The New Fillmore reports that Hayes Valley ice cream shop SMITTEN is opening a second location on California at Fillmore, next to Pizzeria Delfina. Smitten is known for its nitrogen-frozen ice cream, with seasonal flavors and toppings. 2404 California St. at Fillmore.
SLURP NOODLE BAR is now softly open in the Castro, according to Castro Bubble. The new spot, in the former Fork Cafe space, is serving noodles and dumplings from all over Asia, including laksa, sui jao, pho, and ramen, along with some bites like steamed buns and spring rolls. Hours are Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm. 469 Castro St. at 18th St., 415-553-6633.
It looks like French Baguette in the Financial District has morphed into CHEZ JULIEN, a healthy French café, according to Yelpers. The menu includes grab-and-go essentials for breakfast and lunch, including salads, soup, and sandwiches. 100 Bush St. at Battery, 415-399-1816.
As reported last week, there are changes afoot at Second Act Marketplace with the departure of High Cotton Kitchen and Spice Hound. We mentioned that Crêpe La Vie is moving in, and now word comes that the second vacancy will be filled by BURMA BEAR, a Burmese barbecue restaurant from Hubert Lim. Both new spots are aiming to open this month. Congrats, all! 1727 Haight St. at Cole, 415-668-3994.
After Ngoc Mai in the Tenderloin closed, many on Chowhound were saddened by the end of their delicious bun bo hue and banh xeo. But no more tears! Now Yelpers are reporting that it has reopened under the name TUYET MAI, with the same staff, cooks, and owners. Yay. 547 Hyde St. at Geary, 415-931-4899.
Speaking of Vietnamese food, URBAN PICNIC is getting ready to open their third location this Friday October 10th in SoMa. The new location will have the same menu as previous locations, with fresh, health-concious fare including banh mi, noodle and rice bowls, and big salads. Catering will also be available, and hours are Mon-Fri 7:30am-4pm. 303 2nd St. at Harrison, 415-433-1233.
East Bay gelato company LUSH GELATO has opened a location on Polk, as we reported back in June. Owner Federico Murtagh makes his gelato completely from scratch, in house (meaning he doesn’t use a Straus base, like many other producers). This gives him more flexibility in creating his flavors and gives customers a chance to watch the process from start to finish. The spot is now open, and you can scope some of the possible flavor choices here. 1817 Polk St. at Washington, 415-444-9750.
Sui jao at Slurp. Photo from Facebook.
