July 19, 2022 - This week's tablehopper: poppin' bottles.

This week's tablehopper: poppin' bottles.                    

A Boulevardier at Boulevard seems almost mandatory. Photo: © tablehopper.com.

Howdy, amici. I hope you’re enjoying some summertime fun in the fog, and staying healthy and happy. Things have been full throttle over here, with a busy getaway to Guerneville and Anderson Valley a couple weekends ago (I’ll be doing a writeup of all the fun places I went in my next newsletter), some fantastic meals out in SF (including Hilda and Jesse, Birch & Rye, and the gorgeously renovated Boulevard—stand by for recaps soon on @tablehopper, and here’s my latest feast at Lily), and writing until flames have been coming off my fingers (type tablehopper type!) for a slew of deadlines.

This past weekend was also the celebration of my dear grandmother’s incredible life—it was wonderful to have so much family and longtime family friends in town (who remembered when I was just a baby, amazing, roll back the years!). We sent Judy up with so much love and flowing Champagne and bacon deviled eggs (her trademark) and stories and laughs and hugs and tears. What a life, what a woman. I owe so much to her, she really showed us how to love and live. Our dear Judy!

I will be raising my glass to her at tonight’s dinner at Octavia with Dan Petroski of Massican—there are a few tables left (inside or in the parklet). There’s wild king crab on the menu (which she would just love)! Treat yourself! Grandma would.

Lastly, I’m excited to announce I’m writing regularly for the Nob Hill Gazette again, and was thrilled to contribute to their recent Best of the Gazette: 44 things we love about the Bay Area issue (I wrote #3 about Hang Ah Tea Room, # 6 on Lost Art Salon, and #9 about Sam’s Grill and Seafood Restaurant). So much love! I’ll have two pieces in the upcoming August issue, stand by.

Okay friends, I need to go for a walk before tonight’s feast. Have a good week and take care. XO Marcia Gagliardi

the chatterbox

Gossip & News (the word on the street)

SoMa Sequels Coming Soon: Yokai, a Japanese-Inspired Hi-Fi Bar from Gozu, Birdbox from Birdsong

A couple new and casual projects are brewing from two higher-end SoMa restaurants, Gozu and Birdsong. Coming in early 2023 from the MZ Dining Group (Ittoryu Gozu) will be YOKAI, a Japanese-inspired, hi-fi bar and restaurant, focused on shareable plates and skewers cooked over binchotan charcoal, like king salmon belly with matcha, buttermilk, and dill; and Wolfe Ranch quail with fresh wasabi and double-fermented shoyu. Smaller shareable dishes may include coal-seared wagyu carpaccio, fermented truffle dressing, preserved ramps, and black trumpet mushrooms. Large-format dishes may include slow-roasted wagyu neck served with accompaniments and steamed whole Japanese sea bream. Chef Marc Zimmerman has named Gozu (and former Alexander’s Steakhouse) colleague Jessie Lugo as Yokai’s chef de cuisine.

Yokai, which means “spirit” in Japanese, will focus on Japanese whisky and cocktails, as well as brandies, Cognacs and the burgeoning Japanese gin scene. The 60-seat restaurant is opening in a post-Quake, five-story building with soaring ceilings and exposed brick, just four blocks away from Gozu. The space will have a vintage McIntosh sound system and an extensive vinyl collection. 545 Mission St. at 1st St.

Meanwhile, the two-star BIRDSONG team (led by chef Chris Bleidorn and partner Aarti Shetty) is going to open a brick-and-mortar location of BIRDBOX in South Park later this month. Studio SAINT, the firm who also designed Birdsong, is behind the 50-seat, two-level restaurant.

The fast-casual, fried chicken concept originally debuted as a pop-up in March 2020, which got attention for the claw that was left intact on the leg. It will still be an option on the menu: “Claude the Claw,” a deboned thigh and drum with the claw attached, served on a potato bun with housemade yeayo sauce (does it make your face numb?), and pickled and fresh vegetables. There will be half and quarter fried chicken “Birdboxes,” with cornbread, double-fermented hot sauce, and seasoning choices like classic yeast, sour cream and onion, and spicy falcon. Caw.

Birdbox will highlight free-range, humanely raised, organic chickens raised in local family farms. This fried chicken has a very detailed process, with seasoning made with rendered schmaltz and roasted bones, and pickle juice is repurposed in the poultry brine.

Counter service will be offered for lunch and dinner, as well as to-go and delivery options. For those dining in, wine and beer selections from mostly local producers and breweries will be on offer. Due to open in July. 680 2nd St. at Townsend.

Trifecta of Dumpling Updates from Dumpling Club, United Dumplings, and Dumpling Kitchen

During depressing times, it’s nice to have a bunch of dumpling updates, amIrite? First up, Cathay Bi of the wildly popular DUMPLING CLUB subscription service (did you know you can also order them via Pastel!) suddenly announced a pop-up for takeout dumplings at her Mission kitchen last week (she recently took over the Tinker Kitchen space!). You can read all about the permitting process to operate as a restaurant in order for her to be able to do this. She timed the pop-up last week with the Mission Farmer’s Market (Thursday 4pm-7pm), offering ready-to-eat shrimp and pork wontons, plus sauces and sides (edamame, kimchi), and frozen goodies to take home. I checked in, and the team is doing it again this week. Here’s hoping it becomes a regular thing (peek at @dumplingclubsf for updates), and the retail offering will assuredly expand in time. 3233 22nd St. at Bartlett.

Sandy Zheng and Julia Zhu of UNITED DUMPLINGS in Bernal have been tagging me in their Instagram updates on their upcoming Marina location (they took over the short-lived Cancha location on Chestnut). Things are getting close—they have a few more inspections, and are hiring staff and finishing some decorating. XLB are coming soon! 2015 Chestnut St. at Fillmore.

According to Hoodline, Outer Sunset’s DUMPLING KITCHEN is opening a location in the former Papi Rico in the Castro—I love that the shower room is going to be converted to the dumpling room, where you can soon watch dumplings be stuffed instead of men grinding in Speedos. They already have a nice patio, and are applying for sidewalk seating out front. Their Shanghaiese menu will include “Shanghai-style pork buns ($11.50), chow mein ($12.50), and rice cakes ($13.80), five-spice beef noodle soup ($15.30), and sweet vinegar spare ribs ($14.80).” (Dumpling Kitchen rocks.) They are targeting late August to open for lunch and dinner service. 544 Castro St. at 18th St.

New Openings (and New Management), Plus Presidio Pop Up

The popular CHUY’S FIESTAS on Folsom has opened CHUY’S FIESTAS TAQUERIA II in the former El Tesoro in the Tendernob. They’re serving tacos on handmade tortillas, vampiros, quesabirrias, quesadillas, burritos (including a new California burrito with fries, and a crispy flat-top burrita, which is always the way I order one: dorado!), plus breakfast, and seafood plates (which they are known for at the Chuy’s mother ship). Open Mon-Sat 10am-10pm. 710 Post St. at Jones.

Over in the Marina, there are new owners of GREEN STREET MARKET, serving well-made sandwiches (including bagel and breakfast sandwiches), fresh produce, wine and spirits, and a good selection of corner market items. Yup, Sam, the foul-mouthed, racist cashier is gone. (I would have changed the name after burning some sage in every corner, but that’s me.) 1898 Green St. at Laguna.

Opening this Thursday in the former Smitten space next to Ritual in Hayes Valley is FLUFF NUGGET, serving cones of gourmet popcorn with a variety of creative toppings, like chorizo and cheddar, pistachio pesto, and chocolate Aztec chile. It’s from the founders of Vino Volo, and the chef-driven, savory and sweet combinations are from chef Laurine Wickett. The first 100 guests at Thursday’s opening will receive a free Fluff Nugget popcorn. Open Thu-Sat 3pm-10pm, Sun 1pm-8pm. 432 Octavia St. at Linden.

The lineup of mobile food vendors at Presidio Pop Up at the newly open Presidio Tunnel Tops has been announced, with a number of rotating trucks and carts that will be there seven days a week, 9am-6pm. The initial lineup includes hopper favorites Borsch Mobile and El Pípila, Bulgarian cuisine from Kuker (cool!), and Vegan Mob from Oakland. There will be coffee from Red Bay Coffee Company, Route 1 Coffee, and cocktails from Rye on the Road, Chika, and Lady Victory. You can check out the daily lineup here.

Closures Around Town Include Legacy Business Two Jack's Nik's Place

A Lower Haight, Southern seafood staple for 45 years (since 1977!), TWO JACK’S NIK’S PLACE, has sadly closed as of July 14th. Second generation owner Nikki Cooper, who took over 16 years ago, sold the remainder of her lease, but is relocating the staff to the Bayview location (at 984 Gilman Ave.). Two Jack’s was the first Legacy business in San Francisco, and was inducted into the Museum of Food and Drink in New York, such notable achievements.

Nikki also won the 2019 NAACP Entrepreneur of the Year award, and announced she accepted a new position as Program Director for the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce. Congrats and best wishes to her in this new chapter. You can read more in her heartfelt Instagram post here. Here’s to all the community memories in that iconic spot. 401 Haight St. at Webster.

A friend in Noe Valley let me know the PATXI’S PIZZA location on 24th Street has closed, with an eviction notice in the window, ugh. Seems like the place was in a backslide lately, with unhappy regulars over the past year. 4042 24th St. at Castro.

Industry Updates About One-Star Google Reviews and SF's Delivery Cap

In the most recent tablehopper issue, I was the first to report on the flurry of one-star reviews for restaurants happening on Google, with scammers threatening to leave bad reviews daily unless the restaurant sends a Google Play card with the value of $75. Google has been mostly unresponsive to restaurants, but he GGRA (Golden Gate Restaurant Association) posted this update in a recent newsletter that they have “been working closely with our contacts at Google SF and have been reassured repeatedly that Google is very aware and working to correct the situation.”

They also add: “We are advising restaurants to continue monitoring their Google reviews and to flag any one star reviews that look fraudulent. This can be done online through your Google business page.” The GGRA wants you to forward your scam reviews to them, click here for more instructions on how to handle the shituation (because restaurants just aren’t busy enough trying to survive right now).

The GGRA also made a statement about a potential deal/modification to the (previously) permanent 15 percent delivery cap, a deal that would have DoorDash and GrubHub drop their lawsuit against the city. The proposal is being presented to the Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday). Here’s the GGRA: “Over the past several years, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association has worked to provide a fair playing field for our members in regards to third party delivery fees and practices. We are supportive of Supervisor Peskin’s proposed legislation, which modifies San Francisco’s existing permanent 15% delivery cap to allow restaurants and businesses more flexibility in contracting for additional services. This legislation would create an exemption from the 15% cap to allow delivery companies to charge for additional marketing and promotional activities starting January 31, 2023.

“Businesses could choose to opt-in to pay for these opportunities such as advertising and other features. The companies would continue to be required to provide core services to all restaurants at the 15% level, including the listing on their service’s platforms, websites and mobile applications, and the delivery of food and/or beverages from the establishment.

“The goal of these amendments is to provide flexibility for restaurants and other businesses interested in additional promotional and marketing services, but also to ensure that the core services of the delivery companies with a 15% cap, must continue. Restaurants and businesses with existing contracts will have a transition period until January 30th, 2023. We are thankful for the hard work and collaboration from all sides. This is an example of how we can all work together to ensure a safe and fair business environment for all.”

A Few Summertime Events Around the Bay

A few fun events for your radar: Eric Danch from Danch & Granger will be taking over the wine list at The Anchovy Bar on Wednesday August 3rd, pairing classic and one-night only dishes with organic, low-intervention, and native wines from countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and Romania. Book here.

The second evening of Greens Restaurant’s Guest Chef Summer Dinner Series features Besharam’s chef Heena Patel on Tuesday August 9th. Outdoor seating is available, as well! A portion of proceeds from each vegetarian dinner will benefit Foodwise, a local non-profit promoting fresh food education and food access programs. (There will be one final chef collaboration in this series with Ethiopian chef Adiam Tsegaye of Mela Bistro on September 28th.)

This Sunday July 24th marks the kickoff of the Hangar 1 Vodka Sip & Cycle brunch event series at its Alameda distillery. You’ll enjoy a two-mile bike ride on Alameda beach on a Solé bike, a trolley ride, and a Bloody Mary Bar with brunch bites when you arrive back at the distillery. The experience runs through September. Get a group of friends together, you need a group of four (minimum)—$85/pp.

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

(Sponsored Event): Summertime is Spinning at Turntable at Lord Stanley

It’s summertime in the city over at Turntable at Lord Stanley! This July, chef-in-residence chef Daniel Burns is offering two different tasting menus all month long, as well as an amazing picnic deal at the hot-pink, to-go window. An alum of Noma, Fat Duck, and Momofuku, he most recently ran a Michelin-starred Nordic restaurant in Brooklyn called Luksus. Make your reservations now for either the full tasting menu or four-course tasting menu (Tue-Thu) via Tock, or do a picnic take-out via DoorDash!

Don’t sleep on the insane fried pickles with togarashi egg cream that can be added onto the smoked chicken picnic extravaganza! And be sure to grab a Sour Rose Float with homemade peach gelato soft-serve at the to-go window on the corner of Polk and Broadway. Only two weeks left with Daniel before James Bread Award-winning chef Melissa Martin takes over for August!

2065 Polk St. at Broadway, SF Window hours: 12pm-9pm Tue-Sat

the lush

Bar News & Reviews (put it on my tab)

Harlan Records, a Vintage-Vibed Vinyl Bar, Opening This Fall in Downtown's Bar Fluxus

I’ve been tracking some liquor license transfer activity on this address, which reveals a new project coming this fall to the former Bar Fluxus, which just closed on July 3rd (a bunch of folks are going to miss the bar’s eclectic style and programming). Due to open this fall is HARLAN RECORDS, a reference to Harlan Alley, which has a nice parklet set up on the windless alley (especially nice on a warm day).

Partners in the project are Eric Passetti (Trocadero Club, Natoma Cabana, Café Terminus, House of Shields, and the new Pie Punks in SoMa), Will Herrera (High Horse and Old Ship Saloon), and Katya Skye (a bartender and manager at several bars and restaurants in New York and SF, and co-founder of Manhattan Zodiac, which specializes in bar consulting, classes, and events).

The concept for Harlan Records is inspired by Japanese hi-fi listening bars, and vinyl sound will definitely be front and center—they want to celebrate SF’s downtown music scene of the 50s and 60s. I asked if that would mean The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, but they mentioned “we are also excited to play Charlie Parker, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, as well as modern music for some occasions.” They will be serving period-specific craft cocktails that were popular in the 50’s and 60’s, as well as low-ABV drinks, alcohol-free options, and seasonal ingredients. Beer and wine will also be well-represented.

The team is working with designer Marissa Jade Marsh (Macondray, and she helped to tune the design of High Horse), who will be creating a 50s-60s feel that will be cozy, comfortable, modern, and inviting. Stay tuned for renovation and opening updates on their IG page: @harlanrecordssf. 447 Bush St. at Kearny.