Now open in Hayes Valley, ~DOBBS FERRY~ has opened its doors, serving Northeast comfort food with Cali influences (the name comes from a town in New York). Executive chef Mike Yakura (partnering with restaurateurs Danny Sterling, Scott Broccoli, and Todd Trippany) has put together a bistro-style menu that includes starters like prawns seasoned with Old Bay and served with cocktail sauce ($13), mussels and clams with garlic fries ($11), classic salads like a wedge or chopped salad ($6-$12), and potato chowder ($7); pastas include baked ziti ($16); and there are four pizzas, including an eggplant parm pie ($16) that I wanna try, like, now. Mains range from cioppino ($23) to veal marsala ($22/$32), and a house-ground burger ($14). Lunch includes some hearty sandwiches, like sausage and peppers. Evans Horn (Spruce, Ozumo) is heading up the bar, and there’s a bar menu available starting at 4pm. The restaurant is spacious, with 100 seats and two dining areas. The look (designed by Abueg Morris working with SRG Architects) is classic and clean, with wainscoting, booths, and wood floors.
And a charming little factoid: one of the owners (Danny Sterling) said 65 people from the namesake Dobbs Ferry who come out every year for a Giants game were at the restaurant on Friday night. Also funny: bartender Evans Horn originally didn’t want to put Danny’s drink (rum and Coke) on the menu, which explains why #14 on the list says: “Rum and Coke—regular or diet. Lime is not an option. You win Danny.” Dinner nightly Mon-Thu 5pm-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm, and Sun 5pm-9:30pm. Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-3:45pm, and brunch starts this weekend (Sat-Sun 11am-3:30pm).
I was cruisin’ around North Beach last week, and noticed TUPELO had opened on Grant Avenue in the former Mojito (the grand opening is this Thursday). Grub Street previously reported the owners are Ted Mattson, Teague Kernan, and Tom Peters; the chef is Mark Danziger, who worked at AQUA under Michael Mina, Chow, and Fog City Diner. The Southern menu includes cocktail-friendly “soul food tapas” like crispy pickles and ham hock croquettes, po’ boy sandwiches, and six different grit dishes you can choose from, plus some salads and a burger with candied bacon and a cheddar frico on the patty (crunch crunch). Gotta love that the sausage on the sandwich is from Little City Market, and the bread from Italian French Baking Co., both in North Beach—way to keep it local. There is a plan for live music (license pending), plus watermelon sweet tea, and on the brunch menu (which is fully kicking in this weekend), there will be pork belly hash and a crayfish omelet. Kitchen open 5pm-1am, brunch Sat-Sun 10am-3pm. 1337 Grant Ave. at Vallejo, 415-981-9177.
UrbanDaddy mentions CASTAGNA is opening any day now in the Marina. The restaurant is from Stephane and Jerome Meloni, previously behind Restaurant Cassis in Pacific Heights. In an interesting switch, Grub Street notes Castagna is starting with breakfast (8am-11am) and lunch (11am-5pm) to start, and dinner will launch in a month or so. As for the menu, Castagna’s Facebook page states they “will feature popular French and Italian dishes along with a variety of American favorites with a French twist.” 2015 Chestnut St. at Fillmore, 415-440-4290.
Bar at Dobbs Ferry. Photo by Rebecca Kinney. © tablehopper.com.
