Mission’s Popular Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen Makes a Surprise Comeback

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• Fans of Venezuelan food were gutted when longstanding Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen had to close its doors last August, but now the restaurant has — surprise — reopened at its 401 Valencia Street location. Owner Adriana López Vermut found a new operating partner and was able to rehire eight of the previous 14 employees and unlock the doors once more. “It feels different, in that the city has quieted down,” says Vermut, “but the food is the same, the crew is the same, and the quality is still great.” Pica Pica is available for limited dine in, carryout, and delivery.

• The group from shuttered Vietnamese staple Green Papaya is back with a new restaurant in Lower Nob Hill — Hoi An. The new establishment also serves Vietnamese cuisine and offers many of the same staples that were found at the former restaurant, which closed due to complications with rent payments during the shutdown. [Tablehopper]

• For the low price of $16.8 million, you can own the 4.2-acre Bradbury Estates, currently retained by In-N-Out Burger heiress Lynsi Snyder. This is down from the original asking price three years ago, $19.7 million. [The Mercury News]

• Four prominent bartenders are joining forces to open an all-day bar and cafe named Buddy. The team includes Nora Furst of Uma Casa, Alvaro Rojas of Elda, Nicolas Torres or True Laurel, and Claire Sprouse of Hunky Dory in Brooklyn. The bar will take over the former Californios space and sell beer, wine, coffee, and low-alcohol cocktails, with food available throughout the day. The owners are aiming for a May opening. [SF Chronicle]

• Jack London Square institution Scott’s Seafood is back after COVID shutdowns and a major renovation of the 30,000-square-foot restaurant. Scott’s Seafood has been a fixture in Oakland for 37 years serving oysters Rockefeller, salmon alla bella, and linguine and clams in an old-school upscale environment. [The Mercury News]

• San Francisco, Marin, and Santa Clara counties all move to the orange tier today, which means the restaurants located in those counties can open indoor dining at 50 percent capacity.