Starting on Monday March 12th, you’ll be seeing chef George Morrone at ~HOG & ROCKS~ on Monday nights, working with the kitchen crew (I wonder if he’ll yell at them, ha ha) for the next six weeks (through April 16th) for Morrone Mondays. (Ends up he’s a neighbor and a regular, in case you’re wondering how this pop-up came to be.) For $55, you will get a four-course dinner, with the option of suggested wine pairings and two special cocktails, but those are extra. The dishes will balance the high cuisine of George’s background (AQUA, Fifth Floor—I had one of my best meals in the city when he was there) with some Hog & Rocks casual vibe; look for dishes like pork, oysters, and seasonal vegetables that are prepared and plated in a simple fashion. March 12th’s menu will include an amuse bouche; a first course with mushroom, Bloomsdale spinach, bacon vin, pickled pearl onion, turmeric brine; mussels, cilantro broth, hard chorizo, baguette, chorizo butter/aioli; five peppercorn pork tender, apple butter, braised red cabbage, parsnip (three purées); and dessert could be crème brûlée or pudding. Hog & Rocks is primarily walk-in only, but on these nights they will be accepting reservations for the entire dining room. And to add to the fancification, there will also be valet parking.
Over in SoMa, THE WINDOW, a commissary for Coffee Bar that will be hosting pop-up vendors each week (read more details here) is shaping up their schedule: Soup Junkie will be serving lunch Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays starting March 15th, and Seoul Patch is booked for dinner on Friday March 16th and Saturday March 24th from 9pm-2am. Follow the online calendar and @TheWindowSF on Twitter for more. 1599 Howard St. at 12th St.
An organic juice pop-up called SŌW is trying to come to Pause Wine Bar on Market, but they need to fulfill their Kickstarter fundraising campaign first. Luisa Alberto and Derek Castro met through Blue Bottle Coffee four years ago, and now want to offer organic, seasonal, locally sourced, made-to-order juices (including unique combinations like carrot, orange, bell pepper, and turmeric). If they reach their funding goal, they plan to pop up Saturday and Sunday mornings in early May 2012. Check out their video here.
Hog & Rocks interior; photo from website.
