An Appeals Court Just Threw Out Berkeley’s First-in-the-Nation Ban on Gas Stoves

Just about three years after the East Bay city of Berkeley became the first municipality in the country to ban natural gas in newly constructed residential and commercial buildings, a federal appeals court has thrown out the measure. It’s a win for the California Restaurant Association, which filed a lawsuit alleging the ban “violated federal law that gives the U.S. government authority to set energy-efficiency standards for appliances such as stoves, furnaces and water heaters,” per the Mercury News.

The decision marks a setback for lawmakers and groups who have been working to curtail the use of natural gas due to concerns over the environment. Following Berkeley’s natural gas ban in mid-2019, a number of other California and West Coast cities enacted similar legislation; earlier this year, Bay Area regulators voted to adopt a plan that would see the sale of gas furnaces and water heaters phased out across the region by 2027. Still, per the Associated Press, it’s unclear what impact the tossing out of the Berkeley ban will have on other cities’ efforts to cut back on natural gas usage due to the ruling’s “narrow scope and the possibility of an appeal to a broader panel of judges.”

A new Haitian restaurant is opening at Swan’s Marketplace

About a year after chef Sarah Kirnon closed her beloved Caribbean restaurant Miss Ollie’s at the historic Swan’s Marketplace in downtown Oakland, a new Haitian restaurant has announced plans to move into the food hall. Per the San Francisco Business Times, chef Frantz Felix of Caribbean Spices restaurant in San Rafael will expand with a new concept at 901 Washington Street. He expects to open T’chaka next month and will serve dishes such as goat with creole curry sauce and “a dish of rice, beans, and griyo,” the outlet reports.

The Castro is getting a new coffee shop

Hoodline reports Mission District coffee shop Sisters Cafe is putting down roots in the Castro, specifically at 506 Castro Street, formerly home to Earthbar. The new outpost is already open and serving “coffee, tea, juice, boba, paninis, bagels, tamales, and their signature drink Mexican hot chocolate.”

City View Restaurant is back, baby!

Following a bit of eviction-related drama, dim sum destination City View Restaurant has officially relocated to a new home at 33 Walter U. Lum Place. Tablehopper reports the restaurant closed at its former home on Commercial Street on March 27 and is already open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Here’s where to get free tacos on 420, if you’re into that

Happy early 420 to all who celebrate and if you find yourself hungry tomorrow, know that the Little Chihuahua Mexican Restaurant is running a BOGO taco special all day on Thursday. All you have to do is show up at one of the restaurants and order a taco to get one free. The deal doesn’t apply to online orders or third-party delivery apps but you can take your tacos to-go so long as you place your order in person.