what’s cookin’
And so begins our period of 70-something-degree days… Feels so good. Last week, I had a delicious warm weather kickoff while up in Healdsburg for my sister’s birthday getaway. We booked a double queen (uh huh) at the incredibly hospitable and friendly Harmon Guest House, a sister property to the Hotel Healdsburg next door (who let us swim in their pool, which has more sunny exposure—if you want to take a dip but escape the sun’s rays, then Harmon’s pool is for you). There’s also a cute roof deck for a cocktail with a view.
We enjoyed our five-minute walk to our celebratory dinner reservation at Single Thread, and my sister even got serenaded with “Happy Birthday” by the singer with great pipes who hangs out in Healdsburg Plaza.
We could not have picked a more-perfect moment to enjoy the bounty of peak summer produce from Single Thread Farms, offering a sun-ripened rainbow of tomatoes and melons and figs and peppers and grapes. When my sister first saw the restaurant team’s glorious opening hassun course, she teared up over its sheer beauty, which was the exact same reaction I had when I last dined there many years ago. (Ya think we’re related?)
Something I love about Single Thread is how much they absolutely adore and uphold the intrinsic beauty of nature, with the most artistic and whimsical yet natural plating (it’s like the painter had to suddenly leave and you’re dining on a series of still lifes), with pure flavors that sing. You should show up early for your reservation so you can watch the kitchen do its quiet and transfixing plating magic through the open window before you sit down. Our somm for the evening, Matt Nichter, was an absolute blast, pouring us pairings with enthusiasm and passion and stories. We strolled home to our cloud-like beds after midnight, a pair of stuffed Cinderellas carrying our memento menus as proof of our magical evening. Thank you to the Single Thread team for making it a night to remember.
The Gagliardi Virgo birthday party train will continue this Saturday, as we celebrate both my sis and our precious mother over the poulet et frites lunch at The Morris, one of my favorite SF lunch happenings, and there’s nothing like a Chartreuse slushy to help you digest at the end of the feast.
Last Saturday, sis and I fired up the afterburners and headed to the Fox Theater in Oakland to see Kruder and Dorfmeister perform their iconic K&D Sessions album (released in 1998!) live with a wildly talented band, and what a sonic experience it proved to be! Those cool-ass Austrians really took us on a journey. The entire room was full of 50-somethings, all riding high on deep nostalgia for that fantastic time in our lives, when we were all smoking weed with friends at the afters and having great sex after coming home late from dancing. (Does anyone remember seeing them play at Townsend in 2001?) What a great crowd, and an unexpected reunion of my beloved party people who are still here and waxing the dance floor with me.
This weekend, I expect more of the same at Portola Music Festival, and I know the Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy are gonna work us out, just like Underworld did a couple years ago (and will blow shit up again this year). I’m also excited to hit the wayback machine and see what Erol Alkan is up to, I used to love his mixes (Bugged Out! Disco3000!) and Tiga. LCD Soundsystem, let’s go! But I will mostly be losing myself in the Despacio tent, see you there. If you’re wondering what to chow down on to keep chugging, check out my food lineup post from last week. Thanks to all you badass subscribers who entered the giveaway for a pair of GA passes! (There are still tickets available, pick a day, and let’s play!)
So, I know myself pretty damn well, and looking at the nice weather coming next Monday, I just may take the day off to recover from the party weekend and push my column to Wednesday. As boss of me, it’s written into my benefits package that I’m allowed to go to the beach and adjust my schedule as needed, otherwise, I’m doing this self-employed thing wrong. Time will tell. I think taking a three-day weekend will help with my current headspace.
Have a lovely week. I imagine many of us will be watching some Robert Redford films this month. RIP, dreamboat man. 🕊️
~Marcia
the chatterbox
A Fork in the Forest—Details on the New Bosco in SoMa
Last week, I mentioned that The Absinthe Group was opening the Cal-Italian Bosco (which means “forest” in Italian) in the former Bellota in SoMa. I broke the news about the project a few weeks ago, and here are some additional details about it. Bellota’s former executive chef Ryan McIlwraith and chef de cuisine Kaili Hill, who left after Bellota closed to open Alora on the Embarcadero, have returned as co-executive chef-partners at Bosco.
The wood-fired hearth is back in action, which is leaving its live-fire mark on dishes like a brined, smoked, and grilled half-chicken served with salsa verde and a burnt lemon jus; bistecca alla fiorentina; and roasted pork ribs brushed with agrodolce and koji and finished with fennel pollen; as well as sides like grilled romano beans in garlic-tomato vinaigrette; or smoked potato polpette (crispy smoked potato tossed in Calabrian chile bomba, lemon).
You’ll want to explore the house-baked breads (including sourdough focaccia, pizzette, and tigelle), and enjoy peak seasonal dishes like sweet corn arancini over warm tomato sauce, and heirloom tomato and fig panzanella with whipped ricotta and a watermelon rind mostarda while we can.
The pasta dishes have creative touches, like buckwheat chitarra soba-style pasta (mushroom and kombu broth, roasted miso black cod, spring onion, cherry tomatoes) and lemon spaghetti (house-extruded spaghetti with lemon zest, Sungold tomato butter sauce, Parmesan, basil).
You can view the menu, and I’m going to save room for dessert since there’s a limoncello tiramisù made with lemon curd and mascarpone. That baba above looks cute, too.
The 230-seat space got a redesign from Cam Helland of Helland Architecture, with plenty of tones of green, bay laurel wood, blown glass light pendants from Italy, and a custom light fixture that mimics dappled sunlight filtering through a tree canopy. I’m happy to see some F&B activity return to this empty space and this part of SoMa. Open Tue–Thu 5pm–9pm and Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm. 888 Brannan St. at 8th St.
A Sleek Billiards Lounge and Bar Opens in the Mission with Global Street Food Dishes and Elevated Cocktails
I was hoping to write about The Hall before I left town, but time was not on my side. This new pool hall just opened in the Mission across the street from the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Foreign Cinema, and also features a full kitchen with a menu of global small plates and a cocktail bar.
The 8,500-square-foot space was formerly Echo SFC, a nightclub that has been totally transformed by Craige Walters of C Walters Design (Savoy Tivoli, Black Cat, Hi Tops, Blackbird)—the partners tell me they were fans of his work at Persona.
The owners/co-founders are Modi Shantharam, Yuko Takahashi, and Joina Liao, all avid pool players who noticed a gap in the market, telling me that there aren’t places in the city to play pool and enjoy some food, and most spots are bars with pool tables and a long waitlist to play. They wanted to create a premium experience and social hub for the diverse pool community to come together over high-end cocktails and eight Diamond pool tables (two are nine-foot tables), with custom handmade cues.
Designed for both seasoned players and casual enthusiasts, early weekdays will be dedicated to a schedule of local pool leagues, while evenings will offer a fun night out for all kinds of players, with a sophisticated design and ambiance. The space is well-suited for corporate events and private parties, from small to large. They also want to give back to the community, offering youth programs and clinics, and will have pros come in for challenge matches and workshops.
There aren’t any pool table reservations: you walk in and pay by the hour ($25 for two people), but you can make a reservation for a table for dinner/drinks. Two tables will offer “King/Queen of The Hall” play, like old-school tables: the player who wins stays, and the challenger pays for table time to play, so you could come in to play solo, or make a night of it with some buddies and rent a table.
The two-level space has a mezzanine that overlooks the main floor, where you can hang out in contemporary-styled booths and watch the activity below. C Walters Design created a sleek space with custom lighting and clean lines, and the bar area features glowing light fixtures and spacious booth seating that is built for groups (you could just come by for cocktails and bites here).
The cocktails from Joseph Adams (Cliff House) feature classics with some spin on them, like a passionfruit whiskey sour, a Thai basil Margarita, and a perfect Negroni (with black sesame seed–infused gin), along with some N/A options, plus beers on draft, and mostly California wines by the glass.
You can park nearby in the Mission-Bartlett garage. Hours are 5pm–12am, and until 1am Fri–Sat; kitchen until 10pm. 2565 Mission St. at 22nd St.
A New Era for the Former Cha Cha Cha Space in the Mission
Just a couple blocks away on Mission Street, Sangria & Salt has soft-opened in the former Cha Cha Cha, from Jonathan Young of Hot Johnnie’s Smokehouse in the Castro (thanks to my buddy Camper of Alcademics for the tip).
2327 Mission St. at 19th St.
Italian Product Importer and Distributor Casa de Case Is Sadly Closing Their Warehouse Doors After 28 Years in Business
I was dismayed to receive an email from our truly beloved local importer and distributor Casa de Case last week, announcing their upcoming closure at the end of this month. Founders Kris and Howard Case started Casa de Case 28 years ago, born from their instant love and obsession with olio nuovo from Olivestri in Umbria during one of their first trips to Italy. They launched their import company four years later as a way to provide their friends easy access to this special and seasonal product that they were flying in after harvest. The business quickly grew, and both Howard and then Kris left their careers in high tech and banking so they could follow their passion for Italian ingredients and cooking and be part of the wonderful world and people in F&B with their company.
They started scouring Italy for quality products to add to their portfolio, and worked closely with many local chefs, whom they would bring to Italy on annual trips so the chefs could see where these beautiful ingredients came from and meet the people behind them. I always admired the Cases’ holistic and full-circle approach to how they did business, with heart and true connection, like family. They have supplied some of the City’s best restaurants and chefs for years, like Delfina, 54 Mint, Donna Scala at Bistro Don Giovanni, chef Bruce Hill’s many restaurants, the Tusks (since they had Quince on Octavia!), State Bird Provisions, Pasta Supply Co, and many more.
The Cases would throw the most incredible feast in their warehouse during the Fancy Food Show, Cena nel Magazzino, when many of their chef friends would help prepare and serve an abundant meal from the biggest pots of pasta, highlighting all the products they import while hosting their visiting producers and our local chefs and cooks. (I loved Kris’s tuna-stuffed peppers!)
I remember my first cena in 2014, when they served bollito misto, and then it grew to be quite the production over the years, serving over 100 guests (check out this old post I found from 2017 with platters of polenta, and another from 2018, when they first featured their beautiful ceramic seafood plates). There would be so much wine. And laughter. And connection. The dessert spread from our culinary goddess Viola Buitoni was always the pièce de résistance at the end of the night.
Speaking with the Cases about the closure, they shared that their business never fully recovered after the pandemic, plus some supply chain issues and the rising cost of their olive oils and other ingredients (and looming tariff issues, which the importer has to pay) have all created a difficult financial picture for them to continue trying to surmount, let alone survive. We all read the headlines and understand these tough times for anyone in the food industry right now.
It’s not going to be the same at Christmas without their olio nuovo pick-up party and Loison panettone, and I love their Granoro pastas and many beautiful olives and salts and Lauretana water! One small silver lining with all of this is they have found a distributor with a similar philosophy and appreciation for quality ingredients: Savory Gourmet in Los Angeles. While the new owner (Charles Gauguin) is French, the company carries Italian ingredients, and should be taking on some of Casa de Case’s products, like their Molino Pasini flours that so many chefs depend upon. Savory Gourmet is going to open a NorCal operation, and will be taking on Joe Nutter and Ryan Wall from the Casa de Case sales team, so at least there’s a continuation of the Casa de Case legacy and community here in the Bay Area. Nutter tells me Gauguin is very passionate about quality and chef collaboration.
They’re also holding a final 50-percent-off sale, so anything you can still find in stock on their site is available at a crazy discount. Please help them clear the shelves so they have less to worry about. I managed to buy their fantastic Granoro spaghetti ristoranti, a couple jars of ’nduja di Spilinga (it’s great to have in the fridge and scoop into dishes, eggs, soups, and sauces), and their Calvi pesto Genovese D.O.P. Their Cavedoni vinegars are so special. And if I had a place to store it, I’d totally snag a leg of top-notch prosciutto (half-off, people!).
Take a look at all their products here—the 50-percent discount is automatically applied when you check out. Parcel shipping available (standard rates apply; free shipping on orders over $100). Warehouse pickup (2190 Cesar Chavez) is available Fri–Sat from 12pm–5pm only this Sept. 19th–20th and Sept. 26th–27th and then that’s it.
Here’s their farewell note: “From our family to yours, thank you for welcoming us into your homes. It has been an honor to share these carefully selected ingredients with you and to be part of your meals, traditions, and everyday moments. Saying goodbye is not easy, but we will always carry your support in our hearts and remember the joy of providing for your culinary needs. With gratitude, Arrivederci e tante grazie e amore, ~The Casa de Case Team.”
With love and mille grazie to the Cases for sharing their love and passion and good taste for all things Italian. We are all so sorry to say, “arrivederci” to their special company.
A Farewell and a New Project from the Owner of Khan Toke Thai House
A longtime tablehopper reader and friend tipped me off that Khan Toke Thai House owner Nuttarat Pornkanjanavong is opening a new project called Rice & Shine in the former La Vie on Geary. Pornkanjanavong recently closed the iconic Khan Toke Thai House, after being open for 50 years in the Outer Richmond (at 5937 Geary Blvd.). It had such a stunning wood-paneled dining room, where you would famously leave your shoes at the entrance, and have your legs dangle under wood tables in special footwells while you sat on red pillows. It was one of our city’s most beautiful rooms, a favorite for group dinners and birthdays, and was open since 1976.
In her farewell note on Instagram (first noted by SFGATE), Pornkanjanavong said, “After much consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to downsize our restaurant as our current lease has come to an end. Combined with today’s economic challenges, we’ve realized this location is no longer the right fit for our future. However, this change allows us to refocus on serving you a wider variety of foods in a more efficient setting. While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to this space, we’re excited for this new chapter and the opportunity to continue sharing our passion for food in a fresh way. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your loyalty and support over the decades. Your patronage has meant the world to us, and we sincerely hope you’ll join us at our new place soon. Stay tuned for updates—we can’t wait to welcome you back!”
As for the new venture, true to its name, Rice & Shine will be serving breakfast and brunch (both Thai and American, like a Thai egg skillet), and Thai cuisine, including grilled items, noodles, curries, salads, and more (Khan Toke’s massaman curry and pad Thai recipe, which dates back 50 years, will both be coming over), and they will serve beer and wine. They hope to open in a couple weeks, depending upon their upcoming health inspections. Hours will be daily 10am–10pm. Stand by for more. 5830 Geary Blvd. at 22nd Ave.
Jane on Third Now Open at SFMOMA
Baklava Seems to Be SF’s Hottest New Item, and Here’s a New Café in the Haight Making It
A New Happy Hour Launches at Empress by Boon
A couple months ago, sis and I had a sunset dinner at Empress by Boon in Chinatown, and really enjoyed our cocktails off their extensive list. There’s now a daily happy hour, so you can enjoy the view and stunning bar and tea lounge over more-affordable bites and drinks from 4:30pm–6:30pm.
Beverages include $10 wine by the glass (white or red), $5 Tsing Tao, fleur sangria (baiju, wine, elderflower liquor, black currant, ginger ale, rosemary; $10), and two of the cocktails we enjoyed: Sing You a Song (fino sherry, dry vermouth, Suze, orange bitters) or Honey Bee (Tanqueray gin, Suze, lemon, honey, rosemary), both $15 each (instead of $21 and $19).
There are dumpling and dim sum-esque bites from chef Ho Chee Boon, like Beijing dumpling with homemade vinegar ($10), wasabi crispy tiger prawns with pineapple ($12), steamed shrimp and squid dumpling ($20–one of our favorite dishes from the tasting menu), and don’t miss the Guilin stir-fried quail served with pancake ($16). Mon–Sat 4:30pm–6:30pm. 838 Grant Ave.
the socialite
Tasty and Fun Food Events This Weekend
If you aren’t headed to Portola Festival this weekend and looking for a music-themed dinner, chef Shawn Phillips (Tartufino pop-up, Atelier Crenn, Saison) is hosting a nostalgic Earth, Wind, & Fire Stories from Home 12 pop-up on Saturday September 20th at Merkado in SoMa.
Five courses (confit onion, buckwheat, soubise; cacao agnolotti, grilled sweet breads, black walnut, porcini; frozen banana cremeux (caviar); lamb neck, crispy anchovy, bagna cauda; s’mores choco taco) for $125, including tax and gratuity, reserve on Resy. Craft cocktails by Rebecca Pinnell. Hip-hop, ’70s, and ’80s tracks by DJ Melodina Boogie. 130 Townsend St.
Another thing you can check out this Saturday is a new Mediterranean-themed weekly market from Off the Grid at the new Cityside Park on Treasure Island.
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