The Chatterbox

With the continued and distressing hate crimes and violence against the AAPI community, a number of folks in our local restaurant industry are rallying to support, and raise funds and awareness. First, ~ZUNI CAFE~ is hosting another bake sale, with 32 participants (!) on Saturday May 1st. Proceeds will benefit AAPI…

I am so outta time (overtime!) writing this column, so this East Bay update is a quickfire round of info for you. Opening this Friday in Oakland in the former Flora and Fauna bar is PALMETTO and The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto, a Caribbean restaurant and bar from The Kon-Tiki…

Back in 2013, I attended one of chef Val M. Cantu’s first Californios pop-ups at Naked Kitchen in the Mission—I sat solo at the chef counter, and got such a kick from the energy of his punchy and creative menu. Fast-forward to 2021, and I am once again…

Back in January, I posted a big update about the LA COCINA MUNICIPAL MARKETPLACE, the country’s first women-led food hall, featuring seven La Cocina entrepreneurs (all working class women of color and immigrant women entrepreneurs) with kiosks in the Marketplace, working with Marketplace manager Jay Foster (previously farmerbrown, Isla…

File this one under the smart moves category: ~LIHOLIHO YACHT CLUB~ has decided to temporarily move from their Sutter Street location to the group’s 18th Street property (previously Dear Inga, and formerly Farina). It means they can take advantage of the location’s outdoor seating (which includes the fab…

In Tamara Palmer’s most recent column for 48 Hills, she mentioned how she was unknowingly scammed by a business masquerading as the cult favorite Wagyumafia from Japan on Doordash, supposedly offering their famed wagyu sandwich for delivery for $180 (she opted for a $35 A5 wagyu nigiri set instead)…

Here’s a super-quiet hot tip for you: chef-owner Val Cantu has softly opened reservations in April for the new SoMa location of his Michelin-starred restaurant, CALIFORNIOS. They are just serving on the former Bar Agricole’s heated and updated outdoor patio for now, but it’s still a white…

Due to open at the end of March is THE TAILOR’S SON, the latest restaurant from Adriano Paganini’s Back of the House restaurant group, which is opening in the former Elite Cafe. Hoodline mentions Paganini (the son of a tailor) will be paying a salute to his Lombardian…

Chef-owner Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue can’t stop, won’t stop. Just this past Saturday, he held his first pop-up for MATTY’S OLD-FASHIONED, his new burger concept that is percolating—no news on the when and where just yet (although this SFGATE piece mentions Fresno is a possible…

There’s a second location of THE BIRD now open in Hayes Valley (in the former Dobbs Ferry space), its second SF location. On the menu: their free-range, fried chicken sandwiches, biscuits, and wings, along with salads, curly fries, and apple fritters. You can also drink canned beer, cider, seltzer,…