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In case you haven't heard, The Simpsons Movie he ruled the box office this weekend, proving that America's favorite animated family is as popular as ever. So with the help of everyone's favorite toy/sensation on the interwebs, Simpsonize Me, we present to you the stars of the Food Network, simpsonized.

Mario Batali:

Rachael Ray:

Alton Brown:

Emeril:

Bobby Flay:

Giada De Laurentiis:

Guy Fieri:

Around the Menuniverse, it's been a very entertainment-centric week.

MP: Boston shared first-date destinations and showed us how to turn a banana into a Jello shot.

MP: Chicago found a forty-year anniversary party and looked forward to the upcoming television season.

MP: Philly met the king of tailgates and enjoyed some salsa made by the Wild Thing.

Guys of San Francisco, are you sick of hearing about all those great estrogen-heavy events and openings that you have trouble participating in?

Fear not, ye men who subscribe to Daily Candy. Enter Thrillist San Francisco, just the thing for finding the hot spots and best deals around our fair city:

Thrillist is a daily email for guys, by guys, covering the things that guys care about -- from the police auction unloading drug-runners' confiscated 'Vettes, to the swanky, open bar event where you'll either pull the girl of your dreams, or be 86'd when "ti many martunis" cause you to upend the shrimp tray, then continue eating shrimp.

We know you already know what's up in SF -- we just want you to know more. We promise the places we put you on to will make your mother shudder. If they don't, you might need a new mother.

Seriously though, Thrillist is a really great resource for uncovering hidden cheap eats and getting the jump on new restaurant openings (among other things), so we heartily recommend subscribing to the newsletter; we're already on the list.

Get Ready for Thrillist SF [Thrillist]

We're big fans of Alton Brown, so we had to post this video of his appearance on Letterman a while back. In promoting his 2003 book, "Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen", Brown decided to share some creative highly unorthodox uses for household products in cooking. He shared homemade 12-hour yogurt, a cheese-wire-keyring slicer, a trashcan smoker, a record player icing machine, and our personal favorite, the charcoal starter steak searer. Have no idea what we're talking about? Watch the video.

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in the Sunset.

• Dragonfly, 420 Judah St (At 9th Ave), 415-661-7755

• Ha's Restaurant, 2333 Irving St (Btwn 24th & 25th Ave), 415-665-6033

• Lakeside Cafe, 2529 Ocean Ave ( Btwn 19th Ave & Junipero Serra Blvd), 415-337-0359

• Noriega Teriyaki House, 1755 Noriega St (At 25th Ave), 415-664-7766

• Olive Garden, 3251 20th Ave (Near Stonestown Galleria), 415-661-6770

• Seniore's Pizza, 2415 19th Ave (At Taraval St), 415-661-2222

• Thai Cottage, 4041 Judah St (Btwn 45th & 46th Ave), 415-566-5311

• The San Francisco Drunken Dining Guide, brought to by Gridskipper. On the list (among others): Pizza Orgasmica, El Farolito and Grubstake. Not on the list: Taqueria San Jose and the always fine Mel's Drive-In, but all in all, a pretty darn good list. [Gridskipper SF]

• Many North Beach goers have found a Nua favorite wine bar/restaurant. [Bay Area Bites]

• Now he's done it. Bauer's take on the LA dining scene has (predictably) sparked some controversy. [Eater LA, Between Meals]

• Happy National Cheesecake Day! [The Grinder]

This weekend, in the wake of tragedy and waning business, Hoss Zaré served his last meals at his eponymous Napa bistro. However, Zaré's Persian-Californian cuisine will only be put on hold as he reassesses the shattered world around him.

In the first half of 2007 Zaré nearly simultaneously lost both of his parents; his father was murdered in his native Iran and his mother passed soon thereafter. With his restaurant struggling through as it was--he admits he didn't do sufficient research on Napa--he finally decided to concede (temporary) defeat:

“It was a tough decision, but I realized it didn’t make sense to invest in building a new restaurant and not get income for 12 months of the year,” he said. He had decided to close Zaré next November, but then moved the closing date up, so that he can take some time off before he moves on to his next restaurant venture. “I was losing my passion,” he said. “For the first time, I’m taking six months off. I’m going to travel in Europe, visit restaurants, get new ideas.” He is unable to return to Iran, he noted.

Zaré shuts its doors [The Napa Valley Register]
Bistro Zaré [Official Site]

Michael Bauer dropped a somewhat disappointing one-and-a-half stars upon Peruvian restaurant Essencia yesterday. The upscale Hayes Valley joint, run by Anne Gingrass-Paik (one of the original chefs at Postrio), takes one too many overpriced and ill-advised forays into modern Peruvian-Californian cuisine for Bauer's sensibilities:

While I love the idea of giving cuisines an interpretive twist, in this case the twists take a wrong turn, beginning with the bread. The three or four irregular chunks of baguette tossed on a saucer look like leftovers. I first thought it was a mistake and cut the kitchen some slack, but after the third visit, I realized that was the way it was supposed to be. Why?

And why is the kampachi ceviche ($12) doused with so much mustard-yellow hot pepper sauce that it destroys everything but the texture? Dish after dish, I wondered why.

Essencia's upscale Peruvian fare is hit-and-miss [SFGate]
Essencia [Official Site]

• But for wine tasting, some recommend skipping the crowded Napa Valley in favor of the Paso Robles region. [Forbes]

• Crossroads Cafe gets the Bargain Bites spotlight this week, and for good reason: grilled cheese and tomato on griddled sourdough sounds pretty delicious. [SFGate]

• A new Frjtz opened its doors in the Mission. [Zagat Buzz]

• The California Department of Public Health issued a notice about ginger imported from China, so unless you enjoy pesticides, you probably want to avoid ginger for a bit. [KTVU]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Italian restaurants of all shapes and sizes.

• Bambino's Ristorante, 945 Cole St (At Carl St), 415-731-1343

• Brindisi Cucina Di Mare, 88 Belden Pl (Btwn Kearny & Montgomery, Pine & Bush), 415-593-8000

• Cafe Tiramisu, 28 Belden Pl (Btwn Kearny & Montgomery, Pine & Bush), 415-421-7044

• Il Fornaio, 1265 Battery St (At Greenwich St), 415-986-0100

• Ottimista Enoteca-Cafe, 1838 Union St (Btwn Laguna & Octavia St), 415-674-8400

• Pane e Vino, 1715 Union St (At Gough St), 415-346-2111

In one of the more entertaining news items of the week, Aquafina announced that its labels will clearly state that their bottled product is really just tap water. According to the AP report, a group called Corporate Accountability International is in the midst of a water crusade of sorts, intent on getting bottled water companies to stop misleading the public when it comes to water sources. With Aquafina's newfound admission, it seems they've slayed their biggest adversary; Aquafina (owned by PepsiCo) is the most prominent bottled water brand in the country. Up next: Dasani:

The corporate accountability group is also pressing for similar concessions from The Coca-Cola Co, which owns the Dasani water brand.

Dasani's Web site says that Dasani comes from local water supplies and is then filtered.

"We don't believe that consumers are confused about the source of Dasani water," Coca-Cola spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante said. "The label clearly states that it is purified water."

Regardless of what happens to Dasani, the Aquafina label bombshell will surely make consumers think twice about shelling out $2 for a bottle of water that could just as easily come from the sink. Will this affect your bottled-water-buying ways?

Aquafina Labels: It's Tap Water [Forbes]

OK, maybe just in the food and wine world.

In any case, it seems that people either loathe or love the pink wine. Particularly now that it's summertime, the rosé debate rages on, strong as ever. For many, rosé is a cooling poolside beverage or the perfect complement to a relaxing al fresco dinner, yet to others, like Times wine blogger Eric Asimov, it's just not that great.

Ray Isle, the senior wine editor at Food & Wine, responded to Asimov's sentiments on his own blog. He agreed that for some reason, there is a great deal "insipid" rosé wines floating around the vinosphere, but there is hope:

And I think part of their appeal is that they don't attract attention. It's perhaps the ur-complement wine, by which I mean that its role is to make something else—food, a spring day, your date, your dog, whatever—seem more appealing somehow.

As for us, rosé evokes memories of eating tapas in the middle of the afternoon on the Catalonian coast, with Mediterranean winds shaving sprinkles off the water and onto the mainland. With some fresh seafood, some tomato bread and maybe some jamon, the rosé will complete a relaxing afternoon escape from the grind of the work week.

Just make sure it's a good one.

Good Rosés [Tasting Room]
What to Do with Rosé [Tasting Room]
Rosé Reluctance [The Pour]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: All around town.

• Belden Taverna, 52 Belden Pl (Btwn Kearny & Montgomery, Pine & Bush), 415-986-8887

• Bissap Baobab, 2323 Mission St (Btwn 19th & 20th St), 415-826-9287

• Isa, 3324 Steiner St (At Lombard St), 415-567-9588

• Lark Creek Steak, 845 Market St (Btwn 4th & 5th St), 415-593-4100

• Little Star Pizza, 846 Divisadero St (Btwn McAllister & Fulton St), 415-441-1118

• Sauce, 131 Gough St (Btwn Oak & Page St), 415-252-1369

"Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life."
--George Bernard Shaw, who was born on this date (July 26th) exactly 151 years ago

Frisson [MenuPages]
Frisson [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: Flickr/Thomas Hawk]

In any case, Nigerian food, unlike its Eastern African counterparts, remains a rare commodity in the restaurant world, but Berkeley can now boast to have a rare representative. Luckily, Patricia Unterman's review of the just-opened Lagosia sheds a lot of light--for us at least--on the wonders and idiosyncracies of Nigerian cuisine:

[A dining companion] professionally pulled off a wad of gluey iyan (pounded white yam), rolled it into a ball, flattened it with her fingers and used it as a scoop for efo, a spinach and goat stew. I dropped my knife and fork and did the same thing.

This single change in the delivery system expanded the flavor, texture and tactile pleasure of eating the saucy, gently spicy dishes at Lagosia, a handsome new West African restaurant in Berkeley.

As for the actual dishes, here's what stood out:
• Scotch eggs ($4): "hard-boiled eggs encased in ground sausage, deep fried, cut into wedges and served with a sweet mayonnaise and mustard sauce"
• Suya ($6.95): "West African chicken kebabs in a spicy, ground peanut crust"
• Efo ($12.95): "... reminded me of an Indian spinach curry but with tender, mild, long-cooked goat"
• Jollof rice ($12.95): "A plate of aromatic, buttery red rice ... topped with spice-rubbed barbecued chicken with luscious fire-blackened skin"

Lagosia a nice intro to Nigerian cuisine [Examiner]
Nigerian Cuisine [Wikipedia]
Lagosia [Official Site]

Food Philosophy Video #3: Crab Rolls at Fisherman's Wharf [YouTube]
Nick's Lighthouse [MenuPages]
Nick's Lighthouse [Official Site]

Our favorite list and map blog, the always fun Gridskipper, has released a short list of San Francisco's best hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The list of six includes Split Pea Seduction (representing the ritz and glamour that is Sixth Street), Specs 12 Adler Museum, Connecticut Yankee, Sam Woh, Ryoko and Emmy's Spaghetti Shack.

We can't argue with the picks, but since we also have a penchant for diving, we've got a couple additions:

• Saigon Sandwiches: There must be a bahn mi place on the list and SS is our choice for a spicy combo sandwich.

• Jai Yun: Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's unlike the others on the list, but fits the moniker of "hole in the wall" restaurant (but not "dive"). It's one of those places you wouldn't know about unless you knew.

• Java House: Not so much a whole in the wall as a shack on the pier, Java House has been serving up burgers, dogs and beer to its faithful for as long we remember.

• Yamo: The Burmese gem on 18th and Mission has developed quite the following, particularly on Chowhound.

• Delicious Mission taqueria of your choice. It's not a dive list unless there's a Mexican joint somewhere.

What other hole in the wall places should be on the list? We welcome your comments. For more dives, check out Dive, the best food blog for local holes in the wall.

SF's Best Hole in the Wall Restaurants [Gridskipper SF]

[Photo courtesy: the conspicuously absent Dive]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Neighborhood Chinese restaurants.

• Abacus, 2078 Hayes St (At Cole St), 415-387-2828

• Ben Wah, 2786 California St (At Divisadero St), 415-921-0188

• Brandy Ho's, 217 Columbus Ave (At Pacific Ave), 415-788-7527

• Four Seas Restaurant, 731 Grant Ave (Btwn Sacramento & Clay St), 415-989-8188

• Hai Sun, 3137 Laguna St (Btwn Greenwich & Lombard St), 415-346-4792

• Lichee Garden, 1416 Powell St (Btwn Broadway & Vallejo St), 415-397-2290

• Mayflower Seafood, 6255 Geary Blvd (At 27th Ave), 415-387-8338

• Yum Yum House, 581 Valencia St (At 17th St), 415-861-8698

• A new book details an actor's relentless pursuit of top-notch wine and food in a new Italian life. Sounds like a must-read for both food enthusiasts and "L.A. Law" fans. Either way. [Jalapeno Girl]

• Manresa, arguably the second best restaurant in California, has been cooking bugs and moths ... for its biodynamic garden. [Chez Pim]

• There's a new website (www.bringsome.com) that helps expats find those precious, precious items that can be found in abundance at home (wherever that may be) but not in their current country. For example, there's one user by the name of mikenstn that wants a carton of Virginia Slims quite badly. [Gridskipper]

• This isn't food-related, but it's internet-related and drink-related. Yesterday, some of you web-surfer folk may have noticed that some of your favorite websites (Yelp, Technorati, Craigslist, Typepad et al.) were down for a period of time. At the time, it was assumed that the problem was related to yesterday's power outages in the Financial District (the affected sites all use datacenter 365 Main). Well, the truth is that it's because a drunk person "went beserk and f***ed up a lot of stuff." No, really. [Valleywag]

• Michael Bauer's take on Grant Achatz. [Between Meals]

The former Havana restaurant location, which was Mexican restaurant La Joya for less than a month, became Vietnamese Hue L'Amour in October. Hue, which closed earlier this month, was owned by the husband-and-wife team Doanh Huynh and Dao Diep. His family owns Huynh Vietnamese restaurants in Oakland (381 15th St.) and Walnut Creek (1512 Locust St.).

The Chatterbox [Tablehopper]
Inside Scoop [SFGate, last item]
Vignette [MenuPages]
Vignette [Official Site]
Hue L'amour [MenuPages]

It's not the biggest photo or the best quality, but the picture (right) of Barneys New York's storefront depicts an homage of sorts to the great Alice Waters. Aside from an innate adoration of her general brilliance (we're guessing), the real reason for the sign is the newfound partnership/synergy between Chez Panisse/the Water Empire and Barneys.

Barneys recently hosted a summer solstice dinner at their Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan to "raise awareness of the work of the Chez Panisse Foundation and to celebrate the launch of [Chez Panisse] partners and collaborators, dosa and Heath Ceramics." Both dosa and Heath products will now be sold at Barneys stores. For those of you unfamiliar with the CP partners, it is well-worth perusing the websites of dosa (clothes) and Heath (ceramic tableware, tiles). Both companies follow the Chez Panisse model of handcrafted techiniques, socially/environmentally responsible business practices and above all, excellent products.

Heath [Official Site]
dosa [Official Site]
The Chez Panisse Foundation [Official Site]

Michael Bauer, who has been known to discuss the wonders of New York dining, chronicles his trip to Los Angeles in this morning's Chronicle. Like a good San Franciscan, he takes the obligatory jabs at our rivals to the south ("What's the best way to determine the success of a restaurant in Los Angeles? Count the number of valet parking attendants outside.") as he takes us on a tour of the City of Angels with Los Angeles magazine restaurant critic Patric Kuh. The entire article is a fascinating read, rife with thought-out, logical comparisons between the two cities:

In the Bay Area, food is the driving force of successful restaurants. But in L.A., instead of paying attention to what's on the plate, just about everyone is rubbernecking to see who's in the house. Wasn't that Jake Gyllenhaal I saw at Cut, and Jason Biggs at Mozza?

Unlike San Francisco, where tourists constitute a hefty percentage of the patrons at popular places, the Los Angeles dining scene is fueled by locals. The city is so spread out, for example, that it's difficult for conventioneers downtown to get to the top restaurants without renting a car or paying their monthly mortgage payment for a taxi. People have to drive to get anywhere, so restaurants become destinations, with elaborate interiors and high prices.

Bauer briefly reviews the following Los Angeles restaurants in his article: BLD, Cut, Spago, Hatfield's, Patina, Jar, Pizzeria Mozza, Providence, La Terza and Lucques. [SFGate]

The Tablehopper in the Windy City and more reviews after the jump.

While Mr. Bauer went south, Ms. Tablehopper headed to the Midwest and took aim at Chicago's Avec. As seems to be a trend in Chicago--that town of nouveau dining--Avec is a quintessentially "forward" space with food to match:

This modern and minimalist restaurant is a like a long shotgun space, a wooden rectangular box sporting a Scando-sauna look: large slats of wood along the walls and floors, angular wood communal tables with bench seating, and a glowing installation of green wine bottles along the far back wall.

The rest: the Chowhounds have some surprisingly negative reports on A16 but not Oakland's Oliveto, 7x7 checks out Sebo, and down in the 'Loin, JATBAR hits up Saigon Sandwiches, "the most famous Vietnamese sandwich joint in the Bay Area."

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants on the water, or thereabouts.

• Bistro Boudin, 160 Jefferson St (At Taylor St), 415-928-1849

• Boulettes Larder, 1 Ferry Building (At The Embarcadero & Market St), 415-399-1155

• Butterfly, Pier 33 (At Bay St), 415-864-8999

• LuLu Petite, 1 Ferry Building (At The Embarcadero & Market St), 415-362-7019

• Neptune's Palace, Pier 39 (At The Embarcaderot), 415-434-2260

• One Market, 1 Market St (At The Embarcadero), 415-777-5577

• Teatro ZinZanni , Pier 29 (At The Embarcadero & Battery St), 415-438-2668

• Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Cafe, 1 Ferry Building (At The Embarcadero & Market St), 415-288-8630

• Wednesday, July 25th: At the W Hotel, XYZ continues its tradition of Sip and Splurge. It's decadent, rewarding and has something for everyone, from rare champagne paired with tuna carpaccio to vin santo paired with chocolate hazelnut cake.

• Saturday, July 28th: Every Saturday, Jack Falstaff's Executive Chef Jonnatan Leiva goes to the Farmers Market, whips up something nice from the day's finds and then shares his bounty. Tastings are a mere $5 and wine pairings are just $3. More information, including reservations, can be found on the official website.

• Wednesday, August 1st: The first Wednesday of the month means wine class at the Fifth Floor. For the August edition, Sommelier Emily Wine (real name) is putting together Wine and Cheese 101. Room in the class goes quickly, so hop to it.

• Saturday, August 18th and Sunday, August 19th: It's a cooking class ... for singles. TWO presents Hot Summer Nights. It's $80 a pop. Saturday is for the straights and Sunday is for the gays. People attending probably won't want to mix up the days. That'd be quite the waste of $80. But it would be a good story.

• And while we're in the area, an FYI: the restaurant at ballplayer haunt Roe is currently undergoing renovations, but the club is still up and running.

In yesterday's post on Between Meals, Chronicle food god Michael Bauer waxes poetic on the Bay Area's progressive nature when it comes to sustainable fish and organic produce. As he points out, this is a big deal elsewhere in the United States, but not so much in the Bay, where it's not all that unusual.

More notable is the new movement of "going green," and how the movement is not just limited to high-profile restaurants (he gives the example of Acme Chophouse), but also the little guys. Green restaurants don't limit their special ways to the dining room. According to Thimmakka, they " produce less air pollution, help reduce health care costs, use less paper, cut down less trees, help reduce our landfill fees, and use less toxic chemicals at their facilities." Official green restaurants are recognizable by the special logo (above right) in the window or door.

For those of you interested, here's the complete list of Thimmakka Certified Green Restaurants and here are the San Francisco representatives:

Acre Cafe
Adelita
Blondie's Bar
City Blend Cafe
Crissy Fields Center Cafe
Desiree
Elixir
La Cocina
Ramblas Tapas Bar
Roti
San Miguel Restaurant
Taste of the Himalayas
Warming Hut Restaurant
White Star

Thimmakka Certified Green Restaurants [Official Site]
The Bay Area's Green pastures [Between Meals]

This is the tart tatin from Le P'tit Laurent, the newest venture from Laurent Legendre, the man behind the successful Clementine. The little French bistro is located in the ever-growing Glen Park restaurant row [sidenote: Glen Park is totally the new Noe Valley, FYI], near the corner of Chenery and Diamond.

Thus far, reviews have been pretty positive across the board, both on Yelp and Chowhound. We're offically intrigued.

As always, send menus to us via email or fax (415.358.5770).

Le P'tit Laurent, 699 Chenery St (Btwn Carrie St & Diamond St), (415) 334-3235

[Photo courtesy: Yelper David G.]

A new study has revealed several juicy (no pun intended) tidbits about soda and you, and it turns out that there is evidence that suggests soda can be unhealthy. Though some soda-supporters are making a sensical argument that the scientific study merely prompts the question "is it the soda or the soda drinker?" (i.e., soda consumption is just one of many bad habits of unhealthy people), the wide ranging research project that studied about 3,500 men and women revealed the following tidbits, among others:

• "Frequent diet soda drinkers might save calories, but they face the same higher risk of heart disease and diabetes as people who drink sugary soft drinks every day"

• "[The study] found an association between daily soft drink consumption and an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome ... people with metabolic syndrome have a combination of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease, such as high blood pressure and elevated triglycerides."

• "'In this group of middle-aged adults, consumption of just one or more soft drinks per day seemed to increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome by about 50 percent,' whether the drink was artificially sweetened or not, [senior author of the Framingham Heart Study Doctor] Vasan said."

• "When compared to those who drank fewer than one soft drink daily, participants who drank one or more a day had about a 30 percent greater risk of developing new-onset diabetes, being overweight and having low levels of good cholesterol."

We guess it's true what they say about soda: you do it just for the taste of it. At least we now know why polar bears are well on their way to extinction. Feel free to add your own bad jokes in the comments section.

Diet Soda No Safer [SFGate]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: All types of trendy.

• 1550 Hyde Cafe & Wine Bar, 1550 Hyde St (At Pacific Ave), 415-775-1550

• Bix, 56 Gold St (Btwn Montgomery & Sansome St), 415-433-6300

• Brick, 1085 Sutter St (At Larkin St), 415-441-4232

• bushi-tei, 1638 Post St (At Laguna St), 415-440-4959

• CAV Wine Bar, 1666 Market St (Btwn Franklin & Gough St), 415-437-1770

• Chaya Brasserie, 132 The Embarcadero (Btwn Howard & Mission St), 415-777-8688

• Jardiniere, 300 Grove St (At Franklin St), 415-861-5555

• Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo Pl, Off Taylor St (Btwn Post & Sutter St), 415-931-3600

• MoMo's, 760 2nd St ( At King St), 415-227-8660

• Sutra, 100 Brannan St (At The Embarcadero), 415-593-5900

• Sam from Becks & Posh presents a guide for showing foreign visitors San Francisco's best dining and drinking destinations. It's like the food bible for tourists. [Becks & Posh]

• By looking to pass a bill that increases corn subsidies, Nancy Pelosi is experiencing the wrath of food activists. Don't mess with them, Nancy. They're scary. [The Grinder]

• As usual, Zagat's got the first look inside a new restaurant. This time, Cow Hollow's Palmetto. [Zagat Buzz]

• Nothing says delicious like oven cleaner in your ballpark french fries. Yum! [With Leather]

• Very sad news from Chicago: Alinea's Grant Achatz, easily one of the best chefs in the country, has been diagnosed with cancer. Here's wishing him a speedy recovery. [Diner's Journal]

In case you haven't noticed, it's summer, and from our several years of Los Angeles living, we can't think of many more quintessentially summer food items than fish tacos. They're light, refreshing and cheap, yet simultaneously satiate your cravings for greasy fried food and/or Mexican food. It's almost as if fish tacos are some sort of super food.

We digress.

For some reason, first-class fish tacos (despite their southern California copiousness and their easy preparation) are oddly scarce in the Bay Area. But there are delicious--though maybe not as good as our southern neighbors--fish tacos to be found in th city. So, with the help of our handy Find-A-Food apparatus, we're going fish taco-ing, after the jump. Join us, would you?

La Corneta Taqueria ($3.50): You have the option of grilled prawns or grilled salmon. Plus, for a dollar more, they'll load on beans, rice, meat, cheese, cucumber, sour cream, lettuse, tomato and salsa. Which is a lot.

Circolo: They usually aren't on the regular dinner menu, but Circolo's tempura fish tacos (with aji amarillo) grace the Happy Hour menu; you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal in town than the trendy Mission spot's dollar tacos.

Taylor's Automatic Refresher ($9.99): The price tag may or may not surprise you, based on your familiarity with the Ferry Building, but Taylor's puts out a pretty good grilled mahi mahi version. Plus, the cilantro sour cream will leave cilantrophiles wanting more.

Nick's Crispy Tacos ($3.25): Nick represents SoCal well with his "pescado baja style fried fish" with lime mayo. And they ain't soft.

Fresca: We had to put at least one upscale place on the list. Fresca's tacos feature battered and fried Mahi Mahi over soft corn tortillas, avocado Peruvian chile Aioli, cabbage and pickled onions with canario beans

[Photo courtesy: iExplore]

Instead of waiting until this afternoon's Blog Roundup, we thought it best to pass along this little tidbit from the folks over at SFist sooner than later.

You can submit entries at SFist for a dinner reception at the Michelin-rated Maverick. The reception, which is tomorrow evening, will celebrate the release of Eric Gower's new book, "The Breakaway Cook." Tickets are $35 for most folks, but if you win SFist's little contest, you can indulge in the prix fixe menu (complete with wine pairings) for free. Feeling luck?

What? More Contests? Win Dinner With The Breakaway Cook! [SFist]
Maverick [MenuPages]
Maverick [Official Site]

• Several dozens of doughnuts were harmed in Friday's 4.2 quake. [Examiner]

• Picnic tables and a divey facade are just part of the charm at Thee Parkside. [SFGate]

• A restaurant in New York's Long Beach community has begun to serve a variation of our very own cioppino. [NY Times]

• What to do with Spaniards? What to do? [Chowhound]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Neighborhood Thai places.

• Bambuddha Lounge, 601 Eddy St (Btwn Larkin & Polk St), 415-885-5088

• Banana House, 321 Kearny St (At Bush St), 415-981-9399

• Bangkok Best, 301 Kearny St (At Bush St), 415-362-2216

• Bangkok Noodles & Thai BBQ, 110 Powell St (At Ellis St), 415-397-2199

• Be My Guest Thai Bistro, 951 Clement St (At 11th Ave), 415-386-1942

• BKK, 1022 Bush St (Btwn Jones & Leavenworth St), 415-441-8150

• Crepe and Curry, 5 Embarcadero Ctr, 415-772-9900

• Sukhothai, 1319 9th Ave (At Irving St), 415-564-7722

• Swatdee Thai, 4166 24th St (Btwn Castro & Diamond St), 415-824-8070

• Thai Place II, 312 Divisadero St ( Btwn Page & Oak St), 415-552-6881

• The Grand Pu Bah, 88 Division St (At Townsend St), 415-255-8199

• G'skip provides a list of destinations in the Mission that are sure to seal the deal. Now we're not sure that the Mission is the best neighborhood for business dining, but ... oh. [Gridskipper SF]

• A food blogger gets an (excellent) article published in the Chron. The blogsphere is confused as to whether or not they should direct snarkiness toward it. [SFist]

• When the timing between courses is all messed up, who is really at fault in the restaurant? [Between Meals]

• Even McDonald's gets priced out of some cities. [Grub St]

MP: Boston experienced a big finale of her own this week--an evicted restaurant--as well as two things that are clearly the products of a mischievous wizard's erroneous spell: octopus ice cream and a doughnut-hawking supermodel.

MP: Chicago revealed a much-anticipated ending and then coped with the disappointment of something that was too hyped-up.

Finally, MP: Philly (rife with rabble-rousers of his own) celebrated a book not written by JK Rowling. Because you know, there are other books in the world.

*We made this part up. Rowling actually ends the book suddenly and prematurely. The cut to the black screen makes you check your TiVo, and you are left wondering what exactly happened.

Every Friday, we provide you with the best--and the worst--user reviews from the week. The following reviews are real, valid, submitted, unedited (except where marked) reviews from our various sites.

When it comes to user reviews, we've made it no secret that we encourage the sharing details that may be helpful to the common restaurant-goer. The bulk of our reviews discuss aspects of the restaurant that nearly everyone notices and cares about: atmosphere, service, cost, portion size and of course, the food itself. Sometimes, we get reviews that are helpful in other ways, like pointing out that there is a line on weekend mornings for Mama's:

Standing in line is worth the wait on Sunday morning for a memorable homemade breakfast experience. Very San Francisco.

omg! the meal my friends and i had was crazy. imperial rolls, chicken salad, roasted crab, garlic noodles, and fbi. nothing could have been better. even the prices are better than the other crab houses in the city. in short, best place for crab.

Most disturbing of all we discovered photos of Hindu deities in restrooms.

Crazy ice cream flavors aren't just for Iron Chefs.

As part of the epic celebration/promotion of the upcoming Simpsons movie, Ben & Jerry's will share a very special creation with the masses at the film's Springfield, VT premiere: a Homer-inspired beer and doughnut ice cream:

The flavor, called Duff & D'oh-Nuts, is described by the company as a combination of chocolate and cream stout ice creams with glazed chocolate doughnuts. Homer Simpson, the overweight, dopey father in the longstanding popular Fox cartoon, has a penchant for beer and doughnuts.

What's the oddest ice cream flavor you've tasted?

Ben & Jerry's delivers Homerific ice cream [Times Argus]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Or, grade-A restaurants.

• Absinthe, 398 Hayes St (At Gough St), 415-551-1590

• Acme Chophouse, 24 Willie Mays Plaza (At Pac Bell Park), 415-644-0240

• Alioto's, 8 Fisherman's Wharf (At Jefferson & Taylor St), 415-673-0183

• Ame, 689 Mission St (At 3rd St), 415-284-4040

• Americano, 8 Mission St (At The Embarcadero), 415-278-3777

• Antica Trattoria, 2400 Polk St (At Union St), 415-928-5797

• Aziza, 5800 Geary Blvd (At 22nd Ave), 415-752-2222

Nothing says classic San Francisco like simple seafood, prepared in a simple seafood joint, so what better way to cap off your Thursday than with this Savory San Francisco video of the one and only Swan Oyster Depot?

Swan Oyster Depot [Savory SF]
Swan Oyster Depot [MenuPages]

TWO--and its prior incarnation, Hawthorne Lane--have been providing neighborhood workers with some of the better Happy Hour offerings and promotions in the entire city for some time now. Last month, the Hawthorne gem tapped into the mid-day market, and TWO-Go lunch boxes made quite the impact on SoMA lunchtime eaters. Today, the good folks behind TWO debut their Gourmet TWO-Go menu:

our Gourmet TWO-Go menu offers many of our house-made specialties for use in your kitchen. Our handmade sausages and smoked fish, our intensely flavored stocks and demi-glaces, our zippy vinaigrettes and our irresistible, ready-to-bake chive biscuits are just a mouse click away.

In any event, we've got the entire TWO-Go menu both on the main site and after the jump...

Box Lunches
Each Lunch Is $12 And Includes A Choice Of One Sandwich, One Salad And One Dessert. We Also Offer A Selection Of Designer Sodas At Additional Cost.
Roasted Beef Sirloin Sandwich
Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwich
Spicy Salmon and Egg Salad Sandwich
Roasted Artichoke and Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

Salad Choices: Bowtie Pasta Salad: with sweet basil pesto and toybox tomatoes. Spicy Coleslaw: with carrots and sweet onions. Quinoa Salad: with lemon and parsley.

Gourmet TWO-Go
Chive Biscuits Buttery 5.00
Sun-dried Tomato and Parmesan Cheese Sausage per pound 8.00
Smoked Lamb and Garlic Sausage per pound 7.00
Luis' Famous Chorizo per pound 7.00
Old Fashioned Smoked Liverwurst per pound 8.00
Spicy Pork & Fennel Seed Sausage per pound 6.50
Sonoma Lamb Pastrami Lean per pound 7.50
Double Smoked Bacon per pound 5.00
Pancetta per pound 5.00
Smoked Salmon per quarter pound 6.00
Chicken Stock Chicken per quart 5.00
Fish Stock per pint 3.00
Lamb Demi-glace per 8 oz 6.00
Veal Demi-glace per 8 oz 6.00
House Vinaigrette per 8 oz 4.00
Creamy Parmesan Dressing per 8 oz 5.00
Blue Cheese Dressing per 8 oz 6.50

TWO [MenuPages]
TWO [Official Site]

A little more than a year ago, a pair of restaurants opened in the direct vicinity of the Jewish Community Center on California and Presidio. Unfortunately, after several weeks of "will-they or won't-they," (415) and California Street Delicatessen & Cafe finally shut down. A similar struggle also came to a close at Senses, one of the Mission's nicer Californian-ish cuisine spots. Such is the life of a restaurant.

To round out our openings/closings news, we have two more related updates. One of our favorite Italian restaurants in the city, La Ciccia, is reopening tomorrow after a brief summer vacation, and Cow Holllow's Ottimista Enoteca-Cafe will be open at 2pm after a similar hiatus.

Gary Danko and Aqua alum Andy Kitko heads the crew at Palmetto, Union Street's newest restaurant. The menu is Mediterranean centric, with dishes from Southern France and Italy, Spain's Mallorca region, and the northern tip of Africa. This means that diners will be treated to a cornucopia of light, summery fare such as stuffed dates, melon soup and puttanesca. In traditional Mediterranean fashion, fish litters the menu, but there's plenty of hearty meats for carnivores (e.g., Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Creamy Polenta and Fig-Haricot Vert Salad).

Zagat Buzz has the scoop on Nickie's, the Haight Street bar that has gone from danky to swanky:

Nickie's, which was once a sweaty Lower Haight hole-in-the-wall, has been spruced up with wooden tables, banquette seating and stylish Japanese-style stools; a comfort-food menu is served until 10 PM, after which DJs spin funk, reggae, mash-ups and more...

Have experiences with the aforementioned places? Share them!

Palmetto [MenuPages]
Palmetto [Official Site]
Nickie's [MenuPages]
Nickie's [Official Site]
Nickie's in the Lower Haight Gets a Swank Remodel [Zagat Buzz]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Sushi restaurants.

• Akiko's, 431 Bush St (Btwn Kearny & Stockton St), 415-397-3218

• Fune Ya, 354 Clement St (Btwn 4th & 5th Ave), 415-386-2788

• Grandeho's Kamekyo, 943 Cole St (Btwn Carl St & Parnassus Ave), 415-759-8428

• Ichiraku, 3750 Geary Blvd (Btwn 2nd Ave & Arguello Blvd), 415-752-9666

• Nara Sushi, 1515 Polk St (At California St), 415-567-1515

• Sanraku, 101 4th St (At Mission St), 415-369-6166

• Sawaii Sushi, 226 Kearny St (Btwn Bush & Sutter St), 415-362-8558

• We Be Sushi, 538 Valencia St (Btwn 16th & 17th St), 415-565-0749

• Gluten-free cooking can be tricky, but there are plenty of options out there. [Bay Area Bites]

• Food Pornography 101, from one of the people behind the computer graphics from "Ratatouille." [Becks & Posh]

• Forget iPhones, the new in-demand items are ... shopping bags? [Chez Pim]

• The guide to Sam Spade's San Francisco. [Gridskipper SF]

You get this excellent video.

The commentary could use a bit of improvement (like when he says nothing but "...awesome!" after trying one pork bun) and the audio is a little low, but overall, we approve and look forward to future episodes of Dishola videos.

Restaurants/bakeries mentioned include Kay Cheung, Golden Gate Bakery, Eastern Bakery and Dishola's favorite, Mon Kiang.

Best BBQ Pork Bun in Chinatown [YouTube]
Dishola [Official Site]

See, not all professional athletes spend their time at trendy lounges, surrounded by San Francisco's, ahem, finest. According to the always-excellent Madame Tablehopper, All-Star Game MVP and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki spent the majority of his San Francisco visit dining at the Michelin-starred Quince:

Ichiro Suzuki ate at Quince two nights in a row last week. He celebrated his MVP status and his home run at the All Stars Game late into the evening, feasting on risotto with squash blossoms stuffed with lobster, local halibut carpaccio, risotto with petrale sole and extra vecchio balsamic. He was reportedly very gracious.

The starlet: July 17, 2007 [Tablehopper]
Quince [MenuPages]
Quince [Official Site]
Earlier: Where The Ballplayers Partied, Or, That Macy Gray Is So Hot Right Now [MenuBlog]

[Photo courtesy: Seattle Times]

The San Francisco Bay Guardian and Paul Reidinger, in an uncharacteristic show of bling, checked out The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton. He opted for the three course à la carte menu, which he lauds as a veritable bargain at $74. In typical Ron Siegel fashion, the highlights were the magicial fish courses:

Since it is king salmon season for the first time in several years, one took delivery of the fish with some sense of greeting a long-lost acquaintance. (The three-course option gives you choice of starter, main dish, and dessert, but there are also several set multicourse menus, one of them vegetarian.) The salmon turned out to be a wonderfully crisped, medium-rare square of filet, presented on a green and yellow blanket of béarnaise sauce and English-pea puree, with some wild-mushroom dice and baby leeks enhancing the sense of rich earthiness.

Sea bream en papillote, by contrast, struck an ethereal note. The fish, along with a bouquet of lemon verbena, was cooked to exquisite moistness in a glove of aluminum foil, which was presented whole before being cut open tableside. The dish also filled out our daily ration of pasta pillows; once the filet had been extracted from its crinkly lair, it was laid to rest on a handful of porcini ravioli, with lemon verbena sauce poured around.

The opposite end of the spectrum, post-jump.

Meredith Brody, in her visit to Tajine, mourns the loss of the original prices but is pleased overall with the state of affairs in the one-time Tenderloin (now on Polk) diamond in the rough:

Despite the higher prices, and the sad simplification of the couscous dish, Tajine is quite a find: an authentic little place that turns out tasty versions of traditional Moroccan dishes. Here you can feast on several courses or pop in for a salad, a spicy bowl of harira soup, or a snack — they do kebab sandwiches, with grilled chicken, lamb, kufta, or merguez tucked inside crusty rolls. But caveat emptor: Tajine is cash only.

The rest: Michael Bauer has high hopes for Sonoma's El Dorado Kitchen, Amanda Gold drops two stars on Larkspur's Ristorante Fabrizio, Carol Ness experiences highs and lows at Riva Cucina in Berkeley, the Hounds discuss Tres Agaves, and the Tablehopper recaps her New York trip.

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants with uncreative names.

• Chinatown Restaurant, 700 Washington St (At Wentworth Alley), 415-392-7958

• Ferry Plaza Seafood, 1 Ferry Building (At The Embarcadero), 415-447-4226

• Geary Street Pizza, 4124 Geary Blvd (At 5th Ave), 415-668-7600

• Indonesia Restaurant, 678 Post St (Btwn Jones & Taylor St), 415-474-4026

• La Taqueria, 2889 Mission St (At 25th St), 415-285-7117

• Marina Pizza, 2139 Lombard St (Btwn Fillmore & Steiner St), 415-931-3333

• Be sure to pick up an evening coffee, tea or delicacy at your neighborhood Tully's Coffee tonight. All day today, 15% of store proceeds go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For more information on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, please visit www.lls.org. And please visit Tully's tonight.

• Baseball fans will enjoy helping out Oakland's Children's Hospital & Research Center by attending Nick Swisher's Celebrity Bash on Wednesday, July 18th from 6:30pm-10pm at Pyramid Alehouse Berkeley. Tickets for the celebrity-studded event are $65 and going quickly.

• Oh, as reward for your good deeds, all bottles of wine are half-price at Lark Creek Steak for the entire month of July. It's also a good option if you're not in a "saving humanity" mood. Either way.

You've encountered the great SF paradox. The place you are looking for does not exist. Water, view, and tastiness exist in inverse relations to each other.

Our additions to the list, after the jump.

• Americano: We'll put money on Americano as the best al fresco dining spot in the city. Probably. It even got reviewed favorably by both Michelin and the Chronicle this summer.

• Java House: We don't care what anyone else says, there's nothing better than a cheap hot dog and a beer while sittin' on the dock of the Bay, watchin' the tide roll away.

• Out the Door: If Slanted Door is too exotic for your Midwestern visitors or too pricey for your blood, lunch at Out the Door is a good option. Sit outdoors at the Ferry Building, sample the best "fast food" in the city and cap off an impromptu gourmet meal with any number of dessert options in the building.

• Hornblower: Think outside the mainland. Hornblower's got many a dining option, from Sunday champagne brunch to romantic dinner cruises. Who knows what the food is like (details welcome), but there isn't a better vantage point of the city from the bay itself.

Mid-west guests want dinner with a view [Chowhound]

Just about 30 years ago, Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason revolutionized the world of vegetarian cooking, eating and living. It still remains a bastion of vegetarian fare, but as is the case with most innovators, Greens has spawned an entire generation of followers.

Chief among the disciples has long been Connecticut's famous Bloodroot, and now the Bloodroot folks are releasing a two-volume cookbook set, titled "The Best of Bloodroot." One volume is rife with vegetarian recipes, while the other concentrates on vegan only:

But flesh-eating hubris aside, this new two-cookbook set, The Best of Bloodroot, from the 30-year-old Connecticut restaurant, will open a window (and perhaps a few minds) on the kind of voluptuous, plant-based cooking that makes you forget about meat. It echoes the kindred spirit of Greens Restaurant at Fort Mason in San Francisco, which captured the meatless fancy 30 years ago.

Cookbook offers vegetarian recipes at their best [The Dallas Morning News]
Bloodroot [Official Site]
Greens Restaurant [MenuPages]
Greens Restaurant [Official Site]

As for Cafe Majestic, here's what Signore Bauer had to say:

One of [25-year-old chef Ian] Begg's strengths is the way he is able to come up with new ways to present popular items, such as foie gras. He sears the liver and places it on brioche over shavings of caramelized Brussels sprouts, which have the same earthy effect as truffles. He finishes the dish with a golden raisin sauce and splashes of vivid parsley oil.

When the waiter realized how much we liked the dish, he brought out one of the chef's experiments: foie gras ice cream with a small glass of sweet dessert wine. The glistening scoop looked like vanilla and had a similar creamy sweetness; the taste of foie gras hit at the end, the sensation cleared by a sip of wine.

It was an example of how servers go out of their way to enhance the experience. They're unobtrusive, but always there when you need them.

It's high time to discover the redone Cafe Majestic [SFGate]
Cafe Majestic [MenuPages]
Cafe Majestic [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: SF Survey]

• It's official: Bocadillos is a must-try. [Between Meals]

• Fort Mason was chocolate-y this weekend. [SFist]

• In today's shocking news of the day, a food critic feels airline food could use some improvements. [Diner's Journal]

• The Restaurant Whore found a new favorite website. Sadly it's not ours. You might be interested in it nonetheless. [Confessions of a Restaurant Whore]

The city's foremost vegan/organic/shojin-style eatery, Medicine Eat Station, is back from its temporary hiatus with a vengeance. The new, shorter menu has retained some of the greatest hits from past incarnations as well as adding some new items. For the early scoop, here's what Chow had to say on the updated version of Medicine:

Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation, the recently updated San Francisco restaurant, has retained its New Age-y air (the “loving-kindness to your body” motto; dishes with names like “clarity”), but the revised Japanese-inspired menu now includes prawns and fish (the only “animal ingredients” available). We scarfed down our soboro tofu rice bowl (ginger-chile-simmered tofu, seasonal veggies, shiitake mushrooms, and nine-grain rice) on our first visit, and our curry tofu rice bowl (fried tofu, steamed greens and seasonal veggies, curry sauce, nine-grain rice) on our second. But the pickled vegetables pickled our pucker ... Chowhounds ding Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation for its relatively high prices, but they advocate it for something different, a good place for mushroom-seekers and vegetarians.

Take Your Medicine [CHOW]
Medicine Eat Station [MenuPages]
Medicine Eat Station [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: Medicine Official Site ]

Today, the Food Network announced its newest show: "The Next Iron Chef." The culinary competition will debut in October and will include Chris Cosentino of Incanto (and recent Iron Chef fame) and Trace Des Jardins of Jardiniere (and recent Beard Award fame). The other six contestants are John Besh (Restaurant August/others, New Orleans), Jill Davie (Josie, Santa Monica), Gavin Kaysen (El Bizcocho, San Diego), Morou Ouattara (Farrah Olivia, DC), Aarón Sánchez (Centrico/Paladar, New York) and Michael Symon (Lola/Lolita, Cleveland).

Most of the competitors have already appeared on "Iron Chef America" as challengers. Here's how they stacked up on the show, as well as their cuisine of choice, according to Wikipedia:
• Cosentino (Italian): In Battle Garlic, Batali defeats Cosentino.
• Des Jardins (French-California): In Battle Shrimp, Des Jardins defeats Batali.
• Besh (French): In Battle Andouille, Besh defeats Batali.
• Ouattara (African/Middle Eastern/French Fusion): In Battle Frozen Peas, Flay defeats Ouattara.
• Sanchez (Latin American): In Battle Black Bass, Sanchez and Morimoto tie.
• Symon (American/Mediterranean): In Battle Asparagus, Morimoto defeats Symon.

Our iniitial reactions: Cosentino certainly has the personality and creativity to pull it off, but is his rustic Italian cuisine too similar to Mario Batali's? Will we see something different from him? With Flay, Mario and Morimoto already in the mix, will one of the two women have a slight edge to accompany Cat Cora? With all the New York filming, can a West Coat-based chef really be an Iron Chef? How much of an advantage will the unique cuisines of Ouattara and Sanchez be?

Most importantly, who's your pick to win?

Discuss.

Food Net's The Next Iron Chef Contestants Announced: Aaron Sánchez Makes the Cut [Eater]

Here's what you missed this weekend while trying to remember that thing you forgot to do ...

• The Google cafeteria is everything you've dreamed of. And maybe more. [Food & Wine]

• The Times debunked lots of sushi myths. Among the lot: food poisoning from fish is common. The article reports that 85% of seafood-related illnesses stem from shellfish, not fish: "If you take raw and partly cooked shellfish out of the equation, the risk of falling ill from eating seafood is 1 in 2 million servings." [NY Times]

• A stroll through the Miyako Mall in Japantown is like a traipse through a foreign country. [SFGate]

• A stroll through North Beach is like a traipse through ______. (Beat San Francisco? Expanding Chinatown? A war zone?) [Chowhound]

• Millions of dollars were raised via yesterday's AIDS Walk. Good work team. [SFist]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: City Faves.

• Cafe Claude, 425 Bush St (Btwn Grant Ave & Kearny St), 415-392-3505

• Canteen, 817 Sutter St (Btwn Jones & Leavenworth St), 415-928-8870

• La Boulange, 2043 Fillmore St (Btwn California & Pine St), 415-928-1300

• Pork Store Cafe, 1451 Haight St (Btwn Masonic Ave & Ashbury St), 415-864-6981

• Sam's Grill, 374 Bush St (Btwn Kearny & Montgomery St), 415-421-0594

• Town's End Restaurant & Bakery, 2 Townsend St (At The Embarcadero), 415-512-0749

• UC Davis is working on turning sheep into walking lawnmowers. No, really. [The Grinder]

• Michael Bauer thinks there might be an East Coast food bias. [Between Meals]

• The early verdict on District Wine Bar is ... [Zagat Buzz]

• That Whole Foods CEO has quite the non-anonymous mouth. [Becks & Posh]

• Speaking of which, the Potrero Whole Foods is getting closer and closer. [Metroblogging SF]

• MenuGate is back in New York! [Eater]

Oh, and don't forget about Sunday's AIDS Walk!

Every Friday, we provide you with the best--and the worst--user reviews from the week. The following reviews are real, valid, submitted, unedited (except where marked) reviews from our various sites.

Politics and hot topic issues are inherently touchy subjects in real life, often rife with gray areas, blurry lines, rocks, hard places and maybe even a quagmire or two. But when it comes to restaurant reviews, it's pretty safe to say that if a controversial issue is referenced, it had better be used in a constructive and, ideally, witty fashion.

We like it when users make references to current events and personal points of view, but sometimes, opinions don't make for helpful reviews. For example: MenuPages users are often interested in discovering if a certain restaurant's preparation of a dish--say, veal scallopine--is good or not. But no one cares about your stance on veal, right or wrong:

for the guy who had the veal.... the fact that you eat veal means your a savage. how 'bout i come to your home, put you in a cage so you can't move and after few days i'll slice open your throat so you bleed a slow death.

On the other hand, we do enjoy clever political references. Take this final quip at the conclusion of a well-written, glowing review about an Afghan restaurant:

Screw al queda, food should be for peace

There were more WMDs in Iraq than shrimp in my shrimp noodles.

MP: Boston felt old and confused because of new chalupa technology, got depressed that the "best" fried chicken in Boston is at a fast food chain (yuck), and then lost her beloved trans-fats, and if that wasn't enough, there's a rash of bee AIDS buzzing around Beantown.

MP: Chicago shared some poor fortune that hit the Windy City, including a "malevolent batch" of hummus at a local restaurant, broken-down autos, heart attacks and illiteracy.

It wasn't the most charmed week in Philadelphia either, as MP: Philly found a steakhouse without a house and a restaurant with one less patio (was Hurley involved?) as the Phillies readied to become the first professional sports team to lose 10,000 games.

Oh, and everyone hopped on the Bastille Day bandwagon. We think Debbie Downer would point out the irony of the freedom celebration, seeing as how the French Empire maintained forceful colonies well into the 20th century, oppressing the native people of western Africa, Vietnam and Quebec.

Zuppa has been open a mere two years, yet Joseph Manzare's SoMa Italian joint has gone through (at least) three chefs. With Nick di Arenzo's imminent departure, Manzare--whose empire also includes Globe, Pescheria and Tres Agaves--has decided to take matters into his own hands, at least for the time being:

Instead of hiring another chef, co-owner Joseph Manzare will start manning the stoves himself.

"I love the restaurant so much that I'm looking forward to going in and cooking,'' he said on the phone from Mexico, where he was taking a few days off.

Manzare says he intends to keep the food simple and focus on local ingredients, such as petrale sole roasted in the pizza oven.

Zuppa [MenuPages]
Zuppa [Official Site]
New pub to open near ballpark [SFGate]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Namesake restaurants.

• Ali Baba's Cave Cafe, 531 Haight St (At Fillmore St), 415-255-7820

• Ali Baba's Cave Cafe, 799 Valencia St (At 19th St), 415-863-3054

• Andy's, 1358 9th Ave (Btwn Irving and Judah St), 415-661-1803

• Andy's, 2401 Polk St (Btwn Filbert & Union St), 415-922-5526

• Eliza's, 1457 18th St (Btwn Connecticut & Missouri St), 415-648-9999

• Pete's Deli and Cafe, 1661 Divisadero St (At Sutter St), 415-931-4800

This delectable deity comes to us from Acme Bread, via the always-excellent Bunrab Daily Feed.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 [Daily Feed]

Dear MenuPages,

Sincerely,
Confitused

Thanks for note Confitused.

Well, we're not food experts or anything--maybe someone else can chime in--but we'll do our best. You are indeed correct that meat confit is by cooking said meat in its own fat. Peasants in Franch yore used this method to preserve their meats, since they didn't have the luxury of modern refrigeration or the culinary genius of their salt-curing Italian counterparts (just kidding--let's not start a culinary war).

Anyway, there are two other types of lesser known confits. A fruit confit is a bit akin to jam; it's made by cooking the fruit (perhaps cherries, apples, etc) with sugar, thereby creating a preserve. The final type is most likely your fennel confit. Here's what WiseGeek says about acidic confits: "Yet other confits are acidic, for example a tomato confit cooked with vinegar. A dish of onion confit, similar to caramelized onions, is prepared with sugar and balsamic vinegar and used as a condiment for steak or chicken."

Always,
The MenuBlog

What is confit? [WiseGeek]
Fleur De Lys [MenuPages]
Fleur De Lys [Official Site]

Other options shared in prior posts include Chez Maman, Zazie, Clementine, Tartine Bakery, A Bon Port, Rue Saint Jacques and for an African twist, Little Baobab.

The Chronicle has a handy little summary of its own, including some non-San Francisco destinations. In the city, they suggest Cafe de la Presse, ChouChou, Garcon, Grand Cafe and La Folie, among others.

Finally, much to the delight of francophiles everywhere, Plouf has decided to share its special menu with the public. It's $60 for four, fish-centric courses. The menu in full, coming up.

BASTILLE DAY SPECIAL DINNER MENU

FIRST COURSE
English Pea Soup with Poached Lobster and Lemon Oil

SECOND COURSE
Sonoma Foie Gras Mousse with Bing Cherry Glaze and Toasted Brioche
Seared Day boat Scallops with Baby Fennel, Tomato Confit and Basil Jus
Coconut Broth Mussels with Lime Juice, Garlic Cilantro, Chili and Coconut
Mariniere Mussels with Garlic, White Wine and Parsley

THIRD COURSE
Herb-Crusted Filet Mignon with Potato Puree, Braised Spinach and Sauce Perigord
Grilled Loch Duart Salmon with Fava Beans, Baby Carrots, Salt Roasted Tomato, and Black Pepper-Rhubarb Sauce
Bouillabaisse with Fish of the Day, Scallops, Prawns, Clams, Mussels and Rouille Toasts

FOURTH COURSE
Dark Chocolate Lava Cake with Brandi Mocha Sauce
Fraisier with Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise
Lemon Panne with a Tangerine Sorbet

Plouf [MenuPages]
Plouf [Official Site]
Holiday Dining: Busting out for Bastille Day [SFGate]
Earlier: More Bastille Day Fun [MenuBlog]
Earlier: Bastille Day 2007 Is Coming [MenuBlog]

And thus we present Yogurt Bar, nestled in Cow Hollow off the corner of Octavia and Union. According to its website, this will be the flagship of an entire armada of yogurt eateries around this Bay of ours. The menu even has a decidedly San Francisco tilt, with the three sizes dubbed The Rock, Union Square and Golden Gate.

Just on down the road, at Chestnut and Fillmore, lies Laiola, a quaint Spanish-Californian wine bar (ish) restaurant with a leaning towards Catalan fare. The main finds here seem to be the cured meats, but with all the other traditional and fun menu items (like braised octopus and slow-roasted piglet), you'll wish you had room to try more stuff.

Yogurt Bar [MenuPages]
Yogurt Bar [Official Site]
Laiola [MenuPages]
Laiola [Official Site]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: A smattering of international cuisine.

• Absinthe, 398 Hayes St (At Gough St), 415-551-1590

• B44, 44 Belden Pl (Btwn Kearny & Montgomery, Pine & Bush), 415-986-6287

• Pasha, 1516 Broadway (Btwn Van Ness Ave & Polk St), 415-885-4477

• Poleng Lounge, 1751 Fulton Ave (At Masonic Ave), 415-441-1751

When it comes to posh lounges, San Francisco just can't compete with the likes of New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, much to the chagrin of professional athletes everywhere.

So, when the finest baseball players in the world, rife with their millions of dollars, came to the Bay for the yesterday's All-Star game, we had to wonder, how did they entertain themselves? They certainly didn't spend all their time looking at the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf, right? And the strip clubs on Broadway don't exactly have a reputation for being, um, high-class.

Luckily, the Chronicle's Leah Garchik was all over the All-Star party scene. Barry Bonds threw a party at Roe Restaurant, complete with a red carpet and Macy Gray. In attendance were--get this--Mayor Gavin Newsom, Jesse Jackson, Willie "Stretch" McCovey and the greatest Giant of them all, Willie Mays. Not bad for a party tossed by someone being investigated by Congress. The game's other brightest stars hail from New York, and Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez rented out Bambuddha Lounge for the evening. No word on whether or not Macy Gray also performed there.

Sadly, we did not receive invites to either shindig.

Leah Garchik [SFGate]
Roe Restaurant [MenuPages]
Roe Restaurant [Official Site]
Bambuddha Lounge [MenuPages]
Bambuddha Lounge [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: James Campion]

It's almost as if yesterday's success story inspired MenuPages users, because today, we received yet another menu from a prior Menu Mission. Coincidence or not, if you guys keep this up, we just might have to make this a regular feature. We're scared too.

In any event, we've been jonesing for Sotto Mare's menu for weeks now, and the North Beach seafood destination doesn't disappoint. You'll find daily specials and some staples--like chowder, sand dabs and crab louis--along with some cheapie items ($1 oysters, clams) perfect for a post-work outing.

The menu, interestingly enough, is short but not sweet. In lieu of a "traditional" dessert menu, Sotto Mare supposedly presents the diner with this thank you note: "After 12 years (in the restaurant business) and 62 years of life, coffee and dessert are bad for my diabetes, gout and cholesterol. In good conscience I cannot serve this to my customers. ... There are lots of places here in North Beach where you can have an excellent espresso and dessert, rub elbows with poets and even learn a little Italian. ... Mille Gracie."

Sotto Mare [MenuPages]
Earlier: Menu Mission: Sotto Mare [MenuBlog]

[Photo courtesy: TruthDig]

Last week, we highlighted a special Bastille Day menu at a favorite French joint (Cafe Claude), with the promise that more would be on the way.

That day has come.

Bastille Day--Saturday, July 14th--is the celebration of French independence, but Little Baobab is interepreting the day as a celebration of global human rights, freedom fighters, and Senegal's soccer victory over France, all while keeping in mind the tragedies of Darfur. In honor of The Rooster, they will serve Coq-Royal (Royal Rooster): "a great Rooster served with ginger, mashed potatoes, smoked green peas, grilled onions and marinated carrots."

According to the Tablehopper, Rue Saint Jacques will be offering a $25 prix-fixe menu aswell.

Finally, this just popped up in our inbox: Cote Sud will have a $40, four-course menu. The super special menu, in full, post-jump.

AMUSE BOUCHE

APPETIZER (choice of):
- Sonoma mix greens in simple vinaigrette
- Soupe of the day
- Day boat sea scallops served with a lobster sauce
- Terrine of duck and foie gras
- Steamed mussels, white wine,shallots & cream

ENTREE (choice of):
- Fish of the day
- Sauteed salmon sorrel sauce
- Boeuf Bourguignon
- Duck confit, potatoes galette, garlic cream sauce
- Risotto of barley

DESSERT (choice of):
- Sorbets
- Crème Brulèe
- Framboisier et son biscuit á la pistache
- Moelleux au chocolat

Earlier: Bastille Day 2007 Is Coming [MenuBlog]

With a newfound dedication to the little guys who shine, Bauer heads to Alamo Square Seafood Grill in the Western Addition. Despite the hustle and bustle (which at times can become a detriment to diners), Alamo Square shines as a neighborhood joint doing one thing and doing it well:

The fish available each night is recited verbally, but generally includes snapper, trout and salmon ($13.75); specials are written on a chalkboard on both sides of the compact dining room. We tried the sauteed snapper, nicely served with couscous, sauteed vegetables and beurre blanc. Customers choose whether they want the fish grilled, sauteed, poached or blackened, and then select one of six sauces, including bearnaise, green peppercorn with red wine, and a Provencal with tomatoes, capers and garlic.

After the jump: Bar Bambino goes under the SF Weekly microscope. Plus, the rest of the reviews from around the Bay.

Meredith Brody confronts an issue that we've heard many a time: the seeming overpopulation of the city with Italian restaurants. In her opinion (which we happen to strongly agree with), there is "more reason to cheer than complain," primarily because of the variety. You've got every type of eatery from so many different regions, from Sardinian seafood to cozy Sicilian to glamorous to pizzerias and so on and so forth. One of the newcomers, Bar Bambino, nicely fills the niche of fresh, simple cafe/wine bar in the Mission:

Another alluring design element is a small glassed-in room, the only open element of the kitchen, displaying Bar Bambino's collection of salumi and cheeses. The chic, cosmopolitan, yet friendly place has been so popular since giorno uno that reservations are suggested for dinner, even during the week.

The signage may say cafe and wine bar, but the multi-page menu reads restaurant. It is so tempting that it would take strength of character to restrict oneself to a snack to complement your choice from the all-Italian wine list. (Beer drinkers will be happy to know that the national focus has been relaxed in this area; you'll find German, Belgian, English, Czech, even Californian labels, alongside Moretti.)

Rounding out the reviews: The Bay Guardian goes to Sonoma to check out LaSalette, South City gets love from the Chowhounds at the Basque Cultural Center, Amanda Gold is at Ginza, Ms. Tablehopper explores Katana-ya and the Merc hits up Nami Nami.

[Photo courtesy: inetours.com]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Peruvian restaurants, old and new.

• Destino, 1815 Market St (Btwn Valencia & Guerrero St), 415-552-4451

• Fresca, 2114 Fillmore St (At California St), 415-447-2668

• Fresca, 3945 24th St (Btwn Sanchez & Noe St), 415-695-0549

• Fresca, 24 West Portal Ave (At Ulloa St), 415-759-8087

• Inka's Peruvian, 3299 Mission St (At 29th St), 415-648-0111

• Limon, 524 Valencia St (Btwn 16th & 17th St), 415-252-0918

As you're probably aware, the stars will be aligned at AT&T Park tonight. If you're heading out for dinner tonight, you probably fall into one of two camps: those who want to soak up the festivities and those who want to avoid the crowds.

Now, just about every bar and restaurant in the China Basin area is sure to have plenty of specials, whether it be $2 beers at Mars Bar or the happiest hour at Tres Agaves, but some of you may want to get out of dodge tonight. And geographically speaking, nothing is farther away from AT&T Park than the Richmond.

You can stop by Sutro's at the Cliff House to sample some of the 17 organic or biodynamic wines offered on their new wine list. If you want, you can continue on a scenic restaurant tour to the Chalets. Tuesdays are Taco Night at Park Chalet; $2.50 tacos, $2.50 beers, 2-for-1 margaritas and live music abound. For a mellow vibe, head upstairs to Beach Chalet and enjoy their Tuesday Jazz Jam Session, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

Looking a bit further into July, we've got two quick tidbits to share: Jack Falstaff will offer "a weekly four-course Farmer’s Market Finds prefix menu served family-style every Saturday evening," beginning on July 21st for $55.

The 8th Annual Farmer's Market Dinner (five courses, $65/person) at Millennium is Wednesday July 25. Check their website for more details, including reservation information.

Yesterday, we put in a plea for a menu in our regular Menu Mission feature. Lo and behold, before the day could break, one of our users--a dear "Roger from North Beach"--sent us a menu for legendary dim sum spot Dol Ho.

Like most dim sum menus, prices are moderate. You'll find a cornucopia of standard buns and dumplings, along with some fun ones too (beef tripe with ginger, shark fin dumpling). Anyway, we hope you check out Dol Ho and report back here. Those Chowhounds can't say enough nice things and they're usually pretty knowledgeable about this food thing.

Dol Ho [MenuPages]

San Francisco's annual AIDS Walk will take place this Sunday, July 15. It's clearly a fantastic cause, and there aren't many acceptable excuses for not contributing in some way.

If, for some reason (good or bad), you decide not to take a walk for AIDS on Sunday, there are plenty of other ways to make a difference. Among other things, you can make a donation, be a corporate sponsor or volunteer at the walk.

This year, you can even contribute by going out to dinner. On Thursday, July 10, Pasta Pomodoro (Irving location) and UCSF are teaming up to raise money (and awareness) for the AIDS Walk. Upon entering, present this flyer to your server and Pasta P will then send 10% of your bill to AIDS Walk San Francisco. Bring your friends and family.

If you know of any similar AIDS Walk promotions, please don't hesitate to share them here, either via email or in the comments field below.

AIDS Walk San Francisco [Official Site]
Eat at Pasta Pomodoro, Donate to AIDS Walk San Francisco [UCSF News]
Pasta Pomodoro [MenuPages]
Pasta Pomodoro [Official Site]

The short version of the argument -- and nothing is short when it comes to the mind-numbing, complex farm bill -- is that the bill subsidizes the overproduction of corn and soy in the Midwest, which is driving up obesity and diabetes and polluting the land. Instead, they say, the farm bill should put more money into sustainable and organic food production, agricultural conservation and efforts to put a higher priority on fresh, local fruits and vegetables.

Their slogan: It's the food, health and farm bill.

Naturally, the farm bill issues are much more complex and far-ranging than we can explain in a mere blog post, so if you are interested, we recommend you check out the Chronicle article (below). There is a bevy of further online resources at the end of the article as well.

The new food crusade [SFGate]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in and around Pacific Heights.

• Annie's Bistro, 2819 California St (At Divisadero St), 415-922-9669

• Chouquet's, 2500 Washington St (At Fillmore St), 415-359-0075

• Elite Cafe, 2049 Fillmore St (At Pine St), 415-346-8668

• Florio, 1915 Fillmore St (Btwn Pine & Bush St), 415-775-4300

• Sociale, 3665 Sacramento St (Btwn Locust & Spruce St), 415-921-3200

• What does "Ratatouille" have to do with Jewish assimilation? Funny you should ask. [The Amateur Gourmet]

• There was a huge celebrity wedding in Europe this past weekend. Yes, that's right! Wolfgang Puck got hitched! [Eater LA]

• Gratuity tax, explained. [Between Meals]

• "99 bottles of beer from around the world on the wall, 99 bottles of beer from around the world ..." [Slashfood]

To celebrate--nay, honor--the July edition of the MenuPages Zuni menu, we thought we'd share this look inside Zuni by the always-excellent Savory SF.

[Sidenote: Did you know that Zuni was originally a Southwestern/Mexican restaurant? We certainly did not.]

Zuni Cafe [Savory SF]
Zuni Cafe [MenuPages]

Here at MenuPages, the two types of menus we have a hard time getting our greasy paws on are brand-new restaurants and small, hole-in-the-wall joints. Dol Ho is the latter. We mentioned Dol Ho earlier today, and with all the positive energy it's getting on Chowhound, we figured we should turn to the MenuPages community to help track down a menu for the dim sum place. To whet your appetite, here's how one Chowhound describes it:

Its main constituency consists of elderly Chinese people who are very nice and very serious about dim sum. Everything I have had there lately has been excellent, but the real phenomenon is something called chicken and rice. The people there are so happy when the chicken and rice cart appears that it makes you want to cry. What a great place.

Dol Ho, 808 Pacific Ave (At Stockton St), 415-392-2828

Dol Ho is a national treasure [Chowhound]

[Photo courtesy: Leland Wong via Yelp]

• Plenty of baseball-related hoopla has been taking place at Union Square's Lefty O'Doul's and will continue to until the big game. [Business Wire]

• This world of ours may be in for a surprising water shortage, sooner rather than later. [SFGate]

• Some people really like Dol Ho for dim sum. [Chowhound]

• Santa Rosa's Cafe Saint Rose comes up roses in the Bauer Weekend Review. [SFGate]

• Apparently, Lisbon is the San Francisco of the Atlantic Ocean. No word on whether or not Mumbai is the San Francisco of the Indian Ocean. [Globe Life]

[Photo of $0.49 Buddhas courtesy: Flickr]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Business dining in the city.

• Ame, 689 Mission St (At 3rd St), 415-284-4040

• Farallon, 450 Post St (Btwn Mason & Powell St), 415-956-6969

• Moose's, 1652 Stockton St (Btwn Union & Filbert St), 415-821-7652

• The Cosmopolitan Cafe, 121 Spear St (Btwn Mission & Howard St), 415-989-7800

• Zuni Cafe, 1658 Market St (Btwn Franklin & Gough St), 415-552-2522

• Very few things are more entertaining than urban legends, and there are scores of food-related ones out there. Among the best: Red Bull gives you tumors, worms in Big Macs, no chicken in KFC, and the granddaddy of all food-related urban legends: Mikey exploded from Pop Rocks and Coke. [The Grinder]

• Stop the presses! Hide your babies! The yogurt wars are coming to San Francisco! [Curbed SF]

• Now that American produce has eclipsed its Euro counterparts, David Lebovitz asks the big question: is American food better than French food? [David Lebovitz]

• While in Sin City, Sam visited one of the best people-watching lunch spots in the country. [Becks & Posh]

• In case you were wondering, Range is still delicious. [Between Meals]

Know a food blog that should on our blogroll? Email us.

It was a predictably patriotic week around the Menuniverse, so let's get to the highlights of the celebration of America ...

• In addition to iced tea and hot dogs, MP: Boston shared the wonders of community-supported agriculture. Can't get that in Communist Russia! Well, in theory, you probably could, because that was kinda what Marx was getting at ... nevermind. USA!

• MP: Chicago unearthed several people living out their American Dreams.

• And would America be complete without its gluttony? MP: Philly had that covered this week, what with all the news about steaks, cheesesteaks, country fried steak and cookies. There are no vegetables in Philadelphia.

Every Friday, we provide you with the best--and the worst--user reviews from the week. The following reviews are real, valid, submitted, unedited (except where marked) reviews from our various sites.

Oh MenuPages users, we love it when you review new restaurants. Don't get us wrong; we appreciate all reviews for all restaurants. But when you take the time to review a brand-spanking new restaurant, it is really helpful to the rest of the MenuPages community. Why? Simply put, people (including us) are curious. There are so many openings these days, it's hard to keep up, so if some decent reviews come in for new restaurants, it helps.

It's nice to be able to differentiate a restaurant that you must go to ASAP before it's impossible to get in (Nopa) from a restaurant that is still working out the kinks (see below) from a restaurant that you should probably just pass on.

With that said, here are some of this week's reviews that gave us the lowdown on newly-christened restaurants. Take the jump with us.

First up, we have Sudachi, the new trendy Japanese spot that we hit on earlier:

The sushi melted in my mouth and the cocktails were just what I needed. The service was exceptional and everything was just superb. Everything was worth it. I'm definitely coming back again to try more delectable dishes!

The flavors are great and the food is unique, but the portions are skimpy and very pricey. The service was poor the evening I ate there. The atmosphere is loud and bustling. Definitely a trendy spot for the gentrified Bernal Heights residents who can afford it or people from outside the neighborhood, but it is not for the majority of the neighborhood residents.

The food is great, but the place just reeks of the owner's arrogance. I am sure the mafia crowd and the trendy followers will enjoy it, but if you want 4 stars, you go for class and elegance, not a spectacle. And keep the balding lady with the fish lips in the back; she is about as sincere as Mario is sober.

Haven't gotten enough independence celebration for the month? Bastille Day is next Saturday, July 14th. There are well over 100 French restaurants in the city, and it's probably safe to say that the majority of them will be celebrating "Fête Nationale." Unlike, say the Fourth of July, Bastille Day is a great "holiday" for food-lovers, for the simple fact that it's a great opportunity to celebrate the inimitable French bistro fare.

Some of our favorite bistros include Chez Maman, Clementine and Zazie; if you just want a quick taste of France, we recommend a quick pastry or tartine at either Tartine Bakery or the newly-opened A Bon Port.

At Cafe Claude, there will be a special prix-fixe menu. Continuing our habit of revealing holiday menus before they drop, we have an menu from Cafe Claude that is sure to impress you. There's even a palate cleanser or two...

2007 Bastille Day menu

Amuse Bouche
Torchon: foie gras "au torchon", apricot confit and mache salad on brioche

Soup Ou Salade (choice of)
Poisson: saffron fish soup
Escargots: escargots "a la provencale"

Palate Cleanser
Sorbet: choice of lemon or watermelon ciao bella sorbet

Entrees (choice of)
Steak: pan seared angus ribeye steak, pommes pont-neuf, haricot verts, and bearnaise sauce
Saumon: scottish salmon loch duart "a l'unilateral", pommes darphin, asparagus, cherry tomato confit, and sorel sauce

Dessert
Moelleux: flourless chocolate cake with creme anglaise
Orange: orange blossom creme brulee

3 seatings: 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm
$50 per person

Cafe Claude [MenuPages]
Cafe Claude [Official Site]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in and around Noe Valley.

• Bacco, 737 Diamond St (At Elizabeth St), 415-282-4969

• Fattoush, 1361 Church St (At Clipper St), 415-641-0678

• Firefly, 4288 24th St (Btwn Diamond & Douglass St), 415-821-7652

• Hamano Sushi, 1332 Castro St (Btwn 24th & Jersey St), 415-826-0825

• Lupa Trattoria, 4109 24th St (At Castro St), 415-282-5872

This morning, we took a look at the iPhone commercial that depicts said electronic appliance directing its calamari-craving user to a San Francisco restaurant that doesn't actually serve calamari.

Well, things done changed, and it's a bit creepy how much influence the iPhone already has.

Due to the overwhelming demand for calamari created by the ad, Pacific Catch has found a place for calamari on its permanent menu:

Turns out, Cox says, that calamari was only an occasional special at the Corte Madera branch (133 Town Center). When the calls -- up to 100 a day -- started coming in, executive chef Aaron Noveshen quickly put it on the menu. Now, spicy fried calamari is a hot item at the Marin and San Francisco (2027 Chestnut St.) locations.

Earlier: See, The iPhone Isn't That Smart [MenuBlog]
Pacific Catch [MenuPages]
Pacific Catch [Official Site]

In this day and age, restaurants are just popping up anywhere and everywhere.

In Redwood City, the first stand-alone restaurant from Safeway has opened its (non-sliding) doors to the public. Here's what the Chronicle has to say about Citrine:

Diners order at the counter from a color-coded grid menu, with dishes listed under the headings of five cuisine styles: Pacific Rim, Mediterranean, Latin and Caribbean, American and "New World." The kitchen uses Safeway's ingredients, such as O Organics and Rancher's Reserve, and the food is cooked to order in a large open kitchen.

Entree choices range from a slow-roasted Caribbean pork platter to cioppino, a red wine-marinated flank steak with fig balsamic chutney, and a grilled salmon flatbread. Salads include an Asian chicken salad, iceberg wedge, and date blue-cheese on spring greens. Interestingly enough, there's nary a hamburger in sight.

Even more exciting are the plans for the new cafeteria at Golden Gate Park's California Academy of Sciences. The project will be headed by two of the city's best restaurateurs: Charles Phan of The Slanted Door and Loretta Keller of Coco500. The high-profile pair will bring "sustainable produce and ecological practices" to the museum's new eat stations, which will include a 200-seat cafe and a smaller full-service restaurant. The opening date is slated for October 2008.

Opening: Safeway's first restaurant [SFGate]
Top S.F. chefs to feed museumgoers [SFGate]

It must be a Mountain View week as Michael Bauer's Wednesday review brings him to Chez TJ. Bauer can't say enough good things about Chef Christopher Kostow ("a great chef trapped in the wrong restaurant"), despite the multiple shortcomings of the restaurant itself:

The wine pairing for the Menu Gastronomique (four courses, with choices, $80) consists of three wines for an additional $45. The pours are relatively small, which might still be acceptable if the wines really matched. However, they were poorly stored -- not only were they served at the wrong temperature, but some were also so full of sediment we couldn't finish them. I've also never been to this caliber of restaurant where the wine wasn't poured from the bottle at tableside. Here the sommelier simply brings filled glasses to the table.

The food is a different story. From the first bite -- a trio of dressed radishes, warm cheese ball and a quail egg cut in two and topped with caviar -- it's apparent the chef possesses a dramatic sensibility.

The rest, after the jump.

The Bay Guardian's Cheap Eats column heads to Burgermeister while Paul Reidinger checks out Kabul City, Robert Lauriston goes Mayan at Popol Vuh, Chowhounds critique Out the Door, and finally, Bar Bites likes new wine bar District.

[Photo courtesy: Chez TJ]

False advertising? Flawed research? Inconsequential hiccup en route to Apple world iDomination? Discuss.

Pacific Catch [MenuPages]
Pacific Catch [Official Site]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Chinese restaurants in and around the Sunset.

• Andy's, 1358 9th Ave (Btwn Irving and Judah St), 415-661-1803

• Hong's Szechuan Restaurant, 3044 Taraval St (Btwn 40th & 41st Ave), 415-665-5648

• Irving Seafood Market, 2130 Irving St (At 22nd Ave), 415-681-3282

• New Tsing Tao Restaurant, 811 Ulloa St ( Btwn West Portal Ave & Claremont Blvd), 415-566-9559

We've got good news and bad news, and they're both the same: it's time to go to Mountain View.

We kid, we kid.

By now, you've probably heard about the promotion currently being put on by "The Simpsons" and 7-Eleven, but you'll be happy to know that there actually is one--count 'em: one!--location in the Bay Area included in the stunt (there are 12 total). Right off 101, in the shadow of the Moffett Air Field, there lies a Kwik-E-Mart. In addition to tons of cartoon paraphernalia, there will also be a host of "specialty items":

In some cases, 7-Eleven has contracted with manufacturers of similar products to make their Kwik-E-Mart counterparts. Malt-O-Meal, the Northfield, Minn., cereal maker, will conjure up a recipe for KrustyO's, for example. In others, existing products will simply be renamed. One flavor of 7-Eleven's own Slurpee will be sold as "WooHoo! Blue Vanilla" Squishee for the month.

Before we head out for the holiday, we're going to leave you with an appropriate clip, with the hope that you will be able to avoid certain ... pitfalls during your barbecues tomorrow. Happy 4th!

7-Elevens get a 'Kwik-E-Mart' makeover [Mercury News]
Kwik-E-Mart Comes to Mountain View [Junkyard Clubhouse]

If you've been, be a nice user and leave us a review on the main site, sharing your experience.

A Bon Port [MenuPages]
A Bon Port [Official Site]

SNOB Wine Bar [MenuPages]
SNOB Wine Bar [Official Site]

In addition to the 64-seat dining room and 40-seat bar, there's a newly refurbished patio with about 20 tables surrounded by a fence, stands of bamboo and delicate Japanese maples set against a hillside planted in vines. Although it's just been landscaped and the vegetation is still trying to take hold, it promises to be one of the best outdoor spots in the city.

The food created by Korkhieola and her team is as stylish and well presented as the modern interior. Beef wasabi rolls ($10), arranged on a long white plate with sticks of celery and carrots protruding from one end, look like lollipops, wrapped with grilled steak on green puddles of wasabi sauce. The sinus-clearing combination shows that the kitchen isn't afraid to season liberally.

Sophisticated interior meets stylish food at Osha Thai [SFGate]
Osha Thai Restaurant [MenuPages]
Osha Thai Restaurant [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: Flickr]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in the Castro.

• 2223, 2223 Market St (Btwn Sanchez & Noe St), 415-431-0692

• Blue, 2337 Market St (Btwn 16th & 17th St), 415-863-2583

• Bombay, 2217 Market St (At Sanchez St), 415-861-6655

• Cafe Du Nord, 2170 Market St ( Btwn Church & Sanchez St), 415-861-5016

• Eureka Restaurant & Lounge, 4063 18th St (At Hartford St), 415-431-6000

• SFist helps out the world and themselves at Mission Pie. [SFist]

• The Oakland outpost of Levende is getting high marks already. [Gastronomie]

• Burritoeater headed to a much-improved Taqueria San Francisco and had this to say about the burrito there: "the whole exceeded the sum of the parts, and at our favorite corner table on a sunny summer evening, everything seemed pretty alright for awhile." [Burritoeater]

• If a burrito at Mariachi's Taqueria comes with tofu, jasmine rice and Thai spice, is it still a burrito? Uh, no. [Burritophile]

• So, what exactly is a biodynamic wine? [Bay Area Bites]

[Photo courtesy: what about the plastic animals?]

Try as we might, we can't track down every single menu in the city. That's where you, dear user, come in. Menu Mission is a feature where we make a plea to our users to send us an commonly-requested menu.

Last week (or thereabouts), Mexico DF opened in the former Long Life Noodle Company space off the Embarcadero. It's a combined effort from Victor Hugo Juarez and Felipe Sandoval, the man behind the popular Maya. Upscale Mexican always seems to be hit or miss. We're anxious to see which side Mexico DF falls on. Thus far, the Yelp reviews have been mixed, with varying reports on the drinks and service, and the posters at Chowhound are similarly divided. It seems that the folks at DF are still getting the kinks out; we suppose time will tell if they stay out.

As you can tell, Mexico DF's website is not yet up, so send a menu on over or fax it to us at (415) 358-5770.

Mexico DF, 139 Steuart St (At Mission St), (415) 808-1048

Citing the usual suspects (rising rents and dwindling crowds) in addition to the newfound North Beach ruckus, Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood & Jazz in The Condor Club closed this weekend. We're not sure why Andrew Jaeger's did not catch on better, as authentic Louisiana cooking is hard to come by in the city. Coupled with live jazz and prime real estate (the corner of Columbus and Broadway), Andrew Jaeger's seemed like a sure bet to succeed, but alas, its shuttering just goes to show you how difficult it is to succeed in the restaurant business in a city with astronomical rents.

According to the Tablehopper, the husband and wife team (Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger, we presume) are heading back to Louisiana to participate in a new restaurant project in French Settlement Lousiana. Bonne chance.

Andrew Jaeger's [MenuPages]
Andrew Jaeger's [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: Official Site]

All the news from the weekend in food ...

• Solar cooking is so hot right now. [CBS News]

• More glowing reviews for Daniel Patterson's Coi. [Chowhound]

• Perhaps you should avoid fish from China for a bit. [USA Today]

• Just because it's not as good as it blue counterpart, the yellowfin tuna still deserves some attention in the kitchen. Unless it's imported from China. [NY Times]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants with a Michelin star.

• Acquerello, 1722 Sacramento St (Btwn Van Ness Ave & Polk St), 415-567-5432

• Boulevard, 1 Mission St (At Steuart St), 415-543-6084

• La Folie, 2316 Polk St (Btwn Green & Union St), 415-776-5577

• Masa's, 648 Bush St ( Btwn Powell & Stockton St), 415-989-7154