The August Hit List: Trick Dog, Azalina’s, Shuggie’s Trash Pie, and More

For the first nine days of August, Shuggie’s will be randomly selecting four dinner dates to give away for free. All you need to do is make a Resy, follow them on the ‘gram, and if you’re selected, they’ll cover dinner up to $150 (gratuity excluded). What fun! Say hi to their bulldog named Beef in the back bar, and also catch them at OSL where they’ll be doling out cheddah+feta and sausage party pizzas all weekend long.

La Cocina alum Azalina Eusope is back at her newly opened Tenderloin restaurant, where she’s making mouthwatering Malaysian cuisine in the form of a four-course menu. The menu will change often and with the seasons, but expect things like mushroom tapioca dumplings with morels and shitake or nasi kenduri, featuring crispy chicken with a coriander tomato sauce, green beans and salted egg bottarga. For drinks, look for beer, wine, cocktails and thoughtful mocktails.

Ten-year-old cocktail bar Trick Dog collaborated with local yoga studio HAUM Yoga to debut their new cocktail menu, Tantrick Dog. Drinks are named after yoga poses like the Tabletop, which is whiskey-based and also features sherry, corn tea, miso, and more in the mix. Meanwhile, the non-alcoholic Puppy Post features wheatgrass, probiotic yogurt, lemon and grapefruit zest. Catch the Dog crew at OSL where they’ll be serving up Mission Dogs and Vegan Nuggets for you to snack on in between sets.

When the former culinary director for Tartine/Roberta’s starts a new pizza pop-up, you pay attention. Named after his grandmother, Jules is a new pizza pop-up from Max Blachman-Gentile. He’s doing slightly sour, super charred and chewy New York/Neapolitan hybrids out of portable pizza ovens topped with interesting ingredients and flavor combos, like the roasted mushrooms, alpine cheese and dots of black garlic tamarind sauce. Catch him at Buddy on August 9th, 16th and 23rd, where he’ll be doing both vegetable-forward and beautiful sea-centric sides.

Details will be posted on Instagram.

The ultra-talented super French chef Alexandre Viroit just launched a three-course, $55 per person prix-fixe menu that will change often and with what he finds at the farmer’s market. Right now the menu features your choice of rabbit porchetta with porcinis and dandelion salad or a saffron-y mussel soup; followed by a choice of steamed cod with morels and vin jaune sauce or a grilled lamb T-bone; and cheese or a fruit tart for dessert. Best to go with your favorite eater and share it all.

Bison frybread tacos? Cedar-smoked sweet potato salmon tostadas with maple chile oil? Oklahoma pearl hominy sautéed in duck fat with sweet peppers and onions? Yes, please, and thank you. You can find all this deliciousness and then some at Crystal Wahpepah’s Wahpepa’s Kitchen in Oakland. Also catch her this year at OSL, where she’ll be serving up bison burgers with smoky-sweet berry barbecue sauce.

Chef Ryo Sakai opened up a second location of Kuma Sushi on Valencia right across the street from the great Zeitgeist. A chef’s choice nigiri is a nice way to taste through the variety of fish and other sea creatures — both local and imported. Boost the tasting with small plates like chawanmushi with mushroom, crab and smoked mozzarella (it works well) or broiled hamachi collars with a garlic ponzu dipping sauce.

Find more info here.

From the owner of Aaha Indian Cuisine comes the newly-opened Dosa Corner, located in the former Al’s Place on 26th/Valencia. The menu here is large, but as the name suggests, definitely get the dosas. They offer a number of versions, from plain and classic masala dosas to others filled with paneer or chile and cheese. Each dosa comes with a side of sambar as well as four different dippers, including a peanut and ginger chutney in addition to the typical tomato and classic coconut versions.

Call 415-400-4303 for more info.

Catch izakaya fare with flair at Okane, where oysters come adorned with uni, briny ikura and poppy tobiko and “happy spoons” come filled with quail egg, ponzu, more uni and more ikura — they’ll make you ecstatic. There are plenty of other classics, like karaage and yakitori, as well as a sushi bar too if you’re feeling fish. There’s a nice selection of sake available by the carafe or bottle on hand, as any good izakaya should have.

Find more info here.

Sandy’s sandos are insanely craveable. The multi-layered meaty muffuletta is piled high with meats — imported mortadella, prosciutto and salty soppressata — packed with provolone and spicy olive spread and slathered with luscious Duke’s mayo. The sandwich is then pressed and condensed in a panini grill so they’re warm and crispy on the outside. It’s better than Central Grocery and Deli in NOLA. (IYKYK.) Catch them too at OSL, where they’ll also be doing hushpuppy corn dogs.

Find more info here.