Patricia Unterman takes a stab at Gitane this week, which recently welcomed new chef Bridget Batson, and Patti writes, "The very first thing I tasted, calamares from the wood-fired oven, knocked me over." She also adores the caille (roasted quail),...
• Following the death of founder Rocky Aoki, fights for control rage on between the management of the Benihana chain, Aoki's children, and their stepmother, a former Miss Tokyo. [Daily Finance via CHOW] • An update on the standoff between...
• Attention welfare recipients: You can no longer use your state-issued debit cards in strip clubs. [Tribune] • The folks at Nova in SoMa really hate L.A. [Hoodscope] • Shouldn't this crush of new restaurant openings be a sign that...
• Claiming that servers and bartenders tend to under-report their tip-based income, the IRS has ramped up service-industry audits. [Marketplace/NPR] • Schmidt's has a crazy upstairs neighbor who complains a lot and keeps telling patrons outside that she got sick...
Kauffman digs the disconnect between the decor and the food at Bruno's; Bauer renews Rivoli's three stars; Unterman devours her quail and farro at the reopened SPQR.
The city will be divided this weekend between those who converge on the northern waterfront for the air show and those who eschew it. We've got you covered either way.
• Michael Bauer stopped by 54 Mint for a two-star meal of "rustic farmhouse cuisine at its best" that nonetheless lost some points for the chaotic atmosphere and spotty service. It's real-deal Italian food, though, with "a generosity of spirit...
Mission: Schmidt's is now serving dinner after getting their beer and wine license. [SFoodie] Hayes Valley: Absinthe has started offering a $16 three-course prix fixe, including chef's choice of appetizer (likely a salad or something like that), a sandwich, and...
