November 14, 2017 - This week's tablehopper: give it all you've got.

This week's tablehopper: give it all you've got.                    

Brandon Jew’s badass take on the Filet-o-Fish at last night’s Munchies party (celebrating the new Munchies cookbook featuring chefs and recipes from Vice’s Chef’s Night Out). Photo: © tablehopper.com.

Hi gang. I hope you have some time on your calendar and a little money in the bank, because there are some amazing events happening this week!

As you know, ChefsGiving Week has kicked off to support North Bay fire victims (here’s my piece from last week), and there are so many restaurants participating, offering special menus, dishes, pizzas, and more! It would be great if you could support them in any way.

And the whole thing culminates in a big gala event this Sunday November 19th, which could really use your support! There’s a VIP Champagne and caviar reception, and you wouldn’t believe the incredible auction items. And all the beautiful wines that will be poured. And cocktails. And cheeses. See you there? Buy a ticket for a friend or client as an early holiday present! (And it’s tax deductible.)

And then I really hope to see you at the tablehopper fire fundraiser dinner at Le Marais Bakery Castro on Thursday November 30th! I’ll let you get through Thanksgiving first. :) We have already sold more than half the tickets (thanks everyone!) and I really appreciate the donations for our silent auction—please keep ‘em coming, thanks! Any servers want to help out? We need a couple, thank you! Look forward to enjoying chef Michael Siegel’s family brisket with y’all.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have seen my posts about this week’s Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, which has Italian chefs visiting from Sicily and Mantova cooking at A16 and Quince (and the Italian Cultural Institute), plus there are special menus throughout the week at participating restaurants. Check it out!

This weekend I’ll be heading down to the The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay for the latest installment in the Global Cuisine Series, featuring a hands-on cooking class and luncheon with the talented chef Gerald Hirigoyen (Piperade) on Saturday. Can’t wait. Feel like coming along? That place is magic—can’t wait to go for a walk along the coast. And there’s no rain this weekend, yay.

When you need to take a break from all the happenings and cozy up at home, don’t miss the latest Mind of a Chef season, which just launched online on Facebook and features the one and only Danny Bowien (Mission Chinese Food). We may have lost him to New York, but our love remains deep!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? I know. Oy. I put together a post today with ideas on where you can order special holiday dishes, pies, and a few suggestions on where to eat out in case you can’t cook a feast at home. (If you want to advertise your special holiday offering in next Tuesday’s tablehopper, or upcoming issues, hit me up.)

Yours truly is getting ready to dance herself clean at LCD Soundsystem’s show tonight, CAN’T WAIT to be there, with all my friends. Oh baby.

⚡️ Marcia Gagliardi

the chatterbox

Gossip & News (the word on the street)

Join tablehopper for Comfort Food: A Benefit Dinner for Wine Country Relief on Thursday 11/30

It has been a month since the horrific fires ripped through Wine Country, taking 42 precious lives and leaving over 100,000 people displaced and 9,000 homes destroyed. So much loss, so much devastation. It’s hard to fathom, but fortunately the outpouring of support has been a bright light in all the darkness. Everyone has been so generous, with time, supplies, money, food, fundraisers, helping hands, spare bedrooms, and hugs. But we have to keep doing more, giving more, and showing up for these precious people and our beloved Northern California. We have a long road ahead of us to assist in rebuilding, and every dollar is needed.

On Thursday November 30th, I am cohosting a fundraiser dinner with LE MARAIS BAKERY in the Castro, which is generously donating their charming space and event support. We’re calling the event Comfort Food: A Benefit Dinner for Wine Country Relief, and we have chef Michael Siegel, previously of the dearly departed Shorty Goldstein’s in the Financial District (RIP) cooking us a heartfelt, homey dinner. Yup, he’s going to be making his famous family brisket! Michael is a Sonoma County resident and wants to do everything he can to support his neighbors, so we put our heads and hands together to host this event!

It’s going to be a family-style dinner, cozy and friendly, a midweek meal that won’t have you out too late, but you’ll come home with a full belly and warm heart. The Le Marais Bakery Castro location is so inviting, have you been yet? It’s a happy place.

Our dinner is the week after Thanksgiving, so let’s continue with that feeling of gratitude as we sit at communal tables with 60 of our neighbors and friends and break bread (like Le Marais’ wonderful levain)! Maybe you didn’t get to see your friends over the holiday, so why not invite them to get together at our fundraiser? (We’re swapping the turkey with some brisket!)

Michael’s three-course, fall-inspired menu is as follows:

-Arugula salad with Fuyu persimmon, toasted almonds, chèvre, and preserved Meyer lemon vinaigrette

-Pot-roasted brisket (kindly donated by Newport Meat Company), creamy garlic mashed potatoes, watermelon radish and baby carrots, veal demiglace

-Mini fall tarts and cheesecake from Le Marais

If there are any purveyors who can donate product to our dinner (menu above), please get in touch, thank you so much!

We will also be pouring some lovely donated (and local!) wines with the dinner, including Pomebandit 2016 albariño (sustainably farmed in the Sierra foothills—you may recognize the name from Duna’s wine list!) and Artesa’s 2014 Los Carneros pinot noir!

We will be hosting a silent auction as well. If anyone would like to donate a gift certificate, wine, gift basket, book, product, anything, please get in touch! Thank you! Everything helps!

We also need some extra hands for service! If you can donate your time as a server, we’d really appreciate it!

All proceeds from our dinner will be going to the Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, which will be directed to North Bay community foundations, service providers, and government partners supporting the low-income communities hit hardest by the fires. Their approach has three phases: relief (3 months), recovery (3-9 months), and rebuild (4-12 months). You can read more here, and if you can’t attend, please consider donating!

Dinner is at 6:30pm, and tickets start at $50, all-inclusive of food, wine, service, and tax. We want everyone to be able to attend, but if you could possibly afford to buy a higher-tier ticket, please do! We want to raise as much as we can! Tickets are also listed at $65, $75, $95, and $150. We have sold half the tickets so far!

If there is another amount you’d like to pay, please let me know! To repeat, it’s a 100 percent donation to Tipping Point’s Emergency Relief Fund. If you need to make your donation tax-deductible, do NOT buy a ticket on Eventbrite—we will need to make special arrangements ahead of time. (Just get in touch.)

Thanks everyone. We know there are a million fundraisers and holiday events to consider, but we’d so love to see you at our table!

               Thursday Nov 30, 2017 6:30pm Starts at $50, all-inclusive more info

Thanksgiving Is Hard, Here's How to Get Some Help

Whether you’re attempting to host a Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) meal at your tiny apartment, or perhaps you’re a guest and need to bring something but you can’t cook to save your life (I am not judging, just here to help!), here are some ideas of how to round out your holiday table. Pro tip: you can even order some of these items so you can enjoy leftovers and turkey and stuffing sandwiches all week. Or pie for breakfast (the best). Ask me how I know.

Our friends at LUKE’S LOCAL do a really nice job with their Thanksgiving options, from their house-smoked BN Ranch Turkeys to sage sausage and spinach stuffing (you want this), and they deliver all over the Bay Area! They sent me a preview kit and I’ve been eating turkey and stuffing sandwiches all week with their spiced cranberry sauce on Starter Bakery Parker House rolls, and let me tell you, my lunch has rocked.

You can also get all kinds of vegetable sides, a Black Jet pumpkin pie (mmmhmmm!), and they even have a lovely bouquet from Flowers by Carra to grace your table (or someone else’s). There’s even a complete Thanksgiving kit for $199. Or come to their Cole Valley market (960 Cole St.) in person to do your shopping.

The fine folks at BI-RITE (who are also kindly sponsoring the tablehopper newsletter this week, thanks for the support!) have all kinds of options for you, from a small “Friendsgiving in a Box” for 4-6 guests to full meals for bigger groups, as well as plenty of their kitchen’s awesome side dishes—all made with quality ingredients. And don’t forget the pie…or pumpkin cheesecake ice cream! And you know they will hook you up with the best wines to pair with your meal. 3639 18th St. and 550 Divisadero St.

CUESA will be hosting a special pre-Thanksgiving Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Wednesday November 22nd, where you can pick up heritage turkeys from Mountain Ranch Organically Grown and seasonal desserts from Three Babes Bakeshop, Crumble & Whisk, and Marla Bakery.

If you’re in the East Bay, of course MARKET HALL FOODS has your back, from meal kits to awesome sides—and pie! And truffles, if that’s how you roll. All orders must be placed by 3pm on Saturday November 18th.

Want to take a break from the turkey? You can order a smoked duck from THE MORRIS, half ($40) or full ($80), and it comes with roasted root vegetables and potatoes in a honey-espresso duck jus—you roast it at home. For Thanksgiving pickup on November 22nd, please place your order by today, November 14th. For Christmas Eve pickup, please place your order by December 15th. Pickup before Christmas Eve is available upon request with adequate notice. (Please note that The Morris is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.)

Pie pie pie! Not the easiest thing to make. Here are some of the best pies in town:

The pies from the Three Babes are legendary, which is why they’ll be making more than 4,000 pies Thanksgiving week out of their little kitchen in the Bayview! Incredible. Their classic pumpkin is best in class, such a great crust, and the filling is so custardy, but if you happen to be gluten-intolerant, there’s a sour cream pumpkin. And then there’s bourbon pecan, salty honey walnut, bittersweet chocolate pecan, and even blackberry crumble, also available in vegan and g-f versions! And there’s delivery, whew.

Of course TARTINE BAKERY has all kinds of treats, from pumpkin pie to country bread, you’ll want on your table (just don’t fill up!).

MISSION PIE is here for you, with all kinds of pies available for preorder and pickup.

Need a vegan pie? CHILE PIES has you covered. Plus they have pumpkin, pear, and others.

Want to learn how to make your own pie? Join pastry chef Lori Baker of BLUESTEM BRASSERIE, who is hosting a pie-making class as part of an Airbnb Experience this Friday November 17th and on Friday December 8th, 3pm-5pm. You’ll learn how to make a perfectly flaky dough with a rustic yet impressive crust, plus you will enjoy some bites and a cocktail, and bring home a personal 6-inch pie.

You a fan of the FRANCES lumberjack cake? Uh-huh. You can order it for Thanksgiving! $40.

Want to try something a little kooky? Leave it to the creative minds at SALT & STRAW to go into overdrive with five new Thanksgiving ice cream flavors: sweet potato casserole with maple pecans, persimmon walnut stuffing, salted caramel Thanksgiving turkey, spiced goat cheese and pumpkin pie, and the kicker: buttered mashed potatoes and gravy. Whoa. Bonus: Salt & Straw will donate a pint of one of the Thanksgiving flavors to Food Runners for every Thanksgiving pint purchased. Available through Wednesday November 22nd at both their SF locations.

And if you’re looking for a place to dine out with the family, here are five spots I’d consider:

NOMICA will be open on Thanksgiving, and they are offering a special dinner all week (November 20th-25th). Chef Hiroo’s Thanksgiving dinner includes 9-10 family-style dishes broken up into four courses, like koji brined and slow-poached turkey breast and crispy confit leg with shiso chimichurri-turkey essence, dashi no. 1 mashed potatoes, and more (details on their website). $75 per person.

THE CAVALIER has an $85, three-course, prix-fixe menu, 11:30am-8pm.

PRESIDIO SOCIAL CLUB is offering a family-style Thanksgiving dinner for $65 per person. They also have pies you can preorder and bring home, like chocolate bourbon pecan.

The spread at MKT RESTAURANT-BAR includes an appetizer buffet table and a choice of entrée, such as Willie Bird organic turkey with all the fixings or rib-eye with Yukon gold potato purée. And of course, there’s a dessert buffet table. $115 for adults, $55 for children ages 5-12. 12pm-7pm.

It’s tough to beat the cozy interior of POGGIO in Sausalito, which is hosting a three-course Thanksgiving prix-fixe dinner; $60 for adults and $25 for kids (not including tax and tip). 5pm-9pm.

Need more dining out ideas? Check and see what’s available on OpenTable. And check the reservation apps, like Resy.

I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving meal, no matter where you are (and even if the turkey is dry!).

Openings: Giovanni Italian Specialties, Mau Is Back, Torraku Ramen, Ushio

Now open in North Beach is GIOVANNI ITALIAN SPECIALTIES from Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. This Italian shop and grocery store is stocked with housemade pasta, focaccia (with toppings), Italian meats, piadine (a type of sandwich made with flatbread—it’s like Italian pita), pantry items, and some cookware. Open daily 12pm-7pm. 629 Union St. at Stockton.

Fans of MAU in the Mission will be pleased to know it has reopened after sorting through that raised rent snag. Mission Local reports that most of the employees came back, as well as the chef, Khai Dang, who just returned from Vietnam with some new ideas and dishes. 665 Valencia St. at 18th St.

There are some new ramen spots that have opened, starting with TORRAKU RAMEN at the base of Potrero Hill. It was originally a food truck, and now they have a brick-and-mortar location (in the former Tavares). There are five kinds of ramen (including tonkotsu and seafood), plus vegetarian and vegan options. You can also go for some rice bowls (donburi), side dishes, and small plates. Open Mon-Sat 11am-3pm and 5pm-9pm. 300 Deh Haro St. at 16th St., 415-937-4357.

The short-lived Katea tea shop has pivoted into USHIO RAMEN, serving small plates like drunken clams and gyoza, and the main event, a variety of ramen bowls, from tori paitan (rich chicken) to spicy miso. The owners care about using fresh and housemade ingredients, so no MSG here, and they created their own soup base, according to an older piece from Hoodline. Beer and wine and a few sakes are also available. The later hours on the weekend will come in handy. Open Mon and Wed-Thu 5pm-10:30pm, Fri 5pm-12am, Sat 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-12am, Sun 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-10:30pm. Closed Tue. 3128 16th St. at Albion.

Una Pizza Napoletana Closing, Plus Huxley, Seed + Salt (Dabba Moving In), More

I’m not too stoked to be writing this post, to be honest. After almost eight years of slinging one of our city’s finer Neapolitan pizzas, Anthony Mangieri is closing UNA PIZZA NAPOLETANA in late November/early December and going back to New York. Eater reports he’s partnering with Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske Valtierra of Contra and Wildair and is going to open a location in the Lower East Side (at 175 Orchard Street). It will reportedly be named Una Pizza Napoletana, and in a switch from the austere menu in SF, this location will feature small plates, cured meats, and cheeses from Stone and Von Hauske Valtierra. (Which is good. I always wanted a salad on the menu.) The new spot will have 70 seats and a bar and is targeting a spring 2018 opening. Grazie for all the badass pizzas, Tony.

Another bummer: HUXLEY in the Tenderloin is closing after brunch service this weekend (on Sunday November 19th). I checked in with owner Kris Esqueda, who is moving to Nashville after 12 years in SF. We’re gonna miss you! No word yet on what is happening to the space, but Esqueda says, “We do have someone who has purchased it and most likely will become fast-casual.” Such is the SF dining trope right now. Go get your last Hux Deluxe while you can, and we’ll see where chef Manfred Wrembel ends up next.

Over in the Marina, the vegan and gluten-free SEED + SALT is closing on November 28th. Owner Mo Clancy is going to reformulate the business (the space is just too small and limiting their growth).

Moving in will be a second location of the extremely delicious DABBA from chef Walter Abrams and CEO Andy Mercy, known for their Indian- and global-inspired bowls, burritos, wraps, and more. And Dabba is inheriting the Seed + Salt staff, so that’s a nice transition. Stand by for an opening date. 2240 Chestnut St.

One last closure to report: a longtime tablehopper reader let me know the divey TEE OFF BAR & GRILL in the Outer Richmond was closing this past weekend. I know a bunch of folks are going to miss that place. 3129 Clement St. at 33rd Ave.

Check Out This Beaut of a Tasting Menu at Aina, While Wes Burger Launches a Late-Night Menu

I have already written about how utterly fantastic brunch at AINA in Dogpatch is, as many folks know, and chef Jordan Keao does one hell of a dinner menu too. And now, the team has just launched their new Mo’olelo tasting menu experience at the chef counter, available Wed-Sun, with two seatings (6pm and 8pm) for six lucky guests each. It’s a six-course tour de force of stunning dishes, featuring Hawaiian ingredients and modern preparations with some California lightness, finesse, creativity, and complexity.

Keao is really pushing with this menu (along with his chef de cuisine Chris Yang; they have been thinking about it for a year!), and it’s a frigging steal for $66.90 (plus gratuity and SF surcharge). Book in advance on their site. There are a couple of supplemental courses you can add on as well, like a hamachi course. If you see hand-pounded taro root poi, go for it. It’s a game-changing rendition of poi.

I also tasted a poke that made me like the stuff again—it was just barely dressed with smoked sesame and white shoyu and featured real Hawaiian ahi tuna and roasted kukui nuts. Ingredients like a chicharrón made from pounded taro root, sea grapes, fermented koji mushroom steamed barley, Massa Farms heritage pork belly kalua, and candied macadamia nuts like you have never tasted are just a few of the fun things you’ll encounter. You’ll have plenty of chef interaction and will learn so much about the complexity behind the beautiful dishes, each with its own story. Book this, and enjoy the wine pairings by Rai Calma ($20-plus) and the warm hospitality of this absolute gem of a restaurant (say hello to Keao’s wife and co-owner Cheryl Liew). 900 22nd St. at Minnesota, 415-814-3815.

Late-night eats—we never have quite enough options in this town. Luckily, Wes Rowe of WESBURGER ‘N’ MORE is looking out for us, and bringing a brisket sausage corn dog into our lives on Fri-Sat nights from 10:30pm-3am. Yeah, you read that right—3am! You’ll be able to order special late-night dishes only available during that time, including a double smash burger, Nashville chicken and tot skewers with bite-size Nashville hot chicken pieces, dill pickles, and tots on a stick, and the kicker: smoked brisket tots with BBQ brisket, queso, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and goat cheese. Damn son!

You can order and eat in The Den next door, complete with its jungle theme and lava lamps. You’ll also find Lo-Fi Aperitifs-based drinks, Lone Star beer, and cans of Funaguchi, an aged sake (that’s neither pasteurized nor blended). Cheers and chow down. 2240 Mission St. at 18th St.

Another change happening out there: after 10 years in business, MONK’S KETTLE has decided to celebrate with lowering their prices, and they’re launching a new food and drink menu that reflects this. Yeah, that’s refreshing. Even though wages are 53 percent higher now than when they opened, and there are many other costs they have been forced to grapple with, the creeping prices of everything is not where they wanted to be as a gathering place for the neighborhood. Draft pint prices will drop, the menu is simplified, and sandwiches are offered à la carte (fries/mixed greens are optional). Cheers, gang!

Monk's Kettle            - 3141 16th St. San Francisco - 415-865-9523

Pop-Ups and Happy Hours: Meat by Pete at The Den, Belga, and Flores

Local charcutier Peter Temkin (Show Dogs, Spruce, Nopa) is ramping up his own line of sausages and other meaty products, Meat by Pete, and you can taste some of his handiwork at a pop-up this Saturday November 18th at THE DEN during their brunch in Bayview. He’ll be out front grilling his superlative sausages, like boudin blanc (my fave), merguez, and some Nuremberg brats, all with special toppings and in custom buns made by Craftsman and Wolves. They’re $9-11 and will be available with some other brunchy dishes and sides. This Saturday-only pop-up will run through Saturday December 9th. 10am-2pm. 1598 Yosemite Ave. at Keith.

You ready for happy hour? You will be, when you hear what BELGA is doing this Thursday November 16th when they kick off their new $5 happy hour menu (normally available Mon-Fri 3:30pm-6:30pm). In honor of the occasion, they are throwing a party, with complimentary bites—like cucumber and caviar, and waffles with smoked salmon mousse and trout caviar—featuring caviar from neighbors The Caviar Co. There will also be a vodka martini with a special caviar burst—sign me up. Click here to get on the list (it’s free). 4pm-7pm. 2000 Union St. at Buchanan.

And just in case you feel like some double trouble, just next door, FLORES also has happy hour, with $3 tacos (carnitas, colorado chile-braised beef, pollo pibil, and fried avocado), totopos, and a $7 margarita or a Tres Amigos for $10 (1-ounce shot of blanco tequila, sangrita, and a draft beer). Mon-Fri 4pm-6pm (bar only).

Cawfee (and Tea) Tawk: Bluestone Lane from NYC, Revéille, and More

San Francisco is staying perky with all these coffee shops and businesses that keep on opening. Coming to San Francisco are a couple of locations of the Australian-inspired BLUESTONE LANE COFFEE, which are located in New York. I really enjoyed their espresso drinks while I was in New York (and they make a mean flat white); they also roast their own coffee.

Their first West Coast location is now open in the Embarcadero Center (227 Front St. at Halleck) in the Financial District. They are serving their menu of coffee drinks and healthy, Aussie-style café fare (i.e., their famous avocado toast, open-faced sandwiches, and bowls), with plenty of items to grab and go. There are also wellness lattes, made with matcha, beet, or the turmeric-based golden latte. You can snag a seat inside at the round marble tables (there will be plenty of natural light through the large windows) or on the benches outside.

The second location will be opening in December in The Monadnock Building at 685 Market St. (aka Uber HQ). I’ll keep you updated on timing!

Meanwhile, in the Lower Haight, Christopher and Tommy Newbury of RÉVEILLE COFFEE CO. plan to open their fourth location in the former Bean There mid-December. I’ll keep you posted on timing and their offerings, which will include beer and wine and a full menu of things to eat, similar to their Mission Bay location. 201 Steiner St. at Waller.

And just in case you’re looking for a spot to enjoy a cuppa tea now that the rainy season is here, SIP TEA ROOM is open in the Inner Sunset in the former Secret Garden location, according to Hoodline. Owners Paula Dinnell and Shannon De Leon make everything in-house (like soups, sausage rolls, scones, and preserves) and serve premium, loose-leaf teas for their tea service—there’s even a children’s tea available. Open Tue-Sat 11am-5pm and Sun 11am-4pm. 721 Lincoln Way at 9th Ave., 415-683-5592.

510 News Includes the Opening of Les Arceaux, The Kon-Tiki, 4505 Delivery, Juanita & Maude, and More

Your new all-day café and wine bar is here: LES ARCEAUX is now open in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto, a stylish and well-appointed space from owner Mikha Diaz and chef Alana O’Neal (previously of San Francisco’s Two Sisters Bars & Books). A lot of the inspiration is from O’Neal’s year in Montpellier in the South of France—the name means “the arches,” a reference to the location of a favorite farmers’ market under an old stone aqueduct.

The menu includes breakfast dishes (served until 3pm), including housemade English muffins and eggs and porridge. Lunch is seasonal and is where you can see the French influence more prominently, with dishes like pistou with fresh shelling beans and olive bread croutons, and a quiche of bacon, chard, and Comté in whole-wheat pâte brisée, plus a fun spin on a salade niçoise—it’s chopped.

Happy hour is from 3pm-5pm, with bites like fried socca batons with harissa aioli, plus draft beers for $4.25 and some wine selections for $7.50 by the glass.

The evening wine bar service features many small plates, plus some heartier ones like mussels poached in white wine with fennel and baby turnips, socca flatbread, chicken drumsticks in mustard and white wine sauce with purple potato paillasson, and a Marin Sun Farms bavette, which is the costliest item at $22.50. Seasonal desserts are also in the mix.

There’s coffee and tea service (featuring Intelligentsia Coffee and Kilogram Tea), a selection of more than 25 wines by the glass, three beers on tap, and house spritz cocktails

The 49-seat space was designed in collaboration with Mikha Diaz and Rocket Restaurant Supply and Turn Key Builders. There are soft wool banquettes in a punchy teal, a cherrywood bar and front counter with a white, hammered-tin bar face, Carrara marble countertops, and brass light fixtures. It’s the kind of look that works for everything from a breakfast meeting to a dinner date. Open Tue-Sat 7:30am-10pm (breakfast 7:30am-3pm, lunch 11am-3pm, happy hour 3pm-5pm, dinner 5pm-10pm). 1849 Shattuck Ave. at Hearst, Berkeley.

I mentioned not too long ago that THE KON-TIKI was opening in the former Longitude in Oakland, and cheers, it’s now open. To recap, it’s from Christ Aivaliotis (of SF’s Holy Mountain) and Matthew Reagan, with food from Manuel Bonilla, previously at Hawker Fare Oakland. Tropical drinks and bites and kitsch galore, check it out. Open Tue-Wed 5:30pm-12am, Thu-Sat 5:30pm-1am. 347 14th St. at Webster, Oakland.

East Bay folks, you want to get in on some burgers and BBQ from SF’s 4505 BURGERS & BBQ before they open in the Laurel District this spring? Yeah, because that’s a way off. Thanks to Caviar, you can enjoy a 4505 delivery pop-up until the Oakland location opens, with dinner delivered Thu-Sat (5pm-9pm) to Oakland residents. You can order their special/secret menu Big Mac (double cheeseburger with a Frankaroni), or Roger Style (add a quarter pound of sausage to any meat sandwich, oy), or you can stick with their brisket, chicken, pork (plate or sandwich or large format), sausages, classic sides and sauces, and Frankaroni. First-time Caviar user? Use my code for $20 off your first order!

A reader tells me Albany residents are happy with the dinner service at the new JUANITA & MAUDE from Scott Eastman (previously Corso). His seasonal menu has Mediterranean and European influences, and he practices whole animal butchery as well. Plus, craft cocktails! Open Tue-Thu 5:30pm-9:30pm, Fri 5:30pm-10pm, Sat 5pm-10pm. 825 San Pablo Ave. at Solano, Albany, 510-526-2233.

Looking for a new brunch spot? HONOR KITCHEN & COCKTAILS in Emeryville is now serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-2:30pm. Chef Christian Adlawan’s menu includes ricotta beignets, fried chicken and bacon-stuffed waffles, smoked pastrami hash, mushroom frittata, Honor eggs Benedict, a Maine lobster roll, and the Honor burger. And warm bacon biscuits with honey butter—don’t miss those. The bar will have plenty of eye-openers for you, and wines too. 1411 Powell St. at Hollis, Emeryville, 510-653-8667.

And a few things to look forward to:

ROAM ARTISAN BURGERS is expanding to Uptown Oakland this December at 1951 Telegraph Avenue, offering their burgers, sides, shakes, and sodas.

Opening next door to CLOVE & HOOF BUTCHERY AND RESTAURANT in Oakland will be THE FOUNTAIN AT CLOVE & HOOF, an old-fashioned ice cream and soda fountain! Think milkshakes, sundaes, cones, phosphates, and soda. Clove & Hoof’s building was once a pharmacy and soda fountain, so it was kind of meant to be. They’re hoping to open by the end of the year. 4001 Broadway at 40th St., Oakland.

C CASA taqueria at Oxbow Public Market in Napa will be opening a location in Public Market Emeryville. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails will all be available (from huevos rancheros to rotisserie duck tacos)—look for an opening in January 2018.

the sponsor

This Round Is On Me... (hey, thanks!)

(Sponsored): Eat Good Food. With Good People.

So much love and laughter happen around the dinner table, and Bi-Rite Market wishes you a deliciously memorable holiday. If you want to cook it all yourself, the staff at our Markets are eager to talk food. For those looking to spend less time in the kitchen, you can rely on our chefs to prepare your traditional holiday meal and pies using recipes and inspiration from their own families.

And this year, our annual Wine Sale (20 percent off 12 bottles or more) is happening now! We’ll help you select the perfect bottles for the holiday—and a few more for the rainy nights ahead.

We’re here for you at our 18th Street and Divisadero Markets 8am-9pm daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is when we’re closed and get to eat good food with our good people).

the sponsor

This Round Is On Me... (hey, thanks!)

(Sponsored Event): Sea Smoke Dinner at Nick's Cove This Thursday!

This Thursday November 16th, Nick’s Cove and Cottages, on the shores of Tomales Bay, is pleased to host an intimate Sea Smoke dinner with celebrated winemaker Victor Gallegos, featuring an inspired five-course menu by chef Joshua Seibert.

The no-host bar opens at 5:30pm, with dinner at 7pm. Courses include local seasonal specialties paired with some of Sea Smoke’s most sought-after wines, like Drakes Bay oysters with Meyer lemon mignonette and pomegranate paired with the 2013 Sea Spray Blanc de Noirs; salmon mousse with dill and focaccia paired with the 2015 Sea Smoke Chardonnay; and grilled quail with roasted root vegetables and ras el hanout gastrique paired with the 2013 Southing Pinot Noir.

The dinner is $185 per person, including tax and gratuity, and tickets may be purchased here. For menu info and more, visit here.

Must be 21 and over to purchase tickets. No refunds.