Chez Panisse Fire; Meadowood's New Menus; Heatmap Update

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BERKELEY—It's a sad day for fans of Chez Panisse, as a fire destroyed the iconic restaurant's porch area last night. Alice Waters hopes to rebuild and reopen as soon as possible, starting with the upstairs cafe, but the restaurant is definitely closed through the weekend, and all reservations through March 23 have been cancelled.

ST. HELENA—The Restaurant at Meadowood has unveiled its new bar area, along with two new menus: a $20 "bar snacks" offering and a $90 three-course tasting menu. Both are a steal compared to the regular $225 tasting menu, but with 18 seats, reservations are sure to be hotly contested.

EVERYWHERE—The Eater Heatmap got updated for March, with b. patisserie and South at SFJAZZ joining the squadron.

HAYES VALLEY—Speaking of South at SFJAZZ, it opened Tuesday, and we've got a photo slideshow, menu, and cocktail menu. Charles Phan of Slanted Door fame is behind the scenes, but the food is more Southern-inspired than his other restaurants.

THE BOOB TUBE—SF's own Yigit Pura, of Tout Sweet Patisserie and Top Chef: Just Desserts fame, appeared on The Millionaire Matchmaker this week. While he didn't find the man of his dreams, he did make titular matchmaker Patti Stanger wish aloud that she had a penis.

THE EMBARCADERO—We took a trip to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market with the sous chefs of State Bird Provisions, where they gave us the inside track on their favorite vendors and what they'll be cooking with all that produce.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT—New deli Shorty Goldstein's opened this week, with former Betelnut chef de cuisine Michael Siegel at the helm. Pastrami, matzo-ball soup, rugelach, and a press leak from the chef's very proud Jewish mother: this one's got it all.

THE MISSION—It's been a month since the opening of Hi-Lo BBQ, the project from Scott Youkilis of Maverick and Hog & Rocks that's hoping to bring respectable 'cue to SF. Did the team succeed? The Early Word has the answers.