This week’s tablehopper: rollin’ on the river. (free)

what’s cookin’

Good day, sunshine. What a wonderful start to the week with this weather! I feel like my past weekend in Forestville was my kickoff to summer: I got to float down the Russian River on my friends’ party raft that comfortably fit four of us, we enjoyed alfresco brunch and epic snack boards on my friends’ sunny deck, and had a dreamy wine tasting under an old walnut tree at Porter-Bass Winery (just outside of downtown Guerneville) while learning the history of the land and the vines. 

Saturday was a total blast: we headed into Healdsburg for The Vintners Plaza Grand Tasting during the annual Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience. I stuck with bubbles for most of the day (I know, shocking), and had fun trying some N/A selections (the single-origin sparkling teas from Susurrus were a standout, as well as the verjus-based elderflower and yuzu sparkling from Glasrose). 

The food was extra-tasty this year: we noshed on decadent o’toro handrolls with uni and caviar from Hotel del Coronado in San Diego (and now I really want to go there!), wood-roasted mortadella meatballs from Stella Kenwood, incredible Westholme wagyu brisket smoked over red wine barrel staves and almond wood from A&M BBQ in Sebastopol, The Pasta Queen’s Devil’s Kiss rigatoni, and chicken Parm ravioli with roasted garlic tomato butter, three-cheese fonduta, and chicken skin crumble from chef Joe Sasto and Ian Tecklin’s Ripi Foods (I need the entire line in my freezer).

The mind-blowing finale at the end of the day was the aloha affogato from chef Lee Ann Wong of Koko Head Cafe (in Honolulu, Tokyo, and Osaka) with local Mariapilar coconut gelato, sweet Maui Gold pineapple, salted coconut rum caramel, macadamia coconut crumble, topped with a Kona espresso martini shot. I knowwwww! It was unbelievably delicious.

It was fun to run into chef Roland Passot and his lovely wife, Jamie, as well as longtime industry pals, like Scott Beattie (serving his special floral ice at the Rue de Rêve table), and getting a hug from my old friend Walter Moore, as well as from dedicated tablehopper subscriber and friend Adam (of Fog City News). Everyone was watching Festus Ezeli roam the festival (at 6'11", you really can’t miss him), and shoutout to Graffeo for keeping us caffeinated. Save the date: next year’s HWFE is May 20th–23rd, 2027! 

This weekend, I’m heading back up to Wine Country, this time on the Napa Valley side for BottleRock (you know I can’t miss seeing LCD Soundsystem—and Nancy Whang will be playing in the roller rink on Saturday). It’s not just the musical lineup that attendees are looking at: the just-announced 2026 Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage lineup includes Emeril and EJ Lagasse, José Andrés, Curtis Stone, Andrew Zimmern, Masaharu Morimoto, Evan Funke, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, and The Pasta Queen, along with Chelsea Handler (I hope to run into her so we can exchange gummies, LOL), Phil Rosenthal, Ashley Graham, and John Stamos (how eclectic). KCBS Foodie Chap Liam Mayclem is gonna be bizzeeee emceeing the culinary stage.

The food lineup includes Napa restaurants like PRESS (and Under-Study), Mustards Grill, A16, Slanted Door Napa, Taqueria Rosita, La Toque, Stateline Road Smokehouse, Carabao, Torc, Oenotri, Empress M, and Boon Fly Café. Popsicles from Fruta Ice Cream seem like a must, as well as trying the signature mango float from Carabao. I’ll be hitting up Schramsberg Vineyards for some bubs, and I’m curious about the N/A beers from Athletic Brewing Company. All festival tickets are sold out, but to get on the waiting list for tickets, select “Join the Waitlist.” Hope to see you there!

This week, I was planning to run part two of my New York City jetsetter post for you, but I had a bunch of news bites and events to cover. This newsletter got too long. Stand by! Next week, I will also be sharing some SF PRIDE events to have on your radar.

Before signing off, I want to link to this obituary for the visionary Bob Vorhees, who was behind iconic SF projects in the ’90s, like South Park Cafe, Ristorante Ecco, Citizen Cake, and Universal Cafe. Thanks for the memories! I’m writing about a couple new projects near South Park in today’s column, so it’s good to see some businesses open over there—that area used to be so cool.

Anyway, here’s wishing you a good three-day weekend (tablehopper will go out a bit later next week). Just a reminder: you have one more week to visit the 2026 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. And the 48th annual San Francisco Carnaval takes place this Memorial Day weekend.

Have fun,
~Marcia

the chatterbox

Casa Sofia Opens This Thursday (Just in Time for the SF Giants Home Games This Weekend)

I previously mentioned Casa Sofia Kitchen and Bar is coming to SoMa in the former The Brixton from chef Carlos Altamirano and his wife and partner, Shu Altamirano, and it’s opening this Thursday May 21st. Here are more dishes that are on his menu of California cuisine with Latin American influences from Peru, Mexico, and Argentina: Sofia’s meatballs with Mexican mole; ceviche peruano with halibut, rocoto chile, choclo, and long, sweet potato chips; arroz con mariscos with octopus, shrimp, clams, mussels, and fish in saffron aji rice; and easy-to-share plates like raw oysters, housemade empanadas, baby BBQ pork ribs, fried chicken, anticuchos, and a seafood tower with tuna, oysters, kampachi, shrimp, octopus, and mussels.

Desserts from Edgar Valenzuela include lavender honey–glazed crullers, guava cheesecake, arroz con leche brûlée with Peruvian rice pudding, Key lime pie, and rotating ice cream made in house. Cocktails from Yuri Chauca are focused around rum, pisco, cachaça and mezcal, including a caipirinha de gengibre with cachaça, lime, fresh ginger, muddled basil, and sugar (I was drinking these every day on the beach in Ipanema, so good), alongside the Rabo de Galo, with aged cachaça, sweet vermouth, Fernet Branca, Angostura and orange bitters.

The well-appointed and airy 146-seat space was designed by Jon de la Cruz, taking some inspiration from traditional Latin American fondas (with tiled floors, a patio surrounded by lush greenery, and a mural in the dining room), adding custom woodwork and wallpaper, channel-tufted upholstered booths, and two private dining spaces (Sofia’s Room for 40 guests and a 12-seat chef’s table). Open Tue–Thu and Sun 11am–9pm, and Fri–Sat 11am–10pm. 701 2nd St. at Townsend.

Let’s Get Baked: Saltwater Bakeshop Now Open in SoMa, Flour & Branch Has a New Home, and Loquat Is Opening a Sequel

Our city’s embedded bakery reporter, Becky Duffett, wrote about the unexpected opening of the first brick-and-mortar location of Saltwater Bakeshop in SoMa in the former Chantal Guillon Macarons (owner and baker Brittany Dunn Holden had to abandon her original Richmond bakery-café location after permitting snafus and endless delays). For the current soft opening, the menu includes croissants (classic, almond, ham and Point Reyes Toma cheese, and chocolate-pistachio), an orange blossom cardamom bun, passionfruit kouign amann, mochi muffins, seasonal cakes and Danishes, and chocolate chunk cookies, plus baguettes, and all kinds of sourdough bread (country, seeded, whole wheat, sunflower oat porridge, spelt and cornmeal). There’s also the baker’s choice: a smaller, organic sourdough loaf in a seasonal flavor (the spring flavor is four cheese with garlic confit fougasse).

After the grand opening on Saturday May 30th, there will be even more pastries, espresso drinks from Ritual Coffee, spiced chai, and sandwiches (from a breakfast BEC to lunchtime baguettes with turkey, avocado, and pickled onions). Saltwater Bakeshop will continue their farmers’ market appearances. Hours: Tue–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat–Sun 8am–3pm. 1309 Howard St. at 9th St.

More bakery news: after closing the original location of Flour & Branch (493 3rd St.) reportedly due to “severe flooding and building failures at her leased location, prolonged disputes related to landlord negligence,” owner and baker Lauren Arnsdorff is reopening in the former Velvet Raven space on South Park on Wednesday June 3rd.

More New Openings in West Portal

tablehopper reader Barron L., my new West Portal stringer, shared this report:

Claws of Mantis Launches This Weekend at Fat Cat

Get excited: this weekend (Friday May 22nd–25th) is the grand opening for chef Kevin Tang of Claws of Mantis—fresh from his trip to Saigon—as a co-op inside of Fat Cat wine bar in La Lengua in the Mission (which I was first to write about back in March). He’s been doing a soft run this past week at some private events for friends and family, and the menu looks so sick!

Claws kitchen hours (for now) are Fri–Mon 5pm–10pm. 3215 Mission St. at Fair.

Coming Soon to Noe Valley

Cawfee Tawk

Last month, I attended a special presentation of a World Coffee Championship competition routine at The Wild Fox by 2025 Denmark Barista Champion Christopher Sahyoun Hoff, who placed sixth in the 2025 World Coffee Championship in Milan, Italy. It was a rare opportunity to experience a World Coffee Championship routine since these drinks are almost never served to the public—they’re created exclusively for judges during the World Coffee Championships. I learned the coffees themselves are exceptionally rare micro-lots, sourced through direct relationships, grown specifically for competition rather than normal consumption, and roasted for performance rather than commercial release.

In this case, they were hand-picked Wush Wush beans (an heirloom variety from Ethiopia) from Finca La Negrita in Colombia; we also got a 50g bag of this World Barista Championship coffee (which costs $70/lb.) to bring home to try pulling shots of (but were told to wait five weeks before doing so).

It was a unique experience to be seated at the counter of The Wild Fox on a weekend afternoon alongside eight local baristas and restaurant industry folks, watching Hoff painstakingly prepare an espresso shot, a milk beverage, and a signature beverage for each of us, presented like we were judges.

Would you like to check something like this out? The Wild Fox owners (and married couple) Liza Otanes and Rich Lee (of Spro Coffee Lab) are hosting Kay Cheon (the 2025 United States Barista Champion, and he placed eighth in the 2025 World Barista Championship in Milan, Italy) on Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th. Cheon will present his competition routine (an espresso course, a milk course, and a signature beverage), with a Q&A after, and there’s a gift bag (an exclusive coffee offering from Parterre). Tickets are $225, with various time slots each day—don’t be late. If you work in the coffee industry, they’d love to host you (email info@thewildfoxsf.com for industry access). 

Speaking with Lee (who’s a San Francisco native, and a world judge in coffee, which takes nine years to become), he shared he’s very hopeful for SF’s current comeback story, and was thrilled to host Hoff (he pitched the idea for him to come to SF). Lee was hoping Hoff’s visit could help build excitement and positivity about San Francisco, and shared his “hidden agenda” is to use coffee as a tool to invite people to come here to do things, and inspire people to travel to SF. In the words of our Mayor, “Let’s go, San Francisco!”

If the upcoming competition routine is out of your budget, you can just visit the café to try The Wild Fox’s Japanese espresso drinks and pour-overs, ceremonial matcha and tea, and menu of Japanese bites (onigiri, sandos) and small plates from chef Tsubasa Onozaki (previously Liholiho Yacht Club). Open Mon–Fri 7am–5pm. 123 Battery St.

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the lush

Back in March, I wrote about Wine Fare from The Vinguard on Saturday May 30th (1pm–5pm) and Sunday May 31st (12pm–4pm) at Catharine Clark Gallery (248 Utah St.). Over 51 winemakers and importers will be featuring hundreds of wines made by women in the natural wine movement, including Champagne Lelarge-Pugeot, Floraison Selections, Terah Wine Co., and T’Amaro Brands Inc. It’s a fantastic event! $60/day, $95 for both days.

There are a few special ticket offers happening: get an annual $125 membership to The Vinguard (a diverse LGBTQ-led organization with a proven track record of effecting social change in the wine industry) and get a complimentary ticket to Wine Fare, a $95 value.

If you purchase a ticket for Sunday May 31, you can get a second one at half-off: that’s two tickets for $75. Just go to the Wine Fare ticket link and look for “WF Sunday 5/31, buy 1, get 1 at half price.”

Or, if you work in the beverage or food industry, they’re offering $25 tickets per day. Just go to the link and use the promo code WineFoodTrade. Please bring a business card from your workplace.

Don’t miss the silent auction, with 30-plus auction items (dinners, special wines, experiences), happening now through May 31st at 11:45pm. 

SF AAPI Cocktail Week Kicks Off This Sunday May 24th, Plus AAPI Celebration Events at Nisei and Bar Iris

The fourth year of SF AAPI Cocktail Week is Sunday May 24th–28th, with more than 12 events and 40+ bar and restaurant partners from across the U.S. and Asia (many are recognized as some of the World’s 50 Best Bars), including Bar Us (Bangkok, Thailand), Penrose (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Alice Cheongdam (Seoul, South Korea), and Night Hawk (Singapore). You can take a look at the events here and here, from a sunset luau to a mix masters competition to trade-only events. 

The 2026 AAPI Celebration Series from Nisei and Bar Iris continues, with a Dalla Valle Vineyards vertical tasting (May 28th) with rare wines and a guided Q&A; a two-night collaboration with chef Dae Kim (most recently Nōksu) May 30th–31st; and a one-night takeover at Bar Iris from New York’s Sip & Guzzle (on June 1st), recently named No. 1 bar in North America. Throughout the month, five percent of dinner proceeds from Nisei will be donated to Bay Resistance.

the archivist

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