The newest restaurant in the restaurant ghetto of Valencia Street is West of Pecos, and it's a southwestern affair from the family that owns Woodhouse Fish Co., the MacNivens — including Tyler MacNiven, who's best known to Amazing Race fans for showing up as one of the winning "hippie" team in Season 9. The bar is doing a small selection of tequila and mezcal concoctions, including today's drink of the week, the Mezcal Mule. more ›

Gone are the days when one could enliven their Sunday mornings by watching Julia Child and Jacques Pepin affectionately debate the proper way to scramble eggs or divulge their secrets to whole chicken perfection. Enter Hungry, YouTube's new food channel that, it seems, signals a shift away from network food television by offering viewers "culinary competitions, food pranks, and unique gastronomic dining experiences" (e.g., high caloric freak show food items.) more ›

Food is dead. Yes huh. Why? Because food in San Francisco has become so self-consciously and painstakingly humorless as of late — one would think that, what with dressed-down loftiness plaguing the foodie scene, some chefs (as well as their brood of flying monkeys) were curing cancer — so we have declared food dead. At least just for tonight. So, shovel a fistful of Pringles down your mouth, and call it a night because the fine folks at the St. Regis and Michael Mina will pour cocktails that pair with the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. more ›

This week 7-Eleven introduced their new Slurpee Lite, which is sugar-free and contains 50% fewer calories. This is the first time in the ice treat's 45 years that the Slurpee is being offered to the sugar-free set. Fancy. To celebrate the launch, 7-Eleven has announced SlurpFREE Day, which is today! Their stores from across the country will offer a free 7.11 ounce Slurpee drink from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. more ›

In a somewhat shocking twist, noted Union Square bar Gold Dust Lounge set for closure earlier this year, will move to Fisherman's Wharf. Yes, Fisherman's Wharf. So the next time you find yourself at the Wharf (i.e., making a a Double-Double run), you will be able to enjoy that old-time Gold Dust charm while throwing back a few gin martinis. more ›

Billed as the oldest Italian restaurant in the country, North Beach staple Fior d'Italia closed its doors for good, reports the Chronicle. The restaurant survived several disasters, including the Great Quake of 1906 and a fire in 2005, but the economic climate (not to mention locals' increasingly finicky tastes) prompted the owners to shut operations down for good. Sad. more ›

Continuing its tradition of local food scene guest bartenders (e.g., Leah Garchik & Paolo Lucchesi, Jay Barmann, Marcia Gagliardi, this fool), local booze aficionado Camper English of Alcademics will man the bar from 6 - 8 p.m at Jardinière. He's shaking up a concoction called the Golden Gate 75 (in honor of Big Orange's 75th birthday) made with blood oranges (for the bridge color), Campari, California sparkling wine, simple syrup, and bitters (for all the lost souls who jumped from the bridge, perhaps?). more ›

Salinas, California based leafy green supplier River Ranch Fresh Foods has initiated a nationwide recall of pre-made bagged salads after discovering a Listeria contamination. No illnesses have been reported yet, but if you are one of the many folks too lazy to chop their own carrots, you may want to check the list of affected products which are sold under a variety of labels across the country. more ›

Another fake Muni ad has been discovered, this time on an outbound 38 Geary. It mocks local artisan purveyors Bi-Rite (while making a crude reference to lesbians), reading, "Bi-Dyke: Organic Produce for the Organic Asshole." Ugh. This most recent faux advertisement follows fake ads for Du Beers, Tartine, Tums, and... Marine fellatio. more ›

The 101st running of Bay to Breakers was fairly tame by B2B standards: some people got arrested, some people peed in the bushes and some people just threw all of their trash on the floor of Popeye's Chicken on Divisadero Street. more ›

As is customary just before San Francisco's yearly 12k Fun Run and Bacchanal, here is your annual Bay to Breaks Liquor Store Map, brought to you by Joe Kukura of the wonderful Exercising While Intoxicated and the (apparently defunct?) Citizens for the Preservation of Bay to Breakers. The forecast is calling for 65 and sunny, so the gaggles of nudists and hordes of folks who cleaned out the American Apparel bargin bins ought to be out in all of their fleshy and gold lamé glory. more ›

Krug Champagne summoned the wrath of many Burners (one year later!) after they staged a crass publicity stunt involving "society bloggers" at Burning Man 2011. As many of you know, Burning Man is a non-commercial event where all media must be approved via an understandably strict committee. The fancy champagne house, however, didn't bother to go though the proper channels. Which, rude. Even worse? Krug left behind a mess. The Burning Blog has all the details: more ›

Social psychologist and morality expert Jonathan Haidt recently gave a talk before the American Enterprise Institute during which he was asked by writer and gay rights activist Jonathan Rauch how attitudes towards same-sex marriage, particularly in America in recent years, could have changed so quickly. His response, to put it in universal terms that anyone who has dined out in the past 15 years should be able to understand, was: "Sushi is the gay marriage of food." more ›

Yesterday we taught you how to walk on city sidewalks, and on Monday we explained the unwritten rules of riding public transportation. Today, as part of SFist's ode to National Etiquette Week, we give you the lowdown on dining out the right way. What with addictive mobile technology and an acute food scene colliding with your social life, here are a few tips at having a choice dinning experience without looking like a clod. more ›

O, our city's underemployed youth sure do get creative! Just yesterday we got a report of this funny/offensive fake ad for, ahem, a new kind of Tums that was spotted on a Muni bus/car. And now Muni Diaries brings us one more, proving that there is some kind of guerrilla art project happening here, and they're dubbing them the Muni Adbusters. Of course, today's example mocks a place near and dear to many of your hearts: Tartine. more ›

Who doesn't like a nice restaurant opening night? Those who like to eat in silence, that's who. But for those of you who prefer merriment and chatter with your digestive process, West of Pecos opens tonight. According the Eater, the food continues on the alpha-male-driven, hickory-bold path to flavor featuring "lots of meats and vegetables roasted Southwestern-style in a Wood Stone hearth." Get a rope! But seriously, it's a new venture started by brothers who link the new joint to their youthful visits to the American Southwest. Inside Scoop explains, "Set in the former Bombay Bazaar, its name is taken from Western lore, where the region west of the Pecos River was the lawless region, a no man’s land full of gunslingers, thieves and other people wearing black cowboy hats." more ›

Fun story: Back in 2001, we took a date to Tu Lan because nothing breaks the ice better on a first date better than (arguably) the world's best imperial rolls. And cheap beer. That helps too. So, the two of us were led upstairs to sit at what appeared to be some sort of card table. We both sat down, opened our well-worn laminated menus featuring Julia Child on the cover, and began a night of gastronomic bliss/terror. A few minutes later, just as our waiter appeared, a cockroach dropped from the ceiling and onto our date's head, crawled down his forehead, and then fell to the floor. Our unfazed waiter squashed the roach with his shoe, wiped up the pressed corpse with a hand towel, and then asked for our order. Horrified, the two of us did what any reasonable person would do: we ordered two plates of said imperial rolls, some forgettable yet tasty chicken dish, and the remarkable lemon beef salad. We ate everything up, paid our tab, and — get this — tipped 15%. Why? Because that's Tu Lan. It remains one of our favorite joints in San Francisco for cheap, delicious Vietnamese food. more ›

Oh boy, two things that excite us are coming together next week. No, not another divine marriage between peanut butter and chocolate. It's SF Chefs and the San Francisco Giants, and they're joining forces for a night of food and baseball. SF Chefs at the Park takes place on Tuesday, May 14 from 5 - 7 p,m. in Seals Plaza just before the Giants take on the Rockies. And it works like this, basically: you get to mingle with noted and award-winning chefs, sample their goods, and then you get to go the game, get drunk, and root for the greatest sports team of all time. Even if they are currently in second place behind the worst sports team of all time. more ›

Hey, everybody, the New York Times has discovered San Francisco again! And this time it isn't about the Mission. Well, almost. The gray old lady sets its book-sniffing sights on NoPa — known to locals and decent human beings as "Divis," "the Panhandle," "Western Addition," or even "you know, near Alamo Square." But never, ever "NoPa." The travel piece even has the unmitigated gall to throw shade at Popeye's, claiming that it's out of place in the freshly invigorated neighborhood. Fighting words, folks. Check it: more ›

Chefs and restauranteurs — the sort of people who tend to have more knives and sharp objects on hand than most — are starting to fear the increasingly violent rhetoric that has fattened up as California's ban on foie gras grows nearer. In an op-ed for the Chronicle, noted foie gras fan and owner of Incanto, Mark Pastore explains how chefs have become the latest target of bullying in California: more ›

Another day, another restaurant opens up in the city's whimsical Mission District. But wait! This one should be super keen, or so we're told. Chef Thomas McNaughton and chef de cuisine Michael Gaines' (sous chef at Manresa) new joint, Central Kitchen, has been described as an "upscale spinoff" of McNaughton's Flour + Water. Located at Florida and 20th Street, it promises to be gritty and quote the feast. And yet so much more. Each item is somewhere under the $30 range. Which? Is still very pricey, we get it. However, it costs money to make good (nay, great!) food. more ›

In the next couple of weeks, San Francisco's first permanent food truck, SoMa StrEat Food, be ready for business. Or so says SoMa StrEat Food's Carlos Muela, who explained to SFist, "We'll be ready as soon as we secure all of the permits." According to their site, they will boast not only a slew of street food (available day and night), but also a beer garden, free wifi, movie nights (projection screen!), savoriness, and and more. So very much more. Check it: more ›

What else did you think we were going to suggest? In light of last night's eight-years-in-the-making climactic Outstanding Restaurant win at the James Beard Awards, why not check out Boulevard before swarms of newbie foodies descend on the place this weekend. While Nancy Oakes' noted American-French restaurant is booked in the early evening today, they have open spots from 9:15 p.m. and on, according to the friendly reservationist. If securing a table is simply too much work for you, they do have a bar where one can order from the regular menu. (Also a great spot for those of us who prefer an iPhone as a dining companion.) more ›

After eight nominations and no wins, Nancy Oakes and Pat Kuleto's American-French Boulevard nabbed 2012's Outstanding Restaurant honor at this year's James Beard Awards. A well-deserved (and somewhat tardy) win, Boulevard beat out Balthazar (NYC), Blue Hill (NYC), Highlands Bar and Grill (Birmingham, AL), and Vetri (Philadelpha). Also, though not nominated for the Best Pasty Chef accolade, noted sweet-tooth Emily Luchetti (Waterbar) was inducted into the Who of Food & Beverage in America. more ›

Hard French, El Rio's award-winning afternoon queer dance party in the Mission District, turned soft over the weekend after several of its Facebook followers (i.e., commenters) took offense to their naming their Cinco de Mayo's party "Pico de Gallo." Some daytime disco fans thought the salsa-themed title was a touch racist. For whatever reasons. Furthermore, club promoters (quite cleverly) encouraged revelers to come dressed as their favorite Pico de Gallo ingredient — e.g., tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, garlic, etc. Intended to mock the drunk, white frat boys and brogrammers who party in the Mission wearing sombreros on May 5th, some Hard French fans took umbrage and found the entire bit culturally insensitive. Some were angered yet begged for more "dialogue". Some simply didn't care. Either way it made for interesting commentary and fist-shaking that only voices on the interwebs can muster. A few choice Facebook moments: more ›

District, the wine bar near 3rd and Townsend in SoMa, just opened a second location in Old Oakland that features not just wine but a 40-bottle whiskey list. And today, on the eve of the Kentucky Derby (yes, we also know it's the eve of Cinco de Mayo, but hopefully you all know how to make a margarita) we bring you District's twist on the classic mint julep, the Derby cocktail of choice. more ›

Saturday is Cinco de Mayo, the time of year when some of the worst revelers go out at night to do bodyshots on bar tops. (Seeing as how it falls on a Saturday this year, you will want to be especially careful being caught after dark at any bar or discotheque.) It's also a date primarily honored in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. And with that, we give you Joanne Weir's recipe for a margarita. Weir just opened her first restaurant in Sausalito called Coptia, a Sausalito-based tequileria and eatery with a strong emphasis on tequila. Which is to say, she knows her way around a mighty fine margarita. Behold: more ›

A harrowing scene was captured on tape recently as ranch dressing and ketchup duked it out on the Dolores Park playground. Ranch, the clear winner since it's the superior condiment, was minding its own business when ketchup began to harass Ranch for, presumably, hanging out in his skivvies on the fruit shelf and getting stoned. Actually, it's all part of Hidden Valley Ranch's campaign to become to the ketchup. Yes, it's an ad campaign and, yes, we are falling for it because, again, we love Ranch dressing. It should be on everything. more ›

At long last a conference will be held in honor of tacos, the superior taqueria treat. Taco Conf 2012 brings together tacos and cycling where one can pedal around both sides of the bay to discuss food, culture, and technology. Attendees will get the chance to ride their bicycles on a tour of some of the best antojitos in the Bay Area. Yes, you're going. What to bring? According to Taco Conf's site. all you need is a bicycle and some cash to buy savory, sublime tacos. You can also bring your kids too! It's a family event. more ›

We can't really file this one under 2012's Wave of Knife Crime, but after that Muni rider was stabbed with a fork on the 22-Fillmore last month, we're starting to get a little frightened of pointed kitchen items in general. In the latest incident, Bay City News reports a 26-year-old man was arrested Tuesday night after using a potato peeler to relieve a 55-year-old victim of his wallet. more ›

Who would of thought that, with all of the melee set to go down tonight, one could get so excited about going to Oakland. But it happened. How so? With buttermilk friend chicken, that's how. And it's all going down at Pican. They will feature a "three day brined, hand battered, crisped natural chicken with smoked gouda mac 'n cheese' paired alongside truffled honey. And just look at it. No, look at it. LOOK AT IT. You want it. If not tonight, go tomorrow. Go soon. Go at some point in your lifetime. The southern-food trend is here and staying for a reason. more ›

Monday night's early Occupy May Day General Strike brouhaha occurred after a gathering in Dolores Park splintered and then moved down into the Mission. Things got ugly fast. Twitter feed-clogging places like Bar Tartine, Laconda, and Four Barrel Coffee all took a hit. And while the last night's misguided action gave mission blogs a nice boost in traffic and provided local food writers with something other than advertorial, the brief riot did result in thousands of dollars worth of damage. Alas. However, Four Barrel responded to the meltdown with some much-needed humor. more ›