We say suburban, because it seems to be the beachhead for second venues of out-of-town restaurants. We've had Patxis opening there from Palo Alto, and a few weeks later, next to Patxis, Cafe Grillades, xeroxing itself from San Bruno. Maybe they think that the Hayes Valley village people would be more friendly hosts to the provincial entrepreneurs. Maybe they think that by rubbing shoulders, they can support each other.

Or simply, the guys at Grillades fell in love with the space, which is quite spectacular. It is huge, with high ceiling, plenty of windows, view on the Hayes Greens, and on the City Hall cupola, especially darling in the golden hour light. One could move the tables aside and play football, especially since a huge screen up on one side of the room could show the instant replay. The decor is more basic coffeehouse than trendy architect redesign, with sturdy wooden tables and chairs, the de rigueur world music, and dark blood colored walls. It almost feels like there must be a WiFi network available.