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 ›

Two of San Francisco's (increasingly rare) faceless critics, the Chronicle's Michael Bauer and SF Weekly's Jonathan Kauffman, face off today regarding the star system for restaurant reviews. Why? Because the LA Times (who recently acquired sanctified Pulitzer winner Jonathan Gold, the yardstick by which all food writers measure themselves, whether they admit it or not) now eschews the star system. more ›

Don't let those artery-slicing Christmas blues get you down. One week after Christ's alleged birthday, you will have a fresh new holiday sure to blacken out the drudgery of yuletide cheer. We are, of course, talking about New Year's Eve. And if you think New Year's Eve is for amateurs, well then... you should be in an in-patient rehab program. Because that's a messed up mindset. However, you should also think again. Because New Year's Eve can be a sophisticated affair, an evening filled with bubbles, memories, fine grub, and stellar threads. It can be far more than girls puking in Union Square or inebriated bros calling you "faggot" on Valencia Street. Which is why SFist will bring you one fun, elegant and/or rad thing to do on New Year's Eve each day starting now until the demise of 2011. more ›

Spork, the Valencia Street establishment that has been elevating comfort food for five years now, has reached the end of their lease Ms. Tablehopper reports. Friday, December 23rd will be the restaurant's last day to grab their infamous in-side-out burger (two patties, bun in the middle, all skewered with a large steak knife) or the opulent Champagne of Burgers. After the new year, the co-owners plan to focus on their more grown-up concept at Thermidor in Mint Plaza. more ›

Conceived during a festive round of post-shift cocktail swilling, chef Allyson Harvie (chef de cuisine at Citizen Cake, formerly of Ragazza and Starbelly), bar manager Dion Jardine (bartender at Slanted Door & Heaven's Dog), and sommelier Becky Pezzullo (Bar Bambino, soon to be at the Hidden Vine) put their gastronomic prowess together to create a regular Sunday pop-up at Specchio (2331 Mission)... more ›

A few days before this season's finale of Top Chef Masters airs, Traci Des Jardins will serve some of the dishes that landed her in the final three. Made under pressure and without recipes, Jardiniere will serve several of the dishes that, we predict, will help anoint her Top Chef. Tonight's dinner wil be a prix fixe of three courses and three wine parings for $45. more ›

Bar Bambino, the little 16th Street Italian joint that could, is opening a second location. And, according to Inside Scoop, that new location, smack-dab in the under-construction ODC Theater at 17th and Shotell, will get a new name: Pronto by Bar Bambino. more ›

Although The Bay Citizen, The Chronicle, and other outlets have reported that that sandwich shop in the Castro (the one that loves unwarranted media attention almost as much as making tasty food) is closing today, this doesn't seem to be the case. SFist pals Vegansaurus tell us that, no, Ike's will not shutter today. more ›

After a patient year-long wait, Fondue Cowboy (1052 Folsom), SOMA's ode to melted cheese and more, will open its doors to the public on Wednesday. This past weekend, Fondue Cowboy owner Dave Mur gave SFist a personal tour of what his new dairy-worshiping restaurant has to offer: cheese. And lots of it. more ›

Chowhound brings word that a waffle kiosk has opened up next door to Show Dogs. Oh yes. Waffle Mania will serve waffles at 1022 Market Street (at Golden Gate Avenue) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or whenever they sellout of 'em) Tuesday through Friday starting today. Menu: sugar waffles start out at $3.5, with additional toppings (Nutella! Whipped cream!) for $.50 a pop. Yum. [CH, via Eater] more ›

In what could be the fist bump heard around the world, majors bros Tyler Florence and Sammy Hagar have plans to open a restaurant in Marin. Dude. According to Eater, the Food Network star and former Van Halen front man will take over Mill Valley's El Paseo, which will "reopen in mid-December with an entirely new menu, new outdoor seating for that idyllic North Bay weather, artisanal hard ciders ... whitewashed brick and hardwood floors." Ty-FLo goes on to say the place will be similar "to Chez Panisse, but American rootsy, rustic." (via Eater) more ›

According to KRON 4 News, a restaurant is on fire at 919 Kearny, between Drummond and Jackson Streets. Columbus is backed up to the tunnel. "Traffic is a nightmare" in the area. The block is pretty much closed off. No word yet of any injuries. more ›

After white-knuckling a Tablehopper absence -- Marcia Gagliardi, you see, is in the process of writing a book, hence her two-week sojourn offline -- we were relieved to find her waiting in our inbox today. One item that caught our tongue was news about the upcoming Fondue Cowboy, scheduled to open in the heart of SOMA very, very soon. Tablehopper reports, "What I found at the cozy 40-seat eatery at 1052 Folsom at Russ Street was a more grown-up spaghetti western theme. When I arrived, owner David Mur, and his construction friend Robert Harris were embellishing the bar you'd, ahem, saddle up to with warm multi-toned wooden planks that fill the base of the fondue, beer, and coffee bar. The opposing accent wall will feature cow skulls, Western-themed art, and here's to hoping, The Duke himself on the flat-screen TV!" What's more, since the place has a bar and involves pots of melted cheese, we plan on making it a home away from home. We're not kidding. Read more about Fondue Cowboy here. more ›

That's right. SFist classed up its act last Friday when we jumped into a cab, threw our hair back, and deadpanned to the driver, "Take us to the Ritz." Yes, we went to the famed and supposedly inaccessible Mobil Five-Star awarded The Ritz-Carlton Bar and Dining Room, and thank God we did. It was remarkable -- surprisingly so. more ›

'Monday Munchies' returns. Yay! Also, if you can't afford to eat / be seen at Waterbar, calm down and listen: We have a review of Jollibee's, ready for your reading pleasure later this week. Until then, enjoy this.

by Tiffany Maleshefsk The very ritzy-ish Waterbar, normally way out of our wallet’s reach, offers a prix fixe menu on Mondays called Shellfish & Champagne. And their prix fixe menu, which is billed as a "deal" even though it's still out of reach for many of us, is a tad more reasonable. For $60, eaters get three courses and three flutes of champagne. Or, go for the bargain-basement deal three courses for $40 (sans champagne).

We recently tested out the Shellfish & Champagne menu when the shellfish of the evening was Dungeness crab (our absolute favorite). And to keep things interesting, we brought a pal who didn’t need to restrict herself to the prix fixe menu.

Here’s a blow-by-blow of how the meal went down. more ›

by Ted Weinstein more ›

The Oscars of the food world were held yesterday in New York, and among top honorees were San Francisco's Nate Appleman of the restaurants A16 and SPQR, who won Best Rising Star Chef (it was his third nomination and first win... he's still eligible because he's under 30) and Douglas Keane of Cyrus in Healdsburg (pictured) who won Best Chef, Pacific. Previous winners of the latter award were Craig Stoll of Delfina and Traci Des Jardins of Jardiniere. more ›

Paolo Dominici, owner of the Noe Valley restaurant Bacco Ristorante, went missing over the weekend while sailing in Hawaii. He never returned. Today, sadly, the search for him was called off today. Our heart goes out to the Dominici family. more ›

According to Tablehopper, 12 Galaxies will go from affectedly creative Mission nightspot to affectedly chic Mission restaurant. She reports, "Moving into the 12 Galaxies space in the Mission will be the ~BLUE MACAW~, a restaurant, bar, and club with a focus on international music. I will have more details in a few weeks, but the opening is slated for April or May." more ›

by Tiffany Maleshefski more ›

by Tiffany Maleshefski more ›

Eater is a fantastic spot to read what's opening and hot in the Bay Area's gastronomic scene. We all know that. But these days, and we really do hate saying this, it's pressing our morbid curiosity button with all of the "shutters" going on in SF Take, for example, today's roundup of restaurant industry deaths, which include Atrium, Azie, Bar on Castro, Baraka, Breezy's, Cafe Revolution, Cafe de la Paz, Cetrella, Chopsticks, Deep Sushi, Geoffrey's, Jojo, Joseph Smith, La Vinoteca, La Taqueria (South Bay), Laurel's, Lola's, Lou's at the Square, Marche on the Square, Mecca, North Beach Lobster Shack, Pancho Villa, Pink, Tansitaro Michoacan, Scharffen Berger, and Wappo Bistro. Eater's Paolo Lucchesi goes on to say that while January is typically a hard month for the nightlife/food industry, this year, with the depression recession and all, it's been particularly bad. Sigh. more ›

Fantastic news: Morton's -- the steakhouse that eschews infusions, Amy Winehouse-looking hostesses, cramped seating, and square and small plates -- is officially taking over the now-closed Disney store on Post and Powell. Eater reports that "[t]he new space will double the steakhouse's seating and become the main dining room, leaving the current one for overflow." Also, Morton's will celebrate its 30th anniversary by handing out free mini sirloin burgers this Sunday from 5-6 p.m. Mmm. more ›

For those of you with a decent chunk of change and a basting phobia, CHOW has compiled their list of top SF restaurants in which to celebrate Thanksgiving. Their top choice, Ducca, has an "Italian take on the holiday" featuring a "three-course meal, which includes turkey involtino and caramelized Brussels sprouts." A few other places of note are AME Restaurant ("lots of fresh fish from the sashimi bar"), Luce - InterContinental San Francisco Hotel (lobster with butternut squash and chestnuts with vin jaune), and the reasonably-priced Home ("serving a basic three-course prix fixe menu, with choice of turkey, ham, or veggie entree, and pumpkin pie, pecan pie, or sorbet for dessert.) Do you know of a decent Thanksgiving dinner with an appropriately pasty-textured menu? Let readers know about it in the comments. more ›

By Tiffany Maleshefski more ›

After weeks of relative guilt-free robberies in the East Bay, two people were apprehended last night after nail salon was shook down. Last night "two men wearing ski masks, at least one of them armed, burst into the nail salon at 10814 Bancroft Ave. shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday." The two were nabbed after shortly after taking off in a getaway car. According to the Oakland Tribune, authorities believe the two are "responsible for at least some of a series of similar robberies throughout Oakland," including hits at Nomad Cafe on Shattuck Avenue, the Kerry House bar on Piedmont Avenue and the Full; Moon Seafood Restaurant on MacArthur Boulevard. However, it isn't clear at this point if the two are connected to any of the other takeover robberies. more ›

El Cerrito played host to the most recent restaurant takeover at around 9:45 p.m. last night. Two masked men entered Yuet Foo Seafood Restaurant and stole cash from employees and patrons "before fleeing on foot toward the Richmond Annex neighborhood in Richmond." (SFGate) more ›

Much to Mayor Dellums relief -- since this means he won't have to make yet another benign, angry-man speech -- a Hayward Chinese restaurant was targeted last night in the East Bay takeover robber spree. Last night a little after 8 p.m., two suspects brandishing handguns entered the Great River restaurant at 22218 Foothill Blvd, demanding cash and phones from patrons and employees. The suspects are described as "black males who were both wearing black clothing." In related news, Mayor Dellums has asked the community "to step up," to be "the eyes and ears"of the area, and "to observe" what's going on. (Yeah, you're pretty much on your own here, East Bay folk. Sorry.) (CBS 5, SFGate) more ›

Two armed men struck yet another East Bay restaurant, this time in the posh Rockridge district. At least two thieves robbed a Pasta Pomodoro (someone save the butternut squash ravioli!) at 5500 College Avenue a little before 11 p.m. last night. The hooded men got away with cash, but no one was injured. If you recall, Oakland has seen a rash of restaurant robberies over the last month. Where will they strike next? (SFGate) more ›

The streets of Oakland might become a bit safer now with the addition of the Guardian Angels. Starting this Friday night, the "volunteer organization of unarmed citizen crime patrollers" will man the mischief streets of Oakland per Mayor Ron Dellums' request. According to Cristina Fernandez, head of the Oakland chapter, "This is a first for us, because it's the first time a city government has specifically requested help from us." Over the last month, the city of Oakland has seen a spike in crime, most notably the recent spat of takeover-style restaurants robberies hitting the area. (Oakland Tribune) more ›