Horn Barbecue is headed to Sacramento now as well, the Castro is getting a women's sports bar, and Oakland's Bombera wins an East Bay honor, all in This Week in Food.

Some big news came out of the Castro this week as we learned of the impending opening, this winter or spring, of Rikki's, a new sports bar dedicated (mostly) to women's sport. It's opening a few doors down from gay sports bar Hi Tops, in the former Copas/Nomica space at 2223 Market (also the long-ago home of the restaurant 2223), and as Hoodline reports, there will be high-quality bar food and 15 TV screens, with local teams like the Warriors mixed in with the women's sports programming.

Anomaly has returned from its holiday haitus and is serving its early winter menu, with reservations now available through February 7.

Shortly after Horn Barbecue made its debut in Lafayette last month, in the former Bo's BBQ space, we learn that chef Matt Horn is expanding to Sacramento as well. Horn Barbecue will be taking over the Elk Grove barbecue spot Slow & Low at 9700 Railroad Street as of late February, marking the third location of Horn Barbecue including the outpost in Old Oakland where he's been serving since the original location burned down over a year ago.

An acclaimed Barcelona mixologist is going to be doing a cocktail pop-up at Empress by Boon later this month. As Eater reports, Simone Caporale of Barcelona's Sips, which is on the (kind of spurious) World's 50 Best Bars list, will be serving a special cocktail menu from January 22 to January 24. There will be four of Caporale's cocktail on the bar menu paired with dishes from chef Ho Chee Boon, and on Thursday, the restaurant will also serve a special prix menu with cocktail pairings by Caporale. Find reservations here.

Petaluma comfort food favorite Easy Rider, known for its fried chicken and mac and cheese, has closed after two years, at least under the ownership of chef-owner Jared Rogers and chef Lloyd Norton. As the Press Democrat reports, Rogers sold the restaurant, it closed with its current staff as of December 31, and it remains unclear whether a new owner will reopen under the same name with a similar menu, or not.

Bombera in Oakland's Dimond District just took home the Nosh readers' poll prize for Best East Bay Restaurant of 2024, from Berkeleyside/Oaklandside. Chef/owner Dominica Rice-Cisneros opened Bombera in 2021, and the Californian Mexican restaurant took second place in the readers' poll in 2023.

And Chronicle critic Mackenzie Chung Fegan gives her prize for Best Service this year to Quince, which reopened last fall in its newest, remodeled interation. Associate Critic Cesar Hernandez gives Best Service to Rich Table.

Photo via Sips Barcelona