Chron Beams For Radius, Kauff Soaks in Leopold's Beer, More

After devoting about four paragraphs of precious review space to the vexing process of getting into Radius in SoMa, Chron reviewer Allen Matthews digs into 27-year-old Matt Kerly's new menu. And the chef is "on the road to success." House pastrami is a "must have," the new pork duo is "simply wow" and a Riesling float for dessert seems like "something ginned up at a tipsy college party" (in a good way?). It doesn't matter, Radius gets el 2.5. [Chron]

Noting the glass boot steins at Leopold's "could fit a sturdy 10-year-old," Kauff settles into the menu at the now-nicely-hyped Russian Hill Austrian restaurant, Leopold's. Food that's "solid but not gut-busting" and "often quite good" meets the "neighborhood appeal of giant steins of beer." Kauff likes everything from pig's trotters to salad, but the "highlight of my two visits may have been the vegetable strudel." As long as you skip the deafening perches at the communal table, "It's hard not to enjoy the place." [SF Weekly]

Patty Unterman is at the airport, fondly remembering the days when she could march onto a plane with a pocket knife and bottles of wine. Waits are way longer now, so thank goodness the new T2 offers "$3 cups of small-lot coffee from a microregion in Colombia" to enjoy along with "spice-scented carrot cupcakes" from Kara's, "French-style sandwiches" from Cowgirl Creamery and juicy, brined Tyler Florence chickens. So spoiled we are here. [SFBG]

Reidinger was wooed first by the name at Fondue Cowboy. Once inside he notes—with a tinge of sadness, maybe—the decor is "surprisingly light on the Wild West kitsch" and gays and heteroes are bound together by fondue. "A lot of the distinctiveness has to do with the cheese blends in the savory fondues." Reidinger especially enjoys the "sausage coins" with the beer- and jalapeno-laden fondue called "Outlaw." And for dessert? Dark chocolate dessert fondue with a kick: "I have eaten chili-infused chocolate before, but never did I find it sublime, as I did here." [SFBG]

The Elsewhere: - The Merc is awestruck by Hudson in Oakland, the EBX calls out a mini food mecca in West Berkeley, marked by Luca Cucina Italiana, Priya, Chaat & Curries, Little Pablo Taqueria, Local 123 and more; the Marin IJ weighs in on Bar Bocce, Bargain Bite digs the Buffalo chicken wings at Greenburger's in the Lower Haight and finally Bar Bites goes all the way to The Nut for Vanessa's Bistro 2.

Radius. [Photo: MindBodyGreen]