Tablehopper Book Release

Marcia Gagliardi, The Tablehopper foundress and sassy food writer extraordinaire, has managed to pack nearly 600 of her favorite spots into a handy 5”x7” guidebook, The Tablehopper’s Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco: Find the Right Spot For Every Occasion, which hits bookstores citywide today.

Filled with restaurant recommendations organized by dining occasion, and more importantly, written in the cheeky, sometimes irreverent style that is her trademark, this portable tome is designed to take some of the headache out of finding just the right spot to eat out. The concept, which stemmed from the success of her “tip please” service on her site (tablehopper.com), took a full year to bring to fruition in the midst of a recession and ever-changing landscape, no less, meaning that some businesses have shuttered, moved, renovated and opened since the book went to print. But apart from that uncontrollable element, there are useful tips for nearly every occasion imaginable, including where to go for a second or third date, rehearsal dinners, birthday bashes, business dinners, and even those awkward “Shituations” like dumping someone. Shes files Terzo under the section for Girls’ Night Out:

We know how much the ladies like to drink vino (hic!), and this spot in Cow Hollow is primed to fill your glass with something liquid (and the Euro-heavy list means your vino will most likely have an accent). The daily-changing menu of seasonal Cal-Med-Ital cuisine can verge on the spendy, but eat, sister--we don’t want you falling off your stool when you’re done with your first glass of rosato. (At least tuck into the swoon-worthy hummus with warm made-to-order pita.) Besides, a couple of small plates is all a girl needs when she’s trying to avoid muffin-topping in her low-rider jeans. That said, just in case you’re a bad girl, the crispy onions are delicious. The look is postmodern rustic hip, just like your sexy boots. Oh, and there’s a posse-perfect back corner table with room for seven, as well as a private room with space for sixteen.

Gagliardi will be signing her books throughout the Bay Area beginning Friday and of course, it wouldn’t be hop-propriate without some gobs from Gobba Gobba Hey, chai from The Chai Cart and bubbles from Domain Chandon; check out the sched.