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16 Standout Chinese Restaurants in San Francisco

2025-06-09T13:37:44-07:00

Gourmet Carousel | Rebecca Calderon / RTCphotos

The best soup dumplings, Cantonese barbecue, and hand-pulled noodles across San Francisco

San Francisco isn’t just the birthplace of the first and oldest Chinatown in North America. It’s also home to one of the largest Chinese populations in the US, second only to New York City. Of course, San Francisco’s Chinatown boasts some of the most celebrated restaurants — including the state’s only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant — but if you look beyond the neighborhood’s 24 square blocks, you’ll also find other popular hotspots that represent the diversity of the country’s regional cuisines. Throughout San Francisco, you’ll find everything from new twists on Hong Kong and Cantonese food to hard-to-find Hakka-style menus to raved-about restaurants specializing in Sichuan cuisine.

Meet the Asian-Blasian Winemaking Duo Shaking Up Tradition in Wine Country’s Backyard

2025-06-09T10:43:16-07:00

Jonathan Yang and Tiffani Patton are the minds behind Laughing Gems, a powerful new Bay Area wine label. | Jeremy Chiu

Laughing Gems is a new-ish wine label pushing boundaries and pouring quaffable glasses for Baydestrians

It’s fall 2020. Shoes still dusty from a morning hike in Redwood Regional Park, Tiffani Patton and Jonathan Yang — strangers just hours earlier — ducked into EM Deli, a cozy Korean grocery store in Montclair, to refuel. The blast of cold air was a welcome break from the sun and sweat. They stocked up on soondae, pajeon, and gimbap, then headed to a mutual friend’s backyard for an afternoon of wine sipping, snacking, and swapping stories. Somewhere between the belly laughs and second pours, something clicked between them.

“We bonded over the highs and lows of having Asian moms, and the shared chaos of both being Geminis,” Patton says. “We were constantly talking over each other. One of our friends joked, ‘You gems are always laughing over there!’”

That joke is the origin story of Patton and Yang’s natural wine label, Laughing Gems. Patton, who is half-Korean and half-Black, and Yang, who is Chinese American, began as two friends chasing the kind of wine culture they wished existed: one that nodded to the bold flavors they grew up loving. And after one too many nights staring down sparse wine lists at no-frills Asian restaurants — and growing weary of Euro-centric wine pairing norms everywhere else — Patton and Yang decided to redefine what counts as “pairing-worthy.”

Laughing Gems

The duo has now bottled three different wines, each created and marketed to shine alongside Asian dishes. There’s fizzy Muscat Pet-Nat Super Fresh, which recalls golden summer afternoons and pairs best with white fish. Florascent — an aromatic and acidic orange muscat sourced from family-run Hartwick Vineyards in Lodi, California — is made from juice that flows naturally from the grapes and spends two days on the skins. It cuts cleanly through rich, fatty dishes like Beijing duck and Korean barbecue (and even received a sound bath by sound healer Jade Barrett before aging for six months in barrel). The third wine, Lunisolar, is a fruity French Colombard pet-nat with just enough residual sugar to tame spice, whether it’s the numbing heat of Chongqing noodles or the fiery kick of Korean stews.

Like a few emerging winemakers in the Bay Area, Patton and Yang began their journey tinkering at Richmond’s Purity Wine, where they got to know owners Noel Diaz and Barrie Quan, who nudged them from sipping to making. Pep talks and hands-on training from Diaz turned into 4 a.m. U-Haul runs, delicately transporting grapes that were harvested before sunrise to shield farmworkers from the heat. What followed were 20-hour days of de-stemming, juicing, fermenting, and nursing new flavors to life. Friends eagerly jumped in to stomp on grapes that Patton described as “walking in a giant vat of boba.”

Blending cultural homage with creativity and play, the duo also tapped emerging local artists, bringing them into the fold: from Jill Wong’s grounded logo design inspired by oracle bone script, China’s earliest form of writing, to Aaron Gonzalez’s cheeky bottle label featuring a Buddha by the beach, printed next to Laughing Gems’ irreverent tagline: “please, chill.”

Laughing Gems

Patton and Yang are no strangers to scrutiny. They often find themselves among just a handful of winemakers of color in the room, and have encountered remarks that leaning into their cultural identities is just a branding tactic, something to be boxed and sold. At one of their first events, a seasoned winemaker raised an eyebrow watching them unload more than a few crates. But after selling 12 cases that day, Yang remembers the guarded energy shifting towards something more like, “Oh, maybe we should partner up.” The tight shoulders and imposter syndrome still linger after these events, but Patton and Yang see being invited to them as a win. “A rising tide lifts all boats, and part of lifting that tide is making sure people of color are truly seen in the winemaking space,” Patton says. “Our parents had to assimilate to survive, but they paved the way so that we can show up more fully as ourselves.”

They’re not alone in reclaiming space. Winemakers like Coral Wang of Maison des Plaisances — a Chinese American winemaker based in Sonoma — have been shining a spotlight on the long-overlooked histories behind wine country’s origins. “Chinese laborers made up 80 percent of the workforce who built Napa and Sonoma wine country into what it is today, but their contributions were minimized because of the historical backlash against the Chinese,” Patton says. “Asians aren’t new to the wine space at all. We helped create it in the first place.”

Still, Patton and Yang are clear about what they’re not here to do: they’re not interested in being anyone’s token Asian. “I don’t want to be this beacon of Asian-ness or Asian American-ness, or tell people how to be,” Yang says. “I’m American and this is what America looks like for me.”

Jeremy Chiu

Jonathan Yang and Tiffani Patton (center left and right) don’t take themselves too seriously while pursuing excellent wines.

Today, the Laughing Gems pair is hard at work on their next round of wines, which are dropping this summer. One of them is an almost fluorescent orange, health tonic-style, lower-ABV piquette they teased as “a wine your moms and aunties would actually drink.” With more people leaning into low-alcohol drinking, they’re happy to create options for folks who want to day drink without getting wrecked by mid-afternoon.

Yang’s earliest memories often pull him back to the sensory world of his family’s former Chinese restaurants in Chicago — fragrant steam swirling off the lazy Susan, the clinking of chopsticks and porcelain, and an unspoken rhythm of eating at a communal table. “Coming from a restaurateur family, my parents are really proud of me,” Yang says, smiling. “My mom keeps a bottle of our wine in her fridge and sips a little every night before bed. Yeah, we ultimately want our wine to be sold everywhere, but we love that Asians and other people of color are really vibing with what we’re doing. That’s why we do it.”

Laughing Gems will pour at the Big West Wine Fest on June 14 and 15, 2025 in Guerneville, California. Follow @laughing_gems_wine for updates.

Say Hello to San Francisco’s First Women’s Sports Bar

2025-06-09T08:49:55-07:00

Rikki’s opens on Market Street the second week of June. | Google Maps

Rikki’s opens in the Castro District on Wednesday, June 11

San Francisco’s first women’s sports bar opens Wednesday, June 11, on Market Street. Rikki’s throws open its doors to a city ready for lots of women’s basketball; the Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural season is underway to huge fanfare. Co-founders Danielle Thoe and Sara Yergovich told the San Francisco Chronicle the name honors Rikki Streicher, a gay San Francisco athlete who opened two now-closed queer women’s bars in San Francisco, Maud’s and Amelia’s.

This opening makes the bar the first in the Bay Area dedicated exclusively to women’s sports. Fifteen TVs stretch across the space; pop-up Rikki’s parties around the city have brought in some 150 fans per event. There’s a full liquor license available, and local beers, including the aptly named Local Brewing Co. on tap, with food available for hungry sports fans, as well. Rikki’s is open Tuesday through Sunday from 3:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Sacramento sells tacos to fight fascism

NorCal Resist coordinated a demonstration on Sunday, June 8, in defiance of the federal government’s invasion of Los Angeles’s immigrant communities. To keep the momentum going, the group will work with Radio Xicanismo for a Tacos & Corridos event on Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. Guests will get three tacos with rice and beans for $30 at the Latino Center of Art and Culture. Tickets are on sale now.

Another Divisadero Street restaurant suffers from a fire

In an unlucky streak for the vibrant business corridor, Banh Mi Viet closed due to a fire. It broke out around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, and no one was injured. This makes another shutdown on Divisadero Street in recent years; Ethiopian restaurant Oasis Cafe and adjoining Kava Lounge have been closed since a major fire in 2022, as did Phuket on the other end of the strip.

Mainstay Berkeley restaurant closes for good

The team behind the beloved El Patio in Berkeley let fans know via Instagram of the restaurant’s impending finale: The last day of service will be Friday, July 4. There was no reason given for the closure. More than that, the post says the catering and events arm of the business is still operational.

This NYC-Based Wine Shop From Michelin-Starred Vets Puts Roots Down in the Bay Area

2025-06-06T13:44:16-07:00

Renderings of the upcoming Somm Cellars in Menlo Park. | Somm Cellars

Somm Cellars and its sister restaurant Cafe Vivant are set to open in Menlo Park in late July

A wine shop with Michelin-starred cred behind it is set to open in Menlo Park in late July: Somm Cellars is a wine retailer based in New York City that opened in 2020, and now, founders and sommeliers Jason Jacobeit and Daniel Jung are bringing their popular shop to the Bay Area. But it’s not just a copy-paste version of the original; the duo expands their concept further and will fuse their wine shop with a daytime food menu and specialty market, along with an adjoining restaurant dubbed Cafe Vivant. It’s an expression of the hospitality the duo always wanted to bring to their original shop, but haven’t been able to due to limitations of the liquor license laws in New York.

“We still say to each other on a weekly basis, we’re sommeliers that are playing at retail,” Jacobeit says. “That’s at least partially tongue-in-cheek, but we’re restaurant people, and so the hybrid license opportunity [in California] was a no-brainer for us because it allowed us to put our first restaurant location on the map, to have this retail business... [that] synergizes closely with the restaurant.”

Jacobeit was formerly the wine director of Michelin-starred (but now closed) Bâtard, noted for his knowledge of Burgundy wines and the extensive selection he built at the restaurant over his 10 years there. Jung was the head sommelier at Tribeca Grill (also closed) for six years, earning attention for the restaurant’s Rhone collection and Burgundy program.

For the California restaurant and accompanying daytime menu in the retail section, they’ve recruited chef Jared Wentworth, previously of Chicago’s Longman & Eagle and Dusek’s Board & Beer, both of which held a Michelin star for a number of years, and the Dining Room at Moody Tongue, which also earned a Michelin star during Wentworth’s time there.

Under Wentworth, Cafe Vivant will highlight heritage-breed chickens on its menu. The team works with farmer Rob James in Pescadero to raise the birds that will be served at the restaurant, and sold at the Somm Cellars market. Jacobeit and Jung partnered with James and purchased a piece of the farm, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

Somm Cellars

But on the bottle shop side, Wentworth will produce a daytime menu composed of bites and dishes that are meant to be wine-friendly, which is great for those hanging in for a glass or bottle, or produced quickly for those looking for a quick bite on their lunch hour. The duo teased a “pretty baller” fried chicken sandwich using those aforementioned chickens, deviled eggs from those same birds, as well as rabbit pate, pork rillettes, chicken liver mousse, and a Dungeness crab roll. Although wine will be an obvious, hefty focus on the beverage side, there will also be a selection of bottled cocktails and beers on hand, as well as a pour-over coffee and high-end tea program, the team shares.

While Jacobeit and Jung say they have a contingency of West Coast fans and followers of their New York shop, those wandering in will find a wine selection that echoes their wine backgrounds. They promise a wide, “enviable” selection of Burgundy wines, including chardonnays and pinot noirs, but they’ll also branch into its California counterparts and local examples of those wines. One other distinction will be the inclusion of older vintages. “A lot of wine shops in the area have a great selection across regions, but no depth in vintages,” says Paul Jones, the general manager for the Menlo Park establishment. “Because of our access to local sellers, we’re going to be able to offer top domains from older vintages, and that’s going to be a regular feature in both the retail and the restaurant, too.”

Along with the plentiful wine offerings and the daytime food menu, a retail shop will highlight products from the farm as well as home goods like specialty and vintage glassware and flatware. For grocery offerings, they’re moving away from olives and Marcona almonds, and toward farm products like fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, along with poultry, lamb, and pork — “a high-end farmers market sort of setup,” Jacobeit says.

“It allows us to really reach the community at a much deeper level, than just a restaurant,” Jacobeit says. “That’s not to say that we wouldn’t have opened the bottle shop without the market, but certainly, for both Daniel and me, the market has totally transformed our sense of what is possible and the extent to which we can really become an important part not just of the restaurant scene, but the high-end grocery scene in Silicon Valley.”

Somm Cellars

That’s not to mention the wine event programming. Now that they have both the restaurant and retail space available to them, the ideal scenario is to have wine offerings that feel inclusive at various prices. As an example, they may invite a winemaker to do free tastings of a 2022 vintage with small bites where visitors can learn about the wine. Afterward, the night might expand into a four-course seated dinner in the restaurant, where perhaps an older bottle or some magnums from the winery will be shared with the meal. “There’s this very inclusive, very educational, easy to access component of that event, and then it transitions to something much more aspirational, more high-end,” Jacobeit says.

The team will accent the space with tables and a comfortable couch, all fitting with their vision of a high-end hospitality environment rather than a “normative” retail environment, they say. “We didn’t want the retail-meets-hospitality to be an abstract part of the concept,” Jacobeit says. “We want even passersby who are peeking through the window to really see that there’s a cozy living room, a community space feel to the design.”

Somm Cellars (720 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park) debuts late July.

Fred Ji

Legendary Beer Bar Toronado Might Not Be Getting Sold to a ‘Crypto Bro’ After All

2025-06-06T11:00:07-07:00

The inside of Toronado on Haight Street. | Toronado

An explosive afternoon at the Haight Street classic led to a possible cancellation of its sale

A contentious purchase of longtime Haight Street bar Toronado has gone Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Days after would-be buyer Orion Parrott visited the bar with a San Francisco Chronicle reporter and photographer — a visit that devolved into chaos and shouts — current owner Dave Keene’s lawyers told Parrot that the sale was off, supposedly because Parrot didn’t waive “certain contingencies within a given period of time,” the Chronicle reports. Parrott told the paper that he can’t waive those contingencies because he’s waiting on paperwork from Keene. So for now, the sale of a neighborhood institution and one of the city’s most important beer bars is on ice.

Toronado is closing because Keene, who opened the bar in 1987 and also founded the Barleywine Festival, is retiring. Parrott, a former Raytheon employee and current crypto entrepreneur, seemed like an odd match for Tornado, an old-school place that doesn’t even take credit cards. When the San Francisco Standard broke the news in March that he was buying Tornado, the paper called him a “tech bro” and quoted a group chat message where he said that he was trying to build “the next great San Francisco food & beverage brand in the steps of Blue Bottle.” The Standard also reported that Parrott planned to launch a ToronadoCash crypto coin, but the reaction from the bar’s regulars was so negative he gave up on the idea, he told the Chron.

The reaction to Parrott himself also seems harsh. The Chron came to the bar with Parrott to interview and shoot photos on Friday, May 30. The atmosphere was tense, and bartenders cursed at Parrott, the reporter, and the photographer — they were particularly annoyed by the idea of the photographer taking pictures of staff and patrons. By the time they left, Keene was calling the reporter to make it clear he was still the owner. “I own the Toronado! He does not!” Keene told the paper “over and over.”

Parrott told the Chron that his plans for the space included a 3,000-square-foot rooftop bar and that the former Rosamunde location next door is included in the $1.75 million asking price. Parrott plans to open that as a restaurant again.

But now it’s unclear whether any of those plans will come to fruition. Per the Chron, Keene and Parrott have not spoken directly, only worked together through the brokers handling the sale, and now Keene seems like he doesn’t want to sell, or at least not to Parrott.

The East Bay's Best Breakfast Sandwiches

2025-06-06T09:09:44-07:00

Poppy Bagels is just one of 12 outstanding breakfast sandwiches in the East Bay. | Ori Tom Ravid

Wake up early for the finest breakfast sandwiches, with Impossible options and examples of English muffin dominance in the Bay Area

San Francisco, of course, knows how to do breakfast sandwiches. But the East Bay gives it a run for its money — not like it’s a competition or anything. A great breakfast sandwich must be both sandwich and breakfast. It must consist of egg and/or meat between two layers of bread or pastry, but it cannot be a toast, a taco, or a burrito, as those are three entirely different things. It must be a complete meal. And it must always be greater than the sum of its parts. From hole-in-the-walls to brunch-y diners, here are the East Bay’s premier breakfast sandwiches.

This time, Cafe 3016, Cracked, Zella’s Soulful Kitchen, The Hideout, The Gastropig, Elmwood Cafe, Sunrise Bagel Cafe, Hippies Brew, Kefa Coffee, Starline Social Club, Pattys Original Cheese Zombies all came off the list, while a whole new slate of sandwiches made the list.

5 Openings to Know in the Bay Area this June

2025-06-05T13:33:14-07:00

A sampling of Supreme Dumpling dishes in Seattle, which is now open in San Francisco | Jay Friedman

A Seattle-based dumpling spot opens in San Francisco, an ice cream shop with Persian flavors, and more

This is a list of the Bay Area’s most notable restaurant and bar openings, with new updates published once a week. Did we miss something great? Please, drop us a line.

June 5

EMBARCADERO — IRL cookie monsters (and, hey, Cookie Monster, too) will most likely want to hear the news that Gott’s Roadside has launched a new cookie counter at its Ferry Building location as of Wednesday, June 4. So far, four flavors are on the menu, including a classic chocolate chip and a double chocolate peanut butter option, but it’s pairable with one of three “dipping milks” — we’re looking at the strawberry milk option.

DOGPATCH — Standard Deviant Brewing throws open the doors to its huge new taproom and production facility at Building 12 at Pier 70 on Friday, June 6, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Expect a massive 30-foot-long bars for visitors to pony up to, with plenty of Standard Deviant beers to choose from, like Kolsches and blondes.

PARK MERCED — Seattle-based Supreme Dumplings makes the leap to California with the opening of their latest restaurant in San Francisco’s Stonestown Galleria with a grand opening set for Sunday, June 15. The San Francisco Chronicle also caught this opening, writing that the restaurants specializes in Taiwan-style xiao long bao, and also offers pan-fried dumpling options along with noodles and fried rice dishes.

LOS GATOS — New cafe Petals Creamery is now open in Los Gatos, serving ice cream highlighting fun and floral flavors, desserts, and drinks, some with Persian flavor inflections, Palo Alto Online reports. Think akbar mashti with saffrron, rosewater, and slivered pistachios; ice cream sandwiches on lightly sweetened tahdig; and rose yuzu lemonade ice cream.

MENLO PARK — An edomae-style sushi option comes to Menlo Park with the opening of Ren, which opens its doors on Saturday, June 7. The restaurant is led by Wen Zhao, who previously worked at San Francisco’s Omakase restaurant.

San Francisco’s Best New Restaurants, June 2025

2025-06-05T09:40:59-07:00

The devilish half chicken at Jules is as good as the restaurant’s popular pies. | Paolo Bicchieri

Make plans to check out the city’s trendiest pizza place, a moody Midwest-inspired bistro, and a Colombian fusion restaurant in Hayes Valley

At the top of a new month, it’s time to revisit that long list of restaurants you’ve been meaning to try across the city. For longtime staples to check off, you’ll want this map of classic San Francisco restaurants or perhaps the Eater San Francisco 38, a guide to some of the city’s best destinations for pizza, oysters, and top-notch dim sum. This list, however — the Eater SF Heatmap — highlights recently opened spots or ones we’re particularly excited about for one reason or another.

In short, it’s the answer to that ever-burning question: Where should I be eating right now?

This month, we’re removing Taco Primo and Hamburger Project. In their place, welcome Jules, Wayfare Tavern, and Pacifico.

— Additional reporting by Dianne de Guzman.

Paolo Bicchieri is an award-winning journalist and regional editor for Eater’s Northern California/Pacific Northwest sites. Of these fine restaurants, he’d kick himself not to mention that if you like the premier coffee at Side A, you’re going to love dinner.

San Francisco Is on the Rebound. Just Ask the Multigenerational Crowd at Drag Bingo Brunch.

2025-06-05T09:39:22-07:00

Saluhall’s events — and a number of parties and classes throughout the Mid-Market area — are booming. | Saluhall

Saluhall’s first year of family-friendly programming hasn’t been all smooth sailing. But the city’s Mid-Market area is doing a lot better than most think.

When Elsa Touche takes center stage on Market Street, she’s known to do so in patterned florals, swirls of blue and white hair, and huge rings on her fingers like wizard’s trinkets. She leads a room full of people: those in their 80s, some not even 10 years old. A tiny pink cage full of green and pink and yellow balls stands before her. Smash burgers pop and sizzle to her right.

It’s a typical drag bingo brunch at Saluhall. But it’s totally the opposite of what so many assume is going on in downtown San Francisco.

The free-to-attend event just rang in its first year of monthly bingo brunches in May 2025. When the event launched in May 2024, about 30 people would show up, per data shared from the business. But since the end of last year, it’s blown up with a minimum of 65 or more folks in the audience. The last show clocked 76. Grandparents, families with small children, and the LGBTQ community alike attend. And, of course, they all grab something to eat while diligently dobbing cards in hopes of winning a gift card to a local business, or a cooking class, or free ice cream.

A year into operations, the Ikea-adjacent food hall is in a state of flux. The return of activity to the downtown corridor many have hailed has taken a long time to hit. The greater downtown area still suffers from a public perception issue, which is sometimes reinforced by reality; on a recent trip to Saluhall, Eater SF spied someone walk in, grab money from a business’s tip jar, and walk out. (Saluhall does maintain security on the premises.) That said, there are some signs of life. In March 2025, the San Francisco Standard wrote, “We’re at the beginning of the end of the remote-work era,” citing Mayor Daniel Lurie and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandates to state and federal workers to return to offices. Nevertheless, attendance is up; Kastle’s data shows that company card swipes to enter San Francisco downtown buildings are up 55 percent year-over-year in March.

Saluhall

A typical scene at Saluhall’s drag bingo brunch.

At Saluhall, that slow uptick in foot traffic means vendors have come and gone — unable to wait out the uncertainty of the market. Two anchor tenants on the second floor departed in March: Taqueria La Venganza and Kayma Algerian Eatery. The former cited low foot traffic and Saluhall taking 12 percent of sales income that made operating untenable, while the latter reported low traffic and the need to spend more time with family. A few newcomers have brought more life to the first floor. Uber-popular player Smish Smash opened in January, drawing long lines, followed by Cheezy’s Artisan Pizza, which showed up in April with phenomenal pies.

The events program, though, has been a reliable high watermark. For her part, Touche says she’s happy to be involved, as one of the city’s most tenured drag stars. She always brings a guest performer. It’s a great venue for her, too, as she’s vegan and Saluhall has plenty of plant-based food. All kinds of fans turn out to see her perform, since so many of her shows are at night or at 21 and older venues. Drag brunches in general have risen in popularity. Tourists, too, who check out of their nearby hotels will come for a meal and to see something zany before boarding Bart to SFO.

Touche says that Saluhall audience is a rare, broader spectrum of ages and walks of life than her other shows. It’s a PG environment. It reminds her of the mall queens of the ’80s, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. San Francisco is also specific in that even if you’re not someone who regularly goes into queer bars, you probably encounter drag queens somewhat regularly, Touche says. That means it’s not the political act of defiance it might be in, say, Texas.

Saluhall

Elsa Touche running the show at her standing Saluhall party.

Having this kind of win in Mid-Market is not lost on Touche. “The neighborhood is rough, and I really appreciate Ikea coming in and being an anchor there,” she says. “[Saluhall’s] in the post-downtown era of San Francisco, where people don’t go into downtown offices so much anymore. But I think they’re doing a good job.”

Stella Hoffmann, Saluhall’s operations manager, moved to the city from London just five months before Saluhall’s opening. She’s responsible for scouting and booking its drag bingo event. Hoffmann says that while Saluhall itself has struggled to bring in the numbers the team may have anticipated, she’s proud of how far the events have come. “We definitely have a following for bingo,” she says. “It’s definitely boosted sales for the vendors.”

Further, she points out that the programming at the food hall is part of a shared effort in the neighborhood to strengthen not just businesses but San Francisco itself. Rather than being in competition with other organizations in the area, she finds everyone is working to bring tourists and locals to the area together. For example, the food hall has worked out partnerships with some of the nearby hotel concierge services to ferry over guests. The Mid-Market Business Association also plays a major role. It’s a nonprofit that launched in 2019 to implement programming to bolster the downtown area; its Tenderloin/Mid-Market Community-Based Safety Program is behind Urban Alchemy, all those ambassadors in green vests.

Patricia Chang

Megan Garcia’s the marketing manager for the nonprofit, and she’s a huge fan of Saluhall. It’s an example of positive things happening in the downtown community: Contrary to the picture of San Francisco painted by outlets like Fox News, nothing scary — drug use-related or otherwise — has happened at any of Saluhall’s drag brunches. It’s part of Garcia’s job to promote the various events happening there while also raising awareness to the association’s own programming — namely, the Market Street Arts series and its flagship Well-Crafted events, which run through June. Those look a lot like sip-and-paints or screenprinting pop-ups. It launched in December 2024 as a way to support businesses. But from the jump the events sell out, sometimes for gigs with 100-person limits.

Between 60 and 80 people regularly attend the numerous events hosted at Saluhall. Garcia says mostly it’s people in their 20s and 30s, a slight skew toward women. But, like the drag bingo brunch, it’s really all-ages and families, too. Artists featured tend to be of all ages, many who’ve lived in San Francisco their whole lives. They’ve seen the “doom loop” narratives come and go, when the Zodiac Killer arrested the city in fear, when politicians were shot and killed. Like Elsa Touche, they’ve danced through it all.

Garcia isn’t so worried about the city, seeing all this regeneration firsthand. She takes her 6-and-a-half-year-old daughter to the events at the food hall, grabbing smash burgers after drag bingo brunch then going to the Orpheum Theatre for a show. “Come out and see for yourself,” Garcia says. “Take a time where you’re setting yourself up for success, that you’re going to feel the most secure. Then come and explore.”

This Titanic Polk Street Gay Bar Just Got Pulled Back from the Brink

2025-06-04T14:50:40-07:00

The Cinch Saloon was near closing until new owners stepped in. | Google Maps

A new owner from nearby Harris’ Restaurant is taking over the more than 50-year-old Cinch Saloon

Polk Street, where the first San Francisco Pride parade marched in 1970, just got great news: The last remaining gay bar in Polk Gulch got a big stimulus injection from a new owner. The Cinch Saloon, an icon in the area alongside the Grubstake Diner, opened in 1974. Now it’ll get a second life from Scott Taylor, a beverage director at nearby Harris’ Restaurant for 23 years.

The news is more than just timely, given Pride. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, rumors had been in the air that the Cinch would close any day. One of the two former owners died in 2023. This Tuesday, June 3 announcement gives a spark of hope to the area that, once upon a time, was just as important a gayborhood as the Castro. Drag main character Juanita More told the paper she’d help Taylor keep the Cinch around “for a hundred years.”

New Oakland restaurant event debuts this summer

The Oakland Restaurant Collective — a new-ish collection of business owners in the Town including chef Nelson German of alaMar Dominican Kitchen and the teams behind Jaji and the Caffè by Mr. Espresso — is about to run its first Summer Affair. The event runs all of June and is meant to highlight the some 30 restaurants in the cadre who will host special, restaurant-week-esque menus. There are a ton of events at participating restaurants to peep, too.

Ferry Building croissant favorite set to shutter

Back across the water, Grande Creperie on the waterfront is in jeopardy. The business, which opened in 2022, was informed its lease will end on June 30, 2025. The San Francisco Standard reports owners Patrick and Joanna Ascaso were told in January they’d have an extended lease. They say they were later told by building management that their outfit no longer fits the “cultural mix” of the Ferry Building.

Michelin star-holding restaurant rolls out affordable menu

One of the city’s newest additions to the ol’ tire guide has just unveiled a plan to bring in diners on those nights that are decidedly less special occasion-y. On Monday, June 2 the team at 7 Adams released its 7 at 7 menu. In an Instagram post, the business owners said the idea is to offer a nightly, $127 seven-course menu somewhere between the $87 five-course menu and the $157 chef’s counter experience.