The February Hit List: Hi Felicia, Sobre Mesa, Piglet & Co., and More

It’s a party at Hi Felicia. There are two seatings per night at the communal tasting menu restaurant on 23rd Street in Uptown Oaktown: one starting at 5:45pm and the other at 8:15pm. Imana is the host and Selasie Dotse is running the kitchen — read this to see what they’ve got cooking up (note: there will be queso), and snag that Resy stat.

You read correctly: Snail Bar — the super rad wine bar/bottle shop in Oakland’s Temescal by Andres Giraldo Florez — is right here on Resy. With a little planning you’ll never have to wait again for those superb snails with kumquats and umami cashew miso or the cheesy ham and cheese sandwich. There’s also a special Valentine’s Day tasting menu featuring dessert from Melissa Chou of Grand Opening Bakery for the romantics out there. Be sure to set that Notify just in case.

Chris Yang of the Taiwanese night market inspired pop-up El Chino Grande has finally opened doors to Piglet & Co. Here, he’s continuing the Taiwan theme and then some, with his menu informed by his travels throughout Asia. You’ll find things like plump pork and shrimp toast, intricately decorated meaty mala ribs, creamy congee with smoked egg yolk, and so much more.

Sobre Mesa — the chic, Afro-Latin cocktail lounge from chef Nelson German — is now open on Wednesdays. There’s an extended happy hour, $7 Tequila shots, and loud and lively Latin music bumping from the stereos. Grab some gambas al ajillo and some empanadas to help you imbibe just a bit more.

Wine Tasting Wednesdays are a wonderful way  to spend hump day. From 2 to 5 p.m., you can taste a flight of three wines for only $10. Better yet, grab a bottle, and your flight will be waived. The themes changes weekly; sometimes it’s focused on France, sometimes it’ll be Spain, or maybe it’ll be themed by varietal. Whatever the case is: you’ll drink well and learn lots.

Pizza, small plates, and an affordable natural wine selection are a winning combination we can get behind, and Angie’s on 16th Street is a place doing it right. Opened in December by John McCloskey (alumnus of Pizza Hacker and Pizzetta 211), he’s doing wood-fired with interesting combinations like bacon, goat cheese, and radicchio, and sweet dates. Don’t snooze on the stellar ice cream for dessert, which changes often and is worth saving stomach space for.

What’s there not to love about Burma Love? There’s no wait unlike its OG older sister restaurant Burma Superstar on Clement, and there’s the same quality of food and cooking. Try a big brothy bowl of mohinga — a Burmese breakfast noodle soup that can be eaten for dinner just as well. It’s savory, slightly sour, comes with crunchy fried lentils and ranks right up there in the pantheon of delicious noodle soups such as ramen and pho for sure.

Friends Only, the ultra intimate 10-seat sushi counter from the family that behind Akiko’s, is ready to rock your world with quality sea creatures served in the form of sashimi, nigiri, and tostadas (scallop, uni and caviar topped tostadas, to be precise). There are two seatings only and 15+ courses in this omakase experience. Plan for a three hour journey and let Chef Ray Lee and his team show you the way.

Call 415.397.3218 for more info.

La Cocina alum Shani Jones has been cooking up flavorful Jamaican food for those in the know with her catering businesses Peaches Patties. She now has her fare a bit more accessible with her storefront in the Ferry Building, where she’s serving up golden patties stuffed with spicy beef, curry chicken, and spinach and lentils. There’re also spicy jerk chicken plates with rice and salad for the heartier appetites.

Afro-Caribbean meets Iranian fare is a pair we never knew we needed until Calabash opened. The restaurant/market comes care of a collaboration between chefs Nigel Jones (Kingston 11) and Hanif Saddr (Komaaj). On the eclectic menu you’ll find  things like duck with grits or tahini and jam with toasted sangak bread, while for lunch you might see Jamaican beef patties and roasted lamb leg salad with grilled persimmons and chimichurri sauce. There are cocktails to quench your thirst, and on the market side of things a hot/cold case to take things to go.