Roll Over To SF’s New Meatball Bar and More A.M. Intel

Meatball mania

The time has come and The Meatball Bar is open for business at 126 Sutter St. in the FiDi space left vacant by the shuttered Shorty Goldstein’s. It goes without saying that the new venture, which comes from the owners of Peninsula Italian restaurants Doppio Zero, serves meatballs. But beyond the classic marinara-laden variety, their menu is a survey of balls from around the globe, including fish and veggie options with sauces ranging from Mediterranean to spicy Korean.

Palace Hotel’s expanded Pied Piper bar now open

The Pied Piper, named for the museum-worthy Maxfield Parrish painting the Palace Hotel commissioned in 1909, is seeking a new following with a recently completed expansion and update. Contemporary furniture and a modern fireplace aim to complement existing flourishes like a mosaic tile floor, stained glass ceiling, and mahogany paneling. But now there’s more than twice as much seating and a new menu of craft cocktails, local beer, and shareable plates.

“Dining on a Dime” goes Hella Vegan

For his latest, Lucas Peterson of Eater’s Dining on a Dime cruised over to Classic Cars West, the Oakland vintage vehicle showroom that’s home to Hella Vegan Eats. Formerly a pop-up, this animal-free soul food joint — with its “chicken” and waffles, biscuits and gravy, and a very Oakland staff of locals — is now a permanent fixture of the space.

Battle of the baguettes

It’s a bake off: San Francisco’s francophone news outlet French Morning is gathering some of the city’s best bakers — Jane the Bakery, Le Marais Bakery, Fournée, and The Midwife and the Baker — for a Baguette Battle at Le Colonial tonight. Attendees can taste them all (with wine and cheese, de rigueur) to determine their favorite while a panel of chefs weighs in as well.

New tacos on the block

The Upper Haight’s StreetTaco has spawned a second location at 83 9th (near Mission). The added outpost of this Mexico City-inspired shop has more tacos, burritos and aguas frescas for SoMa diners, and it’s open now.

Who won the epic La Cocina x Smitten Ice Cream taste-off

The talented entrepreneurs of La Cocina, the small food business incubator, teamed up with Smitten Ice Cream last night for an epic flavor taste-off at the ice cream company’s newest shop on Valencia St. The ticketed event allowed ice cream fans to try flavors created by Tina Stevens of a Girl Named Pinky, Gabriela Guerrero of Delicioso Creperie, Hang Truong of Noodle Girl Restaurant, Stephanie Fields of Sugarfoot Southern Food Kitchen , Charles Farriér of Crumble and Whisk, and Mariko Grady of Aedan Fermented Foods.

Eater SF’s editor Ellen Fort was a judge, along with Smitten founder Robyn Sue Fisher, La Cocina deputy director Leticia Landa, and Trevor Felch of Zagat. The judges’ chose the Vietnamese coffee with mint from Hang Truong as the winner, while people’s choice was a tie between Stephanie Fields’ buttermilk with bourbon brown sugar grits pie, and Mariko Grady’s amakaze chai with roasted shio koji. One of the winers will be featured as a flavor by Smitten; stay tuned to find out whose ice cream makes the cut.