This week over at the SFist food desk, we took a tour of the new Bon Marché which opened for realz today, did a little rumor-mongering re: La Boulange re-opening/rebranding, and shed a tear for Japantown mainstay sushi bar Ino Sushi, which is closing after 37 years and tons of press.
In beer news: Black Hammer Brewing is open for business in SoMa, Inside Scoop says. The project from Jim Furman, formerly of Pete’s Brewing Co., and Bryan Hermannsson of Pacific Brewing Laboratory, isn't brewing its own beer yet, so basically it's just a tap room — for the time being.
Inside Scoop also has word on Sessions, a beer-centric spot in the Presidio inside the former Dixie space.
Last, and not to be left out of the beer boom, the Bayview is getting a Belgium-by-way-of-California brewery, to be called Laughing Monk, as per reporting by Eater.
In the delightful Marina District, Monaghan's is getting a well-deserved remodel and upgrade, as Eater reports. Here's the money quote from the manager — "The Marina used to cater to a young party crowd, which was great for a long time, but that's shifted with rising rents." Fans of their popcorn machine will not be disappointed, as that will remain.
As you might recall, after more than 30 years, the Mosser Hotel shuttered its adjoining restaurant, Annabelle’s Bar & Bistro. Now, its replacement, the Keystone, has shared its new menu with Inside Scoop. They highlight carbonara fries, 800-degree flatbreads, and a grass-fed rib-eye with potato and marrow fritter.
Réveille Coffee Co. — currently of the Castro and North Beach — is staying woke, as millennials say, by building a new location in Mission Bay. That space will serve as their roasting headquarters, Eater reports.
Up in Fort Bragg, Mendo Bistro and BarBelow could be yours for $100 and a great essay, Inside Scoop writes.
Carribean fare at Coco Frio arrives on September 1st, Eater reports. Expect a "daily-changing seafood- and street food-heavy menu," a sample of which is included in the article, with a tropical drinks list to boot.
The Chron has gone and ranked the Bay Area’s 20 best food trucks! It's not ordered, and Senor Sisig is not on the list, and so the list is invalid. Enjoy!
Seven Stills is planning a Bayview distillery, Eater has it, with beers, whiskeys and food trucks arriving at UrbanPointSF, the complex where, incedentally, Laughing Monk will also be.
And, ugh everything, the Castro Hamburger Mary's is delayed, as Hoodline laments. Le sigh.
This Week In Reviews
His eminence Michael Bauer’s midweek re-review was of Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes Station. There, the intense heat wave "was of little consequence, because once the food started to arrive, it felt like an oasis in an otherwise mediocre dining area." Although "service has never been a strength of the restaurant, and you can see the lack of training at every turn. Still, there is a certain warmth in the staff, and since it’s a remote area, diners seem more relaxed and forgiving." In summation, "whatever minor faults may persist, Osteria Stellina is a restaurant that captures the essence of its West Marin locale." Two-and-a-half stars.
Bauer then donned his gloves for Dirty Water, staying nice even though he doesn’t have great things to say about the food. There, he fears "that Dirty Water is pushing the price barrier at times — or maybe they just know their customers can afford it," since, as Bauer puts it, the establishment "is cashing in on a new world order." Two stars.
Last, to coin a chic new term, the Weekly's Peter Lawrence Kane says that Huxley is very Nouvelle Tenderloin. And brunch there is weird slash not so good. He almost sent something back (omg) and in his words, the place "sounds like an affluent suburb in Connecticut [and] snapped me right back: I like Huxley, but I love the old TL so much more."