Jardiniere’s Des Jardins Won’t Be Next ‘Iron Chef’

IN THE NEWS: Traci Des Jardins, chef-partner of Jardinière in San Francisco, is the first to be bounced from the Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef series. New York magazine’s Grub Street blog has the blow-by-blow. … Marcia Gagliardi’s Tablehopper.com visits the new Sens (4 Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level, 415-362-0645) and South Food + Wine [...]

Mag Honors Farm-to-Table Pioneers Waters, Somerville

Gourmet magazine’s October 2007 issue features a guide to “America’s Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants.” gourmet.com:
RESTAURANTS WITH FARM CONNECTIONS: 2nd Street Bistro, Livingston, MT; Amherst Chinese Food, Amherst, MA; Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Crook’s Corner, Chapel Hill, NC; Eve, Alexandria, VA; La Provence, Lacombe, LA; Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC; Pacific’O and I’o, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii; Tree House [...]

Gary Danko Tops Zagat for 6th Straight Year

IN THE NEWS: Zagat’s just-released San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants survey has Gary Danko, the Fisherman’s Wharf new American restaurant, taking Top Food honors for the sixth straight year, also capturing the title of Most Popular restaurant; Pacific’s Edge, a Carmel standout, won for Decor; Erna’s Elderberry House in Oakhurst scored for Service; and Perbacco [...]

Wharf Fixture A. Sabella’s To Close Nov. 4

IN THE NEWS: The Chronicle’s Bargain Bites section appears, while Mandy Erickson gives two stars to Thai eatery Citrus & Spice (1444 Fourth St., San Rafael), and Michael Bauer awards two and a half stars in reviewing Bacar (448 Brannan St., San Francisco; 415-904-4100). … The Inside Scoop reports: A. Sabella’s, a Fisherman’s Wharf presence [...]

Sutra, Bullshead Restaurants Shutter Doors

IN THE NEWS: Menu Pages notes the closings of Sutra, on The Embarcadero, and Bullshead in the Castro, and the opening of Tinderbox Restaurant (803 Cortland Ave., San Francisco, 415.285.8269, tinderboxrestaurant.com). blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco …The Chronicle’s Amanda Gold gives two stars to Goood Frikin’ Chicken (10 29th St., San Francisco; 415-970-2428, gfcsf.com), while Michael Bauer doles out [...]

Peet’s Coffee Founder Alfred Peet Dies

IN THE NEWS: The Oregonian reports that Alfred Peet, founder of Peet’s Coffee & Tea, died Aug. 29 at his Ashland, Ore. home at age 87. Peet opened the original Peet’s store on the corner of Walnut and Vine in Berkeley, Calif. in 1966, and eventually added shops in Menlo Park, in Oakland and another [...]

Waterfront Project Lands Peruvian Eatery

IN THE NEWS: San Francisco Waterfront Partners has snagged its first major restaurant tenant for the Piers, the boutique redevelopment just north of the Ferry Building, the San Francisco Business Times reports. La Mar Cebichería Peruana, a Lima, Peru-based restaurant with operations in Mexico City will open its first U.S. venture at Pier 1½. Scheduled [...]

Helmand To Relocate in Yaya Cuisine Spot

IN THE NEWS: Tablehopper.com details the openings of Sushi Groove in Mint Plaza (54 Mint St.), Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant (330 First St.), and the Aug. 20 reopening of Roe (651 Howard St.), and also reports, “It looks like the Helmand will not be reopening in its current North Beach home at 2424 Van [...]

Burger Finals Include Taylor’s Automatic

Bon Appetit magazine’s September 2007 Restaurant issue features three finalists in a list of quintessential versions of six American classics: pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ribs. Winner will be announced on the Food Network on Aug. 18 (Good Eats with Alton Brown, 6 and 10 pm CDT). The finalists:
PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix; DiFara [...]

Nopa, Gary Danko Top Dining Awards

IN THE NEWS: Nopa (560 Divisadero, SF, www.nopasf.com) has been named Best New Restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s Best of the Bay readers awards as well as the San Francisco magazine dining awards, with Gary Danko named best overall restaurant by San Francisco magazine readers. sanfran.com, sfbg.com … The magazine’s Jan Newberry reports, [...]