Has it been two years already?  Because it seems like just yesterday that the Hillside Supper Club crew was wandering around the Mission District in pop-up mode, dreaming of one day opening up a restaurant of their very own in Bernal Heights.

They did it, of course — inside the former sad Italian restaurant (and former rowdy hippy biker bar) on the southwest corner of Precita Park.

So on Monday, January 19, Hillside Supper Club is celebrating its second anniversary, and Chef Tony Ferrari writes to say he hopes you’ll drop by after 9:30 to celebrate:

Want to shoot over some details about our second anniversary dinner/party. We’re having a special reservation-only dinner earlier in the evening — but its already sold out.

After dinner is over (I’m guessing around 9-930ish) we will open up to the public and welcome everyone to celebrate the rest of the night with complementary sparking wine, five dollar draft beers, and seven dollar glasses of wine.

We again want to thank all of our friends, family, neighbors, guests, bernal heights, and industry folk for supporting us and allowing us to do what we love most: feeding people. We have come a long way and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. We are honored and grateful to be apart of it all.

We look forward to celebrating with everyone!

PS: Our limited poster was screen printed by hand with Jon Fischer, and we will be giving them out during the night.

Separately (though not surprisingly) none other than The Michael Bauer, eminent food critic for the SF Chronicle, recently revealed that Hillside Supper Club makes some of his favorite pot pies in town.

Your Bernalwood editor is no The Michael Bauer, but I did dine at Hillside Supper Club on Friday night, and I did order the very same venison pot pie described below. So I can indeed confirm: It is extremely delicious:

This Sunday, December 21, local chef Risa Lichtman is reprising her tasty pop-up brunch extravaganza inside the PizzaHacker on Mission Street. Chef Risa says:

I’m excited to bring Cry Baby’s Brunch Pop-Up back to Bernal! Our first installment was a great success, with delicious food, lovely people, and a packed house in our host shop, the PizzaHacker. Come join us again for another seasonal brunch featuring local produce & breads. Bring your friends & family, or come on your own..you won’t regret it either way!

Some favorite menu items include:

Lonely Mountain Egg Sandwich (add crispy prosciutto) – with a fried farm egg, arugula, fresh chevre, calabrian chili aioli, Arizmendi english muffin. side of greens.

Polenta Breakfast Bowl – with a poached farm egg, cheesy polenta, varietal winter squash, dino kale, and salsa verde.

The Cure – a pizza braid filled with fluffy farm eggs, pecorino, prosciutto, sweet ‘n sour chili sauce and a side of greens.

Cry Baby’s Brunch Pop-Up
Sunday, December 21, 2014 from 10:30am – 2pm
at PizzaHacker, 3299 Mission St (at 29th Street)
*Cash only!

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Cry Baby’s Brunch Pop-Up

The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time for seasonal holiday foods, like gingerbread, and fruitcake, and (for our Jewish friends) kugel.

What’s kugel? The Wikipedia sayeth:

Kugel (קוגל kugl, pronounced IPA: [ˈkʊɡl̩]) is a baked pudding or casserole, similar to a pie, most commonly made from egg noodles (Lokshen kugel) or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish.

Kugel is basically a sweet noodle dish, but what the Wikipedia fails to mention is that many contemporary Jews don’t really like kugel all that much… because it’s a sweet noodle dish.

Enter Bernal neighbor Julia Weber from Joy Street. Neighbor Julia is on a mission to redeem kugel for the 21st century. Neighbor Julia’s kugel with apricot nectar (recipe right here) — which comes from a recipe created by Rachel Breuer in the Excelsior — was recently discovered by the foodie scouts from The Food Network magazine, which also gave her contributions to the kugel arts a special shout out in the December 2014 issue:

Kugel seems to be the underdog of Hanukkah staples: Everyone talks about latkes and jelly doughnuts this time of year, but few people seem to give the traditional noodle casserole a second thought, until the Kugel Nosh Down came along. Friends Rebecca Weiner and Julia Weber dreamed up the cook-off two years ago, and they have launched a full-on kugel craze in San Francisco.

Want a taste? Neighbor Julia invites you to the 2014 Kugel Nosh Down this weekend to benefit the religious school at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav. Get your tickets here:

2nd Annual Kugel Nosh Down – Sunday, December 14, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m

Join us for an afternoon of kugel sampling and fun! Competitors will show off their skills with savory and sweet kugel samples. Prizes will be awarded! Help us choose the most delicious kugel and join family and friends while raising money for Beit Sefer Phyllis Mintzer, our fabulous Shabbat and Hebrew school for kids K-8!

Here’s the plan for the afternoon

3:00 p.m. Tasting begins with kugel, drinks, additional fabulous snacks, and more (entertaining surprises await!)
4:15 p.m. Voting concludes
4:45 p.m. Prizes awarded
5:00 p.m. More kugel tasting and event wrap up

Want to enter your delicioius kugel? Questions?Contact us at kugelnoshdown@gmail.com

Adults: $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Kids under 12, $5.00
Please note: $12.50 of each adult ticket may be tax-deductible.

Location:
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav
290 Dolores (at 16th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103

PHOTO: Neighbor Julia’s Kugel with Apricot Nectar via The Food Network

Neighbor Stacie from Little Bee Baking on Cortland tells us she has just a few spaces remaining in her new baking class that gets underway this Sunday, November 9. This is your big chance to learn the ancient secrets of pie dough:

I’ll be starting to teach baking classes at Little Bee in November.

This has been an idea I’ve had since starting the shop – I love teaching and creating a fun and relaxed environment where people aren’t afraid to try baking.

My first class will be about making traditional pie dough and I hope to teach a new class each month or so. I encourage people of all levels to join in. All ingredients and equipment are included. Students will get to take home their doughs at the end of class, and we will enjoy fresh baked pie with coffee or tea at the end over a relaxed Q & A session.

Look for details on cost, timing, and sign-up logistics in the poster below.

In a follow up email earlier today, Stacie said:

I have a four spots left for the first class this Sunday. If there’s a lot of interest, I am able to add a second class if necessary the following Sunday, 11/16 from 6-9. I’m also planning a class for December as well on 12/14.

PHOTO: Top, Stacie Pierce from Little Bee Baking, by Telstar Logistics