Now open in Union Square in the Mystic Hotel is Burritt Tavern (417 Stockton Street, 415-400-0561) from chef-owner Charlie Palmer, his first restaurant in San Francisco. The Tavern is building on the film noir-speakeasy-ish vibe of the flanking historic Burritt Room bar — sure to be the coveted tables are the curtained booths in the 125-seat dining room. Chef Ashley Weaver’s dinner menu includes starters to share (like cornmeal-crusted oysters), five kinds of salads (including a warm asparagus salad with a poached egg), and main dishes like a pork chop, three cuts of steak, and 36-hour lamb shoulder, along with rather safe choices like chicken breast and salmon ($26–$32). Dinner Sunday–Thursday 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., lunch coming soon.
Daytime walkers on the Marina Green are going to have a new temptation to contend with starting this summer: Dynamo Donut and Coffee from the Mission will open a second location in an S.F. Recreation and Park Department kiosk. Owner-baker Sara Spearin said that along with Four Barrel coffee and espresso drinks off a La Marzocco machine, they plan to serve about 7–10 kinds of donuts (just a few less than at the mother ship on 24th Street), which will be delivered fresh each morning. The kiosk (which dates back to 1938!) is in a state of disrepair, so it will take a few months to zoozh it up, add some windows, and get it ready for service. Hours will be Tuesday–Sunday 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. to start. The location is just off Baker Street at Marina Boulevard on the
Marina Green.
The Presidio Social Club (563 Ruger Street, Building 563, the Presidio, 415-885-1888) has a new executive chef, Wes Shaw, who will be working with owner-founding chef Ray Tang. And in a theme-appropriate twist, Shaw spent seven years in the U.S. military. A Texas native, he’s added beef brisket as the Tuesday night special, along with other changes to the menu (including adding some lighter dishes).
Over in North Beach, Naked Lunch (504 Broadway Street) is launching Naked Brunch on Saturdays. You can get waffles, rotating Benedicts, cinnamon rolls, and chef Ian Begg’s famous foie gras sandwich (well, until July when foie gras will be banned), which you can eat on the Txoko patio. There will also be beer, house sangria and more. Saturdays only 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly dining e-column at www.tablehopper.com and has a book about dining and drinking in San Francisco. Her new website, www.deepdishing.com, highlights the City’s best dishes. E-mail hot tips to [email protected]
