Tawla’s New Brunch Menu Has Turkish Breads, Shakshuka, and Lots of Za’atar

Foxsister family feast for the whole pack

Foxsister chef Brandon Kirksey is kicking off a new service at his 24th Street Korean drinking and dining den: A prix-fixe family feast for $45 starting March 1. “Diners will hand back their menus and let the chef create a meal for the entire table,” Kirksey explains. “It will consist of special off menu items that the chefs are excited about as well as some staple dishes that have found a permanent home on our menu. The offerings will be unique and ever-changing, adding a bit of intrigue to our already interesting cuisine.”

Tawla rolls out Sunday brunch service

Meanwhile, cozy Valencia Street Mediterranean restaurant Tawla is rolling out Sunday brunch. The whole menu of white or red shakshuka, the restaurant’s popular house bread, and a full Turkish-style breakfast are available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

BREAD + ACCOMPANIMENTS

HOUSE BREAD | wheat bran crust

SEED BREAD | sesame, nigella

CHEESE BOREK | za’atar, feta, kashkaval, sumac

LABNEH | maras pepper and dried, mint, za’atar and olive oil,hazelnut dukkah

BEET MUHAMMARA | walnuts, sweet peppers, pomegranate molasses

DIBIS PEKMEZ | tahini, grape molasses

WARM OLIVES | citrus, herbs

MARINATED KASHKAVAL | za’atar

MEZE + EGGS

ARUGULA SALAD | sumac onions, lemon vinaigrette

BATATA HARRA | crispy potatoes, maras, sumac

OMELET LEVANT

za’atar, sweet onions, kashkaval, feta

BAYD BI AWARMA

baked eggs, lamb confit, fenugreek

SHAKSHUKA

baked egg casserole

WHITE | braised greens, sheep milk feta, herbs, lemon

RED | tomato, baharat, maras

PIDE

stuffed Turkish bread

(twelve available daily)

herbs, cheese, fresh chile

~ add egg or sujuk ~

LEVANTINE PANCAKE

whipped labneh, hibiscus, buddha’s hand

KAHVALTI

traditional Turkish breakfast including unlimited bread and bites from the entire menu

The Plumed Horse’s pasta spinoff is open

Michelin-starred chef Peter Armellino’s new casual pasta venture, Pasta Armellino, is now open in Saratoga. The idea, Armellino told Eater last month, “is basically to take fine-dining ingredients and techniques and philosophies and apply them to a vehicle like pasta. It’s a very simple ingredient structure, but you can put your own spin on it.” Pasta Armellino is open daily from 5 to 9 p.m. and for lunch on weekends at 14560 Big Basin Way.

The long arc of Noah’s Bagels

Founded in Berkeley in 1989, Noah’s New York Bagels is faring better than before according to the Mercury News. A 1990s takeover by Einstein Bros. bagels and an attempt to convert Noah’s stores to Einstein’s ones went poorly, but now the brand is poised for growth, with Noah’s latest store — in the former Genova Delicatessen, RIP — just the first in a California expansion effort.

New York should look to SF for paid parental leave

Eater restaurant critic Ryan Sutton points out that New York State employers must now grant workers eight weeks of paid, protected leave — but that during this period, many restaurant staffers will earn less than minimum wage. One fix to that problem, Sutton suggests, is something like a San Francisco program that requires employers to share the burden of leave pay and keeps workers earning their full salary.