As reported earlier this month, UNION LARDER was opening in Russian Hill from the team behind Little Vine. Well, they officially opened their doors on September 16th, and now you can get their house charcuterie, glasses of wine, and cheeses. The retail side is also open, offering pantry items, Straus dairy products, and Marin Sun Farms meat. Hours this week are Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm, Sat 11am-11pm, but they should be opening Mon-Sat 11am-11pm in the next couple of weeks. 1945 Hyde St. at Union, 415-272-7567.
THE HALL, the Mid-Market gourmet marketplace we told you about in August, is now open in the former Hollywood Billiards building. The building is actually still a work in progress and will eventually be a residential building with retail on the ground floor. While the developer works that out, though, The Hall will be open in the interim, offering food from a variety of vendors including Little Green Cyclo, The Whole Beast, and Fine & Rare. It will also serve as a multiuse events space. 1028 Market St. at 6th St, 415-558-8293.
It looks like there is a new spot for handmade udon in town, in the Kinokuniya Building in Japantown. It’s called UDON MUGIZO. There’s only one Yelp review, and it’s positive; sadly, Gary Soup discovered that they are closed on Mondays, so we don’t have the benefit of his always-thorough feedback. 1581 Webster St. at Post, no phone.
The Outer Sunset has a new spot for sweets—ice cream sandwiches, specifically. SWICH is now open on Irving, with customized sandwiches made with a variety of cookie and ice cream flavors, along with “toppings” for the sides of the sandwich. 2045 Irving St. at 22nd Ave, 415-592-8091.
Speaking of sweets in the Sunset, Eater caught the news of TWISTED DONUTS. Husband-and-wife team Paul and Joyce Lim offers classics like old-fashioneds and glazed, along with hipper flavor combinations like mango, lemon and blueberry, and maple bacon available as daily specials. They’ve got coffee and housemade croissants too. 1243 Noriega St. at 20th Ave., 415-463-5437.
CALIBUR, the burger joint that moved into the former Market & Rye in West Portal, is now open, slinging organic burgers, fries, and shakes made with Three Twins ice cream. 68 West Portal Ave. at Vicente, no phone.
The BOBA GUYS have opened their second location, according to Chowhound. The new location is in Union Square, near the Stockton Street Tunnel, and to make things even easier for the downtown crowd, you can now order online for pickup. 429 Stockton St. at Bush, 415-967-2622.
And over on Treasure Island, ARACELY CAFE has now opened there after their move (you may remember them from Potrero Hill, in the Axis Cafe space). Their new island digs include a sweet patio space with bridge views, indoor/outdoor fireplaces, a chef’s garden, and a semi-enclosed courtyard. While they are serving brunch and lunch, it’s also a great event space: they host a bunch of private events (weddings, baby showers, and more), and some public events are coming up, including jazz, blues, music concerts, and wine tasting parties. Hours are Tue-Fri 11am-2pm, and Sat-Sun 10:30am-2:30pm. 401 13th St., Treasure Island, 415-694-0363.
Melissa Gugni and Jay Esopenko at Union Larder. Photo Courtesy Union Larder.
