The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco food scene.
Whether a coffee snob, or just looking for a cup of joe, there are some changes a brewing in the caffeine scene. Tablehopper shares Fourth Wave Coffee will open in the former Polk Street Station Diner in about two weeks (1356 Polk at Austin). The name comes from the step beyond what owner Brian Kramer sees as intricate addition to the Third Wave Coffee movement - speedy service; and well, he's a surfing fan.
Over in SOMA, there's one less place to find a pick-me-up cup. LiveSOMA reports Rancho Parnassasus tried to find a way to provide coffee service to the nearby Tutubi Plaza (in exchange for keeping it clean), but alas, they've shuttered. It appears this public space was an intricate part of their business plan.
It's on. There's a new tamale lady on the scene, who goes by Alicia Villanueva. 7x7 and Inside Scoop share today is the debut of her Alicia's Tamales Los Mayas cart in Justin Herman Plaza. The city loves tamales, and we're sure there are enough hungry people for both she and the Mission's beloved Tamale Lady.
And a new Mexican brick-and-mortar is slated to open in SOMA. Inside Scoop shares Azucar, from Jon Ojinaga, will feature small-plate and street-food inspired dishes along with Latin-focused cocktails. They're looking to open before the end of the month.
The space at 101 Sixth (and Mission) is set to transform into Monarch. Tablehopper shares the bar will feature a dance floor on the first level and a cocktail lounge on the second. Look for it's debut in mid November.
Also, there's a fundraiser tonight at the Peacock Lounge for the victims of the fire last week. Haighteration has all the deets.
WhiskyWeek, the five days leading up to WhiskyFest, could be mistaken for a warm up to the grand whisk(e)y tasting event on Friday, but for us, it offers some of the most varied and interesting whisk(e)y related events of the year. They're especially enjoyable if you aren't attending the grand tasting, offering a chance to discuss whisk(e)y with the producers--and also try some of their more unusual creations. With events peppered throughout the week, here's our pick for the top events to hit:
BBQ with Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey
Where: Bloodhound, 1145 Folsom (at Seventh), 863-2840
When: Tues., Oct. 4th, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Cost: Free, but RSVP is required. Call 415-734-9093
The rundown: Barbecue season has officially left San Francisco, but that only means it's whiskey weather. Bloodhound is hosting Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell and celebrating with a special menu of whiskey cocktails.
Wild Game Night at the City Club of San Francisco
Where: The City Club,155 Sansome (at Pine), 10th floor
When: Weds., Oct. 5th, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Cost: $75 inclusive (dinner + whisky pairings)
The rundown: Anchor Distilling president David King and The City Club are putting together a three-course dinner paired with a selection of whiskies, including a wild boar porchetta served with 15 year old Glendronach scotch whisky.
Where: City View at Metreon, 101 4th St.
When: Wed., October 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Cost: $105
The rundown: There are lots of different kinds of lushes social drinkers but perhaps my most favorite are the winos. They are just so special. Usually waiting until the work day is over, they kick off their pumps and get loose over a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau. The evening has come to an end when they stare deep into your eyes and force you into a heart-to-heart about something uncomfortable. But they are mostly tons of fun, know a lot about what they're drinking, and love sharing their vino knowledge.
That's why Wine & Spirits magazine's Top 100 Tasting is gonna be such a good time.
We arrived early and hungry to SF Weekly's fourth annual DISH event on Sunday. Having braved the crowds over the past three years (twice at the Metreon and once at the Westfield Center), we knew that was the best bet to encounter tasting tables that still had food on them.
But this year the festivities were relocated to the considerably more spacious, multi-level San Francisco Design Center, and more than 40 restaurants and food purveyors serving generous portions ensured that we didn't need to race to SFDC nor would we have to push anyone over for sustenance when we got there.
In 1982, the inaugural Great American Beer Festival showcased 47 beers from 24 breweries. The lucky 800 attendees had a fair shot at trying every beer in the room. Thirty years later, even the most hardened liver shudders in fear of how the festival has grown. With 466 breweries pouring 2,400 beers under one roof, it's difficult to even scratch the surface. But that didn't stop us, and 49,000 other attendees, from trying.
In addition to the veritable river of fermented gold running through the Denver convention center, the festival has developed a strong culinary focus -- and Bay Area chefs have been heavily featured. Sonoma's Sean Paxton, aka The Homebrew Chef, led attendees of the Beer and Food seminar pavilion in an interactive pairing challenge. Paxton cooked up beer-infused dishes and challenged brewers to scour the festival hall for the perfect pairings. A Farm to Table Pavilion, organized by Monk's Kettle's
Chef Adam Dulye, paired dishes from a dozen chefs with beers from across the country. Dulye had the most dishes represented in the hall, which included malt-crusted lamb sirloin and a dish of roasted sweetbreads with honey, onions, and a bacon-sherry vinaigrette.
Despite the gluttonous festival carousing, the heart of the event is the beer judging competition. As our largest and most revered professional beer competition, GABF medals represent instant brewer bragging rights. In a very strong showing, Bay Area brewers managed to medal in 10 of the competition's 83 categories. If you're looking to track down quality local beers, here's a great starting point:
Bacetti means "little kisses" in Italian, and it's an apt name for a local line of bites of clean, creamy gelato painted with chocolate. An inch-and-a-half square and wrapped in pretty paper, they're miniature Klondike bars that went to finishing school.
Sister-and-brother team Alexandra and Cedric Di Donato brought the recipe to San Francisco from Italy, where they grew up. Produced in SoMa, the bites come in three flavors: Vanilla, chocolate, and milk with roasted pine nuts.
The cioccolato, probably the best, is made with thick, rich, creamy chocolate gelato, and tastes like a whipped mocha or high-cacao hot chocolate in frozen form.
The vanilla tastes like the crema flavors you'll find in European gelaterias -- simple and fresh, like heavy cream, with a thin, crackling chocolate coating. Milk with roasted pine nuts turned out to be the least interesting of the line; it took me two and a half "bites" to find an actual nut. What flavor the pine nuts impart varies from modest to a mere background.
You can buy Bacetti bites directly from their manufacturing site at 685 Harrison, as well as Valencia Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl West, and a host of other locations. They cost $1.25 a piece, or $6 for a six-pack.
According to the New York Times, Sesame Street will be airing a very special episode on KQED and other PBS affiliates this coming Sunday at 7 p.m. Titled "Growing Hope Against Hunger," it will introduce a Muppet named Lily who comes from a "food insecure" household.
