Looking for somewhere new to eat? We’ve got you covered. Here’s your monthly cheat sheet of five brand-new places that recently opened around town.
Whether you are into exploring new cocktails or happen to really appreciate stellar prime rib, Charles Phan’s latest project in the former Heaven’s Dog space in SoMa has you covered. Phan (with chef de cuisine Ross Wunderlich) is doing “British food done well,” as he puts it. While the interior isn’t very English or classic, the menu is, with beef tartare with fried smelt, skate wing with brown butter and capers, and again, don’t miss the prime rib with Yorkshire pudding. Bar manager Erik Adkins and John Codd are doing a historically inspired cocktail menu, with 16 in all (think punches, cups, cobblers, and some farmhouse/rural drinks). Start with the Regent’s Punch and finish with the Wall-E-Bear (hic). There are also two cask-conditioned ales on offer. Dinner only. 1148 Mission St. @ 7th St.
This beloved local sushi bar is now open in their newer, larger digs, which means the offering has expanded a bit too. There is a 30-seat sushi counter in the front plus some table seating, while the back area (Ni Bar), is where you’ll find a menu of izakaya-style dishes—it’s an ideal place to hang out while you wait for a coveted spot at the sushi counter. Then again, drinking sake and eating chef Tim Archuleta’s amazing yuzu chicken wings can be an event in and of itself. Another killer pairing: the miso Asari clams and the new Almanac special chef collaboration beer: ICHIBIER (it has notes of shiso and yuzu). Dinner Mon–Sat. 3282 Mission St. @ 29th St.
Chez Pim’s Pim Techamuanvivit has opened a very personal restaurant project in the Parc 55 Hotel—she has been working closely with chef de cuisine Michael Gaines on a Thai menu that is all about quality, seasonal, and handcrafted ingredients, from the labor-intensive curries to the many sauces. Start with the fried duck egg salad, move into the pretty hot wings, and the Dungeness crab noodles will make you forget pad thai forever. There’s also a cocktail menu from the Bon Vivants (check out the Sao Thai or Rasa Umami with turmeric-lime cordial). You’ll want to book a reservation if you can (there’s a lot of opening buzz on this place). Dinner nightly 5:30pm–11pm, with late night bar bites until 1am, and cocktails until 2am. You can park in the Parc 55 Hotel ($12 for 2 hours)—if there’s room. Entrance at Mason and Ellis.
This new café from the AQ team in the ODC building in the Mission has quite the morning lineup for you: De La Paz espresso drinks and housemade English muffins and pastries (thanks to former AQ pastry chef Maya Erickson), while lunch is all about sandwiches, fresh salads, and soup (follow their Facebook page for menu updates). The space is also hosting pop-up businesses, from Tango & Stache slinging tacos (banh mi tacos, yes please) on Fridays to Bespoke Doughnuts on Saturdays. Open Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm and Sat 9am–6pm, and they also remain open during ODC performances. 3153 17th St. @ Shotwell.
The former Washington Square Bar & Grill is now home to yet another new owner, this time it’s the Sons & Daughters team (Teague Moriarty and Matt McNamara). They’re trying out a more approachable American menu here, with bar snacks (baby artichokes), fried quail, a rack of baby back ribs for two, and yes, there's a cheeseburger. This is definitely the kind of food you want late night, and look at that, the kitchen is open until 1am. There’s also a full bar, and plenty of seats set aside for walk-ins (plus there’s a communal table). The look is modern tavern-meets-American bistro, and the vibe is meant to be very come as you are. Dinner Wed–Sun 5pm–1am. 1707 Powell St. @ Union.
Marcia Gagliardi is the founder of the weekly tablehopper e-column; subscribe and get more food news and gossip at tablehopper.com. Follow her on Twitter: @tablehopper.
