By Katie Sweeney By Katie Sweeney | April 15, 2024 | Food & Drink, Feature,
April delivers everything from pop-ups that have become permanent to a great Napa food experience.
Elena’s elegant yet comfy dining room
ELENA’S
West Portal has a stunning new Mexican eatery from the team behind one of the city’s most loved Italian joints. At Elena’s, the Original Joe’s crew serves mouthwatering chile rellenos, freshly made pork tamales and finger-licking-good carne asada tacos in a sophisticated and homey atmosphere. “We want the community to feel like they can come to Elena’s for anything, whether it’s a celebration, a date night, a lunch break or a casual family dinner,” says owner Elena Duggan. “I dream that Elena’s [becomes] someone’s happy place—where they can leave their worries at the door and truly feel at home.” 255 W. Portal Ave., 415.622.4440, elenasmexican.com
The fare at Elena’s includes chile rellenos, freshly made pork tamales and carne asada tacos.
A16 LA PALA
The beloved 20-year-old Italian eatery A16 has made its Ferry Building pop-up permanent with the opening of A16 La Pala. On the menu is pizza al taglio, which simply translates to “by the slice.” It comes in 6- or 9-inch sizes and flavors from cauliflower walnut to sausage broccolini. Patrons also will find paninis (we love the superb stracciatella with prosciutto and pesto), salads, pastries and classic Italian favorites like lasagna, lentil soup and meatballs. 1 Ferry Building, a16pizza.com
Homemade bagels and lox at Early to Rise
EARLY TO RISE
Early to Rise, a brunch-only hot spot from Southern-born chef Andrew McCormack, started as a pop-up, went permanent in 2019 and pivoted to takeout during the pandemic. It now boasts a new space in Nopa. “We’ve been gearing up a long time,” McCormack says. “The pop-up phase was all about research and development. After every meal, I walked around the dining room and asked every guest what they thought. We made changes based on those conversations and are proud to put them on our opening menu.” The team makes everything from scratch, including bagels, English muffins, donuts, thick-cut bacon, hot sauce and butter. Brunch lovers are in for a real treat. 1801 McAllister St, earlytorisesf.com
Gentleman Farmer co-founder Joey Wolosz
GENTLEMAN FARMER BUNGALOW, A STUDIO FOR GUSTATORY WELL-BEING
“We like to introduce the wines as you would have them at home, over food with friends and good conversation,” says Joey Wolosz, the co-founder of Gentleman Farmer Wines. Along with his husband, Jeff Durham, Wolosz opened a spectacular new studio for gustatory well-being in downtown Napa. At the Gentleman Farmer Bungalow, wine lovers enjoy a breakfast or lunch wine pairing that involves a multicourse meal cooked and served by Wolosz and Durham. It’s part show, part tasting and absolutely fabulous. One recent menu included salmon rillettes on griddled brioche, chicken liver mousse slathered on sourdough, and spring beef pot pie with puff pastry. The couple makes everything— including the bread, mustard and tomato sauce—from scratch, resulting in a highly personal and memorable experience. 1564 1st St., 707.948.6107, gentlemanfarmerwines.com
Tri-tip and eggs at Early to Rise
FOUR KINGS
If you’ve passed the quiet corner of Commercial and Keaney Streets in Chinatown, you might have noticed some excitement developing. The team behind Four Kings—chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long and their respective partners Millie Boonkokua and Lucy Li—have been setting up their new restaurant for months. The wait was well worth it: Four Kings started as a pop-up, and now diners can enjoy its fried squab (which takes a week to prepare), mapo spaghetti, clay-pot rice and other delicacies from the team’s youth spent in Hong Kong and China’s Canton region. 710 Commercial St., 415.688.1500, itsfourkings.com
Photography by: BY ISABELLA MARTINEZ-FUNCKE; COURTESY OF GLODOW NEAD COMMUNICATIONS; BRIANNA DANNER /AF&CO;