Del Popolo announces it’s closing, Esme sets an opening timeframe on Divis, and Grand Lake Kitchen comes to Noe Valley, all in This Week in Food.
Possibly the biggest food news of the week is that top-notch Nob Hill pizza spot Del Popolo is closing its doors after 12 years on Bush Street. Owner and pizzaiolo Jon Darsky, an alum of Flour + Water, posted the news on Instagram, explaining that he was closing in order to focus on his burgeoning Del Popolo frozen pizza business. “Months of reflection haven’t lessened my ambivalence, but ultimately it feels like the right decision and the right path,” Darsky says. “Changing the way people think about frozen pizza is a mission I believe in, and I’m eager to continue building on what we’ve already accomplished.” Fans of Del Popolo’s great Neapolitan pies have until May 8 to head back there.
We have an update this week on Esme, the new French-inspired bistro concept coming to the former Ragazza space at 311 Divisadero. Chef-owner Susan Dunn, a co-owner of Pearl 6101 in the Richmond, tells the Chronicle that she is aiming for a May opening, and she hopes to keep prices reasonable, with entrees priced between $22 and $32. “I want to channel the spirit of French cuisine using local ingredients,” Dunn tells the paper. “I want to bring the sense of ease and warmth you get from the bistro, with food that feels equally refined and comforting.”
Oakland’s Grand Lake Kitchen has taken over the former Mr. Digby’s space in SF’s Noe Valley (1199 Church Street). Tablehopper reports that the place, a third location for the business, is now softly open for brunch and dinner starting this weekend, and they’ll be closed Mondays and Tuesdays for a couple weeks, with seven-day service, 9 am to 9 pm, beginning April 1. Check out the menus here.
Mission Local reports that a Michoacan-style carnitas restaurant is headed for a space at 3222 22nd Street, the former Gabriella’s Pizza. It’s called Carnitas El Rincon, and it’s a chain with 21 locations across California and Nevada. The restaurant will serve tacos, burritos, combos, and carnitas by the pound.
And just a few doors away, a Taiwanese-style fried chicken spot called Zhengxin Chicken Steak is opening at 3230 22nd Street, per Mission Local. This is a second location in the Bay Area for Zhengxin, whose menu includes fried chicken by the piece, chicken sandwiches, milk teas, skewers, rice combos, sesame balls, and scallion pancakes.
Over in the Marina, Tablehopper reports on the opening of Lobalita, a new Mexican cantina in the former Tipsy Pig space (2231 Chestnut Street), from the original team of Stryker Scales, Nate Valentine, and Jamal Blake-Williams, who are also behind new neighborhood favorite Bar Darling. The trio also previously had two Mexican spots, Mamacita and Padrecito, both now closed, so this is sort of a return to form. Lobalita features cocktails (all $14), as well as a full menu of Mexican small plates, tostadas, and enchiladas.
The Chronicle had word that popular Cantonese restaurant Taishan Cuisine, which still has a location in Chinatown, has shut down its one-year-old second location in Ingleside, at 1125 Ocean Avenue. Taishan is a noted Chronicle favorite, and it is one of the only restaurants in Chinatown that still serves late-night diners, until 3 am.
The Chronicle’s Mario Cortez has some special praise for a homestyle burrito pop-up known for its Sonoran-style tortillas called Xulo, which is now popping up every Saturday from 10 am to 1pm at Morrell’s Bread in Berkeley.
And Associate Critic Cesar Hernandez filed his review of Bar Panisse, and he’s mostly a fan. He writes that he was “blown away” by the “elemental simplicity” of a garden salad from chef Amelia Telč, and he liked a scallop crudo and some sheep’s milk ricotta dumplings in mushroom broth as well. But he was “underwhelmed” by several dishes, including a “ruddy lamb porterhouse” that was “small and bland.” Still, he adds, the place is constantly busy these days, and it “has the raucous energy of a Paris wine bar.”
Dining and Cooking