Mario A. Cortez

Oakland

Food and Restaurant Reporter at San Francisco Chronicle

Restaurant reporter @sfchronicle. SD-Tj siempre

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Articles

Chef behind Michelin-starred sushi spot opens swanky new S.F. bar and restaurant

1 week ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

The chef behind a Michelin-starred sushi restaurant is finally unveiling his newest venture in a downtown San Francisco landmark. At his celebrated omakase restaurant the Shota, chef Ingi Son took away the rigidity of the chef’s counter, making quips and giving voice to a fresh tuna carcass in between carving out top-shelf bites of its fatty belly. Still, Son’s customers regularly asked him if he had plans for a more casual spot to have a few drinks and not be tied to a tasting menu.
‘Oh, s—’: Trump tariffs slam Bay Area tech companies, stocks and restaurants

2 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Roland Li |Nora Mishanec |Mario A. Cortez

The Corte Madera home goods company — which sourced 72% of its products from Asia last year and also had disappointing earnings — was one of the many immediate victims of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Its stock plunged 40% Thursday, its biggest drop as a public company. On Thursday, the stock market had its worst day in five years, dating to the COVID pandemic, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq index losing 6%. It fell an additional 5.7% Friday.
Trump tariffs in California: Here’s what could get more expensive

3 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Shira Stein |Rachel Swan |Mario A. Cortez |Esther Mobley

Trump’s widespread tariffs could upend California agriculture and will likely lead to increased prices on cars, prescription drugs and even toilet paper.
These S.F. restaurants are finalists for prestigious James Beard awards

3 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

The finalists for the 2025 James Beard Foundation awards, often referred to as the Oscars of the food world, were released Wednesday morning, with a handful from San Francisco still in the running. Leading the pack were San Francisco chef-owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and the Progress, in the running for Outstanding Restaurateur. The regional Best Chef: California award could also go to the head of a San Francisco restaurant.
Trendy Mediterranean spot expands to the East Bay, plus more restaurant openings

3 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

Burgers with Korean ingredients, Lao-Thai flavors and a new Japanese-style noodle shop: New restaurant openings in the East Bay brought a wide spread of Asian flavors in March. Lovers of Mediterranean fare also have a couple of new spots to check out. Click here for a roundup of notable East Bay restaurants that opened in February. From the Mediterranean coast to the East BayThe owners of Mediterranean restaurant Alora on San Francisco's Embarcadero have opened their latest venture in San Ramon.
This rare coffee with unexpected origins is showing up in the Bay Area

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

One of the first in the region to offer Yunnan coffees was San Jose's Chromatic Coffee, which had a brief run of a Yunnan coffee just in time for last year's Lunar New Year festivities. San Francisco's Paper Son Coffee, which operates locations in the Financial District and Dogpatch, also features Yunnan coffees from Berkeley roaster Hydrangea Coffee.
A 'Top Chef' winner is about to open her first Bay Area restaurant

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

Famed chef Stephanie Izard is ready to welcome diners at her first Bay Area restaurant. Valley Goat opens Monday, March 31 inside the lush, tree-lined Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale. Inside the 250-seat space, Izard aims to combine California produce with the international flavors and ingredients she's known for at her Chicago restaurants the Girl and the Goat and Cabra.
A downtown S.F. food hall opened to high expectations. Now it's at a crossroads

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

Inside downtown San Francisco's IKEA-anchored food hall, a semblance of a crowd gathered during the Tuesday lunch hour. On the first floor, about 30 people sat at bright, sunlit tables, many munching on beefy burgers; upstairs, about 35 more bit into spicy noodles or couscous bowls. The scene at Saluhall was hardly lethargic.
The 11 most exciting Bay Area restaurants coming this spring

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Elena Kadvany |Mario A. Cortez |Jess Lander

Spring is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting season for the Bay Area food scene. The region is getting a major Korean food complex in Daly City and a huge food hall in Oakland. A buzzy seafood spot from out-of-state is opening its first Northern California restaurant. Several prominent local chefs are opening new ventures, from a fine-dining pair's Korean-Taiwanese restaurant to a café spinoff from a nationally acclaimed pizzeria.
After 10 years and a Michelin star, this S.F. restaurant is closing

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Mario A. Cortez

Lord Stanley, a San Francisco restaurant known for its elegant bistro cuisine and series of chef popups, will close in May. Owners Carrie and Reupert Blease told the Chronicle they decided to not renew their 10-year lease for the space 2065 Polk St. in Russian Hill after deliberating for over a year. The upcoming closure also coincides with the departure of chef Nathan Matkowsky, who is moving to the East Coast to pursue new projects. The final night of service will be on May 31.