This week’s tablehopper: summer shorts. (free)

what’s cookin’

Hey, pals. How’re ya doin’ with the World Cup withdrawals? Up here in Tahoma (aka Stayhoma), the budding friendship between Fortuna and Chip continues to entertain me, and the joy of cooking summer produce on a grill cannot be understated—damn, I love having a grill. Riding my Mom’s vintage bike to the beach for my late afternoon dip is my favorite moment—it feels so good to be back in the saddle, and I’m glad my jenky knee isn’t acting up. 

One unfortunate thing is I have to make an unexpected early return to SF, so with my now-limited time up here to decompress, I’m keeping today’s column short on news (but long on history—wait until you read the archivist!).

Thanks for understanding this week’s summer hours: my soul needs more lake time, and less laptop time. (And the Wi-Fi keeps cutting out, so I’ll take it as a sign.) See you next week!

Chirp!
~Marcia

the chatterbox

Get Fired Up for the Opening of SAAM, Bringing Bold Thai Dishes from a Lauded Thai Chef with a Local Spin and Team

It’s always good to have something to return home to, and I’m excited to book a table at the newly opening SAAM, the first U.S. restaurant from chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, the Michelin-starred chef behind Bangkok’s (and The World’s 50 Best/Asia’s 50 Best) Le Du and Nusara.

The SF Chronicle reports the name means “three,” and joining chef Ton is chef de cuisine Ty Choosuwan (Prospect, Boulevard), and GM Tee Atthapon (chef-owner of Song Wat, and Kan Kiin in Daly City). I was impressed to see videos of chef Ton already shopping at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, but with the tie-in (I’m not going to make a pun here, I won’t!) with local Thai chefs, now it all makes sense.

Their upscale, regional Thai menu will highlight local and housemade ingredients. I’ve been watching some of the dishes roll out, like tiger prawns with shrimp paste and fava beans (okay, then!). Something that won’t be local: most dishes will reportedly be legit Thai hot, and not dialed down for American palates. Bring it on. SAAM is opening Friday July 24th in the former Thai Sun and Moon in China Basin (previously Koh Samui and the Monkey). Reservations are live and booking up. Open Tue–Sat 5pm–9pm. 415 Brannan St. at 3rd St.

Please Help Save the 91-Year-Old Tommaso’s, One of SF’s Most Inimitable and Irreplaceable Restaurants

We have a restaurant friend who could really use our help RIGHT NOW: Maureen Donegan, who recently took over the historic Tommaso’s (open since 1935). Mo has been trying to ride the waves of some recent setbacks (the joys of running a restaurant never end), and she could really use an assist right now. PLEASE HELP by donating, amplifying, and telling your rich friends who give a shit about San Francisco. It’s urgent. You can read more about the challenges she has been dealing with and why she’s on the brink of eviction in this SFGATE piece. I really hope this gets sorted ASAP.

From her GoFundMe that just went live on July 21st: “I never imagined I would have to ask for help like this. For almost two years, I have had the honor of stewarding Tommaso’s, one of San Francisco’s oldest family-owned restaurants and home to our beloved historic wood-fired oven. For 90 years, families, friends, neighbors, and visitors have gathered here to celebrate milestones and share everyday moments. Tommaso’s has never been just a restaurant—it is part of San Francisco’s heart. 

After surviving the pandemic, rising costs, equipment failures, inflation, and the many challenges facing independent restaurants, we have fallen behind on rent. We have now been served with a Three-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit, and without immediate help, Tommaso’s could close forever. 

We are asking our community to help us bring our rent current and give us a chance to stabilize the business. These funds will help us pay our past-due rent and keep our dedicated staff employed. If Tommaso’s has ever been part of your life—if you have celebrated here, shared a meal with loved ones, or believe San Francisco’s historic small businesses deserve to survive—I humbly ask for your support. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to keeping our doors open. If you cannot donate, please share this campaign with your friends, family, and social networks. That simple act could help save this special place. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in Tommaso’s, our staff, and the importance of preserving a piece of San Francisco’s history. My hope is that, together, we can keep the fire in our historic oven burning for generations to come.”

With gratitude, 
Maureen Donegan 
Steward, Tommaso’s Restaurant

Did you know the historic brick pizza oven was the first wood-fired pizza oven in the neighborhood, and reportedly the first on the West Coast?! (If you’re a supporting subscriber, you can read my former archivist piece about the storied location, which is where the Cantalupo family opened Lupo’s Famous Pizzeria and Neapolitan Restaurant in 1935.)

Please help support Tommaso’s, Mo needs our help. Donate. SIGNAL BOOST THE GOFUNDME. Tell your writer friends. Go get some pizza. Lasagna. Coo Coo clams. Bring your posse. Tip big. We can’t let things go down like this. Open Wed–Sun 5pm–9pm (until 10pm Fri–Sat). 1042 Kearny St. at Broadway.

Join A Dash Of This Saturday for an Exploratory Tasting of Summer Fruit and Salt

Are you enjoying summer produce as much as possible? You sure? Fresh off her recent trip to Greece (and full of inspiration from eating melons and tomatoes), salt maven and founder of A Dash Of, Dava Guthmiller, is hosting another one of her fascinating guided salt tastings at Blu Dot San Francisco this Saturday July 25th: Salt & Spice — Summer Fruit Tasting. You probably already know how a little salt can make a slice of watermelon really pop, but do you know which finishing salt really makes it sing? How about a little spice? Have you tried finishing salt on stone fruits, citrus, different kinds of melon, and berries? 

This Saturday’s guided tasting of six–eight salts will include spiced and infused varieties, paired with seasonal fruits. Get ready for lots of “wait, try this one” moments and great company. I love these tastings—you learn a bunch about salt (and your palate!) and it’s always an interesting group. Tickets are limited; $45. 2pm–3:30pm. Blu Dot Showroom, 99 Missouri St. at 17th St.

Can’t make it? The next A Dash Of tasting is Umami Hour — Salt, Tomatoes & the Fifth Flavor on Saturday September 19th.

the sponsor

Save on Tickets and Weekend Passes to the Coolest Indie Wine Event This Summer: UNFILTERED Is This Saturday and Sunday (July 25th–26th)

This weekend (July 25th–26th) is the greatly anticipated UNFILTERED wine festival, two days of extraordinary wine, food, music, and conversation at Donkey & Goat Winery in Berkeley. 

There will be 60+ of California’s most compelling indie winemakers—from the pioneers to the latest visionaries—pouring their craft wines (check the lineup of wines here!) over two days.

Saturday, July 25th

AmByth Estate, Analog Wine Co., Caleb Leisure, Clos Saron, Donkey & Goat, Driftwood Cottage, En Cavale, Feral Ecology, Forlorn Hope, Frenchtown Farms, Fres.co Wine, Ghostnote, Grenachista, Ian Brand Wines, Inter Tidal Wines, Iruai Wine, Joseph‑Jibril, Lula, Matt Crutchfield Wines, Onward Wines, Prima Materia, Reclamation Wines, Rootdown Cellars, Spur Road, Thee And Thou Wines, A Tribute to Grace, Unturned Stone, Vine Farm Ridge, Volta, Wonderwerk.

Sunday, July 26th

280 Project, Arcadian, Bedrock, Ellsworth Wines, Enfield, Etteilla Wines, Gondak Cellars, Haarmeyer Wine, Helia Wine Co., Hovik Wine, Mad Marvlus Wine, Madson Wines, Maison Des Plaisances, Minus Tide Wines, Native Bloom Winery, Newfound Wines, Ottavino Wines, Popelouchum Estate, Precedent, Ruby Blanca, Ruth Lewandowski, Ryme Cellars, Samuel Louis Smith, Schema Wines, Ser Wines, Stagiaire Wine, Trail Marker Wine, Virgo Magic, Ward Four.

Here’s what Alder Yarrow says in his latest post on Vinography: “These are all independent, vision-driven, high-integrity winemakers. Some are newcomers, others have been leading the way for decades. Some are unabashed natural winemakers, while many believe in the judicious use of sulfur dioxide. Regardless, there’s lots of tasty juice on offer during each day. In short, not a bad way to spend a couple of weekend afternoons!”

You’ll be able to purchase many wines that aren’t even available in stores, so you’re saving yourself the shipping cost from the wineries with your ticket.

And the panel programming is so cool, with topics I’ve never seen before, like: From Chad Hinds’ Psychic Terroir to Vinyl Listening Bars: Recentering the Experiential Value of Wine Through Music, and The Lodi Effect: How Did Lodi Become a Hotbed for Creativity in Wine?

Add in delish food from local makers, music, and great people, and this isn’t just a tasting—it’s a full-on wine community gathering over the entire weekend.

tablehopper subscribers get 20% off tickets with code TABLEHOPPER20.

Thanks for sharing this post and spreading the word to your wine lovin’ friends so they don’t miss this stellar event. 🥂 By combining educational seminars with the largest gathering of independent wineries in Berkeley’s history, UNFILTERED seeks not merely to educate consumers, but to reshape demand—giving independent producers the visibility they deserve and inviting restaurants, retailers, and wine bars to champion the extraordinary wines being made in their own backyard.

July 25th–26th, 2026
Donkey & Goat Winery
1340 5th Street Berkeley

Day pass: $65; Weekend pass: $95
tablehopper subscribers receive 20% off early-bird tickets with code TABLEHOPPER20

For tickets, participating wineries, and the full schedule, visit: donkeyandgoat.com/unfiltered.

the archivist

From Showtunes to Topless Trapeze, the Gomans Had It All

By Francesca Gasparini

Supporting subscribers are reading a fantastic archivist piece about Goman’s Gay 90’s (and 60’s), the topless craze on Broadway, the Barbary Coast, the International Settlement, the Putnam sculptures, and more.

Becoming a supporting subscriber not only helps fund the ever-growing tablehopper collection of vintage ephemera, but also the time to research and tell the fascinating stories behind these pieces and places.