When It’s Okay to Get Crabby

the tablehopper | 10:36 am | October 8, 2008 | Foodie 411

Now open in Cow Hollow is Nettie’s Crab Shack, with an East Coast-meets-California fish shack menu that includes BBQ oysters with a beer chaser ($15), steamers with drawn butter in a pail ($20), larger plates like grilled squid, shell beans, salsa verde ($15), non-fishy items like hangar steak ($18) and roasted chicken ($18), sides include jalapeno spoon bread with okra and tomatoes ($7), and there’s butterscotch pudding for dessert ($8). You can check out all the menus on the website. None of the wines on the list are over $50. Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30am–2:30pm, dinner Sun–Thu 5pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 5pm–11pm, brunch Sat–Sun 10am–3pm.

• 2032 Union St. at Buchanan, 415-409-0300.

Mushroom Hunting

Fall is here, and Aqua is running a special mushroom menu through the month of October, the second in their series of seasonal tasting menus. The menu is nine courses, highlighting all kinds of mushrooms: hon-shimeji, oyster, black trumpet, matsutake, porcini, chanterelle/yellow foot, lobster, cinnamon cap, and black truffles. The featured mushrooms are hand harvested on or near Mount Shasta. You can see the entire menu here. It’s $150, and there’s an $85 wine pairing available.

• 252 California St. at Battery, 415-956-9662.

Then on November 16th at 6pm, Piccino is hosting an autumn mushroom dinner with Far West Fungi. It will be a single seating on a Sunday night, presenting a five-course mushroom-themed meal (there will be meat!) with a specially selected flight of wines. For details on menus and pricing, and to reserve your seats, call Wayne at 415-350-5157.

• 801 22nd St. at Tennessee St., 415-824-4224.

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.