie Izard have cookin’, among other local and TV chefs.
Thanks to HWFE’s sponsorship last week, you can use code tablehopper10 for 10 percent off any Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience event! 🙌 There are all kinds of lunches, dinners, tastings, industry seminars, live music, and events to attend. Get out of town and enjoy some sun. (And for anyone staying over through Monday, check out Prime Rib Sundays at The Matheson!)
There’s someone who is out on the town even more than me, and that’s AF&Co. principal and founder Andrew Freeman, who’s currently standing in for David Landis (while he recovers from shoulder surgery), the columnist behind The Gay Gourmet in SF Bay Times. Andrew invited me to be part of his interim column, My Dinner With Andre(w): Part Two, and we had a fun dinner out at the new Altamirano with Joel Riddell and Robert Moon (yes, our table was a feisty one), and I answered some questions about the SF dining scene for his piece. Enjoy!
Are you a world traveler? There’s an app I’m a local expert on called World of Mouth (which reminds me, I really need to add some restaurants!), and they just moved to a freemium/membership model last week (World of Mouth is on App Store and Google Play). If you’re someone who travels the world and knows the names of chefs and writers and wine folks you’d be interested in reading recommendations from, you will really enjoy this app. It’s a handy resource of personal picks and insider faves from the global F&B community.
Have a great week, and I hope to see you up in Healdsburg! 🥂
~Marcia (rhymes with Jerry Garcia)
the chatterbox
The Former Serpentine Will Be the Home for an Upcoming Project from the Bleases of Lord Stanley with The Fire Society
Back in March, when I wrote about Lord Stanley’s upcoming closure (sniff sniff), I mentioned: “But thankfully, this isn’t the end of the Bleases in San Francisco—it ends up they have another project in the works, and will be sharing more about it soon.…Wine director Louisa Smith will continue her consulting projects, and will be involved with the new project.”
Just a reminder that this is Lord Stanley’s last month of business, so book your table for their finale dinner menu (May 18th–31st), enjoy their daily menu this week, or go get their fish filet sandwich for takeaway! 2065 Polk St. at Broadway.
Turn Your Sunday Scaries Into Merries at Ilna, a Freestyle California-Lebanese Pop-Up from Maz Naba at Buddy
A few months ago, I was fortunate to be invited to check out Ilna, the weekly pop-up on Sundays at Buddy from industry vet Maz Naba, featuring his personal take on California-Lebanese cuisine (he is half-Lebanese). I wanted to write about this sooner, but the initial check-it-out crowd was a little intense for a minute there, so now is the perfect time to go (or return).
It’s funny, because of all my years of knowing Maz, I would only see him as front of house (Mister Jiu’s, Rich Table, Nightbird, Nico, Coi, and many more places around town)—I had no idea he went to culinary school and actually started his restaurant and culinary journey working in kitchens. All of his years at some of our city’s best restaurants shine through on the excellent seasonal sourcing on the menu, which changes often.
Buddy in the Mission is the perfect venue for his pop-up, with its cool style, open kitchen, and friendly staff making low-ABV cocktails (I always love their Forager Martini) and pouring natural wines. Another cool thing about Maz is he’s also a winemaker (his label is Augur Wine Co.), which you’ll see on the pop-up’s list, and he’s additionally pouring wine from Terah Wine Co. (by Terah Bajjalieh, a Californian Palestinian), as well as wines by the glass imported from Lebanon, Palestine, and the Levant at large through Terra Sancta Wine and Spirits. The name Ilna means “for us” in Arabic, and you can see how he wants to include and highlight our local Middle Eastern community with this personal project.
The format of the menu is perfect for meeting you where you’re at: are you on a date at a table, or grabbing a bite with a friend at the bar, or a group of friends at a four-top? Are you hangry, or just out for a nibble? You have options. Cold shared plates include Little Gem tabouli Caesar salad; lightly cured kampachi crudo with rose vinegar persimmon, sumac furikake, and pistachio (it sounds amazing, but this one didn’t hit for me); and our favorite, ribbons of house-cured, Lebanese five-spice duck prosciutto (I want this in my life on the reg), with za’atar sourdough crostini, and orange fig jam (the night we had it, it was extremely difficult to spread, like a hard and sticky taffy, but Maz tells me he has since thinned it out).
The “Spreads, Breads, and Skewers” section includes creative skewers of shawarma-spiced chicken hearts ($12), or beef kibe with orange blossom tare ($16), giving a Japanese yakitori crossover vibe. The housemade pitas include scallion, a yogurt version with whey and sesame, or a fluffy squid ink pita (Maz’s favorite) that comes with kishk labne, smoked trout, cured ikura, buttermilk bulgur, and dill ($18). He’s also working on creating a gluten-free pita, stand by!
A hearty and satisfying plate that really over-delivered for $19 featured pink slices of seared bavette nestled into a cloud of fluffy brassicas hummus (made with rotating ingredients like broccolini, romanesco, green garbanzos, and a touch of garum, with lemon, tahini, and EVOO), topped with crowns of broccolini, dabs of mustard seeds, and a scallion-black sesame pita that we used to scoop up every last bite.
Squash and Dungeness fried rice; yogurt dumplings filled with rich, dry-aged beef. Photos: © tablehopper.com.
The hot shared plates include stuffed squash halves with a decadent Dungeness crab fried rice ($36), pepita and date crisp, and a golden nasturtium aioli, a total flavor journey with each bite.
Dessert was all about the hazelnut pretzel baklava, with cherry blossom chocolate labne (decorated with petite blossoms) and cherry compote. I need to return for the habibi tiramisù made with Grand Coffee cold-brew coffee, and to see how the menu has evolved with the seasons—Maz posts updates with new dishes on @ilnasf, like uni dolma nigiri filled with short grain rice with fennel and white wine–steamed mussels, a harissa-spread on the grape leaf, which is then rolled up and roasted, and brushed with a whey-fish sauce-caramel glaze, whut.
He’s on the hunt for a permanent space, but in the meantime, you can book your spot on Sundays at Buddy from 4:30pm–8:30pm on Resy (look for Ilna under events), or you can take your chances on a walk-in. 3115 22nd St. at S. Van Ness.
Future Ilna Appearances
I’m happy to see Ilna will be hosting a night as part of Merkado’s Stories from Home series on Saturday June 16th in SoMa. Take a look at the set menu (which includes many of the dishes I mention above) and book here.
Starting next month, Ilna will be doing a monthly pop-up at Oakland Yard Wine Shop on third Wednesdays (June 18th, July 16th, August 20th, September 17th), offering a rotating menu in a fast-casual format (order at the counter) and enjoy some wine at their indoor or outdoor tables. 420 40th St., Oakland.
Lastly, Outside Lands just announced Ilna will be part of this year’s Taste of the Bay Area lineup (Aug 8th–10th), serving Lebanese kafta smash burger crunch wraps, five-spice duck fried rice, chips and caviar, and baklava rice krispie treats.
Reservations Are Now Live for Jules in Lower Haight
Last week, the news was released about when Jules will be serving its pizzas from chef Max Blachman-Gentile and more (there’s also a bunch of smaller plates and a half-chicken) at its hotly anticipated new shop in the Lower Fillmore (you can read my earlier preview here). Since they just passed their inspections (yay!), they’re serving food starting this Thursday May 15th, and reservations are now live on Resy; walk-ins will also be possible. You can review the menu here (OMG nori guanciale pull-apart buns with parm rind cultured butter and uni), and take a look at pics of the interior in this SF Chronicle preview here. I’ll share more once I experience it in person soon. 237 Fillmore St. at Haight.
The Record Has Flipped at B-Side in Hayes Valley
Some changes are happening at B-Side, the restaurant at SFJAZZ in Hayes Valley. The former Venezuelan restaurant Andina ended its residency in March (you can read about the new Spanish goods store chef-owner Victoria Lozano is bringing to Union Street with her father in this SF Chronicle story), and now some other La Cocina entrepreneurs are moving in for their residency.
Starting Thursday May 15th, it will be Pacifico, from husband-and-wife team chef Daniel Morales Vallejo and Laura Gelvez, who are both from Colombia. Daniel had his culinary training in Lima, Peru, and cooked at La Mar here in SF, so there will be some Peruvian influences, and California seasonal ingredients as well, which are all places located along the Pacific coast.
The new dinner menu will be developed in collaboration with B-Side, featuring Latin American dishes like steak frites with chimichurri and anticuchera sauce, grilled octopus with spicy guava glaze, and Pacifico pop-up favorites like halibut ceviche, vegan ceviche, and ñoquis de cangrejo (cassava gnocchi with Dungeness crab, sofrito, coconut milk, and red peppers). Dinner is served Thu–Sun 5:30pm–9pm.
The duo are most excited to launch their weekend brunch, which will really highlight their spin on Colombian cuisine, with an arepa de huevo filled with Dungeness crab omelette, along with Colombian pastries, and pancakes de choclo with caramelized quinoa crunch, plus tropical-inspired cocktails and coconut limeades (made with coconut milk and lime juice).
Lunch (for takeout or dine in) will include a Pacifico Bowl with coconut rice, sweet plantains, and grilled shrimp (or get it vegan), and a roasted pork sandwich with rocoto aioli. Lunch begins June 3rd, and weekend brunch on June 7th, with hours expanding to Tue–Sun 11am–3pm. 201 Franklin St.
News Bites Around the Bay
Another business that just turned 19: a tablehopper reader sent me this update from Aslam’s Rasoi, which continues to fight to stay open (they have been on the brink of closure lately). Their latest email said: “I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your continued support and kindness during this time. While I don’t have an official update just yet, I want you let you know that Aslam’s Rasoi will remain open for regular hours throughout the month of May. We’ll keep you informed as soon as there’s more to share. The new construction on Valencia St. has tremendously slowed our business over the last month, and we’re still navigating the impact.” They would love to see you. 1037 Valencia St.
Some unfortunate news: I was so sorry to see a post a week ago from Craftsman and Wolves bakery that co-owner Lawrence Lai had sadly died. This thoughtful obituary in Eater reports he died on April 29th from esophageal cancer, and is survived by his wife, Ann Lee (with whom he opened CAW in 2012 with pastry chef William Werner), and two children. Sending condolences to the entire family and CAW team.
And now, an uplifting update from the Valencia corridor: last June, I was first to report there’s going to be a second version of El Mil Amores coming to the former Regalito Rosticeria (Regalito El Mil Amores), and owner Andrea Becerra just let me know they have passed their inspections, and expects to hold the grand opening on May 26th. I’ll have more for you next week! 3481 18th St. at Valencia.
the socialite
Music, Maestro, Please!
The Portola dance music festival is back at Pier 80 September 20th–21st, and, of course, I am thrilled to see LCD Soundsystem listed as a headliner, along with so many of my early dance and rave faves, like Underworld, Moby (live!), Tiga, The Rapture, The Prodigy, and many other fun acts, including a DJ set from Chemical Brothers, plus Horse Meat Disco, 2MANYDJS B2B Erol Alkan, Neil Frances, and Bob Moses.
But the thing I’m most excited about is that for the first time ever, the DESPACIO soundsystem is (finally) coming to SF! It’s a high-powered (almost 50,000 watts!), immersive, enclosed, hi-fi sound system (thanks McIntosh) and audio experience designed by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, David and Stephen Dewaele of 2ManyDJs and Soulwax, and sound engineer John Klett. Murphy and the Dewaele brothers will be spinning vinyl inside the Despacio tent all weekend long and it will be hard to drag me away. There’s a particular sound and pace of the music they play on the DESPACIO system (its name is a clue)—check out one of the many playlists to get a sense of the vibe.
Portola passes are on sale this Thursday May 15th, but past purchasers get a first chance at passes with a presale on Wednesday, classy!
More music festival news: Outside Lands (Aug 8th–10th) just announced this year’s Taste of the Bay Area lineup, featuring 18 new restaurants and pop-ups, including Mezclá Eats (Colombian flavors with Texas BBQ, serving Colombian smoked brisket arepas and yuca fries with aji amarillo cheese sauce), Michoz (a Peruvian-Eritrean concept from Oakland, serving Peruvian choripán sandwiches and Eritrean spiced nachos with huancaina sauce), Tacos Sincero (Latino-Chino black pepper beef tostadas and mala mac and cheese ddukbboki), and you already read above what Lebanese-Californian Ilna is making!
Other newcomers include Inner Sunset French bistro Caché; Indonesian street food from D’Grobak; San Mateo’s Kajiken will offer two kinds of aburasoba; modern Indian cuisine from Tiya; Brenda’s French Soul Food will be serving their crawfish beignets; and The Caviar Co. will be in the mix; while Angler is joining this year’s VIP experience.
Friday’s musical lineup has alllll my attention, with Doechii, Beck playing with a symphony, Doja Cat, Jessica Pratt, Floating Points, and DJ Koze! Get your ticket before prices increase.
I was also pretty stoked to see Mayor Daniel Lurie announce a three-day concert series at Golden Gate Park’s Polo Fields with Dead & Company (from August 1st–3rd) to mark the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. 🌹 Details are forthcoming. SF is going to have such a musical summer!
the lush
The Vinguard Is Hosting Its Seventh Annual WINeFare in June, Featuring Natural Wines From Over 45 Winemakers and Importers
by Savannah Leone Bundy
On Saturday June 7th, The Vinguard—the nonprofit whose mission is amplifying the voices and products of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA-led wine companies—will host WINeFare, a day-long celebration and showcase featuring pours from over 40 makers and importers of natural wine. Terah Wine Co., Laughing Gems, Mathiasson Wines, Lula, Frey Vineyards, Loop de Loop, and Ward Four Wines are among the list, and you can check out the rest here. With five countries represented, the event promises to create a “safe and welcoming environment where women and other genders can build connections, foster opportunities, and taste hundreds of delicious wines made and imported by women.”
Tickets (available here) are $60 until June 6th, and $70 at the door. Discounted tickets for F&B industry workers, essential workers, seniors, students, and educators are also available for $40. Saturday June 7th. 12pm–5pm. 215 Haight St. at Laguna.
SF’s AAPI Cocktail Week Returns with a Bunch of Events (Get Your Tickets Soon!)
Last week, I mentioned I attended the preview party at P.C.H. for AAPI Cocktail Week, running May 25th–29th, and here’s the lineup of parties, industry panels, and pop-ups (click each day to see all events). The week begins at the opening party on Sunday May 25th at Pacific Cocktail Haven (Top 50 bar #16) with a guest shift from Singapore’s Jigger and Pony (Top 50 bar #5), bites from Dabao Singapore, DJs, and more. 7pm–11pm.
There’s also a sunset luau cruise, a competition (Fastest Hands in the West at Kona’s Street Market), a pandan party at P.C.H., a Night Market at Splash, and much more. Some events have already sold out, so get your tickets now! Follow @sfaapicocktailwk for updates.
