Aziza Chef Mourad Lahlou at the ceremony in Washington D.C. last week. Courtesy of InsideScoop SF

Grub Street SF brings news that the owner and head chef of Aziza (5800 Geary), Mourad Lahou, was named a “State Chef” by the State Department in a ceremony hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The idea, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained at the ceremony, is to get together a small army of respected American chefs to serve as “culinary diplomats,” cooking at state dinners and traveling to other countries to share America’s cuisine during diplomatic events. “Factoring in others’ tastes, ceremonies, and values is an overlooked and powerful part of diplomacy,” Clinton said.

That makes Lahlou a voluntary member of the new “American Chef Corps”, whose members will travel abroad to use food as a diplomatic tool and showcase America’s finest wares at international events,” according to Grubstreet.

Lahlou and other chefs in the Corps “will be called on for various dinners and may travel, most likely on their own dime, to other countries,” wrote food critic Michael Bauer about the program.

With every title comes some nifty swag, and for this honor it’s a special navy chef’s coat complete with the American flag, the seal of the State Department, and Lahlou’s name embroidered in gold on the breast.

This is not Lahlou’s first rodeo with politico. Back in July food critic Michael Bauer enjoyed his birthday dinner at Aziza with none other than Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (who apparently has a thing for dark chocolate).

Congratulations to Chef Lahlou!

Sarah B.

Photo by RCinSF

Here are some local links – some of them quite tasty – to get you over the Wednesday hump:

• Pretty Please Bakeshop is now open on 3rd Avenue just off Clement. Daily Candy tells us that owner/chef Alison Okabayashi serves up “versions of American snack classics like Oreos, Twinkies, and Ding Dongs with all the flavor but none of the preservatives.” We better get there – STAT!
• There’s some buzz about the new Bread of Life Bakery at 542 Clement near 7th Avenue. They serve up “one-of-a-kind Asian-Californian fusion baked bread filled with vegetables & your choice of pork, chicken, or beef”. It’s proceeds benefit programs targeted at new Chinese immigrants (more on their website).
• Cars? Who needs ‘em? The Bay Citizen profiled families who are using their bikes as their family vehicle in the city, including the Crehan family in the Richmond District. “Mike Crehan uses a cargo bike that has what looks like a wooden wheelbarrow on the front to hold his 3-year-old daughter, Maggie. Attached to the back of the bicycle like a caboose is another bike that 5-year-old Catie rides.”
• ScoutMob has been good to the ‘hood this week, serving up discounts on Zaab Thai Cuisine on Clement, and the satellite sandwich shop for Chomp N’ Swig at downtown’s Harrington’s Harry Pub.
• Wired Magazine has a nice piece on the Internet Archive, whose home is in the former church on the corner of Funston and Clement. It highlights founder Brewster Kahle whose mission is to build the biggest (digital) library on earth.
• Neighborhood scam artist Keith Wilson received the expected 5 year sentence in state prison last week after bilking $347,000 out of unsuspecting friends and neighbors. Read about it at SFWeekly, SFGate, SFAppeal, or the SF Examiner.

A 1938 photo colorized by Christopher Dydyk

Here are some local links to kick off your week!

• The above photo was colorized by Christopher Dydyk, a fine art photographer here in SF. The original black and white photo was featured in an older article here on the blog. It’s a photo from 1938 of the MUNI streetcar passing in front of the Safeway at 2900 Fulton at 5th Avenue.
• The Academy of Sciences is holding their Penguins + Pajamas Sleepover for Grownups event on September 21. Enjoy an evening of activities with other 21+ at the Academy, then bunk down for the night next to the penguins, Claude the albino alligator, or the giant California Coast tank. $99 per person for non-members, $79 for members.
• Olympic fever has hit the Legion of Honor. Their new exhibit “Gifts from the Gods: Art and the Olympic Ideal” features ancient Greek and Roman coinage, contemporary work from artists including Robert Mapplethorpe, Diane Arbus and Alex Katz, advertising labels, and a variety of sculptures, works on paper, antiquities, and textiles – all celebrating the Olympic ideal. So if you can get up off the couch, head out there to soak in some artistic Olympic homage.
• Lover of chai tea? Then don’t miss “The Art of Chai with Pawaan Kothari” program at the Conservatory of Flowers on Thursday, August 9. Kothari runs the well-known Chai Cart in San Francisco. “This class provides a deeper understanding of chai – its history and cultural roots, methods of preparation, and how to choose its main components: tea, spices, milk. You will also learn more about what constitutes chatt, Indian street food, as you enjoy a sampling of Kothari’s signature Masala Chai, Rose Chai and a variety of street snacks.” You’ll go home with some ingredients so you can blend at home too. $35 per person; info and registration here
• In food news last week, Men Oh Tokushima Ramen opened at 5120 Geary and Camp BBQ opened at 4014 Geary, offering diners a chance to grill up their selections. “The idea here is to order small plates of veggies (Asian greens, buttered corn), meat (Kalbi shortrib, ox tongue), chicken, or seafood (scallop, shrimp) ($4-13) to cook in the center of your table.” Oh and s’mores for dessert. EaterSF also reports that Pretty Please Bakeshop will be opening in a former boutique space at 291 3rd Avenue.
• The 9 hole, par-3 Golden Gate Park golf course may be taken over by new management, if Rec & Park can get the Board of Supervisors to approve a new vendor this fall. But The Examiner reports that long-timers there aren’t thrilled with the potential change. “But the entire situation has its skeptics. Many golfers worry the course will be overrun by beginners, maintenance will suffer and regulars will be pushed out.”

Cassava Bakery at 3519 Balboa. Inset: Owners Kristoffer Toliao and Yuka Ioroi

After several recommendations from readers and friends, we finally stopped by Cassava Bakery (3519 Balboa) for lunch a few weeks ago. They opened in early March.

Cassava is open for breakfast and lunch, offering a menu that appeals to a variety of palettes. Breakfast items include pastries, a croissant sandwich ($7), quiche ($5) and a scramble with toast ($7). The cafe also serves up Ritual Roasters coffee drinks.

The lunch menu is more robust offering a soup of the day ($5), quinoa salad ($7), hot sandwiches, shrimp and avocado sliders ($10 with side salad), and even a meatballs in curry dish ($10). During our visit, we tried the herb turkey grilled cheese, quinoa salad, and a brownie for dessert.

It was all delicious, and the atmosphere in the tiny cafe is warm, inviting and relaxed, due in large part to the friendly service and cheery, baby blue decor.

Cassava was started by newlyweds Chef Kristoffer Toliao, and Yuka Ioroi, who is the managing partner. Both work on site at the cafe, greeting customers, taking orders and preparing the tasty menu. Kris is a 2003 graduate of Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, and before opening Cassava, was working at Luce at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown San Francisco.

In addition to the usual daily offerings, the couple also hold “pop-up” dinners on Friday nights, offering special tasting menus where Kris can spread his culinary wings a little bit. In June their “Good Bye Foie Gras Supper” menu featured Foie Gras Mousse, a Mosaic of Beets salad, and Cornish Game Hen.

Space is available for the next round of dinners in August (8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/31). To make a reservation give them a call at 640-8990, or email them at info@cassavasf.com. The cost is $45 per person.

Kris and Yuki are eager to meet more neighbors, and have provided us with a two $25 gift certificates to give away to readers. For a chance to win, fill out this form. We’ll select a winner at random. Entries are due by 5pm on Friday, July 27.

The cafe is also running a promotion with nearby Balboa Theater. Eat lunch at Cassava and then use your receipt to see an evening show at the Balboa for a matinee price ($2.50 per ticket discount). The promotion begins August 1.

Cassava Bakery is open Mondays from 7am until 3pm, Wednesday through Friday from 7am until 5pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 8am until 5pm. They are closed on Tuesdays.

Sarah B.

A menagerie at 10th & Anza. Photo by sftrajan

Happy Monday to all! Here are some local links to kick off your week…

• Looks like the new Shabuway restaurant will be opening soon at 5120 Geary. I drove by this weekend and the exterior looked finished, the door was open but a “Closed” sign was still in the window. Last Friday they facebooked a nice shot of the restaurant’s remodeled interior. It will be the fourth opening for the Shabuway chain.
  

• Congrats to Kisha Studio (210 Clement) on 4 years in business! They’ll celebrate this Saturday with a DJ, food, drinks, and raffle prizes. Stop by between 10am and 7pm to party with them.
• After causing all kinds of ruckus this year for the neighborhood which resulted in a temporary closure, the Rockit Room bar and club on Clement appears to be turning things around. The Examiner reports that police “incidents and calls for service are virtually down to zero” and “there are no complaints from neighbors and no major incidents.” This has a lot to do with the club eliminating its reggae nights, which garnered good revenue, but also led to issues with police and neighbors. The club may be re-branding itself and launching anew in the coming months.
• The Cliff House has some history walks coming up. Start with a continental breakfast at the Cliff House, followed by 1.5 hour walking tour of Sutro Baths and Lands End, led by John A. Martini, author, historian and retired National Park Service Ranger. August 11, September 8, October 13. $40 per person. Call 666-4006 to reserve.
• SFWeekly reviewed new Hawaiian-themed restaurant Ono Grindz on Clement. “Ono’s focus is squarely on breakfast and lunch with a menu that mixes typical Hawaiian favorites with some mainland-influenced remixes… One word of caution: Make sure you don’t need to do anything productive after this meal.”
• The former Y&Y Vietnamese deli team are back with “Y&Y Vietnamese Restaurant” at 914 Clement. EaterSF says there is a menu section for their “beloved banh mi”, but “now there are other options like deep fried chicken wings, spring rolls, and beer.”
• Dim sum spot Old Shanghai (5145 Geary) closed this month. “It was the kind of place where no one spoke any English but they made a mean xiao long boa,” wrote Grubstreet.
• Aziza (5800 Geary) hosted some VIPs last week when Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer dined with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Bauer details his 3 hour meal, mentioning her penchant for dark chocolate (“Her freezer is always stocked with chocolate ice cream, which she claims she can eat morning, noon and night.”) and her refusal of the wine pairings (“explaining that after a couple of sips she would be snoozing on the banquettes”). Get all the food porn pics and evening highlights at the Chron
• Supervisor Mar has been busy proposing new legislation to his fellow Supes in the Board Room. Recently, he introduced legislation to ban cigarette smoking at all outdoor events in San Francisco (it’s already banned in public parks). However, smoking medicinal marijuana at these kinds of events is still ok per the proposed bill. Mar also proposed a bill that would exempt the local middle schools from paying taxes on their parking lot fundraisers that they hold in the summer months for large GGP festivals like Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
• It’s all gunked up… The Lily Pond in Golden Gate Park, located near the Conservatory of Flowers, has been overrun by vegetation and needs a proper cleanout. According to the Chronicle, the pond has a musty stench and the hardy species of African clawed frogs is thriving under the murky surface; one little boy called it “Jurassic Park”. The cost to clean it is estimated at $100,000, but they’re waiting on the state Department of Fish and Game to free it of frogs first.
• Speaking of aquatic cleanouts… Mountain Lake will be undergoing remediation in the next year, beginning with dredging in August. CurbedSF reports that the Presidio Trust will be evacuating its current residents to the Sonoma County Reptile Rescue, who will “relocate them to vineyard ponds and private lakes.” The population includes sport fish, turtles, crayfish and former goldfish – koi that have grown to nearly 3 feet long. Well at least they’re moving to swankier digs up north.

Sarah B.

Photo by RCinSF

We were on vacation for about a week, so here are some lingering links that we overlooked to fill up your Tuesday:

• This Thursday’s NightLife at the Academy of Sciences is rainbow colored in honor of Pride Week here in SF. Check out a drag performance and “tranimal” costume contest with Heklina of Trannyshack, “Stargayzing” in the planetarium, hear tales of sex-changing fish, plus all the usual fun of Nightlife like DJs and bars. See the full schedule of events
• B Star (127 Clement) and Velo Rouge (798 Arguello) were mentioned as good under-the-radar brunch spots by 7×7. “B-Star’s Asian-inspired brunch is what really makes her twinkle”. At Velo Rouge, “come for the breakfast burrito with black beans, bacon, and avocado, and stay for the Blue Bottle.”
• The modern looking Oozora restaurant couldn’t hack it at 5120 Geary and now it looks like a Japanese ramen chain, Men Oh Tokushima Ramen (A Ramen Revolution!) will take a swing at making it work. Eater SF reports there’s “major demo” going on at the space and their website says they’re opening in June.
• Blog reader Jon tells us that the former Angelo’s Cafe space at 2314 Clement near 24th is showing some life after it closed in April. He saw some people inside “sprucing the place up with a new paint job and possibly a bit of renovation.” If you know more, let us know!
• Sick of the Beach Chalet soccer fields debate? Expect it to drag on longer as opponents of the turf field plan will appeal to the SF Board of Supervisors. The Recreation and Park Commission and the Planning Commission approved the project on May 24 after a lengthy EIR period. But there’s more debate to come…
• The Cliff House gift shop may soon be self-sufficient with its energy needs, thanks to a wind turbine that the National Park Service wants to install on the building. Ocean Beach Bulletin reports that testing could begin as early as July 1. Comments are due in to the Park Service by June 25. More from SF Examiner View the fact sheet
• Scoutmob captured a nice collection of San Francisco-themed tattoos that they found around town. The Golden Gate Bridge is definitely the star but there are some clever ones depicting other notable icons.

Sarah B.

In late April we got word that the former Yet Wah restaurant space at Clement and 23rd Avenue may be finding a new tenant.

Today, Quan Ju Fu restaurant is opening its doors, offering “family-style dining and lots of different options for individuals with different tastes.”

Gone is the purple facade of Yet Wah, replaced with a traditional Chinese red paint job, new doors and signage.

Quan Ju Fu, which loosely translates to English as “enjoying things together”, is the second location for Chinatown Restaurant, a well-known tourist stop at Washington and Grant in Chinatown that has been in business since 1919.

Spokesperson Daisy Quan says that they wanted to open a second location in the Richmond District to cater to locals rather than tourists.

“We felt that we were very out of touch with the local population here in San Francisco. We believe in our food and that it will appeal to locals as well,” Quan said.

Quan Ju Fu offers traditional Chinese dishes, as well as Shabu Shabu. Dim sum is offered all day, and Quan says their Combination Dim Sum Special, which includes an assortment of staple dim sum choices, is “especially good for people new to dim sum”.

Other Quan Ju Fu specialties include Peking Duck with pancake wrappers, scallions, and duck sauce, and Szechuan Spicy Whole Crab.

The restaurant is also available for large groups or special events, accommodating as many as 200 people on its second floor, which includes a dance floor and karaoke machines.

Quan Yu Fu (2140 Clement at 23rd Avenue, 221-8018) is open daily from 10am until 10pm, and also offers takeout and delivery ($50 minimum required). The restaurant has a convenient white zone spot next to it, making it ideal for calling in an order and picking it up on your way home.

The restaurant’s website is still under construction, but you can view the menu here. If you get a chance to stop in and try the restaurant, leave a comment to let us know about your experience!

Sarah B.

Fear the giant feline! Photo by Dreams in 8 Bit

Some local links to see you through your Thursday:

• George Peabody Elementary School (251 6th Avenue) was honored by SF Environment with an Environmental Excellence Award. “George Peabody Elementary eagerly began composting in 2007, when many other schools in the district were not yet doing so. Thanks to their administration’s dedication and students’ efforts, Peabody’s composting program has been consistently successful, year after year.” Way to go kids!
• Today’s local deal: Get up to 52% off at Shabu Sushi (3809 Geary), describing themselves as “Fresh sushi & all-you-can-eat Japanese hot-pot meals made with fresh, flavorful meats.” Offer options are $29 for $60 worth of sushi or other Japanese fare for lunch or dinner, or $10 for $20 worth.
• The SF Bike Coalition is offering free urban biking courses here in the neighborhood. On June 7, there is an Intro course at the Richmond Recreation Center and on July 14, “Bicycling for Seniors” at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center. Plus more dates and locations around the city. Register on the SFBC website
• A new Farmer’s Market is running at the VA Hospital (4150 Clement) on Wednesdays between 10am and 2pm. We haven’t been able to get details on how many vendors etc. To check it out, go in via 42nd Avenue entrance. The market runs every Wednesday until November 15th.
• A new “Natural” corner store has opened on the corner of 25th Avenue and Balboa in that new (somewhat unsightly) white building. We’ve only glanced it driving by, but looks like they’re focusing on a healthier selection of corner store fare (e.g. Pop Chips).
• Chron food critic Michael Bauer took another look at Sutro’s out at the Cliff House. “While Kevin Weber remains the executive chef, David Seawell is in charge of the restaurant and is trying intently to draw diners’ attention away from the view. He doesn’t always succeed, but some preparations truly compete.” Bauer calls attention to the ravioli main course and duck breast, but says that the desserts “unfortunately, fell into the stereotype of what some expect from a view restaurant.”
• RichmondSFBlog reader Ben tells us that Purple Kow has opened up at 3620 Balboa, taking over half the space that used to be Kam’s Chinese. Purple Kow offers up as assortment of drinks (milk tea, fruit blend flavored teas, tea creme, fruit slush, coffee), plus some snack and desserts like sweet potato fries, chicken wings, potstickers and chocolate fondant. Open Sunday – Thursday 11am – 10pm and Friday – Saturaday 11am – 12midnight.