FILE: A view of Anchor Brewing Co. on Aug. 3, 2017, in San Francisco. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The Bay Area said goodbye to many businesses in 2023. But some closures, like those of long-lived neighborhood restaurants and massive department stores, came with a dose of surprise, even shock. While a new year always brings hope, … Read more
Cloudy skies over I-5 in Castaic, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Dail/MediaNews Group via Getty Images Anyone who has done the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles becomes acquainted with the classic stops, especially the ones along Interstate 5. Whether it’s the unique odor of cow manure or the peculiar … Read more
The Dumpling Report began in 2022 spotlighting a residential neighborhood’s mom-and-pop dim sum takeout spot. It was an intentional choice to begin the column with a non-flashy, everyday eatery that locals frequent at an affordable price, and show how the owners of places like these both maintain and create the culture of the Bay Area. … Read more
Editor’s note: In this recurring column, SFGATE food writers celebrate the Bay Area’s rich deli culture by spotlighting longtime family-run delis — the neighborhood institutions — and the newer community sandwich hubs. Many cultures from around the world have developed unique sandwiches that reflect their bounty. There are sandwiches from Italian delis that specialize in cured meats, banh … Read more
It’s not often that you’ll catch In-N-Out updating its iconic menu, but the burger chain recently turned heads when it added not one, but two new items. On Monday, the beloved California burger chain announced that it will now offer Cherry Coke and a “lite pink” lemonade in its drink lineup. “I’m so excited to … Read more
On a crisp December afternoon in Union Square, I rode four flights of escalators up to the restaurant at the top of Neiman Marcus. Inhaling the heavy scent of mall perfume and tinny din of holiday tunes, I tried to catch glimpses of the department store’s towering Christmas tree light fixture on the way up. … Read more
The wonton soup at Hon’s Wun-Tun House is the perfect cold weather food. Farley Elliott/SFGATE Hon’s Wun-Tun House is a Chinatown legend. The small space has been in operation on Kearny Street since 1972 — an ancient restaurant age that very few others (save for the century-plus Sam Wo around the corner) can claim. It doesn’t … Read more
Shah’s Halal Food will open in the former Boston Market, 61 Newtown Road, Danbury, Conn. Wednesday, October 11, 2023. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media Cousins Mohammad and Rafi Mashriqi, who helped grow the Shah’s Halal Food brand in Connecticut, said they secured the property at 61 Newtown Road in Plumtrees Plaza two months ago. Mohammad Mashriqi … Read more
The Dutch door to the Little Swiss Cafe, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, is a portal to another place and time. The front dining room’s timber framing and blue-shuttered windows evoke a European cottage. Inside, classical music is periodically interrupted by the chirps of a cuckoo clock. And a small chalkboard lists specials that might as well be written … Read more
A tri-tip sandwich at Fieldbrook Market & Eatery. Michael J./Yelp A NorCal market, known for pulled pork sandwiches with a homemade barbecue sauce, bowls of rich, steamy ramen, pizza puff pastries and more, is potentially closing for good. The owners announced the “very difficult decision” on Facebook. “We have come to the very difficult decision to … Read more
