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Celebrate Summer With Boozy Events This Week

Summer is here, and while in the Bay Area it might not necessarily mean warm weather, it does mean that there will be plenty of festivities to celebrate. From cocktail-inspired gelato to restaurant celebrations and martini contests (making them, not drinking them), there are plenty of ways to kick o ... More >>

Cafe Gratitude To Close All Bay Area Locations and Gracias Madre

The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco food scene. The big news of the day is the all-edifying-vegan-menu restaurant that is Cafe Gratutide is closing up all seven of its Northern California locations and the owners' other S.F. restaurant, Gracias Madre. ... More >>

Former Coi Chefs Pop-Up at Coi, One Night Only, and Just Fifty-Five Bucks

​What: Chef's Night Out Pop-up dinner Where: Coi When: Mon., November 14, 6-9:30 p.m. Cost: $55 The rundown: A four-course dinner at Coi, priced at $55 per person, excluding tax, beverages, and gratuity. For those of you familiar with how much a regular dinner at Coi costs, this is a mega ... More >>

Dear Restaurants: What We Need from Your Website

​Earlier this week our restaurant critic Jonathan Kauffman criticized the website of one of his favorite restaurants, the Alembic. I thought I'd have a look at the site. Unfortunately, I don't have the patience; the site took so long to load that I gave up. Whoever owns the restaurant should ... More >>

Permit-Free Bees, Tip Pooling, and Hot Sauce Bars: This Week in Food Bloggery

Albert Law/porkbellystudioFrom Albert Law's Rice Paper Scissors slideshow​ 1. If you ever want to start a fight in a bar in San Francisco, don't hit on somebody's partner. (Which is more likely to get you a three-way than bruised knuckles.) Tell them you think their favorite cafe sucks. W. Blake G ... More >>

Ten Best San Francisco Restaurants Not on OpenTable

Jen SiskaYou want to get with Nojo's tempura? OpenTable won't hook you up.​ Five years ago, it would have been hard to imagine the lock that OpenTable now has on San Francisco restaurants. From the highest of the high end to mid-priced neighborhood places, the locally based online reservations com ... More >>

Why Are There No Chinese Restaurants on OpenTable?

myhsu/FlickrR&G Lounge: One of San Francisco's best restaurants, but not on OpenTable.​ San Francisco-based OpenTable.com isn't just successful, it practically has a monopoly on mid-to-high-priced restaurants in this town, from a small neighborhood bistro like Bia's to destinations like Chez ... More >>

Jake Godby Tasting Menu: $10 Off For SFoodie Readers!

Andy WrightJake Godby shows his dedication to ice cream​Jake Godby Guest Chef Night at Baker and Banker Where:Baker and Banker, 1701 Octavia (at Bush), 351-2500 When: Wed., July 20 Cost: $65 (when you mention SF Weekly) The rundown: If you're like us, and you spend way too much time immers ... More >>

San Francisco's Ten Most Kid-Unfriendly Restaurants

​OpenTable put out a press release this week with a list of the 100 most kid-friendly restaurants in the United States, according to user reviews. Five are in San Francisco. How can we put this politely? They're not known for good food. We respect OpenTable for helping parents find restaurant ... More >>

Tonight Is Dining Out for Life: Eat Dinner, Donate to Charity

​Before you confirm your dinner reservations for tonight, you might want to check this list. As part of the national Dining Out for Life initiative, nearly 100 San Francisco restaurants will give 25% of the night's kitty to HIV prevention and support. With a variety of food styles and a range ... More >>

Annual Oliveto Beast Feast

Oliveto​Whole Hog Dinners Where: Oliveto, 5655 College (at Shafter), 510-547-5356 When: Wed., Mar. 9-Sat., Mar. 12 Cost: A la carte prices approximately $9-$28 per dish The rundown: Oliveto's yearly head-to-tail series is a touchstone. When the dinners launched early last decade, whole-be ... More >>

Women Take Back the Knives

SpiceLinesBarbara Lynch.​Festa Della Donna Where: A16, 2355 Chestnut (at Scott), 771-2216 When: Tue., Mar. 8, 5:30-10 p.m. Cost: A la carte pricing The rundown: In honor of International Women's Day, a multinational she's-she of female wine and food talent is assembling at A16 for a fundr ... More >>

Chris Kronner's Last Night at Tartine is Feb. 14

Star ChefsChris Kronner.​We hate farewells. But if you love saying goodbye, and you like the work Chris Kronner has done at Bar Tartine, you'll want to show up for his last night, Mon., Feb. 14. That also happens to be Valentine's Day. No details on the menu yet, says Tartine's publicist, but ... More >>

Valentine's Out: Commonwealth

throgers/Flickr​St. Valentine's Day Prix Fixe Where: Commonwealth, 2224 Mission (at 18th St.), 355-1500 Cost: $100 for six courses ($145 with paired wines); vegetarian tasting menu on request, and $10 from each menu benefits the Women's Building Why it's likely to be special: "[Chef Jason ... More >>

Where Do I Take A Dozen People for Brunch This Weekend?

Master Maq/FlickrMama's: Good for brunch, bad for the groups.​This week, I'm relaunching SFoodie's "Ask the Critic" column: real dining questions for real San Franciscans. Do you have questions about cheap restaurants, unfamiliar cuisines, dating someone with dietary restrictions, or things you're ... More >>

Toasting Marion at Foreign Cinema

beardfoundation/FlickrMarion Cunningham and James Beard, sharing a moment with a couple of pheasants.​Birthday Tribute Dinner to Marion Cunningham Where: Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission (at 21st St.), 648-7600 When: Thu., Feb. 10 Cost: TBD The rundown: Foreign Cinema's annual birthday tribu ... More >>

Valentine's Out: A16

jen_maiser/Flickr​Valen-Times-Two Where: A16, 2355 Chestnut (at Scott), 771-2216 When: Mon., Feb. 14 Cost: $80 for five courses; $56 extra for optional wine pairings Why it's likely to be special: New chef David Taylor's Southern(-ish) Italian menu is not only calibrated to make your partn ... More >>

Out with the Kids: Brunch at Maverick

Alex HochmanMaverick's fried-to-order doughnuts are something both kids and parents can agree on.​The birth of our first daughter 10 years ago meant the death of brunch as we knew it. The thrill of brunch had been predicated on talking about the fun of the night before while eating something t ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Thermidor

Lara Hata​Thermidor's NYE Retro Glamour Menu Where: Thermidor, 8 Mint Plaza (at Fifth St.), 896-6500 Cost: First seating (6, 6:30, or 7 p.m.), $85 for four courses; second seating (8:30, 9, or 9:30 p.m.), $95 for four courses plus Champagne toast Why it's likely to be special: New Year's Ev ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Radius

​New Year's Eve Celebration 2011 Where: Radius, 1123 Folsom (at Langton) Cost: First seating (5:30-6:30 p.m.), $60 for three courses; second seating (8:30-9:30 p.m.), $85 for four courses and sparkling wine toast Why it's likely to be special: Chef Kelly Hughett's cooking has depth, without ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Twenty Five Lusk

Melissa W./Yelp​Twenty Five Lusk's New Year's Eve 2010 Where: Twenty Five Lusk, 25 Lusk (at Townsend) Cost: In the restaurant: First seating (5:30-7:45 p.m.), $95 for four courses; second seating (8-10 p.m.), $105 for five courses. In the lounge (9:30 p.m.-1 a.m.): open bar with passed hors ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Nombe

Claudine C./Yelp​Nombe's Japanese New Year's Eve Party Where: Nombe, 2491 Mission (at 21st St.), 681-7150 Cost: $55 Why it's likely to be special: Nombe's second annual Japanese-style sake-soaked New Year's bash is also the swan song for original chef Nick Balla, who's moving on. How do you ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Jardinière

​New Year's Eve at Jardinière Where: Jardinière, 300 Grove (at Franklin), 861-5555 Cost: First seating (5:30-7:30 p.m.), $125 for five courses; second seating (8:30-10:30 p.m.), $175 for six courses, party favors, and Champagne toast Why it's likely to be special: If it just wouldn't feel ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Prospect

Lara Hata​Prospect's New Year's Eve Prix Fixe Where: Prospect, 300 Spear (at Folsom), 247-7770 Cost: First seating (6-7:15 p.m.), $85; second seating (8:15-10 p.m.), $105 (includes party favors and Champagne toast at midnight) Note: a la carte menu available for walk-ins in the bar/lounge/co ... More >>

Better Than a Ball Drop: New Year's Eve at Namu

​"108 Bells" of New Year's Eve Cost: $40 for five courses Where: Namu, 439 Balboa (at Sixth Ave.), 386-8332 When: Fri., Dec. 31 Why it's likely to be special: From Namu's description:Japanese New Year involves eating specific foods to symbolize meaning such as joy, health & energy for the ... More >>

Local Mission Eatery's Harvest Dinners Feature Stuff the Chef Grew in Lodi

John BirdsallRecent salad of beets and green tomatoes at Local Mission Eatery.​Just about every chef in town yearns to cook food with a close connection to the field, though usually that means cultivating connections with wholesale produce dealers. For Local Mission Eatery's Jake Des Voignes, ... More >>

Heading to the East Bay for the Fourth? Here's Where to Eat

terriem/FlickrMaybe the line at Bakesale Betty in Temescal won't be quite so fierce Sunday. Then again...​Going East-Bay al fresco for the holiday weekend? Lake Temescal, Tilden: They'll be crowded, for sure, but a hell of a lot more bucolic than Dolores. • Picnickers looking to Oakland fo ... More >>

Forget the Bistro. The Most Personal Cooking in Town is at To Hyang

A W./YelpEven the panchan sparkle.​Quick: Name the most deeply felt, auteur-driven, DIY-committed restaurant you can think of. Canteen? Nope. Commis? #fail. French Laundry? Please. Try a 30-seat Korean place in the Inner Richmond called To Hyang. In today's "Eat" column, SF Weekly food criti ... More >>

Last-Minute Easter: At Chaya, Bottomless Brunch Mimosas and a View

Dubiaku/Flickr​What: Chaya Easter Brunch Where: 132 The Embarcadero (at Mission), 777-8688 When: Sun., April 4 Time: Seatings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The deal: Three-course mix and match brunch prix fixe: Angus rib eye, Dungeness crab cakes with mango cherry salsa, chocolate bread pudding, more ... More >>

Last-Minute Easter: Benefit Brunch at Bacar ― Bonnets Optional

ZagatBuzz/Flickr​What: Easter Bonnet Brunch at Bacar to Benefit AIDS/LifeCycle Where: 448 Brannan (at Fourth St.) When: Easter Sunday, April 4 Time: Seatings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The deal: Four-course prix fixe from chef Douglas Bernstein includes Riverdog Farm honey ham, hot cross buns, ... More >>

Last-Minute Easter: Waterbar's Seafood Prix Fixe

Silly Jilly/Flickr​What: Waterbar Easter Dinner Where: 399 Embarcadero (at Folsom) When: Sun., April 4 Time: 4 p.m.-8 p.m. The deal: Three-course prix-fixe choices include asparagus gratin, seared scallop with peas, Madeira and fennel, olive-oil poached halibut with baby leeks and caviar, oa ... More >>

Gayle Pirie: Foreign Cinema a Birthday Traditon for Marion Cunningham

Marion Cunningham​Foreign Cinema's Gayle Pirie gave us details about the restaurant's Feb. 11 tribute to Marion Cunningham on the occasion of the author's 88th birthday (the original press release erroneously had it , as previously announced). Cunningham is in frail health (it's been rumored s ... More >>

OMG, You Guys! Dine About Town Begins Tomorrow

​The ninth annual, crazily successful Dine About Town promotion starts tomorrow. Quick recap for the uninitiated: Twice a year, for two weeks, a huge number of restaurants ranging from neighborhood bistros to high-end downtown spots offer lower-cost, prix-fixe meals. The promotion puts diners in s ... More >>

Feasting Out: New Year's Eve Small-Plates Prix Fixe at Andalu

minnibeach/Flickr​Where: Andalu 3198 16th St. (at Guerrero), 621-2211 When: Thurs., Dec. 31 Time: 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m. The deal: Four-course small-plates prix fixe (with options) includes dessert; possible offerings include ahi, salmon, and hamachi tartare or sherried mushroom soup; scallop a ... More >>

Friday Lunches at Jardinière This Month

​The normally dinner-only Jardinière (300 Grove at Franklin) is opening for lunches Fridays this month (except Dec. 25, of course) to accommodate all that Nutcrackering and other excuses for daylight feasting. Offerings include seasonal starters along the lines of winter squash soup with goat ... More >>

The High and Low Life

New Year's Eve options abound for both champagne and beer budgets.

Looks Like Frances is Opening Tomorrow in the Castro. Swear to God

It's he-e-e-re.​The outgoing message isn't saying, and the Website looks as lifeless as your brother-in-law on the sofa after binging on tryptophan and white Zinfandel on Thanksgiving. But the Castro's long-awaited eatery Frances (3870 17th St. at Pond) is due to drop within hours -- OpenTable ... More >>

Thanksgiving Freak-Out Solution: The Plant Café Organic's $45 Prix Fixe

niallkennedy/FlickrAll you have to do is pack your Visa card.​In September, you made some grandiose announcement you'd be cooking Thanksgiving this year. Now, two days out, you're freaking, imagining a Turkey Day eve spent fishing a rock-solid Butterball out of the Safeway freezer bin. Relax. ... More >>

Thanksgiving Freak-Out Solution: Going All Multiculti at Butterfly

A bit like grandma's house. Or not.​Way back in September, you made some grandiose announcement you'd be cooking Thanksgiving this year. Now, two days out, you're freaking, imagining a Turkey Day eve spent fishing a rock-solid Butterball out of the Safeway freezer bin. Relax. SFoodie's offerin ... More >>

Betelnut's Pig Out Tuedays: Cheap Pork, with a Promise of Crisp Skin

mischiru/FlickrGot $25? Splurge on a night out -- for two.​Pig Out Tuesdays rev up again tonight at Betelnut (2030 Union at Buchanan). Special pricing is designed to appeal to pig-friendly diners groaning through the Great Recession. At $24.88 for two people, it can make a night out seem affor ... More >>

Seasonal ingredients and skillful handling make Flour + Water a Mission hit

When Geeks Collide: iPhone Apps the Perfect Mashup of Food and Technology

You stood in line for the friggin' thing, now put it to use where it counts. Today in our Phoenix sister blog Chow Bella, Michele Laudig details some of the tastiest iPhone food and wine apps out there. Looking for sustenance on streets so unfamiliar they might as well be the city from Blade Runner? ... More >>

Urban Tavern Lunch Promo Hopes Customers Won't Dine and Dash

bittermelon via FlickrUrban Tavern: Pay what you wanna payIf you've ever fantasized about being able to pay what you reckon a meal was worth, you'll have your chance next week at Urban Tavern (333 O'Farrell at Mason). The promo asks diners to eat up to a three-course lunch menu (with unlisted prices ... More >>

Thanksgiving Restaurant Specials

(Image via National Geographic)For those that don't want to cook and be buried in stuffing in the kitchen tomorrow, OpenTable, the online restaurant reservation system, still has space available for many restaurants that are holding special Thanksgiving dinners, including Daffodil (remixing things a ... More >>

Treating Mommy Dearest To Brunch

Harvard Professor: Guardian’s Theory “Irrational”

Inner Richmond's Troya Takes Turkish Up a Notch

Do You Want to Touch My Monkey?

The new Marina restaurant with the very strange name

Side Dish