Middle Eastern Favorite Saha Returns to Lower Nob Hill

It’s back

Saha has returned to its previous home in Lower Nob Hill’s Hotel Carlton. Chef Mohamed Aboghanem operated his Yemeni-influenced, Middle Eastern fusion restaurant there for 11 years but closed in 2016, looking for a change of pace. He then opened up a new Saha in downtown Berkeley. But now he’s back with many of the same popular dishes — including duck bastilla and mushroom knaffe — and a slightly different name: Saha Tapas and Wine Bar. The interior, too, has been updated to look darker and more elegant like the Berkeley location.

Robots are taking over Mac’d

Fans of Mac’d can start expecting less human interaction and more futuristic vibes when they get a hankering for mac and cheese. Mac’d is rolling out automated restaurant technology via Eatsa, including self-serve ordering kiosks, a mobile food ordering app, and a digital status board telling them when their food is ready, starting with the Russian Hill location.

A new option for Sunday suppers

Tosca Cafe is unveiling a new weekly dinner series, Sunday Social Club, starting Sunday, December 2. Each edition features a four-course, prix-fixe Italian-American menu for $45, plus wine and live music. It’s inspired by Tosca Cafe’s early days as a popular hangout for musicians, and the music will follow suit with opera, jazz, and show tunes. The first week’s menu includes chicory caesar salad, braised pork coppa, and cannoli.

Congrats, Thomas

Thomas Keller was inducted into the California Hall of Fame yesterday, joining an elite group that includes Dorothea Lange, Steve Jobs, and Ansel Adams. The French Laundry owner is the second-ever chef to be inducted after Alice Waters.