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October 2008 - Posts
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Very polite staff – when a guest fell asleep they served his food as if nothing had happened. Read More...
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Happy Halloween from Bob Zagatie! photo: Andrea Joffe – This year, the Beaujolais comes with biker chefs. [ Grub Street ] – Some chefs are flat out teaming up with local farmers. [ USA Today ] – Revenue is up for Kraft and Kellog's Read More...
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By Nina Zagat and Tim Zagat Many restaurants will weather a bad economy just fine. In the last few weeks, a lot of people have asked us how the current economic meltdown will affect America's restaurants. The short-term answer is that the crisis is Read More...
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Elizabeth Falkner’s dare-to-be-different SoMa eatery, Orson , is mainstreaming its experimental menu for these economically troubled times. Enter the burger, along with a Caesar salad, boudin blanc and more accessible brasserie-style menu items Read More...
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– NYC's Nello , a Madison Avenue spot popular among socialites, was seized by the IRS yesterday for owing over $1.5 million in back taxes. [ NYP ] – Why are more and more restaurants making you ask for salt? [ Between Meals ] – At Read More...
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Head to Chinatown or Japantown for some Halloween tricks this year, and then treat yourself to a tasty dinner at a nearby restaurant. SF Chinatown Ghost Tours leads intrepid explorers on a 90-minute walking tour through Chinatown, revealing myths and Read More...
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Zinnia photo: Kevin Bond Sean O’Brien, the top toque behind the flamed-out Myth, returns with globally inspired New American fare (much of it available in half portions) at Zinnia, a midpriced arrival located in a historic Jackson Square space; Read More...
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Pisco Latin Lounge photo: Kevin Bond At Pisco Latin Lounge , the next-door sister act to Upper Market’s Destino , Peru’s potent traditional drink of choice and other cocktails are served alongside moderately priced Pan-Latin tapas (served Read More...
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– The international credit crisis is affecting the whole food chain. [ Washington Post ] – So some scientists are trying to push farming potatoes over grains. [ NYT ] – At least European mushrooms are having a bumper crop this year. Read More...
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The Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur will host a Haunted House at its outdoor Redwood Grove space this Halloween. Complimentary grilled munchies (shaped like fingers and toes) and warm beverages for adults and kids will be served, and activities will include Read More...
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– Friend of the Buzz Dr. Brian Wansink and the USDA are releasing a new food pyramid for preschoolers. [ Chicago Tribune ] – If you vote on November 4th (and you should!) then Ben & Jerry's would like to offer you a free scoop of ice Read More...
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Portelli Rossi Photo: Kevin Bond While Marin is generally known for its high net worth and equally high real estate values, local Novato restaurateur Henry Hautau wants his regulars at the recently revamped Portelli Rossi (formerly the Kitchen at 868 Read More...
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Spruce Photo: Kevin Bond With Wall Street facing a bumpy ride right now, it’s no surprise that a cheap-eats staple like the burger is more popular than ever. But don’t think that just means greasy fast-food grub – these two burger options Read More...
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– Cereal makers are reducing the amount of sugar in their products by jacking up the salt. [ WSJ ] – More reports of a rough restaurant scene out there. [ NYT ] – A judge awarded a group of 36 New York deliverymen $4.6 million in back Read More...
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Halloween, that annual excuse to put on a costume and consume too much sugar, lands on a Friday this year, and as usual restaurants around town are using the holiday (and the nights leading up to it) to lure in customers. Here are a few ghoulish events Read More...
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Waterbar offers a $24 lunch prix fixe. photo: Kevin Bond Having a multicourse lunch at an affordable price is always a welcome treat, and never more so than in these turbulent economic times. We've compiled a list of some of the best deals in the Read More...
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Nettie's Crab Shack Photo: Kevin Bond Replacing the short-lived Palmetto is Nettie's Crab Shack , a wallet-friendly seafooder in Cow Hollow that attempts a Californian version of a traditional East Coast–style fish shack; instead of kitschy Read More...
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– Applebee's/IHOP is in the midst of some tricky times. [ NYP ] – Restaurant PR flacks are turning economic lemons into lemonade. [ Diner's Journal ] – Uh oh. Alaskan pollock are swimming in Russian waters! [ LAT ] – The Read More...
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The nonprofit organization Street Smart 4 Kids has launched a restaurant promotion to raise money for services for homeless children. Now until November 16th, patrons at nearly 80 participating restaurants, including Betelnut Pejiu Wu , Slanted Door and Read More...
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In 1979 Tim and Nina Zagat compiled their friends' opinions on New York restaurants into a single-sheet mimeographed guide. Thirty years later, Zagat Survey publishes more than 50 books covering everything from dining to movies to golf courses. And Read More...
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– The fish you are eat might very well be mislabeled. [ Chow ] – Those who don't get enough gratification from their food often overcompensate by overeating. [ AP ] – Maybe having Gordon Ramsay and his Kitchen Nightmares crew film Read More...
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Luce Photo: Courtesy of Luce InterContinental San Francisco's Luce and Bar 888 will pair up with local cult chocolatier Michael Recchuiti on October 22nd for "An Evening of Chocolate and Wine" – a lusciously guided tasting and discussion Read More...
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Get up close and personal with the farmers and winemakers behind your meal at the newly launched "Farm to Table Grower's Dinner" series at SoMa's Jack Falstaff . Each month, executive chef Jonnatan Leiva will prepare a seasonally driven Read More...
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– As we've noted , restaurants are adding hours to boost their bottom lines. [ NYT ] – Food stamp usage is on the rise. [ AFP ] – Bad news for soda companies like Pepsi: Tap water is popular again. [ NYT ] – With a world-wide Read More...
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Eco-friendly eatery Lettus Organic Cafe is slated to open a two-part operation that straddles the Embarcadero's Pier 3. The south side will feature a quick-service cafe like its Marina sibling , while the north side will showcase a sit-down, full-service Read More...
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uWink , an entertainment-oriented SoCal chain started by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, has arrived in Mountain View, offering midpriced American comfort food ordered by touch-screen terminals that double as multiplayer game consoles; 20 projectors show Read More...
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– The discussion of gender roles in restaurants continues with many thoughts on the single female diner. [ Diner's Journal ] – On the job with a Chicago health inspector. [ Chicago Tribune ] – A Lebanese group is suing Israel over Read More...
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The music's so loud it's like they're asking you to leave. Read More...
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We recently heard about an event in Boston that left us wondering. UpStairs on the Square , a popular restaurant in Cambridge, is hosting a dinner with vegan wine pairings . What is vegan wine? Being made from grapes, wine seems like it would be an acceptable Read More...
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When looking for an affordable and filling meal, not much tops the simple pizza (though good dim sum comes close). And the Bay Area, along with its great Italian restaurants, is home to some fabulous pies. If you're in the mood for a casual taste Read More...
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– Before the election, a long look at the future of food policy. [ NYT Magazine ] – In Boston, restaurateurs are teaming up to cut costs. [ Boston Herald ] – There are more varieties of cacao than previously thought. [ Serious Eats ] Read More...
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Wine & Spirits magazine will honor and pour its publication’s 100 top-scoring vinos at the annual Wineries of Year tasting, happening October 14th at the Old Mint building. The winning winemakers will be on hand as will a slate of local restaurants Read More...
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– Gender still matters when dining out. [ NYT ] – Starbucks is reportedly wasting water around the world. [ The Sun ] – Country of origin label laws have lots of loopholes. [ NYT ] – Diners are moving from luxe lunches to cheaper Read More...
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The first U.S. branch of a Lima-based seafooder from Peruvian celebrity chef Gastón Acurio, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana is the latest arrival on the Embarcadero’s up-and-coming Restaurant Row, where it’s serving ceviche and other midpriced Read More...
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The Moss Room Photo: Kevin Bond Diners descend upon The Moss Room , California Academy of Sciences’ new flagship restaurant, via a staircase that passes a two-story-tall living wall of moss; its affordable Cal-Med menu showcases Slow Food–inspired Read More...
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– A rough economy means a return of that old staple: the food club. [ Chicago Tribune ] – China's tainted milk scandal continues to cause trouble. [ Washington Post ] – Burger Kings nationwide are going trans fat free. [ Marketwatch Read More...
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Dim Sum Photo: Courtesy of Yank Sing While you can always find reliable Chinese specialties in the city's Chinatown (reportedly one of North America's oldest and largest), votes in the 2009 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants guide indicate that Read More...
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Underground supper-club impresario Russell Jackson, aka "The Dissident Chef," plans to go above ground and legit with Laffite, his first permanent restaurant in San Francisco (he ran LA's now-shuttered Russell’s). The upscale Calfornian, Read More...
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Steven Kaplan in France, where he investigated collective bread poisoning for his latest book Photo: courtesy of Steven Kaplan Good bread can be hard to find. At least it is if you've got the lofty standards of leading bread historian Steven Laurence Read More...
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– Tom Colicchio is coming back into the kitchen. But only on Tuesdays. [ Diner's Journal ] – Marco Pierre White thinks it is a great time to invest in a restaurant. [ LAT ] – Paul Newman 's legacy in the world of organic food Read More...
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