El Faro is in trouble again, popular smashburger pop-up Maillards has a new Outer Sunset home, and Eat Americana has closed its doors in the Richmond, all in This Week in Food.
You may have seen the hubbub about Philz Coffee banning all Pride flags last week, but now, as of Friday, the CEO has reversed himself and apologized. The Pride flags are staying up, and you're free to go back to getting coffee at Philz — even though some PR damage has clearly been done.
Historic Mission District taqueria El Faro (2399 Folsom) — one of two places in the Mission that claims to have invented the Mission-style super burrito — is once again in the news for the wrong reasons, and the owner is once again talking about closing the place down for good. As SFGate reported earlier this week, the 64-year-old restaurant has just had its rent nearly doubled, and owner Raymunda Ramirez, who bought the taqueria with her husband 23 years ago and has worked their since 1980, is now trying to sell the business — and there's a GoFundMe to try to cover one month of rent. A year and a half ago, the taqueria suffered a series of break-ins in which $20,000 in cash was stolen, and Ramirez also had talked about closing down then.
Starting next week, popular smashburger pop-up Maillards will have a regular home at Two Pitchers Brewing Company's new taproom at 3821 Noriega Street, in the Outer Sunset. As the Chronicle reports, Maillards, which launched at the Outer Sunset farmers' market three years ago, and also served burgers at Heritage Bar and Grill in the Richmond, will continue at Heritage for a few weeks and keep popping up at the market, after the first Two Pitchers service on April 22.
In sad Avenues news, Richmond District diner Eat Americana (3532 Balboa Street) has shut down after 30 years in business. The diner served its last breakfasts on April 12, as SFGate reported, and in its place, something called The Cat's Whiskers is opening, according to a liquor license transfer. Details on that are still to come.
Tablehopper had word of a new ramen spot at 1639 Polk Street, in the former Mini Potstickers location, and it's called Denya Ramen. It doesn't appear to be open just yet, but stay tuned.
Up in Larkspur, Picco is ringing in its 20th anniversary by bringing back some menu favorites, including an English pea risotto and a Barolo-braised beef rib with fermented mustard polenta, which will be available throughout April and May. And of course they still serve their excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas, first made by Chef Bruce Hill (Zero Zero, Fog City, Bix), with dough that gets a 96-hour ferment.
And the Chronicle published some of its readers' opinions about that problematic Top 100, once again, and readers callouts for biggest snubs this year include Chez Panisse, Kokkari Estiatorio, Foreign Cinema, and contemporary Taiwanese spot Good to Eat in Emeryville.
Photo: Donny P./Yelp
