The December Hit List, Takeout Edition: Liholiho Yacht Club, Marlena, La Calenda, Ungrafted, and More

One of the dining rooms and experiences we most so much is Ravi Kapur’s wonderful Liholiho Yacht Club, and it’s recently expanded from lunch takeout to dinner too. There’s no other restaurant like it, because there’s no other chef like Kapur — the food is distinctly his own style and voice. During the shutdown, Liholiho has pivoted menu items to fit takeaway: giant trays of turmeric fried chicken, tuna poke bowls, crispy local ling cod fish sandwiches, and that beautiful, Instagrammable breakfast sandwich. Open for takeout and delivery.

Mexican cuisine is near and dear to La Calenda chef de cuisine Kaelin Ulrich. He grew up in Oaxaca, where his mom ran a cooking school and has traveled throughout the country, which has informed his menu at La Calenda, where you’ll find ensalada Caesar (Tijuana), al pastor quesadillas (Mexico City), fries tacos de pescado (Baja), and enchiladas de mole negro con pollo (Oaxaca). Open for takeout and outdoor dining.

Editor’s note: As of Sept. 29, 2023, Marlena has rebranded into a new concept, Foliage SF.

Wife-and-husband chefs Serena Chow Fisher and David Fisher bring their Michelin pedigree to Bernal Heights. They’ve been doing affordable tasting menus, but during lockdown, they’ll be offering a takeout menu centering around speciality sandwiches like pork sausage with cabbage and mustard, barbecue braised pork collar, and more. There’ll also be soups, salads, and a selection of Serena’s superb desserts, with ordering coming to their website. Open for takeout. 

Just one week prior to shelter-in-place, William Hue shuttered Grocery Café in Oakland and a couple months later opened a new Burmese concept, Herbal, in San Francisco. He offers reasonably priced, well-portioned, hearty plates like red curry braised lamb shank, five-spice oxtail stew, chicken potato masala, and more. All are served with sides of rice, stir-fried vegetables, and comfort. Open for takeout and delivery.

In a brilliant pandemic pivot, Ungrafted is now offering online classes offering to educate you with their expertise via engaging videos. Whether you’re into chenin blanc, Napa classics, or good ‘ole beer, there’s a class for you. Flights are optional but highly recommended. Sip. Learn. Support. Open for takeout and online classes. 

flour+water is doing takeout and delivery, providing perfect pasta for you to consume from the comfort of your own couch. They’re also offering complete multi-course dinners that include vegetable-forward sides, dessert, as well as bottles of wine. Open for takeout and delivery.

Valley Bar + Bottle Shop is one part wine bar, one part bottle shop, and one part restaurant. At the kitchen’s helm is the talented Emma Lipp and co-chef Stephanie Reagor, who together create a seasonally changing menu of simple, produce-forward fare. Think lettuces with green goddess dressing, roasted carrots with preserved lemon, chicken with nardello peppers and yogurt, and so much more. It’s California. Open for outdoor dining and retail.  

Christian Ciscle’s fried chicken is special. Crispy, juicy, flavorful, everything. He’s currently operating out of Brewcoop in The Mission. Don’t snooze on the moombah house hot sauce– it packs a fiery punch and is not to be missed; the mochi muffins are also a must. Open for takeout and delivery.

Seth Stowaway will be opening up his live-fire, tasting menu restaurant, Osito, in the Mission in 2021, but until then he’s operating a pop-up with an abbreviated look at what’s to come. Though the dishes may not be exactly cooked over flames yet, the food still offers a promising preview: geoduck with pear in almond milk, chicken thigh and abalone (!), kimchi biscuits, and more. Keep an eye on his Instagram to see location and timing.

A nice thing to do would be to hit Verjus for a glass (or bottle) of wine and some snacks, then head over to sister restaurant Cotogna for dinner. They’ve got a nice parklet with spaced out tables and plenty of heaters to keep you warm under the olive trees. There are many routes you can go — pastacentric is the move — but really don’t miss out on the warm, cheesy, crispy focaccia di recco. It is truly one of the most tasty things in the city. Both Cotogna and Verjus are open. Cotogna is open for takeout; Verjus is open for wine and provisions, plus a wine club. 

The bonus takes you all the way down to San Jose. Jubba is a 10-year-old Somali restaurant in South San Jose. It’s the only brick-and-mortar Somali spot in the Bay Area, and it’s worth the drive for those interested in adventuring out for something different and delicious. Consider any of the suqaars, which is a style of cooking diced and spiced stir-fry meats. You have a choice of chicken, beef, and goat; get a side of chapati and go to town on the roof of your car. Open for takeout and delivery.