The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco food scene.
The mobile food report: Casey's Pizza, which started as a makeshift stand, will get a set of wheels by the end of August. Eater SF reports that Casey Crynes' will have the first pizza truck on the S.F. scene; he plans to park his truck (covered in reclaimed wood) at Haight's Off the Grid, in the Financial District for lunch, and other yet-to-be-determined spots around the city.
Inside Scoop notes, via Beer & Nosh, that SodaCraft has set up a stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Starting today, the seasonally inspired handcrafted sodas can be found every Thursday next to Hapa Ramen's stand.
Organic produce and Niman Ranch beef show up at a new taqueria. Inside Scoop reports, by way of Berkeleyside, that Casa Bernal Taqueria, opened at 2122 Shattuck (at Center) on Tuesday. Casa Bernal is the first Northern California eatery from Guillermo Bernal and his father, who own restaurants in Southern California and Mexico.
Chef News: One of this year's Pride Parade grand marshals is none other than the first openly gay contestant to win Top Chef, Yigit Pura. Grub Street reports that Pura, who plans to open Tout Sweet in S.F. later this year, will be sharing the honors with Chaz Bono and Olympia Dukakis.
Also, Luce, which has been without an executive chef for several months, hired its current executive sous-chef Daniel Corey for the position. Inside Scoop shares that Corey will take over the position last held by Dominque Crenn, who left to pursue Atelier Crenn. His new menu will debut mid-July.
And with a chain's recent shutter of most Bay Area locations, another one expands. In Fisherman's Wharf, In-N-Out and Hooters will have some tourist dollar competition from Chipotle Mexican Grill. Construction is under way on the latest S.F. outpost of the burrito-bowl-salad chain (Jefferson at Leavenworth). Interesting timing? We recently received a press release from the company about its goal to increase use of local produce to more than 10 million pounds (up from 2010's five million). An easier task in California than, say, North Dakota. No word yet on an opening date.
Also, as we previously mentioned, Bluestem Brasserie officially opens tonight.
Speakeasy Brewery Punk Rock Pizza Party
Where: Speakeasy Ales and Lagers, 1195 Evans (at Keith), 642-3371
When: Fri., June 24, 4-10 p.m.
Cost: Free
The rundown: If Jello Biafra played your 13th birthday party, and you were drunk, it might be similar to Speakeasy Ales' bash tomorrow night. This free "punk rock pizza party" starts at 4 p.m. with tours of the brewery and $3 pints. Three punk bands will get you thrashing from 7 p.m. on, PizzaHacker will be slinging pies, and Speakeasy neighbor La Laguna will serve up some Mexican grub. Did we mention it's all free? See you (and everyone else in San Francisco) there.
Last month, the SF Weekly moved offices within a mile of Chinatown, allowing me to embark on a new project I've been wanting to take on for years. Inspired in part by Seattle's MSG150, my goal is to systematically visit a different Chinatown restaurant each week, starting at Powell and moving south and west as I go. Maximum entree price permitted: $10.
At the table next to me at Kam Po, two women in their 70s and 80s, a walker leaned against their table, chat over beef chow fun, their Cantonese conversation occasionally interspersed with an, "Oh my goodness!" Next to them, a tourist couple strain to convince the server they indeed want everything on the combo rice plate, intestines included. The rhythmic slap of cleaver on wood provides the backbeat to the buzz of the packed room. And I am fervently hoping my second trip to Kam Po is not in vain, because the roast ducks hanging in the window look too good to pass untasted.
Before I started writing for SFoodie, I imagined the bloggers as a tight-knit team of scallywags, palling around town and sharing robust food adventures. Thus I was scandalized when former SFoodie editor John Birdsall told me many of the bloggers hadn't met each other, and some had never met him.
Such is the nature of journalism in the digital age, where we fire off posts from home studies/baby nurseries, laptops in coffee shops, or (for shame!) our full-time day jobs. Food blogging requires no centralized office, and we can "work together" without exchanging a single wisecrack.
I proposed a series of contributor profiles, where the veil of anonymity would be lifted for SFoodie's readers, and I would get to chow down with a bunch of homegrown local characters. Selfish motive: I just moved here from New York, and I was looking to hook up with some new writer chums.
Every week for nearly three months, I went out with a different SFoodie contributor. Each had a curious palate, a hearty appetite, and a unique approach towards food and the creative process. I'm a bit wistful the project is over now, so I thought I'd share a few behind-the-scenes highlights:
Fighters of breast cancer are again pulling out their secret weapon: beer.
The annual Breastfest will soon be upon us, with more than 40 breweries, several hundred beers, and live music aligning on July 2 to fight one of the most feared diseases. We can't say truthfully that the more beer you drink, the better the plight of the breasts. But if you buy a ticket, you're in for unlimited tasting, and the money goes to breast cancer research and treatment.
Hosted by Marin Brewing Company (and once held in the small courtyard behind the brewery), Breastfest has outgrown its venue of birth and is now a recurring summer event at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. Here, we can expect lines of drinkers queuing up to taste the glorified IPAs of Russian River, the strange and experimental brews of Moonlight Brewing, and the big brown crowd-pleasers from Lagunitas. But don't overlook lesser known breweries, like Ale Industries, MateVeza, and Maui Brewing Company, which had better be pouring its coconut porter or this writer's going to have a fit. The event runs from 5-9 p.m. Tickets cost $45 in advance or $50 at the door; $10 extra granting VIP access an hour earlier.
Three Twins Ice Cream Celebrates Pride
Where: Three Twins Ice Cream, 254 Fillmore (at Haight)
When: Fri., June 24-Sun., June 26
Cost: The price of a scoop (or two, or three)
The rundown: For its second year, Bay Area-based Three Twins Ice Cream is celebrating Pride with scoops for all. Founder Neal Gottlieb started creating Pride flavors for a combination of reasons, but he says, "First and foremost, I think that it's great that we live in a time and a place where people can celebrate who they are, regardless of sexual orientation, race, et cetera." For 2011, flavors draw attention to a gay icon (Dorothy's Red Ruby Slipper Sorbet), a Castro-based business (Hot Cookie), and an important gay leader (Rice Milk Harvey Milk and Cookies). That's a lot for an ice cream company to accomplish in 12 specially-made-for-Pride flavors.
Clever concoctions include Don't Ask, Don't Tell, with strawberry rations from military desserts; and Two Tops Don't Make a Bottom, vanilla ice cream with mixed-in muffin tops. Other flavors incorporate fun puns, such as Bear Bait, peanut butter ice cream with a swirl of honey; and Tea Bag, sweet-cream ice cream infused with Earl Grey. Stop by for a cone after the parade, and pick up a $3 factory pint to bring home for later.
Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous' First Birthday Party
Where: Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous, 699 22nd St. (at Third St.), 970-0750
When: Sun., June 26, 1-3 p.m. (the store will close at 3 p.m. sharp)
Cost: Free
The rundown: Though the actual date was May 21, Dogpatch ice cream shop Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous will be throwing itself a one-year birthday bash this Sunday with free junior scoops for all. What flavor will they serve? Birthday cake, of course. Co-owner Annabelle Topacio describes it as cream-based with chunks of chocolate cake and confetti sprinkles. Topacio told us that she and partner Ian Flores have been the sole creators (three other employees have worked the counter) of 167 flavors during the past 13 months. Most requested are chocolate malted crunch, crema catalana, and, to her surprise, halvah. It'll be cups only on Sunday, as the cone machine is broken, but when someone gives us a present on their birthday, we just shut up and eat.
Today's notes on national stories, local trends, random tastes, and other bycatch dredged up from the food media.
1. They're not being cheap, they're being green. It's becoming harder and harder to score a hunk of bread in San Francisco restaurants, no matter how saucy the food. Cost cutting? Sure. But the Toronto Globe & Mail also argues that bread baskets are an environmental disaster: 35 percent of the bread is thrown away, and "the carbon footprint of bread ranges from 977 grams to 1,244 grams of carbon dioxide per 800-gram loaf." That's about one-seventh the amount of CO2 produced by a gallon of gas.
2. Gold Hates You, Ritual Roasters. In Sunset, LA Weekly critic Jonathan Gold plays the curmudgeon, listing his 10 least favorite food trends. The man hates curry leaves in his cocktails, $5 filtered tap water, third-wave coffee, and the phrase "Changes and modifications politely declined." Restaurants? Are you listening? (Okay, I don't totally agree with him on the third-wave coffee part, though I feel where he's coming from.)
