The business of mastication had some bright spots this week, with more details about Stonestown's depressing Macy's becoming a food/cinema destination, more news about the Mid-Market hotel with a rooftop bar and ground-floor restaurant, Ippudo Ramen opening in Berkeley, and Proposition Chicken heading to Oakland. And if fish is your fancy, we've listed SF's 18 best sushi joints. So what else is going on?
Tablehopper brings the news that Roma Antica is serving handmade Roman pizza and pasta in the Marina. Their space is located at 3242 Scott Street, and they're having a neighborhood welcoming party today, soft opening on August 1.
Shuttered Jackson Square stalwart Bocadillos is making way for Nico, a name you might know for its Michilin-starred Presidio Heights location. The Chron reports that that spot will close August 26, and will reopen at 710 Montgomery Street by January 2018. The break means the restaurant, known for its "California-inspired versions of Spanish and Basque small plates," will lose their star, but owners Andrea and Nicholas Delaroque don't seem worried, saying they'll "hit the ground running" when renovations start this fall.
The Bi-Rite empire is expanding into Civic Center, Eater reports, after a $1 million donation to the Civic Center Community Benefit District for a street cafe left them the CBD's top pick. Expect breakfast sandwiches, soft serve, and salad to a yet-to-be constructed structure at Grove and Larkin. Opening could be as soon as next February, timed with the debut of two new playgrounds in the spot.
After Pizza Orgasmica closed their 823 Clement Street location in October 2015, the spot has been vacant — but no more, Eater reports, as Barrel Head Brewhouse hopes to open early next year, following an "extensive" renovation.
As long as we're on far-off openings, the Marin Independent Journal reports that Rohnert Park's beloved organic and vegetarian restaurant Amy’s Drive Thru is eyeing a vacant Denny's right off 101 in Corte Madera. The 5839 Paradise Drive spot has been vacant since 2014, and current zoning and planning regulations prohibit drive-through restaurants, so expect it to remain vacant for a while longer while those details are worked out (or not).
Bel's only been open at 3215 Mission Street for about two years, but it's already curtains for the beer-focused European joint. It its place will rise Outer Orbit Pinball and Restaurant, Mission Local reports, "a pinball arcade that will also serve craft beer and dinner," opening date unknown. Are pinball restaurants the new poke? Discuss.
Speaking of Mission Street, Little Baobab, once a West African restaurant and nightclub at 3380 19th Street between Mission and Capp, will reopen next month as a Senegalese-inspired pizza place, Mission Local writes. This is the second pivot for the venue, after owners briefly tried a West African crepe concept last year. A soft opening is planned within the next couple weeks.
The Impossible Burger, Jardinere's version of which we first tried last fall, is now available at even more places. The fake meat concoction, which Traci Des Jardins tells the Chron has been "a boon" for her spot, is now being served at the Ferry Building's Gott's Roadside. When I saw the news on Eater, I crossed town to try Gott's version, and was impressed — they get a great char on the patty. Expect more Impossible options soon, here's a map of where you can find it today.
This Week in Reviews
SF Weekly's Pete Kane visited Petit Marlowe, terming it the best place in SF for a first date. (Best place for a third: Pete Kane's house.) "Virtually the entire menu is good," Kane writes, singling out their deviled eggs, côte de boeuf tartare, and chop salad.
Chron reviewer Michael Bauer arrives with an update for Dona Tomas. Open since 1999, the years have apparently been unkind to the Oakland spot, as Bauer says "the service was lacking and the kitchen seemed in disarray." He was left hanging on at least one order, and waited too long for others... and food that arrived was "tepid" and "had a leftover taste." Two stars.
For the weekend, Bauer's at Acacia House, Chris Cosentino's newly-opened restaurant inside St. Helena's Las Alcobas hotel. Bauer revels in the "luxurious" feel of the place, and says Cosentino's bold style has been refined to fit the setting. The kampachi collar is "another level," Bauer writes, and he was blown away by the crudités. But, really he seemed to love everything about the place, hence a glowing 3.5 star award.