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The Public in SoMa has closed, and moving into the historic building will be Basil Canteen, an offshoot of the nearby Basil Thai Restaurant & Bar. Owner Todd Sirimongkolvit also owns Soi Four in Berkeley. Basil Canteen will be like a casual Thai izakaya of sorts, serving a fun style of food called gap klaem, which are dishes designed to pair with drinking (there's a full bar). There will be about ten small plates/bar snacks and a variety of noodles (four-five sautéed noodle dishes, and five-six soup noodle dishes). Basil Canteen should be open in July (after the renovation is complete) for lunch and dinner nightly, and will be serving late, until midnight or so, on Friday and Saturday nights. Basil Canteen, 1489 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA 94103, no phone available yet.
Acclaimed Cyrus chef Douglas Keane and maître d' Nick Peyton have reinvented the Healdsburg Bar & Grill. The casual Sonoma County spot now features a menu of pizzas, sandwiches and build-your-own burgers, as well as re-interpreted classics such as macaroni and cheese made with Fiscalini Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Hobb's bacon. Healdsburg Bar & Grill also offers local beers and a wine list made up of mostly Sonoma County offerings. Open for lunch and dinner Wed.-Thurs. and Sunday from 11:30a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. until 1 a.m. Healdsburg Bar & Grill, 245 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, CA 95448, 707-433-3333.
Michael Mina will open his first bar concept, Clock Bar, this summer in the lobby of The Westin St. Francis hotel. The featured star of Clock Bar will be "consistently creative, fresh, handcrafted cocktails presented in an easy, approachable way." The menu will offer modern twists on finger food and traditional lounge favorites. Food and drink pairings will be designed by the chef on a regular basis, highlighting seasonal ingredients and trends, as well as featured cocktails and spirits. Clock Bar, The Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell St., San Francisco, CA 94102, no phone available yet.
Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol officially opened April 17. It's a restaurant designed to reintroduce craft beer to wine country, and was created by Dean Biersch, co-founder of the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants and Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. Hopmonk Tavern is located in a 105-year-old California historic landmark building, offering an array of local and international craft beers paired with seasonal gastropub-inspired cuisine. Look for a lineup of craft beers from Europe and smaller regional producers in the U.S., including 75-plus bottled beers, 16 drafts and two cask-conditioned ales. There is also an 85-seat classic outdoor European beer garden lined with trees, a fountain, plus an acoustic performance stage and an outdoor bar. Adjacent to the tavern and beer garden is The Abbey, a 200-person capacity, 2,000-square-foot music venue, regularly showcasing local and national talent. Hopmonk Tavern, 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol, CA 94572, 707-829-7300.
Franck LeClerc of Café Claude's new project, Gitane, is now slated to open in June, and the key staff players have been finalized. The chef is Lisa Eyherabide, formerly of Le Charm and Piperade in San Francisco and Côte d'Or in France, who will design the menu that's inspired by regions in southern France and northern Spain, as well as with hints of North Africa. Sean Diggins, the current beverage director at Café Claude, will be overseeing the beverage and wine program, and will concentrate on small, eco-friendly growers with a large by-the-glass and carafe program. The wines will be largely Spanish focused. Dominic Venegas (Range, Cantina, Bourbon & Branch) will head up the bar program at Gitane, specializing in Spanish sherries, unique Spanish brandies, and a very special spirits selection. He will also incorporate a variety of seasonal sangrías and cocktails. Charles Doell of Mr. Important has taken the helm of the design elements, pulling from the Euro-themed '50s, hippy-driven '60s, and big-bling '70s. Gitane, 6 Claude Ln., San Francisco, CA 94108, 415-392-3505.
Local stalwart Moose’s recently underwent a big remodel, but now it’s becoming something else entirely. Joseph Manzare (Globe, Tres Agaves, Pescheria, Zuppa) and his business partner Eddie Maiello bought the North Beach landmark, and are transforming it into their dream East Coast-style Italian restaurant, Joey & Eddie’s. Look for old-school classics like pastas with red or white sauce, stuffed artichokes, shrimp scampi, spaghetti and meatballs, and veal saltimbocca. The goal is low prices, but more food—and to create a place where you can eat with your family without spending a lot of money. Joey & Eddie's, 1652 Stockton St., San Francisco, CA 94133, 415-989-7800.
Chef Michael Chiarello, Emmy-winning tastemaker behind NapaStyle and Chiarello Family Vineyards, and founding chef of Tra Vigne restaurant, is going to open a new signature restaurant in fall 2008. Located within the V Marketplace complex in Yountville, the yet-to-be-named restaurant will celebrate Chiarello’s signature cuisine and entertaining style as well as farm-to-table regional ingredients. V Marketplace is an historic retail complex featuring a collection of upscale specialty shops, galleries, restaurants, a wine cellar and tasting bar and the Napa Valley's original hot air balloon company. 6525 Washington St., Yountville. Michael Mina and wine director Rajat Parr are slated to open a new restaurant and wine bar in the Millennium Tower in SOMA. The name will be RN74, for the highway that crosses the region of Burgundy—perhaps they were inspired by A16? The tower is still under construction, and the restaurant won’t be opening until spring 2009 or later. The space will be designed by the New York firm AvroKO that is behind the chic look of Public and The Stanton Social restaurants in New York—there will even be an enomatic tasting machine. RN74, 301 Mission St., at Beale Street, San Francisco.
Fresh Air at Go Fish
Go Fish in St. Helena has announced new additions to the restaurant's outdoor dining area and bar, which now features seating for 100 and one of Napa Valley's largest outdoor restaurant bars. Starting May 15, there will be acoustic contemporary and blues music every Thursday night, a flat-panel TV set for the bar and a misting system to keep patrons cool. For the Fourth of July holiday, Go Fish will fire up the grill on the pet-friendly patio with an all-inclusive menu and blowout celebration for what promises to be an annual event in St. Helena. Go Fish, 641 Main St., St. Helena, CA 94574, 707-963-0700.
Local Finalists in Cocktail Competition
After hours of reviewing and deliberating top Averna cocktails over a three-week period, judges named mixologists Jeffrey Hollinger of Absinthe Brasserie & Bar and Thomas R. Waugh of The Alembic as finalists in the contest for the 'HAVE Averna Cocktail Competition.' A total of five finalists were selected from three regional competitions and will travel to Sicily to compete in the finals at the Averna distillery this fall.
A New Place to "Park" It
Beach Chalet and Park Chalet have a new executive chef, Gregory Hutchinson, formerly of Brix in Yountville. So far the Monday night Prime Rib menu is a hit, and there is a new Park Chalet "Recovery" Brunch Buffet on Sundays, complete with do-it-yourself Bloody Mary Bar. Beach Chalet and Park Chalet, 1000 Great Hwy., San Francisco, CA 94121, 415-386-8439. Northerly Migration A Move for La Toque
From Bouchon to Burgers
Kolin Vazzoler, a former sous chef (five years) and executive sous chef (three years) at Gary Danko, is now the executive chef of Marché restaurant. Marché, 898 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025, 650-324-9092.
Joseph Manzare's and Eddie Maiello's Pescheria closed suddenly on Saturday, April 5 (the building was sold). Instead, the restaurant concept will be moving into a much more central location: a large building that is being constructed over the old Bahia Cabana lot, at 1600 Market Street, near Zuni Café. The project is at least a couple years out, however.
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Annual Restaurant Issue Published
Top 40 Restaurants
Our annual restaurant issue features our top 40 selections, including San Francisco's Michael Mina, Gary Danko and more!
