Alex Hochman

Patrick Lee Wants To Fry You Anything At Batter Up

A graffiti-laden sliding window masked by a cold, windy MUNI stop in the Excelsior district seems an odd spot for the city's lone dive specializing in Texas State Fair "cuisine." Odder still, its owner, Patrick Lee, is a San Francisco bred dot-com escapee whose only prior restaurant experience consi ... More >>

Wise Sons Does Shabbat Dinner

"In America, you can eat challah everyday." These are the words that hang above the door of Leo Beckerman and Evan Bloom's Wise Sons Deli. On Friday evening June 8th, Wise Sons' patrons will finally be able to eat challah during it's traditional meal, the Shabbat dinner. This won't, however, be yo ... More >>

Tony's New Calabrese And Quince Pizza Is A Scorcher

Tony Gemignani, owner of his eponymously named pizza temple, dropped by our table last weekend as we were midway through his newest creation, the Calabrese and quince pie. Noticing the sweat on our brows, he told us "I'm going to have the servers warn tables before ordering this." To quote the tween ... More >>

Costco's New Turkey Sandwich Does The Impossible: It's More Disgusting Than Its Predecessor

Farewell cane asada bake, we hardly knew ye. After a nearly eighteen month run, Costco has wisely decided to pull the plug on perhaps one of the nastiest things we've ever eaten. Only one problem: its replacement might be even nastier. In theory, a turkey and provolone sandwich should work just ... More >>

Old World Food Truck Nears Launch

​After nearly eight months of test-driving old school Jewish classics like borscht and corned beef during pop-up dinners at La Victoria, Kenny Hockert is finally ready to launch his Old World Food Truck in an actual food truck. Hockert plans a soft debut during the third or fourth week of Apr ... More >>

Number 38: Broken Record's Crawfish Grits

SFoodie's countdown of our favorite 50 things to eat and drink, 2012 edition ​On New Year's Eve of 1973, the Allman Brothers put on a legendary, marathon show at the Cow Palace. Nearly four decades later, up Geneva at The Broken Record, Georgian Shane LaValley creates something just as unapologe ... More >>

Tom Pizzica Hopes That His Belly Burgers Become The Next San Francisco Treat

​Perched in a corner of the miniscule kitchen at Clooney's Pub in the Mission, Tom Pizzica doesn't pull any punches when discussing his new pop-up, Belly Burgers. "I want my burger to be the cheapest, fastest, best gourmet burger in San Francisco. I just don't believe in the $13 burger," the forme ... More >>

Q&A with Evan Bloom of Wise Sons Jewish Deli

​ Last January, SFoodie talked with college friends turned business partners Leo Beckerman and Evan Bloom during the infancy of their Jewish deli pop-up, Wise Sons. During the interview, Beckerman mentioned that he hoped Wise Sons would someday be "a brick-and-mortar operation in the Mission with ... More >>

Karen Solomon's 2011 Find: Proper Deli Food in San Francisco

Alex HochmanWise Sons Deli's chocolate babka.​SFoodie is calling up food types around the city to ask them about their favorite discovery of the past year, whether it's new or ancient, an ingredient or a person. We'll be running their responses through the end of the year. San Francisco-based f ... More >>

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous Turns One: Free Ice Cream for All

Alex HochmanAnabelle Topacio and Ian Flores​Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous' First Birthday Party Where: Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous, 699 22nd St. (at Third St.), 970-0750 When: Fri., June 24th, 1-3 p.m. (the store will close at 3 p.m. sharp) Cost: Free The rundown: Though the actual date was on ... More >>

SFoodie Bloggers: Behind the Music

Artist's rendition of the SFoodie blog team.​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 ha ... More >>

Dan Jablow's Meat Awakening, and Hayes Valley Farm Bees Rise Again

Meet the Bloggers: Jesse Hirsch

You read them here, now find out who the hell they are: We give you the diverse group of men and women who cover the local food and drink scene for you on SFoodie. Name: Jesse Hirsch Blogs about: Events and Happenings Richard Reyes​Having moved here from Queens, New York, last October, Jess ... More >>

Meet the Bloggers: Gil Riego, Jr.

You read them here, now find out who the hell they are: We give you the diverse group of men and women who cover the local food and drink scene for you on SFoodie. Gil Riego, Jr. Contributes: Food photography (look here, here, and here) You might call Gil Riego, Jr., an omnivore of photography. ... More >>

Dan Jablow's Meat Awakening

Alex HochmanDan Jablow of Jablow's Meats​What does a Bronx raised, ex-finance professional who goes to cooking school but then figures out that he hates working in a restaurant kitchen do with his future? Well, if you're Dan Jablow you start a smoked meats pop-up of course. Jablow, who trained ... More >>

Noodlemania, a New Local Ham, and the Return of the Bees: This Week in Food Bloggery

Rëd/SF Weekly FilckrstreamThe sandwich counter at Ted's Market.​Highlights from the blog this week: 1. Luis Chong, our noodle correspondent, has been on a tear this week. Not only has he reported on the improved ramen at Kasumi and the noodles at Chotto, he stuck his head into the new SoMa locat ... More >>

A Full List of the 92 Best Dishes in S.F. for Fresh Eats

Pastrami-Free Menus, No-Host Pickle Bowls, Bacon: Berkeley Summit Explores Jewish Deli Trends

Alex HochmanFrom left, Peter Levitt, Noah Bernamoff, Ken Gordon, Evan Bloom, and Joan Nathan.​Noah Bernamoff was irritated. The intense young owner of Brooklyn's Mile End Deli had just been asked how he could consider his restaurant a "real" Jewish deli considering it isn't kosher and many Jew ... More >>

Berkeley Summit Rethinks the Jewish Deli

Keri Miller/www.portlandmonthlymag.comKen Gordon of Portland's Kenny and Zuke's.​Deli Summit: The Renaissance Where: Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut (at Rose), Berkeley When: Thu., May 19, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6) Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door; purchase at Brown ... More >>

Kids, Food, and Clowns at DooF-a-Palooza

www.foodbackwards.comDooF-a-Palooza aims to educate kids about sustainable food.​DooF-a-Palooza: A Unique Family Food Festival Where: Jack London Square When: Sun., May 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: Free The rundown: Farmers, chefs, magicians, and clowns all sharing a stage? Yep, DooF-a-Palooza ... More >>

Meet the Bloggers: Luis Chong

Jesse HirschLuis Chong. ​You read them here, now find out who the hell they are: We give you the diverse group of men and women who cover the local food and drink scene for you on SFoodie. Luis Chong Blogs about: cheap food, ramen, the esoteric In an Internet log-jammed with aspiring write ... More >>

Babka Lust, Library Tips, and the Fawaffle: This Week in Food Bloggery

Sardines: Tasty, plentiful, and local.​Highlights from the blog this week: 1. In this week's Weekly cover story, "Go Fish," Peter Jamison argues that the answer to the question "How can I make sure my seafood is sustainably sourced?" is to eat local. He provides a list of local fish and shellfish ... More >>

Everything But the Haggadah: Three Passover Takeout Options

Miller's Robby Morgenstein hits all the Passover classics.​With Easter reliable falling on a Sunday for the past, oh, 2000 years or so, gentiles have it easy when it comes to holiday dinners. Us Hebrews, not so much. A full weekend to cook would be nice, but Passover can seem like a moving t ... More >>

Maps, Maps, Maps: This Week in Food Bloggery

kennejima/FlickrCastro Farmers Market: Back in business.​Five SFoodie highlights from this week:1. Sean Timberlake just updated the map of San Francisco farmers' markets that Jun Belen created last year. Then he came up with a schedule of markets, listed by day of the week. This is one for the boo ... More >>

Passover Matzo Ball Soup Brawl: Miller's Deli vs. Moishe's Pippic

Alex HochmanMiller's matzo ball soup isn't kosher for Passover, but it'll fill up even the hungriest of growing Jewish boys.​ Sticking matzo ball soup on your restaurant menu takes straight-up chutzpah. Everyone thinks their grandma makes the best one on Earth, or if they're not Jewish, their ... More >>

Meet the Bloggers: Alex Hochman

Jesse HirschAlex Hochman.​You read them here, now find out who the hell they are: We give you the diverse group of men and women who cover the local food and drink scene for you on SFoodie. Alex Hochman Blogs About: Restaurants, kids' food, Jewish stuff, Danny Bowien San Francisco native A ... More >>

Would Mordecai Bow Down to Any of These Hamantaschen?

Alex HochmanFrom left: Hamantaschen from House of Bagels, Cinderella Bakery, and Noe Valley Bakery, traditionally eaten at Purim, which starts Saturday at sundown.​Purim isn't exactly a well-known Jewish holiday, so for the goyim, we offer a quick recap with Star Wars references to make it eas ... More >>

Mission Chinese Food Gets Smoker, Starts Offering BBQ

Jesse Friedman/FlickrDanny Bowien: What's he been smoking?​Just when SFoodie thinks we have Mission Chinese Food's Danny Bowien figured out, he goes and does something sort of, well: crazy. In a good way. We think. Two weeks ago, SFoodie blogger Alex Hochman reported on strange sightings at ... More >>

Danny Bowien's New York Chinatown

Alex HochmanCumin lamb hand-pulled noodles at Xi'an Famous Foods in New York's Chinatown, a favorite of Mission Chinese Food's Danny Bowien.​After a few bites of the savory cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles ($6) at Xi'an Famous Foods in New York's Chinatown, it became clear why Danny Bowien had s ... More >>

Fresh Eats

Our weekly roundup of SFoodie news

I Don't Know at SO

Alex HochmanI Don't Know, $8, a new add-on to SO's ubiquitous dry-fried wings.​Wednesday, December 22, 2010 The newest dish on the menu at SO is the I Don't Know ($8). Sorry, not trying to get all Abbott and Costello on you, but the name really is the I Don't Know. We do know that the I Don't ... More >>

Pink Christmas: Spumoni Ice Cream from Mitchell's

Alex HochmanSsshhh! Mitchell's seasonal spumoni contains a secret.​Ornamented with electrically vibrant candied fruits, plump brown raisins, and crunchy golden almonds, Mitchell's spumoni ice cream (available from November to January) looks like the artificial pink Christmas tree that graced o ... More >>

Salacious Cotton Candy and Holiday Brews: This Week in Food Bloggery

Cue the Barry White.​Highlights from SFoodie and beyond this week:1. This week, our Portland-bound beer columnist, Brian Yaeger, conducted his last blind tasting of local and nationally distributed holiday beers, and found that the Jews outshone the Christians and heathens alike. Pick up a six-pac ... More >>

San Francisco Eats: Main Library Takes a Close Look at City's Dining History

The exhibit exhumes 160 years of S.F. dining history.​With multiple blogs covering new restaurant openings, trends, and gossip with the fervor of Woodward and Bernstein scooping Watergate, local foodies are more than well informed as to what's going in San Francisco's present-day dining scene. ... More >>

Humphry Slocombe's Sufganiyot Sundae Lit Us Up Like a Menorah

Alex HochmanA Dynamo doughnut filled with Meyer lemon jelly, topped with Manischewitz sorbet and drizzled with honey.​We were less than enthused when we heard that Humphry Slocombe and Dynamo Donut were planning a sundae mashup called the sufganiyot (Hebrew for jelly doughnut). Yes, the jelly ... More >>

Heart Rounds Up Eight Unorthodox Bottles for Hanukkah

Oy! Valli Unite Bianchino from Piemonte.​During Hanukkah, stop by Heart wine bar and check out Jeff Segal's unorthodox (no pun intended), eight-selection beverage list comprised in honor of the eight crazy nights. Segal promises that these sips will hold up to the heartiest of beef briskets an ... More >>

Kara's Cupcakes Now Recruiting at Colleges ― For Counter Staff

Alex HochmanEmily Cardemon talks with students in the USF cafeteria.​Kara's Cupcakes has a new strategy for hiring its "Retail Cupcake Ambassadors," i.e. counter staff. Rather than post job listings on Craigslist, the company's now sending representatives to recruit at local colleges. Kara's h ... More >>

Unilever Threatens Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous Over 'Fudgsicle' Name

Alex HochmanDear Unilver: Does this look like a Fudgsicle?​When Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous' Anabelle Topacio dropped by her ice cream shop on her day off last Monday, she had a big surprise waiting for her: a letter from the law firm Duane Morris regarding Fudgsicles. Seems Duane Morris and it ... More >>

S.F. Dishes Up Giants Ice Cream Tributes

Alex HochmanMitchell's worker CJ Serrano displays the Baseball Nut sundae.​Not to be outdone by local bartenders, San Francisco ice cream makers have also gotten into the Giants spirit. Mitchell's Ice Cream opened in 1953, one year before the Giants last won the World Series and five years bef ... More >>

Fresh Eats: Our weekly roundup of SFoodie news

Dolores, Lamb Dumplings, and Fries On a Sandwich: This Week in Food Bloggery

Lou BustamanteFrom Giordano's, with love.​Five highlights from the blog this week: 1. The Blue Bottle Dolores Park cart drama has ended with BB pulling out of the park and canceling its lease. John Birdsall's post-mortem post is a lovely elegy for a scene that could have been. 2. Catch up, foodist ... More >>

Double Play Adds Dinner

Alex Hochman​Just in time for the Giants playoff run, the 101-year-old Double Play Bar & Grill has added dinner service. Wednesday through Friday nights, diners can sample a small selection of Chef Rafael Hernandez's rib-sticking specialties. Wednesday's menu features chicken parmigiana, a ... More >>

Fall Is In the Air, and Boo Berry, Count Chocula, and Franken Berry Are On the Shelves

​For some, fall doesn't officially begin until the Napa vineyards turn a majestic gold, the scent of pumpkin pie wafts from grandma's kitchen, and century-old Midwestern cider mills crank into gear. Screw all of that. Fall starts when Count Chocula says so. The holy trinity of General Mills ... More >>

Mr. Pollo, Taqueria San Jose Spruce Up a Little

Alex HochmanThe new Mr. Pollo: A gallon didn't quite do it.​Don't look now, but two Mission district stalwarts have gone upscale. Well, kind of. Mr. Pollo has eschewed it's Big Bird-yellow exterior for a very sexy grayish brown that screams, We're not just pollo anymore! Too bad they ran out ... More >>

Fresh Eats: Our weekly roundup of SFoodie news

Oy, the Jewish High Holy Days! Here Are Three Takeout Options

Alex HochmanFeeling like a little smoked fish? Miller's East Coast Delicatessen has the hookup.​Let's face it: The Jewish High Holy Days are pretty stressful. (Note to goyim regarding the High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah ― New Year ― starts tomorrow, Sept. 8, at sundown; Yom Kippur ― the Da ... More >>

Los Planes de Renderos: Face-Smearing Pupusas in the Excelsior

Alex HochmanLos Planes de Renderos' upstairs "dining room" might be one of the best places in the city to hide out.​Not many sub-$2 meals satisfy us more than the pupusa revuelta at tiny Los Planes de Renderos in the Excelsior. A thick corn tortilla is stuffed with shredded pork, refried beans ... More >>

Tony's Coal Fired Pizza and Slice House

Alex HochmanThe New York-style cheese slice comes with a whiff of Travolta.​Scarfing a folded slice of cheese pizza last night at newly opened Tony's Coal Fired Pizza and Slice House in North Beach, we itched to don platform heels and a red silk shirt, all Saturday Night Fever, and strut down ... More >>

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous Goes Dark for a Week

Alex HochmanOwners Ian Flores and Anabelle Topacio are taking a breather.​You'll have to wait until next Wednesday to get your Ballpark ice cream fix. Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous (aka Ian Flores and Anabelle Topacio) are taking a one-week break. Flores and Topacio are quick to point out that th ... More >>

Namu's Solution for Ferry Plaza Lines: The Office Preorder

Alex Hochman/FlickrThe window's closing fast.​Miserable-looking Midwesterners in Tommy Bahama aren't the only constant at Ferry Plaza these days. At the Thursday street-food market, lines stretch way past the point of lunch-hour patience. "It's a really tight window that people are trying to f ... More >>