Jazz and Japanese spot Yoshi's San Francisco (1330 Fillmore) just unveiled a new nightly bar/lounge menu called Kanpai Time ('kanpai' is the Japanese equivalent of 'cheers'). In the tradition of Executive Chef Shotaro 'Sho' Kamio's already extensive menu of affordable small plates, Kanpai Time offers a new selection of the tasty little buggers like grilled baby back ribs with sweet miso glaze ($7), Kurobuta pork sausage with grilled baby Yukon potatoes and honey Dijon ($6), and -- saving the best for last -- lettuce-wrapped soft shell crab tempura with chili lime aioli ($7). Drool. For dessert they're offering a Japanese melon cream soda float with vanilla gelato ($6). A nice way to end, no doubt. The new menu also comes with cocktail specials and the usual libations: beer, wine, and sake. So catch some tunes, have a nosh, and enjoy your American independence.
-- Brian Bernbaum
By Catherine McCulloch
There is something inherently non-vegan about pizza - THE CHEESE! No matter which way you cut it, pizza simply isn’t pizza without one of its three major components: crust, sauce, and cheese. Having said this, there are many delightful pizzerias in the Bay Area that offer vegan pizzas. Most of the time these pizzas are simply pizza minus the cheese (a.k.a. sauce on bread). But I want cheese on my pizza, I NEED cheese on my pizza!
I was told that there are two good pizza joints in San Francisco that offer a soy cheese pizza: Panhandle Pizza (2077 Hayes St.) and Piraat Pizza (696 Sutter St.) I decided to give Piraat Pizza a whirl because of its BART accessibility; the restaurant is only a few blocks away from Union Square. However, I’m always weary of restaurants directly surrounding the Square because they tend to be overpriced and packed with tourists. Thankfully, Piraat Pizza was neither. It is a casual dining-type restaurant where you can take the kids and still eat adult food.
