Wrecking Ball Coffee’s upcoming Berkeley cafe will be about

By Justin Phillips

Wrecking Ball Coffee’s Berkeley outpost is set to open next week, pending final permits. The “fourth wave” cafe has grand ambitions for social change.

Chez Panisse alumni open casual lunch counter in Berkeley

By Janelle Bitker

Fava serves a mostly vegetarian menu of salads, wraps, soups and drinks in a tiny, takeout-only space.

Original Joe’s to expand in San Francisco with Little Joe’s

By Justin Phillips

Original Joe’s is expanding to West Portal with a new concept called Little Joe’s Pizza, Pasta, Parmigiana. The restaurant is taking over the former Paradise Pizza space.

New operator could take over San Francisco’s Cliff House

By Janelle Bitker

Dan and Mary Hountalas have been running the Cliff House since 1973, and now, the National Park Service is looking for new operators to take over the landmark space in 2020.

Cornerstone Sonoma welcomes new gastropub Palooza

By Janelle Bitker

Public Kitchen is out and Palooza Beer Garden & Eatery is in at wine country destination Cornerstone.

No longer partnering with Mourad Lahlou, Louis Maldonado is now

By Justin Phillips

The Gibson in Hotel Bijou reopens Tuesday night with a new chef, Louis Maldonado. Maldonado was slated to be the executive chef of Amara, a Moroccan-Mexican restaurant in the works from Mourad Lahlou.

Oakland restaurant Chop Bar grows into bigger space

By Janelle Bitker

Jack London district gastropub Chop Bar has moved into a 3,000-square-foot space, about twice the size of the original.

Kin Khao sister restaurant Nari opens in San Francisco with

By Janelle Bitker

Chef-owner Pim Techamuanvivit says Japantown’s Nari is more spacious, elegant and ambitious than her first restaurant, Kin Khao.

Tosca Cafe to reopen with new owners Nancy Oakes, Anna Weinberg

By Justin Phillips

Under the new regime, Tosca's name will remain the same and its menu, crafted by Oakes, will continue to highlight Italian fare.

Kono Food Alley opens in Oakland, with a new food hall on the way

By Janelle Bitker

The new Oakland lunch option is a precursor to Common Grounds, an outdoor twist on a food hall.

Isla Vida closes in San Francisco’s Fillmore

By Justin Phillips

Isla Vida, the Afro-Caribbean restaurant in San Francisco’s Fillmore neighborhood has closed less than a year after opening. The business was a spinoff project of Farmerbrown that closed last year in the ...

Open since 1937, West Portal neighborhood dive bar Portals Tavern

By Esther Mobley

Owners Don Gorwky and Mary King-Gorwky have owned the West Portal bar since 1989.

Chase Center announces bars and beverage options for new Warriors

By Justin Phillips

Bon Vivants Hospitality is involved, along with Pepsi Co., Pernod Ricard, Tanduay Rum and more.

Little Creatures brings a huge new brewery in Mission Bay

By Justin Phillips

Australian craft beer company Little Creatures has opened a new facility in Mission Bay. It’s the company’s first American outpost.

Whopper of a price for luxury burger at new Silicon Valley dining

By Justin Phillips

Selby’s, a grand-scale Silicon Valley restaurant inspired by the Hollywood dining scene of the 1930s and 1940s, opened Tuesday with a $50 burger on its menu.

Sammy Hagar sells El Paseo to new owners in Mill Valley

By Justin Phillips

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar has sold his Mill Valley restaurant El Paseo to a pair of longtime Mill Valley residents. Hagar closed the business last July with hopes of opening it again.

Oakland burger pop-up Lovely’s moves on

By Janelle Bitker

Mikey Yoon’s diner-style pop-up has outgrown its space at the Lodge in Oakland.

Konbi’s mesmerizing Japanese egg sandwiches coming to San

By Janelle Bitker

The Konbi pop-up is a collaboration with Grand Opening, a new Chinese-American bakery pop-up within Mister Jiu’s.

Silicon Valley’s costliest city adds fine-dining spot

By Justin Phillips

Selby’s, Silicon Valley’s newest fine dining destination, is a 10,000-square-foot restaurant inspired by the Hollywood dining scene of the 1930s and 1940s.

Heena Patel relaunches Besharam, now with full control

By Justin Phillips

She’s moving away from “California Gujarati” food and toward the Gujarati fare she ate as a child.

Hog Island Oyster Co. to open new restaurant in Larkspur Landing

By Tara Duggan

Following on the success of its San Francisco and Napa outposts, Hog Island Oyster Co. is opening another new restaurant, this time in the Marin Country Mart, the same Larkspur mall that has wooed the ...

Bay Area chefs confront climate change, environmental impact

By Janelle Bitker

Restaurant owners are increasingly seeking out carbon-friendly food options as they comply with San Francisco’s waste laws.

Hog’s Apothecary in Oakland to close on Sunday

By Justin Phillips

Hog’s Apothecary in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood will close Sunday after seven years on 40th Street. The popular gastropub is an elder statesman in Temescal’s notable beer scene.

Commonwealth to close on Aug. 26: ‘We were having one of our

By Justin Phillips

After spending a few months this year teetering on the brink of a potential closure over a previously reported lease issue , Commonwealth in the Mission District will cease operations on Aug. 26. ...

Al’s Deli opens in the Mission District

By Justin Phillips

It’s the new spot from Al’s Place chef Aaron London.

San Francisco chef wins international honor for battling climate

By Janelle Bitker

San Francisco chef Anthony Myint has won the Basque Culinary World Prize — and $114,000 — for his work battling climate change through the restaurant industry.

Michael Mina to open his first restaurant in Wine Country

By Justin Phillips

Michael Mina has plans to open Wit & Wisdom Tavern at The Lodge at Sonoma. The project is slated to make its debut in 2020 with a menu based around live-fire cooking.

New Sunset District outpost is future model for Tartine Bakery

By Justin Phillips

Tartine Bakery opened its new cafe in the Inner Sunset. The shop is a model for the business moving forward — a smaller footprint with a focus on small plates and breakfast dishes.

Oakland bakery discontinues signature Draymond Green dish

By Justin Phillips

A Palestinian-Syrian chef in Oakland discontinued a beloved dish at her restaurant named after NBA player Draymond Green. The decision comes in response to Green’s trip last summer to Israel.

Trick Dog pays homage to counterculture catalog with Whole Dog

By Justin Phillips

Trick Dog has released its 14th semiannual cocktail menu, the Whole Dog Menu, which is inspired by the Whole Earth Catalog, which served as a how-to manual and literary review during the late 1960s and ...

Say goodbye to Boot & Shoe Service and hello to Sister

By Janelle Bitker

The rebrand is an effort to further distance the Oakland restaurant from former owner Charlie Hallowell, who had been accused of sexual harassment.

Mama, Oakland’s new wine-focused, sub-$30 red-sauce joint,

By Esther Mobley

“The Bay Area and Oakland in particular are in a bit of a tricky time right now, in terms of gentrification,” says Stevie Stacionis. “We really felt there was an opportunity for a restaurant that ...

Big changes for Namu crew: Namu Gaji moves to SoMa, Namu Stonepot

By Justin Phillips

Namu Stonepot will replace Namu Gaji on Dolores Street following the recent completion of the building’s city-mandated seismic retrofit. Namu Gaji will move to the former home of the Perennial on 9th ...

Foxsister to close and become Italian-focused Great Gold

By Justin Phillips

The Mission District’s buzzy, Korean restaurant Foxsister will close next month and become Great Gold, an Italian comfort food spot that will have a menu section dedicated to spaghetti and red sauces. ...

The Damel brings the flavors of Brazil, Senegal and Argentina to

By Justin Phillips

Late last month in Uptown Oakland, one of the hottest restaurant neighborhoods in the East Bay, The Damel, quietly opened on Broadway with food from Brazil, Senegal and Argentina. The buzzy new ...

Two San Francisco restaurants make World’s 50 Best Restaurants

By Janelle Bitker

Atelier Crenn and Benu earned spots on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time this year.

Matt Horn is the future of Bay Area barbecue

By Justin Phillips

Matt Horn is an Instagram-friendly rising star in the national barbecue scene. It’s an unprecedented ascent for someone who only a few years ago had never barbecued for more than just his close friends.

At long last, 4505 Burgers & BBQ opens Oakland restaurant

San Francisco barbecue outfit 4505 Burgers & BBQ will open the doors to its first East Bay location on Friday in Oakland’s Laurel District.

‘Some rich guy saved us:’ SF butcher shop Avedano’s will

By Janelle Bitker

Bernal Heights butcher shop Avedano’s Holly Park Market announced it would permanently close June 30. Thanks to an angel investor, the San Francisco shop has changed course and will reopen in September ...

The wait is almost over: Tartine sets July 15 opening date for

By Justin Phillips

Tartine’s forthcoming Inner Sunset location has an official opening date of July 15. The project is just one of many for the ambitious San Francisco outfit.

New San Francisco restaurant Northpoint opens with

By Janelle Bitker

Northpoint Bar & Restaurant arrives with the $30 million redesign of the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Its hope for a claim to fame? Guacamame.

Two Bay Area restaurants make World’s 50 Best Restaurants

By Janelle Bitker

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants announced its runners-up Tuesday. So far this year, the only Bay Area entries to the elite global restaurant list are Saison and Single Thread.

Mission Pie becomes the latest closure to break San Francisco’s

By Janelle Bitker

Popular bakery Mission Pie will close Sept. 1 after 12 years in San Francisco. The culprit? The rising costs of doing business and living in the Bay Area.

Latin American cocktail bar Elda opens in the Mission this week

By Janelle Bitker

New cocktail bar Elda opens in the Mission this week with mezcal, natural wine and Latin American food.

Q&A;: Ayesha Curry on teaching kids how to give back, Mina Test

By Justin Phillips

Ayesha Curry volunteered at a San Francisco summer meals site on Monday for No Kids Hungry, which is part of the national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. In 2017, through her involvement, No ...

Verve Coffee Roasters opens first Palo Alto cafe this week

By Janelle Bitker

Santa Cruz’s Verve Coffee Roasters is bringing flash brew and Manresa Bread treats to its first Palo Alto cafe this week. It’s Verve’s second Bay Area location after San Francisco.

Seven Stills to take over former Almanac taproom in San

By Justin Phillips

San Francisco brewery and distillery Seven Stills is taking over the former Almanac Beer Co. taproom in the Mission District. Seven Stills also has a brewery near the Warriors’ new Chase Center home .

Daily Driver opens, bringing house-made bagels, butter to San

By Tara Duggan

Along with being one of the only creameries in San Francisco, Daily Driver makes bagels in a wood-fired oven and has a roaster where Oakland’s Red Bay Coffee produces coffee.

Misfits’ Bakehouse rises from the gluten-free ashes of Ducks &

By Janelle Bitker

Popular gluten-free bakery Ducks & Dragons has closed, but one of its founders is ready to bake again as Misfits’ Bakehouse.

Gioia Pizzeria opens New York-style slice shop in Hayes Valley

By Justin Phillips

Gioia Pizzeria’s new San Francisco location opened Friday in Hayes Valley. According to owners Will and Karen Gioia, who closed a larger location on Russian Hill last year, the smaller space is the best ...

Mahila gives San Francisco an introduction to Malaysian mamak

By Justin Phillips

Azalina Eusope is opening the doors to Mahila in Noe Valley. It’s the city’s first restaurant focused on mamak cuisine, a cooking style from Muslim Indians in Malaysia.

Former San Francisco fine dining chef opens Mägo, a neighborhood

By Justin Phillips

After closing San Francisco restaurants AQ and Fenix, Mark Liberman has landed in Oakland with his first East Bay restaurant called Mägo. The open-kitchen venture evokes the idea of a dinner party, with ...

After 12 years in San Francisco, Mission Beach Cafe closed after

By Justin Phillips

The San Francisco Department of Public Health closed Mission Beach Cafe on Friday due to health code violations that first surfaced in January. In business for 12 years, the restaurant was one of the ...

Impossible Whoppers now for sale at all Bay Area Burger Kings

By Janelle Bitker

About two months after Burger King announced its deal with Impossible Foods, the plant-based burgers are finally available at all 111 Bay Area locations.

Return of the Starks: Willi’s Wine Bar reopens in Santa Rosa

By Justin Phillips

Santa Rosa’s popular Willi’s Wine Bar reopened last week after burning in the Tubbs Fire in 2017. During the reopening process, which coincided with the final season of “Game of Thrones,” owners ...

Oakland brunch destination Grand Lake Kitchen opens ambitious

By Janelle Bitker

Grand Lake Kitchen has opened its second location in Oakland’s Dimond district. It is almost twice as big as the original, with an outdoor patio, retail section and more.

San Francisco French dining hub One65 brings $250 tasting menus

By Justin Phillips

One65 in Union Square, the six-floor French dining complex, is officially opening the last of its four interconnected restaurants — O’ by Claude Le Tohic. The fine dining spot has a tasting menu ...

Flour + Water Pizzeria opens in San Francisco’s Mission

By Justin Phillips

Ten years after opening in the Mission, Flour + Water has debuted a pizzeria spinoff at 18th and Valencia. Arguably the most interesting component is the restaurant’s to-go window, with $8 slices.

Chick-fil-A heads for Redwood City, sparking discussion on

By Janelle Bitker

Chick-fil-A is coming to Redwood City, and San Mateo County supervisor David Canepa plans to fight it. The fried chicken sandwich chain has become synonymous with its CEO’s stance against same-sex marriage.

Michael Mina closes Mina Test Kitchen and Instagram-friendly U

By Justin Phillips

Say goodbye to the Mina Test Kitchen, and hello to matcha floats.

Michelin releases 2019 California guide: Angler and Sorrel get

By Justin Phillips

Michelin Guide has released its first-ever California edition, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and more.

San Francisco knife shop Bernal Cutlery to open new location

By Justin Phillips

Bernal Cutlery is taking over the old Paxton Gate’s Curiosities for Kids space on Valencia Street. Owner Josh Donald said the plan for a larger shop has been in the works for a while, but it was given a ...

San Francisco’s Verjus, the Quince spin-off wine bar, opens

By Janelle Bitker

Lindsay and Michael Tusk’s celebrated wine bar, Verjus, is going deeper into the lunch game with a takeout window.

Saison to close for eight-week summer remodel

By Justin Phillips

Michelin-starred Saison will close this summer for renovations. Chef Laurent Gras took over the kitchen after Joshua Skenes and said he has plans to change the interior while keeping the open kitchen.

San Francisco’s Alfred’s Steakhouse has temporarily closed

By Justin Phillips

Alfred’s Steakhouse, the oldest such establishment in San Francisco, has closed for renovations. The 90-year-old restaurant has been through a tumultuous period with multiple closures and ownership changes.

Rat-infested pop-up bar to open in San Francisco

By Justin Phillips

The same folks behind the San Francisco Dungeon at Fisherman’s Wharf are bringing a new pop-up to the city called the Rat Bar. The event will feature, among other things, an area where people can play ...

San Francisco’s first Nigerian restaurant is open

By Justin Phillips

Eko Kitchen, San Francisco’s first Nigerian restaurant, opened this month. Eventually, it will morph into something between a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant and a roaming pop-up.

Naked Lunch to close after 10 years in North Beach

By Justin Phillips

San Francisco gourmet sandwich business Naked Lunch will close next month. The restaurant resides in a historic North Beach space that once housed Enrico’s Sidewalk Cafe.

Bi-Rite Creamery to reopen with more space, new treats

By Janelle Bitker

Bi-Rite Creamery reopens after its three-month-long seismic retrofit June 1, and the place looks brand new. Renovations brought more space, more seating and more flavors.

Eddie Rickenbacker’s to become Henry Africa in fern-bar

By Justin Phillips

Eddie Rickenbacker’s will close next month after 37 years on Second Street. Plans are still in place for the old-school bar and burger spot to open a new location in the Transbay transit center.

Michelin Guide releases 2019 list of Bib Gourmand restaurants in

By Tara Duggan

For the first time, the Michelin Guide has released its Bib Gourmand list for California. The selection represents restaurants that the French guide recommends as a good value.

Its future in jeopardy, SF’s black-owned Isla Vida turns to

By Justin Phillips

Isla Vida, the black-owned Afro-Caribbean restaurant in the Fillmore, is on the verge of closing. It’s holding a fundraiser to try to stay open.

Jardiniere to be replaced by a vegan Italian restaurant called

By Justin Phillips

Less than a month after San Francisco’s Jardiniere closed its doors, new owners are taking over the space with an ambitious new restaurant that will focus on plant-based Italian fare.

Ichi Sando brings highly Instagrammable Japanese egg sandwiches

By Janelle Bitker

Ichi Sando is now open in Japan Center, specializing in labor-intensive and Instagram-ready tamago sandwiches from a fine dining chef.

LA’s famous giant doughnut shop, Randy’s Donuts, is coming

By Janelle Bitker

The 66-year-old Los Angeles shop might be the most recognized in the country, with its 32-foot-tall novelty doughnut seen in movies and television shows. Now, Randy’s Donuts is on an expansion tear, with ...

Former Drip Line chef brings her Singaporean-inspired fare to San

By Janelle Bitker

Nora Haron, formerly of Oakland’s Drip Line, is the new executive chef and partner at San Francisco’s Local Kitchen. She’s transforming the Cal-Italian wine bar with Singaporean and Indonesian flavors.

First part of One65, ambitious French dining hub, opens in SF’s

By Justin Phillips

One65 Patisserie and Boutique, the first floor of a sprawling six-story French dining complex, opened Thursday in Union Square, the first of four restaurants to open in the building .

Kaya closes in San Francisco’s Mid-Market

By Justin Phillips

Kaya in Mid Market has closed its doors a little more than a year after opening. The restaurant opened through a partnership between restaurateur Daniel Patterson and Oakland chef Nigel Jones. It hosted ...

Bernal Heights butcher shop Avedano’s to close after 12 years

By Janelle Bitker

Locals mourn the pending closure of Avedano’s Holly Park Market, which its owners say is due to rising rent, the labor shortage and competition with grocery delivery services.

American Express is buying Resy. Can it catch OpenTable?

By Janelle Bitker

American Express is acquiring Resy, an online reservation service that’s the main source of competition for San Francisco’s OpenTable. The move is expected to expand Resy’s presence worldwide.

Union Square’s new Sushi Nagai is set to be one of San

By Justin Phillips

San Francisco’s newest omakase restaurant, Sushi Nagai, has opened in Union Square with a $180 “promotional” menu. Over the next few weeks, the restaurant will roll out its regular menu priced ...

Dandelion Chocolate’s new tasting salon, Bloom, opens next week

By Janelle Bitker

The full-service salon sits within Dandelion Chocolate’s new Mission District factory, with chocolate-laced breakfast and afternoon tea.

Fast-casual chain Bamboo Asia to open 2 new Bay Area locations

By Janelle Bitker

San Francisco fast-casual lunch spot Bamboo Asia is expanding to a third SF location in the Financial District and a first restaurant in Oakland.

2019 James Beard awards go to El Pípila, Bar Agricole and Benu

By Justin Phillips

The James Beard Foundation announced its 2019 restaurant award winners, but the Bay Area winners were few.

‘8 years ago I was selling candy on the subway:’ chef Kwame

By Justin Phillips

The James Beard Award nominee, author and executive chef at Kith and Kin, an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Washington, D.C., spoke with The Chronicle about his rising star success.

Brandon Jew looks to expand San Francisco empire with Mamahuhu in

By Justin Phillips

Brandon Jew, the chef-owner of San Francisco’s Mister Jiu’s and the newly opened Moongate Lounge, is planning to open Mamahuhu in a former Asian market in the Inner Richmond.

Why I’m going to miss Lucca Ravioli so much

By Omar Mamoon

A goodbye love letter to the Mission staple, which has closed, but is not forgotten.

Che Fico’s new store, Alimentari, is a dramatic showcase of

By Justin Phillips

After closing the doors to sister project Theorita, the Che Fico crew is opening a grocery store/restaurant in the same space called Alimentari. The new concept is anchored by the talent of Che Fico’s ...

With Velvet 48, Burlingame gets a new wine bar focused on

By Janelle Bitker

Velvet 48 will stock more than 400 wines from around the world when it opens May 3.

The Vault opens its doors to the Financial District crowd

By Justin Phillips

The new FiDi fine dining restaurant, the Vault, opens today on the ground floor of 555 California St. Aesthetically, the 5,000-square-foot venture is an ode to upscale 1960s and 1970s-era East Coast ...

At Besharam, chef Heena Patel and Daniel Patterson part ways

By Janelle Bitker

Formerly part of Daniel Patterson’s Alta Restaurant Group, Besharam is entering a new chapter as chef-owner Heena Patel assumes full control of the restaurant.

Cocktail star Jennifer Colliau's Here's How opens in Uptown

By Justin Phillips

Bar industry veteran Jennifer Colliau’s first solo project, Here’s How, is open in Uptown Oakland. The 3,500-square-foot space has several lounge areas, including a private room with its own bartender.

Bini’s Kitchen is now serving its highly touted Nepalese

By Justin Phillips

Bini’s Kitchen has opened in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood at the corner of Sixth and Howard streets. For owner Binita Pradhan the dazzling new space is the culmination of a journey that ...

SF’s Commonwealth restaurant may close or move amid lease

By Paolo Lucchesi

Commonwealth’s days look to be numbered — at least in its current location.

Ballast Point Brewing cancels plans for San Francisco brewery

By Justin Phillips

Plans have been scrapped for Ballast Point’s brewery near the Golden State Warriors’ forthcoming Chase Center in Mission Bay.

Sam’s Anchor Cafe, with 99 years on Tiburon’s waterfront, is

By Justin Phillips

Sam’s Anchor Cafe, the historic Tiburon waterfront restaurant, reopens this week after an extensive remodel. The owners are also adding outdoor performances and a revamped menu, hoping to embrace the ...