All stories about "Bollyhood Cafe"

THE MISSION—Evolution is at work at Bollyhood Cafe, as the crew has applied for a "Place of Entertainment" license. Of course, the main entertainment is (will be) the constant stream of Bollywood movies, but the good folks over on 19th Street also want to become more of a lounge-type place to complement the Baobabs, so they've moved in a piano (and with it, a jazz night) as well. [EaterWire]

EMBARCADERO—A chocolate factory (!) grows on Pier 17, but not just any old chocolate factory. From the Merc: "Having conquered the frontiers of outer space and information-age publishing, respectively, former space shuttle technologist Timothy Childs and Wired magazine co-founder Louis Rossetto are hoping to turn the wide world of chocolate on its head. Their start-up? A new factory that, when completed in late spring, will be the only one actually manufacturing chocolate in San Francisco ... Their company is called TCHO, with the "t" referring to'"technology' and 'cho' a nickname for chocolate. Pronounced 'cho' with a silent 't,' TCHO aims to change the way we make, buy and think about chocolate." Former space shuttle technologist ... chocolate factory ... we'll be sorely disappointed if there isn't a flying glass elevator involved somewhere. [SJMN, via CH]

Jennifer Yin, 2/5/08

The most recent addition to the Baobab family takes a turn from the African tradition and heads to Bollywood in the form of Bollyhood Cafe. Between halfway opening way back in December and then buying the Yelp vote in January, Bollyhood has had an interesting winter. They've slightly reneged on their original Indian tapas concept, shortening the food menu to a few select items (a chef shuffle may have had something to do with this). Of course, the theme is the main attraction, as the two-room space is littered with classic movie posters and the casual vibe is distinctly Bollywood. One room houses the screenings and the other the bar, with a downscale lounge area directly adjacent. Kingfisher's on tap, so the best bet (for now) is probably to grab a cold one and enjoy the show sans dinner.

Further reading on Bollyhood can be found in the Eater Archives, and also at Thrillist, Hyphen and Chowhound.

All news fit to publish goes in EaterWire. Your tidbits welcomed in this here tip jar.

CITY HALL—Earlier in the week, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association decided that it will not appeal the emergency stay of the employer-health care order. From the GGRA's official site: "We have decided not to pursue the petition because of minimal opportunity for success. The emergency stay order was granted without a dissenting opinion, and the schedule for the appeal totals 3 ½ months which is a short time frame to the court ... The appeal process has started in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. We will post filings as they are submitted to the court. We believe this case will most likely end up in front of the US Supreme Court, and take many more months to complete." We're not exactly literate in such matters of the law, but it looks like this is going to drag on in the court system for some time. Further legal insight appreciated. [GGRA.org]

THE MISSION—Still in its nascent stages of existence, Bollyhood Cafe has already been a source of intrigue and entertainment, and now it finally appears to be open, kinda. A new chef—who is a DJ by trade?—has come aboard (and he's posting on Yelp!). Meanwhile, the owners want to stress that Bollyhood is not a restaurant proper. It is a lounge, not a restaurant, so don't expect a full meal. Got that? They say they are now open daily at 5pm, but things "pick up" around 8 or 9 ... We'd still check before heading over. [EaterWire]

Right off the corner of 19th and Mission, the extended soft opening of Bollyhood Cafe has confounded many a prospective diner/drinker/movie-watcher, but if all goes to plan, this weekend should finally see a formal opening for the Baobab offshoot. In the meantime, the Bollyhood folks have done something that is becoming increasingly necessary in this Yelp-crazed town of ours: they went out and bought the Yelp vote:

Bollyhood Cafe was fully open and hosting a Yelp! Elite event. The place was brimming with people, and I barely made it thru the doors. I was surrounded by Yelpers, an elite group of mostly non-south Asian writers and reviewers who are part of Yelp.com.

· Maxim, the Restaurant: "Should Be an Interesting Chodefest" [Yelp Convo]
· BollyHood New Year's Party Off the Hook, "Awasome" [CH]
· Absinthe: So Hot Right Now (and at Rose Pistola?) [eGullet]
· Staying Open on Jan. 1 Leads to Praise For Ducca [CH]
· Was Cafe Majestic Worthy of Inclusion With the Year's Best? [Mouthfuls]

The game of cat-and-mouse between soft and grand openings is always an entertaining one, and Bollyhood Cafe—the most recent addition to Baobab's 19th Street mini-empire—has provoked a good deal of confusion and frustration with some (seemingly) sporadic hours in its soft opening month. But according to the folks there, they'll be open this weekend per normal; going forward until their grand opening on the January 17th, they'll hold normal hours (Tue-Sat evenings; closed January 1st and 2nd) with their menu, drinks and film in full swing. Eyewitness testimony is always encouraged.
· Bollyhood Cafe [Official Site]
· BollyHood Cafe in SF? [Chowhound]
· PSA From the Mission: Bollyhood Cafe Not Fully Open [~ESF~]

CITY-WIDE—Just in time for the holiday weekend, the first shipment of the much-ballyhooed La Quercia pork is slated to arrive in select San Francisco restaurants today. For those unaware, La Quercia pork comes from acorn-fed, organic domestic Berkshire pigs that chefs buy for almost $3,500 a pop. More important for you elitists, only 45 pigs were available nationwide, and just four local restaurants nabbed one: A16, Bar Bambino, Ducca and Boulevard. As we understand it, the shipments come in waves, with the fresh cuts supposed to arrive today, and the cured goodies over the next 18 months or so. [EaterWire, via Eater LA]

NOE VALLEY—Though it's still firmly entrenching in the swirling rumor phase (for now), it seems that futher PlumpJackin' might be in the cards for 24th Street: "Noe Valley Deli is wanting to sell/retire. And once Plumpjack Wine next door caught wind of it they are wanting to take over the space and expand." [EaterWire Inbox]

THE MISSION—More news has trickled in from the Bollyhood Cafe folks regarding their soft opening. They are definitely still in throes of the soft opening phase, with the grand debut on tap for January 17th. However, until then, they will be open sporadically, and not necessarily just on weekends (they were open last night, for example), so if you plan on stopping by, we'd recommend a quick phone call to verify things. More specifics are expected soon. [EaterWire]

Over the last week or so, we've received several inquiries regarding the doings at the latest Bissap Baobab offshoot Bollyhood Cafe. Since the Indian tapas joint at 3372 Mission Street (near 19th) threw a soft opening at the beginning of December, it has been more or less declared open on Tablehopper, Thrillist and Chowhound, but as anyone who has tried to stop by (like some ambitious hounds) can attest, Bollyhood is in fact not completely open.

So what's the deal? Please be advised that for the time being, Bollyhood Cafe will be open only on Friday and Saturday nights. During these select evenings (dubbed a "practice period"), the whole Bollyhood shebang is being offered: food, drinks and films. But again, only on the weekends. The grand debut, with weekday service and weekend brunch, will arrive sometime in January, so do adjust your calendars accordingly.
· EaterWire: Baobab's True Bollyhood Story [~ESF~]

[Photo courtesy]

*UPDATE—See updated info on Bollyhood hours here.

It's time for another installment of the Plywood Report, your regular chronicle of the next generation of restaurants to hit San Francisco. See some plywood and/or construction in your neighborhood? Drop us a tip. Bonus points and a free Yelp listing if you include photos.

1) Pacific Heights: Steps away from the suddenly-booming Fillmore Street, Charles Phan's Out the Door continues to make significant progress in its cavernous space on Bush. Assuming this branch will riff off the Westfield design, it looks like the ordering counter is up front with the kitchen behind it. At this point, it's hard to discern much else, but are we (not) looking at another hidden dining room? The date remains early spring "at best." [PLYWOOD]

2) SoMa: A tipster sends along ponderings at the future site of the Lava Lounge: "... at 527 Bryant (according to Yelp and Google, that's where Eagle's Drift-In SOMA used to be, but that's before my time.) Anyway, the front window is now all covered with white paper and I got a glimpse inside (no pictures, sorry.) It looks like almost finished bar renovation with very nice looking wooden bar and some tables. Is this old news? Do you guys know what's going in that spot?" [Eater Inbox]

Bollyhood Cafe: satisfying all your Indian tapas yens.

THE MISSION—The third location of the Bissap Baobab family has finally been confirmed. Marco Senghor's new restaurant will be at 3376 19th Street—right next door to Little Baobab—but unlike his two prior African endeavors, restaurant the third will be called Bollyhood Cafe and will focus on Indian tapas. In addition to dinner service, there will be a flashy brunch that incorporates "the best of Bollyhood, Baobab and the Mission" (we don't know how to respond to that either). Senghor is aiming for a December 11 soft opening, with a grand opening sometime in January 2008. [EaterWire]

SOMA—You may want to file this under rumor mongering, but there have been rumblings that ballpark neighbor 21st Amendment is looking to expand. According to the 21st people, they are indeed considering expansion, but nothing on the horizon, as their focus is concentrated on getting their incipient canning business off the ground. However, possible destinations tossed around include Seattle and here in the Bay, Emeryville. [EaterWire]

UNION SQUARE—The annual Holiday Winemaker Dinner at Millennium has been announced, and the featured vineyard is Santa Cruz's Storrs Winery. It takes place Tuesday the 4th, and $65 will get you a 5-course prix fixe menu with wine pairings, which seems to be a deal of sorts. [EaterWire Inbox]

Enjoy the holiday weekend, kids. We'll see you back here on the other side of it. As always, your sightings, tidbits, complaints and the like to sf@eater.com. Ci vediamo.