El Garage, the explosively popular quesabirria pop-up that grew into a full-service restaurant in Richmond, has closed, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Montaña family, who launched El Garage in their very own driveway in 2019 and eventually relocated to a brick-and-mortar location on MacDonald Avenue, made the announcement on Instagram, calling the closure one of the “hardest decisions we’ve had to make.” Running the restaurant had stretched the family thin in many senses. “We were stuck in a position where we couldn’t afford to close but couldn’t afford to stay open any longer either,” they wrote. “While we’ve been blessed with an incredible following, we faced the tough reality of what is the restaurant industry at the moment.”
There’s a silver lining to the situation, though: El Garage promises that this closure isn’t a true goodbye, but rather a “shift” toward pop-ups and catering. In fact, this Saturday, October 12, it’s popping up at Dokkabier in Oakland from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Stay tuned via Instagram for future updates.
Bake sale pop-up relocates to Mission Bay
SOL, the bake sale pop-up from Marisa Williams drawing lines for its vibrant tarts; braided cardamom buns; fluffy, cream-stuffed choux; and uber-popular slices of focaccia, has relocated from her previous location at Outerlands to Neighbor Bakehouse in Mission Bay. SOL’s bake sales are held every Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with weekly menus announced via Instagram; Williams still offers coffee service, too. Note that there’s just one exception to that schedule: On Monday, October 28, SOL is popping up at Coffee Movement instead.
Casements Spirit of Ireland event
San Francisco bar Casements is gearing up for a three-day event celebrating the “Spirt of Ireland,” from Friday, October 11 through Sunday, October 13. The bar is partnering with Dublin’s Bar 1661 and Invest NI, the economic development agency for Northern Ireland, for a weekend packed with cocktail tastings, seminars, live music performances, “interactive activations,” and more, all aimed at highlighting Ireland’s heritage and Irish spirits. A full schedule of events is available online and no advance tickets are necessary — just show up.
Bartavelle hosts a “swan song” fundraiser party
Berkeley’s Bartavelle Cafe, which closed in September following a significant dip in summer sales, isn’t going without a fight — well, without a party, to be precise. This Sunday, October 13, the cafe is hosting a Swan Song for Bartavelle fundraiser, featuring food and beverages, DJ sets, raffles, and a silent auction featuring local “artists and makers” — proceeds will help finish repaying Bartavelle’s vendors and go toward other outstanding debts following the restaurant’s closure. The event will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.