This past week was marked by a fire that has temporarily shuttered Liverpool Lil's in the Marina, and the announcement of the reopening of the famed, 100-plus-year-old Sam Wo in Chinatown. Also there was the big news Monday that the Bar Jules space got snapped by chef Dominique Crenn for a casual concept dubbed Petit Crenn, and the news of a second location of The Ice Cream Bar heading to the Castro. But here's what else is going on.

The Restaurant at Meadowood up in St. Helena, one of the Bay Area's finest fine dining restaurants (and one with three Michelin stars), has just named its first chef de cuisine: Katianna Hong. Executive chef Christopher Kostow has flown solo at the helm of the restaurant for eight years now, with Hong rising up the ranks for the past five, and as he tells the Chronicle, "I’m hands-on, and I’m here all the time, but I felt like it was time to give someone that title." The second-in-command title typically goes to someone who would run the kitchen day to day in the executive chef's absence, but it doesn't sound like Kostow is taking any extended trips away anytime soon.

Sinbad’s continues to be a thorn in the Port of SF's side, and as Inside Scoop reports, the owners have responded to the Port's latest lawsuit, essentially saying, "What's the rush," and continuing to delay their eviction.

Tacorgasmico might be open as of today in the former Blue space in the Castro (2337 Market Street), and as Hoodline reports, the guy behind it is the son of the guy who owns the La Corneta chain of taquerias, but this won't be an ordinary taqueria. There will be specialties on the menu from Guanajuato, Mexico, as well as dishes from the Yucatán, Oxaca, and Jalisco, including a potentially decent cochinita pibil (slow-roasted marinated pork).

Also in the Castro, the relatively new Manos Nouveau has eliminated tipping and is instead adding a 20 percent "equality allocation" to all bills in order to help off-set the new minimum wage for kitchen workers and servers, as Inside Scoop reports.

Mexico City chef Gabriela Camara is opening her first U.S. restaurant here in SF, and it will be at 149 Fell Street. It's called Cala, and as Hoodline reports, she's aiming for a summer opening. You can expect "unfussy" but unexpected Mexican food, as well as a daytime taco stand in the back of the building, on Hickory Street, with a Mexico City vibe.

Also, Hoodline tells us about B. on the Go, a new sandwich shop coming to the corner of Divisadero and California from b. patisserie's Belinda Leong. That's aiming for a June 1 opening.

Over in Oakland, Ramen Shop’s Sam White has collaborated with some local artists to open the very cool looking Starline Social Club (645 West Grand at MLK). As Inside Scoop reports, the building is a former Odd Fellows' hall and saloon built in 1883, and they've renovated it to become a restaurant and bar with a ballroom/music venue upstairs. White describes the concept as "a little weird and different" with a bunch of artists involved, and there will be a "creative" cocktail program and a daily bar food menu, as well as dance parties, music events, a possible pop-up food series, and more. They're open five nights a week, Wednesday to Sunday.

The Week In Reviews

At the Weekly, Pete Kane checks in on Aster, where he finds some steep prices but delicious food, all "tinkered with to yield the maximum tactile experience." He loves chef Brett Cooper's asparagus, the black cod, and the lamb shoulder, and that dessert "was by far the chicest course," thanks to pastry chef Sean Ehland. Interestingly, between the time Kane dined there and the review's publication, Aster decided to do away with the all-inclusive, no-tip model, maybe because of bad reactions to the prices?

It looks like Bauer did not file a Thursday update this week, but through some glitch at SFChronicle.com we get one sneak peek at one new spot that's getting vaulted onto the Top 100: Liholiho Yacht Club. If the link doesn't work anymore it's because they caught the glitch, but the Top 100 update may be on its way this Sunday, unless it's coming the following week. (And Bauer flies off to Chicago this weekend for the James Beard Awards, on which he serves on the nominating committee, and the chef and restaurant awards happen Monday.)

For his Sunday review, Mr. Bauer checked out Jersey (145 Second Street), the new pizzeria from the Salt House/Town Hall team, specifically chef-owner Steven Rosenthal. They're doing Jersey-style pies (with fresh tomato baked on top) as well as more California-style ones, and Bauer is impressed with the crusts and with the wide selection of non-pizza items too, including some good pastas, and a cod collar served over Umbrian lentils with clams and seafood broth. All in all: two and a half stars.