Foodie 411

Getting Friendly

the tablehopper — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:11:37 +0000

For those wondering about the Bacchus Management Group’s Cow Hollow brasserie that’s developing in the former Prego space, the name has finally been decided on: des Amis. Also, Skye LaTorre, most recently a sommelier at A16, is joining the Bacchus team as a lead sommelier at des Amis. The opening is slated for fall.

2000 Union St. at Buchanan.

An Indian Import
Amber India (a well-known restaurant in Mountain View) has opened its first San Francisco location in Yerba Buena Lane. The multi-level and 5,000-square-foot space is open for lunch (Mon–Fri 11:30am–2:30pm) and dinner daily (Sun–Thu 5pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 5pm–10:30pm), brunch on the weekend (Sat–Sun 12pm–3pm), and the lounge is open and serving appetizers and bar bites continuously from 11am–11pm daily, and until 11:30pm Fri–Sat. The owner is Vijay Bist, who went to culinary school in India, and then trained in Baur au Lac, Switzerland; Excelsior, Germany; and France—he is working with chef Anish Potdar.

13 Yerba Buena Lane, 415-777-0500.

Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.

Peru and a View

the tablehopper — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:28:29 +0000

Gastón Acurio | credit Ines Menacho

San Francisco is about to get a Peruvian culinary superstar on their roster of great chefs: Gastón Acurio of La Mar fame. Acurio has restaurants in seven countries, including Peru, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela, with plans to open in Costa Rica and Brazil. He is opening his first restaurant in the U.S., La Mar Cebichería Peruana, and it’s going into a 100-year-old building at Pier 1½, just a bit north of the Ferry Building.

There will be a pisco bar/lounge area (up to 65 seats) where you can get a pisco sour plus all kinds of other pisco drinks, and graze on small apps to share. Then there’s the ceviche bar further inside, offering about ten kinds made with local fish that will highlight a variety of Peruvian chiles, plus some tiraditos, all served on a large bar (around 30 seats) of up-lit blue glass. There is also a spacious dining room in the back (88 seats) flanking the exhibition kitchen, turning out contemporary-Peruvian fare, plus a big outdoor patio overlooking the water that will have a fire pit.

The chef de cuisine (José Luis de Cossío, who opened the first La Mar with Acurio), the pastry chef, and floor manager are all coming from Acurio’s restaurants in Peru. Local wine guru Emmanuel Kemiji is consulting on the wine list, finding perfect wine pairings for the dishes, and in fact is consulting with Acurio on all his restaurants. La Mar is slated to open at the end of August or early September.

BLD (Brunch, Lunch, Dinner)
An update on places serving BLD around town:

First, Uva Enoteca in the Lower Haight is starting their weekend brunch on Saturday July 12th. Hours will be 10am–3pm every Sat–Sun.

568 Haight St. at Steiner, 415-829-2024.

Spruce | credit Frankie Frankeny

Spruce is now offering a Harvest Menu at lunch, a prix-fixe three-course meal and optional wine pairing. The menu is seasonal, and currently features braised spring onions, pancetta-wrapped day boat scallops, and for dessert, pannacotta with market blueberries. The menu is $30 without wine, and $45 with. (Diners may also opt for a half wine pairing.)

3640 Sacramento St. at Spruce, 415-931-5100.

Luce | credit Rien van Rijthoven

And in SoMa, Luce has launched Sunday Suppers, a “farm to table” tasting menu inspired by executive chef Dominique Crenn’s Saturday visits to the farmers’ market. $45 per person, and $65 with wine pairings.

InterContinental Hotel San Francisco, 888 Howard St. at Fifth St., 415-616-6566.

More on PlumpJack Cafe’s New Chef, New Menu

the tablehopper — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:37:25 +0000

Executive Chef Rick Edge

The new executive chef of PlumpJack Cafe, Rick Edge, has just introduced his new seasonal menu, which includes a return to the restaurant’s classic technique yet modern style of American dishes, like a puree of sweet corn soup with warm mushroom salad, smoked bacon, and crème fraîche ($9); Maine peekytoe crab cakes ($15); and the big eye tuna tartare cones ($15) have returned. Mains include buttermilk-braised chicken breast ($22) with creamy polenta, Castroville artichokes, morel and maitake mushrooms; and red wine-braised beef short ribs with toasted farro, stone fruit salad, garden herbs, and flowers ($27), but some creative twists remain, like a carrot risotto with Idiazabal cheese, argan oil, and chive blossoms ($11/$20). In addition, he has added a “Power Lunch” section to the lunch menu, a selection of two-course paired menu items for those short on time.

3127 Fillmore St. at Filbert, 415-563-4755.

STOMPing Around

Up in wine country, for the first time in its 33-year history, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers is hosting a signature fundraising event, the Harvest STOMP. Admirers of Napa Valley wines will be able to deepen their understanding of the growers’ role in the creation of these fine wines during an authentic harvest celebration on Saturday September 6th from 5pm–9pm at the Round Pond Estate in Rutherford. Guests will enjoy local, exhibition-style cuisine and be able to meet some of Napa Valley’s most notable grape growers, many of whom will be pouring wines made from grapes grown in their vineyards. There will be live music, an instant cellar raffle, plus a live auction.

Earlier in the day, guests can enjoy private and exclusive luncheons hosted by pioneering grape-growing families at six estate vineyards not typically open to the public. Guests will dine in the midst of the vines, while drinking wines made from those vineyards.

Tickets for the Harvest STOMP evening celebration are $100 per person. The Harvest STOMP Grower Luncheon tickets are $300 per person, which includes entrance to the evening celebration. For ticket information visit www.harveststomp.com or call 707-944-8311 for more information.

Round Pond Estate, 877 Rutherford Road, Rutherford.

Sit (and Eat) Indian Style

the tablehopper — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:32:10 +0000

Kasa Indian Eatery

For those looking for a break from the usual burrito, there’s now Kasa Indian Eatery, a cross between a taqueria and Indian place. The menu features a variety of “kati rolls” (think Indian wraps) in buttery roti bread; you take your pick from fillings like chicken tikka or tikka masala, lamb curry, and vegetable options, like paneer with peppers and onion, or cumin potatoes (one for $5.50, two for $8.95). All the kati rolls come with raita and chutney; you can also order a dish “deconstructed” and get daal (lentils) and basmati rice on the side instead. Everything is made from scratch and with quality ingredients. There is beer, wine, Indian sodas, and chai tea. Open daily 11am–10pm.

4001 18th St. at Noe, 415-621-6940.