Martín Castillo immigrated from Peru with one goal in mind: soccer.

He was 19 years old, barely spoke English and had no family living in the Bay Area. Yet his passion for soccer compelled him to leave Lima, his parents and four younger siblings to try out for the pro team that would later become the San Jose Earthquakes.

“We came (to the Bay Area) with a conviction of trying to change things for us, so it came with a vision for all of us to pursue a career, pursue a dream,” said Antonio Castillo, Martín’s younger brother, who immigrated from Peru more than two years after Martín to also pursue a Major League Soccer career. “Soccer didn’t work out, so we started working on the next. We are here right now with a new dream, and the hard work is still happening.”

The new dream began in 2002 when Martín, Antonio and Eduardo Castillo opened a Peruvian restaurant in San Francisco. They named it Limón, which translates to “lime,” to pay homage to a staple ingredient in Peruvian cuisine and to their hometown of Lima. Limón has since expanded to Walnut Creek, Oakland, Burlingame and, now, Mountain View. As a testament to its influence in the Bay Area, late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee declared Oct. 25 Limón Day in 2011.

The downtown Mountain View location opened its doors last month at 800 California St., at the corner of Castro Street. It was nearly three years in the making, according to the Castillos, largely due to the lengthy permit process.

Band of brothers

The Castillo brothers’ journey to success wasn’t easy.

“Leaving my house in the beginning was hard,” Martín said. “At one point … I wasn’t sure I was going to stay because here I was by myself, barely speaking English.”

But when Martín learned his brother Antonio was also joining him in the Bay Area, he knew he would stay. And a few years after Antonio arrived, their brother Eduardo joined as well.

“I was a dishwasher, a janitor,” Antonio said. “My brothers were cooks, bussers, bar backs.”

And on weekends, the brothers continued to play soccer recreationally. After the games, it became a tradition for the players to come over to the brothers’ house in Daly City for a feast. The brothers prepared dishes inspired by their mom’s cooking, with techniques they picked up working in American restaurants.

“In our house, our mom was the chef of the family,” Antonio recalled. “Every large event that we had, my mom was always the one who made the food and created a menu. She was a really great, creative cook. So, since we were little kids, we were introduced to the cuisine and the flavors without knowing it.”

The after-soccer gatherings gained traction, becoming larger and more elaborate. Guests suggested the Castillo brothers start their own restaurant, noting that quality Peruvian food was hard to come by in San Francisco.

They soon opened Limón in a small space of approximately 25 seats on 17th Street in San Francisco. And it was a hit.

“A lot of our menu is inspired by our childhood,” Martín said. “The flavors are what we grew up with, and that’s what we try to do here. We like to play with the food. We collaborate on ideas. That’s how we come up with something unique.”

Much of the menu at Limón is inspired by the owners’ childhood.

Adrienne Mitchel/Town Crier

Limón serves modernized versions of traditional Peruvian food. Many of Limón’s dishes use chimichurri, a bright and herbaceous Argentinian sauce. The plating for Limón’s Arroz con Mariscos, or “rice with seafood,” is inspired by Spanish paella. And Limón even incorporates crispy calamari into ceviche in its dish called Carretillero Travieso.

When asked what it’s like to be in business with his two brothers for more than 20 years, Antonio said, with a laugh, “I mean, we haven’t killed each other.” He went on to explain that the three brothers have complementary talents.

“Martín is the brain and the creative in the kitchen, I run the dining room and the numbers, and Eduardo is in the kitchen also being right next to him,” Antonio said. “We are super invested in the business. We are our own first critics. We’ve been learning from ourselves for the past 20 years.”

Mom’s influence

Most of all, the brothers attribute their success to their mom, Luz.

“Our mom is the person who inspired us to be here today,” Martín said. “We have some items on the menu that were inspired by her. Who we are today is because of our mom. Learning, working, dedication, cooking skills are all from our mom, watching our mom, learning from our mom.”

And if patrons are lucky, they might even run into Luz at one of Limón’s locations.

“Sometimes she shows up,” Martín said. “Sometimes she still comes and jumps behind the kitchen. Our mom is a big part of our success.”

The Castillo brothers said they look forward to the opening of their seventh Limón location, anticipated in November or December in Redwood City.

The post Transferring to Bay Space to play soccer, Peruvian brothers change course and open eating places, the newest in Mountain View | Enterprise appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Are you looking for a more modern Chinese restaurant? Mamahuhu has a fun and relaxed atmosphere complemented by a contemporary menu that blends American and Chinese flavors and methods. Sourcing sustainable ingredients is a top priority at Mamahuhu to ensure guests can be confident about where their food is coming from.

The crisp coleslaw is a refreshing, light, and lively appetizer, but the tomato-garlic chow mein can also serve as a shared appetizer if you’re in the mood for something heartier. However, the house specialties are just the ticket. There are even a few vegetarian options, like the mushroom mapo tofu, which plant-based diners will love. Also, be sure to end your meal with some Boba soft serve.

The post 20 Finest Chinese language Eating places In San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

„Fragen Sie jeden Taxifahrer in der Stadt, wo es den besten Burger gibt, und er würde Clown Alley sagen – und sie würden uns meinen“, sagte Bill Pailhe, Gastronom aus San Francisco, 1994 gegenüber Reportern. „Aber manchmal gingen die Leute in die andere. ”

In den meisten Städten gibt es keinen Late-Night-Burger-Laden im Stil eines Zirkuszeltes, in dem sich Clowns schminken. Aber eine Zeit lang gab es in San Francisco zwei. Die Rivalität zwischen den beiden Clown Alleys der Stadt, die 2 Meilen voneinander entfernt auf beiden Seiten des Russian Hill liegen, dauerte drei Jahrzehnte und endete mit drohenden Rechtsstreitigkeiten und einem Erdbeben.

Es begann im Jahr 1962, als der überlebensgroße Geschäftsinhaber Enrico Banducci aus North Beach an einer ungewöhnlich aussehenden Tankstelle an der Ecke Columbus und Jackson vorbeifuhr. „Was für ein großartiger Hamburgerstand das wäre“, bemerkte sein Passagier und Freund Morgan Montague.

Das farbenfrohe Schild zur Clown Alley im Stadtteil North Beach in San Francisco.

Thomas Hawk über Flickr CC 2.0

Innerhalb weniger Monate eröffneten Montague und Banducci an derselben Stelle den ersten Hamburgerstand in der Clown Alley. Das dreieckige Café und die Außenterrasse am Rande der Partyszene von North Beach wurden zu einem überaus beliebten Treffpunkt bis spät in die Nacht nach dem Cocktailtrinken.

Die Hütte war eines der wenigen Nachtlokale der Stadt, und innerhalb eines Jahres eröffneten die Partner eine zweite Clown Alley an der Ecke Lombard und Divisadero.

Banducci war kein Unbekannter im Nachtleben und hatte den Nachtclub Hungry I im Keller des inzwischen abgerissenen I-Hotels in der Jackson Street zu einem landesweit bekannten Hotspot gemacht. Dieser Club trug dazu bei, die Karrieren von Woody Allen, Bill Cosby und Barbra Streisand zu starten, bevor er 1970 seinen Standort wechselte und schloss. (Der Stripclub Hungry I am Broadway, der 2019 geschlossen wurde, trug denselben Namen, war aber nie im Besitz von Banducci.) Der Impresario gründete auch den legendären North Beach-Treffpunkt Enrico’s am Broadway.

Außerhalb des Nachtclubs Hungry I in San Francisco, als Bob Newhart und die Gateway Singers in den 1960er Jahren auftreten sollten.

Bildparade/Getty Images

Der Columbus-Standort Clown Alley wurde von einem Mann namens Alfred Pailhe geleitet, und sein Sohn Bill begann im Alter von 14 Jahren, dort Burger zu wenden.

Banducci, den der Examiner einst als „das Monster, das North Beach verschlang“ beschrieb, war allen Berichten zufolge ein sprunghafter Charakter.

„Enrico war exzentrisch. Er konnte Konzertgeige spielen, aber nur, wenn er verrückt war. Aber er war in finanziellen Angelegenheiten sehr schlecht“, sagte Bill Pailhe, jetzt in seinen 70ern, gegenüber SFGATE. „Er hatte ein Flugzeug, das er nicht fliegen konnte, und einen Piloten, der rund um die Uhr erreichbar war. Er hatte ein Segelboot in Sausalito, das nie das Dock verließ.“

Diese Unbeständigkeit zwischen den beiden Partnern beendete ihre Clown-Partnerschaft fast gleich zu Beginn, und 1964 waren die Clown Alleys zwei getrennte Einheiten und Rivalen, wobei Montague den Standort Lombard leitete und Banducci den Besitz des Standorts Columbus an Pailhe übergab einige Schulden begleichen, sagt Pailhe. Und nicht lange nachdem er das College verlassen hatte, leitete Bill das Lokal selbst.

„Ich habe jemanden dieses riesige Clown-Wandbild an die Rückwand malen lassen. Auf allem waren Clowns zu sehen“, sagt Pailhe.

Clown Alley, 42 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, ca. 1964.

Öffentliche Bibliothek von San Francisco

Wandbild „Clown Alley“.

Jane K. über Yelp

Clowngasse

Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley

Clowngasse

Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley

(Bilder über die San Francisco Public Library und mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley)
(Bilder über die San Francisco Public Library und mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley)

Dieses Wandgemälde war ein unvergesslicher Anblick – im Vordergrund ragte ein 1,80 Meter großer, trauriger Clown auf, der über die Gäste wachte.

„Ich wusste damals nicht, dass so viele Menschen Angst vor ihnen hatten und es nicht mochten“, lacht er. „Aber ich wollte den Namen nie ändern.“

Die Stadtkolumnisten Herb Caen und Jeff Jarvis waren Stammgäste am Columbus-Burgerstand, der bald zu einer echten und beliebten Institution in San Francisco wurde.

„Es war der beste flammgegrillte Burger der Stadt“, sagt Pailhe. „Mein Vater war gut mit Herb Caen befreundet, also bekamen wir auch gute Werbung.“

Caen erwähnte seinen Lieblings-Burger-Laden im Laufe der Jahre mindestens 30 Mal, obwohl sich der angesehene Kolumnist darüber beschwerte, dass der „fußlange“ Hotdog im Alley nur 10 Zoll lang war.

Alle schwärmten von der Clown Alley.

Clown Alley-Menü

Thomas Hawk über Flickr CC 2.0

„Die Leute standen auf der Straße Schlange, um Burger vom Flammengrill zu bekommen“, schrieb Yelper Thomas B.. „Wenn der Typ vom Grill etwa zehn Leute anlockte, schrie man laut, was man wollte.“

In den 60er Jahren, als Fast Food auf dem Vormarsch war, erklärte Peter Bakker, ein Prominenter und Stadtmensch aus San Francisco, gegenüber Reportern, er „verabscheue“ Convenience-Restaurants, machte aber für Clown Alley in Columbus eine Ausnahme.

Das Lokal wurde sogar vom angesehenen Stadtrestaurantkritiker Jonathan Eddy gelobt. In einer vernichtenden Kritik über San Franciscos berühmtes Feinschmeckerlokal Jack’s sagte Eddy, dass er von dem erstklassigen Essen so unerfüllt war, dass er anschließend in die vertrauenswürdige Clown Alley ging, um sich einen Hamburger zu holen.

Da es eines der wenigen 24-Stunden-Restaurants in der Stadt ist, kam ein Großteil des Geschäfts von der Late-Night-Szene im berühmten Club auf der anderen Straßenseite.

„The Hungry I war einer der bekanntesten Nachtclubs in den gesamten USA. Und als die Show zu Ende war, kamen alle in die Clown Alley“, sagt Pailhe und fügt hinzu, dass er sich daran erinnert, Barbra Streisand getroffen zu haben, bevor sie berühmt wurde. „Bill Cosby schickte mir immer Weihnachtsgeschenke“, sagt er. Eine Geschichte im Examiner besagt, dass Streisand gelegentlich sogar in der Küche half. Tagsüber kam der berühmte Anwalt Melvin Belli mit seinen drei Miniatur-Windhunden vorbei und las eine Zeitung, während andere ihren Kater bei einem Cheeseburger und Kaffee stillten.

Der bekannte San Francisco-Anwalt Melvin Belli in der Clown Alley, etwa 1964.

Gary Stevens über CC 2.0

Das Geschäft bei 42 Columbus lief gut. „Die Miete war so niedrig, dass die Jukebox dafür bezahlt wurde“, sagt Pailhe.

Unterdessen hatte Montagues Standort in der Lombardei einen weniger hervorragenden Ruf. Ein Einheimischer beschrieb die Burger gegenüber dem Examiner als „gut … wenn man hungert“.

Das Ambiente auf dem Columbus war kitschig, aber cool, mit seinen roten Vinylhockern, dem kreisförmigen Cartoon-ähnlichen Schild, das über dem gläsernen Dreiecksgebäude schwebte, und der sonnigen Außenterrasse.

Auf der anderen Seite der Stadt hatte der Standort Lombard ein grelles Interieur mit Neontischen und einer Terrasse, die ein Rezensent aufgrund des dichten Verkehrs von der Golden Gate Bridge als „smog“ bezeichnete.

„Übergroßes, dünnes Pastetchen, das gleichzeitig trocken und fettig ist“, schrieb ein Chronicle-Reporter über den Lombard-Spot. „Es ist noch ein langer Weg. Meine Finger rochen stundenlang nach fettigem Hamburger, selbst nachdem ich mir die Hände gewaschen hatte.“ In dieser Überprüfung wurde unbedingt erwähnt, dass sich der Standort Columbus in einem anderen Besitz befand.

Columbus Avenue und Washington Street in San Francisco im Jahr 1965.

Thomas Hawk über Flickr CC 2.0

Eines der wenigen Male, bei denen das Restaurant Lombard in der Zeitung erwähnt wurde, war, als bekannt wurde, dass der berüchtigte Drogendealer Stephen Green aus San Francisco das Münztelefon der Clown Alley benutzte, um Kokain zu verkaufen. Es machte erneut Schlagzeilen, als ein Mann namens „Dr. Sex“ wurde dort wegen Vergewaltigungsvorwürfen festgenommen. (Zur Verteidigung des Standorts Lombard Street muss man sagen, dass heute niemand da ist, der für seinen Ruf spricht.)

„Zu diesem Zeitpunkt konnten wir ihnen den Namen nicht mehr nehmen“, sagt Pailhe. Er habe sogar versucht, sein Restaurant in „Original“ Clown Alley umzubenennen, um die Restaurants von anderen abzuheben, sagt er.

Trotz seines trüben Rufs blieb das Restaurant in der Lombard Street 30 Jahre lang irgendwie beschäftigt. (Es erschien auch in einer Folge von „The Streets of San Francisco“, der TV-Show, die Michael Douglas berühmt machte.)

„Montague hatte das Recht, den Namen zu verwenden, das konnte ich nicht ändern. Sie lebten von unserer guten Publicity“, sagt Pailhe. „Touristen dachten, es sei derselbe Ort, aber die Qualität war nicht die gleiche. Es lief nicht gut. Es war nicht auf Augenhöhe.“

Erst nach Montagues Tod im Jahr 1992 konnte Pailhe die alleinige Verwendung des Namens als Marke schützen lassen, eine Wendung der Ereignisse, die vielleicht nicht überraschend zur Schließung des Lombard-Ladens führte.

In einem Examiner-Bericht aus dem Jahr 1994, in dem der Untergang der Hütte angekündigt wurde, beschrieb die Zeitung die Beziehung zwischen den Hütten als eine „30-jährige Fehde“. Berichten zufolge hatte Pailhe mit Klagen gedroht.

Der Manager einer nahe gelegenen Druckerei in Marina sagte, es seien nicht die mittelmäßigen Burger oder gar der Name gewesen, sondern das Erdbeben in Loma Pietra im Jahr 1989, das wahrscheinlich das Schicksal der Lombard Street Clown Alley besiegelte. „Seit dem Beben gibt es hier nicht mehr viel Fußgängerverkehr“, sagte Patrick Wong der Zeitung. „Niemand geht die Straße entlang.“

Ein Blick auf Original Buffalo Wings an der Ecke Lombard Street und Divisadero Avenue, das etwa 1994 den zweiten Standort in der Clown Alley ersetzte.

Bild von Yelp-Benutzer Luke C

Nach der Schließung im Jahr 1994 wurde der Lombard-Standort zum New Yorker Buffalo Wings – es ist auch heute noch ein beliebter Wings-Standort.

Die aufregenden Tage des Restaurants in der Columbus Street schienen 1996 vorbei zu sein, als es geschlossen wurde und in ein Fischrestaurant umgewandelt wurde. An seinem letzten Tag lief eine Reihe von Kunden um den Block, um ein letztes Mal auf den roten Hockern Platz zu nehmen und Milchshakes und Burger zu trinken. Eine dramatische Geschichte in der Zeitung lautete: „Clown Alley ist tot“, und die neuen Besitzer versprachen, den Clown Alley-Cheeseburger auf der Speisekarte zu behalten.

„Als ich 13 war, kam ich mit meinem Vater hierher, und meine Frau und ich kamen bei unserem ersten Date hierher“, erzählte ein Stammgast dem Chronicle. „Ich bin ein Burger-Experte und das sind die besten der Stadt.“

In einem anderen Bericht wurden einige Graffiti im Badezimmer mit der Aufschrift „Clown Alley Will Live 4ever“ festgestellt. Die Schmierereien hatten vielleicht Schicksal – nur zwei Jahre später wurde die Fischhütte geschlossen und Clown Alley wurde von Pailhe wiederbelebt. Es servierte weitere 11 Jahre lang Burger.

Clowngasse

Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley

Clowngasse

Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley

(Bilder mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley)
(Bilder mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Clown Alley)

Das Clown Alley schloss schließlich 2009 zum letzten Mal seine Pforten, als es zum Tapas-Restaurant Bask wurde. Einige Jahre nach seiner Schließung veröffentlichte die Facebook-Seite Lost San Francisco ein cooles Schwarzweißfoto des Restaurants aus dem Jahr 1964, auf dem Veteranen der Swinging-Szene in San Francisco der 60er Jahre ihre Erinnerungen an die Clown Alley austauschten.

„Früher gab es in der Clown Alley nach Stunden nichts Besseres als einen dicken, fetten Chili-Cheese-Burger“, schrieb Kraig Kilby.

„Ich war schon oft dort, nachdem ich Konzerte im Purple Onion gegeben habe“, kommentierte Folksänger Chuck Cline. „Tolle Burger und Shakes.“

Bask entfernte die Clowns, baute ein Dach über der Terrasse und verzeichnete gute Geschäfte im 42 Columbus, bis es dieses Jahr, wie so viele Unternehmen in San Francisco in letzter Zeit, seine Schließung ankündigte.

Leider bedeutet der Leerstand nicht, dass es in Zukunft auch nur Platz für eine einzige Clown Alley geben wird. Das vietnamesische Restaurant Sai’s, das derzeit einen Block entfernt in Washington liegt, wird später in diesem Jahr an den berühmten Ort ziehen.

Mehr als 60 Jahre, seit er begann, in der Alley Burger zu wenden, hat Pailhe sehr gute Erinnerungen an die Blütezeit der Clown Alley.

„Bis heute treffe ich Leute, die zufällig die Clown Alley erwähnen, und sie sagen: ‚Oh Gott, wir sind immer dorthin gegangen, nachdem wir in der Stadt zum Feiern waren‘“, sagt Pailhe. „‚Wir haben dort auf dem Heimweg immer Halt gemacht.‘“

The post The 30-year feud between two San Francisco clown eating places appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

As the summer season approaches, guests traveling to the mid-coast will have two new restaurants available to indulge their inner Francophile, each showcasing a different style of cuisine from the European country.

La Cave in Camden opened in May and focuses on French bistro fare like snail and duck fat fries with garlic aioli. Alsace in Union will open this summer and will have a stronger meat and potato approach from the North East region of France.

Both are new to the Mid Coast.

Jennifer Roux, co-owner of the new Alsace, said the restaurant’s menu will reflect Alsace’s unique cuisine, which has strong German influences. Dishes may include sauerkraut, red cabbage, potatoes, sausages, spaetzle, and more.

“I think people think of French food as very fancy, difficult to understand and inaccessible. It’s going to be very inviting,” said Roux.

Alsace will also serve tarte flambee, a regional specialty consisting of very thinly rolled bread dough covered with crème fraîche, thinly sliced ​​onions and bacon, Roux said. The restaurant has experimented with several possible toppings, including Maine blueberries and one with leeks, mushrooms, onions, and bacon. Traditionally, the dish was also used to test how quickly the dough crisped up and how the wood-fired oven heated up.

“They ate this tarte flambee as a treat with whatever they got from the garden,” Roux said. “It’s a really nice tradition from rural Alsace.”

At La Cave in Camden, bistro cuisine represents a different style of French cuisine. The menu features dishes like salmon tartare with avocado and citrus on crunchy green plantain chips, and a rocket salad with goat cheese, Morse’s beet relish, roasted pine nuts and avocado, and snails dressed with garlic, butter and parsley.

“I spoke to every customer and everyone said the food was amazing. And we’re now known around town for probably the best mussels in Camden, which is incredible,” said Ben Toussaint, who owns the restaurant with Will Statz and Devon Morris.

La Cave mussels are served with a creamy white wine sauce, aromatic herbs and spices.

Also of note is the French onion soup — the restaurant calls it Wood Fired Onion Soup Au Gratin. The beef broth cooks in their wood-fired oven for 48 hours, developing so much flavor, Toussaint said. The soup is topped with traditional Gruyere cheese.

“The flavors are just original and really, really bold and incredible,” said Toussaint.

The bistro serves what Toissaint calls “French portions,” which are smaller than typical American portions. The dishes are meant for sharing.

Alsace cuisine is overseen by Jennifer Roux’s husband, Fabrice Roux, a French Champagne chef who trained in Paris before working in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Together they owned three restaurants in California before moving to Maine. This will be their first restaurant in Maine.

Jennifer Roux said she sees similarities between Maine and the Alsace region, both located in the northeast of their respective countries.

“We like the food that isn’t fancy, even though he comes from a very ritzy professional background,” said Jennifer Roux. “The food we like is often classified as farm food, like the food your grandmother makes for you.”

Alsace will open sometime this summer once a staff is in place. The restaurant is currently hiring kitchen staff. They hope to offer an al fresco lunch service with daily specials in the meantime.

La Cave is open seven days a week and often features live jazz music, which the restaurant hopes to continue into the summer season. On Wednesdays they serve a limited menu – until the staff is fully trained. The other six days there is a full menu from 5pm to 10pm and a smaller bar menu from 10pm to 12:30pm.

Chef Elizabeth Toussaint, Ben Toussaint’s ex-wife, is at the helm of the kitchen.

“She attended one of the best cooking schools in Colombia, where she’s from, and has since worked at several restaurants in Colombia and New Jersey, including a few years at Primo in Rockland,” said Ben Toussaint.

More articles from the BDN

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This is a list of the Bay Area’s most notable restaurant and bar openings, with new updates published once a week. Did we miss something great? Please, drop us a line.

March 28

FISHERMAN’S WHARF — If a three-story alter to sugar sounds like your thing, then be glad to hear popular candy brand It’Sugar is opening a flagship store at 145 Jefferson Street, San Francisco Business Times reports. Expect 30,000 square feet of sweets in the former Rainforest Cafe and Lefty O’Douls space. There will also be a “San Francisco-themed Lollipop Garden” and a section devoted to specialty Asian candies like Pocky, Hi-Chew, and … Top Ramen. The store is set to open at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 31.

SUNSET — Say ‘ahoy!’ to Bearing West, a new bar and restaurant in the Sunset. Located at 2325 Taraval Street, the recently opened spot is nautically themed, with a seafood menu offering a mix of raw bar items such as an $89 Sutro Tower with a mix of oysters, clams, and prawns, plus cioppino, fish and chips, and clam chowder. On the drinks side, the bar offers a mix of beer, wine, and sake, as well as six specialty cocktails.

CIVIC CENTER — The Asian Art Museum finally has a new operator for its cafe since Sundays at the Museum closed in late July after four years. Asian Box, the local mini-chain offering dishes such as six-spice chicken and yellow coconut curry over rice, is set to open inside the cafe space on Friday, March 31, the San Francisco Standard reports.

BERKELEY — The long-awaited bagel factory from Boichik Bagels is finally open, about 18 months after owner Emily Winston first announced plans for the 18,000-square-foot space. The menu will be practically identical to other Boichik Bagel locations but will feature windows to catch an up-close look at the bagel robot in action, along with indoor and outdoor seating for customers to enjoy their bagels and coffee.

BERKELEY — Homeroom, the restaurant dedicated to all things mac and cheese, opened its newest location in the Gilman District of North Berkeley. The new outpost is at 1313 Ninth Street, Suite 130, located in the small food complex next door to Thai restaurant Funky Elephant and Philz Coffee.

EMERYVILLE — Oakland’s Arthur Mac’s Tap and Snack is opening an Emeryville outpost, this one named Arthur Mac’s Little Snack, the E’ville Eye reports. There will be pizza by the slice (or whole), along with hot wings, french fries, and root beer floats, the Mercury News further reports. Local craft beers are on tap, as well as ciders, wine, and cocktails.

Coho

MILL VALLEY — Coho is the newest restaurant in Mill Valley, a sustainable seafood spot from the family behind Piazza D’Angelo in Mill Valley, and Healdsburg’s Spoonbar and Dry Creek Kitchen. The kitchen is helmed by chef David Kornell, who’s worked in New York at Xaviars on Piermont, Cafe Gray, and Blue Ribbon Restaurant group. The new restaurant, located at 106 Throckmorton Avenue, also received an interior update from design studio Roy.

NAPA — Wine Girl Napa Valley is a new wine bar dropping in — you guessed it — Napa, with “delightfully chic interiors with Instagram-worthy backdrops,” according to a press release. This is the first Bay Area location for the wine bar, which first launched in Scottsdale, Arizona. Located at 1321 First Street, Suite A, in Napa, the new bar will offer wine and Champagne by the glass and bottle, as well as bites and pizza.

WOODSIDE — The Mountain House, that roadside restaurant nestled amongst the redwoods in Woodside, is finally back open, the Daily Journal reports. The 100-year-old space is now run by chef and partner Dmitry Elperin and chef Will Roberts, serving what Roberts calls “country coastal cuisine” with game, venison, quail, and sustainable trout on the menu.

March 21

MISSION — If you’re looking for a different style of sourdough bread, Fox and Lion is more than ready to oblige. The long-running bread operation serves French-style sourdough made with a pre-ferment levain that’s already gained baker Xan Devoss a devoted following. Now, she’s moving the bakery into its first permanent location at 3350 18th Street, opening on Wednesday, March 29.

LOWER PAC HEIGHTS — Mattina, the casual cafe from SPQR’s Matt Accarrino, is (partially) open as of this last weekend and already serving breakfast items to the public. There are plans to expand hours at its official April 1 opening — it is an all-day cafe, after all — but in the meantime, locals can snag an early sample of the breakfast offerings by following the cafe on Instagram for the latest morning hours.

EMBARCADERO — La Mar Cocina Peruana is set to relaunch La Mar Bar with an updated new look. Reopening Thursday, March 23, visitors can expect to sip on a wide variety of pisco while listening to live music, and snacking on shareable plates in the newly renovated space.

INNER RICHMOND — Fresh pasta fanatics will find their kindred spirits shopping at Pasta Supply Co., the retail shop-slash-restaurant from chef Anthony Strong, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The shop side of the operation will open as of March 25, selling all manners of pasta and sauce in its deli case. The restaurant side, however, is expected to launch in mid-April.

SACRAMENTO — Brunch lovers near the Capitol might want to take note: breakfast and lunch spot Kitchen15 opened at 1630 K Street with breakfast tacos, omelets, and (of course) mimosas, the Sacramento Bee reports.

March 14

SOMA — Dragon Horse is betting big on San Francisco’s late-night scene, opening March 8 with plans to serve food and drinks until the early (or, er, late) hour of 1 a.m. six days a week. It’s the latest project from the rapidly growing Mins Group, also behind Korean fine dining restaurant Suragan and the twin coffee and wine bars Dento. Dragon Horse takes over the former Izakaya Hon space and the cocktail list favors Asian flavors and ingredients such as a hot pot cordial, yuzu, and coconut oolong tea. The food leans Japanese; think gyoza, ramen, and sushi.

MARINA — As of late February, there’s a new option for breakfast burritos by day and Yucatan-style, sour orange-scented cochinita pibil by night. Las Mestizas opened at 2280 Chestnut Street, near the corner of Scott and Chestnut, after relocating from the Mission. Owner Fausto May says he’s excited to serve both Marina residents and the Yucateco people who work in the neighborhood.

MARINA — Come and get your fancy salads: As of March 14, Sweetgreen is open at 2040 Chestnut Street in the Marina. The fast-casual restaurant’s menu offers warm bowls, salads, and plates with proteins including either blackened or roasted chicken.

CASTRO — Los Amigos on Castro has taken over the high-profile former Castro Republic space at 2295 Market Street, near the intersection of Noe and 16 Streets, Hoodline reports. It’s a second outpost for the Mission District restaurant of the same name and serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, according to photos taken by Hoodline. The menus span everything from pupusas and cheeseburgers to chilaquiles and Greek salad.

EMERYVILLE — Shake Shack continues its takeover of the Bay Area burger scene with its 11th location in the area, at Bay Street in Emeryville. The new restaurant opens Thursday, March 16 and will serve the familiar menu of burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, shakes, and fries.

BERKELEY — The long-awaited Pizzeria da Laura, the first restaurant from Tony’s Pizzeria alum Laura Meyer, opens on March 23. As Eater SF shared, the menu will encompass four different styles of pie: Sicilian, Detroit, and grandma pan-style pizzas, plus floppy New York-style pies. Diners will be able to mix and match toppings including soppressata, arugula, prosciutto, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano with their preferred style of pie, so it’s a build-your-own kind of dining experience.

BURLINGAME — Peninsula diners have a new vegan dining option in Twelvemonth, which comes from owner Bob Trahan, a former AL’s Place prep cook and Prairie line cook, the Chronicle reports. The restaurant’s menu spans global cuisines with options ranging from mushroom chawanmushi to paella with roasted brassicas.

BELMONT — Jiro Cafe opened earlier this year in Belmont, bringing a menu of Japanese sweets to 1094 Alameda de las Pulgas. Per the Chronicle, the menu offers both sweet — anpan, a sweet roll stuffed with red bean paste, and loaves of milk bread — and savory — a tonkatsu sandwich and beef curry over rice – options.

CUPERTINO — The creamy pork-infused broth that regularly draws long lines in San Francisco’s Japantown has arrived in Silicon Valley. As of March 9, popular ramen shop Marufuku Ramen is open in Cupertino (19772 Stevens Creek Boulevard) serving Hakata-style tonkostsu ramen, rice bowls, small bites, and more.

MOUNTAIN VIEW — The Bay Area’s hand roll boom continues with the debut of Temaki Nori at 124 Castro Street in Mountain View. The Chronicle spotted the new restaurant in the city’s downtown and reports a menu that includes temaki filled with “miso scallops, fatty tuna belly or butter-poached lobster with black garlic aioli.”

March 7

NORTH BEACH — Much-loved grocery store Luke’s Local will open its newest location on Friday, March 10. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. followed by a day of raffle giveaways and free coffee.

POLK GULCH — Signal Coffee opened inside the Batter Bakery space on Pine Street on March 1. The East Bay roaster is stepping into San Francisco for the first time, upping the coffee game in the neighborhood, though Batter’s Jen Musty will still serve her famous treats at the location.

MISSION — La Ventana, Sunset Roaster’s pop-up window inside Mission District restaurant Donaji, will host its grand opening on Saturday, March 11. Owners Phillip and Sara Roliz have been in the cafe game for a minute, and at the welcome party for this newest venture they’ll offer free goodies and host a mariachi band starting at 11 a.m.

OUTER MISSION — Ina Jungin Lee’s latest addition to her Korean cuisine empire is the Korner Store Vibes and Bites, open in the former Hwaro location in the Excelsior. This marks the reopening of her Valencia Street spot for soju and house beats.

EMBARCADERO — Xica, an indulgent Mexican restaurant from chef Maria Elena Esquivel and husband Ignacio Perez, opened in Levi’s Plaza on March 6. The restaurant is a return for Esquivel who once ran her pop-up Chica out of a takeout window in the area back in 2015.

LAUREL HEIGHTS — From sibling entrepreneurs with international cooking careers comes Geary Boulevard’s new Prik Hom. The San Francisco Standard reports one-half of the business partners, chef Jim Suwanpanya, cooked at Michelin-rated Bangkok restaurants before opening this Thai restaurant in the former Derm space.

OAKLAND — Mega popular vegan Puerto Rican restaurant Casa Borinqueña is open for dinner in North Oakland. Though owner Lourdes Nau, also known as Chef Lulu, isn’t operating at the full staffing she’d like to see just yet, pasteles, mofongo, and many of her typical items are already on the menu.

OAKLAND — San Leandro’s Zocalo Coffee opened a second location at Oakland waterfront’s Brooklyn Gulch on February 13. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the typical suite of espresso drinks are on the menu alongside a robust food menu.

OAKLAND — Desta Ethiopian Cafe is taking its farmers market setup to the former Chica space at 303A Oakland Avenue. The San Francisco Chronicle writes chef and owner Sirgout Aga Badana’s earned a fanbase thanks to Desta’s sambusas, lentils, injera, and more.

OAKLAND — Rico Rico Vegano is the new spin-off business from the Rico Rico Taco team. The San Francisco Chronicle writes the new location at 677 Rand Avenue offers hibiscus flower burritos, flautas, and soy-based carne asada amongst its plant-based fare.

WALNUT CREEK — The 10th Shake Shack location in the Bay Area opened to much fanfare on March 5. According to KRON 4, a line wound around the block to get a bit of that shake lifestyle, and $1 of every sandwich sold went to food access nonprofit White Pony Express.

PALO ALTO — Jimmy’s Cafe, a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant opened in a former Subway location, debuted in November. The Peninsula Foodist writes the restaurant comes from father-and-son duo Cevdet and Mehmet Yanas.

February 28

CASTRO — New restaurant Castro Indian Restaurant and Bar takes a “contemporary fusion approach to Indian cuisine,” according to the business website. Located at 468 Castro Street, the restaurant also brews its own beer — a blond ale, per an email from owner Ajay Khadka.

ALAMEDA — La Cocina alum Constanza Ortiz, who’s run Latin American catering business Maite Catering for more than a decade, opened Macondo Colombian Fusion earlier this year, East Bay Nosh spotted. There are both traditional and fusion dishes on the menu such as banh mi and quesabirria arepas.

BERKELEY — Partners Viviana Wang and Aaron Trimble opened Mind Coffee at 1816 Euclid Avenue in Berkeley on February 7, the San Francisco Standard reports. The coffee shop aims to “build mental health awareness and change the narrative around mental health” through things like mugs with mindfulness prompts and drinks with ingredients like coconut oil, which “some say reduces depression and promotes memory.”

BERKELEY — Hammerling Wines has moved into the former Windchaser space at 1375 4th Street in Berkeley. The winery’s new tasting room is open Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Look for food from a rotating list of culinary partners including Bolita Masa, Tacos Everywhere, Xulo, Edith’s Pie, and more.

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Ube-centric Cafe 86 burst into the Bay Area with its location in Union City last year, and now it’s expanded to Mountain View (738 Villa Street) bringing with it a menu starring items such as “ube truffles, ube butter bars, [and] ube leche flan cupcakes,” Palo Alto Online reports. A Daly City location is also in the works, per the outlet.

SEBASTOPOL — As of February 23, the Redwood is pouring natural wines and serving “produce-driven, shareable” cuisine in Sonoma County. Located at 234 South Main Street, it’s a wine bar by day and a full-service restaurant by night being run by longtime partners Ryan Miller and Geneva Melby. In an effort to be an approachable wine bar, they’re stocking about 100 bottles “from lesser known, smaller producers starting at $38,” an email says, and the menu includes dishes like hummus and baba ganoush, chicory salad, and scallop crudo.

SAN MATEO — 112 South B Street in San Mateo has become the destination of a ramen pilgrimage thanks to the opening of California’s first outpost of Kajiken, a Japan-based restaurant specializing in “abura soba, a brothless ramen style,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The restaurant brings the hard-to-find style of ramen to the Peninsula, plus appetizers and drinks. There are nine bowls on the menu to start, each starring thick wheat noodles topped with ingredients such as “spicy minced pork and raw egg yolk, or lightly seared beef with crispy onions.”

February 23

FIDI – Nearly five years after announcing plans to open at the Salesforce Transit Center, Per Diem has finally started serving Cal-Italian classics including wild mushroom pasta and roasted chicken. The FiDi restaurant’s second outpost takes over a 3,050-square-foot ground floor space at 41 Minna Street. There’s a full bar and lounge, a warm private dining space dubbed the Library, and an outdoor patio. Reservations can be made for lunch or dinner on the Per Diem website.

CIVIC CENTER — Rai Littlejohn’s Deathless Coffee started as a pop-up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but these days it’s operating out of a permanent space at 1825 Market Street. Though the business is still getting up and running — and has yet to formalize its hours — Littlejohn is serving espresso drinks and filter coffee in a space designed for the community.

JAPANTOWN — At long last, chef Srijith Gopinathan (formerly Compton Place, Ettan) is bringing the cuisine of his home state of Kerala, a state on the southwestern tip of India, to the Bay Area. Copra, a bi-level tropical oasis, opened in February on the corner of Fillmore and Post streets. Designed by his partner and co-owner Ayesha Thapar, the restaurant serves small bites including kola urundai, fried meatballs made with Mamu mushroom protein; a chutney palette; and Konkan crab curry, a specialty of Southern India made with caramelized dried coconut, tamarind, and shallots.

MID-MARKET — SAMS American Eatery at 1220 Market Street reopened to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. The menu focuses on Californian cuisine with Korean flare including dishes like kimchi fried rice, loco moco, and a soft shell crab sandwich.

MARINA – Tablehopper brings word of a new oyster and seafood spot opening the week of February 27 on Chestnut Street in the Marina. Popi’s Oysterette has less than two dozen seats inside and about the same outside and comes from chef Melissa Perfit, formerly executive chef at Sister in Oakland. On the menu: oysters, crudo, caviar, fish and chips, and, of course, cioppino.

OAKLAND — Popular French restaurant mini-chain Left Bank Brasserie has sailed into Jack London Square with a new outpost at 5 Webster Street in Oakland. Head to the chic Parisian bistro-inspired spot for seafood platters, French onion soup, and moule frites.

OAKLAND — The former Thai Corner Express Gai space in Uptown Oakland now houses a new restaurant: Noi Street Food. East Bay Nosh reports the small spot serves “steamed and marinated chicken and rice, curries, fried rice, noodle dishes and soups.”

LIVERMORE — St. John’s Soul Food is a new family-run soul food restaurant now open at 1524 North Vasco Road in Livermore. The menu spans gumbo, oxtails, fried chicken, and fried fish, offered with sides including mac and cheese, greens, and black-eyed peas, per the Mercury News.

SUNNYVALE — There’s a new destination on the Peninsula for gin lovers. Palo Alto Online reports the aptly named Gin Bar is open every day from 5 to 11 p.m. and offers “more than 150 bottles of the spirit that focuses on unique small-batch producers from around the state and world.” The bar is located inside the new AC Hotel Sunnyvale Moffett Park.

ROSEVILLE — According to the Sacramento Bee, Folsom residents have loved Julian’s Patisserie and Cafe for its cinnamon rolls, fruit tarts, and cream puffs. Now the bakery has expanded with a sister location called Pastry Nouveau in Roseville, at Eureka Ridge Plaza. Unlike the original location, there will be no sandwiches and salads, but expect fresh pastries and coffee from Kingdom Coffee Roasters in Folsom.

February 14

SOMA — Hi Felicia owner and chef Imana introduced a new natural wine bar called Sluts on February 3. First operating as a pop-up out of her Oakland restaurant, now Sluts is slinging natural wine and convenience store food favorites at 1116 Folsom Street, in a space complete with naked garden statues, blue light chandeliers, and a stripper pole.

SOMA — Fans of Richmond dim sum spot Hong Kong Lounge II were saddened when the restaurant burned down following a gas line explosion in 2019. Now owner Annie Ho has opened a new restaurant in SoMa dubbed HK Lounge Bistro, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The new spot opened Friday, February 10 at 1136 Folsom Street, serving Cantonese lunch and dinner with a “similar menu” to the original restaurant, the newspaper reports.

POLK GULCH — Coffee purveyor Saint Frank is branching out into food with its recently opened Polk Street bakery, Juniper. It’s led by a team of fine-dining pastry chefs and serves a choux-focused menu meant to pair with Saint Frank’s top-notch coffees. Expect sweet and savory pastry options, breakfast sandwiches, and more; there are also plans to expand to brunch and offer sparkling wine and made-in-house ice cream at the 1401 Polk Street spot.

COW HOLLOW — The minds behind Il Casaro, Barbara Pinseria and Cocktail Bar, and California Fish Market Restaurant have expanded with the new Casaro Osteria open at 2136 Union Street, Tablehopper reports. Expect new and favorite Neapolitan-style pizzas (similar to Il Casaro’s pies), antipasti, a crudo bar, and a homemade pasta menu. The restaurant is open starting Wednesday, February 15.

EMERYVILLE — Mini golf enthusiasts might enjoy some time at the new Tipsy Putt at Emeryville’s Bay Street shopping center. The new venue features a Bay Area-themed, nine-hole mini golf area and board games, along with 40 drinks on tap and an upscale “speakeasy” bar.

BERKELEY — If burgers and chopped cheese sound like a pairing made in heaven, then Berserk Burger in Berkeley might be the place for you. SFGATE has the story on the new University Avenue spot and the East Coast specialty dish.

OAKLAND — San Francisco’s United Dumplings is expanding across the bridge with a third location in Rockridge at 6247 College Avenue, Hoodline reports. Expect United Dumplings’s unique mix of traditional and not-so-traditional dumplings to lead the menu.

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Vida Tapas is the latest restaurant from the owner of San Francisco’s Doppio Zero, landing in Mountain View and serving Spanish tapas, paellas, pulpo, and Basque cheesecake. There’s also a robust cocktail menu that focuses on mezcal and gin.

ROSEVILLE — A new restaurant has cropped up in downtown Roseville, giving guests the full “speakeasy” experience — think a hidden entrance, password, and a dress code, the Sacramento Bee reports. Daniellos is the new 5,000-square-foot space from chef Michael McDermott featuring “whimsical dishes” and a tasting menu that changes monthly.

February 7

UNION SQUARE — Mr. Charlie’s, the vegan anti-fast food restaurant from Los Angeles, opened on Market Street on January 21. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the outlet for Not Chicken nuggets is right across the street from a McDonald’s location on Sutter Street.

INNER SUNSET — Third Culture Bakery opened its newest bakery on Irving Street. The grand opening party is both Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12, complete with strawberry lychee mimosas and lion dancers on Saturday morning. The mochi empire takes over a former ghost kitchen space next door to wine bar Red Tail at 549 Irving Street.

MISSION BAY — Mission Bay Wine Bar opened across the street from Chase Center inside the larger Thrive City complex. An extension of Mission Bay Wine & Cheese at 114 Channel Street, the shop will serve as an outlet for wine, yes, but also beer, sake, charcuterie board goodies, and more.

MISSION BAY — Ballast Point Brewing Co. is opening its newest taproom in San Francisco. The craft beer giant is prepping for the official grand opening of its sixth location, and first in Northern California, at the base of Mission Bay’s Icona:Labs building on Owens Street. The roughly 12,000-square-foot taproom and kitchen will open to the public on Tuesday, February 21 with a pre-grand opening “Raise the Mast” party during SF Beer Week on Thursday, February 16th, from 4 to 10 p.m.

SAN MATEO — A Peninsula go-to for seafood and steaks, Porterhouse has reopened in a 1924 bank vault. The restaurant, opened in 2007 by Hamdi “Bruno” Ugur, moved to its new location at 164 South B Street after a brief January closure. The San Mateo Daily Journal reports Mayor Amourence Lee welcomed the restaurant to the historic building in hopes it will revitalize the space.

SAN MATEO — Kaijikin, a go-to for abura ramen lovers throughout Japan, is opening its first location in the United States on Wednesday, February 8. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the brothless ramen style is less common than most, and the new restaurant at 112 South B Street will be the Bay’s only shop dedicated to abura.

CAMPBELL – Humphrey Slocombe, the San Francisco ice cream favorite that just secured a massive new production space, will open its newest scoop shop in the Pruneyard Shopping Center on Tuesday, February 28. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. there’ll be free ice cream with suggested donations going to food security nonprofit Project Open Hand.

January 31

SOMA — Boochmania arrived in SoMa from the same team behind Berkeley’s Boochman Kombucha. It’s a small cafe serving lentil miso burgers and hummus, plus a range of fermented beverages including kombucha, of course.

EAST CUT — Downtown residents can get high-end wines from France and Napa Valley at the new Mili Wine Bar, located on the ground floor of the Mira luxury apartment building near the Embarcadero. The Chronicle reports owner Shubhra Sarkar is a first-time bar owner who fell in love with wine during her global travels. Mili’s wine list includes pricey pours like a $75 glass of Chablis and a $90 glass of Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

MISSION BAY — Backed by a team of San Francisco bar and restaurant industry pros, Cavaña touches down atop the 17-story Luma Hotel in Mission Bay on February 2. The rooftop bar offers cocktails and food inspired by Latin America — think cocktails made with Venezuelan rum and coconut, Peruvian pisco acholado and papaya, and flaky Brazilian pastels.

MISSION — Piglet & Co, the long-awaited restaurant from chef Chris Yang and partner Marcelle Gonzales Yang, quietly opened its doors in the Mission. For now, there’s a tight menu — as previewed by the San Francisco Chronicle — of non-traditional Taiwanese street food-inspired plates and non-alcoholic beverages. The restaurant begins brunch service on Sunday, February 12 and currently serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

INNER SUNSET — Third Culture Bakery has officially arrived in the Inner Sunset and will celebrate the grand opening of its latest outpost at 549 Irving Street on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12. Look forward to matcha drinks and mochi muffins.

BERKELEY — Mind Coffee, a “specialty coffee shop dedicated to spreading mental health awareness,” according to the business website, opens on February 7 at 1816 Euclid Avenue in Berkeley.

OAKLAND — Self-taught bagel master Reesa Kashuk will open the first permanent home for her business Poppy Bagels on Thursday, February 2, the Chronicle reports. Located at 5004 Telegraph Avenue, the shop will serve not only loose bagels, but also sandwiches stacked with ingredients like local honey, Nova lox, and whitefish salad.

OAKLAND — Dave’s Hot Chicken, the ever-growing hot chicken chain backed in part by Canadian rapper and actor Drake, opened a new restaurant in Oakland, East Bay Nosh reports. Head to 2228 Broadway at Grand Avenue for chicken so hot it’ll make your eyes water.

FOLSOM — Tao’s Hotpot and Shabu owner Taobo He didn’t plan to open an all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurant when he immigrated to the U.S. from China. But the Sacramento Bee reports he found his passion for cooking while studying mechanical engineering at Sacramento State. His new restaurant at 510 Natoma Station Drive serves lunch and dinner seven days a week.

January 24

EMBARCADERO — After nine years as a catering outfit, La Cocina incubator program graduate Peaches Patties opened its first-ever storefront at the Ferry Building. Owner Shani Jones is serving three types of patties, as well as jerk chicken with plantains, beans, and rice, and Rastafarian Stew, a vegetarian option with black beans, chickpeas, and diced tomatoes.

MARINA and SOMA — Mins Group is expanding yet again with the addition of, not one, but two new sake and wine bars, Dento Union and Dento Coffee & Wine. Dento Union opened in mid-January on Union Street with a lengthy list of sake and wine, along with a bites menu and plans to expand into brunch. Meanwhile, Dento Coffee & Wine opened across town in SoMa on Folsom Street with coffee to start, before adding on a food menu to accompany the sake and Champagne bar that will start up in the evenings on February 1.

UNION SQUARE — A Thailand-based restaurateur brings her style of Thai khao gaeng-style food to Union Square with her new restaurant Hed. Expect Isaan and Northern Thailand dishes at this new spot located at 88 Hardie Place.

MISSION — Mission bar Buddy now has a new friend in sister space, House of Seiko, an art gallery just two doors down from the bar favorite. Opened by Buddy founder and beverage director, Nick Torres, and co-owned by Cole Solinger, House of Seiko will feature six- to seven-week exhibitions of artists and group shows.

MISSION — It’s not quite an opening, but Mission restaurant Luna recently overhauled its menu with the help of new executive chef Michelle Mathews. Luna debuted its new menu January 20, kicking the brasserie concept to the curb and reimagining itself as a restaurant for the neighborhood.

MISSION — Dumpling Club gained a reputation for its unique style of small-batch dumplings stuffed with seasonal, not-so-traditional fillings. The business recently expanded to a Mission storefront, which open January 20, and acts as a multi-functional space for customers to pre-order and pick up frozen dumplings, take cooking classes, or purchase food- and dumpling-related items such as sauces, cookbooks, and ceramics.

MISSION BAY — An excited Eater SF tipster shared the news that Somisomi — the dessert shop known for its fish-shaped waffle cones called taiyaki filled with soft serve ice cream — has made its way to the city. Get your ah-boong fix in Mission Bay on 4th Street.

DOGPATCH — San Francisco bakery Butter& opened the doors to its new space in Dogpatch on January 21, with new offerings on the menu. Along with serving as a pickup spot for pre-ordered cakes, the bakery is also offering single-serving cakes and a new “breakfast cake,” a round frittata filled with vegetables, bacon, and topped with piped mashed potatoes.

OAKLAND — New “contemporary Colombian” restaurant Parche opened on Broadway in Oakland on January 13. The menu centers around small plates and shareable items, such as build-your-own ceviches, arepas, and stuffed yuca fritters.

ORINDA — The owners of Anya’s Deli in Berkeley opened another restaurant, this time in Orinda, the Mercury News reports. Anya’s Kitchen debuted in late December, serving items such as lamb and seafood biryanis, chicken vindaloo, and extensive vegetarian options like paneer tikka masala.

SAN RAFAEL — The new SANkorean Cafe in San Rafael is Monica Chang’s expansion of her wholesale food business into a restaurant, the Marin Independent Journal reports. The cafe will be open for breakfast and lunch, serving banh mi, rice bowls, bi bim bap, and cheese and scallion breakfast burritos.

MENLO PARK — The Springline development will see an influx of restaurants open this coming year, but chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel will be the first to open with his restaurant Canteen. The San Francisco Chronicle reports Canteen will throw open its doors on January 25, focusing on shareable snacks inspired by coastal European cities including San Sebastian and Lisbon.

ELK GROVE — Indian fast-casual restaurant Curry Up Now is set to open its latest location on January 28 in Elk Grove, nestled inside the Ridge Shopping Center. And yes, the “Sexy Fries” and “Naughty Naan” will be on the menu.

January 17

BERKELEY — East Bay diners welcomed the latest outpost of Curry Pizza House on January 18, when the restaurant celebrated its grand opening at 2380 Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. The restaurant, which also has locations across the South Bay, serves pizza, appetizers, and sides with Indian influences. Think curry chicken masala pizza and chicken wings marinated in tikka spices.

SANTA CLARA — Palo Alto Online reports a second location of Shawarmaji is now open in Santa Clara. The restaurant serves “Jordan-style street food” including chicken shawarma wraps, vegan falafel, and sides including tabouleh and tahini salads.

ELK GROVE — Chef Willie Ng’s Palette Group officially opened the doors to its latest outpost of dim sum destination Dragon Beaux at Sky River Casino in Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento. Known for its legendary dim sum, the restaurant joins Palette Group’s Koi Palace, a fast-casual dining option inside the casino’s food court.

SACRAMENTO — Hand rolls continue to proliferate across the Bay Area with the opening of Kinjo Hand Roll Bar in midtown Sacramento. The Bee reports the restaurant opened on January 10 and comes from owner Dennis Ng, who also owns a sushi restaurant in the area.

ROSEVILLE — Also from the Bee comes news of Moksa Barrel House, a collaboration between the teams behind East Sacramento restaurant Hawks and Moksa Brewing Co. in Rocklin. Star menu items include a $9 burger and $7 chicken tenders.

January 10

UNION SQUARE — Beacon Lounge in the Beacon Grand Hotel in Union Square added breakfast and dinner to go alongside the powerful fireside drinks it’s been serving since opening. In mid-December, the lounge began offering new American fare by night and eggs Benedict by morning.

INNER SUNSET — Inle Burmese Cuisine, a Church Street favorite, opened the doors on its second location the first week of January to much fanfare. The restaurant took over the longtime defunct Patxi’s location at 822 Irving Street, though what will become of the outdoor parklet remains to be seen.

INNER SUNSET — Kothai Republic opened on 9th Avenue and Judah Street in the first week of January, too. The San Francisco Standard reports friends and owners Sung Park and Gof Sanguanwong ran Spork and Stix before opening their new Korean and Thai restaurant in the Inner Sunset.

OUTER SUNSET — Gao Viet Kitchen, the popular San Mateo Vietnamese restaurant, just opened its first San Francisco location in December. The Instagram famous destination for Phozilla took over the corner of 20th and Irving Streets with its second outpost.

OAKLAND — Kitava opened its Temescal location on January 9 at 375 40th Street in Oakland. Fans can expect a similar menu to its Mission District location, though this new outpost also features 22 beverage taps with gluten-free beer, cider, kombucha, and low-intervention wine options.

MILLBRAE — Miyuki and Koji Murakami’s much-anticipated kaiseki restaurant Hana Izumi will open on January 17 at 293 El Camino Real. The Mercury News reports chef Koji spent two decades as executive chef and general manager at San Francisco’s Sanraku.

PALO ALTO — Graduate, the restored Hotel President at 488 University Avenue, just opened on January 9. The hotel plays host to two restaurants: Lou & Herbert’s, a lobby level all-day cafe, that’s already open, and rooftop bar President’s Terrace, which will open later in January.

EL CERRITO — Antojitos Guatemaltecos opened in December, bringing traditional Guatemalan dishes including estofada de res and Pollo Campero-esque fried chicken. KQED reports the owners, the Aguilar family, have built quite the fanbase by selling tamales in the Richmond area.

SAN RAFAEL — Café Villa just opened at 1602 Lincoln Avenue from the same owners as the Villa Inn. The Marin Independent Journal reports the restaurant’s chef de cuisine, David Sypnicki, cut his teeth at popular Portland restaurant Caffe Mingo.

SANTA CLARA — Mendocino Farms will open on Tuesday, January 17 in Santa Clara. At the grand opening, customers will have a chance to win a catered lunch for their office, and half of the proceeds will benefit No Kid Hungry. Another location of the sprawling business will open in Walnut Creek later in 2023.

January 3

CASTRO — Hoodline reports that Mr. Hen Chicken Rice & Noodles will open at 4039 18th Street in the Castro on January 4. The restaurant takes over the space most recently occupied by Rooster & Rice, which closed in late December. According to Hoodline, the newcomer comes from the owners of Hungry Hub, a pop-up Thai restaurant which has been running out of the space since March 2022. Mr. Hen will not serve Thai food, a representative tells Hoodline, just chicken and rice.

BERKELEY — The south Berkeley space at 2969 Shattuck Avenue, which was previously home to Sesame, a Tiny Bakery, has reopened as the first Berkeley outpost of rapidly expanding chain Mochinut. Look for the standard menu of mochi doughnuts, boba, and Korean corn dogs, according to East Bay Nosh.

SAN MATEO — There’s a new destination for Argentine alfajores, savory empanadas, and other baked goods as of December 18. Lolita Artisinal Bakery-Cafe opened its doors at 3790 South El Camino Real, Suite 101, joining a much-smaller existing location in the Hillsdale Shopping Center. At 1,500 square feet, this new bakery has its own production space and seating, the San Mateo Daily Journal reports.

REDWOOD CITY — State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria debuted its third location in Redwood City’s Marsh Manor shopping center in late December. Palo Alto Online reports the new outpost is most similar to the restaurant in Los Altos, offering pinball machines and a menu of pizzas, salads, wings, and appetizers.

SACRAMENTO — The northeastern Sacramento suburb of Orangevale has a new beer spot: Mode Brewing opened in December at 9110 Greenback Lane, the Bee reports. It’s from the owners of Pasta a la Mode, which is now the in-house food truck. Pair pizzas and fusion pastas like a carnitas-topped fettucini with a coffee porter, cream ale, or IPA.

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The post Right here Are New Eating places and Bars To Attempt in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and the Bay Space appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

When Earl Witron landed a job as a waiter at the Thompson, a new luxury hotel from World of Hyatt, in the summer of 2021, he was “excited,” he said, “to be a part of something big in Hollywood.”

He made just $17.50 an hour at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, the Terrace, which offers its well-heeled guests stunning views of the Hollywood Hills. But, he said, managers promised that he and his colleagues would contribute a 5% service fee that would be applied to each check “in support of the health benefits to our employees,” according to the bill’s statement is called.

Still, the 40-year-old said he’s never seen that money reflected in his compensation. When he questioned management about how the 5% service fee was allocated, he received confusing answers or was simply dismissed.

“I lived paycheck to paycheck,” said Witron, 40, who now works as a runner at the Beverly Hilton. “I’m financially behind. I still haven’t recovered.”

This 5 percent service charge associated with customers’ restaurant bills is the focus of an investigation by the City of Los Angeles Attorney’s Office and affects some of the city’s most famous restaurants in the adjacent Thompson Hotel, Tommie Hotel and Citizen News building: Mother Wolf, Ka ‘teen, mes amis, bar lis and the terrace.

The city attorney is looking into whether Ten Five Hospitality – the group that operated the five restaurants at the time of the allegations – violated an ordinance that allegedly withheld the entire 5% service fee charged by customers instead of redistributing it to workers a letter from the Deputy City Attorney dated April 6. Joshua L Crowell.

City officials asked Ten Five Hospitality, the hotels and restaurants, for a response and numerous documents, including any evidence that would show the workers were benefiting from the fee. City prosecutors are also investigating allegations that at least two workers at the Terrace were fired after speaking out about the service charge.

Ten Five Hospitality executives were not available for comment. A spokesman issued a prepared statement that read: “The wellness fee, which is clearly explained on all customer invoices, allows the company to offer a better-than-market employee package, including a robust health, dental and vision insurance program, 401 (k) Benefits and better working conditions for all employees.”

The spokesman did not want to answer any further questions about the allegations in the letter from the city.

The dining room at Mother Wolf, one of the liveliest restaurants in Los Angeles. Mother Wolf is in the Citizen News building next to the Thompson Hotel.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Please investigate

Tipping and service charges are becoming a focal point in the food service and hospitality industry. Fees for health-related services began to appear on guest bills over the past decade, but became ubiquitous after the COVID-19 lockdowns. The additional fees came amid an outpouring of empathy and gratitude toward service staff at a time when the restaurants’ future seemed in doubt.

But for guests, the fees have become a source of confusion, leading some to tip less, feeling like the extra fee goes straight to their waiters. Workers who prepare and serve food and beverages at bus tables typically rely on tips as part of their net pay.

Where these service fees actually end up is unclear.

In California, courts have long held that compulsory dues do not qualify as benefits under labor law. That changed in 2019 when the law on service fees in the San Francisco case of O’Grady vs. Merchant Exchange Productions Inc. became clearer. In that case, a state appeals court ruled that under California law, service fees are due to employees if customers could reasonably believe the allegations were tips. The verdict applies to all catering establishments.

That ruling was not reviewed until April 19, when a San Francisco judge ruled in a trial without a jury that a Marriott hotel in downtown San Francisco must pay approximately $9 million in withheld service fees to staff serving served food and drinks at banquets.

The case revolved around the question of whether such fees are reasonably considered tips by customers. In April 2017, the San Francisco hotel began specifically notifying banquet guests that the fees incurred are not tips, thereby freeing itself from future liability.

Shannon Liss-Riordan, the plaintiff’s attorney in the Marriott case, said the ruling was the first on the matter in California. “I expect this will now lead to extensive enforcement action and employees are now acknowledging their rights,” she said.

Liss-Riordan, also the plaintiff’s attorney in the 2019 San Francisco case that set a precedent in California, has won similar cases in Hawaii and Massachusetts. Lawsuits are pending against other hotels in San Francisco and elsewhere in California.

In LA, city prosecutors appear to be focusing their investigations on additional service fees for restaurants at hotels, where current tipping laws are clearer. The definition of “hotel” in the LA Regulations includes restaurants that are contracted or leased premises affiliated with or operated by hotels, such as: B. the Terrace or Mother Wolf.

LA regulation states that service fees cannot be withheld by a hotel employer, but must be paid in full to the hotel employee who provides services to the customers from whom the service fees are collected. The regulation also stipulates that no part of these amounts may be paid to supervisors or officers and that the service charge must be paid fairly to hotel employees.

Steve Garrett, Jae Redlich and Jazelle Merritt, all former waiters at the Terrace, said that when they brought up the disagreements and asked questions about the 5% service charge in staff meetings, management gave them answers that didn’t make sense. A human resources representative told them it would offset the cost of the health insurance premium for full-time employees, the workers said. Dan Daley, director of Ten Five Hospitality, told them the service fee is intended to offset losses at the restaurants due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daley did not respond to requests for comment.

Garrett, Redlich and Merritt subsequently filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that management either fired them or forced them to resign after raising questions about the application of service fees. An indictment is a request for the government agency to investigate and decide whether the evidence is sufficient to institute proceedings against the employer.

At this time, no lawsuits or charges have been filed; The allegations are still being investigated. Unite Here Local 11 is helping Hollywood workers pursue their case.

It’s unclear if the celebrity chefs most associated with the restaurants named in the city’s letter — including Evan Funke at Mother Wolf, Wes Avila at Ka’teen, and Lincoln Carson, formerly at Mes Amis — understand workers’ concerns were aware of this or were trying to clarify their questions. Funke and Avila, two of LA’s most well-known and admired chefs, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Even before the allegations, the restaurants were locked in a chaotic tug-of-war between Ten Five Hospitality and Relevant, the hotels’ project developer, and the Citizen News building next door, which houses Mother Wolf, known for its Roman-style pasta, one of the most coveted reserves in the city. Both companies once claimed control of the properties, according to a report by Eater LA.

Chef Carson, who left Mes Amis in December, said he was aware of the restaurant’s service charge but believed “the money was properly allocated”.

Carson contracted with Ten Five Hospitality to develop the acclaimed French restaurant and also worked at The Terrace before Mes Amis opened. He said he works as a consultant and isn’t responsible for day-to-day financial accounting for the restaurants.

“I’m disappointed in all the people who put in so much hard work to create something that should be very special,” he told the Times. “It’s disappointing that this is coming out.”

.

Prosecutors declined to discuss Crowell’s letter. The bureau also declined to disclose whether it sent letters to other restaurant groups in the city about the service charges.

The Thompson Hollywood (seen on the left) is next to the Citizen News building where Mother Wolf is located.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

In interviews, several former and current Ten Five Hospitality employees said they were in a difficult financial situation. Many workers were not eligible for the company’s medical program because they were not working full-time. And they said that if they qualified, the program would be financially unattainable for them.

Witron, Redlich, Merritt and Garrett said they are still dealing with the aftermath of working at the Terrace. They all described psychological anxiety and financial loss – arrears on bills and rent. Three of the four said they were unlikely to return to the hospitality industry.

“It’s awful. It’s so dehumanizing,” Redlich said. “On the surface, everything has been reduced to a certain appearance. It’s like putting all the dirt in the house, all this clutter, just under the rug. And yes, it looks clean but don’t look under the rug, that’s what it was like working there.”

Ten Five Hospitality faced a May 12 deadline to respond to inquiries in the April letter from the assistant city attorney. Both companies said Monday they were in contact but declined to explain further.

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]]> https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/metropolis-investigating-hollywood-eating-places-for-allegedly-protecting-service-charges-stiffing-staff/feed/ 0 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/why-san-francisco-is-spending-200000-on-dishware-for-eating-places/ https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/why-san-francisco-is-spending-200000-on-dishware-for-eating-places/#respond Sun, 14 May 2023 06:26:18 +0000 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/?p=30881 A growing program in San Francisco aims to reduce landfill and help restaurants save money with some new plates and mugs. Since 2021, 120 restaurants have participated in the city’s commercial reuse program, receiving $24,500 in grants and diverting thousands of pounds of waste. Now the San Francisco Department of the Environment, the city’s environmental …

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A growing program in San Francisco aims to reduce landfill and help restaurants save money with some new plates and mugs.

Since 2021, 120 restaurants have participated in the city’s commercial reuse program, receiving $24,500 in grants and diverting thousands of pounds of waste. Now the San Francisco Department of the Environment, the city’s environmental protection and policy agency, is expanding the program to reach 200 restaurants each year that still use disposable foods to serve their customers.

The program offers grants of up to $500 per company to help cover the cost of purchasing reusable food and related equipment, such as bus vans and trash cans. The move is a means of implementing San Francisco’s 2021 climate action plan, which includes a goal to halve waste going to landfill by 2030.

City officials have conducted case studies with previous grantees and found cost savings of approximately $3,000 per restaurant after labor costs are deducted from the introduction of reusable materials such as dishwashing and the diversion of approximately 1,500 pounds of waste per year. The House of Dim Sum in Chinatown saw an outsized effect as it saved $33,561 in net expenses and reduced its landfill waste by 7 tons.

Disposables are ubiquitous in San Francisco, said acting director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment, Tyrone Jue. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in the use of single-use items due to fears of transmission and as takeout has become a lifeline for restaurants. “People use them at home, when eating out, or even when eating out at a restaurant,” Jue said. “It’s impossible to quantify the exact number (of items used), but we’ll start with the low-hanging fruit.”

Maritza Castillo, co-owner of Mexican restaurant Que Chulada in the Richmond District, is among local restaurateurs replacing single-use foods with reusable items. The restaurant received a $500 grant from an SF Environment Department program.

Michaela Vatcheva/Special on The Chronicle

Food made from Styrofoam and other non-recyclable, non-compostable materials has been banned in San Francisco since 2017, and plastic food accessories like coffee stirrers and toothpicks have been banned since 2019 (though disposable plastic straws are available). for people with disabilities on request). But even single-use items that are recyclable or compostable can still be wasteful, explained Katherine Baird, associate director of sustainability at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Many cities don’t have the infrastructure to break down compostables, and they may just end up in landfill where they can’t be broken down properly. Additionally, the shift to reusable products offers an opportunity to mitigate the impact of mass-producing single-use products.

“The most important part of an environmental footprint is how (a product) is made, not just whether it’s compostable, recyclable, or ends up in a landfill,” Baird said.

The commercial reuse program started in 2018 in partnership with ReThink Disposable, a program run by environmental non-profit organization Clean Water Action to discourage the use of single-use food packaging. It began with a test run at restaurants in the Seventh Ward, which includes the West Portal and Park Merced neighborhoods. With regular $200,000 in funding from the Department of Environment from waste fees, the program can reach 400 restaurants over the next two years.

Que Chulada in the Richmond District is one of them. Co-owners Maritza Castillo and Salvador Cervantes opened just under a year ago, but have already built a group of lunchtime regulars who drop by to enjoy slow-cooked carnitas and dripping Birria quesadillas. On a midweek stop, neighbors ate big burritos and crispy potato tacos while Castillo and Cervantes’ daughter Alysson doodled at the register.

Castillo served her spicy chicken enchiladas on paper plates, based on a family recipe from Guanajuato, with the usual side dishes of rice and beans. Now she serves them neatly on new oval plates.

The San Francisco Department of the Environment recommended new plates, glasses, mugs, silverware and bus accessories, such as a shopping cart and trash can, to Que Chulada, a Richmond District restaurant, to replace its single-use plates and cups.

Michaela Vatcheva/Special on The Chronicle

“The enchiladas are pretty good, but they look even better and bigger on real plates,” Castillo said.

Some items like burritos and tacos still come in reusable plastic baskets with a disposable sheet of waxed paper.

Restaurants can’t just pick and choose the plates they want: Environment Ministry staff are conducting a needs analysis and recommending which reusable plates are most appropriate. At Que Chulada, program staff recommended new plates, glasses, cups, cutlery, and bus accessories such as a trolley and trash can.

Que Chulada received his full kit three weeks ago, so hasn’t had time to track how much the reusable food has reduced waste or single-use expenses. However, Castillo said garbage collection dropped from three to two a week, which almost immediately saved money. She says a box of 480 paper plates, about $80, lasted about a week at the restaurant. The restaurant still uses some single-use items for takeout orders, which account for 20% of its transactions.

The commercial reuse program is among a few other programs in the Bay Area that aim to reduce single-use garbage from restaurants. The non-profit environmental organization Surfrider Foundation offers an Ocean Friendly Restaurant certification for restaurants that only use reusable produce and meet other related criteria. (Twelve San Francisco restaurants are participating in the program.) Back in 2019, Bay Area chain Blue Bottle Coffee announced its intention to phase out paper cups, but ultimately shelved the plan in the wake of the pandemic.

Reach Mario Cortez: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com

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]]> https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/why-san-francisco-is-spending-200000-on-dishware-for-eating-places/feed/ 0 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/right-heres-why-a-few-of-san-franciscos-michelin-starred-eating-places-are-rolling-out-cheaper-shorter-tasting-menus/ https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/right-heres-why-a-few-of-san-franciscos-michelin-starred-eating-places-are-rolling-out-cheaper-shorter-tasting-menus/#respond Thu, 20 Apr 2023 20:00:25 +0000 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/?p=29715 The world of fine dining is an enticing place, typically employing intricate cooking techniques and luxurious ingredients as chefs create beautifully presented dishes worth savoring. The Bay Area is fortunate to be home to a number of Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning restaurants and chefs, but dining at one of these acclaimed restaurants usually comes …

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The world of fine dining is an enticing place, typically employing intricate cooking techniques and luxurious ingredients as chefs create beautifully presented dishes worth savoring. The Bay Area is fortunate to be home to a number of Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning restaurants and chefs, but dining at one of these acclaimed restaurants usually comes with a hefty entrance fee that sends diners around $200 or more each Person can cost person – a price that the average, price-conscious guest regularly cannot afford. Plus, these luxury experiences typically last for hours, stretching a meal into a full-length, multi-course marathon event in even the busiest restaurants.

But a sea change seems to be underway in the Bay Area: A number of upscale restaurants are offering shorter, more affordable tasting menus that could open the door to the world of fine dining for new customers. Restaurants including two Michelin-starred Commis, two Michelin-starred Birdsong, one Michelin-starred Bar Crenn, one Michelin-starred Sorrel and one Michelin-starred Mister Jius all recently released tasting menus at lower prices moving towards more affordable territory and cutting those long meals down to more manageable lengths. At Bar Crenn, for example, the Le Comptoir experience includes a six-course selection of “impromptu dishes” that cost $300 per person. Bar Crenn’s newly added snack menu, meanwhile, offers “five luxurious and playful little bites, both savory and sweet” at a much lower price of $125 — perhaps perfect for someone who’s tiptoeing into sampling celebrity chef Dominique’s dishes Crenn wants to hatch.

“This is an access point for those nights when you might want to spend some cash and be confident.”

At Sorrel in San Francisco, in addition to a two-and-a-half hour eight-course experience priced at $185 per person, the team recently added a four-course tasting menu at $98 per person for a 90-minute meal. The trigger for creating the shorter tasting menu, according to operations manager Joel Wilkerson, was the debut of Sorrel’s bar program last fall. Unlike the restaurant, the eight-seat bar requires no reservations and prides itself on first-come, first-served service with an a la carte menu and low-alcohol cocktails. Response to the bar program has been overwhelmingly positive, and Wilkerson says the team has been looking for more ways to “make people happy.” “The whole point was just creating accessibility to experience what we’re doing here,” says Wilkerson, “without the commitment of having to be here for three or more hours on a Wednesday night.”

Discussing the new four-course meal, Wilkerson pointed to the pandemic as a learning opportunity for the sorrel group; Having been through a lot with COVID, the team needed to take a closer look at their product and their customer. “I think restaurants are fundamentally evolving and changing things,” says Wilkerson. “And to run a restaurant, you have to be agile and be able to pivot and change.” Part of that is recognizing that the restaurant scene can be restrictive. Another reason for the new menu, he says, is to get the city moving again and get residents active — including by giving them reasons to get out and maybe try a new restaurant. “It’s really about getting people out on the sidewalks,” he says, “out in the restaurants and making San Francisco feel alive again.”

Patricia Chang

Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown offered an a la carte menu when it debuted seven years ago, but the restaurant has recently switched to a five-course tasting menu that costs $115 per person (with the option of larger and pricier dishes like Liberty Farms’ popular whole roast duck). For Executive Chef Brandon Jew, the new tasting menu presented a new opportunity. In practice, it offered his team the ability to prepare and execute more detailed dishes, such as B. a finely folded giant dumpling that has been added to the new seasonal menu. The change also yielded more practical results: less food waste, for example, because guests pre-select all dishes when making reservations. To Jew, the updates just make sense. “I feel like this is a way for me to potentially make this restaurant last longer,” he says. “For me that was more important.”

Whatever the reasons for these new, more affordable, and typically short menus, it seems Bay Area diners are responding positively to the changes. According to Wilkerson, regular customers have contacted Sorrel to express their excitement for a shorter, less expensive tasting menu with the high quality they have come to expect from the restaurant. “It’s a stepping stone, right? It’s there for people to get their feet wet,” says Wilkerson. “Sometimes it’s your anniversary, do you want to spend all the money you have in your savings account to go out to dinner? Sometimes you want to experience something different or something new and maybe you’ve never been to a Michelin star restaurant – this is an access point for those nights when you might want to indulge and rely on it.”

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]]> https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/right-heres-why-a-few-of-san-franciscos-michelin-starred-eating-places-are-rolling-out-cheaper-shorter-tasting-menus/feed/ 0 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/what-well-being-inspectors-discovered-at-these-fresno-eating-places/ https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/what-well-being-inspectors-discovered-at-these-fresno-eating-places/#respond Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:10:14 +0000 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/?p=29494 Two Fresno restaurants were temporarily closed in March and a third business remains closed after Fresno County health inspectors found serious food safety violations during their visits. Rack Billiards on North Blackstone Avenue north of Gettysburg Avenue was closed by a district inspector March 1 because the floor in the store was removed and the …

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Two Fresno restaurants were temporarily closed in March and a third business remains closed after Fresno County health inspectors found serious food safety violations during their visits.

Rack Billiards on North Blackstone Avenue north of Gettysburg Avenue was closed by a district inspector March 1 because the floor in the store was removed and the premises were exposed to bare dirt and underground plumbing. Inspectors allowed the store to reopen on March 9

In southeast Fresno, an inspector found evidence of a vermin infestation at the Apni Mandi Indian Market and Restaurant at a mall on Belmont Avenue and Peach Avenue during a visit March 7. Under the Health and Safety Act of the State of California, evidence of an infestation may include actual sighting of insects or rodents, fresh feces, urine stains, or gnawing marks, which may indicate possible contamination of food, equipment, packaging, or utensils. The operators were allowed to reopen on March 13th.

However, another grocery store on Belmont Avenue remained closed this week after its March 17 inspection. Christy’s Donuts at Belmont Avenue and Fresno Street was ruled unsafe by fire officials after a county inspector found the kitchen vent hood wasn’t working. Grease was found to be accumulating in the building’s attic near the water heater and leaking into the light fixtures.

The March closures came after Health Department officials reported no restaurant closures in February due to inspection violations.

What are the inspectors looking for?

The Fresno County Department of Public Health has about two dozen environmental health specialists who monitor more than 5,300 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delis, and grocers across the county, making unannounced visits several times a year.

Restaurants are also inspected in response to complaints or other concerns from the public, including when people see restaurants that they believe are health or hygiene issues.

Inspectors go through a checklist of more than 50 items when they visit a restaurant or foodservice.

The first page of the form, used by Fresno County Health Inspectors, contains a checklist of more than 50 factors that are checked for compliance with food handling and food safety regulations.

Some of the county’s inspectors are also responsible for inspecting other facilities such as tattoo or body art studios, public swimming pools, and other facilities.

A lack of hot water is one of the most common violations inspectors from the Fresno County Department of Public Health find during their routine restaurant visits.

If an inspector finds a problem, it can usually be quickly fixed without a closure order — things like putting enough bleach in the water used to wipe down food prep counters, replacing lids on food containers in the aisle — in the refrigerator, refilling paper towels in the Restrooms or reminding employees to wear gloves or hairnets and wash their hands.

But other things that pose an immediate threat to health and safety will also trigger a closure until the problem can be resolved. These may include a lack of hot water to wash dishes or hands; infestation with rodents, cockroaches or other insects; refrigerators that don’t keep cold food cold enough and steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth; or plumbing problems, including blocked drains and toilets.

Fresno County makes its restaurant inspection reports publicly available at fresnohealthinspections.org, but some of the more recent inspection reports have yet to appear on the site.

A single roach like the American roach pictured in this file photo won’t necessarily cause Fresno County health inspectors to close a restaurant, but evidence of a significant infestation by this and other creatures will result in a closure until the problem is addressed.

Originally published Apr 15, 2023 1:34 p.m

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]]> https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/what-well-being-inspectors-discovered-at-these-fresno-eating-places/feed/ 0 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/a-few-of-san-franciscos-finest-cooks-are-opening-new-all-day-eating-places-and-cafes/ https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/a-few-of-san-franciscos-finest-cooks-are-opening-new-all-day-eating-places-and-cafes/#respond Sat, 18 Mar 2023 07:39:52 +0000 https://dailysanfranciscobaynews.com/?p=28036 Once upon a time, the all-day café was the little black dress of the restaurant world: your meeting place for coffee and pastries on the commute, a place to meet friends for a quick breakfast, and an easy option for a casual business lunch. It was a convenient destination for happy hour with co-workers and …

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Once upon a time, the all-day café was the little black dress of the restaurant world: your meeting place for coffee and pastries on the commute, a place to meet friends for a quick breakfast, and an easy option for a casual business lunch. It was a convenient destination for happy hour with co-workers and a no-frills dinner choice for those days when you just didn’t feel like cooking.

Today, the all-day café is more of a rarity — less of a wardrobe staple and more of a vintage piece that you only pull out when you find it at the back of your closet. Castro’s Cafe Flore closed in early 2020, ending nearly five decades of all-day operations, and The Grove, a local chain of all-day restaurants, shrank from four locations to one last fall. Most recently, the Reverie Cafe gave up in February, ending its 21-year run of serving coffee by day and beer and wine by night in the Cole Valley neighborhood. As with many current trends in the restaurant industry, the closure could be attributed to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

But now, alongside the return of restaurants more broadly, a new generation of all-day dining options is emerging in San Francisco — and they’re not coming from first-time restaurateurs, but from the chefs and owners behind successful high-end restaurants. From Automat in NoPa, where chef Matt Kirk has teamed up with David Barzelay, chef and owner of Lazy Bear, to Michelin-starred Sato Omakase’s Dento Union and Dento Coffee & Wine on Folsom by restaurateur Min Choe, could All-day dining options coming soon are trending again.

Over in Lower Pacific Heights, chef Matt Accarrino plans to open the door to his casual cafe Mattina on April 1st. The restaurant’s name translates to “tomorrow” but will serve the neighborhood from sunrise to sunset. Coffee and freshly baked pastries are available, as well as a full menu for lunch and dinner, featuring wood-fired Spiedini and a carefully selected wine list. For Accarrino, who has owned and operated Italian restaurant SPQR just around the corner since 2009, the move into casual dining comes from a combination of wanting to satisfy his personal passions and expanding his ability to connect with the neighborhood serve.

The idea came up during the pandemic. “I’m a cyclist, and everyone knows that stopping for a cup of coffee is part of the culture,” says Accarrino. “So, partly out of selfish motivation, I opened my own coffee shop.” Accarrino’s Coffee and Donuts ran a weekend pop-up on SPQR’s doorstep. When Mattina opens, he’ll be frying the donuts over the weekend, but the new restaurant will give him a broader platform to feed the neighborhood’s hunger for a quick and casual daytime meal.

From a business standpoint, Accarrino says Mattina allows him to connect with more clients. While SPQR only serves a full tasting menu five nights a week, Mattina is starting out with three meals a day, five days a week. The chef understands that even guests who love SPQR may not feel comfortable visiting the restaurant every week. He hopes Mattina will offer a more accessible option to these fans.

Dento Coffee & Wine at SoMa Nathan Choi

Choe, the chef and restaurant owner behind Dento Union and Dento Coffee & Wine in SoMa, shares this sentiment. At the former, coffee and pastries are on the menu of the day. But in the evenings, guests can order cold-smoked tuna in truffle ponzu and fatty tuna with aged soy and caviar. While these dishes are simpler than the sushi and sashimi served at his high-end restaurant, Sato Omakase, they use the same high-quality ingredients. “I wanted to create a place that you could walk into without having to worry so much about the budget,” says Choe. “And later, if you want the full experience, you can always come to my restaurant and have the omakase experience. But maybe that’s a bit too much in everyday life.”

Dento Coffee & Wine also serves the four craft beers that Choe brews with legendary Bay Area brewer Dave McLean specifically for its restaurants. In part, Choe says he wanted to open Dento to have a place to showcase the project, which he has far bigger plans for than just the current brew room in the basement. Later, Choe plans to open a second production facility, expand the line to eight beers, and distribute to not only his own restaurants and bars, but other high-end Japanese and Korean restaurants across the city. In this sense, Dento represents only part of the entrepreneur’s broader vision.

Barzelay, who opened his two-Michelin-star Lazy Bear restaurant in 2009, also sees value in expanding his list of restaurants and bars, which now includes Automat and cocktail bar, True Laurel. Efficiency at the operational level comes from the ability to centralize tasks such as accounting, marketing and human resources. With a single location, all of this work typically falls to third parties, but with multiple restaurants and bars under one roof, Barzelay can say he can bring things in-house.

Of course, it wasn’t operational efficiency that inspired Automat. “A big part of that was the lack of full-time concepts,” says Barzelay. “The lack of anything solid for breakfast or even lunch. Also Matt [Kirk]The food is really great.” Additionally, both Barzelay and Kirk have young families and they longed for a place where they could get a quality meal in a kid-friendly space.

The breakfast roll in the machine. automatic

But the chef says the issues that have always made running an all-day restaurant a challenge have not gone away. If anything, they’re more intimidating than ever. Inflation continues to drive up ingredient prices, and Barzelay points out that even when a restaurant offers a more casual experience, there’s likely still a lot of work going into the food. “No one realizes that every item on Automat’s menu is as labor-intensive as an item on Lazy Bear’s menu,” he says. “Those sandwiches probably cost a lot more than you think.” Staffing, a perennial issue for the restaurant industry, also becomes more complicated when managers and servers are scheduled for a restaurant that’s open nearly 12 hours a day, six days a week.

These days, Barzelay says it’s difficult to get people out of the house just for weekday meals. While diners still seem ready to roll into Lazy Bear for a special night on the town, the chef says he’s not confident the appetite for all-day concepts will be enough for restaurants to make the comeback he wants hoped for in the post -pandemic world. “I think the jury’s still out,” he says.

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