New Restaurants
New Nightspots
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| Kelley's Tavern |
3231 Fillmore St. |
San Francisco |
415-567-7181 |
| NOPA |
560 Divisadero St. |
San Francisco |
415-864-8643 |
Coming Soon
Bi-Rite Creamery
The owners of Bi-Rite Market, the Mission's venerated gourmet grocer, will expand later this summer with this family-friendly ice cream shop opening across the street (3692 18th St.). In addition to handcrafted organic ice cream using Straus Family Creamery products, it will serve sorbets, granités, popsicles and the market's already famed desserts, including chocolate pot de crème and panna cotta.
Bistro 1689
Noe Valley's Restaurant Row will soon see the addition of this intimate 45-seat French bistro and wine bar, which is taking over a shuttered Chinese restaurant at 1689 Church Street.
Ici
Like the soon-to-open Bi-Rite Creamery (listed above), this sweet shop from former Chez Panisse pastry chef Mary Canales will specialize in organic ice cream when it opens later this month at 2948 College Avenue in Berkeley. Besides the handmade cones, she'll be whipping up bombes, bonbons and other sublime stuff, which can be savored at a handful of indoor stools or at one of the sidewalk benches.
Sam's Chowder House
Fresh seafood will be served with a real sea breeze at this New England–style fish shack, slated to debut this August in Half Moon Bay (4210 N. Cabrillo Hwy., near Hwy. 1). Cetrella chef Lewis Rossman will consult on the menu, which will feature selections from a clam and oyster bar.
Also Coming Soon
A yet-to-be-named Cal-Asian newcomer is planned for the former Mikeytom Market space (1747 Church St.) just down the street from Noe Valley's forthcoming Bistro 1689 (listed above). Scheduled to open this summer, it will feature a chef who's done stints at Nectar Wine Lounge and U Street Lounge.
Good Deals and Other News
During happy hour on Thursdays (4–6 PM) and Fridays (2:30–6:30 PM), oysters on the half shell are $1 each and cocktails and beer are half-price.
The Hayes Valley outpost of San Bruno's international crêpe cafe opened last month at 501 Hayes Street (415-553-8500).
Sunday brunch (11:30 AM–2 PM) has been introduced at this Nuevo Latino spot.
This showcase restaurant at Yountville's sparkling winery is being relaunched this month with the new name Etoile, a nod to its signature sparkling wine. Chef Chris Manning, who recently assumed the position of top toque, will oversee the slightly revamped Cal-Med menu, but the biggest changes will be evident in the main dining room's more dramatic design. In addition, the wine bar is morphing into an intimate lounge with cozy couches and tree stumps for seating, where guests can order off a casual sharing menu, or procure prepared picnic lunches and blankets to enjoy the winery's landscaped grounds.
The Ferry Building Marketplace
Now that spring has arrived, the city's celebrated food emporium has reinstated the Night Market (1 Ferry Building), an evening farmer's market that runs from 4–8 PM every Thursday through October (www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com).
This veggie institution has transformed its storeroom into a private dining space seating up to 60 and affording spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge. To reserve it, call 415-771-6222.
Berkeley's wildly popular French-inspired gourmet take-out shop recently opened a second location at 4001B Piedmont Avenue in Oakland (510-547-3444).
The kitchen has introduced a selection of Vietnamese street foods (banh mi, sugarcane shrimp sticks, a D.I.Y. pho bar, etc.) to the upstairs lounge menu, making it a less pricey alternative to the more formal dining room.
In addition to its regular menu, O'Reilly's Holy Grail is offering a special Da Vinci Code menu throughout the month of June. The four-course globe-trotting meal follows the trail of the famed mystery, with stops in Paris (la salade d'artichaut), Rome (ravioli di formaggi con pancetta), London (filet mignon "Wellington") and Scotland (tipsy walnut pudding with scotch whiskey custard), and is available Monday–Thursday only (5:30–10 PM; $25 per person; 415-928-1233).
This Cow Hollow enoteca is offering an ongoing series of wine tastings, cooking classes and meet-the-winemaker talks, not to mention an "Italian Lessons & Vino" series, which pairs a one-hour alfresco conversational language class with a 30-minute wine tasting and discussion con antipasti. This month's lineup includes "Italian Lessons & Vino: Weekend in Firenze," which will provide insider tips on where to eat, drink, see and stay in Florence (in Italiano, of course), followed by a tasting of Tuscan wines and small bites (June 17th, 3–4:30 PM; $45 per person). Fashionistas can check out the "Bellini Brunch & Fashion Show" showcasing a three-course brunch, all-you-can-drink Bellinis and summer styles from the Milan runway (June 17th, noon; $45 per person). For more details and to make a reservation, call 415-674-8400, or go to www.ottimistasf.com for a full calendar of events.
The C.I.A.'s Napa outpost has launched a new "street foods of the world" lunch menu to coincide with the opening of the dining terrace for the summer months. Offered in addition to the regular menu, it will feature dishes such as petite Vietnamese pho with shaved beef ($6) and grilled tandoori quail with mango-chutney vinaigrette ($6).