Posts for August 6, 2012 -- Grub Street San Francisco -- Restaurant News, Openings, Chefs

Posts for August 6, 2012

8/6/12 at 5:04 PM
Interviews
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Michael Bauer Discusses Anonymity, Homophobia, Chick-Fil-A

"I am hopefully anonymous. I can’t think that anything would surprise me. I think the internet has been a good skin thickener." — Michael Bauer speaking to KQED prior to his Saturday, on-stage interview in which, from behind a screen, he answered questions lobbed at him from restaurateur Drew Nieporent. In the KQED interview he addressed the issue of whether he ever feels discriminated against as a gay man in restaurants, and generally speaking, he says no. As for the anonymity, Eater just published yet another blurry photo of him. [KQED]

8/6/12 at 4:40 PM
Foodievents
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Highlights From SF Chefs 2012

By Jay Barmann

Another August, another SF Chefs. The lively Union Square food extravaganza just wrapped up another successful round, and the local food industry is, as we speak, about 75% drag-ass hungover. Since launching in 2009, the festival has grown in scope, with this year including months of buildup with a series of event dinners dubbed The Dinner Party Project. (See our coverage of the Stars reunion dinner here, by way of example.) But the main event was the Grand Tasting Tent, which came in four shifts between Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

8/6/12 at 4:30 PM
Funnies
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Stiletto Attacker Gets Her Own Beer Stein

The good folks at SFist just created this photoshopped booze chalice as an unofficial entry in yesterday's post-SF Chefs event, The Pimp Cup. Obviously, it features the world-renowned Louboutin attacker (who remains, by the way, at large and has not been charged with a crime as of our last update from the SFPD). The event was an industry-only affair at Jasper's Corner Tap, and featured a competition for the most creatively pimped grail for the purposes of filling with alcohol. The winner: Ricky Pavia of Rickhouse, who made a cup made entirely of LEGOs. [SFist]

8/6/12 at 2:15 PM
Lists
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Coi and SPQR Land on Newsweek’s Best in the World List

By Jay Barmann

SPQR

Newsweek just unveiled a new list of the World's 101 Best Places to Eat, as chosen by 53 chefs from around the globe, and two San Francisco restaurants get chosen among just fourteen restaurants representing North America: Coi, and SPQR. In both cases, the celebrity chef who did the choosing was our very own Elizabeth Falkner, who recently defected to New York. Of Coi she says, "[It's] beautiful, eccentric, and soulful, in sync with all of the best products of Northern California, and with a modern poetic vibe that only chef Daniel Patterson can speak." Below, see the whole North American contingent.

8/6/12 at 1:00 PM
Crises
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Noe Valley Whole Foods Parking Lot Will Become Mini-Carmageddon This Month

By Jay Barmann

Shoppers at the Noe Valley Whole Foods are going to face a parking nightmare even worse than their usual parking nightmare starting this week, as the store announces that — for the love of god — it will be resurfacing its always chaotic and tiny parking lot. Starting tomorrow, some parking spaces will be unavailable as sections of the lot get worked on, and the real chaos will begin next week, August 13 to 16, when one whole entrance will be blocked off. Another entry will be blocked part of the following week, and you can expect many a stay-at-home mom and dad to throw a very public conniption as they become trapped in this vortex and can not park. Marriages will be tested, and both small children and adults will be brought to tears. Might we suggest, Noe Valleyans, investing in one of those wagons you attach to the back of a bicycle? Or perhaps, if you live on one of those steep slopes, you should just call Uber to ferry you back and forth, and circle the block while shop. [Noe Valley SF]

8/6/12 at 12:45 PM on Grub Street NY
Immortal
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Don’t Forget to Put Soup Cans on Andy Warhol’s Grave

By Jenny Miller

Or Coke bottles. Those are the tributes of choice left by the fans who visit Andy Warhol's grave near Pittsburgh, as NPR reports. (Guess they're less perishable than Whoppers?) Some big spenders even leave Chanel perfume. Now, artist Madelyn Roehrig has documented the graveside gifts in a photo compilation, as part of a project called "Figments: Conversations With Andy." See the pics below.

8/6/12 at 12:40 PM
Foodievents
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What You Missed at Noisette

By Jay Barmann

Some of the city's more musically inclined food fans gathered at Public Works on Saturday to escape the fog, take in a few bands, and graze on some pretty sophisticated food, at least for a concert venue. Chefs in attendance at the first ever Noisette, serving up bites that were part of the ticket price, included Dennis Lee (Namu Gaji), Jason Fox (Commonwealth), Ryan Pollnow (Flour + Water), and Adam Dulye (Monk's Kettle, Abbot's Cellar). Check out our slideshow of the food highlights, and at least one picture of a band.

8/6/12 at 11:55 AM
Empire Building
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You Can Now Get Super Duper at the Metreon

In case you missed it, Super Duper has just opened its fourth location in the city at the revamped Metreon (783 Mission Street). And you can look for the burger chain soon to be expanding elsewhere, like Palo Alto and Walnut Creek, for starters. [Tablehopper]

8/6/12 at 11:10 AM
Closings
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56-Year-Old Caesar’s Restaurant to Close at the End of the Month

By Jay Barmann

Over near Fisherman's Wharf, another old-school San Francisco institution is biting the dust. As the Scoop reports, Caesar's Italian Restaurant, which has been serving cioppino and linguine with clams at the corner of Bay and Powell since 1956, just announced that August 31 will be their last night of service. No clear reason was given for the closure apart from it being an "unpleasant reality" and saying "this has not been an easy decision." Read the full goodbye letter here. This news follows on the recent, possibly temporary closure of what was thought to be America's oldest Italian restaurant, Fior d'Italia, which in recent years had lived nearby at Union and Stockton. Doesn't anybody want a simple plate of canneloni anymore? [Scoop]

8/6/12 at 11:00 AM on Grub Street Boston
Oreos
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Mars Lands on Oreos

By Kara Baskin

Who could possibly argue with this?Photo: Twitter/OreoCookie

Kraft and Nabisco have perfected the art of cookie as social commentary: Their #dailytwist Twitter campaign showcases Oreos that reflect the news, sometimes complete with backlash. A few weeks ago, some people were enraged when they ran a photo of this prideful rainbow Oreo cookie. (These are probably the same people who enjoy dining at Chick-fil-A.) Anyway, Nabisco played it safe today with a picture we can all get behind: Check out this cute photo of a red-frosted cookie in honor of the Curiosity Rover landing safely on Mars. Hopefully NASA can determine if they eat sweets on the Red Planet. [OreoCookie/Twitter, Earlier]

8/6/12 at 10:10 AM on Grub Street LA
Crime Scenes
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Hollywood Artist Claims Responsibility for "Tastes Like Hate" Graffiti

By Hadley Tomicki

The scene of the crime

South Bay police may be able to go back to their donuts and coffee already, as the search for an activist artist who illegally painted on Torrance's Chick-fil-A last week may have already ended. A Hollywood resident named Manny Castro is claiming responsibility for the piece, which depicted a cow and the words "Tastes Like Hate," telling HuffPo, "I'm against what these people stand for, what this company stands for." Of course, there's no confirmation yet that Castro actually did pull off the stunt, nor any clear cut reason why he wouldn't have hit the West Hollywood Chick-fil-A near his own neighborhood, instead of venturing so far south.

8/6/12 at 9:30 AM
Mikey Doesn't Like It
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Bauer Not Impressed With Copita; Hirsch Has a Meat Feast at American Eatery

By Jay Barmann

Mr. Bauer gives us his thoughts on Joanne Weir's four-month-old upscale Sausalito taqueria, Copita. While others have commented on the solid margaritas, Bauer finds his "marred with way too much agave nectar" and even asked for lime juice to cut the sweet. He finds good things to say about the guacamole, corn soup, and the ceviche, but that's about it. He complains of bland tacos and under-seasoned chicken, as well as dry carnitas and some albondigas that "couldn't compare to what you'll find at Comal in Berkeley." (Ouch). Also, at least on one visit, he had an up-selling server who "grated on my last nerve." So yeah: two stars. [Chron, Hirsch's earlier thoughts]

8/6/12 at 9:20 AM on Grub Street Chicago
Video Feed
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Watch Renowned French Chef Jean Joho Discuss Julia Child’s Insatiable Appetite

By Michael Gebert

Sunday was Julia Child's 100th birthday, and to mark the occasion, her longtime publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, is celebrating Julia Child Restaurant Week, featuring events at over 100 top restaurants around the country which identify with her legacy of making classic French cooking accessible to everyone. We decided to mark the occasion by talking with one of the French chefs in America who knew Julia and became her friend — Chef Jean Joho of Everest and Paris Club in Chicago, Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Las Vegas, and Brasserie Jo in Boston. In the first of two short videos, Chef Joho recalls Julia's enthusiasm when she found out about the opening of the original Brasserie Jo in Chicago, and how she insisted they go over and sample some of the food — right after a full dinner at Everest. Watch it below.

Hope for Chick-fil-A Fans With Good Hearts

By Alyssa Shelasky

For those who feel they can't eat Chick-fil-A in good conscience anymore, yet struggle with the self-punishment of never eating it again at all, there's now "Chicken Offset," a program devised by D.C. lawyer and activist Ted Frank. "Every time you buy a chicken-sandwich meal at Chick-fil-A, you can buy an 'offset' here," promises Frank, who will sell "offset coupons" which benefit It Gets Better and the Williams Institute. But the supersized karma doesn't stop there ...

8/6/12 at 6:35 AM on Grub Street NY
Lawsuits
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Owners of Charleston’s Husk to Pay $1.1M in Drunk-Driving Settlement

By Alan Sytsma

Brock, the chef at Husk.Photo: Christopher Shane/Washington Post/Getty Images

Nothing funny about this: The company that owns Husk — the Charleston cause célèbre of the restaurant world where Sean Brock serves as executive chef — will pay $1.1 million as part of a settlement related to a December drunk-driving incident.

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