San Francisco Chronicle Food & Home - Spoken Edition

Seed + Salt breakfast-lunch items are vegan and gluten-free food, heavy on the vegetables and whole grains. Seed + Salt breakfast-lunch items are vegan and gluten-free food, heavy on the vegetables and whole grains. Owner Mo Clancy of Seed + Salt in front of her restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, July 8, 2015. She oplans to close the restaurant on Nov. 28 Owner Mo Clancy of Seed + Salt in front of her restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, July 8, 2015.

For this Chinatown group, Friday night dinner is more than a tradition A typical dinner, around 10 shared dishes plus dessert, comes out to about $150 total. A typical dinner, around 10 shared dishes plus dessert, comes out to about $150 total. Lo serves up lingcod fish soup - an off-the-menu milky broth made with bones and fish heads. The fish meat and greens are served separately. Lo serves up lingcod fish soup - an off-the-menu milky broth made with bones and fish heads.

Two weekends ago I went to Napa for an upcoming story, and last weekend I did the same with Sonoma, concentrating on checking out life around Glen Ellen and the Sonoma Plaza after the devastating fires.I made my first stop at El Molino Central, which has become known for its Mexican food. Diners order at the counter and the food is delivered to the patio or picnic tables in back.

Being greeted by Claudette Lum in entryway of the Trader Vic’s in Emeryville is not just a pleasure. It’s a rite customers demand.On one busy Friday night, a family of four stood at the edge of the lounge, peering into the dining room expectantly, until Lum rushed over to dispense hugs. Another woman lingered at the host station for five minutes before allowing the other hosts to show her to a table. The moment Lum returned to the podium, she jumped up and zoomed in for an embrace.

Ayesha Curry attends the Family Ice Cream Fun-dae hosted by Mario Batali and Ayesha Curry in New York City. Ayesha Curry attends the Family Ice Cream Fun-dae hosted by Mario Batali and Ayesha Curry in New York City. The train board of Merlots available at RN74 before it closed. The train board of Merlots available at RN74 before it closed. The wait is almost over, San Francisco: Ayesha Curry’s International Smoke will officially open its doors on Nov. 13.

Unaccustomed to the bewitching fragrance of passion fruit, I did as instructed. I dove my spoon straight into the fruit and scooped out the golden, speckled flesh and put it to my lips. It was sweet, fruity and a little tart. Here was the passion fruit that I had heard so much about but had never eaten until four years ago. Its unassuming exterior — a purple leathery shell that enclosed a fragrant, soft pulp — was anything but ordinary.

At the French Laundry, chef Thomas Keller (left) describes a dish to a server in the new kitchen. At the French Laundry, chef Thomas Keller (left) describes a dish to a server in the new kitchen. Chefs David Breeden, Bill Hendrix and Tyler Vorce prepare food in the kitchen at the French Laundry in Yountville. Chefs David Breeden, Bill Hendrix and Tyler Vorce prepare food in the kitchen at the French Laundry in Yountville.

Setting eyes on the layers of furniture, fabrics, books, photographs and idiosyncratic objects in the Pacific Heights apartment of Christina Bryant — founder of St. Frank, the well-curated home design store in Presidio Heights that opened in 2015 — feels like taking a trip around the world.“I don’t like things to match,” Bryant says. “I love different patterns and I love a composition that works without coordination or being perfect. It’s more interesting.

Quick KimchiServes 6 to 8 2 heads Napa cabbage, about 6 pounds ¼ cup coarse Korean sea salt or kosher salt, plus more as needed 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and chopped 8 cloves garlic 2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and sliced ½ cup coarse Korean chile powder 1 tablespoon sugar 1½ tablespoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons rice flour 1 pound Korean radish or daikon, julienned into match sticks 8 stalks scallion, cut into 1-inch segments 1 cup garlic chives, cut into 1-inch segments Pine nuts to garnish, optional Instructions: Quarter the...

Shrimp Hush Puppies in the bar lounge of 1300 Fillmore Restaurant in San Francsico photographed on Friday, December 30, 2009. Shrimp Hush Puppies in the bar lounge of 1300 Fillmore Restaurant in San Francsico photographed on Friday, December 30, 2009. Succotash is seen at 1300 Fillmore Street on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, in San Francisco, Calif. Succotash is seen at 1300 Fillmore Street on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, in San Francisco, Calif.

I remember the first time I saw my father. It was summer. I was 5 years old. My mother had just given me a bath in a tin tub outside our one-bedroom casita and I was sitting on the hood of her ’76 Buick Regal. Even though I had never seen him in person before, I had seen photos of him, so I recognized him from the moment I laid eyes on him He asked my mother if he could take me out for an hour. She agreed. He bought me an ice cream from a truck and then we went over to Mrs.

Silvia Ortiz stirs wine in the barrels at the end of her workday at Lewis Cellars in Napa. Silvia Ortiz stirs wine in the barrels at the end of her workday at Lewis Cellars in Napa. You didn’t want to come here in the first place. You didn’t have a choice. He tricked you: He promised you could finish high school. Otherwise you swore you wouldn’t have married him. You were so close — just a year and a half to go.

Jeanette Scroggins pauses while searching for signs of her aunt, Karen Aycock, who has been missing since the Tubbs fire roared through her Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. less Jeanette Scroggins pauses while searching for signs of her aunt, Karen Aycock, who has been missing since the Tubbs fire roared through her Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 10, .

Welcome to the 2017 edition of Bargain Chronicles, wherein we explore some of San Francisco's most delicious neighborhoods and choose our favorite meals that can be enjoyed for $20 and under. See also: The Bayview, Chinatown, the Inner Richmond, the Tenderloinand the Mission's 24th Street. Japanesehot dogs at Ichi SushiWhat: Kimchi Dog ($8) or Mapo Dog ($9)When: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Dinner also offered nightly.