what’s cookin’
Hello lovebugs. Wishing y’all a Happy Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s and Palentine’s and day of love this Friday—no matter what your romantic status is, I say buy yourself some flowers and heart-shaped pizza and give chocolates to a friend (have you seen the new Recchiuti boxes?). Also, happy 21st birthday to A16, who is celebrating Valentine’s Day and being “of age” all weekend—you know Shelley will be pouring some of the extra-good stuff.
Whatcha doing this weekend? The City will be busy all weekend with the NBA All-Star Game and the Lunar New Year celebration and parade in Chinatown, get ready. On Saturday February 15th, I’m going to be tasting a bunch of gumbos (from 14 Bay Area cooks!) in Gumbo Social’s second annual Hey, Auntie! Gumbo Cooking Contest at the Bayview Opera House, get your ticket here! I’m also planning to swing by Smoke Soul Kitchen’s grand opening that day, which I wrote about last week.
Tonight, I’m heading over for a preview dinner at the updated Izzy’s Steaks & Chops in the Marina before it reopens this Wednesday February 12th—stand by for a full recap about the new look and menu next week!
Thanks again for all the love notes from so many of you who are renewing your subscriptions right now. It’s wonderful to feel so supported—and I appreciate the dopamine hit. You rock.
I know things are feeling pretty bleak and gross right now—I get emotional whiplash every time I open up social media—but I hope you’re surrounding yourself with friends, family, moments in nature, pets, good food (I gotchoo), rest, movies, music, art, walks, and whatever else makes you feel good. (There’s always pizza.) We have to be dedicated to create and enjoy moments of joy and connection to keep us grounded as we navigate all this chaos.
After turning in a big writing project on Friday, I had fun hitting up some bars this past weekend, starting with admiring the gorg Lunar New Year décor and culinary cocktails at queer-owned Propagation, to Sunday Funday with friends and CarrieOnDisco playing on the upgraded patio at Casements, with my Belfast Coffee eye-opener in hand (made with Irish poitín, cold brew, and cream). It felt so good to go out and have some dranks and run into friends! I recommend it.
We have a three-day weekend coming up, woohoo, so I’ll be sending tablehopper a day later (on Wednesday) next week. Don’t forget: next Tuesday February 18th, I’m going to be in conversation with author Rachel Hope Cleves about her new book, Lustful Appetites, at Omnivore Books at 6:30pm. Hope to see you.
MWAH! 💋
~Marcia
the chatterbox
Piccino Presidio Is Now Open—Enjoy an Early Look at the Cal-Med Menu and Space
Back in December, I wrote about the upcoming location of Piccino Presidio, coming to the former Sessions space, and it just opened its doors today! Piccino co-founders Margherita Sagan and Sher Rogat have always been focused on peak-season and sustainable ingredients at their Dogpatch location (since 2006!), growing most of their own produce at the Piccino farm in Healdsburg. With this new collaboration in partnership with Skywalker and One Letterman, they’re also accessing the organic garden at Skywalker Ranch in Marin. Springtime produce is already popping up on their menu! I see you, morels!
The menu from culinary director Daniella Banchero and executive chef Dayvi Ortiz continues the Piccino hand-crafted ethos with housemade pasta, pizza, baked goods, and desserts, all prepared with well-sourced and local ingredients. The lunch menu features starters like pressed ricotta, orange marmalade, toasted pistachio, fennel pollen ($16); and an array of their ever-delightful salads, including shaved fennel salad, curly endive, olive chermoula, pickled raisins, saffron vinaigrette, feta ($18).
There’s a mortadella panuzzo with Fontina, pistachio pesto, arugula, anchovy vinaigrette ($28), or you can go the pasta route with a layered lasagna verde of Bloomsdale spinach, mushroom fonduta, broccoletti fritti ($32), or elegant bucatini with smoked trout roe, crème fraîche, Prosecco, chive, and Meyer lemon ($29), and their hearty chiocciole with fennel pork sausage, braised kale, and Parmigiano came over from Dogpatch.
Five pizza options include stinging nettle, garlic cream, braised leek, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano ($24), and their funghi pie, with roasted mushrooms, stracchino cheese, shaved garlic, parsley ($24).
The dinner menu...
The wine list from beverage director Tyler Canning spotlights small producers, and craft cocktails are also part of the experience, from the Piccino Negroni to the Dogpatch Negroni Bianco, and the Milano Superstar (vodka, Cocchi Rosa, apricot, vanilla, lemon); a list of N/A options is also available.
Piccino’s Cali-rustic chic style continues in the 70-seat dining room here, with walnut tables, fava green banquettes, glowing globe lights, and a 22-seat bar (where the full menu is available); the spacious and wind-protected patio (40 seats) will be glorious on sunny Presidio days. There’s also a semi-private dining room and a private dining room (it’s almost finished!), both with room for up to 24. There’s also a lounge that will be completed in March.
Open weekdays: lunch at 11am, last reservation 2pm, and dinner 5pm, last reservation 9pm; Sat brunch starts at 11am, last reservation 2pm, dinner 5pm, last reservation 9pm; Sun brunch 11am, last reservation 2pm. 1 Letterman Dr. Suite 150.
Say ‘Ciaorigato’ to a New Italian-Japanese Restaurant Opening in the Former Gibson
Last year, I wrote about the new Italian-Mexican restaurant Modí at the Salesforce Transit Center from co-owners Dario Nicotra and executive chef Marco Avila of Acquolina in North Beach. They make a fantastic birria lasagna—maybe you remember my picture of it—and the neighborhood has embraced the restaurant’s Saturday hours, which is a bit of a rarity over there. And now, the duo is close to opening another fusion-style restaurant: Ciaorigato, an Italian-Japanese concept in the former Gibson in the Hotel Bijou in the Tenderloin.
While Ciaorigato is creating a fusion of two cuisines for their concept, it’s not just a mash-up of flavors—they will be overlaying techniques and culinary traditions. The playful-yet-refined menu will blend Italian pasta craftsmanship, Japanese fermentation, open-fire grilling, and raw seafood preparations. Nicotra tells me the name is a portmanteau of the two most popular words in Italian and Japanese: “ciao” and “arigato.”
Gibson was a beautiful restaurant designed by Oakland-based Mister Important that opened in fall 2017, with its Art Deco flair and glam bistro vibes (Robin Song was the opening chef, and later Louis Maldonado), and after a few stops and restarts over the past few years, it was eventually another victim of the pandemic, closing in 2022.
The kitchen had a live-fire hearth and grill, which had strong appeal for chef Avila—fire is central to the new concept. He’s going to be cooking on a traditional binchotan charcoal grill, one of only five in San Francisco, while the other half is an Argentine-style grill. Avila notes that Italians have spiedini, and Japanese cuisine has yakitori—at Ciaorigato, they will feature a variety of meats and seafood from the grill. Some sample dishes he’s working on with consulting chef (and friend) Paul Toxqui (Left Door) include sake-cured A5 wagyu spiedini and robata-grilled octopus with salsa verde ponzu.
There’s also going to be a cherry wood–fired pizza oven, where they’ll bake Neapolitan pizzas with some Japanese ingredients (like a yuzu kosho-spiked tomato sauce, topped with speck and mascarpone). Sure to be a buzzy item will be an octopus pizza with tamari sauce, shiso, olive oil, and a black squid ink dough!
The crossover between crudo and sashimi will be on display in the raw bar selections, with delicate raw fish bathed in huckleberry and umeboshi broth, topped with tempura-fried shiso for crunch, or a tuna carpaccio. Oysters will be served with yuzu and sansho pepper granita, Mitsuba oil, and umi budo (sea grapes) for a bright, briny explosion.
They’re only making some light cosmetic changes to the chic room, like adding mirrors to the back bar so guests can see the dining room behind them, introducing some plants to create some gentle dividers in the space, getting seat cushions for the wood bistro chairs, and installing textiles to the front of the bar to add visual interest. They have a full liquor license, so there will be cocktails poured at the bar, more on that soon.
Perhaps the biggest update will be the installation of a DJ booth near the open kitchen, so they can have live DJs build a vibe and create an immersive experience for guests. They tell me it’s popular in Europe right now, and they have a similar setup at Modí, with a DJ booth in one of their terrace rooms. They want to create a lively and fun vibe, but it’s not meant to feel like you’re in da club.
While the corner of Mason and Eddy can be gritty, Nicotra tells me Mason Street is doing better lately, with fellow restaurants up the block, like Bodega SF across the street, and Kin Khao. I applaud the duo for trying to activate a fabulous space that has been lying vacant for a few years, and bringing some life to a quieter part of town with their other project, Modí.
They’re targeting a March opening, and while they didn’t plan to have two openings so close to each other (the opening of Modí was delayed a bit), they’re going to start with happy hour and dinner 4pm–11pm, expanding the hours and service in time. Stand by for more. 111 Mason St. at Eddy.
Sneak Peek: What’s Opening in the Former Limón on South Van Ness
Last month, I mentioned Limón on South Van Ness had closed, and Mission Local reported the Castillo brothers (chef Martin Castillo and his brothers, Antonio and Eduardo) had new plans for the space. And now we have a clue about what’s coming: a star tablehopper reader just let me know about some new signage that says Brasa Bros. According to the Instagram account, it looks like they’re going to continue on with Limón’s famed rotisserie chicken (pollo a la brasa), and make it a to-go/fast-casual business.
Just before my deadline, I heard back from their PR! They confirmed Brasa Bros is going to be a fast-casual dining concept centered around making Limón’s traditional Peruvian rotisserie chicken more accessible to a wider audience, serving it with sides and sauces, like crispy yuca fries and aji amarillo sauce. Right now, they’re busy renovating the space, and planning to launch in March. I’ll keep you posted on timing and share more details soon. 1001 S Van Ness Ave. at 21st St.
A Little More About the Reopened Grumpy’s Pub and Pizza
Back in December, I was chasing down the details about the reopening of Grumpy’s, a longtime dive bar and pub in North Beach that was popular with the advertising agencies over there, but wasn’t able to get someone to respond to my queries. Ahem. A few weeks ago, the team finally reached out to share some info, so here’s some backstory: the partners behind the nearby Old Ship Saloon are the new owners—they tell me they always loved Grumpy’s, and it was their favorite offsite meeting location. After closing during the pandemic, Grumpy’s was purchased, gutted, and then abandoned by a new owner mid-renovation. That’s when the Old Ship team stepped in (with partner Tod Alsman taking the lead), and they tried to build it back in a way that felt authentic to what it was, but slightly elevated. (SFGATE wrote this fun piece about Grumpy’s history.)
The new Grumpy’s Pub and Pizza menu features...
Hours for now are Mon–Fri 11am–9pm; opening Saturdays and extended hours 11am–11pm in March, with delivery on Grubhub. 125 Vallejo St. at Front.
Special Events and Dinners and Popups
On Sunday February 23rd and March 2nd, Chile Lindo Kitchen Culture in the Mission will be hosting maker Boris Chen for the launch of Sugoi Brewing Company’s first brew: the Japanese-inspired San Francisco pilsner, Nagoya Nights. Get your ticket (space is limited) and enjoy two pours and four cocktail empanadas (including one special Japanese curry empanada). $39.75. RSVP: ChileLindoSF@gmail.com. 12pm–3pm. 2943 16th St. at Capp.
Also on Sunday February 23rd: Acquerello will open its doors for a special collaborative dinner that puts the spotlight on the island of Sardinia. Here’s more: they’re hosting Antonio Argiolas and “featuring eight of his family’s wines, along with cuisine inspired by the island. Argiolas helped to put Sardinian wine on the map by crafting polished wines while working exclusively with native grape varieties. The Acquerello culinary team has developed a special menu to pair with these wines with the help of Alessandro Taras, a talented Sardinian chef who ran Michelin-starred kitchens before joining forces with the Argiolas winery. He will be in the kitchen as well, working hand in hand with chefs Suzette and Gonzalo. The evening will begin with a standing reception at 6pm and dinner will start at 6:30pm.” Book here. 1722 Sacramento St. at Polk.
All Kinds of Oakland Updates
Felicidades to mother-daughter duo Ofelia Barajas and Reyna Maldonado of La Guerrera’s Kitchen, who are expanding their Guerrerense restaurant at Swan’s Market in Old Oakland and rebranding their business name to Las Guerreras (Spanish for “female warriors”). The La Cocina entrepreneurs have been at Swan’s since 2022, and now they’ve added a 1,400-square-foot cevicheria, featuring “comida costeña.” The coastal cuisine addition was sparked by Reyna's first return visit to Guerrero since 1999—her great-grandmother owned a beachside cevicheria in Zihuatanejo, a coastal town in Guerrero. Reyna was inspired by the region’s fresh seafood and wanted to bring more coastal flavors to their business in the Bay Area.
The menu will feature five daily ceviches (including crab, mango shrimp, and octopus), served with housemade plantain chips, corn tortilla chips, or flour chicharrones. Additional seafood specialties include campechana (mixed seafood cocktail), caldo de camarón (shrimp stew), and a torta de pescado (breaded fish torta). A highlight is the pescado a la talla: butterflied whole fish (branzino) grilled on their new lava rock grill, finished with herbaceous green and smoky red chile sauces, served with black beans, tortillas, salsa, and avocado and arugula salad. Scroll down and view the menu here.
The beverage program features draft beers, micheladas, agave wine–based cocktails, and chocomil, a traditional Mexican chocolate milk. There are nine bar seats facing the open kitchen and eight additional table seats. Local architect Julie de Jesus provided pro bono design services for the expansion. Open for lunch Tue–Sun 10am–5pm, with expanded dinner service launching in March. 907 Washington St., Old Oakland.
Recently opened in the Grand Lake District of Oakland is Sirene (pronounced suh-ren), which means “mermaid” in French. The seafood-focused restaurant is from Paul Einbund and chef Gavin Schmidt of The Morris, who just opened Sirene in the former Sister space. The menu has some raw bar offerings, plus creative charcuterie, like shrimp chorizo and duck and lobster mortadella (Schmidt is one of the few SF chefs who offers an extensive housemade charcuterie program at The Morris). Honestly, the menu sounds so delicious, with...
They’re open in the mornings for coffee, tea, and house-baked pastries (8am–2pm). Dinner is Wed–Sun, reserve here. 3308 Grand Ave., Oakland.
Another SF import: Noe Valley’s Billingsgate Seafood has opened a second location and taken over the 20-year-old Hapuku Fish Shop as the new fishmonger at Rockridge Market Hall. Billingsgate—founded by chefs-turned-fishmongers Adrian Hoffman and Ismael Macias, and operating manager Esteban Macias—is the retail arm of Four Star Seafood & Provisions, a wholesale fish distributor focussed on traceable, sustainably caught seafood. (Hapuku’s longtime seafood supplier, the awesome Jimmy Galle of Gulfish, merged his operations with Four Star in 2024, and he introduced the founders of Hapuku to the Billingsgate owners, who share the same seafood sourcing values.) When you want to pick up the freshest, seasonal seafood to cook at home, Billingsgate’s case has the goods. 5655 College Ave.
sponsored event
Get Your Ticket for James Beard Foundation’s Taste America: San Francisco Bay Area
The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series returns to San Francisco on Sunday February 23rd, at Four Seasons San Francisco. The Taste America series celebrates culinary excellence and the local independent restaurants at the heart of our communities, bringing together chefs and food lovers for unique dining experiences across 20 U.S. cities.
The walk-around tasting will feature chef Nelson German from alaMar Kitchen & Bar and Sobre Mesa, recognized as one of the industry’s finest culinary talents and changemakers as part of the Foundation’s annual class of TasteTwenty chefs.
The evening will feature other notable culinary talent, including James Beard Semifinalists Monique and Paul Feybesse of Tarts de Feybesse, Gaby Maeda of Friends & Family, and Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz of Dalida. Visit the site to see the lineup of bites all the chefs have in store for us, like Francis Ang of Abacá, Intu-on Kornnawong, Heena Patel of Besharam, Kim Alter of Nightbird, Dennis Efthymiou of Luce at The Intercontinental Hotel, and Geoff Davis of Burdell.
Beverages will be provided by Mijenta Tequila, Covenant Wines, Domaine Carneros, Mr. Espresso, Lawer Wines, Zonin, and others.
Tickets are on sale now at jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica, and proceeds benefit the James Beard Foundation’s national impact programming. Premier tickets ($225): 5:30pm; GA ($175): 6:30pm. Four Season Hotel San Francisco, 757 Market St.
the socialite
A Special Screening and Dinner from Stateline Road Smoke House at CIA at Copia in Napa
This event is definitely worth getting out of town for: on Saturday February 22nd, The CIA at Copia is continuing its Flavors of Film Series, with a special screening of Uncorked in honor of Black History Month. The film synopsis: Elijah must balance his dream of becoming a Master Sommelier with his father’s expectations that he carry on the family’s Memphis BBQ joint.
Following the film, there will be a Q&A with celebrity guests, including the film’s star, Mamoudou Athie, actor Courtney B. Vance, director Prentice Penny, and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy (Carlton was one of the youngest people at 28 and the second African American to earn this prestigious title).
The panel will be moderated by Kelley Carter, followed by a barbecue dinner from just-announced JBF semi-finalist chef Darryl Bell of Stateline Road Smoke House, with wine pairings from the Association of African American Vintners ($165). Tickets available here. The CIA at Copia, Napa.
