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When dining at Poggio in Sausalito, know that there was a prince serving your food in the kitchen. Say hello to Peter McNee, the newly crowned “Cochon 555 Prince of Porc.” McNee went head to head, or should it be said “head to toe,” with some of the city’s top toques: Ryan Farr, 4505 Meats, Staffan Terje, Perbacco, Ravi Kapur, Boulevard, and Nate Appleman, A16. After the judges made their tasting rounds, it was McNee’s sampling of thirteen pork dishes from his 110-pound Devils Gulch Ranch hog that deemed him the winner. So on your next visit to Poggio, just ask barman Tony Dillorio for some of the “off the menu” Prosciutto Fatta, and he will be happy to hand cut your serving on the violino; you’ll think you’re in Italy.

During the sunny days of summer, can there be anything better then grilled meats? We think not, and not did Town Hall owners Doug Washington, and Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal. They have launched a BBQ take-away lunch program in the alley behind the restaurant, Monday through Friday between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., or until the food runs out. The menu is simple with house-smoked St. Louis ribs, andouille po’boy with gypsy peppers and creole mustard, and sides of coleslaw, potato salad, and potato chips. It’s rounded out with Texas sheet cake topped with fudge frosting and salted pistachios.

The trio has had so much fun with this project that they themselves are manning the grill and operating the counter. So, come on down, get in line, and relish in the fun of a backyard BBQ without having to wait for the weekend. Rumor has it that on their first day they sold over five-hundred pounds of ribs; not bad for three guys and two grills!

If you have spotted a red bicycle with a silver cooler attached to the front being mobbed by patrons waving dollars in their fists at various locations in the Financial District, fear not! It’s the new Boccalone Salumi Cycle, which is loaded up daily with thirty or so Panini. How and where do you find this noon-time cycle? It’s simple, just follow them on Twitter: @boccalone, where they post where they’ll be parked. Don’t you just love all of these lunch options? They’re so much more fun than the days of brown bagging it.

When restaurant proprietor Peter Snyderman of Elite Café fame set out to open another location, he could not have been happier when he stumbled across the old Voda Lounge address on Beldon. Snyderman wanted to open up an American grill of sorts with a throwback to the early San Francisco days of a gentlemen’s club. His vision has manifested in the newly opened Trademark at 56 Beldon Place (at Bush). He brought in friend Michael Brennan to take care of the interiors of this cozy eighty-five seat restaurant; think metal-topped bar, tin ceilings, dark woods and leather trim—all very bohemian. His executive chef is Jerry Mendoza, who also handles the kitchen at the Elite. The menu will offer the likes of steamed PEI mussels, yellowfin tuna tartare, heirloom tomato salad, grilled summer corn salad, as well as some house specialties, such as the trademark Caesar salad and the brisket sandwich (make that a double order please!). Operating hours will be Monday through Friday for lunch and Monday through Saturday for dinner, with continuous service during the daytime. This is destined to become the new after-market closes hangout for the financial set, or power lunch destination.

“I wanted to have a place that was comfortable yet sophisticated,”  says Snyderman with a smile, “somewhere that I would like to sit and enjoy a cocktail myself.”

While we are on the subject of Financial District drinking establishments, go check out Rickhouse at 246 Kearny Street (formally Ginger Trois). The name derives from the barns where bourbon barrels are stored. And that makes since when you realize that this new shrine to the southern brown beverage is from the folks who own Bourbon & Branch, Swig, and the bottle shop Cask. When entering, the experience is akin to stepping into a whiskey barrel; the sight, the smell . . . everything right down to the light fixtures are cask related. The woven ceiling of barrel staves, the flooring, the railing on the mezzanine, and wood surfaces throughout are all created from reclaimed barrels. Even the chandeliers are made from the iron bands that hold the barrels together. Unlike its sister bar across town, no reservation or password is needed to get your drink on at this watering hole. The bars staff is excited to offer up some of the rarest whiskeys available on the market.

Who could be more qualified to open a wine bar than a wine maker? That’s what Dario Zucconi was thinking. Welcome Vin Club, his new wine bar at 515 Broadway, across the street from Enrico’s. (If the name sounds slightly familiar, note that he is the nephew of the Crotti family, which owns Tommaso’s right around the corner.) In addition to a selection of wines from California as well as around the world, Zucconi’s own award-winning label of VinNostro Cellars will be available for tasting. VinNostro earned a Gold Metal from the San FranciscoChronicle Wine Competition for its 2006 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.