Influenced by the French, the Vietnamese created a unique sandwich which has gained a cult-like following in cities around the world. And because the South Bay has one of the largest populations of Vietnamese in the world outside of Vietnam, it's no wonder that the area has many of the best banh mi spots you can find anywhere.

Nine-year-old cocktail-focused spot Maven is closing its doors later this month in the Lower Haight, one of the swans at the Palace of Fine Arts has died, and Old Oakland has a new pizza spot and a salad spot on the way.

The Mission Community Market — an open-air farmers' market that regularly features local farmers, small neighborhood businesses, community programs, and the occasional live-music act — is expected to return Thursday for the first time in 2021.

102-year-old Tosca Cafe (242 Columbus Ave.) is coming alive yet again in North Beach, after a too-brief rebirth last year, and following its much bemoaned 2019 closure.

Mr. Digby's, a casual restaurant and cocktail spot from a couple with established SF restaurant cred in the former Noe's Cantina space (1199 Church St.), is now aiming for an April opening after being delayed nearly a year by the pandemic.

One of the last vestiges of a long-gone era in San Francisco's Chinatown, the worn-in Far East Cafe (631 Grant Ave.), is remaining open after all, following an announcement in December that it might have to close.

South Bay fans can again savor Specialty’s Café and Bakery’s legendary cookies (and more), after the company had shuttered all its locations and filed for bankruptcy early in the pandemic.

The town of Yountville in Napa Valley, home to the world-famous French Laundry, just got a new restaurant called North Block, created by the team behind celebrity Chef David Chang's Momofuko Group.

Parklet problems in Pacific Heights, as an adjacent building owner is demanding the removal of a parklet, which could mean the end for Harry’s Bar.

The Subway sandwich shop at 2375 Market St. in the Castro has permanently closed.

Starting Monday, Mission businesses Zeitgeist and Burma Love are offering a brand new lunch service at Zeitgeist (199 Valencia St.), with bento boxes delivered to the door of the beer garden.

A spate of shootings in San Jose has shined a spotlight on underground clubs and speakeasies allegedly taking place at area businesses, including one that recently sold an $18 million lottery ticket.

The Tenderloin’s Municipal Marketplace, led by Mission-based nonprofit La Cocina, expects a soft opening this spring starting with take-out and delivery options, after facing construction and safety delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.