what’s cookin’
Last week was such a doozy. Thanks to all of you for your emails and personal remembrances of chef Charles Phan, you shared so many memories of his beautiful gestures and his impact on your lives (along with fun memories while dining at the Slanted Door). Since I was fully focused on writing his tribute last week, this week’s column has a bunch of catch-up news for you.
Last week, I was due to attend the media preview of George’s Donuts & Merriment, the new doughnut shop that opened in West Portal. Just the day before, I found out via FOUND SF that George’s co-owner Andrew Dudum is also a co-founder and CEO of Hims & Hers (I wondered who was paying for such an opulent shop based on doughnuts—well, there you go), and I was sent this piece on CNBC that recently reported Hims & Hers donated $1M to the orange terror’s inauguration. Gross. I was happy to see SFIST run with the story, along with SFGATE (while other outlets kept posting opening preview pieces like nothing happened). Of course, I canceled my RSVP to the preview—I’ll stick with Bob’s Donuts forever, thanks.
I took a look at Dudum’s Xitter account, where he proudly posted a pic of the Hims & Hers COO with RFK Jr. at the inauguration. Vile. You should watch this brave video that was just posted by Caroline Kennedy about why her cousin RFK is unfit for the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services—it’s powerful.
While I feel bad for pastry chef–partner Janina O’Leary getting caught in the crossfire by suddenly having her business partner create a PR nightmare during the first week of George’s opening, the CEO of Hims & Hers is obviously willing to throw their rep under the bus for the sake of securing those dollar dollar dollars selling obesity drugs. I have had it with all the morally bankrupt, brown-nosing millionaires and billionaires whose donations in order to get a seat at the table of corruption act like their money isn’t ultimately going to support hate, environmental destruction, deportations, dehumanization, disinformation, anti-trans legislation, racism, violence, lawlessness, corruption, the end of democracy, hell, the list is endless.
I know, some folks will just want to go eat the doughnuts and forget about the whole mess, but personally, I can’t and won’t. That’s not why I live in San Francisco, and this is not the version of America I’m going to idly sit by and watch people buy into and sell out for. It makes food taste terrible.
Related: I couldn’t stand to be on Xitter for one more second because of the musky Nazi owner, so please follow me on Bluesky if you would like to keep up with my posts.
OK, “back to the food,” as some of you may plead. Trust, I’m here for you! If you’re looking for a wonderful tasting experience to take your mind off of things, there are still some reservations open for Mirto Day tonight, Wednesday January 29th, at Montesacro Marina (they ran a sponsored event ad about it last week). I attended last year’s dinner and it was a delightful evening of traditional Sardinian dishes, beverages, and products. Three courses with wine pairings for $100, do it!
It’s also the Lunar New Year, here’s to the Year of the Wood Snake! Families are celebrating all over the City, fireworks are popping, and restaurants and bars are offering all kinds of specials and meals and more—I’m looking forward to dinner at Harborview (bring on the crab!). Check my Instagram highlight for an ongoing recap of things to do and eat—the Malaysian Lunar New Year Feast at Damansara on February 8th looks amazing.
If you’re finally starting to think about Valentine’s Day, don’t forget my subscriber-only post from a couple weeks ago has some suggestions on where to dine! XO
Gung Hei Fat Choy! 🧧🐍
~Marcia
the chatterbox
Owner Aldo Blasi of Ristorante Milano Announces Upcoming Closure at the End of March
If you’re a supporting subscriber (mwah), then you know all about how much I love a certain pasta dish at Ristorante Milano in Nob Hill (from last week’s subscriber-only feature in The Hopper Notebook about my favorite pasta dishes in SF). So, you can imagine my sadness when I just learned owner Aldo Blasi is retiring after running the restaurant for over 35 years—it’s closing on Monday March 31st.
I have positive news about what’s moving in (in my subsequent story), but first, we need to talk about this amazing restaurant and operator. Ristorante Milano opened in 1985, and the original owner—who was a family friend—had to leave, and Blasi took over in 1990. He comes from a long line of restaurant and hospitality folks, starting with his great grandfather on his mother’s side.
Even though the restaurant’s name is Milano, it has been one of the City’s best Roman restaurants for years (they make a mean amatriciana) and became a mainstay of the neighborhood, with a dedicated customer base. Of course, it’s all bittersweet, but Blasi says he’s looking forward to a change of life, extending his trips to Italy, traveling more, and has plans to go back to school to study ancient history (he’s a big history buff).
Blasi was kind to share his personal farewell letter for staff and customers with tablehopper:
Arrivederci from Aldo Blasi at Ristorante Milano
I have owned Ristorante Milano for over 35 years. Sadly, yet with excited anticipation about the future, I am ceasing operations as of March 31. At 73 years of age I’ve decided to retire.
Growing up in Rome, Italy, I often accompanied my grandfather, Ugo, to his restaurant Ulpia, in the Roman Forum. I watched how he worked, talking to customers, the waiters, and chefs.
I came to San Francisco when I was 19, first to school at Berkeley, then worked in music production and restaurants over the next decade. I met my wife, Louise, and started raising our family. I had a thought about going back to Italy, but how could I give up this city I love?
Then the opportunity came up to buy Ristorante Milano. We scraped together the money and embraced the challenge of running a full service restaurant in one of the most beautiful, and competitive cities in the world.
I loved being able to put into practice so many things I learned from my grandfather. I developed strong personal relationships with purveyors, created menus, made the pasta daily, and taught several chefs how to prepare the authentic dishes. It was so satisfying to see the recipes I learned from my upbringing in Rome come alive in my adopted city of San Francisco. I am proud to have been able to share the comfort and joy of Italian cooking with so many people throughout the years.
Although I have been the visible presence at the restaurant, I am grateful for my wife, Louise, for her partnership in dreaming, creating and sustaining this success with me. I am also thankful to our two daughters for their support and encouragement.
Ristorante Milano’s staff’s dedication has shown throughout the years with the consistent service and caring community they have helped foster at the restaurant. We are a tight-knit group, with a couple of them working almost 20 years with me. We worked shoulder to shoulder through some pretty tough times like the pandemic, recessions, even the street collapsing. I will miss seeing them nightly, working together, and sharing our nightly meal. I am very grateful for all their hard work.
We have been fortunate that Ristorante Milano is located on the border of beautiful Nob Hill and Russian Hill. We know our neighbors and care for each other. Many of my customers are within walking distance, yet we get guests from all over the world. I enjoy talking to the customers, and have made some long-term friendships over the years that started with someone walking in for dinner.
What a beautiful city we have here and I am proud to have been a contributor to the food scene in such a marvelous community. I am so grateful to this city I love, and my customers, for supporting me and our staff at Ristorante Milano all these 35 years.
People will ask me what I will do when retired. Will I go back to Italy? I will certainly visit often and for longer periods. But I love San Francisco and its people, and look forward to enjoying everything this city has to offer too. I wish the best of luck to all the owner-operated businesses. You are participating in and contributing to a beautiful world here.
With love and gratitude,
Aldo Blasi
Grazie, Aldo! Enjoy your retirement, but Ristorante Milano will be missed! Be sure to go in and enjoy some sardines and housemade pasta before March 31st. 1448 Pacific Ave. at Hyde.
Habibi Is Moving and Opening Bar Bibi in the Ristorante Milano Space
In August of 2020, Habibi started as a pop-up in Bacchus Wine Bar in Russian Hill, after owner Bodhi Freedom closed Bacchus temporarily during the pandemic. Habibi ended up growing into a long-term residency to this day, and has been run solely by Bahman Safari for the past one-and-a-half years—the pop-up began as a trio, with Andrew Paul Nelson (who went on to open Golden Sardine) and Essam Kardosh (doing wine sales). But sometime around May of this year, Safari will be moving the pop-up and opening as Bar Bibi in the former Ristorante Milano space. Fortunately, this new Nob Hill brick-and-mortar location is nearby, so the Habibi community can easily migrate over.
Safari has both a culinary and wine background (he made the food for Habibi and Fool’s Errand, and has been in wine for over the past decade), and will be launching a Parisian-style cave à manger, which is part wine bar, part restaurant—Bar Bibi will have a strong POV in pairing wine with food. Safari plans to offer an array of his housemade pâtés, prepared salads, and a few entrées, like half a roasted chicken, and fish.
Safari is a fellow big fan of Ristorante Milano (it’s one of his favorite Italian restaurants), so the move into the space is bittersweet...
The wine service will be continuing the ethos that was established at Habibi, showcasing wines from smaller producers making wines of place, with a hands-off/low-intervention style of winemaking that is regenerative, organic, and biodynamic. There will be wines by the glass, and a bottle list that will be continually updated.
He’s only planning to do a light refresh of the compact neighborhood restaurant, and hopes to open a month or so after Milano closes on March 31st—so probably by early May. He plans to be open six night a week, possibly Wed–Mon. Stand by for updates on their Instagram account. 1448 Pacific Ave. at Hyde.
As for Bacchus Wine Bar, I caught up with owner Bodhi Freedom, who said he’ll be launching the third version of Bacchus after Habibi wraps up its residency. He’s going to do a light refresh and facelift for the bar, and also got a parklet permit approved, and he’s planning to offer something “snazzy.” He also mentioned he’s going to be back behind the bar for the initial months, stand by. 1954 Hyde St. at Union.
News in the Coffee World: Mr. Espresso Founder Carlo Di Ruocco Sadly Leaves Us, a New Chapter for Graffeo
I was saddened to read the Instagram post from family-owned Mr. Espresso that founder and patriarch Carlo Di Ruocco has passed at 90 (he had declining health for the past couple years). He was a trailblazer and pioneer of our local espresso culture. When he lived in Italy, “he apprenticed there under a coffee-roasting master, learning the art of bean selection and blending, and the craft of roasting by oak wood fire.” After he immigrated to San Francisco from Salerno, Italy, he couldn’t find a true, Italian-style espresso.
He launched Mr. Espresso in 1978, and quickly made inroads at local restaurants with chefs like Alice Waters and Bradley Ogden, who loved his quality and carefully wood-roasted espresso beans. (Mr. Espresso’s Neapolitan espresso has been a regular in the hopper’s hopper for 20 years, long before I became a brand ambassador for them!) Mr. Espresso also outfitted many restaurants with top-of-the-line imported espresso machines (Di Ruocco’s collection of vintage machines at their headquarters in Oakland is marvelous).
The company is run by the second generation of the Di Ruocco family (Laurence, Luigi, and John), be sure to look at the Instagram post for some sweet family pics. I’m raising my ristretto to one of the greats—grazie mille for everything he did to make our Bay Area and ultimately national coffee roasting scene as fantastico as it is. What a legacy. Condolences to his family and friends and wide network of coffee family, we are indebted to Carlo.
Speaking of legacy: I was happy to see this fantastic feature in SFGATE about the iconic Graffeo Coffee: “Graffeo, San Francisco’s oldest roastery — one of the oldest in North America — is under new ownership for the first time in 47 years. Walter A. Haas III, grandson of Walter A. Haas Jr., the late billionaire and president of Levi Strauss & Co., has purchased the majority stake in North Beach specialty coffee roaster Graffeo from longtime owner Luciano Repetto for an undisclosed amount. Repetto, 80, will remain on as partner and co-owner.” Read the piece for more—I’m thrilled to see Graffeo’s legacy will be secured to continue on (and grow).
The Owners of South Park’s Movida Are Opening The Farmacy in February
Coming to South Park is The Farmacy, a fun, fast-casual neighborhood spot from the owners of the nearby Persian-Mexican restaurant and lounge, Movida. Co-owner Bobby Marhamat (working with his wife, Shima) tells me it’s going to serve great tasting food that makes you feel good after eating it, and is like “If Gott’s and Mendocino Farms had a baby.” The menu includes soups, bowls, salads, sandwiches, frozen yogurt, and frosé on tap. There will be plenty of vegan options, and they’re exclusively using Tindle as their alt protein source.
It’s not all virtuous, however. Chef Kevin Schantz (previously culinary director for Horn’s AH2 Hospitality and Michael Mina Group, for Pabu and Ornos). Schantz has developed...
There are 14 seats, and they plan to open around February 18th–24th. Marhamat used to live in the neighborhood 15 years ago, and is trying to continue to bring some life over there—look for some upcoming pop-ups, too. Hours will be 11am–7pm daily. 1 South Park Ave. at 2nd St.
New Openings Include Señor Sisig and Homestyle Mongolian Dishes in Civic Center
Opening This Thursday January 30th: A Chic Afghan Restaurant Hits Oakland’s Uptown District
by Savannah Leone Bundy
From duo Sophia Akbar and Paul Iglesias—the minds behind Parche in Oakland—comes an elegant take on traditional Afghan cuisine. Jaji (named for Akbar’s ancestral Pashtun tribe and her grandfather’s last name) is an homage to the history and culture of Afghanistan, and a celebration of the resilience of Afghan-Americans. After spending months translating and conceptualizing family recipes, Iglesias has curated a menu that blends the past and the present, embodying Akbar’s vision of strength, femininity, and heritage.
The complete menu is still under wraps, but offerings include small bites like stuffed mini eggplants and ducktu (dumplings filled with shredded confit duck legs and served with white miso and duck broth consommé), and various skewers (wagyu top sirloin, ground lamb, and king trumpet mushroom, to name a few). Larger plates include roasted Cornish hen, fried snow trout, and braised lamb shank, all served with modern takes on traditional Afghan sides and sauces.
The cocktail menu—created in collaboration with Parche’s beverage director Eric Syed—is also meant to tell stories of Afghan tradition with creative uses of aromatic spices and bold colors: Zira Gold (mezcal, lime, cumin syrup, cilantro, black pepper tincture) is a nod to the use of cumin as currency along the Silk Road, while Ancient Roots (bourbon, sherry, turmeric syrup, egg white, lemon) is a tribute to the use of turmeric root as medicine.
The space also features...
Jaji opens Thursday January 30th. Sun–Thu 5pm–9:30pm, Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm. 422 24th St. at Broadway, Oakland.
Impending Closures and Sales and Moves
You should read this moving farewell to Sam Wo Restaurant, which sadly closed on Sunday after 116 years, but there’s some hope to be found in this ABC7 news segment—there may be some news about a potential successor in a couple months. Here’s hoping this legacy business continues in some way, shape, or form. I can’t imagine Chinatown without Sam Wo, and my fridge without their hot mustard.
I was sad to see Ken Turner’s note on Instagram that he’s closing one of San Francisco’s best sandwich shops, Turner’s Kitchen, on March 31st. I remember when he took over the famous Clare’s Deli in the Mission in 2015, which is why there’s always a French dip on Turner’s menu. He brought his seven years of skills and sourcing from working at Zuni Cafe to the menu, and makes so many of the ingredients, including roasting all the meats they use, and I love reading his sandwich specials, always with a suggested chip pairing.
Here’s more from Turner: “I’ll still be around providing catering and private dining but am going to focus more on fundraising and maybe some pop-ups (sandwich & non sandwich). But we have lots of weeks still left. I’m intentionally not selling the business because who knows, maybe I’ll reopen it again. It was a difficult decision but ultimately I just want to lighten my load. I’ve normalized a 50 hour work week that balloons to 70+ with private dining and catering. I used to be so proud of my work ethic and while the accomplishments and memories have made it more than worth it, it’s time to slow down, get lost in the woods, smell the fckin roses and have a hot girl summer.” Get it! That work-life balance is ever-elusive in the F&B industry. 3505 17th St. at Guerrero.
A little birdie told me a while back that Limón on Van Ness was closing, and Mission Local reports it has a sign in the window that says, “After 16 incredible years serving you at our South Van Ness location, it’s time for a heartfelt goodbye.” It closed on Sunday January 12th. It seems the Castillo brothers have plans for the space, which reportedly has construction underway for the next couple months. Stand by for an update announcement. 1001 S Van Ness Ave. at 21st St.
It’s unclear whether owner Francesco Covucci will reopen it or not, but Il Casaro Pizzeria on Church in the Castro is temporarily closed for now—it opened just before the pandemic, in 2019. It makes me sad to see how less vibrant Church Street continues to be, it used to be a pretty lively corridor. 235 Church St. at Market. [Via Hoodline]
A tablehopper reader let me know that Adam’s Grub Shack in the Mission has closed. A brick-and-mortar spin-off from the Adam’s Grub Truck (wheelin’ around since 2011), this location served fried chicken sandwiches, burgers, loaded fries, and other things to grub, but sadly owner Adam Lee had to throw in the towel. 1136 Valencia St.
Folks in the Excelsior will be sorry with the news that Gentilly is closing after service this Friday January 31st. Excelsior residents Alexis Hyatt and Sarah Duncan opened the New Orleans-meets-SF restaurant and bar in November 2019, and it’s pretty miraculous they made it through the pandemic and stayed open these past five years, all things considered. You can read their farewell note here. 4826 Mission St.
I was surprised to read that dim sum palace Koi Palace will be relocating after almost 30 years from its iconic flagship location in Daly City, and reopening in a new and sleek space in Serramonte Center in December, with almost double the seating and space of the original. The Daly City location will stay open until the new location is ready. [Palo Alto Online via SFGATE]
In case you’re wondering where wagyu beef temple Alexander’s Steakhouse went, it has temporarily relocated from its SoMa address to the ONE65 building (across from Macy’s) on the third floor. It’s scheduled to open sometime in February. Once the renovation of the 448 Brannan Street space is complete, Alexander’s will move back. (Thanks to the tablehopper reader who also wrote in about the move!) 165 O’Farrell St.
Over in the Lower Haight, SFGATE reports: “After nearly four decades of running San Francisco’s most venerated dive-turned-beer bar, owner Dave Keene is selling Toronado. Compass listed the bar at 547 Haight St. for $1,750,000, which includes a commercial space next door. Toronado confirmed the news on social media Saturday, writing that Keene has decided to retire and sell the bar after 38 years.” There will be some upcoming farewell festivities. [Via SFGATE]
One last item: I was dismayed to read about the upcoming closure of Matos Cheese Factory in Janet Fletcher’s Planet Cheese newsletter—it’s a sad ending, and it means we’re losing the family’s remarkable St. George cheese.
