It sure is birthday season. Not only is today our birthday (turning 29 for the second time, thanks very much), but this month, three of San Francisco's most venerable institutions also turn 30, and another young whippersnapper turns 10.
• It's now been a decade of film, food, and valet parking on Mission Street, as Foreign Cinema's odometer flips this month. To celebrate, chefs Gayle Pirie and John Clark are hosting a series of guest chefs cooking special meals. The first of these takes place March 7-8, and features a collaboration with Niloufer Ichaporia-King, author of the cookbook My Bombay Kitchen.
• One of the places that helped put San Francisco on the map, food-wise, is Zuni Cafe, thanks to their casual style, bright, glassy look, and ultra-fresh fare. They celebrated earlier this month by offering a circa-1979 menu, including wines from 1979. If you missed that, and you want a taste of 30 years ago, a source at the restaurant tells us that the Caesar salad is the only menu item remaining from the original 1979 menu. The chicken, the gateau victoire, and the espresso granita have been around since the 80s. Also, you can still get your hands on a 1979 Armagnac to sip.
• Hayes Street Grill is still going strong into its 30th year, and is doing a special anniversary series to prove it. They're offering three dinners — one for each decade of their existence — for $30 each. The 80s dinner already went down on Feb. 12, but you can still catch the 90s on March 4, and the 00s on the official anniversary, March 17. Check their website for the menus.
• Finally, Greens Restaurant celebrates three decades of meatless gourmet. While a vegetarian, we visited for a birthday, and had the way we think of potatoes turned around completely. While we are no longer members of the V-team, we still try to mimic those spuds. Greens isn't doing a special event this month, but if you want to celebrate there for them, the four-course prix fixe is always a good deal at $49.
