Anchor Brewing Enters Its ‘National Treasure’ Era and Gets the Full Museum Treatment

Not even Nicolas Cage could have predicted Anchor Brewing’s historic fate. After 127 years, the San Francisco-based brewery closed in July 2023 and workers now hope to take over and turn it into a co-op; plus, the business’s Dogpatch grounds are up for sale. Most recently, the Smithsonian has stepped in to do its part in collecting items for display in Washington D.C. with the American Brewing History Initiative.

The initiative lives within the museum’s FOOD: Transforming the American Table gallery, featured on the first floor in the East Wing of the National Museum of American History. The San Francisco Standard reports various artifacts from Anchor’s history are already on display. A records book from 1975 is up for viewing alongside specially designed barrels, sporting extra iron hoops for the bubbly nature of Anchor’s steam beer, and a paper calendar with July 31 circled in pencil, the company’s last day of operation.

Speakeasy planned for San Jose highrise complex

Though a misappropriation of the word “speakeasy,” a new bar given the title will be used as a magnet to attract residents to downtown San Jose. The Mercury News reports 2 West Speakeasy will open on the basement floor of 2 West Santa Clara Street, an as-of-now empty office building. Details about the roughly 6,500-square-foot establishment are scarce, but paperwork submitted to the city indicates there will be DJs and jazz music and that the bar will stay open until 2 a.m. seven days a week.

Here’s what’s replacing Shalimar on Polk Street

Fans mourned when local mini-chain Shalimar closed its doors in March 2023. A new bright banner hangs over the Polk Gulch location, though, just next door to newcomer Juniper from the Saint Frank Coffee family. Karahi House, a 100 percent Halal restaurant serving Pakistani and Indian food, will take over the space.

Paolo Bicchieri

Two Bay Area chefs collab on a Russian, Dominican, and East African dinner

Chefs Nelson German of alaMar Dominican Kitchen and Anya El-Wattar of Birch & Rye are joining forces for a singular culinary combination. The two will prepare a five-course meal incorporating dishes from their childhoods in Washington Heights and Moscow, respectively. Tickets for the October 29 dinner are on sale for both 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. seatings and cost $98 per person.

Here’s another Bay Area collab — this one in the pizza world

This week State Flour Pizza is rolling out a special called the Pie Guy Marc pizza, a vodka sauce upside down pie. The dish comes from the mind of Square Pie Guys’ Marc Schechter. He came up with the pizza while touring through State Flour Pizza and fellow East Bay pizzerias alongside Eater SF.