Here's your Friday roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle's wine section. Just in time for happy hour.

• It's grape harvest time, which means parties, festivals, and just gallons of wine. The Chron's got a pretty extensive list of the hot spots. [Harvest Some Fun]

• Selections sticks around Sonoma County to sample the Sauvingon. [Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvingon]

• And Pairings puts up an open-faced Philly cheese-steak sandwich to match. [Great Cab Fare]

• The Cheese Course gets on the other side of an American Cheese Society third-place winning sheep's milk cheese from Wisconsin's Carr Valley Cheese Co. [Cave-aged sheep's wheel a cheesemaker's favorite]

• And finally, Spirits looks at the trend of big-shot bartenders going to work as "ambassadors" for liquor brands. [Bay Area's best mixologists leaving bars for brands]

Here's our afternoon roundup of the weeklies, due to coincide with your p.m. cup o' java. You don't drink coffee in the afternoon? Just look at the picture, then.

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

• Paul Reidinger seems to really want to like Patio Espanol, but stuff keeps getting in the way. [The Spanish Table]

• L.E. Leone's father comes for a visit, and is a sport about the porch bath. Also, she likes Guerilla Cafe in Berkeley. [Daddy's Girl]

And in the SF Weekly:

• Meredith Brody gets enthusiastically verbose about Aperto, and still has room for its sister, Bellanico, in Oakland. [A Pair To Bet On]

Welcome to our weekly roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle's food section. Check back here during your afternoon coffee break for the Weeklies Over Coffee.

• The long-renowned, though recently maligned lard makes a comeback in the Bay Area and beyond. [Loving Lard]

• Fleur De Lys chef Hubert Keller will open a location of his burgeoning Burger Bar chain in the Union Square Macy's. Also, look for a second location of Bar Crudo soon. [Inside Scoop]

• A feast from the Yucatan in your very own home. Step one: Get a bunch of achiote. [South to North: A Taste of the Yucatan — Banana Leaf Optional]

• Eggplant and its associates take over the farmers' market. [Seasonal Cook]

• Chez Panisse chef David Tanis has a new book that focuses on simple recipes for the home chef. [Cook's Books]

Welcome back to the long-suspended Weeklies Over Coffee, our weekly glance at the Guardian and SF Weekly's food sections. As we mentioned before, there's been some behind-the-scenes shuffling around here, and a few of our regular features were lost in the fray for a while, but all is well now, and we've even made some improvements — note how the coffee cup graphic is over on the right side. Talk about progress!

First, the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

• Paul Reidinger gleefully spills the "secret" of Elite Cafe. [ A delicious New Orleans-inspired secret on Fillmore]
• L.E. Leone talks about computer dating, crying, and throws in a mention of Santa Rosa's Saigon Cuisine. [Cheap Eats: Sex and salad]

Meanwhile, over at the SF Weekly:

• Meredith Brody was moderately impressed by the look and food at Level III, but thinks the service could have been a little smoother. [Hurry Up and Slow Down]

Welcome back to the long-suspended Chronicle Over Coffee, our weekly glance at the Chron's food section. There's been some behind-the-scenes shuffling around here, and a few of our regular features were lost in the fray for a while, but all is well now, and we've even made some improvements — note how the coffee cup graphic is over on the right side. Talk about progress!

• The lead story gives squid a lot of ink as a sustainable seafood. [Secrets of squid]

• Palencia chef Drey Roxas cooks Filipino street food at home. [Chef's Night In]

• A review of the new book Pet Food Politics, which hits notes with humans, as well. [What's New]

• Amanda Gold gives it up for L'ardoise. [L'Ardoise bistro a neighborhood gem]

• And Inside Scoop takes a look at Orson's re-tooling, Modern Tea's metamorphosis, and chef shuffling. [Inside Scoop]

Welcome to your afternoon coffee-break roundup of the local food sections. Dig in!

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

A profile of the vast Michael Mina empire [Michael Mina's magic touch]

The Chron celebrates the victory of Mexican forces over the French in the 1862 Battle of Puebla with Mexican recipes and a very special headline [South to North: Happy Cinco de Margaritas]

The Accidental Vegetarian celebrates the season in the produce aisle [Springing forward with greens galore]

Looks like our locals are officially out of the Top Chef race [What's New: Last S.F. contestant booted from 'Top Chef']

And it looks like Frisson is gone, at least for a lot longer than expected [Inside Scoop]

Over in the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger takes a visit to LoLo, which he describes as "hybrid" Mexican/Turkish cuisine, eschewing the word "fusion." [When Turkey met Mexico ...]

Reidinger also weighs in on Top Chef [Chefs that go crunch]

And LE Leone talks about movies, killing and, for a second, Thai Noodle Jump [Cheap Eats]

Finally, over in the SF Weekly:

Meredith Brody takes her turn at Waterbar, [Fish Story]

Here's your Wednesday coffee-break roundup of the local food sections. Enjoy!

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The local king salmon collapse means fish-eaters will have to turn to other sources for this summer's fare. [Goodbye, king - hello coho]

We finally get a review of hot spot Waterbar [Views, seafood compete for attention at Waterbar]

Amanda Gold checks out La Trappe [Dining Out]

Looks like the Mina crew are opening a cocktail bar [Inside Scoop]

And we get a first look at Anchor & Hope [What's New]

Over at the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger is moderately enthusiastic about L'ardoise [Let's go to the board]

Reidinger also comes up with some solutions for wasteful airline infrastructure [Fly, read, eat!]

And L.E. Leone muses on bad jokes and barbecued pasta sparing a paragraph for Alameda's La Pinata [Cheap Eats]

Finally, in the SF Weekly:

Meredith Brody checks out San Francisco's Little Saigon: a few blocks of Larkin Street [Two Blocks of Vietnam]

It’s Wednesday, so that must mean it’s time for another afternoon coffee-break roundup. We might need a refill today.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The lead story proves that Bay Area cooks aren’t passing over creative Passover opportunities [Not Your Grandma’s Passover]

Corporate cookware darlings Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table are making their mark in the cookbook industry [Cook’s Books ]

Pea shoots are shooting up this season [Seasonal Cook]

Doughnuts, beignets and French toast are all the rage on Bay Area dessert menus [What's New]

And Napa chef Andrew Arndt gushes about his new gig as executive chef for cater Elaine Bell [ Cook’s Night Out]

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger gets his eats and grooves on at Prana [ Hall of the Disco King]

Reidinger also admires straight-talk when it comes to eating (and killing) animals [ Thrill Of The Kill]

And LE Leone tells a joke and also finds that the joke’s on her at La Corneta [Cheap Eats]

Cooking at SF Weekly:

Meredith Brody takes the T train to sample some comfort food at Serpentine [Chow In Dogpatch]

'
Welcome to another afternoon coffee-break roundup of your local food sections. Cream and sugar?

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

What to fling with your asparagus this spring [Spring Entertaining: Keeping It Simple]

Marlena Spieler puts the starch in [Taster's Choice]

And Michael Bauer re-visits Fringale and is moderately impressed [Fringale keeps its French spirit]

Over at the San Francisco Bay Guardian, we were stunned by the lack of The Blender, a favorite feature of this blog. Reidinger and Leone seem to be running a skeleton crew this week.

Paul Reidinger visits The Alembic with great enthusiasm [Raising the bar]

Reidinger also gets his spring on with apricots and goofy headlines [Jam of lords, lords of jam]

And L.E. Leone writes about feeding her chickens cake. Also Robata Grill and Sushi in Mill Valley [Cheap Eats]

Finally, at the San Francisco Weekly:

Robert Lauriston gets hip to O Izakaya Lounge [Izakaya? O Yes]

Okay folks, here's your afternoon coffee-break roundup of our weekly local food sections. Hungry?

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The lead story looks at spoon-bread as a springtime dish [Spoonbread gets a seasonal makeover, California style]

All sorts of industry action with shifting chefs, openings, closings and sales [Inside Scoop]

Asparagus season is upon us with a vengeance [Seasonal Cook]

Chez Papa finally opens in Mint Plaza [What's New]

And Sebo chef Daniel Dunham shows what he cooks at home [Chef's Night In]

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger pays a visit to CAV Wine Bar and Kitchen, which he likes [The Big Dig]

Reidinger also rails vehemently against bottled water, which he doesn't like [The Water Cure]

And LE Leone writes about the cyclical nature of life, as well as pozole at Green Chile Kitchen & Market [Cheap Eats]

Finally, at the San Francisco Weekly:

Meredith Brody gets hip to 1300 on Filmore [Refined on Fillmore]

Okay, welcome to the new, all-encompassing food section roundup. Due to some scheduling changes around MP headquarters, we're lumping all the food sections into one post for you to digest over your afternoon joe. Hope you brewed a big pot.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

This week's lead story looks at the trend of more "adult" restaurants featuring kids' menus. [Kids' menus grow up]

Amanda Gold gives Pacific Catch two stars [Dining Out: San Francisco's Pacific Catch reels in families]

And Michael Bauer gives Baraka two and a half stars [Dining Update: Potrero Hill's Baraka maintains its allure]

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian

Paul Reidinger goes gaga for SPQR [When in Rome ...]

Ailene Sankur really digs Fune Ya [Saved By The Sushi Boat]

And Reidinger meditates on wild fennel [The Republic of Fennel]

Finally, from the San Francisco Weekly

Meredith Brody takes a mini-tour of some of the city's sandwicheries [What Comes Between]

Just in time for happy hour, here's your roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle's Friday wine section.

The lead story on absinthe wonders whether the spirit will catch on as a standard or if it's just a passing fad. [Hawking the Green Fairy]

Selections rates Pacific Northwest Chardonnays. [Selections]

And Pairings likes Korean seafood pancakes to go with those whites. [Pairings]

Sipping News brings word of a naming rights conflict over at Petroni Vinyards [What's in a name?]

Finally, the Cheese Course raves over pepper-coated Tuscan pecorino senese [Cheese Course]

Wow, hope you got yourself a double. This is a big one. Due to aforementioned internal shakeups, we're experimenting with condensing our two Wednesday food section roundups into one feature. See if this works for you:

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Spring is here, and that means confusing menu planning. [Soups & salads make the perfect seasonal dinners]

On a return visit, Michael Bauer gives Michael Mina">Michael Mina four stars. Four. Dang. [Dining Update: Michael Mina enters four-star galaxy]

For those who really like to get up in there, we get a feature on tripe. [Tripe lovers reveal their offal secrets]

And the tasting panel unenthusiastically picked Safeway frozen garlic bread as the best of a bad lot. [Taster's Choice]

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger hesitantly approves of Pacific Catch . [The Filling Station, Continued]

Jon Beckhardt finds himself unimpressed with the Slow Beer Festival [Falling Flat]

Reidinger comes to the defense of white wines. [White Made Right]

And at the SF Weekly (whew):

Robert Lauriston takes a little tour of specialty Korean restaurants. [Specialist Referrals]

Finally tonight, our roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle's Friday wine section:

First a story about a scientist who claims you are pre-programmed to like certain types of wine. They'll love that up in Napa. [Mind Your Tongue]

Selections looks at domestic varietals going for a Tuscan chianti taste. [Domestic Sangiovese and Supertuscan-style blends]

And Pairings suggests an eggplant/tomato saute to go with that. [Pairings]

The Cheese Course gets a little blue. [Capri Classic Blue Log sports blue on the outside]

And An Obsession With Food blogger Derrick Schneider makes a cameo with a piece on beer glasses [Beer: A different glass for every brew can add to the drinking experience]

Here is your afternoon dose of local food media roundup, in our regular look at our beloved two weekly papers' food sections, to be enjoyed with a hot cup of joe.

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

So the weeklies were the only game in town for reviews this week, with the Chron all wrapped up in its upcoming chefs issue. That gave good ol' Paul Reidinger an early crack at Conduit. [Conduit: Tubular bells ... and whistles]

Reidinger waxes liquid with a soup soliloquy. [New soup for you!]

Ailene Sankur also gets hot for soup. In her case it's seafood tofu soup from Tofu Village. [Seafood Soup for the Soul]

And LE Leone gets crazy for flowers and the Cindarella Russian Bakery. [Cheap Eats]

Meanwhile, at the SF Weekly:

Meredith Brody gets hip at Shanghai House, eating about half the menu. [Chinese Import]

If it's Wednesday, this must be the Chronicle Over Coffee! Let's take a look at our major daily's food section, shall we?

First, we get a look at some of the up and coming chefs picked by the Food Section staff this year. [Rising Star Chefs 2008]

The tasting panel gets to try Italian sausage, and like's Cafe Rouge's the best. [Taster's Choice]

Good lord, first the Washbag closes and now Moose's is looking at a name/ownership change. What is happening to North Beach? [Inside Scoop]

Wintry root vegetables can be two-for-ones, if you know what to do with the greens. [The Seasonal Cook]

And we get a new take on chicken wings for harried chefs. [The Working Cook]

As we leave you this Friday evening, we bid you good weekend. Please enjoy the San Francisco Chronicle's wine section over a good, stiff drink. You've earned it.

Our lead story is a pairing challenge for six local sommeliers and wine directors. Can they find the right accompaniment for two tricky dishes? [Search for a perfect match]

Meanwhile Jim Clarke parses some of the debate over adding sugars and spices to wines. [Is Europe too sweet on chaptalization?]

Gary Regan goes for a two-fer of cocktail recommendations, but settles on a Midnight Smash. [The Cocktailian]

And, finally, the Cheese Course wakes up in time for breakfast [Even without a beer, Breakfast Cheese is an eye-opener]

Well, it's good to be back. An unfortunate bout of "actual work" kept us away from the blog for much of yesterday, so here is your better-late-than-never edition of the Weeklies Over Coffee.

In the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger gets really stoked on lentils [From Umbria, with brio]

Ella Lawrence takes a look at late lunch options around town [Dining in the off-hours

Reidinger also likes Breezy's, but not quite as much as he likes those lentils [A performance enhancement]

And LE Leone is all about Alameda's Calafia Taqueria this week [Cheap Eats]

Meanwhile, at the SF Weekly:

Meredith Brody is less than impressed with P'tit Laurant. She even slams the French overall! [You Can Have Paris]

Also, as a web bonus, we get news that Trader Vic's is having a massive warehouse sale of all things Tiki. [The Snitch: Trader Vic's Mysterious Warehouse Sale]

This is a sad installment of this particular feature. In addition to our normal food section roundup, we bring you the story of Tommy Toy, one of the legends of the city's restaurant scene. According to the story in today's Chronicle, Toy worked his way up from a busboy at the Imperial Palace, becoming manager and then co-owner there before opening his own place, Tommy Toy's Cuisine Chinoise. His patrons included all sorts of local notables, from Dianne Feinstein and Willie Brown to Francis Ford Coppola and Clint Eastwood. [Tommy Toy - Chinatown restaurateur dies at 72]

Now, on to the food section:

The lead story takes us through the delicious sounding Day of the Pig, a weekend-long celebration focused on slaughtering, butchering, cooking, curing and just generally getting up in a pig. [Going whole hog]

Amanda Berne seems to have had an exceptionally good dish of beans while moving recently. [Beans make the perfect housewarming dish]

Piperade chef Gerald Hirigoyen feeds finicky children at home. [Chef's Night In]

A whole big chef shuffle is taking place downtown [Inside Scoop]

And Michael Bauer totally loves Sausalito's Poggio. [Simple ingredients shine in hands of Poggio chef]

Here's your pre-happy hour roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle's Friday wine section. Straight, no chaser!

The lead story takes a look at Yamahai, a particular type of sake that is gaining a foothold in the States. [Yamahai warriors]

Selections dives in and opens its eyes under the surface in the world of Shiraz. [Selections]

And to go with that Shiraz, a nice bowl of Khoresh, natch. [Pairings]

A few weeks late to the punch, Jim Clarke takes a look at extreme brews, but while the New York Times focused on Novato's Moylan's Brewery, Clarke ranges far and wide, to Portland and Boston. [Extreme Brews Go Higher]

And the Sipping News showcases a nifty new type of wine bottle stopper. [Gadget: Silicone Wine Stoppers]

Paul Reidinger eloquently stomps his foot on the ground and shakes his fist at the pests who ate the lemons off his tree. [Requiem for a lemon]

Ailene Sankur takes an enthusiastic look at A La Turca

Reidinger Similarly loves Monk's Kettle which he labels a "hipster tavern." [Monk's Kettle]

LE Leone faces off with a skunk, which has nothing to do with San Francisco restaurants. [Cheap Eats

Meanwhile, over at the San Francisco Weekly:

Meredith Brody is back, paying a visit to Local, which she likes so much she even mentions it in the first paragraph. [Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant: Bland Name for Bomb Food]

Here's your Wednesday morning roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle's weekly food section. Caution: It's hot!

The lead story, a big feature on Martin Yan, got us grinning from ear to ear. We don't lavish nearly enough praise on that guy around here. [MARTIN YAN'S CAN-DO ATTITUDE]

Amanda Gold visits Sudachi for this week's second review of a Japanese restaurant to use the word "riff" in the headline. [Dining Out: Sudachi riffs on Japanese classics]

Taster's Choice looks at frozen lasagna and likes Michael Angelo's best. [Panel warms to just one frozen lasagna]

Get ready for slow food, a new chef at the Ritz-Carlton and another at Campton Place. [Inside Scoop]

Tuscan kale is in no short supply right now, and is making its way into all sorts of recipes. [The Seasonal Cook

Some lighter recipes might help ease the Valentine's Day hangover [South to North]

While today isn't normally a Chronicle Over Coffee day, a couple items piqued our interest enough to run a small edition. Here's an abbreviated SFCOC for your Monday holiday.

In the food section, Michael Bauer visits O Izakaya Lounge, the new-ish Japanese small-plates joint in the Hotel Kabuki. [O Izakaya Riffs On Japanese Tradition With Winning Food]

And there's a very nice Carl Nolte send-off of Speedy's Market, the Telegraph Hill stalwart that seems like it belongs more to the San Francisco of Tales of the City than today's big-money neighborhood crowd. It's such a pity when little hubs like this close down, but there's a chance to save this one. The market needs new owners or it will be closed and the property sold. If anyone out there is interested in becoming Mr. or Ms. Telegraph Hill, please get on it quickly. [Beloved Telegraph Hill market seeks new owners]

Once again, get ready for happy hour with the San Francisco Chronicle wine section.

Our lead story looks at Syrah and Pinot varietals sharing similar climates. [When Syrah met Pinot]

Selections checks out Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc [Selections]

And Pairings suggests eggs to go with that. [Pairings]

On the beer side of things, we get a bit of background on porter. [All the president's porters]

The Sipping News brings word of a wine-specific search engine. [The Sipping News

As well as couple new North Bay tasting rooms. [The Sipping News

Okay, in case you were getting a bit sleepy in the post-lunch hours, here's a guide to the weeklies while you caffeinate back up.

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger gets totally stoked on Coco500, the new inception of Loretta Keller's Bizou. [Cuckoo for Coco500]

Reidinger also licks his proverbial chops over Epic Roasthouse and Waterbar, which are a bit too new to review, but seem to have made a pretty big impression all the same. [On the waterfront: an epic]

Molly Freedenberg treats us to one more chocolate roundup in honor of Valentine's Day. [Cocoa-a-go-go]

And LE Leone has a new favorite restaurant in Alameda's Dragon Rouge. [Cheap Eats]

Meanwhile, over at the San Francisco Weekly

Robert Lauriston stands in for Meredith Brody in an extremely thorough review of the Inner Richmond's Troya. [Inner Richmond's Troya Takes Turkish Up a Notch]

Here's that morning shot of San Francisco Chronicle food section you've been craving.

It couldn't be a Feb. 13 food section without a lead story on Valentine's Day, but this one about partners with mismatched eating habits has a pretty unique angle. [Odd Couples]

Marlena Spieler plans to eat dinner alone tomorrow, but shares her menu with the world. [The Roving Feast]

Cindy Lee checks out good date restaurants. Of course that refers to the fruit. [Seasonal Cook]

We get a look at non-chocolate sweets for last-minute Valentine shoppers. [What's New]

And for the chocoholic lover with time to cook, a brownie recipe. [Dangerously good brownies]

Okay, it's the end of the week, almost quitting time and you need a drink. Let's get you fixed up, the San Francisco Chronicle way, yeah?

The lead story takes a Valentine's Day angle in talking about couples who like different colors of wine. [Bridging the Color Divide]

Selections checks out Carneros Pinot Noir [Selections]

And Pairings offers potstickers to go with it, in honor of the lunar new year. [Pairings]

The Sipping News brings word of a white wine in a red bottle for Valentine's Day [Sipping News]

And the Cocktailian relates a great little anecdote about a new drink [Cocktailian]

Welcome to another edition of the Chronicle Over Coffee, where you can pour yourself a small cup of the paper's food section without brewing a whole pot. Don't forget the cream and sugar.

This week's lead story espouses the glories of the humble lentil, which can apparently exist in a more exciting state than the pasty Food not Bombs stew we used to sample on its way out to United Nations Plaza to feed the homeless. [Luxe Lentils]

Michael Bauer takes a return trip to Jai Yun, one of those low-profile Chinese restaurants that winds up on everyone's secret favorites list, except Bauer's, it seems. They've got a new location. [Dining Update: Hungering for more at expanded Jai Yun]

An opening, a closing and a new destination for Myth chef Sean O'Brien in Scoop. Also, Newsom loses a key staffer. [Inside Scoop]

None of the grocery store spinach dips fared terribly well against the tasting panel. [Taster's Choice]

Finally, a batch of recipes for Chinese New Year. [Lunar New Year soup has sticking power]

And one for Valentine's Day. [The Baker: A handy cookie recipe]

Oh, also, the results of the Chron's wine competition are in. [Best of Class]

Welcome back to the Weeklies Over Coffee, your look at the alt-weekly food sections that invade this city each Wednesday.

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger visits Serpentine and finds it a more aurally palatable cousin to Slow Club. [Factory Fresh]

Reidinger also tosses out some ideas on where to stick all those greens that litter the produce aisles this time of year. [Green Winter]

Ailene Sankur takes on Venus for brunch in Berkeley and finds it to be underwhelming. We'll offer no comment on Venus except to say that they once served us decaf in place of regular coffee and we've never really gotten over it. [Breakfast of Blandness]

And, finally, L.E. Leone gets going on the weather and geography and how to cook a chicken, and also sort of mentions Metro Kathmandu, where you can get lamb burgers. [Cheap Eats]

Over at the SF Weekly:

Meredith Brody lurks around to various Vietnamese soup emporiums, seeking relief for her cold and reviewing pho. This is a good time of year for such a tour. [The Pho Chronicles]

This week's San Francisco Chronicle food section is all about pickling stuff. They've got this front page story on Korean kim chee, on which several other briney pieces piggy-back. Also plenty of Kuleto coverage. Shall we?

As mentioned, the big feature is on kimchi, that Korean staple of pickled cabbage that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. [Cooking in Common: Korea's kimchi addiction catches on in the West ]

Following the feature, we get a variety of pickling recipes from Karen Solomon. [Cooking in Common: Winter pickles are cooler than a cucumber]

The Taster's Choice Panel, in its run-up to the Superbowl, checked out potato chips and likes Kettle Krinkle Cut as the most "dip-worthy" chip. [Taster's Choice]

Still more coverage of Epic roasthouse, part of the new Kuleto venture on the Embarcadero [What's New: Bygone fantasy provides backdrop for Epic Roasthouse]

And of Waterbar, the other half of the venture. [What's New: Waterbar reflects bayside setting with sustainable fish]

Michael Bauer returns to Terzo to find that they've changed their focus away from small plates and toward larger entrees. Look for an updated MP listing in coming days. [Dining Update: Portions, prices up at 'more satisfying' Terzo]

And finally, the new-ish and highly-acclaimed SPQR is doing the chef shuffle as Daniel Holzman leaves Nate Appleman as sole executive chef. Chris Behr and Huw Thornton are coming from A16 as chef de cuisine and executive sous chef, respectively. [Inside Scoop]

This is a big week for the Weeklies Over Coffee. The San Francisco Bay Guardian's food section has a buddy: Techsploitation takes a unique look at cloned meat. Shall we dive in, then?

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger has high hopes for Cassis, which now occupies the former Winterland space at 2101 Sutter St. [Nice guys finish first]

Molly Freedenberg takes a look at Tcho chocolate, the new project of Wired Magazine co-founder Louis Rossetto. Appropriately, the product was available for tasting at the Electronic Frontier Foundation's 17th anniversary party. [Dark Chocolate 1.0]

Paul Reidinger divulges tips on how to overcome over-salted food. [Nursing the ratchet effect]

L.E. Leone talks about bookshelf painting, cooking pork chops and, briefly, the Citrus Club. [Cheap Eats]

And finally, Analee Newitz gets a cameo here in TWOC, as she turns the lazer focus of Techsploitation to cloned meat. This may be the only argument we've heard in favor of cloned food that didn't come from the cloning industry. [Let's Eat Clone]

Meanwhile, over at the San Francisco Weekly;

Meredith Brody actually manages to mention the name of the restaurant she's reviewing in the second paragraph of her review. She really seems to like Laiola, but can't quite let go of an apparent regret in ordering. [The Marina's Spanish-inspired Laiola: Intriguing, Irresistible]

Okay, here's your afternoon coffee-time roundup of our illustrious weeklies and their food sections. Enjoy!

In the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger tells tales of surviving last week's storms. The secret: drink wine. [When the lights go off]

Juliana Froggatt reviews Oakland's Sahn Maru Korean barbecue in Oakland. She liked it. [Beaming smiles and meaty panache in Oakland]

Paul Reidinger also heads out of town, to Navio at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Dreaming of Scottish lighthouses, Reidinger seemed to be in a contemplative mood while writing the review. Seems many items were pleasant, classic, but not earth-shaking. [Coast Plus]

And, finally L.E. Leone gives us an exhaustive account of her ongoing romance, complete with sexual imagery, emotional hand-wringing and one small paragraph at the end on Toomie's Thai Cuisine, in Alameda. Wow, three for three reviews out of town. Thanks a lot, Guardian. [Cheap Eats

Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Weekly:

Meredith Brody gets the week off this issue, with Robert Lauriston taking the reigns. At least they hit up a San Francisco restaurant. Language barriers in the reservation process couldn't prevent Laurinston from enjoying the meal. It was refreshing to read a Weekly review that actually mentioned the name of the restaurant in the first five paragraphs. [Shanghai Dilly]

Welcome to this week's roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle food section. It's a thick one today, folks. We'll pull out some highlights, but you're going to have to pour yourself a couple of cups to get through the whole thing. Good luck.

There's a big, rambling article on cutlets that provides some tasty-sounding recipes as well as an account of a German meal that made our mouth water. [Prime Cutlets]

It seems Mike Selvera, executive chef at Bar Crudo, likes to make whole, roasted fish when he entertains at home. It makes sense, we think, to want the polar opposite of what one does at work--namely serving little pieces of fish raw. Selvera, you may remember, was injured last year in a car crash while sharing a cab home with two other employees, one of whom died. [Chef's Night In]

A Taster's Choice column from two weeks ago stirred up some controversy when the panel's favorite brand of frozen spinach turned out to be imported from China. E-mails are apparently pouring in not only to the Chronicle, but to Trader Joe's, from consumers upset that they're not getting, if not locally grown, then at least U.S.-grown spinach. [Food Conscious]

Trader Joe's took another Taster's Choice victory this week, with its Crinkle Wedge Potatoes. They beat out other frozen French fry brands. However, none of the countries of origin were listed. Just saying. [Taster's Choice]

Michael Bauer was not impressed with the new menu at Mecca, which he says is "trapped in the 1980s." [Update: New Mecca menu takes a big step back]

And finally, it seems the team lineup and redesign plans at Fifth Floor have finally settled into place, with veterans from Aqua, Cafe de la Presse, Ame and Lark Creek Inn concocting the menu and a new, no-reservations cafe planned for the front of the space. Also, Michael Bauer (we think--there is no by-line on Scoop) just can't wait to nail this story on the sale of Myth to Ritz Carlton chef and sommelier Ron Siegel and Stephane Lacroix, but unfortunately for him, it's still officially in the "rumor" stage. Has been for months, too. Bauer has reverted to horrible puns to pass the time. [Inside Scoop]

Sorry about the lateness of this post. We were sick on Friday and fell asleep in front of LOST before we got a chance to round up the SF Chronicle's Friday wine section. Just for the record, and in case you missed it without our help last week, here's a belated edition of the Chronicle Over Cocktails.

It came as news to us, as it likely did to a lot of U.S. readers that wine making is a huge business in Lebanon. Even despite occasional interruptions of violence, vintners in the country produce more than 4 million bottles a year, some of them highly regarded--though not so much here in the U.S. [Make Wine Not War]

A Chronicle Selections tasting explores Chardonnays of Sonoma County, finding that this year has produced fewer "oak bombs." [The Chronicle Wine Selections: Sonoma Chardonnay]

For this week's Pairings, we get a recipe for oat and corn cakes with saffron aioli. Oak bomb or no, these golden globs are meant to go nicely with a Sonoma Chardonnay. [Let them eat cakes]

And the Cocktailian brings us a roundup of rural Bavarian "farmhouse brews," from Upper Franconia, the remote northern half of Bavaria. The small-time, hand-crafted brews evoke the U.S. micro-brew trend, only in Germany, and therefore way more heavy-duty. [Beer: A corner of rural Bavaria fosters farmhouse brews]

The weeklies roundup is a bit more cheerful than the Chronicle. Or maybe it's just that all that Look Around You is working on us. Either way, good times abound:

From the San Francisco Guardian:

In what is ostensibly a review of Daniel Walker Howe's What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848, Paul Reidinger joins the chorus booing the main course. In a piece that frankly uses the word "mammoth" too many times for us, he compares the rising sizing of entrees to "a culinary version of grade inflation." Ha, funny. [Remember the main]

Next, Reidinger turns to Cafe Andree, which, perched as it is inside the Hotel Rex, he describes as "a bistro that's somehow been engulfed by a London men's club." The restaurant, Reidinger concludes, is expensive, but worth it. Noted. [Cafe Andree: Eat global, meet locals]

Okay, out of L.E. Leone's 1,000-or-so-word column, the following quote includes every word dedicated to a San Francisco restaurant:

My new favorite restaurant is Taqueria Reina's.
It has the cheesiest chiles rellenos ever, very good carnitas, and excellent salsa. My only complaint was we had to eat with gloves on, it was so cold in there. And speaking of cheesy, there were Mexican soap operas instead of soccer on TV.

And finally, Paula Connelly visits Chiaroscuro Ristorante, which she praises in a short review. Good polenta, apparently, but high prices. Chiaroscuro Ristorante]

Meanwhile, at the San Francisco Weekly:

It's somehow different for L.E. Leone, partly because she reviews low-end restaurants and partly because it's long been her "think" to talk about everything but food in her reviews, but we're getting pretty tired of Meredith Brody, the Weekly's sole full-time restaurant reviewer, pontificating for paragraph after paragraph before even mentioning the restaurant she's here to review. It's time for Brody to go back to J-school and read up on that ol' "inverted pyramid" approach. Even if that tried-and-true formula won't take her to Pulitzer-winning food reviews, some version of it will likely keep her readers interested long enough to read thing one about the restaurant. [South Food & Wine Bar's Australian Food Overthought, Overwrought]

This week's San Francisco Chronicle food section is depressing. It features no reviews of San Francisco restaurants, but rather news that two venerable joints are closing up shop. Compared with the heady, waning days of 2007, when restaurants like SPQR and Serpentine made Michael Bauer all mushy, this year seems to be getting off on a stark and sober foot.

The first splash of cold water comes in the form of an interview with Michael Pollan, whose just-released book, "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," admonishes us to eat more fruits and vegetables, choose locally raised meat and generally be good little eaters. Fantastic advice, but not much fun. [What would Michael Pollan eat?]

Then there's the Inside Scoop, which carries not only the woeful news of the Washbag's shuttering, but also tidings of closure for the San Francisco location of Trader Vic's, that bastion of mai tais and daqueris for City Hall insiders, civil lawyers and anybody else who wanted to loosen the tie an inch or two. Fortunately, the Emeryville and Palo Alto locations remain open. Also, among the depression, comes the hopeful news that the fire-damaged Globe is set to re-open tomorrow. [The Inside Scoop]

Linda Furiya gets, um, "topical," with a pretty good sounding recipe tied to a, what, three-month-old news hook? Hey, did you know that there was an oil spill in the Bay and that it affected recreation-seekers? Yeah, so did we. [East to West]

And finally, on a comforting, if not terribly exciting note, Taster's Choice explores the world of hot chocolate. Turns out Trader Joe's again dings the no. 1 bell, this time with its Conacado Organic Fair Trade Cocoa. You know what Trader Joe's also sells heaps of? That's right, booze. And rum goes as well in hot chocolate as it does with depressing news. Perhaps a run to the market is in order. [Taster's Choice]

Time for the afternoon round-up of our beloved weeklies. It sure is nice to get back on the old routine.

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian:

Paul Reidinger gives us another book review, this time of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Seems Pollan is advocating a return to fresh, whole foods and away from laboratory-generated stuff like Doritos. Who knew? [Eat the faith]

The ever-hip Kimberly Chun pays a visit from the A and E department to drop a few gems of knowledge regarding cupcakes. These petite treats have been charging along a crest of coolness for a while now, and it looks like they'll keep their momentum through 2008. Chun maps out some of the better cup-cakeries in town and waxes philosophical about why they're so danged irresistible. [cupcakes!]

Paul Reidinger takes a visit to the Southern-sophisticated 1300 on Fillmore, and delivers a contemplative review, not glowing but certainly satisfied. Reidinger seems a little uncomfortable with the high-end soul-food on the menu, but much of it seems to have pleased him. [1300 on Fillmore]

And finally, L.E. Leone delivers a rambling, sexually charged essay on chicken happiness, with a quick recommendation thrown in at the bottom. This style she's developed of writing about pretty much anything but a restaurant until the last paragraph is really working for her, but we frankly pine for the days when she'd use a whole column on a detailed description of some weird, cutty barbecue or noodle joint. Someday, L.E., we'd like to see that again. [Cheap Eats]

And over at the San Francisco Weekly:

Meredith Brody gives us the requisite restaurant top 10 list for 2007. Turns out she, like everyone else in town with a palate and the patience to wait for a table, has a massive crush on SPQR, that new gem from A16's Nate Appleman. We'd make fun of her for being a herd animal if we hadn't eaten there recently and tended to agree. [Unforgettable,That's What You Are]

Welcome to a new year here at MPSF. The end of 2007 treated us well, with a visit to the highly regarded SPQR, a power burrito with editors of both Burritoeater and Burritophile and some good-luck food on New Year's Day (more on that later). But now it's back to the grindstone after a copious amount of time off, and we're glad to start off with a good look at the San Francisco Chronicle's food section:

To help with the millions of resolutions to be more healthful, at least for the first few weeks of 2008, Stacy Finz has compiled a quite useful list of explanations of health-conscious buzz words, and which foods can deliver the goods. What are probiotics and where are they found? Finz tells you. [Just the flax, please]

In an installment of the Seasonal Cook, Melissa Swanson serves up more than you ever thought there was to know about onions. Turns out there are many layers of complexity there. [Seasonal Cook]

For those tired of existential chicken-and-egg questions, Marlena Spieler attacks more substantial issues of those ingredients, namely, how best to cook them. In fact, the piece really only gives egg recipes, but we like eggs, so that's fine. No mention of Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion," however, nor a recipe by that name. [Roving