Japanese-Hawaiian Brunch Sensation Popping Up in the Castro

Morning Wood pops up in the Castro

Fried spam musubi, kalua pork loco moco, and matcha mochi pancakes are headed to San Francisco on Sundays. Wildly popular San Bruno brunch restaurant Morning Wood — careful when searching for it on Instagram, it’s here — arrives this Sunday for weekly pop-ups at Castro Indonesian restaurant INDO (4039 18th Street). Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Run by Monica and Chad Kaneshiro, Morning Wood hopes it can achieve the same results in San Francisco that it has on the Peninsula. “We thought it was a great opportunity for them to blow it up here,” says Indo co-owner Bryan Lew.

More barbecue, for real

Earlier this month, we announced that Smokin’ Woods BBQ was expanding its hours to five days a week — and it did happen, but then the Oakland barbecue pop-up went back to its usual Sunday and Monday lineup. Apologies for any confusion. Starting today, Smokin’ Woods is officially operating five days a week inside 2nd Half Bar & Lounge in Temescal. The hours are Thursday through Sunday noon to 9 p.m. and Monday 5 to 10 p.m. But that doesn’t mean you can always snag James Woodard’s Flintstones-sized beef ribs — he hasn’t decided when exactly he’ll serve them yet, but it’ll likely be only two days a week. Peep Instagram for updates.

Dirty secret sauce to Palo Alto

Downtown Palo Alto finally got an Ike’s Place. The Bay Area chain of sandwich shops is now open at 401 Lytton Avenue, after more than three years of anticipation. The new shop offers three special-to-Palo Alto sandwiches: the Jim Harbaugh (chicken, pepper jack cheese, sweet chili glaze), the Mayfield (salmon, avocado, sweet chili glaze), and Kermit the Frog, (cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, sweet chili glaze).

And casual Vietnamese fare

Los Altos Vietnamese spot Green Bakery & Cafe is expanding with a second location at 405 University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. Expect more of the same banh mi, spring rolls, and boba tea — plus wine — when it opens next year.

Free corn fritters alert

Union Square’s E&O Kitchen and Bar is slinging free Indonesian-style corn fritters starting tomorrow, November 30 through Sunday, December 2, on the hour every hour. It’s a full-blown fritter fest, with more fritter specials available (to purchase): a burger with corn fritters as buns, white cheddar, bacon Sriracha aioli, and kimchi; dirty fritters with sake-praised pork, mustard, and togarashi; or a $12 bucket of fritters.

The accolades are pouring in

Esquire released its list of the best new restaurants in America yesterday, and a San Francisco restaurant earned the top honor: Angler, the Embarcadero destination from Saison’s Joshua Skenes. Dominique Crenn’s Bar Crenn clocked in at No. 12 and David Nayfeld’s Che Fico at No. 17.