This week in San Francisco’s vibrant food scene, several new openings and noteworthy updates are generating buzz among food enthusiasts.
Among the highlights is the launch of Maritime Boat Club, which has officially joined Bar Maritime at the Palihotel located at 417 Stockton Street in Union Square.
This casual, full-service eatery occupies the space formerly known as the tavern portion of Burritt Room + Tavern, offering a seafood-driven menu crafted by the talented chef Felix Santos, who previously worked at Quince, Sorrel, and Atelier Crenn.
The menu features a selection of seafood starters, including raw-bar options, as well as larger dishes such as coonstripe shrimp with polenta and black cod accompanied by fava bean salsa verde.
A standout offering is the large-format Painted Hills côte de bœuf, presented alongside purple carrots.
In addition to food, the restaurant promises a wine list with low markups, all priced under $100 and primarily focused on low-intervention wines.
Cocktails are provided by the Bar Maritime team, led by Larry Piaskowy, ensuring a well-rounded dining experience.
In other news, the highly anticipated new location of Crustacean is set to open on July 15 in San Francisco’s Financial District, specifically at 195 Pine Street.
Although an earlier spring opening was initially planned, delays pushed the launch date forward.
The menu features beloved dishes from 82-year-old Master Chef Helene An, including garlic noodles with crab, tiger prawns, and tamarind crab.
New additions to the menu include pan-seared wagyu dumplings infused with bone marrow and lemongrass, and banh khôt, a Vietnamese-style savory pancake that can be served with king crab, wagyu, or mushrooms.
Moreover, the restaurant boasts a stylish rose gold bar where signature cocktails, such as the Saigon 75—a twist on the classic French 75—will be served, utilizing Vietnamese Song Cai gin.
Significantly, the signature dishes will continue to be prepared in a restricted kitchen accessible solely to An family members in order to safeguard the secret recipes.
Following the opening of the Financial District location, the original 34-year-old site on Polk Street is set to close its doors.
Additionally, in Hayes Valley, Buoy Bar is launching a contemporary Korean concept on July 1 at the former Le Fantastique site at 22 Franklin Street.
Buoy Bar succeeds the high-end tasting-menu restaurant Jang, which, despite launching last summer, has already ceased operations.
The new menu highlights raw bar offerings such as kampachi crudo served with stone fruit, and small plates including spicy sea snail somen and crispy corn jeon.
Larger dishes on offer feature a grilled shortrib accompanied by chestnut purée, maitake mushrooms, charred leeks, and beef jus ssam, alongside squid ink cream risotto with seared squid.
The excitement doesn’t stop there; Dragon Well, a Chinese restaurant located in the Marina District, is introducing Mahjong Lair night every Tuesday starting July 15.
This event will feature mahjong games, instructional sessions, and drink service during gameplay, along with complimentary snacks for participants.
Moreover, the restaurant will launch a dedicated group table called the East Wind Table from Wednesday to Sunday, specifically for mahjong enthusiasts, offering a prix fixe meal.
In culinary critique, Chronicle critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan recently reviewed Side A, a new Midwestern-inspired restaurant from former Aphotic chef Parker Brown.
Fegan was particularly fond of the Italian beef sandwich-inspired Parisian gnocchi, which includes braised shortrib, fresh goat cheese, and house-pickled giardiniera.
She also enjoyed the schnitzel-like chicken cutlet served with honey mustard sauce, describing it as “McNuggets’ final form.”
However, she pointed out that while many of Brown’s maximalist creations delight, not all achieve the same level of success, expressing her reservations particularly about the bone-marrow-and-goat-cheese-topped cheeseburger.
As the culinary landscape continues to evolve, these new openings offer an exciting array of choices for San Francisco residents and visitors alike.
image source from：sfist
