Long-awaited openings!

* Royal Market & Bakery finally opened on Geary & 18th!

Do I know anything about Russian delis? Almost nothing. I will say this: it's the largest, most spacious of the stores along Geary that specialize in these types of goods. There's a fresh produce aisle, and a young couple seemed ecstatic that they had a certain brand of packaged sausage they (apparently) love.

* Out on Geary & 23rd, Wirth Brothers Bakery has been replaced with First Cake, a Chinese bakery. Initial Yelp reviews are positive, and are strangely characterizing it as a cheap alternative to Schubert's But, maybe they were asking for it with their daintly decorated mango mousse cake and the princess cake.

I brought your standard Chinese mixed fruit cake to a birthday party and it is Mom-approved. So, there's all the endorsement you need.

* Puzzling: the Tart-to-Tart on Geary & 18th became the much-improved Cabana Cafe, but everytime I pass by, there's no pastries for sale. Just a drawing of a cake taped to the glass case. What a tease.