You'll find these in your GothamBox.

​We told you about Ourtisan last year, and they've been busy since then. The service that prides itself on putting consumers in touch with their favorite local brands recently launched their GothamBox program. The GothamBox is a grab bag membership thing, where a curated box of goodies -- think chocolates, bread, bagels, coffee and tea -- is delivered to your front door every month. It's $20 a month, shipping is included, and you can cancel anytime.

Ourtisan main man, Jonathan Chin, let's us know that they'll be sending two to three items in each box. They'll include more well-known brands such as TCHO chocolate and Boudin Bread, as well as some smaller independent brands like Nana Joes granola and Josey Baker Bread. Chin says, "GothamBox is perfect for people who have moved away from their hometowns and would still like to stay connected to their cities or 'Gothams.'" We'd also argue that it's perfect for lazy San Franciscans who enjoy having local foods delivered directly to their faces.

Even cooler, Ourtisan will donate a meal for every subscription or gift to help end hunger in San Francisco. They also launched in New York City and Detroit, if you're interested in getting treats from those cities.

​If you win their contest, that is. The Rooster Design Group is pitting San Francisco against New York City and hoping the best city wins. If you win, you'll get help with identity, logo application, package design, a website holding page, plus retail opportunities at swanky digs like Bi-Rite, Whole Foods, and more. Can you imagine? Your spiced pickled okra in homemade mason jars next to the other spiced pickled products in homemade mason jars at Bi-Rite? We can -- you deserve this.

So, a San Franciscan totally have to win this, right? Right.

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Is Hodo's mind-blowing yuba next?

​Today, Hodo Soy Beanery sent the first shipment of their stellar tofu to Bay Area Costcos. We wonder, is this the first company that's in the Ferry Building that will also be at Costco? Will we see a continued trend of local gourmet foods available by the discount dozens? What other wonders does our neighborhood Costco hold? Field trip?

If the tofu sell well, Hodo hopes that Costco will increase its range of products, as well as start carrying the tofu in stores outside of the Bay. Right now, it's on trial, based on the sales of the first shipments. 

This makes life even more confusing for foodies: Am I a better person for going to Costco and supporting Hodo, or am I a better person for eschewing Costco and supporting local businesses and reasonable quantities? Such delicious dilemmas!

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Yelp/Tamara R.

The guys.

​2012 appears to be the year of Bernal Supper Club. Craving a location in Bernal Heights, the BSC crew recently relocated from their spot at Winemakers Speakeasy to Caffe Cozzolino. Makes sense, seeing as they're the Bernal Supper Club. More >>

​Although Juhu Beach Club, the Indian food pop-up from Top Chef alum Preeti Mistry, stopped serving lunch this fall, Mistry's relaunching it as a series of dinners at La Victoria Bakery this week -- in preparation for opening her own restaurant in the Mission sometime this year.

Mistry says, "This is not some fine dining Indian mash-up, just plain, good, totally-not-traditional Indian food. It will be unapologetically spicy, saucy, and full of love." (Also: vegetarian-friendly.) Highlights from Juhu Beach Club's menu this Thursday: dahi puri, vada chaat, mung ne dal, and pav bhaji, an old favorite from her lunch service.

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celesteh

​Slow food lovers, watch your back.

McDonald's, the clown-headed conglomerate that's responsible for tricking the world's children into adult-onset Diabetes, has released a new video touting its farm-to-table ethics. It is so awesome!

Seriously, watch this insane video and then let's discuss.

Holy shit.

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San Francisco, you've been cut off.

​Sad-ish news: Hooters, and its shorty-short-wearing waitresses, is leaving San Francisco, SFist reported yesterday. The national chain will be closing up its only location in the city -- at Jefferson and Leavenworth in the Fisherman's Wharf -- on December 21.

It's fair to mull over the reasons why Hooters might leave a high-traffic tourist spot in San Francisco. Do we have too many gays? (We do like to check out Hooters, but rarely become regulars.) Too much class? (Have you been to the Wharf recently?)

Maybe the girls are just retreating to comfort of the outer 'burbs, where Hooters has three other locations. There's only one Hooters in Manhattan, for instance -- the rest of the locations are out in New Jersey and Westchester. Central Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami all have a couple, ringed by many more branches in the periphery, and Bostonites, Philadelphians, and Seattleites all have to travel out of the city to order wings.

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​This weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that approximately 2,290 pounds of a chorizo sausage product is being recalled.

Gilroy's Silva Sausage Co. is recalling approximately 2,290 pounds of it because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. You see, the product contains wheat, a known allergen, which is not noted on the label. I know all the gluten-free yoga moms who stock up on chorizo in the Mission just freaked. Nobody's complained so far, but if you're eating chorizo and have a wheat allergy, those frequent bathroom visits might be about more than the fact that you're eating hella spicy pig parts.

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​Sarah Henkin, CUESA's market chef in charge of coordinating their Market to Table and Lunch and Learn programs, as well as other culinary events, is moving on to a new restaurant-shop. The venture, Square Meals, shares a combined space with Batter Bakery at 2127 Polk.

They had a soft brunch opening last weekend and opened permanently on Monday. Henkin herself starts cooking there next Monday, Dec. 12. The other cooks currently holding down the fort are Alison Clement, who's also the owner, and Jared Bene, formerly of Maverick and Citizen's Band.

As for the food? Henkin says, "think delicious and mostly healthy food for take-away, eat-in, or delivery." There's a weekly rotating menu of about 20 items with daily hot lunch and dinner specials. Salads, grain dishes, main dishes like meatloaf, lasagna, marinated/grilled steak, roasted chicken, and fresh fish.

Hella Vegan Eats Sylvee and Tiffany Esquivel.

​Hella Vegan Eats has already been up and running in the S.F. Bay Area for awhile. In fact, just this last weekend they were at a Shop Oakland event, serving up Navajo Fry Bread, Orzo with Butternut Squash "Cheddar," Cranberries and Shaved Brussels Sprouts, and the most delectable apple fritters we've ever tasted. Obviously, owners Sylvee and Tiffany Esquivel are an extremely talented duo who want to share their food with Bay Area, and beyond. That's where La Cocina's Incubator program comes in. The year-long program is basically a crash-course in owning and operating your own sustainable food business. They accept very few applicants, but once you're in, it's a one-stop shop for food success.

What exactly does that mean?

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