This Is India’s Version of a San Francisco-Themed Restaurant

Whatever we may think about our own Bay Area restaurant scene, it’s always fun to see someone else’s perspective on what comprises a “San Francisco” restaurant. A recent story in Indian Retailer details a new San Francisco-themed restaurant that recently opened at the Eldeco Centre in New Delhi, India. Dubbed the Mission Bay, the restaurant invites diners to “taste the spirit of San Francisco.” The venture is owned by Puja Sahu, a restaurateur in New Delhi who founded the Potbelly Bihari Kitchen, and was inspired by his trips through San Francisco, Napa, Sonoma, and Healdsburg. Sahu recruited some Bay Area locals to pull together the menu, including chef Adam Timney of Starbelly and sous chef Dustin Vorkoeper, with West Bev consulting on cocktails.

The menus comprise dishes and drinks that would certainly be at home in the Bay Area, although it borrows from a range of influences, including Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, Japanese, and Korean cuisines, as the Retailer points out. Fried chicken karaage pairs with gochujang aioli and lemon; there’s also hamachi crudo with leche de tigre, avocado, chile, and puffed quinoa; Baja-style shrimp tacos; lavender-brined pork chop with roasted butternut squash puree and miso-glazed carrots and roasted mushrooms; and grilled lamb burger. Meanwhile, West Bev pays homage to Bay Area restaurants with drinks named after Rich Table, Buena Vista, Zam Zam, Burritt Room, El Techo, Cyrus, and more. The restaurant interior also would look at home in the Bay Area, filled with plush blue booths, terrazzo tables, and plenty of plants.

It’s a big weekend for food festivals

Two notable food festivals are taking place in the Bay Area this weekend. First up, on Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1, Sazon Latin Food Festival is bringing a smorgasbord of Peruvian alfajores and ceviche, churros and quesabirria, Haitian-style oxtail, Venezuelan empanadas, and more to San Jose. More than a dozen food vendors will be open from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. each day. Over in Berkeley, the Bizerkely Food Festival is bringing together a whopping 100 vendors on September 1, promising live music, games, giveaways, and a broad array of vegan food and beverages. Keep an eye out for vendors like All Pau Berkeley serving savory and sweet pan-Asian fare with Hawaiian influences, and Mad Vegan Co. dishing up vegan s’mores and more, among others.

Down by the bay where the glizzies grow

What to say about this Sundance-worthy pop-up promo video from Camellia Coffee Roasters? Exquisite; 10/10 execution on all fronts. If you’ve ever wanted a behind-the-scenes look at the work of Napa Valley’s skilled hot dog vintners, who harvest “vine-ripened” glizzies from verdant fields and transform them into culinary masterpieces, it’s worth a watch. All of this is to say that Camellia is hosting guest chefs Matt Masera and Matt Forester Brown for a “patio dinner” hot dog pop-up on Monday, September 9 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $15, which buys you two dogs, chips, and a drink.