Feast on New Strawberry Beignets at Brenda’s and More A.M. Intel

Brenda’s French Soul Food celebrates a decade

Brenda Buenviaje is feting ten years in the Tenderloin at her ever-popular restaurant Brenda’s French Soul Food. To mark the occasion, she’s giving back to the community by serving a special strawberry shortcake beignet with 100 percent of proceeds donated to Saint Anthony’s and Glide Church. For real beignet lovers, check out Buenviaje at Outside Land’s GastroMagic stage, where she’ll be shaking it with New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia.

Beanstalk Cafe’s second location now open in the Richmond District

Nob Hill’s three-year-old Beanstalk Cafe, which expanded its modest space at Bush and Powell last year, has a new, second location at 4555 California Street in the former Village Market space. It’s softly open with three times the real estate of the original, and also serves Contraband Coffee, bagels from House of Bagels, and Beanstalk’s popular “toast cups.” Expect beer and wine, thanks to a Type 41 liquor license, by the end of August.

St. Helena’s Goose and Gander announces new chef Nic Jones

Goose and Gander has a new leader for its flock in executive chef Nic Jones. For the last five years he’s been cooking at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, where he ran their whole hog charcuterie and fire pit cooking programs. Goose and Gander, now five years old, has earned a reputation as a cocktail hangout in the heart of wine country with a dining room, basement lounge, and patio.

How does SF’s tap water rate?

The Washington DC-based environmentalists at American Working Group found that, based on data from between 2010 and 2015, there were about nine types of contaminants in San Francisco’s tap water, three at potentially alarming levels. That still makes Hetch Hetchy’s finest some of the cleanest water in the country — although the study ‘s data predates the latest changes to SF water, which is now mixed with groundwater.