Latest news with #MexicoCity-style
San Francisco Chronicle
06-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
A Bay Area sushi institution is reborn
April was a busy month for the Peninsula and South Bay dining scene. New spots dedicated to flaky Turkish pastries, Mexico City-style street tacos and fresh noodles arrived. Plus, a longtime, beloved sushi restaurant was resurrected. Sushi institution lives on The Bay Area lost one of its most cherished sushi restaurants last year, but Sushi Sam's Edomata has now been reborn as Sushi Edomata. After the retirement of namesake-chef Sam Sugiyama, who opened the San Mateo standby in 1988, it reopened in a new space nearby, under new ownership. The menu remains the same, with an array of classic but high-quality sushi, including sashimi, nigiri and rolls. Mexico City-style taqueria arrives A popular Bay Area hospitality group just added a Mexico City-style taqueria to its fleet of restaurants. Taqueria Parranga, from Buen Rallo Group (which operates Zazil at Santana Row and Il Parco and Colibri in San Francisco, among other food businesses), arrived at Santana Row in San Jose in April. Expect street tacos on handmade tortillas, from al pastor to barbacoa, plus breakfast tacos and burritos. It's the latest restaurant opening at the upscale South Bay mall, joining swanky newcomer Augustine. A Levantine bakery brings flaky pastries The owners of Redwood City's popular Mazra have gotten into the pastry game. They're behind Zorek, a new Levantine bakery and coffee shop in San Bruno that specializes in borek. The Turkish pastry is stuffed with fillings like spinach and feta, beef and herb or za'atar and cheese. Here, borek is also turned into sandwiches, from a beef-egg-cheese creation to a sweet combination of clotted cream and honey. To drink, Zorek pours espresso and specialty drinks, including a pistachio matcha. Fresh seafood stars at new Peninsula restaurant Clark's Oyster Bar, a popular Texas-born seafood restaurant, made its Northern California debut last month. Clark's newest outpost is now serving seafood classics in downtown Menlo Park, from an extensive raw bar to dishes inspired by Bay Area food institutions. Clark's has transformed the longtime home of diner Ann's Coffee Shop into a clean, warm space with a large bar, aquarium and outdoor patio. 780 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park. Crepe cake specialist grows Anton SV Pâtisserie, known for its delicate, 20-layer crepe cakes, opened a pastel-colored new bakery at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. The cakes come in flavors like black sesame, tiramisu, pistachio and Hokkaido milk. The mall location is small with no seating; it also serves coffee and pastries. Owner Anthony Tam started the business by selling cakes for pickup or delivery and at local cafes, before opening his first storefront in San Mateo last fall. Peninsula gets a new Filipino spot Pamilya is now open in Redwood City, serving fast-casual Filipino food. The menu ranges from lumpia and grilled pork on skewers to beef tagalog and halo halo for dessert. On the weekends, look for lechon, crispy-skinned roasted pork belly. 756 Woodside Road, Redwood City. Udon chain expands Popular Japanese noodle chain Marugame Udon just added a new outpost in downtown Palo Alto. It serves the same menu of fresh udon noodles, available with broth or sauces and customizable toppings. This marks Marugame Udon's seventh Bay Area location, following others in the South Bay, East Bay and San Francisco. 383 University Ave., Palo Alto. More udon on the Peninsula A local udon chain is also on the move: Udon Mugizo has expanded to downtown San Mateo. The udon specialist, which is run by the owners of the popular Marufuku Ramen, is known for thick, chewy noodles served both hot and cold. Customers can watch employees make the fresh noodles in a glass room in the back of the restaurant. Udon Mugizo now has four locations, including in San Francisco, Mountain View and San Jose. Mall lands Canadian chain Buzzy Westfield Valley Fair's latest splashy restaurant opening is Joey, a chain based in Canada. The company's first Northern California location is a chic, two-story restaurant with dishes like truffle udon carbonara, katsu chicken salad and sirloin steak. Joey operates locations throughout Canada, California, Texas and Florida.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
San Francisco food truck opening pop-up shop thanks to downtown revitalization
The Brief A program that seeks to revitalize downtown San Francisco by activating vacant spaces is expanding this summer. One of the recipients is a popular taco truck that will get a pop-up in the Union Square area. Al Pastor Papi was once received honors for 'Top Bay Area Burrito'. They offer Mexico City-style tacos and flavor. SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Vacant to Vibrant program is expanding once more with plans for a Union Square restaurant and other businesses that will fill once-vacant properties in the city's downtown. One of the recipients is bringing their authentic tacos to the area in their first brick and mortar. The revitalization effort, which is a partnership between the nonprofit SF New Deal that supports small businesses and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, seeks to transform downtown and boost the economy. Vacant to Vibrant started in 2023. This week, officials behind this partnership said this summer's openings will mark a significant milestone for the program. They've seen their 21st storefront opening since the program's launch and another 25 businesses are slated to open over the next year, they said. Miguel Escobedo, founder and chef of Al Pastor Papi, is one of the recipients of the program. He's no stranger to the Bay Area's culinary scene. In 1999, he and his brother founded Papalote. That endeavor put him on the map and got him exposure on the Food Network. "I left that in 2017," he said. His brother still runs Papalote, but Escobedo went on to run Al Pastor Papi, founding the food truck in 2018. "I was a food truck for six years," said Escobedo. He went on to get recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "Top Bay Area Burrito." KTVU caught up with Escobedo back in 2022 where he demonstrated what it takes to make his burrito. At the time, he told us he went to a culinary institute in Mexico City to learn the art of al pastor. He was born in Mexico City. He said Mexico City-style tacos got a little lost in the whole birria craze (those are the cheesy, juicy tacos you dip in a consome.) He reminds us of this very important detail: "The original Mexico City-style taco is a corn tortilla, protein, onion, cilantro and salsa." He says 'El Trompo', the vertical spit roast, makes all the difference to his al pastor, the spit-roasted pork used in his dishes. The turnaround in getting this brick and mortar opportunity is pretty fast. Escobedo said Vacant to Vibrant reached out to him in early March. The space for his pop-up is reportedly in a former Chipotle franchise. "We're truly a block from Union Square. That was the beauty of the project," said Escobedo. "This is a unique experience for both of us. They were looking for an established brand in San Francisco." He said he's seeing tremendous support from SF New Deal. "Vacant to Vibrant is a movement that proves small businesses are the heartbeat of a thriving city," said Simon Bertrang, executive director of SF New Deal, the nonprofit that runs Vacant to Vibrant. He said they are working hand in hand with local small businesses, property owners and key partners like JPMorganChase on building a downtown that reflects the diverse spirit of San Francisco. "These long-term leases downtown and new pop-ups in Union Square signal real momentum, showing that when we invest in small businesses, we invest in the future of our city," Bertrang said. Escobedo said it's an honor to bring his authentic flavor to what he undeniably considers an "iconic neighborhood." He was enthused to be just two blocks from the Powell Street Cable Car Turnaround. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said the Vacant to Vibrant program is reinvigorating downtown. "Every time a new business takes over a vacant space, it breathes new life into our commercial corridors," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. "By breaking down barriers for small business owners, Vacant to Vibrant is fueling San Francisco's comeback. Lurie thanked JPMorganChase for their support of the public-private partnership. The firm is furthering its commitment to the program with an additional $500,000 in funding. One of their representatives said they believe small and mid-sized businesses are the backbone of the economy. What's next You can expect Al Pastor Papi to make its debut at 232 O'Farrell Street near Union Square this summer. Other downtown pop-ups included in this summer's Vacant to Vibrant expansion include: Nooworks, a Mission-based apparel brand, at 236 Powell Street in the Union Square area. Craftivity, a hands-on arts and crafts studio that specializes in team-building experiences and creative group events, will pop-up at 215 Fremont Suite 1. In addition to new pop-ups, four businesses that opened last summer through the program will get long-term leases. Businesses that have now signed multi-year lease agreements include: Hungry Crumbs at 215 Fremont Street, 5B, Koolfi Creamery at 50 Fremont Street, Paper Son Cafe at 303 2nd Street, N102, and Studio Aurora at 302 Valencia Street. These businesses join seven others that were previous recipients of the Vacant to Vibrant program in securing long-term leases. Andre Torrez is a digital content producer for KTVU. Email Andre at or call him at 510-874-0579.
