what’s cookin’
I hope you had a happy Carnival/Carnevale/Mardi Gras! Yesterday was extra-special for me because it was Fortuna’s “gotcha day”—four years ago, I drove to Oregon to scoop her up after seeing her sassy mug on an adoption site. As soon as I saw her picture, my first thought was: “That’s my cat!” Everyone thought I was crazy to drive all the way to Oregon to get her, but I didn’t think twice. When you know, you know. I would have driven to Maine and back for baby girl!
I can’t imagine my life without my precious Tuna, and she makes so much happen 🔮 (I call her “magic cat”—she even has this crazy iridescent blue sheen in her coat when the sun hits it just right, my little wizard). It cracks me up how much people ask after her when I see them in person—I always tell her when I get home. She has been doing so well after our move, I am so grateful. Whew. And she’s really helping me stay grounded after reading the daily hellscape of headlines this past month—thank you, I love you, my sweet Toonces.
Last week, I had a blast attending the annual Tre Bicchieri event—it’s always the best time to see all my Italian food and wine industry friends. So many hugs and doppio kisses. After the event, my posse of twelve Italians dined at Ristorante Milano to have the gnocchi one last time before the restaurant closes at the end of March. It was great to thank owner Aldo Blasi for all the great meals and see a packed house.
Over the weekend, I attended a preview dinner for Caché Bistro in the Inner Sunset (you can read my earlier pre-opening piece here). The space is going to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, with cute natural-modern style, some tasty plates (like artichoke cream, skate wing, buckwheat-maple syrup tart), French wines, low-ABV cocktails (and excellent N/A options), and a charming little patio (it’s opening in the former Queens). It will be opening this Saturday March 8th; I’ll have a menu and more details to share in next week’s column, but in the meantime, stand by for a sneak peek soon on @tablehopper.
This week’s column is dedicated to longtime reader Donna Lynn Hill. Last week, I received the unfortunate news that she passed just before Christmas and I burst into tears—while she wasn’t someone I hung out with in real life, we were virtual friends, and she would occasionally send me tips for my column and volunteer to help with my holiday gift bag. She was a fellow lover of vintage ephemera and an expert on Rudolph Valentino (she even wrote a book) and was well-known and beloved in the silent film community (you can read this lovely tribute to her). I adored her vintage pictures and almost-daily posts of William (named after William H. Powell), her beautiful cat she adopted last year—it was so much fun to see how all the delight and joy she derived from his companionship. (Donna’s sister informed me William was thankfully adopted by a neighbor in her building.)
Donna was very kind—a year ago, when I was going through a really terrible spell of illness (for weeks!), she offered to make me matzo ball soup (it was so delicious and restorative). I still have her soup container, and I am going to use it to make soup for my next sick friend who needs some TLC. Actually, I will make sure the story of Donna’s container gets passed on, and that it’s to be reused for the gift of soup when someone is in need. She was a special lady with a big heart, and while I am sorry we didn’t hang out and catch a movie together, I was grateful for her kindness and support for tablehopper, and her special role as a guardian of silent film history. I hope her favorite Valentino movie is playing in the big screening room in the sky.
I can’t believe I’m still dealing with my busted laptop, which is frustrating me beyond belief. I’ve been losing hours of my life with calls to Apple Support almost every day last week, and I spent my Saturday night at the Genius Bar, wild times. They supposedly fixed it after an overnight repair, but the dreaded spinning ball is still appearing every minute and absolutely fucking with my productivity and driving me mad. Serenity now! Time for a strong drink.
I was hoping to run an exciting update in this week’s column, but I won’t be able to release the story until things are signed and finalized for the project. Stand by!
Besos! 💋
~Marcia
the chatterbox
SF Black Wall Street Opens a New Members Lounge and Co-Working Space in Bayview: Nineteen21
Bayview keeps on poppin’ with new projects opening this past month: Friday February 28th was the ribbon cutting for Nineteen21, a visionary, woman-owned project and members lounge from non-profit SF Black Wall Street. Original co-founders Tinisch Hollins, Gwen Brown, and Kenya Boddie-Austin founded SF Black Wall Street during the pandemic to ensure Black San Franciscans were represented and included in the City’s recovery plan. The foundation is dedicated to help preserve Black culture and support Black-owned business, foster ownership, investment, and strategic partnerships—since their inception, they helped over 100 Black business owners secure grants.
And now, the next phase is Nineteen21, their first social enterprise, with co-executive directors Hollins and Brown, and Boddie-Austin is managing Nineteen21. It’s a members only lounge, restaurant, and event space, designed to be an upscale and dynamic place for professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, and the community to network and co-work, something Hollins tells me that Bayview was missing.
SFBWS memberships ($500/year; $50/month) are a tax-deductible donation, and provide access to the SFBWS network and support, as well as to Nineteen21 and its custom programming. Members will get to use the space for co-working and book tables for meetings, take advantage of amenities (complimentary Wi-Fi, HD TVs, a premium soundsystem, and more), as well as receive free admission or get early-bird tickets to select events, and priority access and discounts on venue rentals for private events. Some upcoming events and programming will include karaoke, game nights, and member nights with panel discussions (an upcoming talk will be with Black realtors about home ownership).
While members don’t have to pay to enter the lounge, the founders don’t want to exclude anyone—they’re going to try out some “day pass” guest scenarios and see what works. For now, members can invite plus-ones to events, who can pay $20 to enter, and hopefully are inspired to apply to become a member to SFBWS.
There’s a kitchen on-site, which is staff-owned and will feature SF Black Wall Street entrepreneurs for pop-ups and residencies, and will provide daytime eats and bar bites. Loretta’s Kitchen was part of the launch event, serving bar bites like wings and sliders, and a brunch event just had chicken and waffles, and catfish and grits. There is a beer and wine license, so members can enjoy the lounge atmosphere over a glass of wine, and Nineteen21 can secure a permit for full liquor for events.
The space has a modern 1920’s aesthetic, with a black interior, sparkling light fixtures, marble accents, and touches of chrome and gold. There are a variety of areas to gather, from the bar to the lounge to dining tables. Take a look inside in this NBC Bay Area feature.
The location was a Black bar and lounge for over 40 years, and Hollins tells me her grandfather, a musician, used to play blues there when it was the Monte Carlo—it was most recently Cafe Envy (from April Spears of Auntie April’s fame). SFBWS tried to help keep Cafe Envy open, and when it closed, they wanted to make sure the space stayed in the community and continued to be Black-owned. After getting through negotiations last year, they acquired the space in August 2024, with the goal to create something different for the community: “a space to build Black wealth, ownership, and culture.”
Watch their video about the original Black Wall Street, which was one of the most prosperous and self-sustaining Black communities in the U.S., located in the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, until the Tulsa race massacre in 1921, one of the most horrific incidents of racial violence. The name Nineteen21 pays homage to and serves as a reminder of this history that can never be forgotten. And now, over 100 years later, this inspiring project is doing incredible work to preserve, celebrate, and support Black business and culture, and help it flourish. There’s a lot of new business percolating and opening in Bayview right now, so the time is right for this visionary social enterprise to provide a space and resources for the Black business community to gather and thrive.
The lounge is going to be open Thu 4pm–10pm and Fri–Sat 4pm–12am for now, and the space will open for co-working and daytime hours for members in April. Follow @nineteen21sf for updates on events, programming, and more.
Every last Friday of the month, they will host the SFBWS Black Outside Night Market, featuring vendors, music, performances, and food and drinks, like grilled oysters, and more. There’s no charge for vendors, just a deposit for damages, so apply if you’re interested. The next one is Friday March 28th, 5pm–9pm. See you there! 701 Yosemite Ave. at 3rd St.
New Locations from Two SF Bakers
Croissant masters Arsicault Bakery just announced they’re planning to open their newest location at Mission Rock (right next to China Basin Park) on Monday March 10th. Initial hours are Mon–Fri 8am–3pm; they’ll expand to weekends soon—the post says, “Our first weekend will be April 5 and 6, to coincide with the Giants’ opening weekend.” They’re located at the southwest corner of the Verde building at 1070 Bridgeview Way.
The Outer Sunset Argentine empanada shop, Chalos, just opened a shop in SoMa, Chalos Express. Chalos makes delicious empanadas with fillings like sweet beef, spicy beef, chicken, ham and cheese, spinach and cheese, and mushroom, and is one of the only quick-service restaurants in the Bay Area that serves them fried and baked. This location will also offer salads, pastries, and coffee drinks. Open Mon–Fri 8am–3pm. 100 1st St. Suite 170 at Mission.
News Bites from Around the Bay
Multiple outlets noticed the for sale listing for Orphan Andy’s in the Castro, a beloved and kitschy diner that has been taking care of the queer community for decades. The SF Chronicle reports married co-owners Dennis Ziebell, 75, and Bill Pung, 69, are retiring after running the diner since 1977, bless. (How many late nights of Monte Cristos have I enjoyed in their red booths under the vintage, Tiffany-style hanging lamps?) 24-hour diners are a rarity, and they still are open 24 hours Thursday through Sunday.
I was so thankful it survived the pandemic—their clear shower curtain divider solution was kind of brilliant. The Business Times mentions: “The owners hope whoever is next in line will continue the restaurant’s legacy for the community and employees, some of whom have been on staff for decades.” Hopefully the new owners are festive and like to decorate for Pride and the holidays, and don’t change a thing. Best wishes and many thanks to the couple and staff for keeping the light on for us nightcrawlers, all these years. 3991 17th St. at Castro.
A Turkish bakery, café, and restaurant has opened...
All Three Locations of The Little Chihuahua Just Launched a Brunch Menu
Festa Della Donna Is This Saturday March 8th
One of my favorite days of the year, Festa della Donna (International Women’s Day) is coming up this Saturday March 8th. Shelley Lindgren of A16 has been celebrating the holiday for years, and the dining room is always full of amazing women in food and drink. This year, they will be hosting jamón cortadora, Jen Herman (the only registered female Cortadora Profesional de Jamón in the United States); you can add caviar from the sister-owned The Caviar Co.; and guest sommelier Shawndra McCrorey will be pouring a selection of women-made wines from Italy (like Fattoria Tregole), California (look for the just-bottled Tansy vermentino!), and France—wines will be featured through March in San Francisco and Rockridge. Reservations from 5pm–9pm, or just swing by the bar.
In honor of the holiday, 54 Mint is going to pour from a curated wine list inspired by Italian female producers all week (March 3rd–9th), starting with Marisa Cuomo, and there will be torta mimosa on the menu, an airy spongecake filled with fragrant vanilla custard, inspired by the yellow flowers that blossom during this time. You will also be able to find the torta on Saturday at the SoMa and Walnut Creek locations of Montesacro.
the socialite
A Fun Reason to Get Really Crabby
This Sunday March 9th is the first-ever Fisherman’s Wharf Crab Crawl, and it sounds like something they’re going to need to make into an annual tradition! Get your ticket and you’ll be able to stroll to six seafood establishments (Pier Market, Sabella & La Torre, Franciscan Crab Restaurant, Cioppino’s, Capurro’s, and Blue Mermaid) for a special crab dish they have prepared for the crawl, from crab arancine to masala Dungeness crab. (There’s also a Cioppino “Crab” Bloody Mary!) Check-in at the Fisherman’s Wharf Welcome Center (Pier 43) and then get cracking! You’ll get a commemorative crab headband (sounds competitive!), an official event bib, tasting tour map, wristband, and six tasting tickets. $71.21 per ticket. 11am–4pm.
the archivist
Thank you for reading tablehopper. Please consider becoming a subscriber and supporting my work (and love of San Francisco)!
