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As a huge fan of Korean cuisine in just about all of its myriad forms, I've been excited to check out the fiery, upscale Korean-Japanese hybrid creations dished out of the family-owned kitchen at Namu (439 Balboa at 6th Ave.) in the Inner Richmond, not least of all because I was curious to see how Korean food would play out in the more rarified air of 'fusion' so common these days to Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Can kimchee manage the jump from down-home staple to shi-shi accompaniment?

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I swore off combinations of booze and cream liquors shortly after my 21st birthday when a well meaning friend bought me my first and last Irish Car-Bomb. The sensation of curdled Irish cream rocketing forth from one's nose with great force is not quickly forgotten. But I've made an exception for The Knockout's root beer float. It's made with Kemper root beer, vanilla vodka, cream liquor and, of course, a cherry on top.

The problem with most novelty drinks is that they'll give you a cavity before they get you drunk, but this root beer float is not too sweet and it will get you hammered. Stop by The Knockout on Wednesday nights and you can have a float with cheap, delicious, not-at-all sketchy sushi prepared by local sushi wizard Tim Archuleta. Sharing root beer float + $4 dollar sushi rolls = Best Cheap Date ever. --Andy Wright

The Citrus Club is hands down my favorite joint in the Upper Haight. Those steaming hot shrimp wanton noodle bowls and tall glasses of Thai iced tea sit in this kid's belly at least once a week - usually closer to lunchtime since the restaurant is always packed come dinner.

Anyway, after months of looking at the amazingly overly-vandalized walls of their restroom (which I snapped on a whim in April), I walked in today and found that the Club's owners gave it a fresh velvety-red start. We'll see how long this lasts. See many more before-and-after photos after the jump. --Janine Kahn

Then:

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San Francisco Cocktail Week returns next week (May 13 - 19) with a whole slew of very cool booze-centric events scattered around some of the city's finest watering holes, and while it's hard to choose a favorite from the roster of events, next Saturday's "Literature, Booze, and History" discussion in The Salon at Hotel Rex (562 Sutter) seems uniquely poised to fulfill Cocktail Week's mission of honoring SF's "vibrant cocktail culture." The illustrious panel includes cocktail historian David Wondrich, author of Imbibe! and Killer Cocktails: An Intoxicating Guide to Sophisticated Drinking, local writer and bartender Jordan Mackay, and San Francisco Magazine's Scott Hocker. As a regular at the Make-Out Room's very own Writers With Drinks reading series, I can say from personal experience that you haven't really heard a writer talk about their work until you've heard him/her do it drunk. Maybe the most exciting part: guests will be treated to a version of the San Francisco classic Pisco Punch as interpreted by the mixologists at the excellent Cantina. It happens May 17 from 5:00 -- 7:00 p.m.; $30 per person. For reservations visit www.sfcocktailweek.com.

-- Brian Bernbaum

I know what you're thinking: Holy crap! Mother's Day is this Sunday! After you finish freaking out about how to thank the woman who brought you into the world (card? flowers? fancy bath soap?), you might want to consider taking her to one of the gazillion area restaurants offering special Mother's Day menus. One word: brunch! As always, OpenTable has lots and lots of ideas to choose from. Check out the a la carte brunch at Portero Hill's Baraka (288 Connecticut) featuring Lobster Tartine, Lamb Skewers, House Cured Salmon Gravlax, and French Toast. And for those of you who really love your mothers (kidding), check out the "luxury" three-course brunch at Campton Place (340 Stockton) for $58 per person or the special wine-paired lunch menu ($65) at Luce (888 Howard in the InterContinental Hotel) in SoMa. In any case, if mommy dearest lives nearby, you have no excuses.

-- Brian Bernbaum

It's that time of year again folks: This Saturday, May 10, marks the 15th Annual KFOG KaBoom! Get ready to wait in long lines, drink tons of beer out of plastic cups, listen to music, and (if you're still cognizant by the time the sun goes down) watch a huge fireworks display synchronized to loud rock 'n' roll. What could possibly be better on a Saturday?

Well, if you prefer your booze in a glass and your munchies a little more upscale (no offense hot dogs, I still love you), then you'll want to check out Waterbar Restaurant's KaBoom party. For $65 a pop, you can chow down on a ton of hors d' oeuvres and partake from a full cash bar while watching the festivities from the chic comfort of Waterbar's digs. Billed as the best spot in town for the fireworks, the party runs from 7 to 10 p.m. and the menu includes oysters on the half shell, prawn cocktail, pizza, gougere sandwiches, artichoke crab crostini (told you it was upscale), risotto fritters, salt cod fritters, gravlax, ceviches, tartare, and mini-meatballs. For tickets visit www.waterbarsf.com.

-- Brian Bernbaum

San Francisco's latest addition to the world of upscale yet laid-back Italian dining comes in the form of Uva Enoteca (568 Haight at Steiner) in the Lower Haight, which, despite being open only a few weeks, is quickly gathering a roster of loyal regulars. "We've been full since we've been open; a lot of neighborhood people are coming back multiple times," says owner Boris Nemchenok, who explains the inspiration for his new restaurant thusly: "[New York City's] Inoteca was part of it. But we all love Italian culture in general; the wine, the food, the way the dining experience is at enotecas in general. For us, it's all about finding that middle ground between a restaurant and a wine bar. People can come in, have a bottle of wine, eat some cheese. It's a really casual environment, but we're still very serious about the food and wine experience. It's something we wanted to bring to San Francisco." Nemchenok's menu favorites include the caponata ($4.50) and the Umbrian salumi from Napa's own Fatted Calf ($8).

Packing more than 100 different dishes, many of them exotic Sichuan specialties, into at least five different menus, Zone 88 (2428 San Bruno at Silver) in the Portola District is quickly gaining citywide attention as a place where even the most finicky Chinese foodhounds can find that special something. SF Weekly's Robert Lauriston headed straight for the infamously spicy Sichuan hot pot ($9.95-$16.95), a cook-it-yourself dish good for large groups. The adventurous gourmand won't want to miss the dry fried pig intestine tossed with chiles, scallions, garlic, and ginger, or the similarly prepared spicy tea-smoked duck ($8.95). Check out Lauriston’s full rundown in the latest issue of SF Weekly, on newsstands today.

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Anyone been to SF's Asian Art Museum recently? Chinese artist Zhan Wang apparently has a fascinating stainless steel rendition of our fair city - made entirely of kitchenware:

Wang's exhibit will be on display until May 25. More photos here.

Hat Tip to David Pescovitz at Boing Boing. --Janine Kahn

The Mission's newest nod to upscale gastro-pubbiness, Monk's Kettle (3141 16th St) has provided a welcomed (to some) dash of sophistication to that crazy stretch of 16th Street between Guerrero and South Van Ness often referred to as the heart of the Mission. They certainly know their beer at Monk's Kettle. Pictured above is my personal favorite of the five or so draft brews I tried: Honey Bunny Blonde Ale out of Iron Springs Brewey. But do the hoity-toity munchies hold up as well as the beer?

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Monday getting you down already? Not to worry. Tomorrow night's Argyle Wine Dinner at Silks Restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (222 Sansome at Pine) should help you loosen the workweek bolts a little. Hosted by Chris Cullina of Oregon's Argyle Winery with a special five-course menu prepared by Silk's Chef de Cuisine Joel Huff, this promises to be a highly refined, vino-fueled evening of merrymaking. And who couldn't use something like that to help get the week off to a good start? 7:00 p.m.; $150 per person. For reservations call 276-9787.

-- Brian Bernbaum

Drag queens, pizza, and charity: sounds like a good time right? The first Tuesday of every month Thick & Thin Pizza (3600 16th St) -- located in the Lookout bar -- teams up with the highly decorated (pun intended) reigning Miss Gay SF and Miss Desperate Diva, the one and only BeBe Sweetbriar in an event called Dining For Drag. Miss Sweetbriar brings along her lovely regimen of drag sisters to help wait tables and perform, with fifteen percent of the evening's sales going to a different charity each month. The next Dining For Drag event happens this Tuesday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m.

photo courtesy/www.myspace.com/bebesweetbriar

-- Brian Bernbaum

SEXISM rears its foodie head -- moms get foofoo desserts, dads get crispy-beer-battered onion rings with roast green chile sauce. It may be an "unprecedented move in its 43-year-history" (Read: the recession hits T.G.I. Friday's), but the underlying message is as old as the hills.

Full press release behind the cut. --Meredith Brody

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Everybody has their own favorite Vietnamese joint. Mine happens to be Sunflower Restaurant (3111 16th Street) in the Mission, partially because it's within walking distance and cheapish and partially because it's damn tasty. So what's their secret? As regulars know, most if not all of Sunflower's food is great, but there's one particular dish that's so consistently mouthwatering that it cannot be denied its rightful place in the pantheon of San Francisco's greatest hits: behold the Vietnamese Crepe (Banh Xeo).

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Did you know that the San Francisco By Area leads the nation in the number of certified green restaurants (more than 100) in any metropolitan area? Some are no-brainers like Cafe Gratitude and Chez Panisse, but who would have thought a booze-soaked near dive like Blondie's Bar and a local mixologist hangout like Elixir would be on the green bandwagon too? Part of the greening effort has been lead by the non-profit Thimmakka, a group that does outreach work in the area, and currently they're leading the first ever Green Restaurant Contest. Who's the Greenest of Them All? asks people (and restaurants themselves) to nominate local eateries that are pushing the environmental envelope. Anyone can participate and the contest runs until May 31. Winners in 15 different categories will be announced June 24, after being judged by a panel of specialists. So if you think you know a place worthy of the green designation, head on over to the website and do some nominating, pronto.

-- Brian Bernbaum

It's not just the high price of gas (and milk, and bread) that's giving us gas. I always cringe when Michael Pollan tells us, gravely, that food should cost more than it does (so that it can be grown and raised sustainably). What a riot! But now even spoiled self-indulgent foodies are feeling the pinch. --Meredith Brody

Photo credit: Slate