Former SF Fire Commissioner and Subject of April Attack Has Ties to Upcoming FiDi Restaurant

A forthcoming restaurant is arriving in FiDi, by an unlikely restaurateur: Don Carmignani, 52, a former San Francisco fire commissioner, is opening Il Porcellino Grasso at 214 California Street, the San Francisco Business Times reports. The restaurant's name translates to “the fat piglet,” and was discovered by the outlet via Carmignani’s application for a liquor license to serve beer and wine at the California Street address. The Carmignani family owns the building where the new restaurant is being installed, which is also home to 2ONE2 California Dispensary and once housed a cafe from chef Dave Kurtz called Homage. The extent of Carmignani’s involvement in the restaurant is currently unclear.

If the Carmignani name sounds familiar, it may be due to recent headlines: Back in April Carmignani was attacked by an assailant; the suspect, Garret Doty, who is homeless, claimed self-defense, due to Carmignani’s supposed “strong resemblance” to a man caught on video using pepper spray on a homeless person while they were sleeping. Carmignani has denied involvement in the pepper spray attacks, and Doty is due back in court for the case on July 25.

Looks like a Hayes Valley hotel and restaurant is returning

The San Francisco Business Times has the scoop on another new restaurant venture, this time in the former, three-story hotel Sauce at 131 Gough Street. A liquor license application for the Gough Street spot was filed and is attached to caterer George Hawawini, the Times reports. No further details on the project were shared.

A San Francisco whiskey comeback story

With Enterprise Brewing making a comeback after shutting down in 1920 and fans of Anchor Steam hoping for a beeracle (that’s a beer miracle) in the midst of its closure news, it seems like the time is ripe for the story of Cyrus Noble. The “mostly forgotten” bourbon dates back to 1871, and now the brand is looking to create some local name recognition for the relaunched product, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Four Kings pops up at Octavia

If you’ve been among the hungry fans looking to track down the popular pop-up serving dishes of “Canto nostalgia,” San Francisco restaurant Octavia is hosting Four Kings on Monday, August 7. This dinner won’t follow the format of previous pop-ups, however; the meal at Octavia will be a family-style menu for $120 per person, with a portion of proceeds going toward World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry, and SF-Marin Food Bank. Reservations for the event can be made via OpenTable.