Food and Drink

Bernal Chefs Organizing Tasty Taco Pop-Up

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Neighbor Jasper is organizing a pop-up evening of tasty taco madness. The event happens on Friday, August 22, but reservations are being accepted now (and are expected to sell out). Neighbor Jasper tells Bernalwood:

I will be hosting the second incarnation of a pop-up dinner in Bernal Heights on Friday, August 22nd.  I am a Bernal resident – currently living just off of Cortland – and I would love for community members to join for the evening.

The first event was a few months ago in lower Pac Heights, and this time around we have secured a space in Bernal for our dinner. It’s a single seating of 40 guests for a multi-course meal at $65.

Here’s some additional detail, from the Tacos Gringas website:

All tacos are good tacos. The worst you’ve ever had was still pretty good. As the great peasant foods from around the world make their way into and out of the spotlight, tacos – and more generally, antojitos – remain an unmovable staple. Simplicity collides with incredible flavors. Modest cuts braised until they become treasures pair with bright herbs and cutting salsas inside humble corn tortillas.

Tacos Gringas pays homage to the drunken nights when greasy mystery meats satisfied a primal craving, and every leaf of cilantro and piece of onion made perfect sense even to the most intoxicated. Ironically, real tacos gringas don’t make sense at all. A flour tortilla stuffed with al pastor and slathered in melted cheese is the bastardized, yet delicious version of the trompo classic slung on the streets of Mexico City.

Tacos Gringas is just that. A delicious re-imagination of traditional flavors. Nothing fancy. Just good ingredients, thoughtfully combined, and expertly cooked.

Reservations are required; make your reservation right here.

PHOTO: Tacos Gringas

This Kid Sold Us Some Fabulous Homemade Jam in Precita Park

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jamvendor

Your Bernalwood editor was raised in a small town surrounded by cornfields, vegetable farms, and locavore M&Ms, so trust me what I say… small town life in the Big City doesn’t get much more tasty than this.

Last Sunday, Bernalwood’s Cub Reporter and I encountered this junior entrepreneur selling homemade jam for $5 a jar from a table in Precita Park. The jam was a plum-cherry blend, and he said it was made right here in Bernal using plums gathered from neighbors’ trees.

Of course we bought some. Because locavore. Plus, junior entrepreneur.

For breakfast on Monday morning, we took the jam for a test drive. I had mine on a slice of toasted Sour Flour bread, and it was… exceptionally delicious! Nice work, kid. Great product. See for yourself:

testtoast

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Coffee Shop Named Best Coffee Shop in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 19 Comments

coffeeshopbernal

No, that headline isn’t a typo. Coffee Shop, a low-key place at 3139 Mission with an eponymous name and no sign out front, remains something of a Precitaville/La Lengua secret. Yet the secret is starting to spread, because Thrillist just proclaimed Coffee Shop to be the best coffee shop in Bernal Heights:

The name’s deceptively simple, but the coffee brewed up at CoffeeShop is anything but, thanks to a daily offering of Ubuntu and iced coffee that’s cold-brewed for THIRTY SIX HOURS, and features signature coffee ice cubes. And yeah, that’s co-owner Wilson Jones slinging espresso shots behind the bar, like a boss.

PS: For those curious about the opening date for the long-awaited Pinhole Coffee in western Cortlandia, this article says it may happen in August. “Hopefully.”

PHOTO: Coffee Shop, by Thrillist

Vega Freeman-Brady Explains the Inspiration for Bernal Star

/ Todd_Lappin / 17 Comments

bernalstar

The transformation and rebranding of the venerable Liberty Cafe has generated lots of buzz in Greater Cortlandia. Now called Bernal Star, with a menu focused on burgers, Cali-comfort food, and craft beer, your Bernalwood editor observed a thick crowd of curious neighbors waiting for tables outside Bernal Star  last Friday evening.

But why the change? What’s up with Bernal Star? What’s the big idea?

In an email to Bernalwood, Vega Freeman-Brady, the proprietor of Bernal Star and Vega (across the street), shared her thoughts on these questions, along with her vision of what she wants the restaurant to become:

Dear Bernal Heights,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you that the Liberty café closed its doors on Monday June 16th. As many of you may know, our restaurant was the proud brainchild of Cathie Guntli. She opened shop in 1994 to cook simple hearty food in a neighborhood that was a bit run down. It was bold and unpretentious. She served good food that was unabashedly American in a restaurant that felt like home. It helped put Bernal Heights on the map and changed our neighborhood forever. Cathie was good, kind and a delight of a human being.

We lost Cathie five years ago. It would be a crime to say that the restaurant was unaffected. The Liberty Café was her restaurant, her cuisine, her idea. The love and hard work that she put into it was appreciated by all. Her memory will always be cherished in Bernal Heights.

We are stepping away from Cathie’s restaurant and creating our own. We want to create a laid back, brunch, lunch, dinner restaurant – a place to hang out with family and friends. We will only serve grass-fed, humanely raised meats and organic dairy and produce.

Liberty was always in the center of the Bernal Heights community, so in keeping that line, we will be hosting local chefs once a month, on the last Thursday of the month in the back cottage for international dinners. The idea is to encourage local cooks/chefs to meet people in the neighborhood and highlight their talents.

Also, we will be serving 6 beers on tap and will ideally have more than one Bernal brew… Looking forward to seeing you/discussing involvement in the new restaurant – Bernal Star!

Sincerely,

The Bernal Star (and Liberty) Staff & Management

Daily/weekly Events:

*Movies on the heated patio (sundown)
*1/2 off all bottles of wine on Tuesdays
*Daily Beer and Burger Happy hour ($15 burger and a beer 4pm -6pm)
*Monthly international dinners w rotating guest chefs (let us know if you would like to be a guest chef!) in the Cottage

We have 6 local beers on tap, and would love to serve any bernal brews – if you have some, or know someone who does, please contact us!

www.bernalstar.com 415.695.8777

Hours:
Sunday/Monday 9am – 3pm
Tuesday – Friday 10am – 10pm
Saturdays 9am – 10pm

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Revealed: Miss Darcy’s Not-So Secret Summer Stroll Macaroon Cookie Recipe

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Stroll 2014

Summer Stroll 2014

Heartfelt Cookies

Last week’s Summer Stroll on Cortland was totally glamtacular. The sidewalks were crowded with stylish Bernalese of all ages, seeing and being seen. There was lots of terrific art to find and enjoy. There was music in the streets. And over at Heartfelt, Miss Darcy was handing out some rather tasty macaroons.

Martha Stewart may visit Bernal Heights from time to time, but Heartfelt proprietor (and Bernal neighbor) Darcy Lee is our homegrown, full-time original. So naturally, Bernalwood wanted to know more about those deeeelicious macaroons we had at Heartfelt during the Stroll. Like, what’s the secret recipe?

Here’s what Miss Darcy shared with us:

Rosa’s Coconut-Date Macaroons

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 tbsp boiling water
1 cup chopped dried Medjool dates (or 1 cup cherry-flavoured dried cranberries, roughly chopped for a festive twist)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Position an oven rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until opaque and foamy.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir with a small whisk to blend. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the sugar mixture; mix for about 30 seconds, gradually bringing the mixer back to high speed and mix for 1 minute.

Immediately add the vanilla and vinegar and continue to mix for at least 2 minutes, or until the egg whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to medium-high and add the boiling water all to once. The egg whites will swell up and then resettle as all the water is incorporated. Mix for 2 more minutes, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the dates (*or cherry-flavoured dried cranberries), pecans and coconut; using your hands, toss the ingredients until evenly distributed. This helps to avoid clumping, which can cause the egg whites to break down a bit too much due to over-stirring.

Gently fold in the coconut mixture into the egg white mixture until blended. Using a 1 1/2-inch-diameter ice-cream scoop, place scoops of batter 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Bake one sheet at a time for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 225°F and bake for 40 minutes longer, or until the macaroons are an even light brown.

Remove from the oven and let cook on the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cook completely.

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 week.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Star Sighting: Martha Stewart Dined at Ichi Sushi Last Night

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

Martha_Stewart_2011ichi

Perhaps you heard the rumors swirling around La Lengua last night?

Well, they’re true: Martha Stewart was in San Francisco yesterday, and she stopped in for dinner at Neighbor Tim and Erin Archuleta’s Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar in Bernal Heights.

Here’s the proof, via Twitter — with a cute little typo to provide a perfect touch of “I’m writing this while totally buzzing on Ichi” Marthenticity:

marthatweet

 

PHOTO: Top, via Wikipedia

Mae Krua Kiosk Coming Soon to 331 Cortland, for Thai Food Like Grandma Used to Make

/ Todd_Lappin / 28 Comments

anucha2

This is Anucha Kongthavorn, and he preparing to set up shop in the fabulous 331 Cortland marketplace. His business will be called Mae Krua, and he will serve up Thai food like grandma used to make. Anucha tells Bernalwood:

My name is Anucha Kongthavorn and I’m originally from Thailand. I’ve loved to cook since I was a child. I spent a lot of my early years watching her cook. She always consistently cooked the most delicious food and I strive to be like her. Every weekend, my mother left me with her and I always helped her to prepare. I fell in love with the joy of cooking watching my grandmother work long hours in a traditional Thai restaurant. That is where I learned how to cook authentic Thai food.

To me America is the land for opportunity, coming from a poor family, I independently moved to San Francisco to make my dream come true. I went to City College of San Francisco (CCSF) and worked ay the same time to earn experience and know what’s it’s like to cook for Americans and adapt to the culture. I always keep my eye on this dream. I worked at Thaistick in San Francisco and Millbrae for 6.5 years. I have never had a business of my own, but it is still part of my dream.

In Thai, Mae Krua means a women who cooks to serve for her family. This is the name I’d choose for my business. Mae means mother. Kua means kitchen.

I love to present my food to people to people who live here so they can try authentic Thai food that is different and unique to what I’ve learned from my Grandmother and what I’ve learned here in America. My kiosk is going to serve only unique food which is adapted from my own experiences and my Grandmother’s recipes. They will love to have this food and bring it home for their loved ones.

I make a Curry Rice Balls stuffed with fine cheeses. These will be a delight for people who are vegetarian. Some will also be made with Tofu and Bean Cake. I will serve salad with my own dressing such as Curry Dressing and Sesame Dressing. The community will love to try my food because it will both be healthy and delicious.

I will be very happy if you decide to give me a chance to start my own business with you, even though I have never had a business here. I think you would be very pleased to have me as an addition as well.

Helpfully, Anucha also shared this launch menu:

maekruamenu

PHOTO: Anucha Kongthavorn by Anucha Kongthavorn

3rd Cousin, Formerly Kinfolk, Launches Restaurant Kickstarter Campaign

/ Todd_Lappin / 28 Comments

3cousinkinfolk

There’s yet another Kickstarter campaign underway for a new Cortland restaurant going in to the old Pizza Express space. Formerly known as Kinfolk, the new restaurant will be called 3rd Cousin, and chef (and founder) Greg Lutes brings the details:

Since you have been following Kinfolk on Bernalwood, I’m sending you a link to my Kickstarter campaign. In addition to a new permanent home, Kinfolk is being renamed 3rd Cousin. With the new name, comes lots of community involvement and support, including Windows from A.G. River, local wines from Brian Harrington, video by Steve Sisler and a new logo designed by Bernal Heights own beloved artist, Toby Klayman. I’m very excited to finally be putting down permanent roots in the neighborhood and look forward to continued service to the residents of Bernal Heights and surrounding areas.

Here’s the summary, from the Kickstarter campaign page:

My goal is to provide a Michelin quality, fine-dining experience in a relaxed and welcoming family atmosphere. As a chef, my greatest joy is interacting with my customers throughout the meal service, sharing their experiences of the culinary partnership we have created.

I started Kinfolk out of desire to share my passion for creative organic food, and I continue to refine my unique take on New American/Californian cuisine. The concept has really taken off, and people really came out and supported me — and they continue to support me by dining with me and keeping the dream alive.

After 6 months of cooking from the heart — bringing folks together and creating community one plate at a time — I’ve been fortunate enough to find a permanent home for my pop-up Kinfolk, at 919 Cortland Avenue, just a few doors away from where I am currently cooking 903 Cortland. With the move and the new space we decided to give it a new name: 3rd Cousin.

You can back Chef Greg’s Kickststarter effort here.

New Creamery on Cortland Has a Name, but No Opening Date (Yet)

/ Todd_Lappin / 23 Comments

bhproduce1

Since its existence was first revealed here almost one year ago, there hasn’t been much news about the new market and eatery at 800 Cortland that’s going in to the old Bernal Heights Produce store at the corner of Ellsworth.

As you recall, the new place will be operated by the folks from Harvest Hills Market on Folsom at Precita. And since your Bernalwood editor shops at Harvest Hills regularly, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to inquire about the progress of 800 Cortland.

Frankly, we haven’t learned much. We understand that there’s been some construction, and much time has been spent dealing with various City permitting agencies. Some new equipment has been installed, including an ice cream machine.  Still, no word yet on a target opening date, other than soon, hopefully.

Oh, and based on the lettering that appeared recently on the side of the old truck Harvest Hills uses to haul stuff around, the new place may now have a name: The Harvest Cafe and Creamery. Coming soon. Hopefully.

harvesthills

PHOTOS: Top, 800 Cortland in May 2013. All photos by Telstar Logistics

Let Us Now Celebrate 15 Years of Blue Plate (You’re Invited!)

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blueplateeat

We, the Citizens of Bernalwood, are fortunate to live in a land of tasty food plentitude. Yet amid our regular updates on all the deliciousness at our doorsteps, let’s take a moment to celebrate one of Bernal’s most esteemed and old skool eateries, Blue Plate on Mission at Valencia.

Blue Plate was delicious and cozy and local before delicious and cozy and local were cool. The restaurant is marking its 15th anniversary this year, with a series of dinner events scheduled for this week. (More on that in a moment.)

In an interview with Zagat (!!!) Blue Plate co-owner Jeff Trenam provides a capsule history of the restaurant’s run:

Zagat: Blue Plate has defied all logic about the restaurant industry to be open for 15 years – what’s the secret?

Jeff Trenam: I suppose it is a bit illogical to stay in the restaurant biz for 15 years, but when you enjoy your work and the people you work with, the time flies. [Co-owner Cory Obenour] and I have a relationship that is a little yin-yang, or maybe we are both just real yang. Whatever you want to call it, we help each other keep things in perspective. Essentially, we are having a dinner party every night which is supposed to be fun and nourishing, right? Throwing pans and screaming at people doesn’t sound very fun or nourishing or interesting. We try to give everyone a sense of ownership, employees and guests alike, and then have fun with them. Whether it’s the group visiting from Norway that we may never see again, our regulars, our farmers, delivery guys, wine reps or anyone of the great people that work with us, I suppose the secret is we really like the people.

Have there been any hard times or slumps when you wanted to just give up and close?

We have had our share of knocks but for the most part we have been very fortunate. We have a loyal group of supporters that have made tough times much easier to bear. We have weathered all of the tech bubble bursts without even noticing much of a difference. Of course, we are a neighborhood joint and not so trendy, so that helps. We haven’t been showered with riches from the bubble times and we haven’t been wrung out when they burst. Steady Eddy: that is more like us. For sure there have been times when I have wondered if the city really wants full service, independent dinner houses like us to flourish. We seem to bear the brunt of new taxes, labor laws and political crusades while large companies get tax breaks and incentives to move here. But it actually doesn’t matter. We are here and everyone needs a comfortable place to eat with friends.

Mission accomplished! Blue Plate remains a true neighborhood treasure.

Jeff Trenam reached out to us to invite all Citizens of Bernalwood to join Blue Plate’s 15th Birthday celebration this week. He says there will be feature flights from winemakers, along with special food pairings, and the complete details are below:

Celebrate 15 Years at Blue Plate

Bernal Heights Pioneer Blue Plate Celebrates Their 15th Birthday with a Series of Wine Dinners in May

WHO: Blue Plate, the seminal Bernal Heights neighborhood gem co-owned by Cory Obenour and Jeff Trenam.

Blue Plate offers a seasonal menu of New American cuisine and evolved comfort food by Chef de Cuisine, Sean Thomas. Intimate dining rooms inside a cozy San Francisco Victorian, a robust and eclectic wine list, and a secret garden to drink and snack, have made it a favorite of the Bernal Heights neighborhood.

WHAT: Come celebrate Blue Plate’s 15th anniversary by clinking crystal with celebrated wine makers from Palmina Wines, Sean Thackery Wines, and Skylark. Each night Blue Plate will exclusively feature one wine maker who will be on site to mingle and talk with guests. Chef de Cuisine, Sean Thomas will create special menus featuring new dishes and will bring back landmark hits from the past to showcase the wines.

Wine flights will cost $15 each night and will include five glasses of wine. Menu items will be listed a la carte.

Reservations available at www.blueplatesf.com or call 415-282 6777

WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 2014, 5:30 PM -10 PM Steve and Chrystal Clifton of Palamina Wines

Friday, May 2, 2014, 5:30 PM – 10: 30 PM Sean Thackery of Sean Thackery Wines

Saturday, May 3, 2014, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM John Lancaster of Skylark

WHERE: 3218 Mission Street (at Valencia)
 San Francisco, CA 94110

Congrats to Jeff and Cory, thanks for all the yum, and BIG CONGRATULATIONS on 15 delicious years.

PHOTO: Blue Plate’s iconic neon sign by Erik Wilson

UPDATED: Paulie’s Pickling on KQED’s “Check Please, Bay Area” Tonight

/ Todd_Lappin / 12 Comments

Paulie's Pickles

It’s showtime! Cortland’s Paulie’s Pickling, which may be Best Jewish Deli in San Francisco, will be the focus of tonight’s exciting episode of KQED’s Check Please, Bay Area.

Neighbors Paul and Liz, the soft-spoken proprietors of Paulie’s Pickling, didn’t give us the heads-up about this. No, we heard it from the street, in the Jweekly:

CHECK, PLEASE: A “Check, Please! Bay Area” episode featuring Paulie’s Pickling will debut at 7:30 p.m. April 24 on KQED-Channel 9, with many replays to come. Also, the show will air on KQED radio (88.5 FM) at 6:30 p.m. April 27.

“Check, Please!” features three Bay Area residents giving their opinions after sampling three local restaurants (each recommended by one of the participants). Paulie’s Pickling, a Jewish-style deli counter in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights, will be the first segment.

“I have no idea who nominated us,” said Paulie’s co-owner Liz Ashby, who was raised Orthodox in Newton, Mass. “But when the producers called and asked if we wanted to be on the show, I said, ‘Of course!’ Who would say no?”

Over a two-month period, the “mystery diners” came in to eat, and on two occasions, the KQED crew came by to do some filming and interview Liz and the other owner, her husband, Paul.

Neighbor Liz is right. Who would say no?

One quick P.S. about the whole “Best Jewish Deli in San Francisco” thing. There’s this. And there’s also this:

For Passover earlier this month, your Bernalwood editor had two actual Jewish grandmothers over for dinner. One Jewish grandmother was raised in Brooklyn; the other in Jersey City. With two actual Jewish grandmothers at the table, your Bernalwood editor did not want to run the risk of screwing up the traditional Passover brisket. So I asked Neighbor Liz from Paulie’s if I could order a few pounds of her rather amazing brisket instead, to serve to two actual Jewish grandmothers. Neighbor Liz said no problem, and it came with some wonderful gravy, and I heated it all up, and dayenu it was incredible. But you don’t have to believe me when I say it was dayenu incredible. Two actual Jewish grandmothers at our Passover table certified that the brisket from Paulie’s Pickling was dayenu incredible. They were very impressed.

So there you go.

Keep that in mind as you listen to whatever the mystery diners have to say on “Check Please, Bay Area” tonight. In your Bernalwood editor’s house, Paulie’s Pickling is Jewish Grandmother Tested and Jewish Grandmother Approved.

UPDATE: It’s live!

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

New Red Hill Station Seafood Restaurant Coming to Cortland

/ Todd_Lappin / 19 Comments

RedHillStation

Alongside the planned perma-Kinfolk, EaterSF brings the news that Bernal Neighbors Taylor Pederson and Amy Reticker plan to open a new seafood restaurant at 803 Cortland, in the soon-to-be-former Blue Star Elephant space:

The new restaurant will be taking over from Thai spot Blue Star Elephant, which will shutter at the end of this month. Named for the Bernal neighborhood’s nickname of ‘Red Hill’, the new spot will be seafood-focused, with a raw bar (think oysters and clams) plus a rotating menu of seasonal, California-style cuisine. Pederson will helm the kitchen, and hopes to focus on sustainably-sourced seafood.

The new space will also serve as a fish market of sorts. Reticker, who’ll be running the front-of-house operations, says they hope to open at 4pm daily with an offering of market fish so that people can drop in, learn cooking tips from the seafood pros and take home something to prepare for dinner themselves.

In the meantime, Red Hill Station has planted flags on the Twitter, the Facebook, and the Interwebs. There’s a late February Facebook post which says:

we are excited and pleased to announce the birth of “Red Hill Station”!

we will be a small, 28 seat neighborhood place

there will be a raw bar, oysters, clams, mussels, tartares, in addition to an 8 item menu which will change daily…we plan on doing brunch saturdays and sundays.

It’s Official: Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar Is One of the Hottest Sushi Restaurants in the Galaxy Right Now

/ Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

timichi2.0

Bernal Heights is already, and officially, the hottest neighborhood in the entire solar system. Now we are an order of magnitude more hot, because Eater National just anointed the tasty new Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar on Mission Street as one of the Hottest Sushi Restaurants in America.

Hotness.

Truth be told, this comes as no surprise. Your Bernalwood editor has eaten at the new Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar many times since we first announced its glamorous re-opening in the new space in February. We haven’t written about it since, however, because (shameful confession) we didn’t want to have to compete with you for a table. In true Samuel Brannan style, the hypertastiness of the new Ichi+Ni is just a little something we’ve been keeping to ourselves.

Well, now the word is getting out.

Anna Roth at SFWeekly said:

The new [izakaya] space is still coming into its own, but once it establishes its own identity, Ni Bar is bound to become not only a staging ground for the sushi bar’s omakase, but a destination in its own right.

Critic Jonathan Kaufman reported that the sushi remains amazing as always, while the new izakaya-style zone in the back of the new space takes things in a rather delicious new direction:

Your resolve to hold out for sushi may be whittled away by the sanbaizu sunomono ($7.50)–pink commas of shrimp with pickled cucumber and frilly, crunchy tremella (white fungus)–and crisp-skinned fried chicken wings ($9.50), first cooked sous-vide with yuzu juice until the flesh is as tender as a ripe peach.

If you want to preserve your omakase aspirations, don’t order the clams ($8.50), which come with ground pork in a ridiculously savory miso broth swirled with black garlic oil.

Because you may have to order seconds.

I’ll second that. The Miso Asari Clams & Pork are mind-blowing. In fact, yes, I actually do get two orders of it, because it’s just that insanely good.

We’re in good company, because the Michael Bauer says the miso clams are one of his favorite dishes as well.

misoclam

More of this sort of gush is likely to follow, because this week Eater National added Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar to their list of The 19 Hottest Sushi Restaurants In the US Right Now:

ICHI SUSHI + NI BAR
Already a favorite on San Francisco’s sushi scene, ICHI Sushi only got better earlier this year when it reopened in a new, bigger space. Eater SF took a look inside the new 30-seat sushi bar with an omakase counter, table seating, and an izakaya named Ni Bar serving booze and other izakaya-style plates.

Big congratulations to Ichi owners (and Bernal neighbors) Tim and Erin Archuleta.

If you haven’t already eaten at Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar, get thyself there quickly, because it won’t be long before you’ll have to compete with every foodie in the United States to get a table. You have been warned.

PHOTOS: Top, Neighbor Chef Tim, by Telstar Logistics. Below, Miso Asari Clams & Pork at Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar; photo by Inside Scoop