News for Restaurants in San Francisco
October 2011 Archive
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 Openings
Joe Hargrave's popular Marina hangout Tacolicious is about to get a second location, this time on Valencia Street in the Mission District. The new spot will parlay the original restaurant's winning formula of urbane, sit-down Mexican with a cocktail-driven full bar---with the added bonuses of an outdoor courtyard and a kitchen open until midnight. Opening is set for November 14. An adjoining tequila and snack (botanas) bar called Mosto is also set to open shortly. Tacolicious, 741 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110, no phone.
Details have been announced for the new incarnation of the former Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. Anticipated to open in December 2011, chef Ron Siegel's Parallel 37---named for the latitude line that runs near the Bay Area---will feature a more approachable cuisine and atmosphere than the luxe confines of The Dining Room. A total redesign by EDG Interior Architecture + Design looks to cultivate a relaxed, lively, urban vibe. Elements will include a 46-seat bar and lounge that opens onto the main dining room, modern glass wall treatments and a glass entranceway from the hotel's lobby, and natural-edge wood tables, including communal tables and a chef's table with a view onto the kitchen. Siegel's talents will now be forged into simple American contemporary cuisine crafted from handpicked local ingredients. The wine program will also be locally focused, highlighting Napa and Sonoma. Parallel 37, 600 Stockton St., San Francisco, CA 94108, 415-296-7465.
Los Angeles eatery Umami Burger has hit Union Street in San Francisco, providing competition for the area's finest burgers. On the menu: house-ground beef served medium rare and met with house-crafted condiments and rich toppings such as slow-roasted tomatoes, lardons, Stilton and truffled cheese. The San Francisco location features a bacon-wrapped scallop burger---scallop topped with crispy pork belly, sweet chili sauce and yuzu-garlic aïoli---not found at other Umami restaurants. Predominantly local wineries and brewers make up the upscale beverage list, and Los Angeles favorite Cake Monkey does the desserts. Lunch & Dinner daily. Umami Burger, 2184 Union St., San Francisco, CA 94123, 415-440-8626.
Novato has a handsome new barbecue restaurant called the Southern Pacific Smokehouse, featuring slow, hickory-smoked meats, wood fired fish and rich Southern offerings from 31-year-old executive chef Ryan Barnett. At once sleek and laid back (it's located in a shopping center), the modern dining room with exhibition kitchen has room for 100 diners with an additional 50 seats on an outdoor patio. Live music in the adjoining Smokehouse Lounge includes regular appearances from co-owner Phil Claypool. A strong cocktail program from Alex Bachman features more than a dozen signature drinks and favors whisky and bourbon, as well as mostly California wines with 18 by the glass. Lunch & Dinner daily. Southern Pacific Smokehouse, Vintage Oaks Shopping Center, 224 Vintage Way, Novato, CA 94945, 415-899-9600.
Celebrity chef Art Smith, owner of Table Fifty-Two and Art and Soul, former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and "Top Chef Masters" participant, joins forces with chef Tal Ronnen, vegan chef to VIPs and author of The Conscious Cook, to launch LYFE Kitchen in Palo Alto in October. The flagship to what is set to become a national enterprise will feature fast, healthful, nourishing fare, with no dish containing more than 600 calories (no butter, cream, additives or preservatives) and prices topping out at around $13. Menus cater to meat eaters as well as vegans and most special diets, including gluten free. LYFE stands for "love your food every day." Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner daily. LYFE Kitchen, 167 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301, 650-325-5933.
AQ ("As Quoted") Restaurant & Bar has opened on Mission and Seventh Streets in San Francisco, bringing seasonal food to the mid Market area. Executive chef is Mark Liberman, former chef de cuisine of La Folie, Bocuse d'Or semi-finalist and founder of Sacramento's Black Sheep Butchery, whose unique intent with this new venue is to educate and inform as well as cook. Liberman will lead cooking demonstrations, culinary and wine events and interactive classes, and as a further draw, the restaurant's décor will change seasonally along with the menus. The long, narrow space features a 60-seat dining room and 22-seat counter at a large, open kitchen. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sun. AQ Restaurant & Bar, 1085 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-341-9000.
News
Bytes
Brasserie Brunch
Bluestem Brasserie now serves brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., giving Union Square and Yerba Buena Gardens visitors a new, upscale weekend option. Menu items include seared albacore tuna with avocado, haricots verts, olive tapenade, tomato and hard-cooked egg; shrimp and grits with Anson Mills stone cut grits and Louisiana style grits; and more classic options such as eggs Benedict with house-cured tasso ham or smoked salmon, or brioche french toast. The adult beverage menu includes the restaurant's dozen Napa and Sonoma wines on tap as well as specialty cocktails such as the house Bloody Mary with a distinctive barbecue sauce rim. Bluestem Brasserie, One Yerba Buena Ln., San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-547-1111.
Chef
Shuffle
The Umami Restaurant Group's upcoming Los Angeles deli concept, UMAMIcatessen will feature PIGG --- a cutting edge pork tribute featuring various charcuterie and other creations from San Francisco chef Chris Cosentino (Incanto). Also included will be Adam Fleischman's Umami Kosher-style deli, The Cure, as well as an expanded Umami Burger. UMAMIcatessen is expected to open in early 2012, and will be located on the ground floor of the classic Orpheum Theatre. Incanto, 1550 Church St., San Francisco, CA 94131, 415-641-4500.
Closings
Japanese kaiseki and sushi restaurant Kaygetsu in Menlo Park closed on October 7. Kaygetsu, 325 Sharon Park Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025, no phone.
Upscale Mexican restaurant Maya closed on October 14. The lively Financial District hot-spot was a popular choice for power happy hours and white-tablecloth Mexican cuisine for more than a decade. Maya, Marathon Plaza, 303 Second St., San Francisco, CA 94107, no phone.
The Westfield Centre location of Charles Phan's casual eatery Out the Door (sister to Slanted Door) is closed temporarily due to flooding. The Fillmore Street location of Out the Door remains open.
View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in San Francisco
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