Two New Restaurants Are Coming to Presidio National Park — And There’s Room for More

The Presidio Trust has announced two big new restaurants are swinging into vacancies in Presidio National Park. An email describes Eduardo Rallo as an investor, entrepreneur, and restaurateur, in that order. He’s a founder of Brainstorm Ventures, with investments in Zappos and OpenTable, as well as the Resmex Group, which includes El Jardin, Zazil, and Chika Mexican restaurants on Santana Row in San Jose. Rallo is now taking over the former Arguello space in the Presidio Officer’s Club (50 Moraga Ave), as well as the Presidio Transit Center (Building 215) within the new Tunnel Tops development. Rallo says he’s been a San Francisco resident for 25 years, and it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to run restaurants inside the park.

This news follows the departure of the Commissary and Arguello, two restaurants helmed by acclaimed chef Traci Des Jardins, in partnership with Bon Appetit Management Company and the Presidio Trust. The restaurants closed in confusion during the pandemic, furloughing 130 employees and leaving some feeling “ghosted,” in the words of one. Traci Des Jardins now has her sights set on the Peninsula, with the upcoming opening of El Alto in Los Altos. Meanwhile, the Presidio Trust still needs a couple of restaurants to take over two more vacancies: the former Commissary space at Main Post (101 Montgomery Street) is more than 5,000 combined square feet of indoor and outdoor space, and Presidio Tunnel Tops (Building 201) promises to be the crown jewel with 6,000 square feet and Golden Gate Bridge views.

Noodle Belly garlic noodles have landed in Fruitvale

Noodle Belly celebrated its grand opening this past Saturday, January 15. The garlic noodles and barbecue pork belly are now available at 1014 Fruitvale Ave, Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. And just last week, the restaurant also donated 10,000 KN95 masks to Oakland schools, according to the SF Chronicle.

Daughter’s Diner flips its last pancakes in Uptown

A sweet family-run diner opened during the pandemic, and now it’s closing during the pandemic. Founded by a former Michael Mina chef, Daughter’s Diner served its last Princess Pancakes on January 16, according to an Instagram post.

A former Michelin star faces demolition in San Mateo

San Mateo’s All Spice garnered a Michelin star for several years running in the 20-teens, but now the Cali-Indian restaurant faces demolition, SFGate reports. Despite calling a hundred-year-old Victorian its home, a real estate developer plans to raze it and build condos.

Have pandemic patience, beer fanatics

Due to the new variant, Russian River Brewing Company is delaying the limited release of its wildly popular Pliny the Younger, pushing back until spring 2022, according to the Mercury News.

SF Chronicle Wine Competition spits on Sonoma order

The SF Chronicle Wine Competition continued spitting and swirling, even though it appeared to violate the Sonoma County emergency order, wine writer Blake Gray contends. Sonoma County banned large gatherings, defined as more than 50 people indoors. Meanwhile the SF Chronicle Wine Competition — tagline, “the largest competition of American wines in the world!” — carried on, hosted by 51 judges, not to mention volunteers and other attendees, per Gray’s count.