Category Archives: Dining Outside

Chef Carlos Altamirano Opens Eponymous Restaurant in San Francisco

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A whole fried diablo "devil fish'' at Altamirano.
A whole fried diablo “devil fish” at Altamirano.

He may already have seven restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay, but when Chef Carlos Altamirano opened his eighth one two weeks ago, he made this one stand out that much more by anointing it with his own surname.

Altamirano debuted in San Francisco’s Nopa neighborhood to serve contemporary Peruvian fare with California sensibilities. It’s quite the achievement for the Lima-born chef who upon immigrating to San Francisco, talked his way into his first restaurant job as a dishwasher, then quickly rose to line cook.

I had an opportunity to check out the new spot when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last week.

The entrance to the restaurant.
The entrance to the restaurant.
The large bar area.
The large bar area.

Wood warms up the restaurant with its driftwood sculptural pieces and live-edge host stand, while an angled glass wall the bisects the bar and dining room is meant to evoke an aerial view of Peru’s ancient ruins. Custom restroom doors are laser-cut with designs of Inca masks. There’s a stylish covered outdoor dining patio, too.

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San Carlos’ Saffron Gets A Menu Redo

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Chicken paratha wrap, one of the items on the new "Bites'' portion of the menu at Saffron San Carlos.
Chicken paratha wrap, one of the items on the new “Bites” portion of the menu at Saffron San Carlos.

Think tapas — Indian-style.

That’s what husband-and-wife owners Ajay Walia and Reena Miglani had in mind when they revamped the menu at their Saffron restaurant in downtown San Carlos three weeks ago.

Regulars shouldn’t fret, as their favorites are still there, only portioned in smaller sizes so that diners can try a greater variety of dishes now.

Want to enjoy a pav slider, but you’re vegetarian and your dining companion is not? Now, you can order them by the piece, so that everyone gets what they crave.

Indeed, the restaurant has added a sizeable “Saffron’s Bites” section to the menu, that allows you to do just that.

The exterior of the restaurant.
The exterior of the restaurant.
The parklet for outdoor dining.
The parklet for outdoor dining.
The dining room.
The dining room.

I had a chance to try the new menu when I was invited as a guest of the restaurant last week. In fact, Executive Chef Vivek Tamhane was amenable to making some of the “bites” even smaller so that I could try that much more.

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Tipping The Hat To Top Hatters

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Pork belly braised in coconut water at Top Hatters.
Pork belly braised in coconut water at Top Hatters.

Top Hatters Kitchen & Bar in San Leandro is not a place you casually meander by.

Not when it’s nearly right below elevated Interstate 580 with its perpetual congestion of cars, and in a neighborhood with an auto repair shop across the street, and quaint bungalow-style homes all around.

It’s a place you need to know about. And if you find yourself in the East Bay, it’s a place well worth seeking out, which is exactly what my husband and I did recently.

Honored with a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand for serving good food at affordable prices, Top Hatters is named for the longtime family-owned hat shop that once graced the property.

It was opened in spring 2019 by husband-and-wife Matthew Beavers and DanVy Vu to serve up California-Vietnamese cuisine and creative cocktails.

The bar area inside.
The bar area inside.
The courtyard.
The courtyard.

Take a seat in the inviting dining room done up in crisp blue and white. Or best yet, if it’s a nice day, grab a table in the lovely walled-in courtyard, a sweet little oasis with plenty of potted greenery.

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Gott’s Roadside Celebrates 25 Years With Specials Year-Long

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The fried softshell crab sandwich with a glass of Bieler Pere et Fils rose (in Riedel stemware, no less) at Gott's.
The fried softshell crab sandwich with a glass of Bieler Pere et Fils rose (in Riedel stemware, no less) at Gott’s.

Gott’s Roadside celebrates a milestone 25th anniversary this year with a rotating menu of specials each month.

Way back in 1999, brothers Joel and Duncan Gott took over this outdoor roadside eatery on Highway 29 in St. Helena. Taylor’s Refresher, as it was called then, was groundbreaking in that it took fast-casual favorites and elevated them with better ingredients. Its menu also included Napa Valley and greater California wines by the glass, half bottle, and bottle — an unheard of addition back then.

All of that helped it earn it a James Beard American Classic Award.

Today, there are eight Gott’s in the Bay Area.

Armed with a gift card courtesy of the restaurant, I checked out some of June’s special offerings.

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Dining At Street Social

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Fabulous fried soft shell crab with XO sauce at Street Social.
Fabulous fried soft shell crab with XO sauce at Street Social.

Petaluma’s Street Social is one idiosyncratic restaurant.

Unlike almost any other restaurant you can name, it’s not regularly open for dinner on Saturday nights. Instead, it operates from Tuesday through Friday, and is occasionally open on a rare Saturday evening. Go figure.

The dining room is teeny-tiny, probably smaller than some folks’ walk-in-closets, with space for all of six tables inside.

The restaurant has no street presence, but is tucked inside — way inside — the historic, century-old Lan Mart Building. In fact, its “outdoor” dining area comprises a couple compact tables in the brick walkway inside the building, near a warren of small boutiques.

In short, Street Social is a place you could easily pass right by without knowing it even existed.

But know about it you should.

The diminutive dining room.
The diminutive dining room.
The restaurant has only six tables inside, and one is up on the mezzanine.
The restaurant has only six tables inside, and one is up on the mezzanine.

That’s because it comes armed with has serious cred. Husband-and-wife, Chef Jevon Martin and mixologist Marjorie Pier met while working at Chef Jeremy Fox’s Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica. That was followed by stints in Los Angeles at Ford’s Filling Station by Chef Ben Ford (Harrison’s son), and Lucques by Chef Suzanne Goin, before the couple relocated to Sonoma County, where Martin was executive sous chef at Ari Weisswasser’s Glen Ellen Star.

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