Jay Barmann
Oakland
Oakland location of Shake Shack plans December opening
Popular New York-based burger chain Shake Shack, which just opened its first San Francisco location earlier this year, is readying its Uptown Oakland outpost for a mid-December opening. Read More
San Francisco Mission
Mozzeria, the Mission's Deaf-owned pizzeria, has closed after nine years
The Bay Area has lost its only Deaf-owned and operated restaurant, Mozzeria (3228 16th St.), due to the ongoing pandemic downturn. Deaf owners Melody and Russ Stein say they will continue operating their food truck, but the time has come to give up the brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Mission. Read More
San Francisco Lower Haight
We've Had a Little Work Done
If you're saying to yourself, "Hey self, does Haighteration looks a little different today?", you would be correct. Here's what we did, and why. Read More
San Francisco Embarcadero
Epicurean Trader aims for January opening at Ferry Building
Amid a fair amount of turnover at San Francisco's Ferry Building this year, we have the good news that local high-end grocer The Epicurean Trader is still on track to open in the former Farm Fresh to You stall by early in the new year. Read More
San Francisco Mission
Rainbow Grocery offers reservations for safer holiday-season shopping
Rainbow Grocery is offering extra-socially-distanced shopping hours by reservation only, for everyone who's nervous about trying to do Thanksgiving grocery shopping amid the usual crush of humanity. Read More
San Francisco SoMa
Torraku Ramen readies new location on Folsom Street in SoMa
Former food truck Torraku Ramen, which opened its first brick-and-mortar spot in the Design District three years ago, is expanding with a new location in SoMa, just south of Yerba Buena at 921 Folsom Street. Read More
San Francisco Cow Hollow Marina
Neighbors of Lombard Street motel used as pandemic homeless shelter complain of uptick in crime
Marina residents who live near the Buena Vista Motor Inn (1599 Lombard St.) say that break-ins, attempted break-ins, and two reports of gunshots in recent months have them on edge — and they connect this apparent uptick in crime to the motel being used to shelter homeless individuals during the pandemic. Read More
San Francisco
San Francisco rolls back reopening, stops all indoor dining as cases rise
On Tuesday, Mayor London Breed announced that the city of San Francisco would be halting all indoor dining, just six weeks after allowing it at 25% capacity, due to rising COVID cases. Read More
San Francisco Civic Center Tenderloin
Tommy's Joynt reopens on Van Ness, at long last
Iconic San Francisco hofbrau/sports bar Tommy's Joynt (1101 Geary) has reopened for the first time in eight months, and the corned beef dinners have already begun flying out the door. Read More
San Francisco Tenderloin
Glide Memorial Church severs ties with Methodist Church after 100 years
Following a two-year legal fight that began with the Methodist Church suing the Glide Foundation for control of its considerable assets, Glide Memorial Church announced Wednesday that it is cutting ties with the larger church under which it was founded, in order to proceed independently into the future with its charitable and spiritual work. Read More
San Francisco Hayes Valley
New Mayan-Yucatecan pop-up Akna opens in former Barcino space in Hayes Valley
The former Barcino space at the corner of Gough and Grove (also formerly Boxing Room) has reemerged this week as Akna, a new Mayan-Yucatecan pop-up backed by the Absinthe Group. Read More
San Francisco Upper Haight
Dollhouse Bettie, The Haight's Vintage Lingerie Store, To Close This Fall
The store, a 10-year fixture in the Haight, will likely close in September or October. Read More
San Francisco
Something New
Over the next week or two, we'll be rolling out some exciting changes. Here's what we're doing, and why we're doing it. Read More
San Francisco Tenderloin
Legendary porn palace the O'Farrell Theatre closes after 51 years
The Tenderloin's infamous O'Farrell Theatre closed last month without fanfare, and whether you believe in the freedom of speech when it comes to pornography and adult performers or not, you should know that this place was one of a few in San Francisco that started it all. Read More
San Francisco
SF restaurants won't be increasing indoor capacity just yet as COVID cases rise
With daily COVID case numbers and the number of hospitalized patients ticking up slightly in the last two weeks, SF city officials are not moving forward with a pledged date of November 3 for further reopening of businesses. Read More
San Francisco Fillmore Fillmore Western Addition Western Addition
A Fillmore District affordable housing project may transform into a massive, 2,500-unit development
Freedom West Homes, the 47-year-old, 382-unit affordable development on four blocks bounded by Fulton, Gough, Golden Gate, and Laguna in the Fillmore District, may be replaced by a massive new development that will both re-house the existing co-op owners there, and create 100 more affordable units alongside 2,000 market-rate units. Read More
San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Russian Hill
Remembering The Mandarin, the Ghirardelli Square mecca of regional Chinese cuisine
San Francisco food icon Cecilia Chiang, proprietor of the legendary Mandarin restaurant, died Wednesday at the age of 100, and with her goes a century of taste memories and a long lifetime of stories spanning two continents and multiple wars. Read More
San Francisco Parkside
Fight over Lowell High School admissions escalates with threatening video focused on two female school board members
Things turned from tense to creepy and frightening in the ongoing argument between the SF Board of Education and prospective parents, students, and others who are upset that Lowell High School is set to switch to lottery admissions in the 2021-2022 academic year. Late last week, two female board members, both women of color, were targeted by a threatening video featuring a hand in a bloody glove burning a piece of paper with their photos on it, both with Nazi symbols on their heads. Read More
Oakland
Oakland artist brings giant Trump head to Lake Merritt for people to roll around, get dirty
A giant papier-mache head of Donald Trump landed on the shore of Lake Merritt on Saturday. The interactive art piece, titled "Let’s Roll Trump Out of Office," is the work of Oakland artist Larry McSpadden who says it has been three years in the making. Read More
Oakland
Horn Barbecue finally opens in West Oakland after multiple delays
Respected local pitmaster Matthew Horn is finally opening the doors of Horn Barbecue (2534 Mandela Parkway) this weekend in the former Brown Sugar Kitchen space near the West Oakland/Emeryville border. Read More
San Francisco
SF's notable public and private high schools
With Lowell High School and its noted prestige among San Francisco residents making headlines this week, we thought some of you might need a lay of the educational land. Read More
San Francisco North Beach
Red Window to bring al fresco Spanish eats and takeout empanadas to North Beach
A new Spanish tapas and aperitivo bar is preparing to open next month at the prominent North Beach intersection of Stockton, Green and Columbus. Read More
San Francisco
San Francisco set to allow restaurants open at 50-percent capacity indoors in two weeks
San Francisco entered the state's "yellow" tier as of Tuesday, becoming the first Bay Area county to be in the lowest-level category for COVID. The positive move, as Mayor London Breed and Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax announced, isn't going to immediately impact many businesses. Read More
San Francisco
Wildfire threatens homes in South San Francisco
A four-alarm vegetation fire broke out Friday just after noon on Sign Hill/San Bruno Mountain in South San Francisco, immediately threatening homes and a densely populated area. Read More
San Francisco Parkside
[Update] Endangered lemur from SF Zoo found safe in Daly City
Maki, a 21-year-old ring-tailed lemur, was apparently abducted from the San Francisco Zoo earlier this week, and the zoo is offering a reward for his safe return. Read More