Now You Don’t Have to Do a Tasting Menu at ‘Vulgar’ Fine Dining Restaurant Hi Felicia

Believe it or not, it’s been one full calendar year since Hi Felicia, the self-described “vulgar” fine dining restaurant with big Michelin ambitions, opened its doors in Oakland. The debut marked a major moment for the business, which got its start as a supper club hosted in chef-owner Imana’s apartment and has since expanded to include sister wine bar Sluts in San Francisco.

Up until now, dinner at Hi Felicia required a sizable financial investment: the only option was the restaurant’s $120 six-ish-course tasting menu with the chance to add wine pairings for an additional $125. Now, that’ll change. As of Thursday, May 4, Hi Felicia will add the option to order from an a la carte menu as well, Imana announced via Instagram post. According to a post on Resy, through which the restaurant books reservations, the new a la carte menu will include “10 shiny, new dishes” — though be warned, some of the dishes on the tasting menu will not be available to order a la carte.

A pair of chain restaurants are coming to a Peninsula shopping center

Palo Alto Online brings word of a duo of chain restaurants set to open at San Mateo’s Bridgepointe Shopping Center. Among the roster of upcoming tenants: San Mateo’s first outpost of fast food chicken royalty Chick-fil-A and a new outpost of Benihana, which will undoubtedly impress with its famous flaming onion volcanoes.

The Castro’s new Italian restaurant aims to open in mid-June

Later this summer, the Castro will welcome a new Italian restaurant called Pasta Panino to the neighborhood at 4150 18th Street, Hoodline reports. It’ll be chef Jeremias Guerra’s first solo project; he’s currently the executive chef at Catch and previously worked at restaurants including Boulevard and Cafe Kati near Japantown. Expect a menu of “fresh pasta, risotto, soup, salads, appetizers, and desserts,” per Hoodline.

Wanted: Brunch pop-up for new Outer Richmond wine bar

The Wine Bar by Cassava has officially opened in the former Cassava space on Balboa, and now, according to a post on Instagram, the owners are on the hunt for a bunch pop-up to operate in the space on weekends. “Concepts that are specialized in one dish, possible to hold by hand like at festivals! We want to create a daytime party atmosphere!” the post reads in part.

It’s not too late to nab tickets for AAPI Cocktail Week events

As Eater SF shared last week, San Francisco bartenders will come together for the city’s first cocktail week event in more than a decade next week — only this time the focus is specifically on the AAPI community. The first AAPI Cocktail Week runs from May 8 though 11 and tickets are now on sale for events including a collab dinner between San Francisco’s Abaca and Oakland’s Viridian and a wrap party that’ll bring together an impressive roster of San Francisco bars including:

• Alchemist/Members Only
• Dragon Horse
• Horsefeather
• Good Good Culture Club
• Wildhawk
• For the record
• Modernist - Fresno
• Haberdasher - San Jose
• Paper Crane pop-up
• Tenderheart