San Francisco Food Blog

Cupkates Bakery

Kate McEachern (in truck) is continuing to sell, despite having been told she's violating the law.

​Cupkates mobile cupcake vendor Kate McEachern told SFoodie she's still waiting to hear from Berkeley city officials about her dispute over where she's legally allowed to sell. Last Friday, a code enforcement officer told McEachern she was violating the law for selling from metered parking spaces, something McEachern said the city had allowed her to do since Cupkates launched in August.

On Wednesday, we reported that the vendor was unable to speak with an assistant city manager about what McEachern charges is Berkeley's about-face. Last night, Councilmember Kriss Worthington called McEachern, and said he'd try to get the issue resolved with City Manager Phil Kamlarz. It's unclear whether she'll be allowed to attend the meeting that might or might not take place Monday.

In the meantime, McEachern has been continuing to sell from the very metered parking spaces she was told last week were off limits to mobile vendors. "I am still operating as usual, out of financial necessity," McEachern told SFoodie. Earlier this week, she informed the offices of both the city manager and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates that she'd be selling along her usual route. Since then, no code enforcement or other officer has approached her.

T. Palmer

Potential buyers can snack on muffins and chai.

​Call it the final chapter in the saga of Murat Celebi-Ariner, the street-food vendor deported to France last week after being picked up for overstaying a visa waiver. Last night, Celebi-Ariner's wife, Pelin, announced a liquidation sale of the couple's belongings at their Mission District apartment this Saturday.

In an e-mail to supporters, she said, "Home is where the heart is. Thus, this home must change hands, along with everything in it." Celebi-Ariner promised complimentary muffins and chai -- Amuse Bouche staples -- and unspecified memorabilia. She told SFoodie she's leaving for France next week on a short-stay visa, but would apply for permanent status once in the country.

As for Murat, Celebi-Ariner said he was okay, but adjusting to life back in France. "He's still kind of dealing with the trauma of what he went through," she said.

T. Palmer

Spanish tortillas from Barcelona LaBona

​Outside In, a weatherproof street food party taking place indoors, seeks to unite traditional vendors with the new-school Twitter-powered posse.

Non-tweeting Mission vendors like Javi's Elotes (Mexican corn), Deja Vu gorditas and bacon-wrapped hot dogs, Peace Meals (Thai food), and Kike on a Bike are expected alongside Twitter-powered carts including Barcelona LaBona, Evil Jerk Cart, Adobo Hobo, That Guy's Fries, Brazilian Bites, Wholesome Bakery, Soul Cocina, Bacon Potato Chips, Chile Lindo, Smitten Ice Cream, Creme Brulee Cart and more. DJs such as EKG, Fausto Sousa, Rajah, Selector Ben, Yummy Melon, Chief Boima, and, in the spirit of full disclosure, this blogger will spin a palette of hip-hop and world-wise beats. There'll also be live performances from local artists including the Genie (scratch guitar god), Fossil Fool and the Gang (bike-powered rap), and Mucho Axe (South American grooves). The party takes place this Saturday, Nov. 21, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Baobab Village (3388 19th St. at Mission). Admission is $5.

Cupkates

Cupkates suspects Berkeley of changing the rules for selling in commercial zones.

​UPDATE: Cyrus Farivar of the California Taco Trucks blog got a comment from chief of staff to Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, who cited the specific ordinance Cupkates violated. Read Farivar's post here.

When Kate McEachern decided to become a mobile street-food vendor in the city of Berkeley, she was determined to do it right. Write a business plan, get all the necessary licenses and permits. She even bought an old taco truck and spent the money to have it customized. McEachern says she submitted a route map to the city, and was instructed by a code enforcement officer she'd be allowed to sell from metered parking spaces.

And while that's exactly how McEachern has been selling her Cupkates cupcakes since August, it all came to a screeching halt Friday, when McEachern says the same code enforcement officer told her she was violating the law. By e-mail, McEachern told us the officer said that "according to a city municipal code‹it is illegal to vend from a metered parking space and that I was to shut down immediately or be issued a $500 citation. I showed him my permits and documentation and referenced our earlier conversation, but he insisted I close."

McEachern said she got conflicting information from two Berkeley city departments Monday: one told her her permit is still valid, the other confirmed that she was, indeed, in violation of the municipal code. Yesterday, the Cupkates vendor was hoping a deputy city manager would meet with her, but that didn't happen, and McEachern said she was escorted out of City Hall by police officers.

thecorkdork.wordpress.com

​The upcoming workshop "How to Sell from a Mobile Unit (Legally!) in the Bay Area" hopes to dish out the 411 needed to hawk food on wheels.

Local business incubator La Cocina will break down the daunting and morphing but potentially doable path to running a food truck or mobile cart business. The discussion will include Matt Cohen, who recently relaunched his street-food aggregating site into a broader resource for vendors and the public called SF Cart Project, and yet-to-be-named city reps.

The mobile food business will be demystified on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. at La Cocina (2948 Folsom at 25th St.). General admission is $25 (free to La Cocina program participants and clients of partner organizations, $15 for commercial users); RSVP if you're going to attend.

The building owner is hoping for a late December opening.

​The owner of a planned food marketplace in Bernal Heights says she's signed leases with five vendors, and is currently searching for a sixth. Debra Resnik told SFoodie the as-yet unnamed market at 331 Cortland (at Bennington) should be open by the end of December, barring unforeseen delays.

The vendors who've signed year-long leases are Della Terra Organic Produce, Bernal Cutlery, Paulie's Pickling, El Porteño Empanadas, and Wholesome Bakery. As Tamara Palmer reported early last month, baked goods vendor Amuse Bouche was supposed to be a tenant, but owner Murat Celebi-Ariner was recently detained (and subsequently deported) for overstaying a visa waiver.

Reznik, who's owned the building for a year, said the idea for the market grew out of both her love for the Ferry Building Marketplace and her volunteer work with micro-business incubator La Cocina. "It's been a dream, ever since Ferry Plaza opened," Reznik said. "I always thought that it would be great to do this on a local level, to include vendors who aren't so affluent, but who'd be able to come in on a grassroots level."

The 1,000-square-foot space will have individual vendor kiosks, but no seating. As for finding a baker to take the place of Amuse Bouche, Reznik said she was happy to have signed Wholesome. "But no one can ever replace Murat," she said. "The energy that he and [his wife] Pelin brought to this project was just amazing."

T. Palmer

The name is humorous, but the food is serious.

​When we first heard of an Israeli street food dude that calls himself Kike on a Bike a few weeks ago, we thought it was a joke -- the kind of inappropriate joke that we, as a member of the tribe, actually appreciate.

T. Palmer

Chef Feely's workshop.

​Roger Feely, a culinary instructor, DJ, and street-food purveyor -- all under the Soul Cocina banner -- will be the guest chef for a dinner event called Localize, with ingredients sourced from the Bay Area and ideas inspired by Feely's cooking and spice studies in India.

Highlights of the menu include kachori with Van Mourik Nut Farm almonds and Catalan Family Farm pumpkin, naan made from Sour Flour sourdough, curried Marin Sun Farms goat, and red walnut cake, with nuts from Alemany Market Nut Stand. This soulful edition of Localize takes place Monday, Nov. 23, 6:30-10 p.m., at Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant (330 First St. at Guy). Tickets for the dinner and pairing with Roederer Estate wines are $88; $64 without the wine. As of this posting, there were 33 dinner-with-wine tickets available, two for dinner only. Scoop them up at Eventbrite.

T. Palmer

Smitten Ice Cream debuts its quince streusel flavor today.

​There are ample opportunities to check out some food cart-and-truck action in San Francisco today, whether the hankering is for lunch or dinner. Sam's Chowder Mobile of Half Moon Bay, rarely in S.F. (but still working on building a dedicated city van), will be parked at 500 Terry Francois (at Mission Bay Blvd. N.) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Go early for a crack at the item that sells out first, the fantastically buttery lobster roll. There will also be food carts in South Park at 11:30 until they sell out. Look out for Gumbo Cart, Adobo Hobo, Wholesome Bakery, and Brazilian Bites.

Digest for a couple of hours, then head to Alabama between 21st and 22nd Streets from 4 to 6 p.m. for PizzaHacker (offering a new sourdough crust from Sour Flour, with Glaum Ranch eggs on top), Smitten Ice Cream (debuting the new quince streusel flavor), Soul Cocina, and Sweet Constructions.

After that, it'll be time for Street Food Fridays at Fabric8 (3318 22nd St. at Valencia), which takes place from 6 p.m. until the food runs out. Fill up on seconds from PizzaHacker and Soul Cocina, as well as Bacon Potato Chips, Gobba Gobba Hey, and the Crème Brûlée Cart.

TGIF!

CaliforniaTacoTrucks.com

Curry Up Now: Poaching from established merchants?

​In September, the Peninsula city of Burlingame got a spicy taste of taco-truck Indian food via Curry Up Now. But according to a story in the San Mateo County Times, the truck is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of some of the city's brick-and-mortar merchants, who think it has no place in Burlingame's affluent downtown and want it gone. The Times' Mike Rosenberg reports that owners Akash and Rana Kapoor are complying with a police request to move the Curry Up Now truck 500 feet every 30 minutes.

"The appearance of the new Curry Up Now food truck in downtown Burlingame ... has irked some restaurateurs and business leaders who pay high rents in the area," Rosenberg writes. "City officials and police, meanwhile, have begun fielding complaints and investigating the legality and rules surrounding lunch trucks, and they may ask the owner to move to an industrial area near the Bay."

The Kapoors argue they're not stealing business away from anybody. Rosenberg reports that Akash Kapoor reckons some 20 to 30 percent of diners come from dozens of miles away -- visitors who are likely to patronize Burlingame's brick and mortar shops. Customers can keep up with Curry Up Now's shifting whereabouts through tweets, some that list its GPS coordinates.

A planned meeting with city officials, business leaders, and the Kapoors might result in Curry Up Now having to move out of downtown. Read an interview with Akash Kapoor from early October on Cyrus Farivar's California Taco Trucks blog.

lynzH/Flickr

Street-food vendors show support for Murat at an event at 111 Minna Oct. 29.

​Amuse Bouche vendor Murat Celebi-Ariner is being removed from the U.S. tomorrow, according to an e-mail message from his wife, Pelin. The French national -- detained by the Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency since Oct. 28 for overstaying his visa waiver -- is returning to Paris after exhausting any last hope of reversing his removal order. Celebi-Ariner's wife sent this letter to media and supporters late last night:

Dear Friends,
It is now final: Murat will be leaving the country on Thursday, November 12th. Our request for deferred action was denied, and even though we filed our green card application it did not bring about a reversal in ICE's decision to deport him. Murat and I considered delaying the process further to see if he could make his way in front of a judge but decided that the disadvantages (mostly his continuing internment and the suffering it has caused to ourselves and our families) is not worth the gamble. So, I bought his plane ticket today.
As you might imagine we are filled with mixed emotions. It is a shame that Murat is being treated like a criminal and that the life we have built in San Francisco is coming to such an abrupt end. At the same time, we are infinitely glad that he will have his freedom back and that our families, and a whole new life awaits us in France. We are also very thankful for ALL the love and support you have shown us during this difficult time. I will never forget the t-shirts, the good wishes, the many many offers of legal, financial and emotional assistance. I know that once Murat is back in France and reads all of his emails he will have things to say of his own, so I am leaving it at that.
Love and blessings to you all,
Pelin Celebi-Ariner

Really? The same old turkey stuffing you always bust out, with frankly mixed results? Consider going multiculti this year, with turkey and mole from street-food vendor El Huarache Loco. Huarache owner Veronica Salazar told SFoodie she'll start taking orders for holiday birds this weekend at the Alemany farmers' market. You can get your turkey raw or roasted, with organic, chocolate-spiked mole on the side.

Lady Jake/Flickr

Please -- not the gummy cornbread stuffing again.

​The sauce is a family recipe (Salazar is from Mexico City). Or you can get your bird adobado: stuffed with ground beef, potato, and almonds, roasted with wine, and topped with pineapple. Salazar plans to offer other holiday items as well (Thanksgiving as well as Christmas) with dishes like an elaborate Mexican salad of beets, carrots, fruits, and a dressing sweetened with sugarcane juice. Check her Twitter page for news about a holiday menu item tasting at Alemany.

As for how big a turkey you'll be able to order, Salazar said it depends. She can get a 40 pound beast, or a svelte 20-pounder that serves eight to 10. "The big one is for Mexicans," Salazar said, "because we always have so much family over."

Customers will be able to pick up holiday orders Wednesday, Nov. 25, or Thanksgiving morning (Thursday, Nov. 26), in the Mission at La Cocina (2948 Folsom at 25th St.).

Meredith Brody

Anthony Myint (left) and Brian Kimball

​Missed last month's panel discussion on street food at the Commonwealth Club? No worries -- audio is now available. To refresh: On Oct. 29, SFoodie contributor Tamara Palmer moderated The Street Food Movement: SF Hearts the Cart, a discussion about the challenges of selling street food in San Francisco, with Charles Phan (The Slanted Door, Out the Door), Steven Gdula (Gobba Gobba Hey), Anthony Myint (Misison Street Food), and Brian Kimball (Magic Curry Kart). A tasting at 111 Minna followed, emotionally charged by the recent detention of Amuse Bouche vendor Murat Celebi-Ariner. Listen here.

fabsugar.com

Baggu is a street-food lover's friend.

​It's taken more than a few days and nights of less-than-strategic gluttony for SFoodie to develop a good system for successfully pigging out at the food carts, which tend to congregate in groups. But we've learned a few tips along the way that can enhance your experience. Check out these five items you might want to bring with you:

5. A Twitter-enabled portable device is a life-saver for those times when you show up and there's only tumbleweeds where you expected cheesecake or curry. Our local vendors are pretty good about being where they say they'll be, but plans do sometimes change once out in the field and Twitter will often help guide you to the correct place. 

4. An empty bag is helpful for carrying extras. When it comes to some of the more novel offerings out there -- like, say, the bacon potato chips -- we've often been tempted to buy an extra for a friend who isn't there to enjoy. We're partial to Baggu, which folds easily into a small square that you can slip into your other bag or pocket.

3. You'll never be unhappy packing a beverage; besides Urbanectar, The Chai Cart, occasional libations from Soul Cocina, or drinks served on trucks, there aren't a lot of vendors offering liquids out there

Starting Nov. 17, street vendor Tacolicious is taking over its restaurant sister Laïola (2031 Chestnut at Fillmore) on a weekly basis. Spokeswoman Kelly Walsh told SFoodie Tacolicious Tuesdays will offer a slightly expanded version of the vendor's Thursday Ferry Plaza menu: four tacos (including a new rock cod specimen), chips, salsa, grilled corn, and a few salads, plus Mexican beers and margaritas from the Laïola bar.

plucchesi/Flickr

Tacolicious is movin' on up.

​Tacolicious tried out the Laïola takeover Oct. 19. But the taco-maker's bust-out doesn't stop there. Monday marked the debut of Tacolicious at Monday Night Snackdown, TV football night at Bloodhound (1145 Folsom at Langton) -- it'll be alternating with Pizza Politana through the end of NFL season. Tacolicious' next Snackdown is Nov. 16. "It was a cool success," Walsh said of the Monday Night Football launch. "Guys just kept coming back for more tacos." We bet.

Photo via SFist

French national Murat Celebi-Ariner will be deported on the next available flight.

​The attorney for Murat Celebi-Ariner said his client's Deferral of Action request was denied late last night, meaning the street-food vendor will be deported to France. Randall Caudle said he received confirmation a few hours ago from the Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency (ICE) that Celebi-Ariner would be removed to France as soon as a contracted flight becomes available, most likely in the next week or two. Celebi-Ariner -- proprietor of the Amuse Bouche street-food business -- was picked up by ICE agents on Oct. 28 for overstaying his visa waiver.

"They said he can file for legal permanent residence here, but he'd have to do that through the embassy in France," Caudle said. To do that, he said, Celebi-Ariner would have to get a waiver of his removal order, which Caudle suggested is very difficult to do. Most likely, Celebi-Ariner would have to wait five years before requesting a change in his citizenship status to return to the U.S. Celebi-Ariner, 37, married a U.S. citizen in August, two months after his visa waiver expired.

Celebi-Ariner's wife, Pelin, told SFoodie that, despite the news, the couple still plans to file for a green card tomorrow. "We're hoping it will invite them to reconsider their decision," said Pelin Celebi-Ariner, who indicated she's received conflicting advice from various immigration attorneys (Caudle, her own attorney, thinks the green card filing is unlikely to sway ICE). Still, though it's something of a hail Mary pass, Pelin Celebi-Ariner said it was worth a try. "We have nothing else to lose because they've already decided to deport him," she said.

T. Palmer

PizzaHacker is on today's street-food lunch menu.

​Food cart excitement comes to China Basin from noon to 2 p.m. today in front of Little Skillet (360 Ritch at Townsend). Your options for today include gourmet FrankenWeber-fired pizza from PizzaHacker, homemade Spanish tortilla (the potato omelet kind) from newer vendor Barcelonalabona, rich and freshly mixed ice cream from Smitten, and Little Skillet's usual fare (chicken and waffles, po' boys, etc.).

Food Network

Boitano: Grazing the curb.

​The answer to what would Brian Boitano make is about to get a whole lot streetier. A location scout for Food Network told SFoodie she plans to show up at street-food events over the next few days to find food-cart vendors to appear on-camera and "inspire" the ex-Olympic figure skater in an upcoming episode of his slightly campy cooking show, What Would Brian Boitano Make? The scout told SFoodie she's been talking to Jeff of PizzaHacker to find likely vendors for the show -- about 10 in all. The script calls for Boitano to sort of stumble on the street-food vendors, then rush back home to his S.F. kitchen to whip out, say, a bit of crème brulée. Adobo, maybe. Gobs? The show is scheduled for taping in late November or early December (no word when it'll air). WWBBM? premiered Aug. 29 - there've been a total of four episodes. Our suggestion to the Food Network producers? Since the street-food experience is so much about, well, the street, maybe the script should include Boitano becoming an unlicensed street-food vendor for a weekend, donning a chef's toque, Magic Curry-style, and hitting Mission Pool. Just an idea.

​The attorney for Murat Celebi-Ariner reported no action today in the case of the Amuse Bouche street-food vendor, who was detained last week for a visa waiver overstay. Sasn Francisco immigration attorney Randall Caudle said his client had been expected to have his case reviewed today, when the assigned Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officer in the case was back at work. Late last week, deportation seemed all but inevitable for the French national. But Caudle speculated that the Deferral of Action Request he filed last Thursday -- combined with a flurry of local media coverage -- probably elevated any decision about Celebi-Ariner's case to what he described as "way above the local level." Caudle said there was no telling when ICE was likely to decide the fate of the street vendor. "It could be today, it could yet be a while," he said.

Caudle also said Celebi-Ariner planned to apply for a green card this afternoon.

djrajah/Flickr

Soul Cocina's Roger Feely: He'll totally be there.

​Ready to go all massive (food-wise) for Halloween? Hit up 360 Ritch (at Townsend) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow for food, piñatas, and other tasty treats. It's being billed as a family-friendly event -- Halloween costumes are encouraged. Street-cart food will be presented by Little Skillet, Wholesome Bakery, Smitten Ice Cream (you may be smitten by how attractive these ladies are!), freshly launched Evil Jerk Cart, Lumpia Cart, Gumbo Cart, Toasty Melts, Soul Cocina, and Cookie Wag. Treats are promised, and the trick may be finding a costume that has a loose enough waistband.

m. Brody

Mission Street Food's Anthony Myint (left) with Magic Curry Kart's Brian Kimball.

​A full house celebrated San Francisco's street-food scene at last night's panel discussion at the Commonwealth Club, The Street Food Movement: SF Hearts the Cart, moderated by SFoodie blogger Tamara Palmer. In fact, a number of the 250 in attendance were so inflamed by the prospect of sampling street-food wares at a companion tasting at nearby gallery space 111 Minna., they cut out of the auditorium early to go stand in line for treats.

m. Brody

Charles Phan: Thinking about production is key.

​We were among the stalwarts who stayed to the end of the Q&A session, which -- predictably -- ended with the hopeful Q, "Any brilliant ideas for carts?" Brian Kimball of Magic Curry Kart, who's working towards becoming a licensed psychotherapist, responded, "Make what you're good at." The Slanted Door's Charles Phan, in his role as elder statesman and practical guy, said, "You have to think about time and salability. Production is really important."

The four panelists were collegial but wildly different. Soft-spoken professional cook Anthony Myint of Mission Burger and Mission Street Food was serious about making charitable donations (in his case, to organizations fighting hunger) part of the business plan. Gobba Gobba Hey's Steven Gdula, who turned to baking gobs when the recession made his freelance food writing career difficult, started baking a dozen pastries at a time in his home oven and has transitioned to being able to turn out six dozen in eight minutes in a commercial kitchen.

Meredith Brody

Sign of support at last night's street-food party at 111 Minna Gallery.

​The immigration attorney for Murat Celebi-Ariner told SFoodie the street-food vendor's detention and likely deportation might mark the beginning locally of a new initiative by the Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency (ICE) to crack down on visa waiver overstays.

Randall Caudle said it's highly unusual for ICE agents to seek out visitors with expired visa waivers. "I've never seen anything like this before," Caudle said. "Especially in a case like, this, with someone who doesn't have any criminal issues. Usually they target people who have criminal issues, gang ties, or just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Caudle suggested the ICE action might be the result of changes in Washington. "The Obama administration has told them not to do worksite raids -- it's an easy target to do visa waiver overstays. All they have to do is search the database and cross-reference it with customs data."

The attorney also seemed to suggest that Celebi-Ariner's chances of avoiding deportation are slim. Yesterday, he filed a Deferral of Action request, claiming that, since the Amuse Bouche street-food vendor -- a French national -- married a U.S. citizen in August, two months after his visa waiver expired, he should be allowed to stay and file for Adjustment of Status. "I think it would have been a 100 percent certainty, had we not filed -- they could have put him on a plane yesterday." Still, Caudle said, the fact that ICE has delayed deporting Celebi-Ariner, claiming that the officer in charge is out of town, seemed unusual, and held out hope that the Deferral of Action request would prove successful.

At a street-food event at 111 Minna Gallery last night, fellow vendors wore shirts expressing support for Celebi-Ariner.

​UPDATE 11 a.m.: Immigration attorney for Celebi-Ariner calls the ICE crackdown on the street-food vendor's visa waiver overstay highly unusual, and might mark the beginning locally of a new initiative. Details here.

The wife of detained street-food vendor Murat Celebi-Ariner is hopeful a review of a Deferred Action Request will prevent her husband's deportation to France. Celebi-Ariner, a baker and proprietor of the street-food business Amuse Bouche, was picked up Wednesday morning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for overstaying a visa waiver. The review will most likely take place Monday, when the case supervisor returns. Visa waiver overstays are not entitled to hearings.

Yesterday, an ICE spokesperson told SFoodie that the vendor's deportation was all but certain, but Pelin Celebi-Ariner said she's gotten conflicting reports about her husband's status. "The fact that he's a legal citizen could change things," she said, a reference to their marriage, which took place over the summer. Pelin Celebi-Ariner is a U.S. citizen, though marriage does not automatically change a visitor's citizenship status. Celebi-Ariner's comment was perhaps more wishful thinking than fact.

The couple married in August -- roughly two months after Murat's 90-day visa waiver expired -- but they procrastinated about filing for Adjustment of Status. "We were going to do that this week," she said. Celebi-Ariner was able to see her husband briefly yesterday. She said he was being transferred to Yuba County jail in Marysville last night, and believed he would remain there until his Monday hearing. "He's holding up okay," she said, "but he's cold and he can't really eat the food they're giving him." She's hired Randall Caudle, a San Francisco immigration attorney.

Celebi-Ariner said her husband left two voicemail messages Wednesday to let her know about his detention (she was at work at the time). She said two ICE agents came to their apartment in the Mission at about 11 a.m. "They said, 'You were scheduled to leave,' and asked if he'd applied for a green card. He said no and they took him."

Celebi-Ariner said she's hoping that media focus could help her husband's case. "They don't like a lot of attention on these cases," she said, referring to ICE. "We're just hoping it helps to prevent his detention."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) told SFoodie she could confirm that street-food vendor Murat Celebi-Ariner is currently in detention, and will be deported.

Citing security concerns, spokeswoman Lori Haley would not say where Celebi-Ariner -- proprietor of Amuse Bouche -- is being held, or when he will be deported, presumably to France. The fact that Celebi-Ariner was in the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program meant that his case would not have come under review by an immigration judge. Under the program, visitors from a handful of countries are allowed into the U.S. for 90 days without having to apply for a visa. If they stay longer that that, violators are subject to deportation without judicial review, even in the face of otherwise extenuating circumstances (such as marrying a U.S. citizen, as Celebi-Ariner did).

SFoodie has been unable to get comment from Celebi-Ariner's wife, Pelin.

Feel free to customize.

​This afternoon, Steven Gdula of Gobba Gobba Hey was urging fellow street-food vendors to show support for Amuse Bouche vendor Murat Celebi-Ariner at tonight's post-Commonwealth Club street food party at 111 Minna Gallery by wearing t-shirts that read "Free Murat." Murat was reportedly picked up by Homeland Secutiry for a visa violation, though SFoodie hasn't been able to confirm the information. Gdula told SFoodie the idea came from Curtis Kimball of Crème Brûlée Cart. Gdula was suggesting that vendors write "Street Food Is Not Terrorism" on the back of the shirts, a reference to the iconic Vivienne Westwood message shirt, "I'm Not a Terrorist."

Gdula said Celebi-Ariner and his wife, Pelin, gave him encouragement to start his street-food business back in May. "I'd been reaching out to others vendors -- Murat was the first one to reply. I told him where I was going to be, and he and Pelin came out and were so supportive. They immediately hopped on Twitter and said, 'There's this new vendor and his stuff is delicious.' They were supportive right from the start -- I hope the community will step up and support them now."

Meredith Brody

​
UPDATE 4:35 p.m.: Homeland Security spokeswoman Lori Haley confirmed that Celebi-Ariner is being detained, and will be deported with no appeal. Details here.

UPDATE 4 p.m.: Lori Haley, a Department of Homeland Security public information officer in Orange County, told SFoodie she would comment on Celebi-Ariner's status only if we could present his alien registration number. We've requested the number from Celebi-Ariner's wife.

Nalipay M./Yelp

Murat Celebi-Ariner (at right, in yellow) at the Amuse Bouche cart.

​

Murat Celebi-Ariner -- a San Francisco baker and street-food vendor, proprietor of Amuse Bouche -- is apparently facing deportation to France for overstaying his visa. We don't know any of the details (we're waiting for a return call from Homeland Security to confirm the information), but SFoodie blogger Tamara Palmer received the following e-mail message from Celebi-Ariner's wife, Pelin:

Dear Friends,
Yesterday morning Murat was picked up from our house and carried off in handcuffs by two officers from Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). His crime? Having overstayed his Visa Waiver Program which allows European citizens 90 days to stay in the U.S. There are millions of visa waiver overstays in the US right now, and it has not so far been a policy of Homeland Security to pursue such cases, especially ones with NO criminal records or offenses, like Murat. This plus he is married to a U.S. citizen and we were about to file for a green card.
Right now Murat is being held at 630 Sansome St and they are getting ready to deport him back to France TODAY. We (myself and our attorney) are filing a Deferral of Action Request to keep him here. What those of you in the MEDIA can do to help us, is call the ICE office, tell them who you are with, and ask about what is going on in his case, making it clear that you are informed and involved. You are likely to get a voicemail box so just leave a message. Non-media friends, please help us out with your thoughts.

Matt Shapiro, chef of Schmidt's, the Mission restaurant Celebi-Ariner provides pastries for, hadn't heard about the alleged detention -- he told SFoodie he was expecting Murat to make a delivery later this afternoon.

We'll let you know as soon as we can confirm any details.

T. Palmer

Candybar's Nacho Sundae: Papaya, mango, kiwi, cilantro, avocado yogurt, candied jalapeño, horchata ice cream.

​Kung Fu Tacos, the Pan-Asian taco truck serving the lunch crowd at Montgomery and Sacramento streets in the Financial District, now motors over to Candybar (1335 Fulton at Divisadero) every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. for happy hour.

We discovered that Candybar's current menu of eccentric sweets contains a perfect pairing for your mu shu veggies or war shu char siu tacos: chef Kyle Caporicci's nacho sundae ($8), which lands on the table in a characteristic red plastic basket, filled with cinnamon sugar crisps dusted with cilantro and topped with a salsa of kiwi and papaya, mango matchsticks that look like cheese, avocado yogurt in place of guac, and horchata ice cream masquerading as sour cream. A jalapeño slice is coated with sugar, but not enough to disguise its zing (we love it.)

Happy hour also features a number of drink specials: $2 for Pacifico, $3 for sangria and house sparkling wine, and $4 for a choice of four sparkling wine cocktails. SFoodie was curious how this cool cross-pollination came to be -- that is, until Candybar proprietor Tan Truong told us he also happens to be the owner of Kung Fu Tacos.

markevnic72/Flickr

It was the summer of love for S.F.'s food carts.

​A reminder: SFoodie's Tamara Palmer is moderating a panel of high- and low-end contributors to S.F.'s street food scene this Thursday at the Commonwealth Club's The Street Food Movement: SF Hearts the Cart. Speakers range from Charles Phan of The Slanted Door and Anthony Myint of pop-up restaurant Mission Street Food to micro-moguls Brian Kimball, who operates the Magic Curry Kart, and Steve Gdula, baker of Gobba Gobba Hey. The panel will discuss what's coming up as well as what's going on, and will answer audience questions. "We'll discuss the very different paths and motivations that led our panelists into street food as well as the challenges of legitimacy, both in terms of licensing and technique," Palmer told us. "And then, we'll feast!"

Which means that after the discussion, everybody will take to the streets, walking over to 111 Minna Gallery (111 Minna at Second St.), where they can sample some freebies and purchase full-size treats from such heroes of the movement as Bacon Potato Chips, Bike Basket Pies, Crème Brûlée Cart, Gobba Gobba Hey, Magic Curry Kart, Mission Street Food, Soul Cocina, Sweet Constructions, and Smitten Ice Cream. "It should be a great snapshot of our local scene, especially for those who have yet to run around the streets looking for vendors," Palmer said.

The Street Food Movement: SF Hearts the Cart Commonwealth Club, 595 Market (at Second St.), 597-6700. Thursday, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $12 for club members, $20 for non-members, and $7 for students with a valid ID.

Evil Jerk Cart

Evil? Looks pretty friendly to us.

​This week's new addition to the street-food scene offers a taste of Jamaica way out west.

The Evil Jerk Cart, which will bring the island intrigue via skewers of jerk pork and chicken with a side of rice and peas, has already gotten an early thumbs-up from Magic Curry Kart, who sampled the items at a private party last week.

Follow Ms. Evil on Twitter to find out the when and where of this week's debut. We don't know about you, but we're already feeling pretty irie with anticipation.

eviloars/Flickr

What goes on in here is pretty much secret, but you'll be able to scope it out while munching a gob.

​Artists' workshop space The Secret Alley (180 Capp at 17th St.) turns into Ground Zero of food-cart grazing this weekend, part of TSA's Between the Streets mashup of performance and film. The roster of eats hawkers includes PizzaHacker, The Chai Cart, Sexy Soup Lady, Gobba Gobba Hey, Soul Cocina, Smitten, The Wholesome Bakery, Brazilian Bites, Bike Basket Pies, with maybe a few more TBD. To visit them all, you'll pretty much have to commit to the weekend, since they'll be showing up at unspecified times Friday and Saturday -- sort of the equivalent of the grab bag -- and in different spaces, both downstairs in the free space, and upstairs, where there's a suggested donation of $5-$10. There'll be some beer and wine for a suggested donation, too.

Between the Streets unreels tomorrow, Friday, from 5 to 11 p.m., and Saturday from 2 p.m. on into the evening. Check the TSA Web site for details about performers and film screenings