Radio Africa & Kitchen gets more press

Wow,  I have never seen so much buzz and press about a single restaurant before.  It's already tough to get a reservation at Radio Africa & Kitchen, at 4800 Third St., and this isn't helping!  Just kidding.  I love to see positive news and reviews for what's becoming a local hot spot for dining.  With a rise in the mid-priced restaurants in the area, including Old Skool Cafe and Limón, I hope there's also a rediscovery of restaurants and businesses that have weathered the storm that construction of the light rail caused.  Hopefully others decide to join those already there, like Auntie April's and Las Isletas, and take a chance on the Third St corridor as a viable place to do business.

From SFGate,

Eskender in his community garden

Aseged, known for his nomadic African-centric dinners over the last five years, finally has a permanent home, a sparkling new restaurant in San Francisco's redeveloping Bayview district.

Combined with the expected reopening of Moya, which burned down in a SoMa fire last May, the Bay Area's Ethiopian and Eritrean food scene is getting a jolt.

Whether concentrated along Oakland's Telegraph Avenue, with stalwarts such as Addis and Asmara, or scattered about San Francisco from Assab in the Lower Haight to New Eritrea in the Inner Sunset, there's now African food to be found in a variety of settings.

The upscale Sheba Piano Lounge in the lower Fillmore pushed the envelope in 2006 with Ethiopian-inspired cocktails and fusion fare like Drunken Chicken Drumettes glazed in Tequila, berbere and tejj, a honey wine.

Now comes a permanent Radio Africa Kitchen, where Aseged is serving "modern African cuisine" that celebrates the bold flavors he grew up with while spinning them forward.

Read more at SFGate

Radio Africa Kitchen

Mark your calendars, folks!  Radio Africa Kitchen is opening soon at 4800 Third St!!  The above is an invitation a friend received to their pre-opening (closed) event, but according to their website, the restaurant will officially be open as of March 8!!

Restaurant Opening
March 7th, 2012

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We first want to thank you ALL very much for your patience and support. After months of hard work and planning, we are ready to take the Plunge on March 7th – and open our new restaurant in Bay View.

Please join us for our Opening Night Party! Wednesday, March 7th at 5pm -- 4800 Third Street in San Francisco. We will have food, drinks and live music as we celebrate this special occasion.  By reservation only – please email radioafricak@yahoo.com (or call 415.420.2486).

And beginning the very next day, Thursday, March 8th, we will be open for business serving dinners Tuesday – Saturday evenings, 5:30 – 9:30pm. We are taking reservations now so please email radioafricak@yahoo.com (or call 415.420.2486).

On April 3rd we will begin serving lunch, Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 3pm.

Again, thank you all for your help on this long but exciting journey. Looking forward to seeing you at the restaurant soon!

Radio Africa Restaurant

Thanks to Earl for the tip that Radio Africa is about to begin construction on their 4800 Third St restaurant space. Construction begins September 6, and the restaurant plans to be open sometime in November. That's just a month or two after Limón and Brown Sugar Kitchen open at 5800 Third! My mouth is watering!!

Food Carts in SF

How freakin' awesome would it be to have the section of Mendell St that terminates in the plaza at Third and Palou become a food cart/food truck destination? With the opening later this year (or next year?) of Radio Africa across the street, we could have ourselves a real dining mecca right in our own backyard!

Read more about proposed changes to local permitting requirements in today's Chronicle. Vendors can currently get help navigating the permit process at the SF Cart Project. We should also look to getting Off the Grid to come to our part of the city next year.