La Taqueria Named James Beard America’s Classic Honoree for 2017, and More A.M. Intel

James Beard names La Taqueria a “classic” American restaurant

James Beard is ramping up to its May award ceremony, and has been slowly handing out its honorary titles in the meantime. Today comes the 2017 America’s Classics award, given to locally-owned, ten-years-or-older restaurants “that have timeless appeal and are cherished for quality food that reflects the character of their community.” Here in the Bay Area, La Taqueria takes home that title, which sounds pretty right when thinking about the essential Mission taqueria. One hundred restaurants have won the award since 1998.

Here are the Good Food Awards winners for 2017

Held every year in San Francisco, the Good Food Awards celebrate “people who make food that is delicious, respectful of the environment, and connected to communities and cultural traditions.” This year’s winners are out, and you can see them right this way. Full disclosure: Eater SF editor Ellen Fort was a judge this year.

An update on China Live

Despite aiming for a Chinese New Year open, massive Chinatown project China Live is delayed yet again. It will now allegedly open February 23, Tablehopper reports, with Duggan McDonnell leading the drink charge as director of beverage.

A personal guide to Palo Alto

Our sister site Curbed publishes neighborhood guides from locals who live in them, and Palo Alto gets the treatment this week. The Verge editor Lauren Goode spotlights several restaurants, including Coupa Cafe, Joanie’s, and Alice’s. Get the full recommendations here.

Yet another take on the fast casualization of San Francisco

Chiming in on the full service versus fast casual conversation is Food Republic, which uses San Francisco as exhibit A in its story on the rise of fast casual dining. If you’re not yet sick of reading about this, you can check out the story here.

Pacifica restaurant is flooded by rogue wave

Well this is kind of crazy. Head over to SFist to watch a massive wave charge through a Pacifica restaurant’s window, completely flooding its ground floor.

A group is opposing Mission Street restaurant development

It’s one man against gentrification, apparently. A Mission man is attempting to oppose any restaurant planned for Mission Street that he and a group called United to Save the Mission do not deem appropriate. Mission Local reports that the group has “dropped their opposition to some restaurants after meeting with the owner and determining that they will not be forces of gentrification. Usually, that determination depends on how expensive the menu will be, he said.” Head here for the full read.

UC Berkeley now has a class on plant-based meat

The Impossible Foods bleeding meatless burger is ahead of what’s turning out to be a very timely curve: The UC Berkeley Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, in collaboration with The Good Food Institute, has started a semester-long Challenge Lab focused on plant-based meat. Students create food tech solutions and present them for a potential $5,000 prize, along with mentoring and introductions to VC firms. You can read more about the program over at The Chronicle.