Ayesha Curry Will Open an International Smoke in Houston After SF

International Smoke goes national

Just as Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry ready their San Francisco restaurant for an opening on November 13, the duo has announced plans for another branch of their global barbecue business. This time, International Smoke is headed right for the heart of barbecue country: Houston, Texas. According to Eater Houston, it’s expected to open early next year.

Coppola Winery-sponsored benefit show to feature Counting Crows

The Coppola Winery and BottleRock Presents are hosting the Counting Crows at Weill Hall at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park on November 18th for a Sonoma fire relief benefit concert. Funds raised will go to the North Bay Fire Relief Fund and Noma Gives. The benefit concert announcement comes after word of another major benefit show at AT&T Park: Band Together Bay Area, to be held on November 9th, with artists Metallica, G-Eazy, and Dead & Company, the Grateful dead revival group that features John Mayer.

Oprah’s favorite things from Napa

Oprah Winfrey’s 2017 gift guide, her annual list of favorite things, includes two item from Napa County. One she’s touted before: Model Bakery’s English muffins, calling it the “biggest luxury” in her life that she’s able to fly them from Napa to wherever she’s working. On her list, she writes that "I've given away hundreds of these crunchy yet fluffy artisanal English muffins from Napa just to say 'happy Sunday.' I travel with them and even brought a batch to the set of 'A Wrinkle in Time.'" The tastemaker also gave a shoutout to three preserves from Clif Family Winery. “These three seasonal preserves are the most outstanding trio since Destiny’s Child,” writes Oprah.

Hemlock Tavern is in trouble

Redevelopment plans for a block of Polk Street could be a poison pill for Hemlock Tavern, a bar and venue that’s played host to some indie rock greats. The plans, which call for building a six-story, 54 apartment condo building, would demolish the Hemlock Tavern space (as well as the home of Café Zitouna). The bar’s lease extends through 2021, but according to a zoning administrator, “a bar within an existing building is not portable to a bar in a future replacement building despite being on the same block and lot and same location within the subject block and lot.” Ouch.