Lyft’s Top Drop-Off Destination in The Country Is Souvla

And the Lyftie goes to...

Lyft is promoting its services with the announcement of the very real, very prestigious 2017 Lyftie Awards, revealing the most frequently trafficked drop-off destinations for Lyft rides in the various cities in which it operates. In SF, the most popular bar destination was Zeitgeist, and the most popular restaurant destination was Souvla — a little misleading, as there are three of them. That meant Souvla was the number one drop-off destination at the national level, too — not super surprising when considering that Lyft operates with less presence in other cities than it has locally.

San Jose Tofu Co. will close after 71 years

San Jose’s third-generation-owned tofu maker San Jose Tofu Co. will close on Jackson Street in Japantown at the end of the month. The owners, Amy and Chester Nozaki, who are in their 60s, say the physical demands of making tofu by hand — almost all commercial tofu is now made by machine — have become too taxing for them, and with equipment upgrades needed and their building recently sold to a new owner, they decided to close.

City reviewing demolition plans for Hemlock Tavern

Starting today, planning is officially weighing a developer’s proposal to demolish 1145 Polk Street — and the entire block it occupies between Hemlock, Polk, and Sutter — to build a new 54-unit mixed-use condo building. That means Hemlock Tavern, and other current tenants like Café Zitouna, Skylight Grocery & Produce, and Sudachi Sushi Bar, could lose their current digs.

Oakland’s soda tax funds are still untouched

$2.6 million has been collect in Oakland on the city’s one-cent-per-ounce soda tax since it went into effect on January 1, but the money is untouched because the city has been slow to convene an advisory board to recommend how it allocates the revenue. The soda tax measure passed in Oakland under the assumption that tax revenue would fund health and education surrounding issues such as diabetes.

M.Y. China’s 5th anniversary menu

Martin Yan’s Westfield Centre restaurant M.Y. China is five years old and celebrating with a menu of dishes from executive chef Tony Wu available through December 15. The anniversary menu, including pickled abalone and crispy sea bass, can be ordered pre fixe or a la carte.

Oakland’s Trappist turns 10

Oakland beer bar The Trappist is celebrating its 10th anniversary with 10 beers brewed just for the bar from breweries like Belgium’s De La Senne, Maine’s Allagash, and San Francisco’s Cellarmaker. The Trappist is pouring those on December 9th and partnering with neighbors Tamarindo on food for the occasion.