Latest news with #ManuelBonilla
San Francisco Chronicle
13-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
The most-anticipated Bay Area restaurants opening this summer
After several years of post-pandemic recovery in fits and starts, there's an energy in the air in the Bay Area food world. Just look at what's slated to open this summer, which starts June 20. A modern Cantonese restaurant whose chef wants to push the envelope when it comes to Chinese food. Spinoffs from Michelin-starred restaurants, including a bakery and a gelato shop. Restaurants specializing in fresh soba noodles, heritage breed chickens, Cantonese barbecue and hyper-regional French cuisine. Plus, this summer brings second outposts of two daytime San Francisco favorites — Asian-American bakery Breadbelly and bagel shop Schlok's — and a new seafood market from acclaimed restaurant Nopa. And on the Peninsula, an exciting Korean-Taiwanese restaurant is opening its doors. Bar Chisme Late night eats from Chisme chef Manuel Bonilla, whose popup at Oakland's Low Bar ranked among the best new restaurants of 2024, are making a comeback. Bar Chisme is taking over the former Kon-Tiki space with a no-frills approach and dishes mashing up Salvadoran and Filipino flavors. Expect two types of burgers and a cozy, homey vibe space with an eclectic twist Bonilla envisions as 'Abuelita's house on acid.' — Mario Cortez Café Vivant There's nothing else quite like Café Vivant in the Bay Area: a restaurant devoted wholly to heritage chickens raised exclusively for the restaurant on a coastal farm in Pescadero. Arriving in Menlo Park late July, it will be the first restaurant from Jason Jacobeit and Daniel Jung, two sommeliers who run Somm Cellars, a rare wine retailer in New York City. They've partnered with farmer Rob James, whose sought-after poultry are served at many top Bay Area restaurants, and longtime chef Jared Wentworth, who's worked at Michelin-star restaurants in Chicago. They'll also open an outpost of Somm Cellars next door, with retail bottles, tastings, a market, coffee and its own food menu. — E.K. Projected opening: late July Gelateria di Cotogna One of the delights of eating at San Francisco's Cotogna has long been the abundant gelato cart that roamed the Italian restaurant's dining room. Soon, the housemade gelato will have its own home: a shop a few blocks away. Jennifer Felton, executive pastry chef for Cotogna, Quince and Verjus, is behind the gelato program. Expect flavors from vanilla honeycomb and chocolate stracciatella to seasonal creations like aprium (an apricot-plum hybrid fruit) or strawberries grown on the restaurant's private farm. Until the gelateria opens, catch an ice cream cart parked outside Cotogna Thursday-Saturday, noon to 4:30 p.m. — E.K. Projected opening: late summer The Happy Crane Given his fine-dining background, you might expect chef James Yeun Leong Parry to devote his upcoming Cantonese restaurant, the Happy Crane, to inventive reinterpretations of classic dishes. He will. But Leong Parry also wants to perfect those classics, like Peking duck and char siu. The chef, who previously worked at the three-Michelin-star Benu in San Francisco as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong, became known at his popup of the same name for dishes that meld his half-Chinese identity and culinary expertise, like char siu made with pork jowl smoked with compressed apple and fennel. Expect the same creativity at the Hayes Valley restaurant, on a prominent corner with floor-to-ceiling glass walls. — E.K. Projected opening: August La Cigale La Cigale, an ambitious, regional French restaurant from a veteran chef, will arrive in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood this summer. Joseph Magidow, who previously worked at top San Francisco restaurants including the Delfina, Locanda and the now-closed Tawla, will channel the cuisine of the Occitania region in southwestern France. Every dish will be cooked on a wood-burning hearth in the center of the restaurant, and served by Magidow from behind a 15-seat chef's counter. — E.K. Projected opening: summer 679 Chenery St., San Francisco. Parachute A bakery with Michelin-star cred is headed to San Francisco's Ferry Building. Parachute comes from the team behind fine-dining restaurant Sorrel, which has held a star since 2019. It will be devoted to laminated pastries that highlight seasonal produce from the famed farmers market located steps outside its front doors, plus coffee and other confections. Executive pastry chef Nasir Zainulabadin, formerly of Sorrel and the two-Michelin-star Saison, will oversee Parachute. The owners will open Parachute in the former Slanted Door space along with Arquet, a full-service restaurant focused on Californian cuisine and wood-fired cooking coming later this year. — E.K. Projected opening: July 1 Ferry Building, Suite 5, San Francisco. Quack House After moving out of Chinatown last year, the family behind storied Cantonese barbecue shop Hing Lung will soon reopen at its relocated, and rebranded main shop. Going by Quack House, expect the same expertly roasted ducks and racks of pork ribs from brothers Eric and Simon Cheung. Also making a comeback are duck liver sausages, Chinese bacon and traditional Hong Kong-style rice plates. The new operation complements the siblings' other project, Cantonese barbecue restaurant Go Duck Yourself, but in a return to Hing Lung's origins, Quack House will offer birds and pork chopped up and served by the pound. — M.C. Projected opening: late summer 927 Post St., San Francisco. Stereo 41 A former PG&E customer service office is shaping up as the place to be in Walnut Creek. Starting this summer, Stereo 41 will offer Middle Eastern dishes in a space channeling the style and sounds of Japanese hi-fi bars. Stereo 41 comes from an ambitious team that includes Victor Ghaben of hot chicken specialist World Famous Hot Boys and Sofia Sabet, his sister and owner of adjacent restaurant Lita. The siblings worked with Andres Giraldo Flores of Oakland's Snail Bar in developing the menu. Leading the kitchen is executive chef Jonathan De La Torre, who has worked at San Francisco landmark restaurants such as Mourad, Nopa and Quince. — M.C. Projected opening: late summer 1535 Bonanza St. Walnut Creek. Soba Dining Sora Soba noodles don't often get the spotlight in the Bay Area, where only a few restaurants specialize in this Japanese buckwheat noodle. But Soba Dining Sora is adding to the local roster this summer. The restaurant, with two locations in Japan's Saitama Prefecture, will open in Japantown next to sibling restaurant Hinodeya Ramen. The restaurant has become known for its nutty noodles made fresh and served with bonito dipping sauce and tempura, or as part of a set meal which can include duck loin or assorted sashimi in a relaxed, casual environment. — M.C. Expected opening: midsummer 1731 Buchanan St., San Francisco. Super Mensch There's a new restaurant paying homage to East Coast-style Jewish delis coming to San Francisco's Marina District. Super Mensch is the newest venture from the Causwells team, who operate next door, with chef Adam Rosenblum serving nostalgic homages to the Reubens on rye and other Jewish American dishes he grew up eating. Expect sandwiches stacked with pastrami cured in-house and fresh baked bagels topped with lox. As expected from the Causwells team, bar director Elmer Mejicanos has prepared elaborate cocktails that tap into New York deli staples like black and white cookies and celery-flavored sodas. — M.C. Projected opening: August 2336 Chestnut St., San Francisco. Tsujita Artisan Noodle One of Los Angeles' most famous ramen shops is coming to the Bay Area: Tsujita Artisan Noodle, opening its first Northern California location in San Jose this month. People line up at Tsujita for its speciality: tsukemen, or cold ramen noodles served with a warm dipping sauce on the side. Tsujita serves bowls of thick, chewy noodles crowned with chashu, seasoned eggs and other toppings; plus spicy and vegan variations and Japanese beer and sake. It will join only a few other dedicated tsukemen restaurants in the Bay Area, including the popular Taishoken and Shutgetsu. — E.K. Projected opening: June 21
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fresno teachers union criticizes school district's use of AI-generated documents
Tensions in the longstanding feud between Fresno Unified and the teachers union escalated after the district's new superintendent confronted the union's president about its public critiques using a document containing quotes fabricated by artificial intelligence. Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her confirmed to ABC30 that the district's chief communications officer, Nikki Henry, used A.I. to compile a document listing examples of criticism from union leaders in news articles and social media posts. Manuel Bonilla, president of the Fresno Teachers Association, said the district's leadership presented him the document, titled 'Instances of Fresno Teachers Association Leadership Targeting Misty Her,' at a May 7 meeting. The meeting came after weeks of feuding between the school district and teachers union that spilled into the public sphere via combative comments on Facebook and in local news media. The union was critical of the school board's lengthy superintendent search process, which it said lacked transparency and public input. The district's budget proposal created another rift between the two parties. The proposal aims cutting a program, Designated Schools, the union wants to preserve but the district says is ineffective. According to ABC30, Her described the document as being created to help mend the situation between the district and teachers union. In its summary, the district brought forth allegations that the FTA framed Her 'as disingenuous, authoritarian, or incompetent.' 'They utilized that document to say that we had personally targeted the superintendent,' Bonilla said. To support its claims, Fresno Unified compiled a list of quotes taken from local publications, including The Fresno Bee, as well as numerous FTA communications. After the meeting, Bonilla said he and his team reviewed the materials and had some doubts, prompting him to request a digital copy. That's when Bonilla said he confirmed the district used artificial intelligence to create fabricated quotes in news articles. The links to the articles included in the report each end with 'source=chatgpt.' Bonilla said he mentioned these observations during a follow-up sit-down between FTA and FUSD leadership last week. Later that week, Her admitted the document was created with A.I. and not vetted. Her told ABC30 she stood by the sentiment behind the report. 'I want to be completely honest with the public about what's happening. My comms person did use A.I. to help generate the document. I didn't check the document,' Her told the news station. 'But I will say that the gist of it was there, the articles were there, the postings were there.' Henry is on leave through June 9, per an automated email response. The school district has not publicly commented whether Henry's leave was in response to the A.I. incident. The incident was first reported by GV Wire, a local news outlet. Bonilla says the incident is indicative of a larger issue. 'This is just the most clear and egregious example of what so many people have called out in this system for years,' Bonilla said. 'How many times has something like this happened to influence the view of untold number of management and board members about us and our teachers?' He also emphasized that teachers wouldn't accept A.I.-generated work and called for district officials to be held accountable. Specifically, Bonilla said the FTA is seeking an independent investigation, as well as for Henry to be fired for 'the magnitude of the allegation and the egregious nature of the decision.' Fresno Unified officials declined requests for comment by the The Bee and said they would no longer speak about the issue. 'Our current focus remains on student outcomes and finishing the final weeks of the school year strong by celebrating our graduates and their accomplishments,' a district spokesperson said Monday in a statement.
San Francisco Chronicle
30-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
This chef ran one of the Bay Area's best popups. Now he's opening his own spot
An Oakland popup known for late night eats is graduating into a full-blown bar and restaurant. Chisme is moving out of its sultry lair inside Oakland's Low Bar and over to 347 14th St., where the Kon-Tiki shook Mai Tais until its closing in December. Chef Manuel Bonilla said the new Bar Chisme will be more of a dive bar, with a small cocktail program with a few original drinks to complement his Filipino-Salvadoran cooking. Gone are the tropical trappings of the previous tiki bar for what will be a more casual, yet eclectic look. 'We're going for 'abuelita's house on acid'. Very homey and very chill,' he said. The owners of the Kon-Tiki, Christ Aivaliotis and Matt Reagan, shut down their popular spot late last year after seven years in business. Bonilla is familiar with the new location: He was the Kon-Tiki's opening chef. But his choice to return to the space amounts to a bet on the future of downtown Oakland, as Aiviolitis wrote in a profanity-laden screed that business in downtown Oakland was nearly impossible. Aivaliotis and Reagan approached Bonilla and his business partners to take over their old corner space. Bonilla is keeping the operation as minimal as possible to protect himself from increasing costs. Unlike its predecessor, there won't be any servers and all orders must be placed and picked up at the bar. The vision: 'Straight up no-frills, but with Chisme's food,' he said. Bonilla's resume isn't just dive bar food. It includes Oakland's two Michelin-starred Commis, and he currently works at modern Salvadoran restaurant Popoca. At Chisme, Bonilla's dishes have included yucca smothered in black beans, rich sisig pupusas and handmade chicken nuggets. Bar Chisme's menu will lean in a similar direction with the addition of a smashburger and a grilled burger. The house cocktails will feature ingredients like rums and agave distillates, also reflecting that influence. Chisme took over Low Bar's kitchen in March of last year after the venue's owners announced they were ending their kitchen program. Chisme had made appearances as a popup before settling into its residency. Bonilla's cooking and being the only open kitchen until close to midnight made Chisme a magnet for late night diners or an excuse to stick around for another drink. Chronicle restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez praised Bonilla's vision, which went from playful to layered. Dishes like tortas stuffed with lechon fuse cultural cues from his Filipino and Salvadoran background. 'His style is loose and fun but never misses a chance to impress, like the family member who steals the show on the dance floor,' he wrote. Chisme was ranked among the best new restaurants of 2024.
