Author Archives: Max Hauser

About Max Hauser

Resident with acknowledged food obsession, active in Bay Area food and wine organizations 30 years. Dining in downtown MV regularly for 20 years and occasionally for 10 years before that.

Restaurant Scene: May 2026

Posted on May 7, 2026 by Max Hauser

• Certified Sommelier Antonio Martinez, who in recent years managed Savvy Cellar Wine Bar at the train station’s Castro St. end, is officially becoming the owner as I write this. On a recent visit I was impressed by the cozy, … Continue reading →

Posted in Homepage, Restaurant | Comments Off on Restaurant Scene: May 2026

Restaurant Scene: November 2025

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Max Hauser

Latest quarterly printed OMV Newsletter went out (by postal mail this time — experimentally — sent Nov 6, so neighborhood residents should have it by now) with my report of downtown-area restaurant news.  Once again, more changes happened after press … Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurant | Comments Off on Restaurant Scene: November 2025

Restaurant Scene: August 2025

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Max Hauser

(Per our printed quarterly newsletter, now in press; late news added here, including Steins final demise.) Earlier this year, Tandoori Junction replaced Bay Biryanis, 698 W. Dana at Hope. Steins Beer Garden and Restaurant, 895 Villa at Bryant, was “saved” with a new owner taking over … Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurant | Comments Off on Restaurant Scene: August 2025

Restaurant Scene: May 2025

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Max Hauser

Simply Sabor is the newest restaurant tenant inside Ava’s Market, 340 Castro, offering Mexican specialties. A license-change notice at 475 Castro (a dormant Korean table-top grilling restaurant) has shown a pending new business “Yakiniku Ginza”.  Yakiniku is a related grilled-food … Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurant | Comments Off on Restaurant Scene: May 2025

Restaurant Scene: February 2025

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Max Hauser

New downtown-MV restaurants galore! (Listed as usual in approximate order of opening, projected opening, or other news.) Venerable popular Mediterranean Grill House (650 Castro #110, https://www.mediterraneangrillhouse.com/) undertook remodeling in December for “a new coffee and tea and dessert section called … Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurant | Comments Off on Restaurant Scene: February 2025