Grub Street San Francisco

Thieves Steal Used Cooking Oil From Richmond Burger Joint; Check Out George Clooney’s Home Bar

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:00 GMT

• Did you know there's a black market/thieving trend happening now with "yellow grease," i.e. used cooking oil used in biodiesel cars that have been converted to run on the stuff? Belly Burgers (5740 Geary) in the Richmond has recently seen their grease disappearing from out back. [Yahoo News via Richmond SF]

• In honor of S.F. Beer Week, which kicks off today, Anchor Brewing just released a new California Lager, and here's the history behind it. [Scoop]

• Step inside George Clooney's home kitchen and bar. [CBS via Yumsugar]

]]> • Michelle Obama is bringing her focus on nutrition to troops, since "obese Americans in the military are a national security hazard," as this article says. Ouch. [Reuters]

• The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is suing major beer makers and even local beer stores for allegedly contributing to chronic alcoholism within the tribe. [AP via HuffPo]

• RIP to the inventor of Atomic Fireballs and Lemonheads, Nello Ferrara; in addition to making our childhood sweet, the man was also evidently an "impulsive singer." Aw. [USAT]

• Not only are single-cup brewers less than cost-effective, but if you own a Tassimo T-disc brewer, it's being recalled for causing burns. [NYDN]

]]> Filed Under: mediavore, belly burgers, george clooney

Chef Hires at Hibiscus, Ristobar, and Hecho; and More

Jay Barmann — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:55:00 GMT

FiDi: Hecho (185 Sutter) recently snagged a local sushi legend — Sachio Kojima returns to work after a lengthy hiatus away from S.F. [Scoop]
Lower Haight: Here's a guide to Beer Week events in and around the beer-loving Lower Haight. [Haighteration]
Marina: Michele Belotti, a 25-year-old Italian chef who comes directly from the Michelin-starred Da Guido restaurant in Piemonte, just started work at Ristobar. [Scoop]
Oakland: Gregory Leon has taken the helm at Hibiscus in Oakland, where he plans to take the menu in a different, and more Southern-BBQ direction. [Eater]

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Filed Under: neighborhood watch, chef shuffles, hecho, hibiscus, ristobar, sf beer week

Michael Bauer Gives the Updated Grand Café an Encouraging Two and a Half Stars

Jay Barmann — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:20:00 GMT

Grand Cafe chef Alicia Jenish]]> Mr. Bauer begins his update review about Grand Café (501 Geary) by musing, "Through its roller-coaster 17-year history, the food at Grand Cafe has soared and plummeted as dramatically as a thrill ride at Great America." That is dramatic! He describes the food by newly installed chef Alicia Jenish as "straightforward" but "better than many meals in the past." He enjoys several of her "bountiful and rustic" main courses, including the roast chicken breast with coq au vin-braised thigh; and the grilled rainbow trout that we asked Jenish about in our earlier interview. He concludes that the place now "shows glimmers of being a long-running hit." Verdict: two and a half stars. [Chron]

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Filed Under: the other critics, alicia jenish, grand cafe, michael bauer

The Sweetest Spots: Our Ten Favorite Romantic Restaurants Around the Bay

Jay Barmann — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:45:00 GMT

El Paseo in Mill Valley is one of the most romantic places we know.]]> What is romance anyway? Some would call it a construct, an illusion, a load of crap; the less cynical among you would say it's a state of heightened effort, awareness, and emotion that surrounds certain moments in a relationship. And with that idea of effort in mind — because for us, romance requires taking a few extra steps — we've done our blogger duty this week in bringing you a Valentine's-themed roundup of what we consider the most romantic dining destinations around the Bay. We've included a few in-town choices here, but really, you should be willing to get in a car for this one. Maybe even get a hotel room if necessary, especially if you're in the categories of "Sweet Spot" or "Reigniting the Flame" as defined in yesterday's Sloshed column about what to drink on V-Day.

]]> Now, for those of you with strictly anti-conformist ideas about what to do with your loved one on this Hallmark holiday, we strongly suggest skipping this list altogether and either a) having a picnic on a bench somewhere with a few extra blankets, or b) taking a blacksmithing class.

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Filed Under: lists, a cote, el paseo, garcon, holidays, slideshow

Navin Thai Opens in Former Hotaru Space

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:05:47 GMT

The former Hotaru.]]> Just last month we heard that Chinatown Japanese restaurant Hotaru had bit the dust. But lickety split the space has been taken by a Thai restaurant, Navin (1059 Powell). The menu is here, and the best news is they deliver! And you can place orders online! Such conveniences are so novel in these parts. [Grub Street]

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Filed Under: openings, navin thai

Chilean Wine Name Offends Chinese; California Wine Arsonist Gets Sentenced

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:15:00 GMT

"I'll show them chilensis!"]]> • Hilarious: A wine from Chile's Maule Valley with the label "Chilensis" has some Chinese people upset, and others laughing their asses off. The word loosely translates as "f**king nuts" in Cantonese, and thus it went from a cheap bottle to a collector's item within days. [Drinks Business]

• Ice wine makers in the Czech Republic breathed a sigh of relief this week as temperatures finally dipped in this unusually warm winter and allowed them to harvest grapes for their expensive dessert wines. [Daily News Online]

• Napa Valley vintners sighed and cried this week as a villain was sentenced. Mark Christian Anderson — who torched a wine-storage facility in 2005 to cover an embezzlement scheme, and destroyed at least $50 million worth of premium vintages in the process — got 27 years. [Grub Street SF, Earlier]

]]> • And remember the tale of Mark Lugo, the New York sommelier who got arrested for a San Francisco art heist last July? He admitted in a New York court this week to stealing a $350,000 drawing off a wall at the Carlyle Hotel. Prosecutors say he was only trying to decorate his apartment. [Grub Street NY, Napa Valley Register]

• The San Francisco Chronicle's wine guy Jon Bonné takes a tour of less appreciated Bay Area vineyard regions with experienced and shrewd winemaker Tegan Passalacqua of Turley Vineyards. [Chron]

• Urban wineries are becoming more of a thing, and the Blue Lobster Urban Winery and Lounge, which will make and sell its own wine on-site using grapes sourced from California, is getting set to open in downtown Portland, Oregon. [Portland Press-Herald]

• This week, the Times' Eric Asimov waxes poetic about the wines of the norther Rhône region of the Côte-Rôtie, which translates as "roasted slope." [NYT]

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Filed Under: oeno-file, crime scenes, mark christian anderson, mark lugo

Five Guys Brings Their Burger-and-Fry Magic to Burlingame

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:50:00 GMT

A loaded Five Guys double.]]> Perhaps you've caught the buzz about Five Guys burgers (and especially their fries) being really awesome from some East Coast friends. Perhaps you've even ventured to one of their NorCal locations in far-off Hayward or Pleasant Hill. Well, now one has opened even closer to the city, kids, in sunny Burlingame, and we're sort of excited. The Chron devotes a Bargain Bite column to the opening today, noting that part of the Five Guys ethos is that nothing is ever frozen — which is the same as the In-N-Out ethos, so that alone isn't what's selling us.

]]> Five Guys lays claim to making President Obama's favorite burger, so there's that. They also offer all burger toppings, from grilled onions to jalapenos to hot sauce, for free, and they boast "There are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys."

Last year, A Hamburger Today did what we believe is the first side-by-side, bi-coastal taste test pitting In-N-Out and New York's Shake Shack against Five Guys. Granted, they had to handicap them all with holding them overnight and reheating them, owing to the plane trip the In-N-Out burger had to take. But they conclude that Five Guys doesn't hold a candle to either of the other two — and, ahem, they thought Shake Shack was better than In-N-Out, so, whatever with that. Take this as you will.

The fries are allegedly what set Five Guys apart. The Chron calls them more "creamy" than crunchy, but you can order them extra-crisp. A Hamburger Today has admitted as much, saying the fries make them "weep with happiness." Also, at least at this new location, "the provenance of each day's potato is listed on a chalkboard."

The Five Guys chain was founded in 1986 in the D.C. area by the Murrell family, Jerry and Janie and their four sons (hence, five guys). In 2003 they started franchising beyond D.C. and now have over 900 locations nationwide, with 1500 more in development. Perhaps, one day soon, we will see one cityside. It only took In-N-Out like four decades to get here.

It should also be noted between Super Duper's quest for Bay Area domination, Umami Burger's slow but steady expansion here, The Counter's similar move north, Denver's Smashburger coming to Sactown and beyond, and Habit Burger also spreading in the East Bay, we are never going to be short on burger options. Ever.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries - 203 Primrose Drive, Burlingame - 650-343-3016 - Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Burlingame [Chron]
Earlier: In-N-Out vs. Five Guys vs. Shake Shack: The First Bi-Coastal Side-By-Side Taste Test [A Hamburger Today]

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Filed Under: burgers, five guys, openings, the chain gang

O3 Bistro Unveils Cocktail Menu

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:30:00 GMT

O3, which just opened in January in the former California Pizza Kitchen.]]> O3 Bistro & Lounge (524 Van Ness), the new, more upscale offshoot of the O-Zone Thai mini-empire that opened last month, just launched a cocktail menu. On it are things like a wasabi Bloody Mary and a Far East Capirinha, which has chiles and lychee in it. [7x7]

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Filed Under: booze you can use, bars, menus, o3 bistro and lounge

Where to Find San Francisco’s Best Dim Sum

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

South Sea Seafood Village at Irving and 15th in the Sunset.]]> Here's a good and helpful listicle to start off your day: SFoodie brings us a top-ten list of the best dim sum restaurants in S.F. and Daly City, and it's a pretty good list! While we can't get on board with the chicken-feet recommendation at Golden Gate Dim Sum Seafood Restaurant (1829 Clement), we can attest to the Shanghai dumplings at Great Eastern, the pork buns at Ton Kiang, and the excellent everything at South Sea Seafood Village. Keep this list handy at all times.

San Francisco's Top Ten Dim Sum Restaurants [SFoodie]

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Filed Under: lists, golden gate dim sum seafood restaurant, great eastern, south sea seafood village, ton kiang, where to eat

Pier 1 Space Becoming a Starbucks Now

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:15:00 GMT

]]> Just a stone's throw from Blue Bottle Coffee in the Ferry Building, Starbucks looks to be moving in on some prime turf. As the Chron is reporting today, the burnt-roast behemoth has plans to take over the vacant space at Pier 1, facing the north side of the Ferry Building, which was formerly home to Pancho Villa and that rat-infested place Tulio's. (La Boulange had plans for the space last year, but backed out.) Between this Starbucks and the planned Castro store half a block from Peet's, it sounds like Big Coffee is quietly trying to take more of a bite out of our local brands' base. [Chron, Earlier]

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Filed Under: coffee talk, blue bottle, peet's, real estate, starbucks

Mad Cow Disease In Marin?; ‘Under-Size Me’ Trend May Be Coming

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:45:00 GMT

• A 59-year-old Marin County woman recently died of mad-cow disease (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), and a second woman has been diagnosed with it. Cue a potential local panic. [ABC 7] Update: It's not mad-cow, but rather the non-variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob, at least in one of the women's cases, and therefore did not come from the food supply. [Chron]

• Restaurants where they put water bottles on the table for you to serve yourself: a welcome trend, or a sign of eroding service standards? Mr. Bauer can no longer decide. [Between Meals/Scoop]

• Local college kids want their Bacon Bacon too! Legislation introduced this week by the Board of Supervisors would allow food trucks where they haven't been permitted before, at colleges and hospitals. [CBS]

]]> • Aries want meat, Libras like buzzy new eateries, and other things astrological signs say about restaurant tastes. [HuffPo]

• People will downsize their restaurant portions if the server offers them the option; maybe soon we'll be able to say "under-size me"? [Salt/NPR]

• Good news: The amount of trans fats Americans consume dropped by 58 percent from 2000 to 2009. [Your Life/USAT]

• A mysterious case of food poisoning afflicted 700 people who attended a political rally in Mexico. Could it be a case of sabotacos? [CNN]

]]> Filed Under: mediavore, health concerns, michael bauer, trends

La Terrasse Closes in the Presidio; Étoile Reopens in Yountville; and More

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:00:00 GMT

Presidio: La Terrasse, which had the pleasure of getting one of Michael Bauer's worst reviews of 2011, sounded like it wasn't so doing well, and now they have closed. [Eater]
SoMa: Reminder: Beer Week kicks off with a big event at the Concourse Pavilion Friday evening. Tickets are still available here. We'll bring you a preview shortly. [Grub Street]
Mission: As we updated yesterday, Sunday's private brunch event at Wise Sons (3150 24th Street at Shotwell) isn't a soft opening per se, as Thrillist had it, but more of a test meal. They're not giving a definite date, but the opening might be two weeks away. Here's what the sandwich counter's looking like now. [Grub Street]
Yountville: Étoile, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Domaine Chandon, reopens after their winter hiatus tomorrow, Thursday, February 9. They're also doing a Valentine's tasting menu for $95 per person, with pairings for an additional $40. Call 888.242.6366 or go here for reservations. [Grub Street]

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Filed Under: neighborhood watch, closings, etoile, foodievents, la terrasse, reopenings, sf beer week, wise sons jewish deli

Michael Chiarello Shills a Little on The Price Is Right

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:25:00 GMT

He's got the gestures down...]]> This is funny: Watch as chef Michael Chiarello pimps some of his Napa Style cookware and presents an all-Chiarello-themed showcase on a recent episode of The Price Is Right. The prize package included the cookware, a range, several of his cookbooks, a trip to his Napa restaurant Bottega, and in the part where the contestant jumps up and down and shrieks, a trip to Tuscany! We especially love the delivery on the last line: "You'll learn to love to be in the kitchen as much as I do if... the price is riiiight!" So what's your bid?

]]> Sadly, we do not know if she won. Sidebar: We miss Bob Barker.

And now, Michael Chiarello on The Price Is Right [Scoop]

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Filed Under: tv land, funnies, michael chiarello, video feed, videos

Kauffman Goes On a South American Soup Tasting; Hirsch Hits Pikhana’s in Richmond

Jay Barmann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:00:00 GMT

Jonathan Kauffman shops around the Mission for the best sopas, pozoles, and caldos this week, in a story idea that must have sounded better weeks ago when the promise of winter starting seemed imminent. Alas, it's still pretty balmy! But Kauff takes us on a tour of South American eateries via their broths. His favorites: the sopa de albondigas served on Tuesdays at SanJalisco; the pozole at Gallardos, "with its murmuring chiles and braised-pork depths"; and the "elaborate" sopa de gallina made from slow-braised chicken at Palacio Latino. One he still hasn't tried because it's always sold out when he gets there: the "rare" sopa de chipilín (herb soup) served on Wednesdays only at Bernal Heights Salvadoran place La Santaneca. [SF Weekly, SFoodie]

]]> Across the Bay, Jesse Hirsch ventures up to Richmond for the East Bay's only Brazilian churrascaria, Pikhana's Steakhouse. It's actually part of a Texas-based chain, and much like SF's Espetus, they serve the food in the continuous, all-you-can-eat rodízio style, coming around to your table with "a never-ending grilled meat barrage" carved fresh onto your plate. But unlike the much pricier Espetus, Pikhana's is only $22 per person! Hirsch provides a handy survival guide for the onslaught, noting you should avoid the "worthless carbs" on the hot buffet, and to ignore the stern menu warning about a $10 charge for not cleaning your plate (it's a lie). Also, he recommends the chicken hearts, and recommends demanding the less over-done cuts of meat. All sound advice. [EBX]

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Filed Under: the other critics, jesse hirsch, jonathan kauffman, pikhana's brazillian steakhouse

Fusebox a Bit Delayed in West Oakland

Jay Barmann — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:40:00 GMT

Knife practice.]]> Fusebox, an izakaya-style Korean place specializing in kkochi-gui (skewers), is nearing its opening at 2311 Magnolia Street in West Oakland. They're still putting finishing touches on their space, but you can see some food previews via their Facebook page, with some enticing fusion-y stuff like hamachi tartar topped with green onions and lime caviar, and air-dried boneless rainbow trout with ao nori, radish, and turnip greens. [via EBX, Earlier]

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Filed Under: not-so-hopelessly delayed, fusebox, previews