A new hi-fi bar and restaurant moves into the former Universal Cafe, Rose Pizzeria is opening a new cafe nearby in Berkeley, and Horn Barbecue has reopened its flagship, but in Lafayette, all in This Week in Food.

Tablehopper has the scoop on what's next for the legendary former Universal Cafe space (2814 19th Street at Bryant), and it's called Side A. The restaurant and hi-fi vinyl bar grows out of a pop-up of the same name from owners Caroline and Parker Brown, the latter of whom was the former chef de cuisine at Aphotic. Both are music lovers, and they've been dreaming for several years of opening a hi-fi bar, like those that they've experienced in cities around the world. The difference, they say, is that this one will have both great sound and great food, which don't often go together at these venues. Teaser menu items include deviled eggs with chicken skin and pickles, steak tartare with horseradish and barrel-aged soy, and Parisian gnocchi in the style of Chicago beef, with short rib and giardiniera. Side A is set to open in March or April.

The big news earlier this week was the expansion of Dogpatch’s Piccino, which is opening in the former Sessions space in the Presidio (1 Letterman Drive). Owners Margherita Sagan and Sheryl Rogat got the opportunity through some connection to Lucasfilm, and they will also be featuring produce and wine from Skywalker Ranch.

Good news for Dungeness crab lovers: The commercial crabbing season will now begin January 5, but crab boats south of the Sonoma-Mendocino county line will have to put out half the number of usual traps — so there might be some crab scarcity for a bit.

We also have news from Tablehopper about Caché, a new neighborhood bistro coming to 9th Avenue in the Sunset from Parisian chef Simon Mounier, who recently relocated to SF, and partner Florent Thomas, who met while working at the two-Michelin-star Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant in Bordeaux. They recently did a pop-up at Nightjar in Hayes Valley, and they're planning to open in the new space (the former Queens at 1235 9th Avenue) in late January, serving brunch until 2 pm, and reopening for drinks and dinner at 4 pm.

Berkeley's Rose Pizzeria, which received some national attention from the New York Times over the summer, is now expanding with a new cafe around the corner. As the Chronicle reports, Cafe Brusco will be an all-day cafe, specializing in panini, and serving wine and snacks into the evening hours, along with coffee. The owners, Gerad Gobel and Alexis Rorabaugh, say they want to create a "vibey" space for people to gather outside of the usual local coffeeshop scene.

And Oakland's Horn Barbecue just opened a new standalone location outside of Oakland, in Lafayette. The new location is the former Bo's BBQ at 3422 Mount Diablo Boulevard, and it just opened on Wednesday. This marks a renewal for chef Matt Horn, after the original West Oakland location was destroyed in a fire last November, which Horn blamed on arson. Since April 2024, Horn Barbecue has been sharing space with Horn's burger restaurant Matty's Old Fashioned, on 8th Street in Old Oakland. It's not clear if that arrangement will continue, or if all the barbecue will now be served at the Lafayette location.

Photo courtesy of Horn Barbecue