what’s cookin’
Hello, friends. I hope you’ve been feeling festive and merry and sharing good cheer—this past weekend was a big one for holiday parties and gatherings and get-togethers. ’Tis the season to have bottles of bubbly chilled (so glad I had a bottle of Laurent-Perrier’s blanc de blancs brut nature on hand to pair with an aperitivo spread at home with a friend, meow!), fresh ice cubes ready for cocktails (this weekend’s new discovery: Rinomato Bitter Scuro and ginger beer!), bottles of Ceybon Happy AF for those who don’t drink (or just need a lift), and a fridge full of party snacks (go pick up some empanadas from Chile Lindo—they even make vegan ones). And don’t forget the Excedrin for the next day—ow, my head, what happened? Another thing: check in on your friends who may be lonely or having a hard time, the holidays can be so tough.
PSA time! A big holiday party buzz kill right now would be contracting norovirus from raw oysters (brutal). I’ve heard four stories of people getting norovirus/severe gastrointestinal upset from eating raw oysters over the past week. One was a group of 16 friends who ate oysters from British Colombia (including my poor sissy), and the other were two of my sister’s friends who had oysters at an SF restaurant that were from BC as well. Suppliers and the SFDPH have been recalling BC oysters (Fanny Bay, Buckley Bay, and Royal Miyagi) from certain affected harvest sites, but my sister’s friends still got sick from BC oysters that were presumably from outside the recall sites. Eeeee.
On Monday, the FDA posted this warning about oysters and Manila clams from Rudy’s Shellfish in Pickering Passage, Washington, so, I’m staying away from out-of-state/Pacific Northwest oysters and clams at the moment. Let me know if you’ve heard any updates! Keep an eye on what you order and source for your upcoming Feast of the Seven Fishes—yo, pay attention to where your clams are from. Nooooo norovirus for the holidays.
I’m going to be taking a much-needed break/staycation over the holidays, enjoying Christmas Eve and Day with my family in San Mateo, and New Year’s Eve at the Phoenix Hotel for Mighty Real & Juanita MORE! I’m planning on starting my next wave of unpacking over here (I am hoping to find the right bookcase for alllll my books) and organizing my new-to-me closet. I don’t want to start 2025 with any boxes, I hope. She is over it!
I’ll be back in your inboxes with my annual rant, the bore, sometime around the beginning of January. In the meantime, I will also be posting holiday updates and fun NYE and New Year’s Day options in my Story on @tablehopper on Instagram.
Today’s column has two scoops on exciting and new projects opening in early 2025, and I love them both. It’s a great way to end the year, with positive things to look forward to instead of dread. We also have latkes for you, because we need those, too. (If you’re looking for Christmas Eve/Day options, refer to last week’s newsletter, and we have additional holiday options from A16 in today’s issue.)
Today is an important anniversary for me—it’s the day my creative partner and I got laid off from our ad agency job back in 2000 (yeah, a week before Christmas, it was great). We went to Dalva on that rainy afternoon and the bartender offered us shots of tequila—awww. We now call it Marcilary Liberation Day. That layoff is what led me to become self-employed, and to start working as a freelance writer, and eventually to self-publish this newsletter, which launched almost 19 years ago! So, cheers to all of it.
Much love to team tablehopper and helpful friends (Rebecca, Savannah, Oshyan, Ryan, and Aaron) who help keep things on track over here. 💖 It’s an honor to document this incredible City full of badass people doing cool shit (and throw epic parties with them, too). Yeah, I’m cursing, but it’s because I’m fired up.
Enjoy the holidays—I’m wishing you and yours the very best. (And rest. Take some naps. We are all collectively exhausted.)
With love and some ho ho hos,
~Marcia
the chatterbox
Side A Will Be Ushering in a New Era for the Former Universal Cafe, While Honoring Its Timeless Qualities
There are rare moments in my work when I see the past and the future dovetail in a new project, and then you add in three of my greatest loves (food, wine, and music), and some really cool and talented people, and you get hella excited. When the truly beloved Universal Cafe closed in 2021, it was tough to say goodbye to such a touchstone restaurant for many longtime SF residents and folks in the neighborhood (while many of us would travel far for the soft-scrambled eggs by chef Leslie Carr-Avalos—FYI, here’s what she’s up to now). 27 years of fond memories. That was a sad farewell.
I’ve been watching the location closely, tracking permits, and following up on rumors, while quietly praying that the next tenants would do this iconic location right. I was sad to think of it being gutted, and losing that iconic, industrial modern interior that was part of a cutting-edge period in SF restaurant design.
Well, my worries have been completely assuaged, and I couldn’t be more fired up for what’s next, and whose hands are carrying this special place into its next era. Caroline and Parker Brown are a creative, talented, and dynamic couple who are behind the upcoming Side A, a vinyl hifi restaurant, American bistro, and cultural/community gathering place due to open in spring 2025 (their website is here). They will be honoring the space and what this location meant to so many, while bringing their vision, style, and creative community to this next iteration. Parker says, “Universal Cafe was here for 27 years. We really want to reconnect with that community, and hope to create another longstanding business in its place.”
I met the duo at a private cannabis dinner party when Parker was the chef de cuisine at Aphotic (where he worked until they cinched their first Michelin star), and Caroline was working at Superfly (best known for Outside Lands and Bonaroo), working in creative programming, talent relations, and partnerships. I ran into them again at The Independent one night when one of my favorite artists was playing, so I can vouch for their excellent taste in food and music, ha.
They’ve been hosting dinner parties for over a decade, and have been germinating this hifi restaurant concept for about four years. They have visited many hifi bars and restaurants around the world, even on their honeymoon, and while it’s an emerging trend in many cities, they found while one may have good sound, the food won’t be good, or the sound is bad and the food is an afterthought. These two know good food and sound, and music and people. What will differentiate Side A from most hifi locales is an equally strong focus on the sound as well as the food and beverage, guest experience, and hospitality.
The Browns have been operating Side A as a pop-up for the past year and a half at venues around town—like Osito, El Chato, Moongate Lounge—while looking out for their dream restaurant location. They were interested in what was next for the Universal Cafe space—they even reached out to me to ask about it since Caroline had fond memories of solo lunches there, and the cool space made an impression on her.
And, wouldn’t you know it, they were introduced to the landlords of the Universal Cafe space—nationally recognized architect/designer Jim Skånberg and his wife, Leslie (who also live behind and next to the restaurant)—after Side A’s former architect (Hallie Chen of CAHA design) brought the Studio AHEAD team (their office is in the neighborhood) to a Side A pop-up at Bar Gemini. The Studio AHEAD team had recently visited Jim and Leslie’s listening room, and wanted to connect them to the Side A duo after trying Parker’s food, listening to the music, and seeing the wonderful crowd the pop-up drew. Good work, universe. They soon started comparing notes on their respective visions and came together to collaborate on this project and get Side A into the location. See what happens when you have creative cross-pollination? Magic.
I swung by to visit with Parker and Caroline last Friday, and couldn’t believe I was back inside Universal Cafe, looking pretty much how I remembered it. They’re working with Studio AHEAD on the design, and will be keeping many of Universal’s custom elements, including the bar/counter, the marble tables, the wood banquette bench, and shelving (which will be storing records soon). They will be adding custom fabricated stools from Skånberg (who is the founder and principal of 280 West, an architecture firm that also does fabrication, building, craft, and more), as well as a handcrafted DJ booth in the front (with two turntables and a rotary mixer), installing an epic soundsystem, and the front windows will open onto the outdoor sidewalk seating so people can enjoy the music—and they switched the location of the front door to the other side. There’s also going to be a private events space in Skånberg’s current listening room, with a classic hifi/analog setup, which flanks an enclosed patio (it’s sick).
They brought on Will Sperry of Good Question Sound to source, manage, and install the main soundsystem, which will also involve sound proofing on the walls and tuning. He was originally going to build speakers for them, but he convinced them to install a state-of-the-art soundsystem from Tub’s Audio in New Zealand, which has never been in the U.S.—until now. Founder Tobias Shaughnessy formerly lived in SF, and has engineered a new and cutting-edge family of products (new fi!), with speakers that look like hifi speakers. The restaurant will have three speakers and a subwoofer, and it’s going to feel warm, alive, and freaking fantastic, from the lows to the highs. Caroline says, “Yes, it’s a restaurant, but our goal is to be the best-sounding restaurant in the country.”
While Parker’s background is in finer dining (Aphotic, and working for chefs like Michael Mina and Erick Williams in Chicago), the American bistro menu here will be unfussy and approachable (both taste-wise and price-wise—they want people to be able to afford to be regulars), with high-quality ingredients, as well as a sustainable ethos in their sourcing and reducing waste.
Parker has been workshopping dishes at their pop-ups, and some sample menu items may include deviled eggs with chicken skin and pickles; leek artichoke dip with tortilla chips and carrots (this will be a staple); steak tartare with horseradish and barrel-aged soy; grilled shrimp with fermented garlic vinaigrette; and three kinds of classic salads (chopped, wedge, Caesar) that you can add proteins to.
Mains include Parisian gnocchi with short rib and giardiniera (paying homage to a Chicago beef); maitake au poivre with grilled onions and fries; chicken cutlet with chicories and honey mustard; butcher’s cut steak and salsa verde and fries; and a cheeseburger with red onion jam. How about that for a perfect bistro menu? When I go back and look at the final Universal Cafe menu, it really feels like the playful-yet-classic California style is finding another chapter in Parker’s American bistro menu. There will be mostly Italian and local wines selected by Paul Chung (La Ciccia), as well as plans for some house wines, plus craft beer and enticing N/A options.
They want to cultivate a space that feels welcoming, comfortable, and has the warmth and sociability of a household dinner party (with a killer soundsystem and record collection). Side A’s vinyl collection spans soul, funk, disco, blues, rock, reggae, jazz, and world—Caroline is currently editing, cataloguing, and listening to every record to make sure there isn’t a scratch. While visiting guest DJ’s will likely play solo tracks in their sets, they also envision playing record sides, which is also driving her edits for the in-house collection right now.
They will be working with local record stores to curate and rotate records from their personal collections and store them at Side A, as well as booking the City’s best vinyl DJs. Caroline is a DJ (Music Please), and will be playing a residency on Thursday evenings, as well as overseeing the programming and what will play during operating hours. Through Caroline’s vast network, there will be some special guests playing sets when they’re in town or touring, so get ready for some “you had to be there” stories.
Since they already draw an industry crowd, as well as music and nightlife folks, they want to continue that momentum and will be open late and on Monday evenings. When the couple lived in Chicago, they felt like the restaurant industry really hung out more together, so they want to be that third place and cultural hub for so many communities, from creative, to F&B, to music industry folks. Their intended soft-opening hours will be Thu–Sat 5pm–12am, and Sun–Mon 5pm–10pm. In time, there are plans for brunch service as well.
They’re targeting a March/April opening, and I’m deeply pleased to see such dedication to creating a handcrafted and state-of-the-art concept that will once again feel cutting-edge in this space. It also proves the timeless good design of Universal Cafe, which is having its own version of a Saturn return. Here’s to the SF renaissance, it sure sounds good. 2814 19th St. at Bryant.
The Inner Sunset Is Going to Start the Year with Caché, a Neighborhood Bistro from a Duo Fresh from France
Ooh la la, this is going to be a fun project! Due to open in the Inner Sunset in mid to late January will be Caché, a neighborhood bistro from chef Simon Mounier (fresh from France, as of a month ago) and Florent Thomas, who came to San Francisco from Paris one-and-a-half years ago. The duo met and worked together for five years at two-Michelin-star Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant in Bordeaux—a groundbreaking chef known for modern French cuisine—and after four years there, Mounier was a sous chef and Thomas was a maître d’.
During the pandemic, they did a pop-up together in Switzerland, and they just finished hosting two nights of their pop-up at Nightbird—they were fortunate to meet chef-owner Kim Alter, who has been a big help to them lately. The duo had a dream of coming to California (specifically San Francisco) to open a bistro together, and they landed upon the perfect space: the former Queens in the Inner Sunset (most recently Open Book Project), right by the park. The space is getting a modern and chic design update, with lots of natural elements (wood tables, chairs, flooring) and plants, fun graphics on the walls, custom lighting, and the back dining room will have natural light from the skylights and patio windows as well.
Dishes from a recent pop-up: crudo and beef with leeks. Photos courtesy of Caché.
A look at Mounier’s five-course menu for the pop-up gives a hint of what’s to come at this neighborhood bistro: Bloody Mary oysters, catch of the day crudo, green quinoa, sliced beef with leek and jus, and buckwheat ice cream. Thomas explained the cuisine at Caché is inspiration-driven, and seasonal, and local—but it’s not French. Their wine list will be centered around natural and biodynamic wines, and there will also be low-ABV cocktails, and N/A options as well.
Caché will open for café and brunch service at 10am/10:30am (soft-opening hours to be confirmed soon!), offering eggs, salads, lobster rolls, and more until 2pm or so. They will then reopen at 4pm for happy hour, and they really want to encourage a social vibe as a place for gathering; dinner service will start at 5pm. In order to really serve the neighborhood, they plan to be open Wednesday through Monday, since so many places are typically closed Sunday and/or Monday. In time, they hope to eventually be open daily, and they will also try for continuous hours on the weekend—they want to see what the neighborhood needs and will adjust accordingly. I’ll keep you posted on the opening date and hours (and they might throw another pop-up in January). 1235 9th Ave. at Lincoln.
Quick Updates
A couple new openings bounced into my inbox, right at my deadline. First, Piccino Presidio will be opening in 2025 in the former Sessions space—owners Margherita Sagan and Sher Rogat are partnering with Skywalker and One Letterman on this second location.
Anyone who worked in advertising in the ’90s remembers Grumpy’s, a longtime dive bar and pub in North Beach that dates back to 1980, but has been closed since the pandemic. The pub was recently sold, gutted, and redesigned (Eric Passetti is on the ABC permit, but I can’t get him to respond), and a longtime reader just sent me a sign in the window that says: “The wait is over. Join us for Grumpy's Preview Week! Dec 17th to Dec 20th, Tuesday–Friday 11am–9pm. Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour...Pizza & Pub.” 125 Vallejo St. at Front.
Unfortunate Closures in the City (and Beyond), Including Some Longtime Businesses
I didn’t have enough time to research and say more about these closures, but here are some places that have sadly shut their doors.
After opening in 2017 (from Matty Conway, Anthony Healy-London, Josh McAdam, and David Ruiz) in the former Jack’s Club, industry clubhouse Junior bar has sadly closed. My friend Camper English forwarded me their farewell post on Instagram; the last day for the bar was Friday the 13th. 2545 24th St. at Utah.
According to Yelp and ABC license updates, Otoro Sushi in Hayes Valley has closed (they opened in 2009). 205 Oak St. at Gough.
I have been hearing rumors that Hard Knox Cafe in Dogpatch was potentially going to close, and chef-owner Tony Hua just announced on Instagram that they’re closing after service on December 23rd, after not being able to renew their lease—they have been serving their fried chicken and oxtails there since 1999! Fortunately, their 2448 Clement Street location is staying open. [More in this SF Chronicle piece.] 2526 3rd St.
After 30 years in SoMa, Mathilde French Bistro (previously Le Charm Bistro), famed for its patio and French onion soup, will permanently close on December 31st. Owner Lina Yew—who is married to chef Thierry Clement of L’Ardoise Bistro—will continue to focus on their popular Duboce Triangle bistro. 315 5th St. at Folsom. [Via SF Chronicle]
And since I’m a San Mateo lady, shout-out to the OG Sushi Sam’s Edomata (my grandma loved their chawanmushi), which is closing and moving to a new location in a few weeks, reopening as Sushi Edomata. The jovial chef Sam Sugiyama is retiring after 36 years, and the last day of service is December 28th. The post mentions: “Sam and Mayumi will be at the restaurant on Sunday, December 29, for anyone who wants to stop by to share memories and send him well-wishes.” That is so sweet. The sake will be flowing. 218 E. 3rd Ave., San Mateo. [Via SF Chronicle]
New Asian-Inspired Brunch Spot Opens From the Owner of Jo’s Modern Thai
by Savannah Leone Bundy
Oakland’s Lakeshore Avenue just welcomed a new brunch spot this past weekend. The Peach, named for a symbol of good luck in Chinese and Korean cultures, is a new concept from the team behind Jo’s Modern Thai; it has finally made its debut after some grim controversy between owner Kao Saelee and Jo’s staff, which led to the ultimate departure of co-owner and talented head chef Intu-on Kornnawong. While there are a few members of the staff who have stayed on, The Peach kitchen is now being led by chef Juan (pronounced ju-awn) Stevenson, who is drawing from his Indonesian roots and culinary experience in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, as inspiration.
The menu features brunch classics, like steak and eggs (grilled Asian-style marinated flank steak, fried eggs, fingerling potatoes; $26), avocado toast (avocado, pickled red onions, fried garlic, chile crisp, sesame seeds, milk bread; $16), and pancakes (ricotta pancakes, triple-berry compote; $18), in addition to some unexpected items like lobster toast (lobster, lemon-Thai basil aioli, herbs, milk bread; $22) and the smashed laab burger (smashed pork patties, lime-herb aioli, lettuce, avocado, fried egg, potato roll; $20). Stevenson has plans to expand the current menu to include quick bites for early risers (think egg and rice bowls and breakfast sandwiches) at a lower price point.
The menu’s standout dishes are the curry shrimp and congee bowl ($22)—a soul warming concoction of aromatic rice porridge made with dashi, ginger, and mushroom broth, topped with grilled shrimp, coconut curry sauce, and housemade chile crisp—and the buttermilk biscuits ($10) that are painstakingly laminated to create tender, flaky layers of buttery goodness in a sort of biscuit-croissant hybrid that you’ll want to return for.
The Peach has big shoes to fill, taking the place of longtime Oakland staple Lakeshore Cafe, but the team is confident that the creative food, beer, wine, and low-proof cocktail offerings (created in partnership with bar owner William Tsui of Viridian) will impress Oakland brunch-goers and stand the test of time. There are four different dining spaces, including an outdoor patio and private dining room. Open Tue–Sun 8am–3pm. 3257 Lakeshore Ave. at MacArthur, Oakland.
the sponsor
A16 SF and Rockridge Are in Full Festive Mode, From Christmas Eve Dinners to Holiday Baskets and More!
Some folks really get into the holiday spirit, and Shelley Lindgren and her talented teams at A16 SF and A16 Rockridge have created a winter wonderland in both locations (SF feels like you’re taking a passeggiata [“a stroll”] under holiday lights in Puglia). You should consider booking a table for New Year’s Eve in these festive rooms!
Every year, A16 hosts their Feast of the Seven Fishes/La Vigilia on Christmas Eve, an annual tradition for many regulars ($123). Since this is family time, there’s a 12-and-under menu for half-off ($60), plus a Buon Natale kid’s menu. There are still some early tables available at both locations (reserve SF here, Rockridge here), or you can walk-in for dishes on the seasonal à la carte menu (which includes Dungeness crab tonnarelli!). Open 4pm–8pm.
Want to spend Christmas Eve at home by the tree? The Holiday Feast is a luxurious take-home box for two, with everything prepped and picked and sliced, you just need to follow simple cooking/warming instructions, and your dream dinner is ready in 30 minutes. You’ll enjoy winter citrus salad, braised baccalà polpette, fennel pollen tonnarelli with Dungeness crab, bistecca alla fiorentina, seasonal sides, and dessert. Pre-order on Toast (SF or Rockridge) via the Holiday Items & Entertaining tab for pick-up or delivery on December 24th (12pm–4pm) at either location ($218, and it’s for two people.) You can add holiday wines, a pizza kit for the next day, and don’t forget to get a copy of Shelley’s book, Italian Wine, which she can sign for you! Order by this Friday December 20th!
Are you having people over for holiday cocktail parties and meals? Let A16 La Pala help with your entertaining needs, with sliced salumi and cheese platters, plus pizza al taglio, meatballs, and other catering options. You can pre-order for pick-up or delivery (they close at 7pm on Christmas Eve). They’ll be back open the 26th, and open through NYE and on New Year’s Day, too. You can order lobster, caviar, truffles, and other decadent items for your gatherings.
Don’t forget A16 La Pala can also put together the most amazing holiday baskets, whether you want to build your own holiday mix of panettone and tins of cookies, or with pasta and 2024 olio nuovo from their abundant shelves. You can also preorder a Namesday panettone, delivered to La Pala this Thursday (12/19) or next (12/26)—email to order, for availability, and pickup locations: info@a16sf.com.
A16 wishes you and yours very Buone Feste!
the socialite
The Festival of Lights—and Latkes!
by Savannah Leone Bundy
Hanukkah has a late start this year, but that means you’ve still got time to gather your gelt and find your favorite latkes for the holiday. Here’s a list of Bay Area restaurants offering Hanukkah meals and specials:
Delfina is once again offering their award-winning latkes—handmade, gluten-free, and vegetarian—available to pre-order and pick up at their Mission, Pac Heights, Burlingame, and Palo Alto locations. Flash-frozen and easy to heat and serve, the latkes can be purchased for $38/dozen, with options to add their apple-quince conserva, crème fraîche, Gingrass smoked steelhead lox, and beeswax menorah candles and dreidels.
One Market is hosting a Festival of Latkes throughout the month, with some fun twists on the classic potato pancake. In addition to the traditional (sour cream, housemade applesauce; $4.95), they’ve got pastrami “Reuben” (MnM dressing, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese; $7.50), pulled brisket (bbq sauce, pickle, jalapeño, American cheese; $7.95), breakfast (housemade chicken apple sausage, sunny-side-up egg; $12), chef-favorite Swiss (raclette cheese, bresaola; $12), steak tartare (egg yolk; $14), and more.
Nopa’s December menu features a latke plate (beet hummus, Rojas navel oranges, watermelon daikon, and horseradish crème fraîche; $24) that’s far from traditional, but sounds like an elegant take on chef Laurence’s delicious latkes.
Wise Sons—which keeps latkes on the menu year-round—has them for the holiday and is also offering Hanukkah catering packages from December 22nd–January 2nd. Menus include whole-roast chickens, brisket, chopped chicken liver, tuna or smoked trout salads, pastrami, corned beef, sufganiyot, and more.
Che Fico has Hanukkah packages available to pick up or have delivered on December 23rd. Dinner for four (which includes brisket, latkes, sides, challah, gelt, and a sparkling beverage) is $295, while the vegetarian option (which replaces the brisket with butternut squash lasagna) is $250. Check out the full menu here.
Camino Alto is serving brisket pastrami tacos with green mustard salsa, and EVOO latkes with housemade applesauce on the menu through the end of the month. Reservations can be made here.
If you’re looking for more Hanukkah delicacies or want to stay in the East Bay, here is a list of more restaurants and stores celebrating this month.
