11 Exciting Things To Do & Eat This February

Another month is here, and there’s plenty to be excited about. Tons of restaurants and bars are celebrating Lunar New Year and Black History Month, pop-ups are popping up everywhere, and restaurant openings are in full swing. We’ll be regularly updating this guide throughout the month—go forth and enjoy.  

Black Creative Collective at Dirty Habit

On February 25th, TrooRa magazine and Dirty Habit are collaborating for an event celebrating Black History Month. The SoMa restaurant will host Black designers, artists, and business owners like Estelle Colored Glass and Kubé Nice Cream from 5-9pm. There’ll also be specialty cocktails and a DJ. Register for the free event here.

New Opening: Joodooboo

One of the newest additions to the East Bay Hit List is Joodooboo, a Korean deli in North Oakland dedicated entirely to creamy tofu and banchan. Stop by for banchan like kabocha squash with toasted seeds, potatoes with green garlic and leeks, and kimchi, especially if you’re obsessed with all things fermented. 

Pizza At The Mill

After a long hiatus, The Mill finally brought back their Monday night pizzas with regularly-changing toppings. Every Monday, you can swing by the NoPa cafe from 5-8pm to get a slice (or a full pie).  

Pecking House at Turntable

The Nob Hill restaurant formerly known as Lord Stanley is officially a rotating pop-up series called Turntable. This month, Eric Huang of NYC’s Pecking House is taking over the kitchen and offering up a tasting menu ($125) of dishes like roasted trout with brown butter-tamari sauce and ma po menudo with chicken fat rice. Huang will also serve his famous chili fried chicken through Turntable’s to-go window. 

Get Some Pasta And Wine By Yourself

Valentine’s Day is over, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t take yourself on a solo date, and preferably one with a huge serving of pasta and some wine. And if you’re looking to do something other than eat Annie’s straight out of the pot alone on the couch, these 11 spots can help with that.

Marlowe Is Back 

The SoMa spot for burgers and cocktails has been closed since early 2020, but just reopened for dine-in the first week of February. So consider welcoming them back by getting into a spread of fries and burgers loaded with bacon and horseradish aioli. 

Fort Point Valencia 

Fort Point’s beer hall has been closed since the start of the pandemic, but finally welcomed back beer drinkers on February 9th. The Mission spot has 22 beers on tap, along with shareable plates and snacks like Dungeness crab deviled eggs and beer-steamed mussels.  

Square Pie Guys x Diaspora Co.

Square Pie Guys’ latest pizza special is a collaboration with Oakland-based spice company, Diaspora Co. The Cacio e Pepe comes with roasted cauliflower and ricotta cream made with Diaspora Co’s Pragati turmeric, and topped with their Aranya pepper. The Detroit-style pie is $22 and available through the end of March at Square Pie Guys’ SoMa and Downtown Oakland locations.

Red Envelope Pop-Up At Viridian

From February 2nd-27th, Viridian is hosting a Lunar New Year-themed pop-up with food, drinks, music, and tons of art, like animated mural projections, paper lanterns, and a 60-foot silk dragon. Stop by the Oakland bar to soak it all in while getting into some baked Alaska with pandan ice cream, Dungeness crab wonton tostadas, and more. 

Pop-Up Series At Nisei

Nisei, the new-ish Japanese fine dining restaurant in Russian Hill, is hosting a bunch of pop-ups in February and March. Taiwanese pop-up Hén-zhì kicked things off on February 20th with a collaborative tasting menu ($184), followed by Haley Garabato, 2x4 bBox, and Claws of Mantis. Purchase tickets here. 

New Opening: Good Good Culture Club

One more SF opening to keep on your radar is Good Good Culture Club. It’s from the team behind Liholiho Yacht Club, and features a “heritage-driven” menu of dishes from all across Asia, from chicken wings with adobo glaze to Lao sausage with pasilla pepper jaew. The Mission spot is taking reservations here.