Posts Tagged ‘frances’
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
Haighteration has the story this AM about how the San Francisco restaurant community is coming together to help one of its own, someone who is still reeling from a crime committed late last year:
“In late November, a beloved member of the Ragazza staff, and broader San Francisco restaurant community, was the victim of a terrible crime. To help this individual get back on their feet, Ragazza, along with several other establishments, are hosting a fundraiser. All proceeds will benefit the crime victim. Funds will be raised through several sources.”
And check out all the local businesspeople who are contributing, below.
“1. On Monday, January 24, Ragazza will donate 100% of sales proceeds to this cause. For this evening, Ragazza will hold an intimate benefit dinner, with a special menu designed by Chef Sharon Ardiana. The meal will be served family style, with antipasti, salad, pizza, entree and dessert. Seatings are at 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm or 9:00 pm. The cost is $35/person, including wine, excluding gratuity and tax. As of 1/13/11, the 7pm seating is sold out. To make a reservation or to be put on the 7pm waiting list, please email Laurie at laurie@aocsf.com.
2. A variety of items will be auctioned off on eBay, between Friday, January 21st and Monday, January 31st. Auction items include special meals at notable San Francisco restaurants, cooking lessons, private meals prepared by Bay Area chefs, art, photography, wine and other items. To see all items up for auction or to bid on an item, please visit this link.
3. You may send a cash donation to benefit the victims of this crime. To do so, please send a check made out to our fiscal sponsor, La Cocina, Inc. Please write Ragazza Fundraiser in the memo line so that your contribution goes directly to our cause. Donations may also be made on the evening of January 24 at the restaurant. For your donation to be tax deductible, it will need to be made via check payable to La Cocina, Inc. Donations may be sent to:
La Cocina
2948 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-4028
Note that all auction items and donations made via check to La Cocina, Inc. are tax deductible over the fair market value of the item (in the case of auction items). La Cocina is a registered 501c3 organization.
Full details coming soon, along with links to the eBay bid pages once the auction is live (anticipated to be on Friday, January 21). Here’s a preview of some of the items we will have available for bid…..
Dinner for 8 in your home, cooked by Frances Chef/Owner Melissa Perello.
Italian cooking lesson, wine tasting and dinner for 4 prepared in your home by Chef/Owner of Ragazza, Sharon Ardiana and Suzanne Drexhage
Dinner for 2, with wine pairings, at your choice of either A16 or SPQR
Wine dinner for 4 at Andalu
Dinner for 2 at Bar Tartine
Chef’s Dinner for 2 at Cafe des Amis, with wine pairings
Customized meal for 2 at Delfina, menu designed by Chef/Owner Craig Stoll
Customized meal for 2 at Flour + Water, menu by Chef/Owner Tom McNaughton, with wine pairing
Wine dinner for 4 at Garibaldi’s
Dinner for 2 at Gialina..and you can go to the head of the line!
Dinner for 4 at Nopa, seated with Chef/Co-Owner Laurence Jossel and Wine Director Chris Deegan
Dinner for 4 at the Chef’s Table of Rotisserie & Wine – meet Tyler Florence and Chef Jeremy Fox
Customized cake by Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake, sized to serve 40 people!
2 dozen cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes, delivered by cupcake maven and owner, Kara Lind
Marlowe‘s famous Marlowe burger, delivered to your office w/all the fixin’s…for 8 people
Carnitas dinner for 4, delivered to your door by Nopalito.
Sundae making party for 24 by Bi Rite Creamery
Cocktail making class for 15, along with signed copies of Art of the Bar at Comstock Saloon
Coffee tour/tasting for 6 at Equator Coffees & Teas- the coffee of Ragazza & The French Laundry
Cooking clases at La Cocina
Poker party for 5 at Le Club….burgers, bourbon or champs, your own dealer & private table
Pizza Politana pizza party for 15 at your home
High end tequila tasting for 4 at Tres Agaves
Margarita party for 20 at your home by Tortilla Heights
A case of mixed Italian red wines, selected by Chamber and Chambers Wine Merchants
Gift certificates to Boulevard, 18 Reasons, Bi Rite Market, Ominvore Books, Absinthe, Lori Anderson Skincare, Pal’s Takeaway Sandwiches, Incanto and more!
A day of custom photography, with Katie Newburn, photographer
2 custom art pieces by artist Michelle White
50 custom cards/envelopes, designed and printed by Olive-Route letter press.
Custom canvas printing of your favorite photo by photographer, Nick Vasilopoulos
2 hours of custom tattoo work with the amazing Shannon Archuleta
And still more to come……
Tags: 18 Reasons, A16, Absinthe, Andalu, artist, auction, Bar at Comstock Saloon, Bar Tartine, Benefit, Bi Rite Creamery, Bi-Rite, books, boulevard, burger, Cafe des Amis, Chambers Wine Merchants, chef, Chef/Owner, Chris Deegan, Citizen Cake, clases, coffee, Coffees & Teas, cooking, Craig Stoll, crime, CupCake, Delfina, dinner, Elizabeth Falkner, Equator, flour + water, frances, french laundry, Garibaldi's, Gialina, Gift certificates, Incanto, Jeremy Fox, Kara Lind, kara's cupcakes, La Cocina, Le Club, Lori Anderson, Margarita, market, Marlowe, Marlowe's, Melissa Perello, Michelle White, Nick Vasilopoulos, NOPA, Nopalito, Olive-Route, Ominvore, owner, Owner Laurence Jossel, Pal's Takeaway, party, Photographer, pizza, pizza politana, pizzeria, ragazza, sandwiches, Shannon Archuleta, Sharon Ardiana, Skincare, SPQR, survivor, Suzanne Drexhage, tattoo, Tom McNaughton, Tortilla Heights, Tres Agaves, Tyler Florence, victim, wine Chamber, Wine Director
Posted in crime, food and drink | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Here they are, the best restaurants in the Bay Area for 2011, below.
Carolyn Alburger is all over this situation already at Eater SF as is Paolo Lucchesi at The Inside Scoop, as is Jay Barmann at GrubStreet SF.
2011 MICHELIN GUIDE SAN FRANCISCO STARRED RESTAURANTS (“N” DENOTES A NEW STARRED RESTAURANT)
Three Michelin stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. One always eats here extremely well, sometimes superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.
Two Michelin stars mean excellent cuisine, worth a detour. Skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.
One Michelin star means a very good restaurant in its category. A place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.
All the deets, after the jump
Tags: +3, 1, 2, 2010, 2011, Acquerello, Alexander’s, Ame Applewood, Auberge de Soleil, Aziza, Baumé, bay area, book, Bouchon, boulevard, california, Campton Place, chez, Chez TJ, Coi, Commis, Cyrus, dining room, Dio Deka, drink, étoile, Farmhouse Inn, Fleur de Lys, food, frances, french laundry, GARY DANKO, GrubStreet, guide, Guides, Jay Barmann, Jean-Luc, La Folie, La Toque, Luce, Madera, Madrona Manor, Manresa, Masa’s, MICHELIN, Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2011, Mirepoix, Murray Circle, Napa, Naret, new, one, One Market, panisse, Paolo Lucchesi, Plumed Horse, quince, red, red guide, Redd, restaurant, Restaurant at Meadowood, restaurants, Ritz Carlton, Saison, San Francisco, Santé, SF, Solbar, Sonoma., Spruce, stars, Steakhouse, Terra, three, two, Ubuntu, Village Pub, Wakuriya, Wine Country
Posted in food and drink | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
OMG it’s here! The new 2011 Zagat for San Francisco Dining is here.
And unlike telephone books, our “Burgundy Bible” is something Bay Areans actually still want to have these days.
This year, just like last year, it’s all Gary Danko. Pretty much.
But there’s a lot of other stuff in today’s release. Stuff like this:
“An overwhelming 83% of San Francisco surveyors say they agree that restaurants should be required to conspicuously post a letter grade reflecting the results of their health department inspection (as recently passed in NYC, taking a cue from LA).”
Check it out, below
Zagat 2011 Bay Area Survey Reveals Diners Cutting Back, Yet Getting Values, In Tough Times
Ninety-Four Noteworthy Newcomers Show Restaurateurs are Betting on the Future; Food Trucks Roll into the Rankings; San Francisco Diners Support Healthful Eating; Gary Danko Sweeps for Food, Service and Popularity; El Tonayense Named “Best Buy”
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21 — Zagat Survey released its 2011 San Francisco Restaurant Survey today, with results available in print, on ZAGAT.com and via ZAGAT TO GO for iPhone, iPad and Android. This year’s Survey covers 1,373 restaurants in the greater San Francisco Bay Area from the Wine Country up North to Carmel down South. Nearly two-thirds of the restaurants in the guide feature dinner costs under $40 and lunches below $30. Based on the feedback of over 10,000 avid local consumers, the typical Zagat-Rated restaurant was visited by surveyors over twice a day.
Cloudy Weather: The nation’s economic woes continue to affect local restaurateurs, as the average meal cost in San Francisco saw an unprecedented decline – a 1.6% decrease, from $39.40 in 2009, to $38.78 this year. Furthermore, the average cost of dining at the 20 most expensive restaurants has dropped 4.4% since the recession started. When asked how the economy is affecting their dining habits, 43% of surveyors report eating out less, 39% are more attentive to prices, 36% are picking less expensive places and 16 to 21% have cut back on alcohol, appetizers and desserts. Also, 10% say they’re less likely to try new places. Importantly, despite San Francisco’s reputation as a culinary center, locals report dining out 2.8 times per week on average, down from 3.2 pre-recession and below Zagat’s current 3.2 national average.
Silver Lining: Nonetheless, since the economic downturn, 50% of surveyors report finding better deals, 40% feel their patronage is more appreciated and 36% say it’s easier to land a table. While 59% of surveyors cite poor service as their top irritant when dining out, the decrease from 66% pre-recession suggests an improvement in the front-of-house. And it seems diners are starting to put their money where their mouths are, as the average tip increased from 18.4% pre-recession to 18.6% now. That there are 94 new arrivals in the Survey shows that restaurateurs are betting on the future.
“The down economy has made dining out more affordable, and diners have plenty of options to choose from,” said Tim Zagat, CEO and Co-Founder of Zagat Survey. “However, the good news for consumers may be bad news for restaurateurs as dining spending has declined. Fortunately, 51% of surveyors are confident that fine-dining out will bounce back with the economy.”
Keep on Truckin': For the first time in the San Francisco guide, surveyors put food trucks and pop-up eateries on the map with full ratings and reviews – a welcome resource for the 23% of locals who report following food trucks (and other restaurants) via Twitter and Facebook. It’s also notable that this year’s Best Bang for the Buck is El Tonayense, a traveling taco-truck fleet (with a brick-and-mortar offshoot). It even bested In-N-Out Burger, as well as last year’s best buy, Saigon Sandwiches (now No. 2 and No. 3, respectively). More mobile eateries can be found on ZAGAT.com, including RoliRoti, Spencer on the Go! and hot dog purveyor Let’s Be Frank, and farmer’s market stands like 4505 Meats, Cal-Korean Namu and Tacolicious.
It goes on and on, see you after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2010, 4505 Meats, Acquerello, Ad Hoc, Ahwahnee, Ajanta, Alexander's Steak, Auberge du Soleil, Bakesale Betty, bay area, Best Bang for the Buck, boulevard, Brenda's, Buckeye Roadhouse, Cal-Korean Namu, california, castro, CEO, Chapeau!, Chez Panisse, co-founder, Cyrus, department, dining room, El Tonayense, Erna's Elderberry, Estiatorio, facebook, farmers market, frances, french laundry, Garden Court, GARY DANKO, Hana Japanese, health, hot dog, house, In-N-Out Burger, inspection, Joe's Cable Car, kokkari, La Foret, La Mar Cebicheria, Let's Be Frank, letter grade, Most Popular, Pacific's Edge, Piperade, Pizzetta 211, popular, RoliRoti, Saigon Sandwiches, San Francisco, Sierra Mar, Slanted Door, Soi4, Spencer on the Go!, stands, Swan Oyster Depot, taco-truck, Tacolicious, Tamarindo Antojeria, tim, Tim Zagat, Top Decor, Top Food, Top Newcomer, Top Service, Truly Mediterranean, twitter, Ubuntu, Yank Sing, zagat, Zagat Survey
Posted in food and drink | No Comments »
Monday, December 21st, 2009
Saturday Matinee (Thoughts on theater in the Bay Area) has the news about our San Francisco Ballet‘s newest Principal Dancer - it’s former soloist Frances Chung.
See her tonight as a glorious Queen of the Snow in the Nutcracker.
Congratulations, Frances!
“San Francisco Ballet announced today the promotion of Frances Chung from the rank of soloist to principal dancer, effective immediately.
Born in Vancouver, Chung trained at the Goh Ballet Academy before joining the Company in 2001. She was promoted to soloist in 2005 and has danced a diverse range of roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy, Grand Pas de Deux Ballerina, and Snow Queen in Tomasson’s Nutcracker; the Enchanted Princess in Tomasson’s The Sleeping Beauty; Neapolitan, Russian Princess, and pas de trois in Tomasson’s Swan Lake; and the Queen of the Dryads in Tomasson/Possokhov’s Don Quixote.
Her repertory also includes lead roles in Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Divertimento No. 15, and “Emeralds”; Bintley’s The Dance House; Elo’s Double Evil; Forsythe’s in the middle, somewhat elevated; Lubovitch’s “…smile with my heart” and Elemental Brubeck; Makarova’s Paquita; Possokhov’s Fusion; and Welch’s Naked.
Among other honors, Chung was a finalist and prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne in 2000 and received the top honor of a silver medal at the Adeline Genée Awards in London that same year.” (via Victoria Andujar)
Tags: Ballet, canada, christmas, Chung, civic center, david allen, erik tomasson, fairy, Family, frances, Frances Chung, grove, Nutcracker, photos, pics, promoted, promotion, queen, San Francisco, san francisco ballet, SF, snow, Soloist, sugar plum, suite, van ness, Vancouver, Victoria Andujar
Posted in art, Ballet | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
When you’re killing time in San Francisco’s Union Square, nothing beats betting with your friends on which elevator car will make it to the top first. Unless you yourself want to go for a ride in these glass contraptions, that might be better.
See how many round trips you can go on before the staff starts to admonish you.
Good times.
Click to expand
Tags: car, elevator, frances, francis, geary, glass, hotel, post, Powell, ride, saint, saint francis, st., st. francis, street, union square
Posted in architecture | Comments Off
