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July 2009 - Posts
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My grandparents courted here, and it's still a hot pickup place. Read More...
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It’s baaack. Well, almost. We wouldn’t exactly count our pollos before they hatch, but the latest word from the boys behind Valencia’s Limòn is that they plan to reopen their long-shuttered, fire-ravaged Nuevo Latino Peruvian Read More...
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Baker Street Bistro ’s Jacques Manuera is keeping busy. In addition to running his 18-year-old boîte and being a co-owner in the new Metro Café , he’s planning a second affordable venture, 560 Central Park, near the Panhandle. Read More...
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Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia Photo: Copyright Columbia Pictures As we’ve mentioned before , we’re more than a little excited about Julie & Julia , the new movie about the blog-documented journey of Julie Powell (Amy Adams) as she Read More...
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Today the Cheesecake Factory celebrates National Cheesecake Day by offering half-price on its 30 different types of the sweet treat. The chain also debuts its red velvet cheesecake, and for the next year, it'll donate 25¢ from each slice sale Read More...
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The Slanted Door Photo: courtesy of the restaurant The pleasure of dining by the water is something only an aquaphobe could deny. Yet too often the food quality at waterside restaurants is a washout. To give you a leg up, here are five such spots that Read More...
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From August 7–9 San Francisco is foodie country – even more so than usual – when SF Chefs. Food. Wine comes to Union Square. Featuring local chefs cooking, mixologists mixing and vintners pouring, the event includes live demos, a cocktail Read More...
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– The situation for this summer's crop of Northeast tomatoes looks grim. [ NYT ] – New York missed inspecting one in five restaurants in 2008. [ NYT ] – Michael Jackson's personal chef speaks. [ Salon ] – Trouble in California Read More...
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Showdogs Photo: Kevin Bond Spotlighting the best of the wurst, the upscale Downtowner Showdogs (from the Foreign Cinema folks) specializes in dogs from Fatted Calf, Let’s Be Frank and other all-natural vendors, elevated with housemade condiments Read More...
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Saisonally driven, farm-to-table New American cuisine is the hallmark of Mission arrival Saison , currently offering just two seatings, both on Sunday nights (expanded service is in the works); the $60 prix fixe – with optional biodynamic wine pairings Read More...
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Hoping to outfox the new artisan haute dog impresarios ( Let’s Be Frank , Showdogs ), old-school frank purveyor Casper’s Famous Hot Dogs is commemorating its 75th anniversary today with a special promotion at its eight Bay Area stands. During Read More...
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Absinthe Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Starting tomorrow, Hayes Valley brasserie Absinthe will offer a new weekday three-course lunch, courtesy of executive chef (and former Top Chef testant) Jamie Lauren. Options change weekly, but the deal always Read More...
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– Sports drink Muscle Milk is neither muscle, nor milk. Discuss. [ NYT ] – Related: Coke is readying a fizzy milk drink. [ Times ] – July 4th was not so good for big beer sales. [ The Atlantic ] – The demand for blue fin tuna does Read More...
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According to the Chronicle 's Michael Bauer , chef/restaurateur Laurent Manrique left Aqua and its development corporation last night. For the time being, recently hired chef Jason Springle is scheduled to take over. Next for Manrique? Apparently Read More...
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Are you the next Bobby, Emeril or Rachael? Wannabe culinary-TV celebs can strut their stuff this weekend when the Food Network hosts an open casting call for its 2010 season of The Next Food Network Star . Candidates must be over 21-years-old and not Read More...
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– A drop in sales burns McD's. [ Bloomberg ] – Do chefs and drugs go together like salt and pepper? [ The Daily Beast ] – Cereal gets manly with Wheaties Fuel. [ NYT ] – Just how big is Anheuser-Busch/InBev? [ Accidental Hedonist Read More...
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Owner Roshan KC announced last week that he was closing his three-year old Nepalese Western Addition restaurant Metro Kathmandu and morphing it into a Cal-Med bistro named District 5. However, due to mounting objections by the owners of SoMa’s bar/lounge Read More...
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Fabio Vivani Photo: courtesy of the Gilroy Garlic Festival You can argue it stinks, but you can't help love the annual garlic hootenanny that takes place every year in Gilroy. The three-day festival runs this weekend, and features the blooming rose Read More...
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Forthcoming Mission pizzeria Pi Bar plans to roll out plenty of pie (and π references) when it opens mid-August in the former Suriya Thai space. Native New Yorker Richard Rosen (co-owner/chef at Chenery Park ) will be tossing NYC-style, thin-crust Read More...
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– Menu-labeling laws going federal? [ NRN ] – For one night, as part of the London Restaurant Festival , fine dining comes to the London Eye. [ Bloomberg ] – Starbucks credits McDonald's with getting it out of free-fall. [ AdAge Read More...
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Commis Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Fine dining without the pomp and circumstance is the conceit behind Commis , a New French–New American in Oakland from chef James Syhabout (ex Manresa ), whose nightly ingredient-driven $59 three-course prix Read More...
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Rickhouse Photo: Kevin Bond It’s a veritable bourbon bacchanal at the brick-walled saloon Rickhouse in Downtown’s former Ginger’s Trois space, where shelves of whiskey are stacked to a high ceiling fashioned from the staves of barrels; Read More...
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– A highly contagious fungus is threatening this summer's tomato crop. [ NYT ] – Cooking dirt, or dishes that look like it. [ NRN ] – Baja Fresh is getting into the Korean taco business. [ Speakeasy ] – There won't be a Read More...
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The only thing consistent is the service – consistently bad. Read More...
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Martini House Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Once again proving wine country dining doesn’t have to be fussy or serious, on July 29 Martini House hosts a “Sommelier Smackdown Rematch,” with its own ‘Ravaging’ Rob Renteria Read More...
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– Starbucks is testing out new logo-less coffee shops in Seattle. [ Seattle Times ] – An excerpt of Times critic Frank Bruni's new memoir drops in this week's magazine. [ NYT ] – In Argentina, Pepsi is now Pecsi. [ AdAge ] – Read More...
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The main dining area at Yoshi's San Francisco Photo: Kevin Bond Yoshi’s may be legendary for its jazz, but it’s rolling out a weekend steal of a deal that will be music to sushi lovers’ ears. Fridays and Saturdays from 10 PM till Read More...
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Tres Agaves Photo: courtesy of the restaurant The third Thursday of every month, South Beach Mexican Tres Agaves welcomes an ambassador from a different tequila distillery to host a tasting and Jalisco-style dinner. Tomorrow's go-round features Ruben Read More...
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– Las Vegas dining has gone from feast to famine. [ NYT ] – Deep discounts are starting to hurt large chain restaurants. [ WSJ ] – Related: after franchisees revolted, Burger King will still sell $1 double cheeseburgers – but only Read More...
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Yet another high-profile restaurant is being reinvented with the new economy in mind. Restaurateur Steven Singer plans to reopen his shuttered West County Grill in Sebastopol as Pizza Vino 707, a casual neighborhood haunt touting gourmet wood-fired pies Read More...
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Five Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Downtown Berkeleyites take five at Five, a modern American bistro in the newly renovated Hotel Shattuck Plaza, where chef Scott Howard offers familiar classics with quirky twists – think mac ’n’ Read More...
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Barndiva's throwing a Mexican-style BBQ at its Tractor Bar. Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Every Wednesday though the summer, Healdsburg’s Barndiva is lighting up the barbie at its famed Tractor Bar in the back garden. For $35 per person, Read More...
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– The G-8 pledges $20 billion to food and agricultural assistance in poorer nations. [ WSJ ] – Grant Achatz wonders if celebrity chefs really should stay in the kitchen? [ The Atlantic ] – Of course, sometimes it isn't easy for them Read More...
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Urban Tavern photo: Kevin Bond The Hilton San Francisco 's Urban Tavern wants to make your next date night as easy as pie. The restaurant has teamed up with Shorenstein Hays Nederlander to offer a $34.95 per person pre-theater prix fixe that includes Read More...
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– Remember the world food crisis that seemed to be averted in 2008? It isn't over, just laying low. [ Economist ] – The calorie counts that many restaurants display are more wishful thinking than fact. [ WSJ ] – Mr. Chow and Phillipe Read More...
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iPhone's Seafood Watch App Finding sustainable seafood just got a little easier thanks to two tech innovations pointed out to us by Joe Isidori of NYC's Harbour . With Blue Ocean Institute’s Fishphone , diners can find out about a particular Read More...
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If you're more interested in baseball than Bastille Day on July 14, pile into Acme Chophouse to watch the All-Star Game on its big screen while savoring $3 draft beers, $4 wines by the glass and $5 special cocktails, plus $5 appetizers such as flat-breads, Read More...
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Though it may seem strange that a corporate fast-food chain is supporting a documentary that criticizes corporate food culture, that's exactly what's happening. Chipotle, the second most popular chain in our Fast Food Survey , has arranged for Read More...
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Bar Johnny proprietor John Jasso is selling his popular drink kitchen to the Tonic bar folks. Jasso has the owned the space for six years – four as the restaurant Tablespoon and two as the more casual Bar Johnny. Until its sold, the Polk Street Read More...
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– The Obama administration has proposed a sweeping overhaul of food safety. [ NYT ] – In the recession, people keep drinking. They just aren't drinking high-end wines. [ WSJ ] – Are butchers the new culinary rock stars? [ NYT ] – Read More...
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Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of 30 June 1878 Claude Monet Looking to celebrate French liberté on Bastille Day? You don't have to go to Paris on July 14 to get in on the action. Bouchon : Thomas Keller's Yountville French will be setting Read More...
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Located in Santana Row's former Tanglewood space, the latest Roland Passot ( La Folie ) venture, LB Steak , gets culinary inspiration (and its initials) from the Left Bank, presenting a classic steakhouse menu with Gallic additions like escargots Read More...
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ad hoc Photo: courtesy of the restaurant After pigging out this past weekend on ribs, burgers and beer to celebrate our nation's birthday , perhaps you'd like to continue your patriotic eating, albeit the healthy way. To help you out, we've Read More...
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– Gordon Ramsay 's profits dove 90%. [ Indpendent ] – Meanwhile, despite his newly Botoxed chin, Gordo talks back. [ Daily Mail ] – Unsurprisingly, the elephants swept the humans at the annual Nathan's hot dog–eating competition. Read More...
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photo: Angela Rutherford Buzz Readers, In order to get a head start on the Fourth of July holiday, the Buzz is taking a brief break from our regular posting schedule, returning Monday, July 6. Until then, we hope your holiday weekend is full of sun, fun Read More...
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The corned beef was so stringy, I was practically flossing with my sandwich. Read More...
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Rivoli's ready for its makeover. Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Wendy Bruckner and Roscoe Skipper’s acclaimed eatery Rivoli , which just celebrated its 15th anniversary, plans to ring in the next 15 with a new look and vibe. The couple expects Read More...
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Like the ocean-fronting Beach Chalet Brewery and Golden Gate Park–facing Park Chalet Garden Restaurant , the forthcoming Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill from restaurateurs Gar and Lara Truppelli hopes to do for Oakland what its siblings did Read More...
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– Funny looking fruits and veggies are coming back to the E.U. tomorrow. [ Independent ] – The Taste of Chicago wastes a lot of food. [ MP:C ] – Related: more than half the people at the Taste are single. [ Tribune ] – Denny's Read More...
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