http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com Restaurants, Dining, Wine & Spirits for the San Francisco Bay Area Thu, 07 Aug 2014 23:08:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/how-much-should-diners-be-penalized-for-last-minute-reservation-cancellations/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/how-much-should-diners-be-penalized-for-last-minute-reservation-cancellations/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 22:51:41 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112447 Bay Area restaurants' reservation cancellation policies [http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/732/files/reservation-cancellation-fees/san_francisco_saison_restaurant_joshua_skenes_dining_room.jpg] Over on Eater National today, data-crunching restaurant critic Ryan Sutton finds San Francisco is well at the forefront of a trend washing over the high-end restaurant world: Requiring that diners cancel reservation well in advance , or risk being charged jaw-dropping fees. Sutton charts the rise of the seven-day notification, which Saison has now instituted (penalty for missing the deadline: $248). Other Bay Area restaurants who make Eater’s nationwide list don’t require nearly the same advance time–one or two days — but the per-person cost of a no-show at Meadowood, Benu and Atelier Crenn runs into the hundreds. Charging last-minute fees for tasting menus does make a certain sense; after all, few people show up unannounced for a $400 dinner, replacing a table that had flaked. Avoiding no-shows is a big reason why Coi is introducing a prepaid ticket system . The French Laundry requires guests to confirm their reservation three days in advance, and only after a reservation is confirmed does the restaurant charge a last-minute cancellation fee ($100 a person). Calling around to other multi-starred places, it appears that fees at other high-end restaurants are more reasonable: Chez Panisse (downstairs restaurant): 48 hours notice (72 hours for Tuesday dinners), $25-per-person fee Acquerello: 24 hours notice, $50 per person Sons & Daughters: 48 hours notice, $50 per person Gary Danko: 24 hours and $25 per person for parties of five or more La Folie ‘s cancellation is the most hospitable: According to co-owner Jamie Passot, slackers who don’t give the restaurant 24 hours’ notice are charged $80 per person, the price of a meal–which is returned to the diner in the form of a gift certificate. That’s like being spanked with mink gloves. The takeaway: If you give a restaurant a credit card number, you need to fulfill your obligations. Be the grasshopper, not the ant. ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/how-much-should-diners-be-penalized-for-last-minute-reservation-cancellations/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/sosh-starts-listing-prix-fixe-dinners-at-cotogna-ichi-and-aq/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/sosh-starts-listing-prix-fixe-dinners-at-cotogna-ichi-and-aq/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:01:21 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112385 Here’s a new twist on the new pay-for-reservation services that are circling the Bay Area restaurant industry, and one that may be more welcome to those horrified about paying $25 for a Saturday-night slot at Slanted Door. On Tuesday, Sosh, a San Francisco-based app and website that makes personalized recommendations on activities and events, officially launched Sosh Concierge . According to founder Rishi Mandal, Sosh has long offered restaurant recommendations, sending interested users to Open Table. The result, he says, was often “You should check it out but you can’t go there because it’s full for the next 60 days.” As the company has moved into ticketing, Sosh has begun selling tickets to pop-ups and special events such as Quince’s art gallery dinners and Stones Throw’s monthly guest-chef dinners . Just like Table8 and Beeline ‘s founders, Mandal compares Sosh Concierge to Uber in that it gives users instant access to a dinner with a couple of clicks. Like many of these other services, Concierge offers same-day reservations at prime hours at restaurants that can be hard to get into, including Rich Table, AQ, Tosca and Cotogna. Unlike its competitors, what the restaurant is selling is prepaid prix-fixe dinners, wine pairings optional, or special tastings at local bars. Users pay a flat fee for dinner, drinks (optional), 20 percent tip and tax — and, at least for now, there is no additional fee. For instance, on Wednesday afternoon, it was possible to get an 8:15 reservation at Ichi for an omakase dinner for two, which would cost $95 per person for food, or $244 total. Cotogna was offering a 9 p.m. reservation for its popular $28 three-course prix-fixe, a total cost of $74. Once the dinner is paid for through Sosh, there are no additional charges at the table unless guests order extras. If Sosh Concierge takes off, it won’t exactly solve the problem of hard-to-obtain reservations. New dinners and drink are posted online at midnight, rewarding the person who sits by the phone at 12:01 and furiously clicks “Buy” for the next evening’s activities. But, according to Mandal, Concierge offers a different take the concept of securing last-minute reservations: “It’s not simply about economic solutions but about creating a better dining experience,” he says. ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/sosh-starts-listing-prix-fixe-dinners-at-cotogna-ichi-and-aq/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/carnitas-at-los-cilantros-slushies-at-palm-house-and-much-more-in-todays-newspaper/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/carnitas-at-los-cilantros-slushies-at-palm-house-and-much-more-in-todays-newspaper/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 19:59:02 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112450 Inside Los Cilantros in Berkeley The Bite : Emily Kaiser Thelin stops by Berkeley’s Los Cilantros, the new brick-and-mortar home of Dilsa Lugo and her signature carnitas, marinated overnight in fruit juice and then baked to a crisp, meat perfection: The innovations arrive on the plate. Her absurdly good barbacoa comes with a smoky almond salsa inspired by her mother’s peanut sauce. The chilaquiles have a bright epazote note, like her mother loved. “All I’m doing here is sharing my mom’s secrets,” she says. With one important exception: the carnitas. Her mother didn’t like pork, so Lugo researched recipes to come up with her own. The Inside Scoop : All about Brewcade, plus coastal Indian cuisine, the Bay Area chef connection in “The Hundred-Foot Journey” and more food news from the week. The Review : Bar Tartine. Drink Up : The brilliance of the Palm House is found in its tropical-themed concept, which is a homerun on Union Street. And if you get into the spirit of the place, you’ll have a good time, because the drinks are pretty good (slushies!) — and everyone loves baby back ribs and tuna poke, right? Palm House ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/carnitas-at-los-cilantros-slushies-at-palm-house-and-much-more-in-todays-newspaper/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/taiwan-bento-set-to-open-in-uptown-oakland/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/taiwan-bento-set-to-open-in-uptown-oakland/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 19:39:18 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112403 The fast-casual Taiwanese lunch spot, Taiwan Bento , is set to debut in Uptown Oakland. Owner Stacy Tang says the restaurant, located at 412 22 nd Street near Ike’s Place and Umami Burger, has passed all its inspections and will open early next week. And true to her word, Tang’s menu will be a small, specialized one, catering to the quick-serve downtown lunch crowd. Entrees include minced braised pork, roasted chicken thigh, and Taiwanese sausage, all served in Bento boxes with a soft-boiled egg, rice, and seasonal veggies, as well as a braised beef noodle soup. Click here for the full menu . Tang—who takes over the space previously set for Taiwanese noodle house Pi Dan that was cancelled after the passing of the owner —is a first-time restaurateur. But the Taiwan native has been getting a crash course in the kitchen of Picán under the guidance of executive chef Sophina Uong. Check facebook.com/taiwanbento for an official opening date. Taiwan Bento : 412 22nd St, Oakland, taiwanbento.us . ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/taiwan-bento-set-to-open-in-uptown-oakland/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/brewcade-en-route-to-market-street/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/brewcade-en-route-to-market-street/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 18:36:16 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112440 The Century building. A few months back , Shawn Vergara and Tiffny Vergara Chung — the brother-and-sister pair behind Blackbird — shared many of the details surrounding their second San Francisco bar. Today, they unveiled the name: Brewcade . As noted in this week’s Inside Scoop column , they’ve been keeping the name under wraps until they were certain they could trademark it. They’ve also made some decisions regarding the staff, and the food situation. Kai Villegas will slide over from Monk’s Kettle to run the bar at Brewcade, both putting together the beer list and manning the day-to-day behind the stick. At its core, Brewcade will be a beer bar, with 25+ taps, says Shawn Vergara. For those wondering, they still haven’t sorted out which specific arcade games they will have, but Vergara shared his wishlist earlier . On the food side, since there’s no kitchen, Brewcade will have a “Munchies Bar.” Vergara says that the options — things like 4505 Meats’ chicharrones, CC Made caramel corn, Krave beef jerky — will be listed on a menu and reserved behind the bar; it won’t an all-you-can buffet. Sadly. One other food option for Brewcade patrons will be Bandidos, the Mexican place opening this month in the same new building at 2200 Market Street. Food can be ordered from there and brought into Brewcade if desired. Brewcade is currently aiming for November. And don’t forget about Buzzworks , the other arcade-bar coming to the city this year. · Previously: Blackbird owners dish on their forthcoming ‘barcade’ (bar + arcade) [ Inside Scoop ] ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/brewcade-en-route-to-market-street/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/martin-cate-plots-whitechapel-a-world-class-gin-bar-in-san-francisco/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/martin-cate-plots-whitechapel-a-world-class-gin-bar-in-san-francisco/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 17:00:14 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112416 Bartender Martin Cate makes the Top Notch Volcano Punch at Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. Photo: John Storey/The Chronicle Since opening in 2009, Hayes Valley cocktail destination Smuggler’s Cove has established itself as one of the world’s best rum bars. Now, owner Martin Cate is working on a second San Francisco project — and this time, he’s looking toward the realm of gin. Along with bartender Alex Smith , a 2011 Chronicle Bar Star who has worked at Novela and Gitane, Cate will open a themed bar and restaurant serving what he plans to be the largest gin selection in North America. Located in the 2,000-square-foot old Noble nightclub space on Polk Street, it will be named Whitechapel . “Gin is really coming into its own these days,” Cate tells Scoop. “It’s an exciting time for gin. There are more producers making great gin with great ingredients than ever before.” Cate points out that gin sales patterns are changing, too: Low quality gins are down, and premium and super premium gins are on the rise. “It shows people are appreciating it more, and consumers are more educated about it,” he adds. But gin can be tricky to use in cocktails. It’s both a base spirit and a modifier, which is a double-edged sword. “It’s not a spirit that you can use whichever one. It has to be well thought out.” That’s where Smith comes in. He’s got a rich experience with gin, Cate says, and actually came to Cate with the concept. Smith will create a list that includes a historical survey of gin classics, regional specialties, and modern cocktails. Expect a private label gin made by San Francisco’s Distillery 209, plus plenty of small batch gins and rare historic bottles. Similar to Smuggler’s Cove’s Rumbustion Society , there will be a gin club, to be named the Polk Street Irregulars. And also like Smuggler’s Cove, expect Whitechapel to be heavily themed. “If it’s got my name on it, it’s probably going to be a little over the top. That’s a safe assumption,” says Cate. So the theme: Whitechapel is based around the idea of the dozens of abandoned London underground stations. “I’ve always been fascinated by the abandoned stations, and what if some people turned one into a hidden distillery,” says Cate, with a chuckle, explaining that the bar will imagine that very scenario, with Victorian metalwork, a large back bar, and private rooms. “We’re calling it ‘Victorian fantasia’ because it’s something that never really existed.” The name refers to a district in east London where there was a concentration of gin production in the 18th and 19th centuries. Historically, it was a bit rough around the edges, but today, it’s a vibrant neighborhood with a strong Bangladeshi community. The food at Whitechapel will play with some of those Bangladeshi flavors, but will heed more closely to sharable and contemporary British and Dutch-inspired fare. The chef will be Caleb Jones , who was dubbed by Michael Bauer as a “chef to watch” during his time at Claudine. Whitechapel is due in early 2015. Whitechapel: 600 Polk Street (at Turk), San Francisco. whitechapelsf.com ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/martin-cate-plots-whitechapel-a-world-class-gin-bar-in-san-francisco/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/beyonce-and-jay-z-close-tour-with-tosca-cafe-boulevard-and-the-melt/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/beyonce-and-jay-z-close-tour-with-tosca-cafe-boulevard-and-the-melt/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 16:41:00 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112352 Beyonce and Jay-Z eat San Francisco As you’ve surely (ahem) heard , Beyonce and Jay-Z spent the last two nights in San Francisco for the final leg of their On the Run tour. They stayed at the fancy St. Regis, but it turns out that the most powerful of all power couples has pretty good taste when it comes to local restaurants. On both nights, Beyonce and Jay-Z frequented famous North Beach restaurant/bar Tosca Cafe . There’s a bit of a background with the Tosca connection; Jay-Z is a regular (and an investor) at the Spotted Pig, the New York hotspot also owned by Tosca’s Ken Friedman and chef April Bloomfield. And for the reinvented Tosca, hosting a new generation of A-listers seems oddly fitting, since under the old regime, Tosca was always a haunt for so many superstars of the 80s and 90s: Bono, Sean Penn, Nic Cage, Metallica, Kid Rock and countless others. No word on what they ordered, but on Tuesday night, one source observed a second order of Bloomfield’s semi-signature roasted chicken for two and “what looked like every pasta dish on the menu” being rushed to them in the private dining room. Also, the Daily Mail reported that Beyonce and Jay-Z, with family in tow, had lunch at Boulevard , where they had “an hour long meal of seafood and steaks in a semi-private area which they had reserved.” To cap off their tour last night, Bey and Jay ordered delivery to AT&T Park from the Melt for the entire crew of 130 concert staffers. The order consisted of 100+ Melt sandwiches of several varieties (The Classic, the Shroom, the Mac Daddy, the Italian Job, the Bird, the Shorty), salads and chocolate chip cookies. ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/beyonce-and-jay-z-close-tour-with-tosca-cafe-boulevard-and-the-melt/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/bar-tartine-heads-in-a-new-direction/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/bar-tartine-heads-in-a-new-direction/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 11:27:06 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112386 Dinner at Bar Tartine There’s no doubt in my mind that Nick Balla is one of the most talented and visionary chefs in the Bay Area. He showed his restrained side as the 3-star chef at Nombe, then moved to Bar Tartine where he also earned 3-stars for his interpretation of Eastern European food, an appreciation he developed living in Budapest during high school. Even while doing that style of food, he incorporated a little Japanese in the dishes — adding kombu to his broths, for example. Yet since I was at Bar Tartine near the end of last year, he’s changed and broadened his concept, so that is the subject of my Update review today in The Chronicle . Evaluating the food created a challenge I don’t think I’ve faced before as a critic. I loved many individual dishes — proving beyond a doubt, if there ever was any, that he and co-chef Cortney Burns are loaded with talent. However, at the end of each of my two dinners, my palate was exhausted. The dishes, while diverse in the mix of ingredients, ended up coming across as one-dimensional because of the excessive use of broths and high acid components. While Balla may have hit a perfect note on some things, it shouldn’t be the same note; there needs to be some variations and highs and lows in flavors. Most menus — even those that concentrate on small plates — should have a mix to make it easier to orchestrate a meal. Like a play, there should be a beginning, middle and end. I didn’t find that on my visits to Bar Tartine. But, as I said in the review, it may be that Balla and Burns are in a building phase and what will emerge may truly be special. If that’s the case, I’m excited to go on the ride, but for now the ride is a little one-dimensional. ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/07/bar-tartine-heads-in-a-new-direction/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/06/architecture-and-the-city-festival-restaurant-and-food-stops/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/06/architecture-and-the-city-festival-restaurant-and-food-stops/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2014 21:03:55 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112371 Food-related stops on AIA tours The lazy refrain in San Francisco when it comes to restaurant design is that everything is reclaimed wood and subway tiles. Sure, that might be accurate to a certain extent, but there are a lot of really interesting — and beautiful — things happening on the restaurant design front. So, it’s quite nice to see a plethora of restaurants and cafes involved in San Francisco’s 11th annual Architecture and the City festival, the nation’s largest architectural festival of its kind. The monthlong event will take place in September, and as usual, it involves a full slate of lectures, exhibitions and tours. A good number of the behind-the-scenes tours involve restaurants and other food businesses. We’ve taken the liberty of cherry-picking some of the more notable food-related walking tours (below, along with their AIASF descriptions), which cost $30 for non-AIA members and take place throughout September. Check the official website for more information, and the full schedule. Historic Schroeder’s San Francisco : “Chris von Eckartsberg, AIA of BCV Architects leads a tour of the reinvigorated Schroeder’s restaurant in downtown San Francisco, the oldest German restaurant on the West Coast. BCV Architects preserved the restaurant’s heritage and many cherished elements, including the murals and sprawling rosewood bar. The renovation is comprised of an update to the German beer hall and the conversion of the back half of the space into a German-Californian inspired restaurant.” Sausalito Walking Tour : “On a walking tour of Sausalito with CCS Architecture, Safdie Rabines Architects, and Truexcullins Interiors, tourgoers will see the newly opened Barrel House Tavern and the recently remodeled Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa. While at Barrel House, attendees have the opportunity to sample Chef David Yeo’s menu and take in the gorgeous views of the bay. At Casa Madrona, tour leaders highlight the hotel’s communal spaces and a handful of private rooms.” Sightglass Tour + Tasting : “Seth Boor, AIA of Boor Bridges Architecture and the business owners of Sightglass , introduce a new café and roaster in the Mission District. The tour explores the iterative and collaborative design process and ends with a coffee tasting led by Sightglass baristas.” 140 New Montgomery + Trou Normand Tour : “Come see the restored 140 New Montgomery Building from the amazing multidisciplinary team that put it all together. Tour leaders include Cathy Simon, FAIA and Sara Andersen (Perkins + Will), Peter Birkholz, AIA (Page & Turnbull), Gary Strang (GLS Landscape/Architecture), and Seth Boor, AIA and Sarah Fucinaro, AIA (Boor Bridges Architecture). The tour reveals the process in restoring the 26-story building, and ends with a tasting from the cocktail bar, restaurant and butchery, Trou Normand .” Insider’s Tour of Heath Ceramics : “ Heath Ceramics is known for beautiful, inspired, modern design and for its commitment to independent, small batch, high-skill manufacturing in the Bay Area. But there are other stories you may not know about yet. This is an exclusive opportunity to tour Heath’s San Francisco tile manufacturing facility, learn how Heath decided to open a manufacturing facility in the city, and learn its plans for its ongoing development of a creative campus here in San Francisco.” Food + Design in Polk Gulch : “Designed by BCV Architects, Belcampo Meat Co. ’s new restaurant and butcher shop is a hybrid space that features an expansive butcher case just inside the airy, light-filled entry. The 34-seat dining area with blue banquettes is made with leather from the company’s own steer. St. Frank Coffee , designed by OpenScope Studio, with Amanda Loper is focused on relationally- sourced coffee from small-scale growers, and is designed with a simple, yet rich, material palette to provide a unique customer- and coffee-focused experience.” Walking Tour: Local Mission: Eatery, Corner + Market : “Local Mission Eatery, Local’s Corner, and Local Mission Market are three significantly different businesses committed to the same core values. Locally sourced ingredients. Handmade products. Transparency in the process. These values enrich the local economy, encourage a sense of community, and foster trusting relationships. Each of these Mission District establishments aim to bring people together around a common love of food. The open design of each space provides intuitive ways for each guest to enjoy, learn about, and celebrate the bounty and quality of local food. The tour will be led by Local Mission owner Yaron Milgrom and Seth Paré-Mayer of atelier KS.” ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/06/architecture-and-the-city-festival-restaurant-and-food-stops/feed/ 0 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/06/oaklands-kwik-way-closes-again-possibly-for-good/ http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/06/oaklands-kwik-way-closes-again-possibly-for-good/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2014 18:40:12 +0000 http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/?p=112360 Kwik Way Drive-In in Oakland. 2004. Photo: Mike Kepka / The Chronicle A little over three years after a buzzworthy resurrection, Oakland’s famous Kwik Way Drive-In is once again dark. Restaurateur Gary Rizzo reopened the retro burger joint in 2011; the official name was Park Way Drive In but it was still known as Kwik Way to most. It never quite caught on as it should have, and clearly Rizzo had a bit of trouble with comparisons to the old version. Then, he closed it suddenly last Thursday, packing up in the middle of the night. In reporting on the closure , the Oakland Tribune notes the closure might be permanent this time. Property owner Alex Hahn is “considering tearing down the restaurant and building a retail and housing complex at the site.” Rizzo, who didn’t tell Hahn about sudden exit, was paying rent of $9,000 per month. In fact, given the angry note on the front of the restaurant, it looks like there was a good little landlord/tenant feud brewing. Part of the note also reads: “For those of you who think the old Kwik Way was better, you’re clearly idiots with extremely bad taste.” Ok then. Kwik Way: 500 Lake Park Avenue, between Rand and Lakeshore, Oakland ]]> http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/08/06/oaklands-kwik-way-closes-again-possibly-for-good/feed/ 0