Latest news with #LazyBear
San Francisco Chronicle
12-08-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
He left fine dining to make sandwiches. Now, his popular Bay Area shop is expanding
Since leaving the fine dining world behind, an alum of San Francisco's Michelin-starred Californios and Lazy Bear has quietly made a name for himself with a surprising specialty in an unlikely location: deli sandwiches in a gym. Raul Lopez's sandwich counter, the Local, has thrived since opening three years ago in Wine Country — despite being difficult to find. Sandwich seekers must drive through a maze of Petaluma office parks and past Lagunitas Brewing to the Active Wellness Center. There's no signage indicating that the Local is inside, tucked between the check-in desk and the pool deck. 'You gotta know,' said Chris Osborne, co-owner of the Local. 'It's as far north and as far east as Petaluma gets. You have to cross many barriers to find us.' Location notwithstanding, the Local has grown into one of Sonoma County's hottest fast-casual lunch spots, and now, it's growing. Set to open Aug. 18, the Local's second Petaluma location (229 N. McDowell Blvd.) will offer more space, an expanded menu and, most notably, convenience. A Petaluma native, Lopez was working at Californios when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the restaurant to temporarily close. 'For about a year and a half, I was out of the industry,' he said. 'I never thought I'd go back to it unless I owned my own space.' A cousin told him that the gym was leasing a spot, but it was tiny — just 160 square feet — and the kitchen was extremely basic. The only pieces of cooking equipment were a panini press and a countertop oven. Sandwiches seemed like the best option, said Lopez, who was adamant that he'd still apply his fine dining training to his menu by, for example, vacuum sealing fruits and vegetables in their juices to 'give them more flavor.' In his view, most Petaluma sandwich shops use 'mass-produced' ingredients, while Lopez has established close relationships with local farmers and only uses what's in season, making do without common sandwich ingredients, like tomatoes and pesto, during certain times of the year. For the first couple of months, the Local 'relied on gym traffic,' said Osborne, who met Lopez years ago when they were both working at a restaurant in Petaluma. But word of Lopez's sandwiches — often named after Sonoma County geographical landmarks, like the Petaluma, the 101 and Adobe Road — quickly spread. The Local's clientele grew beyond red-faced gym rats and hungry kids in bathing suits, dripping a trail of water from the pool. By the time the shop hit the five-month mark, a majority of its traffic was coming from outside the gym. 'We're a trek to get to, but people still find us six days a week, and we're busy all six days,' Osborne said. Lopez has made his corner of the gym work, but the new location — at a busy shopping center alongside a Starbucks, a bagel shop and a frozen yogurt spot — brings new possibilities. The space is nearly 10 times the size of the original. It has a full kitchen, including dry storage and a walk-in freezer. A new bread station will enable the Local to make sandwich breads in-house, though it will still source some from Petaluma's famed Della Fattoria bakery. Lopez said he'll finally have the tools to experiment with more high-end techniques, like water baths for a precise cook and foams to add new textures and flavors. 'Everything we've done we've had to do under these extreme conditions,' Osborne said of the original space. '(Raul) will now have all the equipment and toys that his heart can desire.' The expanded menu will break the sandwiches (also available as wraps) into two tiers: classic ($13) and specialty ($17). The classics all have a fancy twist, like a BLT with Havarti, avocado and Carolina barbecue aioli, or the pastrami sandwich with chimichurri, Fresno chile hot sauce and pickled mustard seed aioli. New specialty sandwiches include the Bodega Bay, a soft roll topped with braised chicken thigh, pickled vegetables, pepper jack and chile lime aioli. The Gold Coast, another newcomer, integrates bacon jam and Carolina barbecue aioli with chicken breast. Lopez said he's 'big on using the whole animal and having minimal waste,' which means using parts of a whole chicken for multiple sandwiches, including roasting the bones for sauces. The Local offers an unusually robust selection of vegetarian options, like the Helen Putnam; named after Petaluma's first female mayor, it features roasted beet hummus and artichoke hearts. 'When I thought about opening a sandwich shop, I ate at a bunch, and every time I got to the vegetarian menu, I realized there were only one or two options,' Lopez said. 'I was vegetarian for (a few) years, and working in fine dining, I learned a lot of cool techniques when it comes to vegetables.' The shop can accommodate most dietary restrictions — another takeaway from Lopez's years spent in Michelin-starred kitchens. The Local sources gluten-free bread from Mama Mel's in Petaluma and makes pestos without nuts or dairy. Like the gym counter, the new location will offer smoothies ($10-$12) and salads (from $13). Lopez has added a new section for seasonal bowls ($15), like a polenta bowl with braised chicken, fermented carrots, roasted broccolini and salsa verde. Drinks include specialty sodas, aguas frescas and shrubs. The menu will continue to grow over time, Lopez said, as he envisions adding flatbreads and sides, such as housemade potato chips and potato salad. The Local will be open Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Lopez has ambitions for a future dinner concept after hours that's closer to his fine dining roots. The new spot's interior is also a major upgrade from the gym's inconspicuous counter: Bright and minimalist, it features wood paneling, a classic sandwich board menu and fancy picnic tables, plus plants and flowers for decor. Windows provide a view into the kitchen and a side patio has additional seating. 'We're trying to make everything a little more elevated,' said Osborne. 'We wanted the dining area to match the food.' The Local. Opens Aug. 18. 229 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma.
Axios
07-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
San Francisco bars named on Best Bars in North America list
Two San Francisco bars have earned top honors on this year's newly released North America's 50 Best Bars. Zoom in: True Laurel and Pacific Cocktail Haven snagged spots on the annual rankings, which are determined by more than 700 anonymous bar industry experts around the world, for the second year in a row. True Laurel, based in the Mission District, came in at No. 17 this year, up from last year's No. 30. The menu, crafted by Lazy Bear alum Nicolas Torres, offers drinks that incorporate local flora and seasonal ingredients. Pacific Cocktail Haven, located near Union Square, was bumped up from No. 38 last year to No. 16 this year. The bar, founded by Kevin Diedrich, is best known for its use of Asian Pacific staples, like pandan and nori.
Time Out
02-05-2025
- General
- Time Out
What happens to your used oyster shells after that decadent meal?
Aw shucks, you just had a wonderful meal, tipping your head back to usher a soft and succulent oyster down your throat—and now you're left with a plate full of shells. What can be done with them? Fabulously, these shells can be recycled with the "Save Your Shucks" program based in California via the Wild Oyster Project. Oyster reefs need to be rebuilt; they are currently at a shocking 1 percent of historic levels. In the San Francisco Bay Area, baby oysters free swim in the bay but require oyster shells to settle on and grow. They seek out shells, and over time, oyster reefs, a collection of living and dead shells, form to protect the community. The Wild Oyster Project returns those native Olympia shells to the bay to help restore the delicate balance needed to help oysters thrive. It's a cool sustainability measure; in the project's words, 'Let's eat oysters to save the oysters!" I first learned about the project at the Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette in Marina, California. The associated hotel on the property, Sanctuary Beach Resort, participates in the Wild Oyster Project and also does small-scale recycling of the shells by setting up guests to do découpage projects on discarded and cleaned shells. So, how does it work? Restaurants all over the Bay Area keep a marked 5-gallon plastic bucket on hand to gather the shells, and project volunteers come by to collect them weekly or bi-monthly. Restaurants are limited to ten buckets a month. The shells then go to a shell-curing site to be cleaned of any invasive species and bacteria… and then they're returned to the water via oyster restoration projects. A well-known restaurant that participates in this project is Lazy Bear, a restaurant in San Francisco carrying two Michelin stars. Almond and Oak in Oakland, across the bay, is another participant, as is San Francisco cocktail bar Petite Lil's. The Salty Pearl seafood restaurant in Oakland also takes part—and it should, since it's in Jack London Square, named for the famous author who was a teenage oyster pirate, sailing out under the cover of darkness to illegally harvest oysters and sell them to restaurants. According to this source, he earned the nickname, 'The Prince of the Oyster Pirates.' Who knew?
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Two Michelin star restaurant partners with cannabis farm for 'bespoke strain'
A two Michelin star restaurant has partnered with a cannabis farm to launched its own strain of cannabis. The establishment Lazy Bear, located in San Francisco, California, has joined forces with Sonoma Hills Farm to introduce a unique cannabis offering dubbed The Lazy Bear Reserve. This exclusive "bespoke" strain is being marketed as a sophisticated "social tonic" for upscale dinner gatherings. David Barzelay, the Executive Chef and Owner of Lazy Bear, along with Chief Operating Officer Colleen Booth, have dedicated three years in collaboration with Sonoma Hills Farm. Their mission? To cultivate the ideal cannabis strain that aligns with their gastronomic principles. Their meticulous process entailed planting, nurturing and rigorously testing thousands of different strains. They were in search of a distinctive one that connected with their culinary philosophy, they shared. They describe the final product as having subtle notes of wild California bay laurel, redwood and Douglas fir. In conversation with The San Francisco Standard, David Barzelay expressed his awareness of the persistent stereotype associated with cannabis, despite its legality in California. He explained: "I think it's because there's this fear, like, 'What will Michelin think about this? Does this erode the dignity of a restaurant that is in many ways quite serious?" However, he clarifies, "We're not saying this is something you should smoke before coming and having dinner at Lazy Bear. The right strain of cannabis is like the salt in your food. It elevates it." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
CBC
05-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Manitoba cancels polar bear ecotourism permits for company owned by PC leadership candidate
Manitoba has rescinded polar bear viewing vehicle permits for a Churchill ecoutourism company owned by a candidate vying to lead the opposition Progressive Conservative Party. The provincial wildlife branch told Lazy Bear Expeditions owner Wally Daudrich last week that his company is no longer permitted to operate two tundra vehicles on the coastal plains of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, east of Churchill, where polar bears gather in large numbers each fall before the ice freezes up on Hudson Bay. The wildlife branch said Lazy Bear's licence has been rescinded for the 2025 season because of the continuing decline in the number of polar bears on the western side of Hudson Bay. "This decision is intended to align with Manitoba's conservation priorities for polar bears and the protection of the sensitive tundra ecosystem," wildlife branch director Maria Arlt said in a letter to Daudrich on Feb. 27. "Additionally, concerns about the potential habituation of polar bears to vehicles, which poses safety risks, further underscore the necessity of this limit." Arlt said the province is reducing the number of vehicles allowed to traverse the tundra in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area from 20 to 18. That was the number of vehicles permitted to carry tourists to see polar bears prior to 2020, when the provincial government granted two more vehicle allocations to Lazy Bear. The other 18 tundra vehicles are operated by Frontiers North and Great White Bear, two other Churchill ecotourism companies. The number of vehicles allowed to carry tourists to see bears along the coastal plain was capped at 18 in 1984 and upheld at that number in a 2013 management plan completed for the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Since then, Arlt said, the number of polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay subpopulation have declined further and the body condition of the surviving bears has deteriorated, mainly because of increasingly long ice-free seasons on Hudson Bay. Polar bears only hunt for seals when ice is on the bay. "Future projections indicate that polar bears in Western Hudson Bay are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and consequently these bears will be spending longer periods on land, culminating in increased stress levels due to lack of food in the ice-free period," Arlt said. Surveys and environmental monitoring of the Western Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation suggest the number of bears in the region dropped by 50 per cent between 1979 and 2021 and the average weight of these bears has also declined, according to Canadian research published in the journal Science in January. Daudrich said in an interview the health of the polar bear population in the Churchill area is important to ecoutourism companies. "Churchill's biggest, best resource is healthy polar bears," he said, objecting to the idea his vehicle allocations had to be cancelled to ensure the health of the bears. "That's a discussion for Churchill and our tourism industry to have, not to arbitrarily pull permits away. Just my permits, by the way. Nobody else's." Daudrich said he and his family, which also own the hotel Lazy Bear Lodge, spent decades building up their business to earn the right to receive vehicle allocations in 2020. "We actually did tours prior to that for years as well, but we needed the permits that we have now from a marketing perspective and to make sure that our clients, of course get the best tour," he said. Daudrich said thousands of people have booked tours with Lazy Bear for this fall and in 2026. He said he stands to lose tens of millions of dollars due to cancellations. He accused the NDP government of playing a role in rescinding his vehicle allocations. "I believe the bureaucracy is being weaponized by Wab Kinew against me," said Daudrich, claiming he is ahead of Fort Whyte MLA Obby Khan in the PC leadership race. Voting has yet to begin in that contest, which concludes on April 26. "I think they see me as an unknown entity," Daudrich said of the NDP government. "They want to throw me off balance. But I'm in this game, I'm here to stay." Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie dismissed Daudrich's allegation about political interference. "Unlike the PCs, we are taking the politics out of this. This is the department doing their due diligence," Bushie said in a statement, referring to Daudrich's longstanding membership in the PC party before he received vehicle allocations of his own. A CBC News request for an interview with the Natural Resources department was declined. In a statement that was not attributed to any official, the province said said it conducted "extensive engagement" about polar bear vehicle allocations during the fall of 2024 and "determined that polar bear viewing tourism is saturated." On Tuesday, John Gunter at Frontiers North and Kyle Walkoski at Great White Bear declined to comment on the cancellation of Lazy Bear's vehicle allocations. In 2020, Frontiers North objected to the provincial decision to grant Lazy Bear two vehicle allocations, claiming the province did not consult the other ecotourism companies. Great White Bear, meanwhile, took the province to court in 2020 in an effort to get Lazy Bear's vehicle allocations revoked on the basis they were issued in "discriminatory, biased and unfair manner." Arlt suggested in her letter the 2020 decision to grant those allocations to Lazy Bear was unfair.
