Way back in August of last year, we reported on PICNIC ON THIRD, and now it’s finally open! It comes from partners Leigh Loper (formerly of Quince) and Natalia Bushyager (previously at Camino and Chez Panisse) and is offering lunch for dine-in or takeout and packaged dinners to go. The space is charming and cute in a vintage eclectic way, with nice wood floors, brass light fixtures, a pressed tin ceiling, and wooden tables made with pipe fittings. The kitchen has a neat storage wall of spices made by screwing Mason jar tops into the wall—it’s all downright pleasant.
The menu is inspired by a different place or theme every day, and three dishes are offered: two meats and one vegetarian. Here is a sample menu that shows the format, though note those dishes are no longer available. Tomorrow’s menu (Wednesday November 19th), for example, is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi and includes lamb and beef meatballs with barley mujadara and serpent cucumber salad; Ottolenghi’s chicken, roasted acorn squash, and roasted cauliflower; the vegetarian plate is composed of the barley mujadara, cucumber salad, acorn squash, and cauliflower. You can take a look at upcoming and past menus here. In addition to the composed “plates,” you can also order the components in larger quantities à la carte. They’ve got beer and wine too. Pour-over coffee from Chicago’s HalfWit Coffee Roasters and espresso from Contraband is available, along with pastries from Sandbox, Heartbaker, and Little Bee. Hours are Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, with lunch available beginning at 11am. 493 3rd St. at Bryant, 415-590-7121.
As reported on tablehopper last month, Irfan Yalcin of Potrero’s Pera has a new wine bar in the Mission: L’EMIGRANTE. The new project, which is named after the Italian film, is now open! The wine list, which you can check out right here, is very affordable, with bottles ranging from $20 to $50, and 85 percent of them are less than $35. Most of the wines are also available by the glass, or in a 2 1/2-ounce pour for tasting. There are reds, whites, rosés, and sparkling options, plus eight beers on tap.
As for the menu, it’s all about casual snacking to go with that wine. There are bruschette with a variety of toppings to choose from, including kale with burrata and golden raisins. There’s a large selection of salads, or you can go the cheese and charcuterie route. There are also sandwiches and a larger plates section of the menu, where you’ll find the Pera Talas Böregi, smoked chicken and vegetables in curry sauce baked into phyllo dough. Take a look at the whole menu here. Hours are Sun-Thu 12pm-12am and Fri-Sat 12pm-1am. 2199 Mission St. at 18th St., 415-525-2284.
Now open in the Westfield Centre (near M.Y. China) is TAP 415, the new project we mentioned was coming from Chad Bourdon and Matthew Dolan of Twenty Five Lusk. This modern beer garden (designed by Cass Calder Smith) features 18 beers on tap and two on-tap cocktails, plus adult milk shakes, like the Smoke in the Morning, with smoked Scotch, coffee ice cream, whipped cream, and hazelnut brittle. The American menu features 12 bar bites, so the next time you’re shopping and you need a snack, the Reuben tater tots should do the trick. There are also salads, burgers, housemade links, and sandwiches (like wild mushroom with smoked burrata and nettle pesto), plus some heartier dishes, like steak frites. There is also a kids menu. Hours for now are Mon-Fri 11:30am-9pm. 845 Market St., 4th floor, 415-266-7900.
Another week, another ramen shop. This time, it’s in Bernal and is called Coco’s Ramen. We called to find out who this Coco might be, but were unable to get any details. However, the menu looks good, with broth choices including tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, curry, and vegetarian. Chashu and pork belly can both be added as well. There is a small selection of appetizers, including grilled shishito peppers served with garlic sauce and chicken wings. Hours are Sun-Mon, Wed-Thu 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm. 3319 Mission St. at 29th St., 415-648-7722.
The interior at Picnic on Third. Photo courtesy Picnic on Third.
