The Team Behind Michelin-Starred Acquerello Is Opening a Sister Cocktail Bar and Restaurant

The team behind SF’s Michelin-starred Italian stalwart Acquerello is branching out — though not too far from their roots. Tablehopper has the news about forthcoming cocktail bar Sorella, meaning “sister” in Italian, which the team is opening in the former Polk Gulch home of 1760. Suzette Gresham and Giancarlo Paterlini brought on former Greens chef Denise St. Onge as chef de cuisine, with Acquerello chef de cuisine Seth Turiansky advising. The restaurant will serve cicchetti (Venetian snacks and small plates) for dining at the bar, and large plates focusing on pasta and vegetables for dinner in the dining room. Cocktail are designed by Manhattan Zodiac, a cocktail consultancy from Yana Nogid and Katya Skye, and will emphasize rare Italian spirits and amari.

It’s not the first reinvention for 1760, which Gresham and Paterlini opened in 2013 as a more casual, modern American follow-up to Acquerllero. First the restaurant moved to a Filipino-focused menu in 2015, followed by a shift five years later to regionally-themed, prix fixe menus that changed every few months. Sorella, which Tablehopper says is expected to open Wednesday, December 1, will serve dinner, weekend brunch, and an early Sunday supper, Wednesday through Sunday. [Tablehopper]

In-N-Out knocks down speculation of Florida move

Following reports that In-N-Out’s heiress owner Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis amid the company’s ongoing battle with Bay Area health officials over proof-of-vaccination requirements, a spokesperson Wednesday batted down speculation the burger company would relocate its headquarters to the Sunshine State. “In-N-Out Burger has no plans or intention to expand operations or move its corporate headquarters to Florida,” said In-N-Out’s chief legal and business officer Arnie Wensinger. [SFGATE, Fox13]

A cult-fave sandwich shop is coming to the East Bay

Berkeleyside reports that cult-fave Los Angeles sandwich shop the Heroic Italian is opening in Berkeley this weekend, taking over the former Mise en Place at 2020 Kittredge St. David Bullitt, who opened the first Bay Area outpost of the uber-popular Italian sandwich spot in the Castro in 2020, is behind the East Bay shop as well, which opens Saturday, November 13. [Berkeleyside]

Merkado hosts first community event this weekend

This Sunday, November 14, year-old mission-based Mexican restaurant Merkado will transform into an indoor-outdoor “makers market” featuring more than 20 artists from around the Bay Area. Called Makers & Margs, the event marks the first community event from Fabien Santos, who rebranded Merkado as a pay-it-forward pop-up space in mid-March 2020. For full event details, see here.

Bayview Ethiopian restaurant reopens after 19 months

Eskender Aseged has reopened Radio Africa Kitchen in Bayview after remaining closed (and working diligently to feed the community) throughout the pandemic. The restaurant is now serving lunch Tuesday through Friday.

Update: November 11th, 2021, 1:35 p.m.: This story has been updated to reflect that Denise St. Onge is chef de cuisine at Sorella. Seth Turiansky is chef de cuisine at Acquerello.