the tablehopper | 10:09 am | August 3, 2009 | Foodie 411, Marina/Presidio, Neighborhood | Add a comment
Folks in the Marina have probably noticed Bistro Aix has closed—and in fact, it’s totally gutted. Fortunately, it’s just for a remodel, albeit a lengthy one since the reopening won’t happen until the end of the year if they’re lucky. Owner Jonathan Beard is totally gutting the place and redoing it from the ground up—upon reopening, there will be an oak fireplace grill in the kitchen where they will be preparing quality meat, poultry and fish. There will also be a glassed-in patio with a 100-year-old olive tree, reclaimed redwood, and an updated facade. They promise that many of their classics will remain on the menu.
According to permits, Pizzeria Avellino is moving into the former Curbside Taqueria location. Per some comments on Eater, it looks like there will be both a Neapolitan/thin-crust style and New York style (to be confirmed). A source told me the pizzaiolo has 20 years of experience. Based on the news they’re testing pizzas already, it sounds like it’s close to opening.
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.
the tablehopper | 12:04 pm | March 18, 2009 | Foodie 411, Marina/Presidio | Add a comment
Over on tablehopper.com, I just completed a roundup of the best cloth napkin burgers in town. If you get inspired to go taste a few on your own, please note you can check out a famed Balboa Burger at the PlumpJack Group’s annual Burger for a Pint community blood drive, which rewards blood donors with a Balboa Burger, compliments of Balboa Cafe. Those who donate blood at the mobile donation center outside the restaurant receive a certificate for a complimentary burger, which can be redeemed within the next year. To make an appointment, interested donors must visit www.bloodheroes.com, click on the “Donate Blood” tab and enter sponsor code “Balboa-SF” or “Balboa-MV,” depending on the location at which they’d like to make the donation.
San Francisco’s drive is Tuesday March 24th from 2pm–7pm
Mill Valley’s is Tuesday March 31st from 2pm–7pm
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.
the tablehopper | 12:00 pm | March 2, 2009 | Foodie 411, Marina/Presidio | Add a comment
The Tipsy Pig, an American gastropub/tavern, has opened in the former Bistro Yoffi space in the Marina. The crew behind the project is Nate Valentine, Stryker Scales, and executive chef Sam Josi of the Sustainable Restaurants group (Mamacita, Umami, and Blue Barn), and the co-executive chef is Daniel Burckhard (Blue Barn, Foreign Cinema, and Greens).
The brunch, lunch, and dinner menus will highlight American pub classics made with seasonal and artisanal ingredients, sourcing a majority of produce from the Josi family’s Oak Hill Farm in Sonoma. Dishes include a spinach salad with kabocha squash, aged gouda, and a bacon-sherry vinaigrette; a maple-brined Niman pork chop with caramelized apples deglazed with brandy, grain mustard sauce, and Yukon Gold/Brussels sprouts/apple hash; and of course there’s a Tipsy Burger, but this one is made with three cuts of house-ground beef: sirloin, brisket, and chuck.
There is also a kid’s menu, with chicken fingers, mini potpies, and a menu sheet with a game of tic-tac-toe that results in the shape of a pig.
The look is rustic and warm, and includes the space’s original ten-seat wooden bar that dates back to 1931 and many recycled items, plus brown walls, wood floors, and large chalkboards announcing daily specials. There are two rooms: the main dining room is “The Living Room,” and there’s a more intimate “Library” room with a working hobbit stove. You’ll find a sunny 50-seat patio in the back with communal picnic tables, a canopy of trees, and a garden with pink lemons, grapefruit, Buddha’s hand, and herbs. The bar program will include updated American classic cocktails, wine, and eight beers on tap, with 15 beers by the bottle, including the “Tipsy Pig Brew,” an exclusive brew. As for the name, here’s the story, “During England’s apple season (October–April), farmers would send pigs to retrieve fallen apples, and because the apples would often ferment, the pigs would get drunk or ‘tipsy.’”
Hours are 5pm–2am, with food served until 10:30pm. Brunch and lunch service will start a few weeks later.
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.
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