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Subscribe to tablehopper and discover why it’s a must-read, insider newsletter for anyone who lives to eat in San Francisco, for 19 years and counting. Every Tuesday, columnist and curator Marcia Gagliardi serves up the latest SF Bay Area restaurant and bar news, events, culture tips, travel guides, and more.

The Regular

Ino Sushi

I think many of us must secretly like masochistic dining and drinking experiences. How else to explain the popularity of Bruno the "Martini Nazi," the former owner and bartender at Aub Zam Zam in the Haight? (RIP Bruno--in my mind, the tables will always be closed.) And…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 25, 2008

The Chatterbox

August 19, 2008

Folks have been wondering what exactly ~CHARLES PHAN~ is opening in the SOMA Grand. Well, the answer is: something new. The yet-to-be-named restaurant is a 3,500-square-foot space, and is made up of two areas divided by cuisine, décor, and a curtain: one part is…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 19, 2008

The Lush

August 19, 2008

Bummed with this B.S. weather? (I feel ya.) Free for some BBQ tomorrow? (I wish I was!) Orson is hosting a ~SQUARE ONE VODKA & SUMMER BBQ DINNER~ this Wednesday August 20th. The three-course menu with paired cocktails includes Hog Island oyster with smoked corn and cucumber, and…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 19, 2008

The Starlet

August 19, 2008

A tablehopper reader spotted Aisha Tyler (from 24, CSI, Friends, and others) with a bunch of friends at Sotto Mare in North Beach last night. Now this is what I call a star sighting, whoa: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel visited Bourbon & Branch last Friday. They took a full…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 19, 2008

What’s Cookin’

August 19, 2008

What can I say, Tahoe was a total dreamscape of sunny weather, cool water, fresh air, and some pretty good home cookin’, if I don’t say so myself. But this is why my life is just ridiculous: here I am, trying to take it easy and be all low-…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 18, 2008

The Socialite

A Food Affaire

This year’s Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) event, titled ~A FOOD AFFAIRE~, will feature over twenty chefs showcasing aphrodisiac-inspired cuisine (the event was formerly called Toast of the Town). Participating chefs and restaurants include Mark Gordon, Terzo; Richard Corbo, Ducca; Joey Altman, Miss Pearl’s Jam House; Bruce…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 18, 2008

The Socialite

Slow Food Dinners

Slow Food Nation is on its way, and for those who aren’t heading off to Burning Man (waaaaah!), there are some really cool ~SLOW FOOD DINNERS~ happening all over the Bay Area, benefitting a variety of very worthy organizations. One that caught my eye is the Orson event on…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 18, 2008

The Regular

Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery

Oh lord, did I just take a hit of acid? Did someone sprinkle some Acapulco Gold in my salad? Are you sure those were just morels? I'm feeling funny. Why am I giggling? Actually, there's a very good reason: I'm just cruising through MAGNOLIA…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 18, 2008

The Chatterbox

August 12, 2008

This weekend was definitely an emotional one, because a favorite San Francisco restaurant, a food and wine institution, really, closed its doors this Saturday. ~RUBICON~, after 14 years of entertaining us, wining and dining us, educating us, and enchanting us, is no more. There are a number of reasons why…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 12, 2008

The Lush

August 12, 2008

Yesterday I popped by to check out ~MINI BAR~ in the Western Addition, a project I’ve been excited to have opening in the ’hood. It’s an intimate spot, but hey, at least it lives up to its name. The owners are really keen to cater to folks in…

Marcia Gagliardi • Aug 12, 2008