In this week's edition, we have a new French spot taking over an Embarcadero space that's been dark for four and a half years, a fancy doughnut shop and cafe is coming to West Portal, and the Chase Center is getting a couple of exciting new food options.
One of the big news items of the week is Bon Delire, a new French concept from the owner of Sens (in Embarcadero Center) and Barcha (28 Fremont), Kais Bouzidi. It's moving into the former Hard Water at Pier 3 — chef-restaurateur Charles Phan's New Orleans-inspired oyster and whiskey bar, which closed at the start of the pandemic. Bouzidi tells Eater that he grew up in Paris before moving to SF in his 20s, so he's excited to be opening his first French spot in the city, which he envisions as more of a live bar/cafe with lunch and happy hour action. Bon Delire (which means "good fun" in French) will offer salads, sandwiches, quiche, charcuterie, and tapas-y plates, and Bouzidi promises "lots of bubbles" being served at the bar. The goal is top open by late spring or early summer following a light remodel.
Coming this summer to West Portal is George’s Donuts & Merriment (163 West Portal Ave.), from an former pastry chef at Spruce and Selbys, Janina O'Leary. The fancy, European-inspired cafe will offer "an array of handmade donuts in savory and sweet flavors, enticing European-style café fare, fresh roasted coffees, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty drinks," according to a release. And in addition to creations like a bacon-maple doughnut and a churro cruller, O'Leary tells the Chronicle she's working on some savory doughnut hole flavors like za'atar and cacio e pepe.
In case you hadn't heard, the vacancies at Thrive City at the Chase Center are slowly being filled, and next year we can look forward to Che Fico Pizzeria opening there, as well as a new spot from the Burma Superstar/Burma Love folks. Eater tells us that the new restaurant, Kayah, is opening next door to Gott's Roadside by next summer, with Che Fico Pizzeria set to open sooner than that.
A new restaurant from the team behind "progressive Indian" spot Rooh is opening this weekend in Emeryville, and it's called Pippal (5614 Bay Street #235). As Eater reports, you can expect the unexpected, cuisine-wise, at Pippal, which is going to draw on multiple regional food traditions in India. "Every culture has its own flavor added to their cuisine, so we wanted to bring in some dishes which are not so popular [yet in the U.S.], that are from different regions of India," says co-owner Anu Bhambri, speaking to Eater. Opening night is Saturday, November 18.
Tablehopper had the first word on Ebi Sushi to Go (working name), an off-shoot of the popular Piedmont Avenue to-go sushi spot Ebiko in Oakland. It's moving into the former Caffe Roma space at 526 Columbus, and it will be brining it's high-quality takeout nigiri to a neighborhood that is not rich with sushi spots, at a date TBA.
And the Chronicle has word that while in town for APEC, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's two priorities were In-N-Out Burger and Chez Panisse, both of which she hit up.
Top image: Rendering of Bon Delire by Studio Terpeluk