We told you where to find the best Irish food in San Francisco, warned you not to eat Trader Joe's pistachios, lamented the demolition of waterfront staple Sinbad's, and asked a native to weigh in on the all important question of what is her favorite burrito. A lot of other food news broke this week, however, so let's get to it.
The pricey and much-loved Nobu will be opening a spot in Palo Alto, Eater informs us. The Japanese restaurant originated in Beverly Hills and now has 32 locations. There's no opening date as of yet.
Divisadero got a new Indian spot, reports Hoodline. Indian Paradox moved into the former King Foot Sub, and owner Kavitha Raghavan compliments her take on Indian street food with a stocked wine bar (she's also a sommelier, so you can bet the pairings will be no joke).
We touched on this one before, but now it's official: Lemonade filed formula retail permits to move into the former La Boulange on 9th Avenue in the Inner Sunset, notes Eater. The fast casual chain serves cafeteria-style, which they say is their secret to high-quality food at a reasonable cost.
On the other side of the Bay, Noodle Theory Provisions, helmed by Louis Kao, softly opened this week on Oakland's San Pablo Avenue, reports Inside Scoop. But don't stress — its Claremont Avenue spot hasn't gone anywhere.
In less exciting news, The Ice Cream Bar's Castro Fountain will not be opening until at least this summer, Hoodline tells us. Unspecific problems with PG&E have delayed the opening at 554 Castro Street, but when it does finally start slinging dairy treats, make sure to take advantage of the sidewalk seating the owners say they're planning on.
Meanwhile, not too far away, Hoodline reports that the Castro Super Duper Burger is looking to super size its Market Street location by expanding into the next door business.
Eater informs us that a Monday morning kitchen fire at Mason Pacific will force the business to close for two weeks while they make repairs. No one was injured, and the cause of the fire has not been released.
The Tenderloin is about to get a new place for Burmese food, reports Inside Scoop. Owner William Lue, who already has several East Bay restaurants, plans to soft open Tender Loving Food on March 15.
Chino is no more, but the team behind Tacolicious will soon open a Cal-Mexican cantina called Bar San Pancho in the space. Partner Joe Hargrave told Tablehopper that it should open in early April.
In a different kind of swap, Divisadero's Fly Bar is about to get a new owner. Hoodline reports that owner Matt Sturm is selling the place to Lopac Group, but Sturm insists that the new owners have no intention to change the vibe of the place.
The Inner Sunset is getting a little ray of sunshine in the form of Hawaiian spot Poki Time, which Hoodline tells us soft opened today. The casual restaurant will focus on fish dishes.
In fact, poke might be having "a moment," as they say. We learn via Hoodline that David Fukuda, a partner in La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, has filed paperwork to open a spot called Poke Cali in the Financial District. We're still waiting for details on a potential opening date.
Also in the FiDi, Seattle's Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches chain will soon open a location this summer reports Hoodline. As the name would suggest, it will be focused on sustainable sourcing for its meats and veggies.
In other sandwich news, Inside Scoop lets us know that Saul’s Delicatessen in Berkeley is on the hunt for a new owner. The current owners, Peter Levitt and Karen Adelman, are apparently ready to retire but they don't want to close it down for good.
A different kind of shuffling is also coming to Berkeley as chef Charis Wahl returns to Gather to replace current chef Tu David Phu, says Inside Scoop. Phu is leaving to pursue a Vietnamese pop-up.
The Organic Coup, when it opens later this month in Rincon Center, will be the second location for the restaurant that bills itself as an organic fast food joint. Inside Scoop says that the project is the work of former Costco executives Erica Welton and Dennis Hoover, so don't be surprised if this chain scales up over the next few years.
On a totally different note, how does eating shrimp and grits on an airplane sound? Well, Eater tells us that 1300 on Fillmore's chef and owner David Lawrence is in the process of opening a second location — past security — in SFO. You'll now be able to bring po boys on planes, as Lawrence will serve his food to go as well as to seated diners.
Owners Anna Weinberg and James Nicholas, perhaps emboldened by the success of Leo’s Oyster Bar, will open a semi-secret backroom expansion called The Hideaway reports Eater. Expect a rotating list of cocktails.
Wes Rowe is ending his weekly pop-ups at Mojo Bicycle Cafe to focus on his forthcoming 18th and Mission Street restaurant, WesBurger n' More. Next Wednesday, Hoodline tells us, is his final night at Mojo.
If you're just biding your time and waiting for the rain to cease so you can frolic about town, then Eater has something for you to do while you wait. Specifically, spend some time looking over what the publication considers to be the most anticipated spring openings. And then, you know, go eat at those places.
For something under-discussed in the food world, Eater writes about how Chris Cosentino, the successful chef and owner behind Cockscomb, opened up to ChefsFeed about his experience with mental illness.
Speaking of chefs, having tested the waters with the first season, the streaming and production company Netflix is fully diving in and has renewed its documentary series Chef's Table for three more seasons. Inside Scoop tells us we can expect to see Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn in season two.
This Week In Reviews
The Chronicle's Michael Bauer spent some serious time reveling in the "exuberant boldness" of David Kinch's Bywater, the Los Gatos New Orleans-focused restaurant that offers a $19 po boy sandwich (Bauer is "still dreaming" about that sandwich, we learn). He thinks the fried chicken is worth writing home about, and somehow feels that the long lines resulting from the no reservations policy adds something to the overall experience. All in all, he finds it casual "pure pleasure" and gives the restaurant three stars.
Peter Lawrence Kane went to The Perennial, a self-styled "progressive agrarian" restaurant, and came away with a lot to say. It seems, however, that Kane's takeaway was mostly negative. He uses The Perennial's commitment to a sustainable food sourcing model as an opportunity to rant against humanity's doomed-to-failure efforts to battle climate change, and scoffs at the "weird textures, uninspired flavors, and unpalatable wines." And yes, he then notes the portions are small — which, with a bill of $240, is probably understandable. The Perennial is a combined effort from Karen Leibowitz, Anthony Myint, and chef Chris Kiyuna — a fact which doesn't stop the critic from observing that the "most impressive feature of The Perennial is the interior." Kane, we assume, won't be going back.
Anna Roth, on the other hand, had what sounds like a confusing but ultimately enjoyable encounter with Thoughts Style Cuisine Showroom. The SoMa restaurant bills itself as “a fashion showroom that’s food instead of clothing items,” and co-owner and Mu Chanma says the idea for the place was that she wanted to be able to wear sunglasses inside — thus the overpowering brightness of the light fixtures. Roth spends some time exasperatedly denouncing the gall (gall!) of a 24-year-old untrained chef opening a spot (that she self-financed, by the way) when there are chefs with "real credentials" struggling (sample sentence: "This project seems so frivolous that it’s hardly worth getting worked up about, and I suspect that Chanma, who has all the earnestness and solipsism of 24, simply hasn’t thought about any of this.") before saying that, for the relatively inexpensive price, she likes the food. She recommends the stir fry.