Anna Roth

An outpouring of love for the farm on the sidewalk at Fell and Laguna.

A few months ago the news broke that Hayes Valley Farm, the great urban ag experiment on the old Embarcadero Freeway on- and off-ramps, is closing its gates by June 1 to make way for a 182-unit apartment complex (and before you get too outraged, remember that this was the original deal the farm made with the city -- to use the space until it was developed). Anyway, before the farm closes it's having one last party, and it sounds like it'll be a great time.

See also: Hayes Valley Farm to Close by June 1
What's Happening at Hayes Valley Farm?

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Pete Kane

Lunchpad's Turkey Drizzle sandwich.

When you think "noir" and "lunch," what comes to mind might be two crooks plotting a heist over ten-cent coffee in a greasy spoon somewhere.

That's changing at Hayes Valley's relatively new arrival, Noir Lounge -- which occupies the former Frjtz. As a wine bar that opens mid-afternoon, looking to ensnare the theater crowd, Noir opted to fill the noontime gap with The Lunchpad, a sandwich-heavy weekday pop-up.

See also: Noir Lounge in Hayes Valley is Open and Showing the Giants Game Tonight

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Josh Leskar

Parker Vaughan was simply flipping his signature patties at the company picnic when the employees decided to give it a whirl back at work.

After all, hamburgers find their origins in Hamburg, Germany.

Now, Biergarten brings burgers beside beer and brats on Wednesdays, and Thursdays if they don't sell out. For $12, you can sink your teeth into a 100% grass fed, half-pound Prather Ranch patty with toppings that vary weekly. Some recent combinations have included caper aioli, bacon, caramelized onions, house pickles and little gems, as well as feta aioli, caramelized fennel and pickled shallots.

See also: Meal For Every Mood: Hayes Valley

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Wikimedia Commons

Hayes Street in Hayes Valley, looking west.

Hayes Valley is known for its quirky shops and quaint vibe, but sometimes your appetite, morning, noon or night, just doesn't match the stereotypically posh scene. Luckily, there are plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, snacking, dinner and drinking -- no matter what mood you're in when you arrive.

Morning Beverage
Hipster: Café La Vie (514 Octavia)
A small space few outside the hood have heard of, this tiny snack bar has coffee, a communal table for six, and little else.
Luxurious: Blue Bottle Kiosk or Rutial Proxy (315 Linden, 464 Octavia)
With outside seating and standing only, these are best for your grab-and-go caffeine fix when you have places to be on a chilly morning.
Zen: Taste Tea (535 Octavia)
Coming from or going to yoga? Need to center yourself? Kick off your shoes and relax on cushioned seats as you are treated to traditional tea therapy.

See also: Two Sisters Bar and Books: Small Plates, Big Ambiance
Hayes Valley Bakeworks: Baking for Good
Lers Ros Hayes Valley: Stylish Thai Taste Travels Uptown

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Schulzies Bread Pudding

After long last (like, nearly a year), it's looking like Schulzies Bread Pudding is finally about to open in Hayes Valley. The bread pudding has gotten rave reviews down in L.A. where Sarah Schulz operates a bread pudding stand in Venice, but this is the first Bay Area location and the strongest iteration of Schulz's vision: to open a "pudding parlor" based on the same model as an ice cream parlor. Meaning that most of her rotating 108+ bread pudding flavors are served chilled in a gelato-like case, scooped out with an ice cream scoop, and topped with delicious things like chocolate and caramel sauce, fresh berries, crumbled cookies, and more.

See also:
- Apple Fritters at Uncle Benny's Are Crazy Addictive
- Almanac Pairs with Dandelion Chocolate For New Biere de Chocolat
- Hooker's Sweet Treats Seduces With Caramel Ménage À Trois

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Arlequin Wine Champagne Tasting
Where: Arlequin Wine Merchant, 384 Hayes (at Gough), 863-1104
When: Thurs., Dec. 6th; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Cost: $65 per person; pay at the door

The Rundown: We love our booze. Cocktails? Certainly. Wine? Uh huh. Beer? Sure. While we enjoy all those equally, it's sparkling wine we love the most. It has versatility, variety, bubbles, pairs well with most food, and you can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you were stuck on a desert isle, and you had a stash of sparkling wine, you'd just call it vacation.

See Also:
- Is Your Champagne Unworthy of a Toast? Turn It into Cocktails
- New Champagnes by Moët & Chandon

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Lou Bustamante

There I was, a full hour into my drive from the North-East Bay to San Francisco, and I wasn't even on the Bay Bridge yet. I was sitting in traffic purgatory for having forgotten that 49ers were playing at Candlestick for Monday Night Football, and for the serious miscalculation of the number of early Thanksgiving travelers that would be on the road to the airports. Passing by an almost comedic number of stalled cars (I counted five on the bridge alone), it was another hour plus before I finally arrived to meet my group at Smuggler's Cove. I've never needed a cocktail more in my life.

See Also: Triumvirate Rum: Customer Appreciation You Can Sip
Bouncer Explores the Familiar Charms of Smuggler's Cove, a Tiki Bar
Drink of the Week: The Orient at Michael Mina

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Kate Dessa

Sushi Zone is one of San Francisco's hidden gems. Located on an alley off Market Street on the edge of Hayes Valley, the tiny restaurant holds only two booths and eight bar stools. The owner, who goes by "Ao," mans the raw sushi bar six nights a week, rolling up some of the freshest sushi and maki rolls for the price point. But the rolls aren't the only thing that draw the crowds.

See Also:
- SO in SOMA Brings the Heat
- Shabuway's Answer to Arnold Palmer: Half and Half Hot Pot
- Shanghai Tries to Break a Restaurant Curse

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Flickr/Dinner Series

Tonight's festivities include a fantastic sounding food truck event (bring warms clothes!), a vodka dinner, classic Cuban cocktails, and sexy secretaries making cocktails. No, it doesn't get better than this.

Be aware: There's a Giants home game tonight at 7:15pm, Howard street is closed between 3rd and 4th, and the Dreamforce conference starts today, so make your driving and parking plans appropriately.

See Also:
- SF Cocktail Week 2012 Arrives -- Gird Your Livers!

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Tamara Palmer

Rich Table's sardine chips with whipped horseradish creme fraiche and pepper cress.

Rich Table might want to patent the idea of infusing healthy Omega 3 fatty acids into one of America's favorite junk food indulgences. Sardine chips ($7) make for a good starter snack for dinner or a smart counterbalance to a drink at the restaurant's bar.

Two slits are made in round slices of potato, a sardine is placed through the slits, and the whole bundle is deep fried to a crisp that's heavier than Lay's but lighter than a kettle chip. In concert with a whipped horseradish crème fraîche for dunking, it delivers fierce doses of umami and salt that real chip junkies crave.

There are other dishes to recommend at this new restaurant, which has been open for about four weeks, but the mercurial nature of the menu means that nothing sticks around for long. Handmade pastas, salads, and main courses showcase simple but novel flavor combinations that work, as the sardine chips vividly illustrates.

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