This marks the beginning of a weekly column rounding up some of the week's more notable restaurant and bar news that we didn't get to cover. Always feel free to send us tips, by the way, at [email protected], and see the rest of our daily food coverage here.
Following on the news of a new arcade/beer-and-wine bar headed to the Castro, and last year's opening of Golden Gate Tap Room with all its arcade games, the team behind Butter is planning to open BuzzWorks, a beer hall and arcade on 11th Street in SoMa. They're describing it as a "man cave on steroids," with 20 HD TVs for game play (including wireless listening devices) and a 200-person seating capacity. And as Eater reports, there will be food delivery options for drinkers and gamers from nearby spots like Bar Agricole, Basil Canteen, Bergerac, and Cathead's BBQ. It's set for a January opening, but stay tuned. [Eater]
Also, there's a beer-and-wine bar that just debuted in the complex at 20th and Florida that's home to Central Kitchen, Trick Dog, Salumeria, and Sightglass. It's called The Tradesman, and it comes complete with some nice woodwork inside since the owners, Zarin Gollogly and Spencer Lafrenz, also own Harrison Woodworking + Design. Hog & Rocks owner Scott Youkilis is consulting on the bar-bites menu, which you can check out here. There's an international selection of 30 wines by the glass and 8 beers on tap, and they're open for both lunch and dinner. [Eater]
Big news for Dogpatch: The Namu Gaji team, who are responsible for the barbecue at Smokestack, are planning to open Namu Noodles at 2405 Third Street by the end of the year. The plan, according to Inside Scoop, is for a 70-seat Japanese-style ramen shop, with service like you'd have in Japan, "where diners order from a staffer at the door, and then can go to the bar (where a full liquor license will allow for a large sake/sochu collection and Japanese whiskey) for a drink or sit down at a table. Servers bring the soup out when ready." [Inside Scoop]
Over in the Castro, there's been a change of guard at Cafe Flore, with a simpler food menu featuring (too) clever names for dishes inspired by rock bands. (See a photo I recently shot of the menu for examples.) New managers Stu Gerry and Brett Klinker, who have long managed Bix downtown, have added some new sandwiches and salads, and added beer on tap for the first time in the restaurant's 40-year history. [Michael Petrelis/Facebook]
Meanwhile the aforementioned Yoshi's transformation is already underway, though the new name and new menu are not quite in place. As the Chron reports, they've brought in a new director of operations, Reza Esmaili (a 25-year industry vet who's done stints at Long Bar, Conduit, and many other spots), to oversee the changes, and the menu will shift from Japanese to casual Californian. Prices, apparently, have already dropped by 25 percent. [Chron]
And there's a precious, once-a-month-type pop-up headed for Bernal Heights, as Tablehopper reports, called Charin. It's got some well pedigreed chefs behind it: Charles-C Onyeama, who's worked at SPQR and Manresa, and a team of people with experience at Saison, Coi, and Atelier Crenn. Charin will only operate about one weekend a month, and will have only 15 seats. If you want to know more, enter your email here. [Tablehopper]
In big honors this week, we have San Francisco Magazine's annual Best Chef awards, and the big prize goes to Evan and Sarah Rich, the co-chef couple behind the very popular Rich Table which also got the honor of being our (statistically) number-one restaurant in the Bay Area. William Werner of Craftsman & Wolves gets Best Pastry Chef, Michael Gaines of Kin Khao gets the Rising Star Chef honor, Dennis Leary wins Empire Builder of the year, and Magnolia Brewery's Dave McLean gets the Drink Guru prize. Congrats, all. [SF Mag]
