what’s cookin’
Howdy, friends. Like I said last week, I projected that this column was going to be arriving a day late, and so here we are. Monday evening was chef Charles Phan’s Celebration of Life, so I needed a day to decompress and sift through all the feelings to be able to write about it with a pounding head and tender heart (I knew I was going to be up late and hungover the next day—the signs were clear, and you gotta know yourself, and the restaurant industry). It was a gathering of the tribes on Monday, a massive salute and heart-wrenching send-off to one of San Francisco’s most cherished humans. You can read more below.
This past week was packed to the gills: I had a magical 24 hours in Napa Valley staying at the North Block Hotel in Yountville (I was so grateful for the mild weather so I could enjoy a swim in their heated pool, heaven!), and dined on their new spring menu with some really fun guests, with wine pairings from Aonair; the next day, I met up with a dear friend for a fabulous lunch at the chic Ashes & Diamonds in Napa (more on all of this soon!). It was such a treat to drive up and see all the green grassy fields dotted with mustard, baby lambs grazing, and poppies and camellias and wisteria blooming. I highly recommend a quick getaway to Wine Country right now if you can swing it, this is the prettiest season!
Saturday included fish tacos from Dos Raîcez popping up at Tahona Mercado, and a joyful birthday party for our shining Shakirah Simley (I was invited to be the caller for her party’s Bay Area Bingo game, too much fun); on Sunday, I danced nonstop to Derrick Carter and David Harness at an uplifting day party at Audio. The vibes were so hellavated! This double-play is why I lost my voice—I’ve been sounding like Brenda Vaccaro for the past few days.
I was hoping to make it to the pre-opening parties yesterday for Fifty Vara (soft-opening in the Sunset later this week) and the new Brucato Amaro Bar Brucato distillery and restaurant in the Mission (opening April 10th), but someone had to stay home and write. (Yeah, me.) I can’t just go to parties allllll the time, although that would be nice. I’ll have more about these two projects next week.
This week, I’m excited to head to Hands Please at Four One Nine this Saturday (read more in today’s column, and get a discount code!). Sunday the 30th is a farewell party from 4pm–8pm at Uma Casa (proceeds go to staff members), and I’m also going to try to visit Ragazza for one last amatriciana pizza before they sadly close March 31st. I really hope the weather holds up this Friday for the Black Outside Night Market at the new Nineteen21 in Bayview. Don’t forget: this Saturday is Pop-Ups on the Plaza: Celebrating BIPOC Women Makers at the Ferry Building—there will be food, jewelry, sweets, hot sauce, apparel, and more. Would love to see you there!
Yours,
~Marcia
the chatterbox
An Extraordinary Celebration of the Extraordinary Life of the Extraordinary Charles Phan
Monday evening was the beautiful memorial and celebration of Charles Phan’s epic life at Fort Mason (Phan sadly and shockingly left us on January 20th, 2025—you can read my previous in memoriam here). Of course, San Francisco gifted us such a stunning, springy day in honor of our treasured Charles, and the Festival Pavilion was absolutely packed with hundreds of guests. There was a huge turnout to honor and pay our respects to one of SF’s most beloved chefs, with people traveling from far and wide to be there, a reunion like no other. Emotions were all over the place—you’d see teary eyes, big laughs, and long hugs.
No one would ever pull such a varied crowd of people except Charles—he transcended age and cultures and industries and countries. It was a wild crossover of all the restaurant and food industry friends and family and collaborators he has known and worked with for decades, let alone all his regulars. He rolled so deep in this industry. If you think about the many restaurants he opened, and all the incredible talent he brought on, the mind reels—I’d love to see a Phan restaurant industry family tree, because what I witnessed was remarkable.
It was deeply moving to see so many folks from the past 30 years of my SF life, and 25 years of writing about our local restaurant industry. There were chefs and bartenders and GMs and somms and pastry chefs I haven’t seen in years, or decades—one minute, it was George Morrone, and the next, it was Bridget Batson, and then Jackie Patterson. FOH. BOH. Oh hey, there’s Joe Yick, who installed Charles’s kitchens and wok stations (Charles introduced me to him years ago and said he’d have good restaurant gossip for me, ha-ha!). The French mafia (Dominique Crenn, Laurent Manrique, Xavier Solomon, Gerald Hirigoyen, Roland Passot) was dans la maison, and I gotta say, anyone who has retired from the industry was looking pretty damn good.
It was wonderful to listen to chefs share memories from years ago, like Bruce Hill and Elizabeth Falkner talking about Oritalia, or hearing mentions of Chez Nous, and China Moon Cafe. It felt like a reunion of the past thirty years of Meals on Wheels, times 30. We all know Charles was loving it.
I met his realtor, who told me a tender story of how Charles brought over massive containers of his medicinal chicken broth when he heard her husband was ailing. And then five minutes later, in a completely different conversation, someone else was sharing how they had to make room in their fridge for all the broth Charles brought over when they were recovering. He was one of the busiest people I have ever met, but he was never too busy to be the broth fairy.
So many chefs and restaurants and bars and bartenders and somms were there generously serving bites and drinks as their gift—thank you to everyone who donated product, food, wine, liquor, and their time. So much bourbon! I only managed to snag a few bites (thank you, Zuni and Rintaro and Abacá)—I was too busy soaking up all the stories and hugs. The bourbon kept flowing as the night went on. In the spirit of Charles, smoke ’em if you got ’em.
The slideshow that was playing during the ceremony (emceed by the one and only Liam Mayclem) was so moving—there were endless pictures of Charles almost always laughing and smiling, with food, with family, with friends, and the compelling images Eric Wolfinger took when they traveled to Vietnam together. There was a step-and-repeat with a backdrop of Charles’s t-shirts and his work boots all lined up below, with life sized cut-outs of Charles you could hug and stand with for a photo. I instantly choked up putting my arm around one. Watching his family and squad gather for a picture at the end of the night was unexpectedly joyful and uplifting—they were cheering and shouting and smiling. So much love.
Tremendous thanks and gratitude to the Phan family and the Slanted Door Group and friends and volunteers for organizing all of this in the midst of their grief. It was a massive event to produce. We are so grateful that we had a place to come together and reconnect, to celebrate Charles, share stories, laugh, grieve, and honor the legacy of love and generosity he left with us to tend and continue. His colossal community is the best of the best. Charles was so deeply loved, his impact was far-reaching, and he touched and inspired so many lives. I have never seen or felt anything quite like what that memorial represented. A celebration of our culinary comet.
Grazie mille to Shelley Lindgren and the A16 team for leaving the ovens burning and the lights on so we could come over after the memorial and gather over shared pizzas at the wine bar and raise our glasses again and again to Charles until late into the night, laughing until we cried.
New Neighborhood Restaurant Openings
Now open in the former Vico Cavone/Firewood space in the Castro is Flora King, an Argentinean restaurant from chef Angela Pryor Garat and her husband, Ignacio “Iggy" Garat. Hoodline reports the menu has some California influences, with local and well-sourced, seasonal ingredients—there are salads, a housemade empanada, a pork tenderloin “Milanesa,” and since the wood-fired pizza oven remained, there are four kinds of pizzas, including the Barcelona, with D’Anjou pear, prosciutto, ham, and sharp cheeses.
Low-ABV drinks feature housemade vermouths, and they are also pouring both local and Argentinean wines, and Sonoma beers. The space had quite the update, with a more natural aesthetic, with soft light, tile floors, and wainscoting. Open Wed–Sun 5pm–9:30pm. 4248 18th St.
Chef Moves and Updates: Melissa Perfit the Mermaid Swims Back to Bar Crudo (and More)
Some full-circle news: after departing Popi’s Oysterette in the Marina (which I reported on last month), chef Melissa Perfit is back at the helm of Bar Crudo in NoPa. Perfit is updating the menu and bringing back some original dishes from Bar Crudo’s early days. And she would know: she worked at Bar Crudo when chef Mike Selvera and his brother Tim Selvera opened on Bush Street in 2005, and she also worked off and on at BC’s later location on Divisadero.
Fun facts: Perfit mentioned other chefs who used to work at the original Bar Crudo included Brandon Jew, Justin Simoneaux, Ronnie New, and Danny Bowien—it’s cool to see how these chefs all went on to do their own things. She said they have all learned so much from Selvera (who once worked at Stars), and feels like he flew under the radar for so long. Looking back at some past articles, I just realized Bar Crudo is turning 20 this October! With Perfit back on deck, it’s going to be one helluva reunion and party. 655 Divisadero St. at Grove.
Meanwhile, Popi’s Oysterette has announced their new chef is Abel Padilla. He was at Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Ferry Building for 18 years, and went on to open his own place with his family, La Playa Seafood Bar Restaurant in the Mission, which sadly closed before I could go over for his roasted Dungeness crab again when the season reopened.
At Bar Jabroni, it looks like opening chef Robert Hernandez departed February 1st. 698 Haight St.
The Latest Wave of Restaurant Closures, Plus Tough Times at Cha Cha Cha, and More
Awww man, it’s time to pour one out for our Sucka Free Chicken shack: Christian Ciscle of SF Chickenbox announced via Instagram that he has closed his North Beach fried chicken business after six years on Broadway and cooking at farmers’ markets every week (during one of the hardest times for food businesses and restaurants).
His post says: “It has been an amazing, intense, difficult, crazy, inspiring, heartbreaking & unreal 6 Years. We have gone through many so different phases, locations, and eras in such a short time. This City is always evolving. It can be frustrating & painful, but it brings people together & we have been super lucky to be part of the food community here. It’s hard sometimes to have a clear perspective when we are all just trying to get through each day. Every small business is struggling. They always have been. The creative & working people that make SF such a magical place are crucial. Do not take them for granted.”
Ciscle has always been a big supporter of local culture, community, restaurants, artists, musicians, and more. He loves San Francisco hard like a real one does, and you should read the rest of his post for a reminder of how to show up right now. 464 Broadway.
Just over the weekend, I posted about the new Altamirano restaurant in the Western Addition/Nopa from Peruvian chef and restaurateur Carlos Altamirano, and now SFGATE reports he’s closing his Bernal Heights restaurant, Piqueos, after 19 years: “According to general manager Renzo Roca, the building that houses Piqueos has been sold and will be turned into an ophthalmology clinic. ‘The lease was up and new owner didn’t want to consider a new lease,’ he told SFGATE.” The last day of service will be Sunday March 30th.” 830 Cortland Ave.
A tablehopper friend sent me a post from The Castro Fountain, announcing their last day was Sunday March 23rd, after eight years in the neighborhood. Owner Juliet Pries mentions dwindling foot traffic and the rising cost of ingredients as factors in her decision to close the ice cream and baked goods shop in this Hoodline piece. Employees have been brought over to her original shop, The Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley. 554 Castro St.
SFGATE reports on the difficulties at Mission Street Cha Cha Cha, which owner Onur Ozkaynak has put up for sale—it’s open for now, while he is trying to find a buyer to take over the restaurant and its liquor license. If you feel like grabbing a sangria and jerk chicken, he’d love the support. 2327 Mission St.
New Service Added—from Brunch to Lunch to Dinner—at Restaurants Around Town
Weekend brunch is back at Merkado (Sat–Sun 11am–3pm), with their killer chilaquiles, rancheros, and check out the patofreído (duck carnitas, creamy polenta, jalapeño, onion, sunny-side-up egg, chile dulce salsa). Snag a table on the back patio and enjoy a breakfast margarita, and you are set! 130 Townsend St.
This Saturday: Hands Please, a Culinary Exhibition and Dinner Featuring a Special Lineup of SF Chefs
I’m really looking forward to this upcoming program at Four One Nine this weekend: Hands Please, curated by their artists-in-residence, the culinary design studio Last Supper Society. Saturday March 29th is the opening dinner, offering an exclusive first look at the exhibition by Oakland-based photo artist Brandon Ruffin and his images of Bay Area chefs, like Adiam Tesgaye (Mela Bistro), Reem Assil (Reem’s California), Francis Ang (ABACÁ), and Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan (Copra)—all culture keepers preserving the hand-eating traditions from around the world. The dinner, led by chef Byron Hughes of Last Supper Society, highlights dishes from the chefs.
Here’s a sneak peek of the menu: straight shooter oysters by chef Byron; high five fried chicken by chef Byron; sesame leaf chaat by chef Sri; ahi tuna gored gored by chef Adiam; musakhan by chef Reem; and cashew sansrival by chef Francis. During the meal, each chef will share personal stories and the cultural significance behind these rituals so guests gain a deeper connection to the traditions while savoring the food and art.
Tickets available here ($160 per person) and tablehopper readers get a 10 percent discount with code TABLE10. All ticket costs and donations go to supporting the chefs and artist fees. 6pm–8pm. 419 10th St.
West Oakland Food Hall Debuts Just in Time for Spring
by Savannah Leone Bundy
A new food hall opened softly this past weekend in West Oakland. Prescott Market, which will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday April 5th, is home to eight food and beverage concepts (one of which will be a rotating residency), including one of the Bay Area’s top three smashburgers from Fast Time Burgers. Other vendors include Pizzeria Violetta, Woo Can Cook, Prescott Meats & Delicatessen, High Roasters Coffee, and Almanac Beer Co.
The market boasts multiple outdoor patios and seating for over 400 guests, and monthly night market events. As of now, Prescott Market is open daily from 11am–8pm, but since it’s the soft opening, please note some vendors will wax and wane in their hours until the grand opening on April 5th. 1620–1680 Market St. at 16th, Oakland.
A Call for Support for Local Chef Josh Ladd and His Family
I received some tough news from fellow writer Mary Ladd, who reached out about her little brother, chef Josh Ladd, who is currently the executive chef at Olema House, and recently led the Sol Food location in Petaluma. He and his wife Gretchen are facing serious health challenges: Josh needs open-heart surgery in May and will be out of work for months, while Gretchen is battling a rare lung disease, and they have two young boys to take care of. The community has come together with a GoFundMe campaign to support their young family.
Josh has been a dedicated force in the Bay Area culinary world, working for “the two Bills” alongside Bruce Hill and Gordon Drysdale at Fog City Diner and Verbena. His career also includes time as executive sous chef at Jordan’s in the Claremont Resort, Piatti, and Snow King Resort in Wyoming—he also worked at Red Herring with James Ormsby. A Benicia native and Diablo Valley College alum, he’s long been committed to seasonal, locally sourced cooking, often found at the Marin Civic Center Farmers Market. His family really could use some support right now—it’s unbelievable how much hardship they are facing. Thanks for contributing, spreading the word, and showing up for them in any way you can.
the sugar mama
San Francisco Restaurant Week Returns April 4th—Enter to Win One of Two Gift Certificates to Dine in Style!
Attention all food lovers! Get ready for San Francisco’s most exciting culinary event in the spring: San Francisco Restaurant Week (running Friday April 4th through Sunday April 13th, 2025)! Celebrate the flavors of the City and enter to win a gift certificate at participating San Francisco Restaurant Week restaurants: we’re giving away a $100 gift certificate to A16 🍕, and another $100 gift certificate to Harborview! 🥟
Delectable weekend brunch? Indulgent five-star dinner? SF Restaurant Week brings you lunch and dinner options from over 200 restaurants, including Copra, Che Fico, China Live, Rose’s Cafe, Brenda’s French Soul Food, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, and more!
Restaurants will offer special prix-fixe menus at one or more of the following price points:
- brunch or lunch (2+ items or courses): $10, $15, $25, $35, $45
- dinner (3+ items or courses): $30, $45, $60, $75, $90
Visit sfrestaurantweek.com to see all participating restaurants and make reservations.
To enter to win a $100 gift certificate, visit this @tablehopper post on Instagram! Good luck!
the socialite
This Thursday: A Global Culinary Journey from La Cocina
by Savannah Leone Bundy
On Thursday March 27th, La Cocina is hosting its first night market of the year. Passport to Spring: A Night Market Adventure will be an opportunity to taste, see, and smell the culinary stylings of six different chefs currently being incubated by the nonprofit. Homestyle food, street fare, snacks, and desserts are all on the menu—with regions of Mexico, Guatemala, Japan, Afghanistan, and the U.S. represented.
the matchmaker
Recently Refurbished, Turnkey Coffee Shop on 3rd Street for Rent
For rent: recently renovated coffee shop at 4732 3rd Street, directly across the street from the Ruth Williams Memorial Opera House, located in the ever-sunny Bayview. Roughly 900 sq. feet, with a newly remodeled front area that seats up to six people. Also included is a beautifully built double parklet that is fully permitted in front. Electrical is updated, so all you need to do is plug in your espresso machine and you’re off and running.
Landlord is asking about $2,600/mo. and is flexible. He’s also offering two months free rent and the City of SF has renewed the First Year Free Program for new businesses, so your opening costs are very low. A great way to start a new café!
Want to see the space? Email earl@edotbayview.com.
