Can you believe how quickly fall is flying by? And each month the Bay Area continues to welcome new and exciting restaurants. Here are some of the newest additions to our already fabulous culinary scene.
Motze
Motze, a new Mission pop-up by chefs Cortney Burns and Nick Balla (formerly of Tartine), just opened in the former Herbivore space on Valencia Street. The name Motze comes from a fifth-century philosopher who advocated simplicity, transparency, and universal love. Applying these principles, Motze will try to tackle some restaurant-industry problems, including tipping, food waste and sustainability. The restaurant will also be paper free, with a daily changing chalk board menu based on the produce they receive from Yountville's Full Table Farms. They're also including tip in the price of each dish and not printing receipts (although they're available if requested). With a very minimal kitchen (think one six-burner gas stove), the team is aiming to reduce energy consumption and waste through the use of whole animals and unprocessed vegetables. The three-course menu ($58) is served family style with generous portions of fermented sushi, homemade mung bean noodles and tofu and narezushi and black koji bread with salmon roe with sides of cucumbers with lentil miso and yogurt followed by desserts.We're partial to the black kofi bread as any Tartine regular knows, Cortney Burns and Nick Balla are bread experts. // Open Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30pm-10pm, 983 Valencia St. (Mission), motze.xyz
Elite Cafe exterior(Courtesy of Elite Cafe)
(The reopening of) Elite Café
Pacific Height residents are ecstatic to have the historic Elite Café back (it reopened last month) under new owner Andy Chun of Sidecar Hospitality (Schroeder's, The Press Club). The exterior has not changed, however, the interior has been nicely updated by San Francisco-based BCV Architects, who repainted the dark mahogany booths in a rich gray, which provides a luxe background for brushed-gold fixtures and white marble tabletops. Executive chef Chris Borges, a New Orleans native, has updated the historically Southern menu with some new creole and cajun dishes such as chicken jambalaya and duck gumbo. (Don't worry, he's kept staples such as crawfish etouffée, fried chicken, and Elite's signature Meetinghouse biscuits). // Open weekdays from 5pm-2am and weekends from 9am-2am, 2049 Fillmore St. (Pacific Heights), theelitecafe.com
Sasaki
Michelin-starred chef Masa Sasaki of Maruya is opening his own restaurant, Sasaki, in the Mission. The intimate 12-seat spot will offer a prix fixe sushi menu for approximately $150 per person (the price varies based on what fish is available that day). The omakase menu will focus primarily on edomae sushi, which refers to the preparation style of sushi caught from the Tokyo Bay. Prior to refrigeration systems, chefs used techniques such as using persimmon wood cutting boards, bamboo leaves, wasabi root, pickled ginger and vinegar, etc., all which have a sterilizing power, to ensure the seafood ingredients were prepared and consumed safely. With technology this style has evolved to modern times. The restaurant's decor will feature elegant sleek woodwork from Oakland based Joinery Structures andspecially made essentials by Jin Yamanaka, who has also created servingware for Manresa, Saison, and Benu. // Two seating: Tuesday through Saturday, 5:45pm and 8:30pm, 2400 Harrison St. (Mission) sasakisf.com
True Kitchen Walnut Creek interior. (Courtesy of True Kitchen)
True Food Kitchen
With the recent Palo Alto and Walnut Creek openings of Phoenix-based True Food Kitchen, the Bay Area adds another healthy dining option for those seeking organic, gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, and vegan menu options. True Kitchen was founded on Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory diet in collaboration with co-founder Sam Fox of Fox Restaurant Concepts.Benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet have been proven to help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent with age. The root of the anti-inflammatory diet is to take popular food trends and pair them with healthy flavorful foods and a healthy lifestyle.Diners can enjoy dishes such as quinoa burgers, butternut squash pizza, chioggia beet bruschetta, Mediterranean quinoa salad, juices and cocktails including a citrus skinny margarita. // Open Monday-Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 10am-10pm, and Sunday 10am-9pm, 180 El Camino Real, Suite 1140 (Palo Alto), truefoodkitchen.com
The sleek ice cream equipment at Tartine Cookies and Cream.(Patricia Chang)
Tartine Cookies and Cream
The team behind Tartine Bakery and Tartine Manufactory just opened their newest project, an ice cream shop named Tartine Cookies and Cream. Located in a corner of Tartine Manufactory, the space showcases sleek ice cream machinery and ice cream bowls from their neighbor, Heath Ceramics. The menu includes soft serve made with buffalo milk, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream pies. Opening soft serve flavors include Concord grape sorbet, Askinosie dark-chocolate ice cream, fior di Latte ice cream and Ethiopian Yukro-infused coffee ice cream. Toppings include salty-spicy pineapple and pistachio streusel. There will be six additional flavors debuting in the near futureas well as ice cream sandwiches made with Tartine's famous cookies. Just in time for holiday parties, TCC also offers ice cream pies including lemon ginger, peanut butter and jelly (concord grape sorbet swirled with fior di latte and topped with peanuts), and rocky road. // Open daily,11am-5pm, 595 Alabama St (Mission), tartinemanufactory.com
Choose your style spread at Tava Kitchen.(Courtesy of Tava Kitchen)
Tava Kitchen
Another fast-casual concept arriving in the Bay Area is Tava Kitchen, which blends the flavors of South East Asia, including India, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, while highlighting the best ingredients of Northern California. The menu features entrees such as spicy Rendang beef, lamb meatballs, signature chicken tikka masala, and sides that include baked marble potatoes with tava spice, crunchy kale and quinoa with masala vinaigrette and chilled brussel sprouts with mint chutney. // Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm, 2640 5th Street (Alameda), tavakitchen.com
Weekly Sunday meal prep at sweetgreen preparing all the weekly fresh goodness.(Courtesy of sweetgreen)
Sweetgreen
Founded in 2007, Sweetgreen is a culinary destination offering healthy flavorful food. Using locally sourced organic ingredients from established farmers and purveyors, the goal of Sweetgreen is to bring the freshest food possible to their guests. Dishes include shroomami, pesto portobello and bay bowls with fillings such as quinoa, lettuce, tofu, protein and rice options. There are also various salads such as a Rad Thai, hummus tahina and a kale caesar to name a few. Some of the seasonal menu items include chicken and Brussels, cranberry ginger fresca, and curry cauliflower. There really are endless healthy eating options to be found. // Open Monday-Friday 10:30am-9pm and Saturday 10:30am-7pm, 171 2nd St (SoMa), sweetgreen.com
