The Chatterbox

I’m beyond excited to have a new bar and casual Mexican restaurant in the Lower Haight, a mere 15-minute walk from my place for quality cocktails and tacos and tostadas, hubba. Meet OTRA, from Nick and Anna Sager Cobarruvias of the Mission’s Son’s Addition. They live in…

Just after my last newsletter went out, tablehopper reader Karen Z. let me know about a new opening in Bernal, SHOKUDOU, serving izakaya-style skewers and dishes, chirashi, nigiri, and more, in a former hair salon! You can read some background in this piece on Eater—the owner (chef Stewart Chen)…

Here are some updates on projects that are coming soon, starting with the move of Christian Ciscle’s SF CHICKENBOX, a favorite of fried chicken lovers (real ones know). SFC has been operating alongside The Brew Coop on Valencia in the Mission, but now that’s all finished as he…

It has been beyond distressing and deeply heartbreaking to witness the Covid crisis that keeps unfolding in India, and some local restaurants are rallying to help raise money to support relief efforts by The American India Foundation. Even when our beleaguered restaurants are suffering from the pandemic’s toll this…

There are a number of new projects in the works, and many are pop-ups finding their first brick-and-mortar location, something that fills me with optimism after this bleak year. I was thrilled to see the co-founders behind the ongoing pop-up HILDA AND JESSE—Rachel Sillcocks (Range, Piccino) and Kristina Compton…

Now open in Mission Bay is NEW BELGIUM BREWING, the Colorado craft brewer’s first restaurant and taproom. There’s a four-barrel pilot system that will produce an array of brews and small-batch specialty beers, from classic Belgian-style offerings, to experimental hoppy beers, to on-site sour blends. The on-site brewing…

Exciting news for SF: THE RAMP is finally reopening! Exhale, I know. Some of you have been reaching out to me asking what was up, and I was so happy to see their post that they’re reopening today (April 27th), with an updated patio (now with artificial grass, picnic…

Some good news from the former CatHead’s BBQ team, husband and wife Richard Park and Pam Schafer, who sadly had to close their restaurant last August: they have taken over the kitchen space at Bender’s Bar in the Mission and opened as OverKill Grill. They refreshed and sharpened…

This is always the part of my column I hate writing. Over the weekend, chef-owner Trish Tracey announced the closure of the six-year-old MYRIAD GASTROPUB in the Mission. Be sure to read her thoughtful note about her decision to pass the space onto someone else while she ponders her next…

I was so terribly sorry and shocked to hear the news that chef Terrell Brunet unexpectedly passed away in March, which I just learned a couple weeks ago. He was such a big personality, so kind-hearted and a true bon vivant. Wearer of jaunty fedoras. Wicked gumbo-maker. It’s so…