San Francisco : Notable Openings

Som Enchanted Evening

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:51:00 GMT

Som

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

Behind a facade of artfully lit wine bottles lies Som, a music-focused Mission newcomer whose sleek, minimalist interior sports a walnut-topped bar, some black-leather seating and not much more – which leaves plenty of room for dancing to Brazilian beats (som is Portuguese for ‘sound’) on Wednesdays and just about any other musical genre you can think of the rest of the week; generally moderately priced, the cocktail menu is short but sweet, highlighted by a few classic concoctions made with top-shelf ingredients.

2925 16th St.; 415-431-8889

Bringing Back Bruno's

BuzzEditor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:51:00 GMT

Bruno's

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Bruno's, the onetime Rat Pack hang in the Mission, is aiming to lure back serious diners with a small, rotating, midpriced menu from chefs Ryan Ostler and Katharine Zacher, whose made-from-scratch American comfort and soul food (think 20-hour smoked brisket, pulled pork sandwiches and homemade Whoopie Pie) won raves at the dive bar Broken Records; the retro setting features a leopard-print carpet, red leather banquettes and a mural depicting Kewpie dolls and other iconic kitsch.

2389 Mission St.; 415-643-5200

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Bruno's

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Cracking Open Mayes Oyster House

BuzzEditor — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:44:00 GMT

Mayes Oytser House

Photo: Kevin Bond

Mayes Oyster House, a reinvented Barbary Coast–era (circa 1867) fish house and saloon in Polk Gulch, is attracting modern-day prospectors with midpriced seafood classics such as oysters and clams on the rocks and shrimp scampi, as well as newfangled fare like lobster ceviche, kamikaze shooters and Kobe sirloin with foie gras sauce; open until 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, the dark-lit, tin-ceilinged setting exudes a bordello vibe, with velvet wallpaper, myriad mirrors and a copper-topped bar where guests can nurse a vintage cocktail in front of a gas fireplace.

1233 Polk St.; 415-474-7674

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Mayes Oytser House

Photo: Kevin Bond

Best-o-Burger Grows

BuzzEditor — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:02:00 GMT

Not to be overshadowed by the recent wave of burger-joint openings (Acme Burgerhaus, Burger Bar), Best-O-Burger has launched its second location in the food court at 1 Market Plaza near Spear Street (not to be confused with the restaurant One Market). Open from 10 AM–3 PM weekdays only, it serves the same petite iron-skillet sliders, shakes, Strings and Ring-O's as the original Belden Place locale (415-882-1717).

On the Costanera

BuzzEditor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:36:00 GMT

La Costanera

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, La Costanera, a contemporary Peruvian nuevocomer from chef-restaurateur Carlos Altamirano (who also owns SF’s Piqueo’s and Mochica), brings punchy pisco cocktails and over a dozen types of ceviche, tiraditos and crudos to the coastside berg of Montara Beach near Half Moon Bay; the three-story, 10,000-sq.-ft. former Chart House space boasts a soaring glass ceiling plus tall windows to maximize surf- and seal-watching.

8150 Cabrillo Hwy., Montara Beach; 650-728-1600

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La Costanera

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Burgers in the Haus

BuzzEditor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Burgers of all stripes – beef, buffalo, ostrich – made with mixed-in toppings (à la Coldstone Creamery) are the haus special at Acme Burgerhaus, a no-frills Western Addition storefront serving combinations like the Jerusalamb (ground lamb infused with mint, toasted pine nuts, feta and sumac), the Chiptole Border (laced with peppers, adobo, cilantro and parsley) and the Carnivore (a mix of ground beef, Italian sausage and bacon); N.B. it’s open until 3 AM on Friday and Saturday, and offers a happy-hour deal from 3–10 PM nightly.

559 Divisadero St.; 415-346-3212

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Eve's Newest Tempations

BuzzEditor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:39:00 GMT

Eve Lounge

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Dramatic dimly lit chandeliers, hand-painted murals and leather banquettes are the decor highlights of the subtly 1920s-themed SoMa seductress Eve from the John Colins team; during happy hour, after-workers surreptitiously check each other out via the angled mirror behind the bar, from whence come tempting, midpriced tipples created by the mix-masters from 15 Romolo; later in the evening, eclectic DJs spin, and a dance-club vibe prevails.

575 Howard St.; 415-543-5874

Burgers (and Thongs) on Six

BuzzEditor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:10:00 GMT

Photo: courtesy of Burger Bar

Burgermania reaches new heights, literally, on the sixth floor of Macy’s, where Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys) has opened his luxe build-a-burger concept, Burger Bar (which already has locations in Las Vegas and St. Louis); the menu includes everything from mini-sliders to a lobster burger to a $60 foie gras–draped offering, while the setting feels like a sports bar, replete with metal beer signs and booths outfitted with flat-screens, plus a store selling camis and thongs stamped with the restaurant’s logo.

251 Geary St.; 415-296-4272

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Pi in the Sky

BuzzEditor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:07:00 GMT

Pi Bar

Photo: by Kevin Bond

Plenty of thin-crust pies – and π references such as $3.14 slices – abound at casual Mission hangout Pi, which slings locally sourced, straightforward pizzas and artisan beers to the neighborhood’s hipsters, young families and hops lovers; the narrow room, dominated by a wood bar and pressed tin ceiling, fills up regularly for the “Pi R Square Happy Hour" (3–6 PM), which offers a cheese slice and the beer of the day for $6.28.

1432 Valencia St.; 415-970-9670

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Not Too Shabu

BuzzEditor — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:09:00 GMT

Prime Rib Shabu

Photo: Kevin Bond

Restaurateur Luke Sung (Domo, Isa) is behind Prime Rib Shabu, a DIY shabu-shabu joint in the Inner Sunset where the sliced meats are of the hand-cut, rib-eye variety and the rest of the menu is rounded out by lamb shoulder, a plethora of seafood and oodles of noodles (Tuesday–Thursday nights, there’s a $24 all-you-can-eat deal); the shabby-chic setting draws inspiration from the Japanese countryside – think driftwood lanterns and vintage bric-a-brac.

308 Fifth Ave.; 415-379-4678

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Peek at Pica Pica Bar

BuzzEditor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:28:00 GMT

Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, the popular Venezuelan areperia in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, has opened Pica Pica Bar, an adjoining coffeehouse/bar set in the center of the market hall. It offers a range of batidos (nonalcoholic blended fruit shakes) as well as sangria, other wine cocktails and craft beers to wash down fare like ceviche, arepa “bites” and Latin-inspired sliders. The space has been tricked out with reclaimed lumber paneling and a copper-topped bar, and though it opened just after Labor Day, the public is invited to officially kick things off with live music, drinks and salsa dancing on Friday evening, October 2. After that, the Pica Pica Bar plans to host live music every Friday evening through the fall, as well as monthly salsa and sangria parties and “meet the brewer” events (610 First St., Napa; official opening night party October 2, 6–9 PM).

Forging Ironside

BuzzEditor — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:49:00 GMT

Ironside

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

South Beach cafe Ironside, set in the new Chronicle Books building (and run by folks behind District), serves coffee, breakfast bites and affordable lunch fare, accompanied by beer and wine, with dinner service staring October 5; despite an old-school setting replete with steel-and-timber elements and vintage billboards, its online ordering system establishes new-world cred.

680 Second St.; 415-896-1127

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Sink Your Fangs Into This

BuzzEditor — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:21:00 GMT

Fang

Photo: Kevin Bond

Fang, the SoMa sidekick to Chinatown’s House of Nanking, offers up the usual suspects of Chinese cooking – e.g. potstickers, sesame chicken – along with more atypical fare like stuffed clamshell buns filled with everything from braised pork to tofu, plus a slate of affordable lunch plates; the slick back-lit bar mixing Asian-inspired cocktails suggests the spot will cater more to clubbers than tourists.

660 Howard St.; 415-777-8568

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Photo: Kevin Bond

Chop to It

BuzzEditor — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:13:00 GMT

Aiming to be an affordable, three-meals-a-day local hub, Oakland newcomer Chop Bar near Jack London Square offers an Eclectic-Californian menu of seasonal, locally sourced fare such as panini, flatiron steaks and housemade pastas, all priced under $20; it’s set in a warmed-up warehouse space complete with patio seating, a take-out window hawking coffee and other to-go items, and a bar (though it’s BYO pending a liquor license); N.B. it’s currently serving breakfast and lunch only, with dinner to start on October 1.

247 Fourth St., #111, Oakland; 510-834-2467

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Get Naked

BuzzEditor — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:22:00 GMT

Naked Lunch

Photo: Kevin Bond

With a tip of the hat to William S. Burroughs, simple North Beach sandwich stand Naked Lunch finds a former Cafe Majestic chef slinging low-cost, highfalutin sandos (think foie gras and duck prosciutto with truffle oil), soups and artisan ice creams, accompanied by nonalcoholic fresh-fruit libations; the weekday, lunch-only operation is primarily to-go, but like good bohemians, diners can beat it to Enrico’s sprawling patio to dig in.

504 Broadway; 415-577-4951

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