If you’re wondering where you should be eating in and around San Francisco, here are five of the most news worthy restaurants to check out right now. From a female-driven chef series celebrating Women’s History Month to the peninsula’s newest steakhouse to the city’s most exciting brunch spots, these are places that making waves in the Bay Area’s dynamic food scene this month.
The Culinary Institute Of America At Copia
In honor of Women’s History Month, Napa Valley’s Culinary Institute of America at Copia is continuing their Chef Takeover Series featuring multiple accomplished female alumni to collaborate with their own Chef de Cuisine, Deborah Mullins ’97, for special curated dinners throughout the month of March.
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Established in 1946 by visionaries Frances Roth and Katharine Angell, the CIA at Copia proudly continues to showcase the resilience and leadership of forward-thinking women in the culinary world.
Laura Ozyilmaz (‘14): Co-owner of Dalida in San Francisco
CIA at Copia
Guest chefs include Laura Ozyilmaz, current Top Chef contestant & co-owner of James Beard Foundation nominated Dalida; Daniela Vergara, Executive Chef at Estiatorio Ornos who is also the youngest and only female executive chef in Michael Mina’s restaurant empire; Jennifer Jasinski, James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef and owner of Rioja and other renowned restaurants in Denver; Dara Yu, youngest-ever MasterChef winner and creator of the acclaimed pop-up “Congee & Crullers” in Los Angeles; and Sue Zemanick, Executive Chef at Zasu, named one of the Top Ten Best New Chefs in America by Food and Wine Magazine.
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Book your tickets here.
Early To Rise
Early to Rise marks the launch of Chef Andrew McCormack’s first full-service restaurant and brunch haven. After operating as a successful pop-up for six years, including the height of the pandemic, this new restaurant isn’t new to serving up breakfast favorites to San Francisco locals. Early to Rise celebrates quality ingredients and simple homestyle meals made from scratch using house-made ingredients like hand-paddled butter, Hollandaise, hot sauce and preserves.
Looking to bring Southern Hospitality to the city, the menu features innovative brunch dishes like tri-tip steak & eggs ”en meurette” with poached eggs in red wine with sliced tri-tip, grilled country bread, stew of red wine, bacon, pearl onions and mushrooms; roasted asparagus salad with sorrel, charred baby onions, lemon and julienned molasses ham; and the samusa potato pancake with peas, roasted carrots, scallions, tamarind, lime yogurt and garam masala.
Early to Rise
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Brianna Danner / af&co.
On the sweet side guests can enjoy tangerine pudding with almond cookies, olive oil and dark chocolate; blueberry-ricotta pancakes; apple butter French toast with caramel apple syrup and toasted hazelnuts; the blueberry ricotta pancakes house-made ricotta, blueberry syrup and almond crunch and incredibly delicious, small batch sugar rolled donuts in seasonal flavors like earl grey.
The Vault
The Vault Garden recently announced the launch of their first ever brunch service. Available every Saturday from 11:30am-3:00pm, diners can now enjoy an innovative brunch experience in the Vault Garden’s al fresco dining space. Spearheaded by Chef Ryan Cerizo, the new brunch program has been carefully curated with both sweet and savory dishes ranging from classics like steak and eggs and a stacked breakfast sandwich to more decadent options like lobster tartine and winter squash-mushroom polenta ragout.
Dungeness crab legs
Vault Garden
Also on the brunch menu is a raw bar, featuring a fresh variety of shellfish, caviar, and oysters, along with an array of savory options like their famous potato pave tots topped with a dollop of Hackleback Caviar, or the salmon Benedict and Vault burger. For those with a sweet tooth, they can indulge on the ginger-sugar dusted beignets, pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, or seasonal waffles topped with spiced honey.
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Izzy’s On The Peninsula
After a seven-month renovation, beloved family-run dining destination, Izzy’s on the Peninsula is now open with a new look and an elevated, sophisticated ambiance. This classic American steakhouse offers 7,500 square feet of stunning interiors, a dynamic menu of elevated steakhouse favorites complemented by Izzy’s classic sides and dishes, as well as an inventive cocktail program, robust wine list, dynamic private dining spaces, an alfresco garden and more.
The Gomez
Michelle Min
Menu highlights include Dungeness crab hushpuppies; jumbo prawn cocktail and french dip sliders on house-made buns; the fresh daily crudo; “the Gomez,” a 10oz prime rib served alongside Izzy’s own potatoes and creamed spinach; as well as the Izzy’s smash burger; and house-made desserts like the made-to-order glazed crullers and roasted pear bread pudding. Innovative craft cocktails by WestBev vary from the legacy martini to the margarita del mar with blanco tequila, mezcal, aloe, makrut lime and nori salt, among others.
Camino Alto
Situated in Pacific Heights, Camino Alto flies under the radar when it comes to seasonal neighborhood restaurants worth checking out. Serving California cuisine with Mexican influences, owner Josh Copeland has spent years building relationships with local farmers and purveyors, making it a priority to highlight the quality of each ingredient in simple yet standout seasonal dishes.
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Camino Alto is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Brunch menu highlights include Klingeman Farm pork belly with oached pastured eggs, Mexican polenta, frisee, salsa verde, queso cotija; blueberry masa waffle with cultured coconut; taco plates with Larry’s beans, coconut basmati rice, pico de gallo featuring proteins like 4 hour roasted heritage pork shoulder and roasted chicken; and more.
Camino Alto
Peter Lockett
On the dinner menu, standouts include the pasture wagyu NY strip steak with Japanese sweet potato and smoked salsa; local halibut, cannellini beans, braised escarole; Brussels requisite with Beeler’s bacon, crispy rice and arugula; and the Morro bay tuna ceviche. Camino Alto’s all-natural wine list has a strong European focus and compliments the restaurant’s cuisine whether breakfast or dinner or somewhere in between.
Mayor Daniel Lurie sparked the altercation that led to a fight and injuries to two San Francisco police officers in his security detail, according to a police report of the incident obtained by the Standard.
On Thursday evening at 5:38 p.m., Lurie, an aide, and two members of his security team were driving north on Larkin St. when they spotted several people sitting on the sidewalk on the corner of Cedar St., an alley in the Tenderloin.
The mayor ordered the driver of his Rivian SUV, Officer Nicholas Boccio, to pull over. Lurie hopped out of the SUV. His second bodyguard, Officer Joel Aguayo, followed.
What happened next would result in two injured officers, a gun aimed at a man’s chest, two arrests, and renewed questions about the public safety under the mayor’s leadership.
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While footage of the incident after the officer pushed one of the men has been published by Mission Local (opens in new tab), details about what led up to the fight have not been previously revealed.
After leaving the safety of his vehicle, the mayor took matters into his own hands, the report says. Lurie attempted to get the group hanging out on Cedar St. to move, but one of the men refused.
“On whose behalf do I need to move?” asked one of the men named Tony Phillips, according to Aguayo’s statement.
According to the narrative of the combined witness statements, “Mayor Lurie addressed the group and requested that they move along, as they were standing in the roadway. Phillips became immediately argumentative, stating that he did not have to move.”
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Lurie told Phillips that Aguayo was an SFPD officer. Aguayo repeated that and requested that Phillips comply and move out of the way. Phillips again refused.
The police report said the mayor and Aguayo asked Phillips to move at least four times, at one point saying they would call uniformed officers to remove him.
Still, Phillips refused, as the mayor paced a few feet away from Aguayo, video of the incident shows.
While most of the group of four men appeared to stay put, according to footage of the incident, Phillips stepped toward Aguayo, who was standing in front of the mayor.
According to the police report, Phillips then said, “I’ll Bruce Lee kick your ass.” Aguayo then swiftly pushed Phillips to the ground. Phillips got up and was pushed again before rushing the officer. The pair grappled and then fell to the ground, and Aguayo struck the back of his head.
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During the fight, Lurie ran to the parked SUV to tell the driver, Boccio, that his partner was in trouble. When Boccio rushed to help, another man in the alley — Abraham Simon — grabbed the officer and reached for his waistband. Simon backed off after Boccio pulled his service weapon.
Boccio then helped Aguayo but was unable to restrain Phillips. It wasn’t until several uniformed officers arrived that Phillips was taken into custody.
Aguayo, who suffered cuts to the back of his head, facial bruising, and a back injury, said to investigating officers that he had to use force on Phillips because he was threatened verbally and got within inches of him. The officer also said he tried to de-escalate to no avail. Boccio’s hand was cut during the confrontation.
No body camera footage was captured of the incident because officers in the mayor’s security detail did not wear them.
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The incident, about which Lurie has made brief statements, has raised questions about whether Lurie’s freewheeling approach to walking the streets could put him into danger. The mayor told reporters last week after the incident that he asked the people to move because he was concerned for their safety and that of other pedestrians and drivers.
“I’m out here walking the streets of San Francisco like I do every day. I believe that you can’t solve what you can’t see,” Lurie said in an Instagram post Monday, seemingly doubling down on his approach to interacting with San Franciscans.
When asked for comment, the mayor’s spokesman Charles Lutvak referred to the Instagram post and a story Lurie shared in his State of the City speech about approaching a man who appeared to be an addict, who told the mayor to mind his own business.
The mayor’s reply: “You are my business.”
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Lurie’s own account of the incident was not included in the police report, although the document says he later would be contacted for a statement.
Phillips is set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of threatening an officer, inflicting great bodily injury, and contempt of court for violating a stay-away order from the alley. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office will request that Phillips remain in custody as he is a threat to the public.
Simon is also set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of interfering with an officer.
The incident is also being investigated by the Department of Police Accountability, according to The Chronicle.
SAN FRANCISCO – A 37-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder in what authorities described as an unprovoked, broad daylight stabbing in San Francisco’s Chinatown last week.
Suspect charged
What we know:
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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that Jian Feng Huang was charged with attempted murder in connection with the attack at Stockton and Sacramento streets.
Huang, of San Francisco, will be arraigned Tuesday. He remains in custody.
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Jenkins described the incident as a “horrific attack of an innocent man waiting to cross the street.” She said there is no indication that the victim and the suspect knew each other.
Surveillance video captures attack
Dig deeper:
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Surveillance footage circulating online shows a man in a black hoodie walking down Stockton Street before suddenly lunging at a man who was waiting at a corner to cross the street.
The attacker stabbed the victim in the back and then walked away, according to the video. The victim is seen collapsing to the ground.
The attack occurred shortly after 1 p.m.
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Bystanders rush to help
Local perspective:
Bystanders and business owners rushed to help the wounded man.
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“We bring the ice and the towels to stop bleeding,” said Rawnie Chan, manager of Flags International Services. Chan said the victim was speaking in Cantonese and said he was in pain.
One business owner said she grabbed frozen dumplings from an office refrigerator to place on the wound because there were no restaurants nearby with ice available.
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Victim recovering
Jenkins said the victim is recovering at a local hospital. Authorities previously said the victim suffered life-threatening injuries and has undergone at least two surgeries.
The Source: This story was written based on information from San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
Daylight saving time is here, and San Francisco residents have ample opportunities to take advantage of the extended sunlight.
Here are some of the top events to check out this week in The City.
San Francisco Camerata concert (Monday)
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The San Francisco chamber orchestra comes to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church at 1111 O’Farrell St. for a night featuring violinist Eric Silberger and other Bay Area musicians. They will play “Serenade for Strings” by Antonin Dvorak and Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1.
An evening with Marc Teicholz and Eric Zivian (Monday)
Guitarist Marc Teicholz perform preludes by Frederic Chopin and Sergio Assad with help from guitarist Eric Zivian.
Marta Lindsey chats with Nancy Botkin (Tuesday)
Local park experts and San Francisco residents Marta Lindsey and Nancy Botkin will stop by Bookshop’s West Portal location to chat about “Discovering Golden Gate Park: A Local’s Guide.” Written by the pair, the 210-page book gives readers recommendations on how to best spend their days at the urban attraction.
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Author Marta Lindsey’s 210-page book “Discovering Golden Gate Park: A Local’s Guide” features contributions from walking and biking tour designer Nancy Botkin.
Courtesy Marta Lindsey
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Cindy Cohn chats with Cory Doctorow (Tuesday)
Electronic Frontier Foundation Executive Director Cindy Cohn talks with journalist Cory Doctorow about the former’s new book, “Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance.” Releasing Tuesday, the book documents three legal privacy battles that Cohn helped oversee throughout her career.
The sold-out conversation will take place at City Lights Booksellers, and it will also be broadcast on Zoom. It starts at 7 p.m.
Ukrainian Games Festival (Tuesday-Wednesday)
This two-day pop-up will bring cultural dishes, a charity auction and photo opportunities celebrating Ukrainian heritage to the Consulate General of Ukraine. Attendees will also be able to try demonstrations of upcoming games made by Ukrainian developers, such as the stock market simulation-game “Stonks-9800” and the point-and-click puzzle adventure game “Tukoni.”
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‘Moving San Francisco Lunchtime Talks’ (Wednesday)
Held by the San Francisco Arts Commission on the second Wednesday of every month through June, this event brings Muni historians, operators, riders, artists and other artists for conversations exploring the different themes of “Moving San Francisco: Views from the SFMTA Photo Archive 1903-Now.” On display at City Hall, the exhibition chronicles more than 120 years of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s history.
Guests will meet in the North Light Court of City Hall at noon, with this month’s edition centered on cable cars.
Free art workshop (Wednesday)
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts invites participants to explore lines, color and artworks’ compositions by painting miniature rocks. The workshop is inspired by “Double Horizon,” Sarah Sze’s public sculpture in the Yerba Buena Gardens.
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Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ latest workship is inspired by “Double Horizon,” Sarah Sze’s public sculpture in the Yerba Buena Gardens.
Courtesy Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
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Participants can register online, and they will get to take their creations home. All materials will be provided for the session, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m.
‘Nintendo in Concert’ (Wednesday)
The Sixth Station Trio, a group of local San Francisco musicians, will perform musical scores from some of the Japanese game publisher’s famous franchises including “Animal Crossing,” “The Legend of Zelda” and “Super Smash Bros.” Held at Grace Cathedral, the pieces have been arranged for cello, piano and violin, with the performers sharing personal anecdotes about gaming in between songs.
‘Flourish: Art of Abundance’ (Thursday)
Root Division’s annual fundraiser will bring ready-to-buy artworks, panel discussions and other conversations to the arts organization’s Mission Street headquarters. An after party features music by DJ Umami, drinks by the Stud Bar and light bites from the Pawn Shop.
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“It’s so rare to have such a long-standing, unique partnership,” ballet director Tamara Rojo said. “It deserves to be celebrated”
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Mayor and Board of Supervisors president want voters to reform City Charter to centralize authority, make it harder to qualify ballot measures
The nets were installed in 2024 as a suicide prevention measure after advocacy from survivors like Kevin Hines, who is producing a new documentary about them
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‘The MIX Indie Games Gallery’ (Thursday-Friday)
SFMOMA is teaming up with the Media Indie Exchange to turn the museum’s Gina and Stuart Peterson White Box into a pop-up featuring game developers who focus on innovative gameplay and diverse representation with their content. The event is free with museum admission.
SFMOMA’s pop-up games gallery is located inside the Gina and Stuart Peterson White Box on the museum’s fourth floor.
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Courtesy Myleen Hollero
SFMOMA’s pop-up is located on the museum’s fourth floor. It is open on Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Luther S. Allison’s residency (Thursday-Sunday)
The singer-songwriter and guitarist will play a four-day residency at the Black Cat Jazz Supper Club. The North Carolina musician is known for blending blues and gospel music with the bebop and soul genres.
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Tickets are available online, ranging in price from $20 to $50. The supper club is located at 400 Eddy St., with early and late shows taking place.
‘Pearls of Sorrow’ (Friday)
Members of the San Francisco Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale return to Herbst Theatre for a performance that pairs 17th- and 18th-century African American and European spiritual hymns. The program features conductor Christine Brandes and countertenor Reginald Mobley.
‘Rogue Gestures/Foreign Bodies’ (Friday)
Based in San Francisco, members of the Nava Dance Theatre will perform a piece inspired by the oral histories of Indian nurses who came to the United States as a result of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. The performance combines live music and experimental movement with bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance.
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Tickets are available online, ranging from $27.45 to $40. The 90-minute show, which starts at 8 p.m., takes place at Dance Mission Theater.
‘A View from the Throne: Gina Schock — Inside The Go-Go’s’ (Saturday)
The Haight Street Art Center will examine one of rock music’s most famous all-female bands by highlighting archival materials, posters, photography and other rare ephemera from Gina Schock, the group’s drummer and a songwriter. Displayed items incude costumes, personal letters, Schock’s drum kit and band memorabilia.
The exhibition’s opening party runs from 5 to 9 p.m. The art center is located at 215 Haight St.
San Francisco Giants Fan Fest Tour (Saturday)
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Oracle Park’s doors will open to baseball fans for an afternoon of autographs, player meet-and-greets, stadium tours and photo opportunities with the team’s three World Series trophies. The team’s spring-training game taking place that day in Arizona will also be broadcast at the stadium.
San Francisco Greek Film Festival opening night (Saturday)
The 23rd edition of the showcase will come to the Delancey Street Foundation’s Embarcadero screening room for eight days of in-person events. More than 30 films will be screened, with presentations spanning documentaries, narrative features and short narrative films.
Tickets will go on sale soon, with opening night featuring “Broken Vein” by director Yannis Economides and “Nikh or the Impossible Hope of Trying” by Savvas Stavrou. Screenings start at 6 p.m., followed by a reception.
Oscars viewing party (Sunday)
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Small Car, Big Time Tours founder Reed Kirk-Rahlmann will host the Balboa Theater’s official viewing party for this year’s Academy Awards. Guests can expect prizes and trivia throughout the broadcast, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s annual gala (Sunday)
The 17th Street nonprofit will bring its 32nd annual gala to the San Francisco Design Center Galleria. Attendees will enjoy silent and live auctions, a seated dinner, a cocktail reception and a performance by ballet performers.
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The Smuin company in the world premiere of Jennifer Archibald’s “ByCHANCE” in October 2024.
Courtesy Chris Hardy
Tickets are available online. Guests are encouraged to dress in festive cocktail attire. The event starts at 5 p.m. takes place at 101 Henry Adams St.
