Here's what you should be putting in your mouth now, from tater tot casserole to a James Beard nominee's menu for Sprig.
Tater Tot Casserole at the W Hotel
My colleagues who hail east of the 5 freeway explain to me that this dish, which sounds like it was created in God's kitchen, is very popular. "Hot plates" is the genre under which this gem falls. Starting on April 2, the SoMa hotel will launch Throwback Thursdays in the Upstairs lounge, featuring cocktails, music from the '80s, '90s, and early '00s, and yes, the tater tot casserole.
$1 oysters + fry bread taco specials happy hour at El Capitan
Chef Mark Furr’s Latin and Caribbean-inspired fare landed in SoMa this month when El Capitan opened at Seventh and Folsom. This week, they announced a new happy hour deal: From 5-7 pm Tuesday through Saturday, you can score $1 oysters, 3 fry bread tacos for $10 (current taco offerings include pork cheek, oxtail, nopales + mushroom and grilled rock cod), $2 "snacks" (plantain chips, chicharrón), and $2 off ceviche dishes (coconut ceviche, mango ceviche, house ceviche).
SPQR's Matthew Accarrino teams with Sprig
Beloved SPQR chef Matthew Accarrino will create Sprig's menu on Thursday. You can choose from three dishes: Meyer lemon chicken with salsa verde, carrot chickpea mash, rice salad and red frill mustard greens and almonds; roasted potato and ricotta lasagna with tomato braised breadcrumb “meatballs” and broccoli pesto and salad; and fennel roasted beef, polenta with whole grain buckwheat and Oregon blue cheese and arugula-asparagus salad with white balsamic dressing. Order early. He's bound to sell out early.
Foie gras cocktail shtick at Pabu
Downtown sushi joint Pabu is now offering a foie gras whiskey cocktail. It's called the Old Foieshion. Not only is the cocktail infused with foie gras, it also comes adorned with a hefty slice of the once-banned fatty goose liver. Also, the drink will run you a cool $27. Outrageous.
