The big food-world news of the week was the majority-stake acquisition of Blue Bottle by food giant Nestle, which is sure to turn off many a coffee snob. But we also saw the opening of Casey's Pizza in Mission Bay, and the announcement that the troublesome McDonald's at Haight and Stanyan will be closed and its site redeveloped as housing. But there's been plenty else happening as well.
Waxman's, New York chef Jonathan Waxman's foray into the SF food world at Ghirardelli Square, and the very short-lived chicken spinoff J Bird, have both permanently closed, as Eater confirms. The often empty Waxman's debuted almost two years ago, while J Bird, in the adjacent cafe space, opened in August , when Waxman's ostensibly closed "for renovations."
20-year-old South Park Cafe is shuttering next week, as Hoodline reports. The bistro ends a long run as the landlord intends to renovate the building.
Over in SoMa, Tablehopper brings word that City Beer Store is expanding once again and moving over to the former Coachman/Heaven's Dog space near 7th and Mission. In addition to taking over this larger space, the popular beer destination will be adding a food component.
The drama surrounding Caffe Trieste in North Beach has escalated, after a lawsuit filed last month by one of the family members who owns the famed cafe has been met with a countersuit from the other family members. It remains to be seen whether the cafe will be forced to close.
The former MatrixFillmore in the Marina has been reborn as Matrix, a fancy cocktail bar in keeping with the Plumpjack Group's other new spots, Forgery and Wildhawk. As Eater tells us, there's also a bar-within-a-bar called the Concorde that will have rotatin he concepts, changing out twice a year a la Trick Dog.
And on Belden Place there's a new brewpub called Toy Soldier in the former Belden Taverna space, which, as Eater reports, plans to be open nightly until 4 a.m.
This Week In Reviews
Michael Bauer wrote a roundup of the "hottest spots in Hayes Valley," a couple of which (Hazel, Corridor) aren't really in Hayes Valley. But, weirdly, Bauer has only filed one full-length review of a new restaurant in the last two weeks, and that was of Alta MSP, and otherwise it's been all roundup pieces like this one.
Eater's Rachel Levin checked out the Absinthe Group's latest, Barcino, and she was none too impressed. She likes her gin and tonic, the patatas, and a raw bar plate, but otherwise everything "falls flat," and she gives it one star though I'm starting to think her star choices are more for dramatic effect and don't really match her reviews.
SF Mag's Josh Sens has some love for Duna, raving as most everyone has about the dips and appetizers, and praising the chicken paprikas as well, though he's less in love with the other entrees.
And SF Weekly's Pete Kane checks out the "swaggering alpha-global brand" that is Nobu, which recently opened in Palo Alto. He finds the nigiri "stupefying" and dry, like it had been left out uncovered in the fridge too long, and he's generally unimpressed all around.
