Our favorite morsel from the blogs.
Buzz kill: It's been circulating around the food blogs like a back issue of Juggs (NSFW link) at boarding school: Marcia Gagliardi's participatory list of under- and overrated local eateries, compiled during a recent Tablehopper book signing at 18 Reasons. We're especially fond of the marginalia registering dissent ("disagree" scrawled next to Flour + Water in the over it column) or clarifications (Papalote's salsa warrants an exclamation point, even if its burritos are deemed overhyped). What do you think? What places deserve more praise, or less? And who determines what gets plugged in the first place? PR flacks? Yelpers? Bauer? Guys like us?
Ramblas owner Ron Silberstein told us the past couple of years have been rough for the Catalan-inspired tapas joint that launched at the beginning of 2001. "The economy, the ripping up of the street ― it's just been real slow," he said. Silberstein didn't actually put the place on the market ― interested parties including Stoll, a friend, had been eying the joint. "He's always like the space," Silberstein said, though he did entertain other offers. Stoll's turned out to be the most interesting.
Excitement surged through local food blogs this morning, following Allan Hough's unsourced Mission Mission morning scoop about Delfina's plans to take over Ramblas on Valencia. Eater's sharp-eyed Carolyn Alburger ramped things up by noticing that Craig Stoll had left for Mexico early this month, on what he coyly tweeted might be an R&D junket. Could the Stolls be planning some Nopalito-like concept for Valencia?
As for Annie Stoll, she wasn't budging. "There have been a lot of rumors flying around today," she said, "but we can neither confirm or deny them. Sorry!" No word yet from Ramblas.
The hours: Mon.-Fri., 3-6:30 p.m.
The deals: Specialty cocktails and select sparkling, white, and red wines by the glass $5 ($7 for a well-vodka martini); select bottled beers $3; hefty small plates $2-$5
The digs: Epic's upstairs Quiver Bar is the Nordstrom men's suit department of city drinking establishments. Expensive halogen makes the copper bar glow, the place is fastidiously accessorized with manly miscellania including chunky gears, and then, of course, there's the view; the money-shot panorama of Treasure Island and the burly undercarriage of the Bay Bridge. The communal table provides a decent view out or, if the weather's even reasonably good, take the elevator down to the ground-floor patio.
Classic old-timers like Caffe Trieste, Tosca Café, Caffe Roma, and Caffe Greco are on the itinerary of this (hopefully sunny) stroll, which aims to illuminate the historical influence and impact of these and other North Beach coffee landmarks. Just remember to pace yourself, cup-wise.
Event details:
San Francisco Museum and Historical Society's Javawalk
Date: Sat., April 17, 10 a.m.-noon
Location: Meet at Hotel Triton, 342 Grant (at Bush)
Cost: $25 (not including coffee)
Reservations: 537-1105 x100
Deleted from this week's review for space reasons:Jesse H./Yelp Sure, it's a Zog's dog, but NOT the Moral Conundrum. Find out why...
Extreme Hot Dog No. 4: The Conceptual Art Piece
The Moral Conundrum ($5.50)
from Zog's Dogs, 1 Post St. (at Market), 391-7071
When I tried to order a Moral Conundrum ― a bacon-wrapped veggie dog ― off the menu at this seven-month-old stall on the far edge of the Montgomery MUNI Plaza, the guy at the counter looked abashed. The stand doesn't keep prewrapped dogs on hand any more, he apologized, and the grill cook leaned over him to explain. "They just made everyone angry," she said. "I can put some bacon on a veggie dog for you, though." Never mind. I retreated holding a Mexico dog ($5.50), topped German-Mexican style with grilled onions, peppers, kraut, and curry ketchup. Good, but not nearly as provocative.
