News for Restaurants in San Francisco November 2013 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 A casino opening doesn't usually merit mention on restaurant news pages, but the new Graton Resort & Casino, opened November 5, 2013, in Rohnert Park, Calif., near San Francisco and wine country, features 13 new eateries, including some from notable chefs. Douglas Keane, former chef of now-closed Cyrus, has a wing joint called DK Wings inside the casino; casual pasta and pizza enclave Tony's of North Beach is the latest from world-class pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani (Tony's Pizza Napoletana, Tony's Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House, Capo's); and Martin Yan has opened a second M.Y. China within the compound (the first is inside San Francisco's Westfield Centre). Graton Resort & Casino is open daily and many of the restaurants offer late-night dining. Open daily. Graton Resort & Casino, 288 Golf Course Dr., Rohnert Park, CA 94928, 707-588-7100.   The Barrel Room restaurant and wine bar will open on College Avenue in Oakland in early December, joining the flood of new establishments in the Rockridge neighborhood. Owner-sommeliers Sarah Trubnick and Carolyn Johnson debuted the first Barrel Room on Post and Taylor in San Francisco in 2011, and with this new location will continue to specialize in small production international wines (usually with a changing monthly focus on varying regions) in an intimate, approachable atmosphere, with the addition of French-inspired, wine-friendly cuisine from chef Sam Paulding (Oliveto). The room will be small and rustic with about 30 seats, as well as ten seats at outdoor bistro tables. Look for wine tastings, seminars and happy hour specials in the coming months. The Barrel Room, 5330 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618, no phone.   Stones Throw has taken over the former space of Luella in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. Executive chef Jason Halverson offers a seasonally inspired menu with dishes such as chestnut raviolo with chanterelle mushrooms, roasted Brussels sprouts and truffle butter. Stones Throw, 1896 Hyde St., San Francisco, CA 94109, 415-­796-­2901.   News Bytes Ten-Year Anniversary Star Line-Up At Quince Quince marks ten years this December, and to commemorate, chef Michael Tusk has called upon friends Alice Waters, April Bloomfield, Michael Anthony, Danny Meyer, Sean Brock, Marco Canora, Jonathan Benno and others to celebrate by joining him in the kitchen for a series of special dinners that started December 1, 2013. A portion of the proceeds from each evening benefits The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation. Choose your night and make reservations by visiting quincerestaurant.com/events and calling 415-775-8500. Quince, 470 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133, 415-775-8500.   Napa News: Sean O'Toole's Torc Revitalizes Dormant Ubuntu Space Up in downtown Napa, a new restaurant called Torc --- the Gaelic word for boar --- debuted on November 25, 2013, in the dormant Ubuntu space located at 1140 Main Street between Pearl and First. (Ubuntu's combined vegetarian restaurant and yoga studio received critical attention for its cuisine when it opened, and further notoriety for its abrupt closure two years ago this month.) Chef-owner is Sean O'Toole, formerly of Hopper Creek Kitchen, Bardessono, Quince and Cotogna. This is his inaugural solo venture, featuring casual contemporary American cuisine with subtle international inflections, using locally sourced and foraged ingredients. Wines include eighty by the bottle, such as vintage Burgundies and Napa cult wines, and a by-the-glass list curated by beverage manager Cynthia O'Toole (The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, Kenzo Estate). Industry followers may remember that the husband-and-wife couple opened Bardessono together in 2009. Initial menu items include violet artichoke soup with chanterelles, mint and lemon; Dungeness crab salad with Buddha's hand citrus, satsuma, avocado and herbs; and mains like Hudson Ranch heritage pork with cheddar grits, collard greens and mustard sauce, and roasted chicken for two with black spice, coconut rice and spicy bok choy. Though refreshed, the bones of the space remain mostly untouched, retaining the 30-foot ceilings, and transforming the former yoga studio into a private dining mezzanine. Look for brunch beginning January 2014. Dinner nightly. Torc, 1140 Main St., Napa, CA 94559, 707-252-3292.   Dungeness Crab Season Begins Dungeness crab season officially began November 15, 2013, and restaurants of all styles and price points across the bay are announcing their intentions for the sweet meat. Some examples: The peninsula's 31st Union offers a warm Dungeness crab salad as well as crab-laced mac ‘n’ cheese and orecchiette with winter squash, Bloomsdale spinach and sea urchin sauce. Boulevard has several Dungeness crab salads, a risotto and deviled Dungeness crab bisque in the offering. Honor Kitchen & Cocktails in Emeryville will serve a nightly Dungeness crab sandwich on a toasted bun with garlic fries on the side. And La Folie has a Dungeness crab salad with cauliflower panna cotta, spiced crab vinaigrette and a curry tuile on the tasting menu.   Chef Shuffle Check back soon for more news. Closings Some news from the Mission: Look for longtime small-plates favorite Andalu to close at the end of 2013 to make way for a new Chinese dumpling restaurant project from Brandon Jew (Bar Agricole) and the team at Tacolicious (located in the Marina, North Beach and the Mission). The new restaurant, expected mid-2014, will feature affordable small plates of Chinese-inspired dumplings, noodles, vegetable and other dishes with a San Francisco bent. The approachable, 60-seat dining room will feature an open kitchen and full bar. Andalu's final night of service is New Year's Eve 2013, and after 12 years of popularity is sure to host many good-bye drinks in its final weeks. Andalu, 3198 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-621-2211.   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!

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