News for Restaurants in San Francisco December 2009 Archive Search / Openings / Closings / Chef Shuffle / News Bytes / Sign up for our free, monthly newsletter / News Archive Want to know who's doing what in your city? Gayot has the restaurant news you want to read on openings, closings, special events, and more. Learn everything you need to know about the restaurants in San Francisco here. RESTAURANT NEWS Openings Perbacco Ristorante + Bar owner Umberto Gibin and chef-owner Staffan Terje are stretching their California Street realm one door down with the opening of the more casual barbacco eno trattoria. Dubbed a "little sister" to the larger Italian hot-spot, the 66-seat trattoria features Perbacco vets chef Sarah Burchard and wine director Mauro Cirilli. Designed by Cass Calder Smith, architects behind Perbacco's sleek style, the urban space lends comfortable appeal, with a black marble bar, dark walnut two-tops, small communal tables and an electronic menu screen. Seasonal trattoria fare includes artisanal salumi, gourmet Italian sandwiches and salads, baked pastas, and heartier dinner plates such as braised calamari with tomato, chili, fennel and olives; fried olives stuffed with pork and sage; and egg occhio di bue on braised rapini, tomato and ‘nduja. A focus on biodynamic international wines, with 100 by the glass, as well as San Francisco-local beers rounds out the experience. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner Mon.-Sat. barbacco eno trattoria, 220 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-955-1919.   More East Bay happenings: The historic Claremont Hotel Club & Spa, a grand white hotel on the border between the Berkeley and Oakland Hills and a well known local landmark, has opened Meritage at the Claremont in the space that formerly housed Jordan's. The sweeping, upscale restaurant marks a significant update for the hotel (though its second restaurant and lounge, Paragon, is thoroughly modern). It is the third Meritage concept originated by Boston chef Daniel Bruce, adding to locations at the Boston Harbor Hotel and Maison Dupuy Hotel in New Orleans; each of the three Meritages features a strong focus on wine pairings with small and large plates of regional cuisine. New executive chef Josh Thomsen (The Lodge at Pebble Beach, Nobhill Tavern in Las Vegas) works with pedigreed local produce, meats and artisan ingredients, and offers a weekly "Vineyard to Table" prix-fixe menu featuring ingredients specifically chosen to best highlight local wines. Meritage at the Claremont, 41 Tunnel Rd., Berkeley, CA 94705, 510-843-3000, 800-551-7266.   Bocanova has opened in Oakland from husband-and-wife team Rick Hackett and Meredith Melville. The space comprises 6,500-square-feet of a restored 1920s icehouse in the burgeoning Jack London Square restaurant district, complete with waterfront views. Together Hackett and Melville bought and revived Enrico's in the early 1990s, and Hackett was most recently executive chef of MarketBar. At Bocanova, he creates pan-American plates with pungent flavors from South, Central and North America. Architect Michael Guthrie (Bix, Myth, Zinnia) designed the space, which uses recycled and sustainably harvested wood, stone, tile and found objects to create a stylish, rustic atmosphere. Lunch Mon.-Sat., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sun. Bocanova, Jack London Square, 55 Webster St., Oakland, CA 94607, 510-444-1233.   News Bytes "Top Chef" Features Cyrus Cyrus in Healdsburg hosted the season finale of Bravo's "Top Chef: Las Vegas." Chef Douglas Keane was one of the guest judges during the episode that named Michael Voltaggio of The Dining Room at The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa the winner of season 6. Cyrus, Les Mars Hotel, 29 North St., Healdsburg, CA 95448, 707-433-3311.   Cetrella Introduces Weekly Prix-Fixe Menu Cetrella in Half Moon Bay has the introduced a weekly-changing prix-fixe menu available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. The $25 three-course menu has included dishes such as Maine salt cod brandade with focaccia toast point, cold pressed Spanish olive oil and Castelvetrano olive tapenade; wood oven roasted sardines with French Riviera style stuffing, herb medley and balsamic vinaigrette; and Corsican style goat cheese cake with red berries gel and a citrus salad. Cetrella, 845 Main St., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019, 650-726-4090.   Half-Price Dishes on Wednesdays at Park Chalet Every Wednesday during the month of December, Park Chalet's dishes from the lunch and dinner menus will be available for half the regular price. New items on these menus include crispy duck spring rolls, a smoked salmon club sandwich and warm bread pudding. (The promotion excludes tax, gratuity, the happy hour menu and all alcohol and other beverages.) Park Chalet, Golden Gate Park, 1000 Great Hwy., San Francisco, CA 94121, 415-386-8439.   Chef Shuffle Restaurant Michael Mina has announced a new executive pastry chef. Catherine Schimenti, who won accolades for her desserts at Craft Los Angeles, moved to the Bay Area this year with longtime partner Matthew Accarrino (SPQR), also formerly with Craft. Both chefs also worked at Per Se, and Schimenti also has Balthazar Restaurant and Gramercy Tavern on her résumé. Look for Schimenti's innovative, refined desserts and pastries to blend seamlessly with Michael Mina's modern sophistication. Michael Mina, The Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell St., San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-397-9222.   Closings As 2009 closed, unfortunately so did a generous handful of notable Bay Area restaurants. Zinnia in Jackson Square and seven-year-old Côté Sud in the Castro both closed their doors for good after service on New Year's Eve. Even the trendiest spots aren't immune: South Food + Wine Bar closed in late December, and Laïola closed after service on December 31, though both will reopen as new concepts under same ownership in early 2010---South's new incarnation to-be-revealed, and Laïola as Tacolicious, the restaurant's fresh street food concept made popular at the Ferry Building Farmers Market. Also closed in December: the recently restyled Metro Café (formerly Metro Kathmandu), venerable Carnelian Room and Acme Chophouse. Look for that restaurant to reopen in April, still under Traci Des Jardins, as two separate concepts: Public House, a sports-oriented pub appropriate for the ballpark location, and a second Mijita, Des Jardins' taqueria.   CULINARY EVENTS Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area. View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in San Francisco Discover the top restaurants in the San Francisco/Bay Area for various cuisines and categories like sushi, steakhouses, happy hours, romantic dining and even gourmet food trucks. Find the best restaurants in SF here!

View archived news: May 2022 | March 2022 | November 2021 | September 2021 | August 2021 | November 2020 | September 2020 | August 2020 | June 2020 | March 2020 | January 2020 | October 2019 | September 2019 | August 2019 | July 2019 | June 2019 | May 2019 | April 2019 | March 2019 | February 2019 | January 2019 | December 2018 | October 2018 | July 2018 | June 2018 | May 2018 | April 2018 | March 2018 | February 2018 | January 2018 | December 2017 | November 2017 | September 2017 | August 2017 | July 2017 | June 2017 | April 2017 | March 2017 | February 2017 | January 2017 | December 2016 | November 2016 | October 2016 | September 2016 | August 2016 | July 2016 | June 2016 | May 2016 | April 2016 | March 2016 | February 2016 | January 2016 | December 2015 | November 2015 | October 2015 | September 2015 | August 2015 | July 2015 | June 2015 | May 2015 | April 2015 | March 2015 | February 2015 | January 2015 | December 2014 | November 2014 | October 2014 | September 2014 | August 2014 | July 2014 | June 2014 | May 2014 | April 2014 | March 2014 | February 2014 | January 2014 | December 2013 | November 2013 | October 2013 | September 2013 | August 2013 | July 2013 | June 2013 | May 2013 | April 2013 | March 2013 | February 2013 | January 2013 | December 2012 | November 2012 | October 2012 | September 2012 | August 2012 | July 2012 | June 2012 | May 2012 | April 2012 | March 2012 | February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011 | September 2011 | August 2011 | July 2011 | June 2011 | May 2011 | April 2011 | March 2011 | February 2011 | January 2011 | December 2010 | November 2010 | October 2010 | September 2010 | August 2010 | July 2010 | June 2010 | May 2010 | April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010 | January 2010 | December 2009 | November 2009 | October 2009 | September 2009 | August 2009 | July 2009 | June 2009 | May 2009 | April 2009 | March 2009 | February 2009 | January 2009 | December 2008 | November 2008 | October 2008 | September 2008 | August 2008 | July 2008 | June 2008 | May 2008 | April 2008 | March 2008