We’ve been making our own dinner this week so it was nice to do a little dining out last night.

We met up with a friend at Café Reverie in Cole Valley and in addition to the wonderful weather we were surprised to see a few changes. First, they’ve moved the restroom. No biggie, you might say, but you may be more interested to learn that they moved the restroom to accommodate a kitchen expansion. Which accounts for the menu updates.

The menu is still heavy on breakfast items, salads and sandwiches, but they’ve also added several pasta dishes (the porcini truffle ravioli stood out) and a Tapas menu that includes spanish meatballs, grilled flank steak, and sautéed button mushrooms.

We love breakfast for dinner so we had one of the omelet specials (chicken apple sausage, onions, spinach, sundried tomatoes and jack cheese) and our dining partner had the Chicken Saltimbocca: chicken stuffed with procuitto, mozzarella and fresh sage. The prices, we think, are reasonable considering the rather large portion sizes. Our omelet was $9 and the Chicken Saltimbocca was $11.

The only complaint we had was the time it took to get our food. We acknowledge that stuffing chicken with anything and making it taste good takes time and yes, it is slow food week, but waiting upwards of 25 minutes while watching “everyone else” bound up to the counter to pick up their orders, well, let’s just say it makes for a very jealous stomach.

But for the most part Café Reverie is a pleasant experience. They have a lovely, gardeny, spacious back patio where we waited patiently sipping a gianormous glass of sparkling wine and admiring San Francisco when the sun comes out.

Café Reverie [Citysearch]

[Photo via lil’bear/Flickr]

Oh goodie.

The Castro has a new casual cafe: Frisee.

Located near the always-fun corner of Market and Castro at 2367 Market St (also known as the former home of the restaurants formerly known as Khun Phoa II, Crave and Malacca), Frisee is the brainchild of Brett and Nathan Niebergall. The salad-centric modern menu consists of a veritable pantheon of organic, sustainable and gourmet ingredients, from biodynamic wines and Acme bread to sushi grade ahi and pistachio-dusted salmon fillets.

Our initial reactions to the menu is that it looks absolutely delicious, but we can't help wondering if $12 salads will fly in that particular area of the city. After all, it's not the FiDi, where there are plenty of officegoers ready and willing to shell out the cash for a gourmet salad. Plus, 2367 Market has, thus far, been somewhat of a cursed location.

Thoughts? Will Frisee flourish in the Castro?

Frisee [MenuPages]
Frisee [Official Site]

As a giant Whole Foods open its doors to the public in Potrero Hill, rumors of another in Noe Valley have surfaced. From The Noe Valley Voice:

Whole Foods Market is in negotiations to take over the Bell Market grocery store on 24th Street and bring its natural and organic food products to Noe Valley.

But in late August, neither the Austin-based grocery chain nor Bell's commercial landlord would discuss details of the sensitive talks, which have been under way for some time...

However, the upscale grocery telegraphed its intention to expand into Noe Valley by posting a notice on its web site. On a page titled Stores in Development, the company said a Whole Foods Market was coming to "San Francisco (Noe Valley),...opening date to be announced." The web page did not identify the exact location of the new store, but noted it would have 16,790 square feet of space.

Bell, which company executives have been trying to sell for two years, is the only Noe Valley location that approximates the square footage indicated on the Whole Foods web site.

Whole Foods Could Be Coming to Bell Market [The Noe Valley Voice]

Via Metroblogging SF comes news that the Frjtz location in Hayes Valley has closed due to the landlord's refusal to renew the lease. The good news is that, according to a vigilant Flickr spy's photo of the goodbye note on the Belgian cafe's window, it seems that the Frjtz people will merely slide into the space next door as soon as it is remodeled ("sometime around the holidays"). In the meantime, get your fries-crepes-beer fix at the newly-opened and much more expansive Mission location.

Hayes Valley Munchies Update [Metroblogging SF]
Frjtz [MenuPages]
Frjtz [Official Site]

But in San Francisco, a city known for both its casual culture and obsession with quality food and drink, a visit to a wine bar can be an unpretentious pleasure. The city has long had wine bars — the London Wine Bar, downtown, opened in 1974 and is said to have been the first in the United States. Now, a wave of new wine bars has been opening, often in unexpected neighborhoods.

How long must a trend sustain itself before losing its "trendy" status? Will the wine bar movement ever fizzle?

Snobless Sipping Where a Glassful Is Just a Glassful [NY Times]
Hotel Biron [MenuPages]
Hotel Biron [Official Site]
Yield Wine Bar [MenuPages]
Yield Wine Bar [Official Site]

• The corner of Embarcadero and Brannan is empty once again, as Jocelyn Bulow has closed down his second enterprise in the the 100 Brannan space. Earlier, Bulow's French brasserie La Suite succumbed to the shutter, and this week, the short-lived Pan-Asian project Sutra bit the dust. Despite Sutra's closing and Baraka's sale [note: it's still open], Bulow still has plenty on his plate, with a pair of high-profile restaurants opening in the upcoming revamped Mint Plaza at the end of the month. [Inside Scoop]

• Over in the Castro, Bullshead Restaurant has apparently lost its lease. The buffalo-meat destination's shuttering is surprising, considering its seemingly steady flow of business. According to the Castro Shopper, Bullshead is the fourth restaurant to recently fail in the (apparently cursed) 18th Street location. [Castro Shopper]

Well, to be more specific, we're confused by the San Francisco entry on the list: Squat & Gobble Cafe:

This aptly named San Francisco chain of creperies offers quick, in-and-out meals that are easily devoured solo. For a savory snack, try the Mama Mia, a combination of cheddar, mozzarella and cottage cheese, plus onions, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms and walnuts, topped with marinara sauce and parmesan.

Now, to be clear, we really enjoy all locations of Squat & Gobble. They are homey, comfortable and reasonably-priced. However, S&G is nowhere near the caliber of the other restaurants around the world that also find themselves on the list.

To wit: The Bar Room at The Modern is one of the premier, upscale three/four-star dining destinations in Manhattan. The other New York entry, Gotham Bar & Grill, is a popular business lunch spot. DC's Seasons in the Four Seasons Hotel is the perfect place for a lonesome traveler to enjoy a nice meal. Chicago's Park Grill is similarly upscale and in the midst of a travel hub. Even the more casual places on the list, like Boston's Wagamama and London's Itsu, offer communal tables and/or bar seating.

Squat & Gobble, while delicious, is none of these things. We don't remember communal tables last time we went--more of a malleable layout really. And there is no table service per se. And it's not exactly impressive dining. And none of the locations--two in the Haight, one in the Castro and one in West Portal--are exactly convenient to the downtown traveler/businessman.

Can anyone explain this?

Perfect Places To Dine Solo [Forbes]
Squat & Gobble Cafe [MenuPages]
Squat & Gobble Cafe [Official Site]

Jardiniere, one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area and a Beard Foundation favorite, will reportedly close its doors on August 19th (this Sunday), until September 13th. When Traci Des Jardins' renowned restaurant reopens, it will feature an entirely new, walk-in only lounge/bar area in its downstairs area:

On Sunday, the restaurant will close for an overhaul that includes turning the downstairs dining room into the J Lounge. The current 26-seat bar will double its seating with sofas, banquettes and cocktail tables, and offer Traci des Jardins' food and bar manager Thad Vogler's cocktails.

"It's something Tracy [sic] always wanted to do," says general manager Greg Rowen. "The bar has always been so popular."

Also in the fall: Des Jardins competes to be the next Iron Chef.

The Inside Scoop [SFGate]
Jardiniere [MenuPages]
Jardiniere [Official Site]
Earlier: Cosentino, Des Jardins To Compete On "The Next Iron Chef" [MenuBlog]

If you have a hard time differentiating the candied coxcombs from the fish maw, perhaps you should consult Chef Cosentino's menu to assist in your offal-identifying endeavors:

• Amuse bouche of duck fat fried rabbit ear with carrot aioli and chervil
plouche
• Salad of crispy sweetbreads & warm beef tendon with chilli & mint
• Terrina of lamb tongue & fries (testicles) with lamb’s tongue lettuce &
pickled grapes
• Fish maw with chickpeas & agretti
• Pork tripe, beans & blood cooked in vescica (bladder) with creamy polenta
• Candied cockscomb with cherries & rice pudding

Blood, Sweat, & Tripe [Hungry Magazine]
Incanto [MenuPages]
Incanto [Official Site]

We can't think of a better name for the restaurant opening on 311 Divis than Metro Kathmandu. It incorporates the name of the late Le Metro and creates an oxymoron. The whole play on the urban meets Nepalese countryside comes to fruition in Metro Kathmandu's menu. With items like crab momos, duck kabobs and shrimp pakoda, traditional Nepalese dishes are "Californianized" into a hip small plates menu. But don't worry, for those traditionalists (or diners wanting to try a typical Nepalese dish), there are several "unadulterated" plates on the menu. Also, Metro Kathmandu has plans to serve weekend brunch, though that menu has yet to be released.

Metro Kathmandu [MenuPages]
Metro Kathmandu [Official Site]

[Photo courtesy: Nature Trek]

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]

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.]

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]

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, 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

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]

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

While you "stopped believing" in clear-cut endings, here's what else happened this weekend ...

• The 30th annual Haight Street fair took place amidst a deluge of sun, street food and totally excellent tunes. [SFGate]

• It looks like Wine Country has yet another star in the making. Bauer on the Restaurant at Meadowood: "Still, the food and the wine list are exciting. It would take just a little more diligence to turn the Restaurant at Meadowood into a world-class destination that would make Napa Valley proud." [SFGate]

• Life's not so rough when Thomas Keller caters your company picnic. [NY Times]

• Want some scary imagery? Picture the creepy Burger King mascot fighting the always traumatic Ronald McDonald. There's some nightmare fuel for you. [Chicago Tribune]

• San Francisco might be a bit behind Los Angeles in terms of the cupcake craze, but you can probably expect to hit soon because you see, cupcakes are really just like bananas. [Chowhound]

[Photo courtesy: The Amateur Gourmet]

In America, the first Father's Day took place on July 5, 1908 in West Virginia of all places. According to Wikipedia, one possible genesis of the paternal celebration is believed to have been a response to a tragic mine explosion the previous winter that killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent Italian immigrants.

The 99th annual Father's Day is less than two weeks away; do you have reservations yet? If not, allow us to help you seek out the various Father's Day specials around town on Sunday, June 17th.

Today: Downtown Specials.

•Indigo is offering a special $29.95 three-course menu ("with multiple options per course") in addition to their normal menu.

• Maharani has a special vegan five-course meal for $32.50 and a non-vegan one for $39.

• Everyone's favorite reminder of Polynesian colonialism, Trader Vic's, will trot out a very special 3-course Father's Day prix-fixe for $42.

• La Scene's Jose Aviles will prepare a champagne brunch for the occasion, in addition to a prix-fixe dinner.

• Manly Father's Day specials like Surf & Turf and Beef Au Jus are sure to abound at Bob's Steak & Chophouse.

Peruse more special offers at Open Table. More to come later in the week here as well.

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 new feature where we make a plea to our users to send us an commonly-requested menu.

As far as procuring menus, we're usually all over new restaurants, since most recently-opened restaurants have official websites with their menu online. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Essencia, the "long-awaited" contemporary Peruvian joint manned by Postrio and Hawthorne Lane chef Anne Gingrass. Miriam Morgan had a little tease about the menu earlier this week:

Starters include a deconstructed stuffed artichoke, with the heart and leaves fanned out and topped with quinoa salad in lemony vinaigrette. A spicy yellow pepper sauce complements a delicate ceviche of paper-thin halibut.

Main courses offer upscale takes on Peruvian dishes, such as roast pork tenderloin and a creamy lentil-rice mix, topped with bacon and a fried quail egg. A lively cilantro sauce covers lamb with peas and asparagus, paired with a rich risotto.

Essencia, 401 Gough St (At Hayes St), (415) 552-8485

A pair of restaurants removed the plywood from their windows this week.

Cassis opened on Tuesday on Sutter and Steiner. The restaurant advertises itself as "Southern French Cuisine with an Italian Flair" and looks to be an Nicoise-inspired take on bistro fare. Cassis' menu includes some surprising dishes, like pizza and pasta (hence the "Italian flair" which Nice is known for), but for the most part, the brothers behind the eatery--native Frenchmen Jerome and Stephane Meloni--stick to the basics: tart tatin, duck confit, pissaladiere (traditional Niçoise onion tart) et al.

Stacks also opened recently. The Peninsula chain unveiled its first San Francisco branch, in the former Hayes Street space of another Peninsula transplant, the fated Cafe Grillades. In all likelihood, Stacks will churn out the same delicious brunches as its Burlingame and Menlo Park locations.

Cassis [MenuPages]
Cassis [Official Site]
Stacks [MenuPages]
Stacks [Official Site]

Last week, Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini announced plans for a world's fair of food. Well, the high-profile press conference at Greens Restaurant with Alice Waters wasn't Petrini's only stop in the Bay, as he also visited the Castro's Sanchez Elementary School to help christen the school's garden:

Slow Food School Garden Project [Youtube]
Earlier: Slow Food Movement Inching Towards The Bay [MenuBlog]

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: Asian restaurants around town

• Chutney, 511 Jones St (At O'Farrell St), 415-931-5541

• Golden Era, 572 O'Farrell St (Btwn Leavenworth & Jones St), 415-673-3136

• Malai Thai, 3189 16th St (Btwn Guerrero & Valencia), 415-626-8528

• Thai House Express, 599 Castro St (At 19th St), 415-864-5000

• Thai House Express, 901 Larkin St (At Geary St), 415-441-2248

• Thanh Tam II, 577 Valencia St (At 17th St), 415-252-1190

• Young's BBQ, 3412 17th St (At Valencia St), 415-552-4858

With all due respect to the Hard Knox Cafe, Powell's Place and the newish farmerbrown, San Francisco is notoriously sparse when it comes to soul food. Chief among the few standouts is Blue Jay Cafe, an unassuming little eatery on the cusps of the Divisadero divide. It's so small that some reviewers say that you might not even notice it. Well, let's take this opportunity to get it noticed on MenuPages. Email us a menu or fax it to 415-358-5770.

Blue Jay Cafe, 919 Divisadero St (Btwn McAllister & Golden Gate), (415) 447-6066

[Photo courtesy: Flickr]

Rounding our little Hayes Valley afternoon, we turn our menu-seeking eye towards Sebo, one of the finest Japanese joints in the Bay Area. It's a Chowhound favorite and a home to some excellent sushi chefs. The combination of sleek and modern aesthetic and ultra-fresh fish take the sushi-lover back to Japan. Or just to Japan, if you've never been there ... nevermind.

Anyway, Sebo's been open for a year or so, but we are still seeking out its menu. Email us one or fax it to 415-358-5770.

Sebo, 517 Hayes St (At Octavia), 415-864-2181

[Photo courtesy: Flickr]

Hayes Valley has evolved into one of the best dining nooks in San Francisco. Here's what going on in the little trapezoid behind the Opera House ...

• Any day now, Chesapeake Bay soft shell crabs will find their way to Hayes Street Grill. Other seasonal highlights at HSG: Delta asparagus, Half Moon Bay spring peas, artichokes and fava beans (insert Hannibal Lecter joke here).

• Thursday, May 3rd is Salsa Night at Octavia Lounge. The best part? No cover.

• As mentioned earlier, Monday the 14th is the first Sonoma Coast Wine Tasting at Absinthe. It's for a great cause and sure to be enjoyably educational.

• Hotel Biron, the city's finest (and only) wine bar/art gallery, is featuring works by Peter Marin throughout the month of May.

• Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 13!). Look for our complete guide later this week, but since we're here in Hayes Valley, we thought we should let you know that special menus will be served at both Sauce (special three courser) and Indigo ($29.95 three-course prix fixe with complimentary champagne).

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a judge on "Iron Chef"?

Well, here's your chance.

Fresh off a narrow loss on last week's edition of "Iron Chef America," Chris Cosentino of Incanto has decided to offer a very special Battle Garlic menu consisting of the same dishes he created on the show. The special $95 menu will only be available on Friday and Saturday nights from May 18 to June 30. Reservations are required for the menu, which can be seen in its entirety after the jump.

Continue reading "And For A $50 Supplement, You Can Sit Next To Jeffrey Steingarten" »

Today, we add a pair of restaurants to our database.

Visit Thai recently opened its doors in the Lower Haight, making it the ninth or so Thai restaurant in the neighborhood. What's different about it? Supposedly, the space is supposed to be a little more aesthetically pleasing than surrounding spots, but reviews have been quite mixed thus far.

Down in the Mission, Caffe Bellissimo took the space of Zagora, a Moroccan restaurant that just didn't quite catch on. The rustic Italian cafe's menu looks affordable and intriguing, with items like housemade gnocchi ($14) and pizza prosciutto ($9).

As always, preliminary reports are welcome, either here or on the main site.

Visit Thai [MenuPages]
Caffe Bellissimo [MenuPages]

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

• Cote Sud, 4238 18th St (Btwn Diamond & Collingwood St), 415-255-6565

• Home, 2100 Market St (At Church St), 415-503-0333

• Mecca, 2029 Market St (Btwn 14th & Dolores St), 415-621-7000

• The Sausage Factory, 517 Castro St (Btwn 18th & 19th St), 415-626-1250

It's Friday, and that means one thing: The Drink Menu. Here's a trio of upcoming (chronologically-organized!) wine-related events that are sure to fill up quickly so plan accordingly.

• Monday, April 23: Yield Wine Bar hosts a wine tasting led by French organic winemakers Catherine and Pierre Breton. Cabernet Franc wines from the trendy region of the Loire Valley will be featured. Snacks are included in the $40 fee.

• Wednesday, April 25: The first winemaker event of the year at Millennium takes place with the Bokisch Winemaker Dinner. Bokisch Vineyards is a family-run winery in Lodi that produces Spanish varietals; the Millennium kitchen will pair Bokisch wines with a five-course feast. Tickets are $75 per person.

• Monday, May 14: OK, it's three weeks away, but Absinthe just announced the first Sonoma Coast Wine Tasting Event. It's $48 per person and 15% of the proceeds go to Save the Bay. Saving the bay + supporting local wineries + lots of wine imbibed = a good sleep.

Now, there are a bunch of restaurants participating in this year's Dining Out For Life, which takes place a week from today (April 26th). We've already heard plugs for Acme Chophouse by Sam of Becks & Posh and one for Indigo by The Tablehopper.

However, restaurants don't always make their special event menus available to the discerning public eye. Over the course of the next week, we'll do our best to get our hands on as many DOFL menus as possible.

Today, we take a look at the special four-course, $40 prix fixe menu at the Castro's only French restaurant, Cote Sud. The full menu is after the jump.

Continue reading "Dining Out For Life: Sneak Peeks" »

With apologies to Gordon Ramsay--who, by the way, won't be receiving any Spice Girls albums for Christmas this year--Britain's most celebrated chef just might be Marco Pierre White. White, the youngest chef in the world to be awarded three Michelin stars, will host the American debut of his memior, "The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness and the Making of a Great Chef" at Incanto on May 8th. White will be on hand to sign copies, while Chef Chris Cosentino will prepare a very special meal inspired by White's "classics." The four-course dinner and one copy of the book will cost $190 per couple. More information can be found on Incanto's site.

Also, don't miss the aforementioned Cosentino on this Sunday's edition of "Iron Chef America" as he takes on Mario Batali.

Incanto [MenuPages]
Incanto [official site]
Marco Pierre White [official site]

A trek into the Tenderloin is no longer required to get your pho fix. Zadin has opened in Malacca's old space in the Castro, near the corner of 18th and Hartford. The unique thing about Zadin--aside from its location--lies in its emphasis on Vietnamese food that has been reinvented as healthier and/or gluten-free. For example, owners Truc Tran and Bao Phan have a gluten-free fried calamari dish on the menu, in addition to using rice or egg noodles for all the pho dishes. Thus far, Zadin (specifically the lemongrass pork and fish rolls) has gotten rave reviews, both on our main site and elsewhere.

Zadin [MenuPages]
Zadin [official site]

• All week, Delfina will be offering several special Passover-inspired dishes on its à la carte menu. The rustic Italian joint is making no claims that the special items will be kosher or authentic, but if past experiences at Delfina are any indication, we're sure it'll be impressive.

• If you do one thing for the rest of the day, we beg you to make reservations for one of Incanto's special meals. April 8th is the Incanto Easter Supper, May 21st is the 4th Annual Head-to-Toe Dinner and June 11th is the Sicilian Mattanza Dinner. You'll hear plenty more about these events as the dates near.
• Speaking of big dinners at the best Italian restaurants in the city, La Ciccia is offering four-course family style Sardinian meals once a month for the next three months.
• At Firefly, there's a $35 prix-fixe menu on Sunday through Thursday. The diner gets to choose any appetizer, entree and dessert from the regular menu. Plus, all the meat comes from "happy, never mad, drug free animals." SF's the best, isn't it?
• Neighborhood gem Chenery Park is now selling raffle tickets for the annual Glen Park Festival. We love raffles! And festivals!