Powerhouse Wine Bar Group Opens Newest Venture in San Anselmo

This is a list of the Bay Area’s most notable restaurant and bar openings, with new updates published once a week. Did we miss something great? Please, drop us a line.

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December 5

OAKLAND — Akara Sutraromluck and Pim Soithong, the owners of Pintoh Thai, just opened Attraros Thai Eatery at 542 9th Street, Suite B. According to Nosh, the new restaurant continues the husband-and-wife team’s regional, MSG-free, and dairy-free Thai dishes at the new Swan’s Market space.

SAN ANSELMO — Following the trend of fan-favorite owners opening a new venture, wine bar Voyage comes to Marin County from the team behind Fairfax’s Stillwater, San Francisco’s Junior, and fellow San Anselmo wine shop Souvenir. The Chronicle reports the new space is wrapped in a warm wood interior and the wine menu is organic and sulfate-free.

BURLINGAME — After closing much-loved breakfast restaurant Morning Wood in San Mateo this September, owners Chad and Monica Kaneshiro have opened their new venture. Kuma Nori, as per the Chronicle, is unlike Morning Wood; Kuma Nori serves only dinner. The 28-seat restaurant serves dishes near and dear to the Kaneshiros hearts including Mochiko fried chicken and brown butter sweet potato gnocchi.

EL CERRITO — There’s a new Italian wine and beer bar from a longtime service worker in the area. Dolly’s Tavern, a nod to owner Dulanthi Batathota’s nickname, is now open at 10172 San Pablo Avenue. According to the Mercury News, much of the inspiration comes from Milano in Tiburon, where Batathota cut her teeth in the industry when she came to the country from Sri Lanka 15 years ago.

ROSEVILLE — Rose Park Bistro opened on November 30 at 1017 Galleria Blvd, Suite 160, in the Fountains at Roseville outdoor mall, serving butternut squash gnocchi with almonds and teriyaki-flavored steak with lemon mashed potatoes. The Sacramento Bee reports restaurant owner Bulent Ozel made sure to include gluten-free items on the menu, too, alongside eight cocktails such as a $14 gin, cucumber, and Sriracha drink.

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November 28

JACKSON SQUARE — As of Tuesday, November 28, Michael and Lindsay Tusk’s three-Michelin-starred Quince is reopened after a meaty renovation. There’s a new menu approach, allowing for shorter, less-pricey options or the classic big and bold eight- to 10-course experiences, too. The new dining room itself is lighter, more buoyant, the couple shares, as the restaurant approaches its 20th anniversary.

COW HOLLOW — Above the historic Bus Stop Saloon on Union Street, co-owners Joseph Wallace and Robert Lemons designed ritzy caviar and martini lounge Left Door, premiering in the neighborhood on November 22. The Chronicle reports the new lounge is pricey, serving Wagyu beef bites with miso butter for $65 and an upscale riff on the Choco Taco for $18.

OUTER RICHMOND — After a confusing temporary closure, legendary Geary Boulevard bar Trad’r Sam is back. Moreover, the San Francisco Standard reports the dive reopened three weeks ago with a slicked-up interior, kicking the eye rollingly-bad tiki-inspired seating areas to the curb.

OAKLAND —Walnut Creek success story Dumpling Hours is setting up shop in the former Rolling Dunes location at 3331 Lakeshore Avenue. East Bay Nosh reports the new Lakeshore outpost has already drawn crowds thanks to its popular boiled and pan-fried dumplings, xiao long bao, noodles, and more.

CLAYTON — Roadside 22 quietly opened in mid-October but, according to the Mercury News, the East Bay restaurant and bar is now fully operational. Owners Nichole and Jim Simpson serve rotating beers and wines — currently from Sonoma’s Kosich Family Vineyards and San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery — alongside bites including hummus and chips. There’s also a private events space that’s free to use for local nonprofits for fundraisers, and teachers get extra discounts during happy hour.

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November 21

EMBARCADERO — The group behind hit restaurants including Dumpling Time, Niku Steakhouse, and Omakase recently debuted their latest project, the Third Floor Restaurant and Lounge, inside the newly renovated Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel, the Jay. Located in the Financial District at 433 Clay Street, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with menus that feature both American and Asian dishes such as duck wonton noodle soup, chicken thigh and shiso skewers, and afternoon tea.

COW HOLLOW — Daily Driver, the Dogpatch-based bagel company with a second outpost at the historic Ferry Building, will open a third shop on December 6. The newest bagel destination arrives at 977 Union Street in Cow Hollow, where diners will be able to order bagels, bagel sandwiches, smoothies, and other grab-and-go items.

OAKLAND — Ninth Life opened its doors on November 15 next door to sister bar Good Luck Gato on San Pablo Avenue. While Good Luck Gato blends Mexican and Japanese food and drink, Ninth Life takes things back in time. It’s a neon-lit, cocktail-fueled nostalgia trip through the eighties, nineties, and early aughts where customers can enjoy drinks such as the Donnie Darko-inspired Sparkle Motion made with gin, hibiscus liqueur, gentian amaro, and sparkling rose.

OAKLAND — Golden Squirrel pub in Oakland has flipped into Afghani Saffron Kitchen, the Mercury News reports. The new restaurant, located at 5940 College Avenue, serves “Afghan food blended with the flavors of the Mediterranean and Silk Road,” per the outlet. That means dishes such as eggplant pakora, potato bolanis, and kabuli pulao, which is sometimes called the national dish of Afghanistan.

ANTIOCH — Mercury News also has word on Abuelita’s House, a newly opened Peruvian restaurant in Antioch. Owners Ruth and Luis Caldas, who immigrated from Peru, offer “Peruvian sandwiches and pastries, empanadas and custom cakes,” per the outlet, and named the business after Ruth’s grandmother.

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November 14

UNION SQUARE — The Post Room, a Mediterranean-inspired bar and lounge, opened inside the historic Beacon Grand on November 14. The restaurant serves dishes such as whole branzino, hand-rolled cannelloni, and roasted chicken and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus weekend brunch.

TENDERLOIN — The prolific Mins Group debuted its latest addition to the San Francisco dining scene on November 14. JooDang serves a menu that blends Japanese and Korean cuisines — think creamy kimchi shrimp stir fry — plus soju cocktails like the Jeju Tanga Fizz made with tangerine soju, makgeolli rice wine, black sesame, citrus, and honey.

HAYES VALLEY — Venezuelan pop-up Andina committed to a months-long residency at B-Side, the SFJAZZ Center-adjacent space in Hayes Valley, but now the long-term pop-up has turned into a permanent home for the business and its chef Victoria Lozano. She’ll celebrate Andina’s grand opening in the space on Sunday, December 3, and plans to roll out a larger menu including Venezuelan brunch.

MISSION — Skylark, the Mission District bar located at 3089 16th Street, has new owners. Native San Franciscans Dave and Kimberly Competente purchased and reopened the business in October. The bar and nightclub is open Thursday through Saturday hosting live music and happy hour from 7 to 10 p.m.

Skylark

OAKLAND — Chef Michauxnée Olier continues her family legacy of cooking soul food in the East Bay with the opening of Willows & Pine at 3525 Fruitvale Avenue in Oakland. Olier’s great-grandparents once ran a celebrated soul food restaurant called the Barn in West Oakland. Now she’s back to resume serving dishes such as “shrimp and crawfish chowder served with biscuit or cornbread, chicken etouffee and jambalaya with shrimp, chicken and sausage,” per East Bay Nosh.

EMERYVILLE — Pippal, a new Indian restaurant from the team behind San Francisco’s Rooh, opens on Saturday, November 18 at 5614 Bay Street in Emeryville. The restaurant’s menu pulls in dishes from across India such as litti chokha, a rounded ball of lentils from the Bihar region, and mutton laal maas, a popular curry dish from the Rajasthan part of India.

REDWOOD CITY — Hidden Tap and Barrel opened in Redwood City in September bringing with it more than 400 spirits and a selection of 20 beers on tap. Palo Alto Online reports the bar, which is located at 900 Middlefield Road, comes from the same owner as Curry Pizza House next door. That means bar customers can also order curry pizzas to go with their drinks.

GUERNEVILLE — Trillium Winebar & Taproom opened on September 29 at 16222 Main Street in Guerneville. The bar offers oysters, salads, small plates such as steamed artichokes and stuffed focaccia, and tasting boards, plus wines and beers on tap.

SACRAMENTO — For years diners have waited up to an hour for a table at Journey to the Dumpling in Elk Grove, widely recognized as the area’s finest destination for dumplings including soup-filled xiao long bao. Now the Sacramento Bee reports that the restaurant has expanded to Midtown Sacramento with a second outpost at 1714 21st Street.

FRESNO — California just got its very first drive-thru Denny’s on Monday, November 13. The restaurant is located in Kerman, a small city outside of Fresno, at 14235 West Whitesbridge Avenue. SFGATE reports it’s not the first drive-thru Denny’s (Indianapolis claims that title) and ABC30 reports the restaurant will be open 24 hours a day.

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November 7

JACKSON SQUARE — Quince, one of San Francisco’s rare three-Michelin-starred restaurants, will reopen on November 28 after temporarily closing for the past year. The space went dark in January 2023 so the 20-year-old restaurant could undergo renovations. When it reopens, a new menu will cost $270 for four courses or $360 for a longer meal, though an a la carte menu and bar menu will be available, too.

UNION SQUARE — As of November 6, chef Tyler Florence’s twin cafes Miller & Lux Provisions are open at Union Square. The dual businesses complement each other with “one adjacent to Stockton Street offering lunch and all-day brunch options and the other adjacent to Powell Street offering pastries,” per a press release.

MISSION — Chome, the quirky izakaya located at 2193 Mission Street, is now Undingable, a “Chome-style dumpling shop with surprises,” the San Francisco Standard reports. Chome will relocate later this fall to 3601 26th Street. The new business serves “familiar dim sum items like Shanghai soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and pork and shrimp shumai, but also more inventive dishes like chicken fingers coated with banana, mint and crushed nuts, or a lobster mac ’n’ cheese egg roll.”

EMERYVILLE — Flores, the Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized Mexican restaurant with locations in Cow Hollow and Marin, expanded across the bridge to Emeryville as of November 3. The new location includes both a full-service restaurant akin to the existing locations, and a fast-casual spinoff called Flores Taqueria that’s located just next door.

MARIN — As of November 6, popular Greek mini-chain Souvla has expanded for the first time outside of San Francisco. The newest Souvla is now open at Marin County Mart in Larkspur serving the familiar menu of sandwiches and salads in a sunny space with a massive covered patio.

BURLINGAME — Mochiko Mochi Pizza, from the owners of fast-casual sushi chain Sushirrito, opened on the Peninsula at 283 Lorton Avenue in Burlingame, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The restaurant’s “long, thin, rectangular pies are made from a blend of rice flours (meaning it’s gluten-free) and topped with ingredients like pepperoni, soy-braised beef, or chicken karaage with corn and mozzarella.”

NAPA — Chef Charles Phan’s legendary Vietnamese restaurant Slanted Door has yet to reopen its flagship location at the Ferry Building but as of November 7, the Napa outpost has made its debut. The restaurant is located at 1650 Soscol Avenue in the former Kitchen Collective space and serves dishes such as citrusy shaking beef, made with grass-fed tenderloin; cellophane noodles tossed with clusters of Dungeness and blue crab meat; chicken claypot featuring heritage loong kong chicken.

HEALDSBURG — Per the San Francisco Chronicle, Sushi by Scratch opens on December 1 inside the Matheson in Healdsburg. Described as offering “speakeasy-style omakase,” it’s an offshoot of a once Michelin-starred sushi restaurant from Santa Barbara County headed up by “co-owners Philip Frankland Lee, an ex-’Top Chef’ contestant, and Margarita Kallas-Lee, a pastry chef.” The original location opened in Los Angeles in 2017.

SAN JOSE — Copita, the gluten-free Mexican restaurant located in Sausalito, opened a long-awaited second location in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood on October 30. Chef Joanne Weir tapped chef Azari Cuena-Maitret to head up the kitchen, which offers two separate menus — one downstairs in the main dining room and another up on the rooftop patio.

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October 31

JAPANTOWN — Coming off of a thunderously successful run at Bernal Heights’s Marlena, which closed this summer, chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher are back in the game with 7 Adams, opening November 1. Fans of affordable upscale dining will make a beeline to 1963 Sutter Street to enjoy high-end pasta and seasonal desserts.

EMERYVILLE — As of November 3 the East Bay can get a taste of what makes Flores — from the same team behind Super Duper Burger and newcomer Cozetti — good enough to earn a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The Mexican restaurant will also head to San Mateo later this year, too, serving mole negro poblano, chile relleno, tacos, and more.

FREMONT — Anyone who has walked by Irving Street’s Pineapple King bakery knows the hype is real as fans often line up on the street to wait for the crunchy-topped or cream-filled buns. Now the Chronicle reports those sought-after bolo bao, or pineapple buns, are for sale at the business’s second outpost at 6827 Warm Springs Boulevard as of October 27.

LOS ALTOS — On October 10 Barbayani Taverna executive chef and owner Allen Isik cut the ribbon at 388 Main Street in Los Altos, the site of his new restaurant. The business serves high-end Greek fare including branzino and octopus and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails seven days a week.

LIVERMORE — According to the Mercury News, Livermore’s new Taj Mahal is meant to feel like a fine-dining restaurant in New Delhi. Owner Vikas Bajaj says the new space, which opened on October 27 in Republic Square, plays off of childhood memories at the Maurya hotel. “I did not want to let life pass by,” he told the paper. “I just gathered the courage to say ‘Hey, we’re going to do it, no matter what comes our way.’”

NAPA — Siblings Alex and Gregory Zobel grew up homebrewing in Napa, and now the two have opened their own taproom in their hometown as of October 29. The second outpost of Armistice Brewing Company, a Richmond-founded business, is at 1040 Clinton Street in the former Napa Barrel Project space. Fans can expect quesabirria tacos from El Garage and a booming wine program in the space soon.

SCOTTS VALLEY — From the mighty restaurant group behind Saison and Angler in San Francisco comes Saison Cellar & Wine Bar, the business’s first dedicated wine bar and Scotts Valley’s first wine bar at all. The Lookout had the story of beverage director Mark Bright extolling the virtues of the mostly French and Santa Cruz Mountain wines in the new space, which opened in mid-October.

SACRAMENTO — The second Sacramento-area outpost of giga-popular ice cream company Salt & Straw is now open on R Street. The Bee reports lines swelled in anticipation of the new location at 1005 Galleria Boulevard, Suite 110, in the Fountains at Roseville.

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October 24

NORTH BEACH — Hit cake and croissant pop-up Butter & Crumble is settling into its new North Beach home at the former Tante Marie’s Cooking School, debuting a lineup of goodies on Wednesday, October 25. Expect a roster of pastry favorites such as a bacon egg and cheese croissant, plus upcoming treats like the Dirty Chai Situation, a knot of croissant dough inspired by travels through Europe.

OAKLAND — Full Belly Bakery debuted its new permanent space in Oakland, luring in customers with the promise of both the affordable and luxurious sweets. Chef Eva Allen will have an assortment of pastries including sweet and savory tarts, cookies, chocolate truffles, and more — as well as the Extravagent Collection, lux cakes that are Allen’s passion project and skew decadent, such as a gold-leaf topped pistachio sponge cake.

BERKELEY — The Shattuck Avenue space that once held the Kebabery now has a new tenant serving croffles and Korean corndogs. Dessert Cafe opened at 2929 Shatuck Avenue on Saturday, October 14, East Bay Nosh reports, giving sweet tooths a taste of bingsu, mochi doughnuts, and more.

LOS GATOS — The former Boulanger spot on Montebello Way is finally reopened with the launch of Parkside, which threw its doors open earlier this month, the Mercury News reports. Lunch hours launched on Tuesday, October 17, and weekend brunch started on Saturday, October 21.

SACRAMENTO — An omakase experience lands on L Street in Sacramento with the opening of Okesutora, a new restaurant from the owner of Saigon Alley and chef Hieu Phan, a former chef at the Palo Alto and Las Vegas locations of Nobu. There will be two seatings per night at 5 and 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and the menu will be seasonal and change every three months, the Sacramento Bee reports.

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October 17

SOMA — Equator Coffee reopened its outpost near Second and Howard streets for the first time since its closure in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. The coffee shop, which is on the ground floor of the LinkedIn building, is back with expanded food options and Equator’s ever-popular menu of coffee and espresso drinks including the Habibi latte and cold brew cream. Despite the near-constant handwringing over the health of downtown San Francisco, Equator CEO JP Lachance says the company believes the area is ready to sustain another coffee shop. “We’re reading the tea leaves, all these signs, and now’s the time,” he says.

COW HOLLOW — The owners behind two of San Francisco’s coolest wine bars, Key Klub and Bodega in North Beach, opened a third wine bar called Céleste at 2165 Union Street on October 14. The bar and restaurant takes over the former West Coast Wine & Cheese space, and owner Lalo Luevano says the food menu will offer Greek taverna fare such as “fresh raw and grilled seafood, Greek salad with a thick slab of feta, dips, and grilled skewers.” As at the owner’s other bars, the wine list spans natural wines and Old World classics.

JAPANTOWN — Edomasa started as a wooden yakitori cart in Tokyo in 1924. It closed last year but will be revived this week inside San Francisco’s Japantown mall, the Chronicle reports. The restaurant opens on October 18 at 1581 Webster Street, suite 270, and will serve “single skewers of pieces like chicken thighs, hearts, tail or cartilage as well as tsukune (chicken meatball) and negima (chicken breast with scallion) for $4 to $5 each.” Diners can also choose to order a set menu ($30) that includes “several skewers, chicken soup and a seasoned rice dish.”

INNER RICHMOND — Oraan Thai Eatery opened recently in the former Mescolanza space at 3750 Geary Boulevard, Tablehopper reports. The menu includes dishes such as som tum pla raa, a green papaya salad with spicy marinated fish sauce dressing, and kung makam, a crunchy prawn dish in tamarind sauce.

BERKELEY — East Bay Nosh reports that Noria, a new winery in Berkeley, opened at 725A Gilman Street in August. Owner Nori Nakamura has been making wine for two decades but this is his first time owning his own winery. Nakamura produces “four different pinot noirs, a chardonnay, a sauvignon blanc, and a sparkling white wine” all of which are designed to pair well with Japanese cuisine.

HERCULES — Dynamite Donuts, owned by high school sweethearts turned fiancees Alan Chow and Lisa Ghilarducci, opened this summer in Hercules, the Mercury News reports. The gourmet doughnut shop, located at 3700 Sycamore Avenue, sells doughnuts in flavors such as “limoncello-blueberry, key lime pie, Samoa cookies, and even a Hot Cheetos flavor,” the outlet writes. An online menu also advertises Unicorn Poop, a doughnut glazed in vanilla icing and topped with rainbow sprinkles.

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October 10

SOMA — Movida opened on October 5 at 555 Second Street, in the former Lord George space in SoMa, the Chronicle reports. The restaurant serves a mix of Persian and Mexican food including tacos, saffron chicken skewers, and aguachile. Owner Bobby Marhamat, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” who hasn’t run a restaurant prior to this, told the outlet he wants to “capture the same nightclub-meets-brunch energy from the now-closed New York City restaurant Bagatelle.”

NORTH BEACH — Sai’s Vietnamese, a longstanding downtown San Francisco lunch spot, made headlines in February 2022 when it reached the end of its lease at 505 Washington Street and announced it may have to permanently close. Instead, the restaurant’s landlord helped the owners find a new home not far away at 42 Columbus Avenue, the former home of Bask restaurant, where Sai’s reopened on Monday, October 2, the Chronicle reported first.

PORK GULCH — For the past two years, the formerly Michelin-starred Lord Stanely has operated as a pop-up space hosting a rotating lineup of visiting chefs. But as of October 5, the king is back. The restaurant has returned to serving an a la carte and tasting menu, both from the mind of newly minted executive chef Nathan Matkowsky. The restaurant describes itself as a “Californian ‘Bistro de Luxe,’” serving French classics with some Korean influences.

CASTRO — The Rustic opened at 215 Church Street in the Castro District, the San Francisco Standard and Hoodline report. The restaurant comes from owner Zoti Ali Turap, who previously worked at acclaimed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and serves a “continent-spanning menu,” the outlet reports.

CASTRO — Castro bar and nightclub Badlands returned on October 4 after being dark for three years, per the Bay Area Reporter. Owner Les Natali previously announced the bar would close permanently before reversing course.

BERNAL HEIGHTS — Foliage opened on October 4 at 300 Precita Avenue in the former Marlena space and serves a similarly affordable four-course prix fixe menu. Owners Stephane Roulland and Julia Indovina brought on executive chef Mo Bejar to oversee the kitchen, which is focusing on sustainability and seasonality.

MENLO PARK — The Peninsula spinoff of San Francisco’s popular Italian restaurant Che Fico will open on November 8. Che Fico Parco Menlo is located at the mixed-use development Springline at 1302 El Camino Real. The massive 7,500-square-foot restaurant will have a dedicated room for making pizza dough, an open kitchen, and a private dining room, the Chronicle writes.

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Carte Blanche Coffee opened on October 1 inside the Shashi Hotel. The shop uses beans from Vertigo Coffee Roasters, based in San Juan Bautista, and offers drip coffee and espresso, as well as seasonal drinks. Options for breakfast and lunch are available alongside beer, wine, and cocktails.

ST. HELENA — Napa Valley’s famed Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, once located at 1327 Railroad Avenue in St. Helena, is now home to Charlie’s, a new restaurant from Elliot Bell, who previously worked as an executive sous chef at the French Laundry. The restaurant serves a menu of familiar dishes such as a seafood tower, wagyu steak, and fried chicken.