Latest news with #EaterSF
Eater
09-07-2025
- Business
- Eater
This Famed SF Oyster Bar Is in Hot Water for Displaying a Trump Hat
is the associate editor for the Northern California and Pacific Northwest region writing about restaurant and bar trends, coffee and cafes, and pop-ups. Swan Oyster Depot is no stranger to controversy. Now, the business stirred things up with a hat allegedly supporting President Donald Trump. Daniel Krieger/Eater SF A restaurant known for affordable oysters and stirring controversy alike has received a flurry of negative attention online once again. A local influencer shared a video allegedly showing a blue hat adorned with stars, stripes, and the numbers 45 and 47 inside Swan Oyster Depot — a tourist destination and Anthony Bourdain favorite for crab legs in Louie sauce, oysters, and draft beer. The numbers, according to the San Francisco Standard, are a common reference to Trump's two terms in office. Reddit users reposted the influencer's screenshot, drawing some ire in the comments about the business. While businesses displaying images of the owners' political and personal affiliations is not uncommon, this is just the latest in the restaurant's history of stirring diners' rage. Swan Oyster Depot's most infamous incident might be its 2021 treatment of local designer Tin Dinh. Eater SF previously reported that Dinh and his sister were called 'dim sum' multiple times by a staffer. At the time, owner Jimmy Sancimino told Eater the term referred to customers who order from multiple staff members. Embarcadero Mexican restaurant rallies funds to open Don Ramon's Mexican Restaurant closed its SoMa doors in March 2023 after 40 years in business. The family has a restaurant in the works, the former Rubio's location inside Four Embarcadero Center. Now Tablehopper reports the family's nearing completion of construction thanks to a final GoFundMe push for $75,000 to reach opening. La Cocina-approved tempeh company expands Reculture Foods is on a mission to make tempeh a staple in Bay Area kitchens. The business is run by Indonesian American entrepreneurs Feby Boediarto and Melati Citrawireja, both longtime Bay Area residents and staples in the food industry. Their business is now growing, their tempeh is available in grocery stores and restaurants, including Damansara, as of July 19. Further, the team is kicking things off with a launch party on Saturday, July 19 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Other Avenues Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco. Mega popular pho restaurant opens in Berkeley A Bay Area Vietnamese restaurant mainstay is opening near the UC Berkeley campus. Pho Ha Noi will open its sixth location at 2435 Telegraph Avenue, per the San Francisco Chronicle. Owners Helen and Harry Nguyen opened their first restaurant at San Jose's Vietnam Town shopping center in 2016. Eater SF All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
This Vibey French Bar in Oakland Has Closed After Three Years
This is a curated list of the Bay Area's most notable and permanent restaurant and bar closures, with new updates published once a week. See a closing we missed? Then drop us a line . For more news, check out our list of restaurants that closed earlier this summer . JAPANTOWN — Songbirds have one less karaoke bar to frequent in the city, as an Eater SF tipster let us know that Club Mari's at 1581 Webster Street has recently closed. It's unclear when the business shuttered, but Google and Yelp confirm the bar has played its last note. OAKLAND — Artsy and antiques-filled French bar The Rendez-Vous has suddenly closed as of Friday, June 27. An Instagram post notes that the abrupt closure was due to 'unforeseen circumstances' and that there is no new concept lined up for the space. If you're a chef or bar looking for a location, the Rendez-Vous group is looking at serious inquiries. CUPERTINO — Modern Korean American restaurant Bar Bon Mot from chef James Lim has closed its doors as of Monday, June 30. The team announced the decision in an Instagram post, writing, 'We are sincerely grateful to everyone who walked through our doors, shared a table, and became part of our story.' PENINSULA — Local barbecue mini-chain Armadillo Willy's has closed three of its four Bay Area locations, Palo Alto Online reports. Outposts in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and San Jose closed down on Tuesday, June 17; the Los Altos space, meanwhile, closed back in January, as did its Dublin location as of April. The San Mateo restaurant at 2260 Bridgepointe Parkway remains open. See More: San Francisco Restaurant Closings
Eater
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Overheard at the 2025 Michelin Guide California Award Ceremony
The San Francisco Bay Area, and all of Northern California, did numbers at the state's Michelin Guide ceremony on Wednesday, June 25. There were 2025 numerous stars awarded, with Sonoma restaurant Enclos and San Francisco restaurant Kiln fetching two Michelin stars each. Which chefs and teams take home new accolades and honors can be an indication for the state of the industry and what to add to a diner's hit list for (at least) the following year. All the scuttlebutt before and after the show, everything overheard, can be just as telling. What follows are photos, commentary, snark, and hard-hitting news from the night itself. 'It's a team effort. A lot of people feel they lost their shine in comparison to Los Angeles. The new mayor can help get restaurants back on track with better regulation.' — chef Junsoo Bae, Ssal , retained its star 'Of course I want to see Rich (Lee of Saison)'s restaurant [get a second star], but we're doing good work and Angler's a strong restaurant no matter what. [Retaining a star] is like you know you're safe for another year. It's never guaranteed.' — chef de cuisine Joe Hou, Angler , retained its star 'The nerves aren't with us tonight.' — chef David Fisher, 7 Adams , retained its star 'We're not the new restaurant anymore.' — chef Serena Chow Fisher, 7 Adams , retained its star 'I feel nervous, excited.' — chef Brian Limoges, Enclos, earned two stars 'All the people who are here have restaurants. That are open.' — anonymous Michelin star-holding general manager speaking to another guest 'It's all very odd.' — the guest 'Yes, it's all very odd.' — same GM 'We all packed in an Uber [to come to the ceremony]. Everyone's a little tense at the beginning 'til people unwind and get a little loose.' — chef Rich Lee, Saison, retained its star 'It's so good to be amongst all these people. Whatever happens, I'm just grateful to be here.' — general manager Ian Cobb, Enclos 'I'm just happy to be here. I hope everyone gets what they want.' — chef Rogelio Garcia, Auro , retained its star 'We're happy to be here. *Fist bump*.' — chef Thomas Keller, The French Laundry , retained its three stars 'This isn't the right place to congregate!' — partner to a chef de cuisine at a San Francisco Michelin star-holding restaurant drinking in front of the bar 'There doesn't seem to be one.' — someone else at the bar 'You're not wrong.' — same partner 'It hasn't hit yet.' — chef de cuisine Adam Gale, Enclos 'Yeah it's a shame what happened with Osito since he had such a vision.' — chef Harrison Cheney, Sons and Daughters , on moving into a new restaurant space 'You [Eater SF] came to one of the good ceremonies,' — chef David Yoshimura, Nisei , retained its star 'Your [Eater SF's] suit has the same stitch as mine!' — chef David Barzelay, Lazy Bear , retained its two stars 'It's a good night,' — chef John Wesley, Kiln, earned a second star 'You have so many goddamn restaurants,' — chef at a Michelin star-holding restaurant to another chef 'I know,' — that other chef at another Michelin star-holding restaurant See More: San Francisco Restaurant News
Eater
25-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
Sausalito's Huge Waterfront Restaurant Just Closed — Sort Of
The would-be fine dining restaurant Ditas in Sausalito is closed. More or less. The restaurant, housed in the tremendous former Trident space, is just for private events and (for now) breakfast service. It also has a new name: Eria Cafe. The shift from Ditas to Eria has come with missed reservations, changes to the owner's dining habits that have impacted the restaurant, and a few question marks. Nikita Khandheria was 19 years old at the time she launched Ditas in 2023, starting it with money from a series of investors. The waterfront restaurant was the first outpost of mini restaurant-and-bar chain Ditas, based in India. But now, relaunched as Eria, it's both a showcase for Khandheria's new consumer goods brand of the same name and a morning cafe. In a note posted to the restaurant's website by Khanderia, the idea behind the change is to thrust into a bold, consumer products horizon. Now, the Ditas homepage redirects to a new website set up for Eria. It's a new cafe in the same space, open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. That said, Eria won't be open past September. Khanderia tells Eater SF that Ditas isn't shutting down, but rather pivoting. She says she bought out the Ditas investors in January 2025, allowing for the name change. The Eria Cafe arm began in mid-February, per the Pacific Sun . Now, it's an events venue that Khandheria says has events booked through 2025 and 2026. She told Eater SF that making it on Forbes's 30 Under 30 got her a lot of bookings, though she was unable to provide her Forbes coverage and Eater SF could not verify that information. She says she wants Eria Cafe to be for the locals, but admits that it was always meant to be temporary. By September, Khandheria says private events will take over the space full time. On the farewell note posted to the Ditas website, Khandheria says she 'rescues food businesses.' On the Listening with Leaders podcast in May 2025, Khandheria tells host Doug Noll she doesn't see herself as a restaurateur. When Ditas opened, she'd fly to Marin to 'help with opening,' but built the restaurant to be 'self-sustaining.' Upon graduation, she says she wasn't sure what to do with all her time. 'The restaurant was on autopilot,' she says. Khanderia tells Eater SF that Ditas isn't shutting down, but rather pivoting. She says she bought out the Ditas investors in January 2025, allowing for the name change. The Eria Cafe arm began in mid-February, per the Pacific Sun. Now, it's an events venue that Khandheria says has events booked through 2025 and 2026. She told Eater SF making it on Forbes's 30 Under 30 got her a lot of bookings, though she was unable to provide her Forbes coverage and Eater SF could not verify that information. She says she wants Eria Cafe to be for the locals, but admits that it was always meant to be temporary. By September, Khandheria says private events will take over the space full time. More than that, her conversation with Noll indicated a change in the owners' dining habits coming from her time in the restaurant game. She recounts an oyster shipment that needed recalling due to a possible norovirus contamination. Further, she says she will not eat seed oils, echoing a larger food industry trend fueled by wellness influencers and the MAHA movement. 'To this day I do not go out to eat that often because I know restaurants are going through a hard time, using seed oils and stuff, and I will not put that in my body,' she told the podcaster. It was in late 2024 that she bought Judy Love Sticks. It was a more than 30-year-old Marin County consumer goods business selling breadsticks to grocery stores and restaurants in the area. For her, she said the purchase was to get further into food production rather than just service. She rebranded the business into Eria. Now, showcasing Eria products at the cafe, Khandheria said on the podcast the waterfront views paired with mushroom toast work like 'a billboard' for this new brand. Her plan for summer 2025 is to take the company through national distributors. As for Ditas, Yelp reviews in winter and spring 2025 indicate the restaurant's winding down has been downright confusing. Diners wrote about receiving text-based confirmations from the restaurant up to an hour before their reservation, only to arrive to an empty parking lot and no one inside. Currently, the website and Google Map venue for Cafe Eria show different hours, while an Instagram post for the business says 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Khandheria says she hosted an event to announce the winding down and sent out emails, but points to issues with city permits as the reason behind any confusion over the Eria pivot. See More: San Francisco Restaurant Closings
San Francisco Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. gets rare tropical dishes, plus more recent restaurant openings
From short rib gnocchi to homestyle Mexican platters, San Francisco diners have a slew of new exciting spots to check out for dinner. The latest from the former chef at a Michelin-starred seafood restaurant, a modern Colombian restaurant and a pizza spot that's already impossible to get into are early highlights. There are also new places to caffeinate near Golden Gate Park and Jackson Square. Click here for a list of San Francisco restaurants that opened in April. Tropical popup graduates to fixed location Colombian coastal cuisine popup Pacifico is now serving ceviches and arepas in a dedicated space. Eater SF first reported the project from Daniel Morales, an alum of the Progress and La Mar, and partner Laura Gelvez. Brunch dishes include pancakes made of choclo, a South American corn varietal with large kernels. There are also beefy empanadas and arepas filled with Dungeness crab and egg. Dinner service is expected to start early June. Pacifico takes over the bar and lounge at music venue B Side, where Andina previously served its Venezuelan-style arepas. 205 Franklin St., San Francisco. The snowy plover has a new roost. Popular local coffee roaster Andytown closed the month with the launch of its eighth location in Jackson Square. Find the usual lineup of drip and espresso drinks made with Andytown's select, single-origin coffee beans, along with teas and pastries. 747 Front St., San Francisco. A Mission favorite grows El Mil Amores, the Mission's Mexico City-style brunch hot spot, has opened a new location. Owner Andrea Becerra launched her latest in the former Regalito Rosticeria, fittingly named Regalito El Mil Amores, where offerings lean more into lunch and dinner fare, with adobo-marinated pork chops and chicken poached in mole. The DF plate brings a large sope topped with beans and a thin slice of beef alongside the soup of the day and starchy plantains. For anyone who misses the predecessor's rotisserie chicken, half-bird orders are still available, served with sauteed greens and potatoes. Wash it down with a tepache, a sweet cider made in-house with guava and pineapple that's spiked with tequila. 3481 18th St., San Francisco. Colorful sweets and more Local chocolatiers Topogato launched its first brick-and-mortar store just in time for Mother's Day. The project from Simon Brown and Beau Monroe made a splash with their first treats in 2020, incorporating ingredients such as preserved lemon, puffed rice and Thai basil. Confections in the display case may feature smoked tea peach truffles and others decked out with paint splatter flourishes. Brews by the bay Sip on crisp lagers near sleeping sea lions. Humble Sea Brewing Co. opened its third Bay Area location at San Francisco's Pier 39, where restaurants have created a thriving dining scene. House favorites like hazy IPAs and fresh helles are on tap, perfect as the summer heat rolls in. Pier 39, Space N-111-1A, San Francisco. Hot pizza popup goes steady Recent arrival Jules has brought crowds to the Lower Haight since opening mid-May. The main draw is chef-owner Max Blachman-Gentile's pizza that bends regional genres, with a crust that's crispy like New York pies but topped with the Bay Area's prime produce. Find personal spins on classic pepperoni and mushroom, along with dishes like chicken with blistered snap peas, and charred arrowhead cabbage with Calabrian chile butter. Plan ahead, as reservations seem to vanish as soon as they go live. Shooters only Darts gets the augmented reality treatment at an expansive new bar and entertainment center. Visitors to SoMa's Golden Eye are now shooting for triple bullseyes with a drink in hand, or trying at least. Eater SF reports there are classic cocktails with a twist along with non-alcoholic drinks. To munch in between rounds there are plates of seven-layer tuna tartare, oysters and a seared mushroom steak. New Vietnamese restaurant Pho Star is cooking with everyday favorites around the corner from Guerrero Street in the Mission District. The menu is straightforward, with noodle soups and rice plates served with fragrant chicken and tender meats. Spring rolls and banh mi with five-spice chicken rank high among Yelp users. 3214 16th St., San Francisco. New spin on beloved space The former home of the Mission District's Universal Cafe is back with a new tenant and a new tune. Side A, a bistro mashing up Midwestern flavors and Japanese listening bar style, is now offering short rib gnocchi and chicken cutlets in mustard sauce. Parker Brown, a former chef at shuttered seafood temple Aphotic (which may resurface), and his wife, Caroline, aim to keep the mood casual, with bottles of Miller High Life and straightforward wine list. The Browns hope these elements, plus live DJ sets, set a mood akin to a dinner party. The space where Ritual Coffee served lattes in the Lower Haight did not sit empty for long. Eater SF reports the Coffee Lama has taken over the location, with a similar menu of coffees and expanded food options that include burritos and fruit bowls. 1300 Haight St., San Francisco.
