Something is coming to the former La Urbana space at Grove and Divis, and the Back of the House team (Beretta, Starbelly, Flores, Super Duper, Belga, Lolinda, etc.) is only say that it will be a new concept for them in this, their 22nd restaurant. As Hoodline has it, they are prepping for a December 7 opening, and the new name and details should be arriving by next week.
1300 on Fillmore, the high-end southern food spot, is "suspending service" as of this week, which seems like a permanent closure but the owners say otherwise. The restaurant has been one of the anchors of the Fillmore neighborhood since opening a decade ago in the then brand new Fillmore Heritage complex that also housed Yoshi's, which closed several years back, and chef-owner David Lawrence went on to open a 1300 outpost at SFO, as well as Black Bark BBQ across the street, which both remain open. Co-owner Monetta White tells Eater that she and Lawrence hope to "revamp and reopen in 2018, pending the sale of the building." A "last call" party is happening at the restaurant on the evening of October 25, but meanwhile White has talked to Hoodline and it made sound like they very much intend to reopen with "a new business model."
Also in the Fillmore, just up Eddy Street, the long vacant Gussie's Chicken and Waffles space is transforming into Fillmore Social Club, as Hoodline tells us. The menu will mix Korean and American fare, we're told, and there will be soju cocktails.
Anchor Brewing has surprised us with a new taproom that had not been previously announced. Anchor Public Taps just debuted at 495 De Haro Street, and as Eater reports, it's both a taproom for existing Anchor beers, and a "brewery within a brewery" that will feature some more experimental and collaboration brews. The big space replaces a planned brewery and taproom on Pier 48, and it's open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
A new spot is coming to 24th Street next week called Son's Addition (2990 24th), from former Marlowe chef de cuisine Nick Cobarruvias and wife Anna Sager Cobarruvias. Nick Cobarruvias has, per a release, "created an eclectic, hyper-seasonal menu that highlights global flavors and peak-season ingredients." The menu will be constantly evolving but there are a few hints, including bacon-kimchi deviled eggs with green onion and black sesame seed, and a five-spice lamb shank with goat cheese polenta and dino kale. The restaurant opens Tuesday, October 24.
Over in Russian Hill, Craftsman & Wolves is closing its location there, and the last day for pastry will be Sunday. As chef-owner William Werner tells Eater, they could never get the location "on the same page," and he's now focused on an upcoming Bayview location.
Nectar has shuttered once again in the Lower Haight, this time it appears for good, as Hoodline reports.
The Outer Sunset is getting a fancy cocktail bar, just steps from Ocean Beach, called White Cap (3608 Taraval at 46th Ave). As Eater reports, the bar program comes from none other than Carlos Yturria, one of the guys behind The Treasury downtown. He's printing cocktail menus in the style of zines, and the menu will change out quarterly. Also: there's a slushie machine.
Longtime SoMa spot Paragon has abruptly shuttered after 17 years. As Hoodline reports, the announcement was made on the restaurant's website.
City Beer Store is relocating in SoMa thanks to a rent hike. They're moving off of Folsom Street and into the former Coachman/Heaven's Dog space, next to the federal building at 1148 Mission Street, as Hoodline reports. Owners Craig and Beth Wathen are in contract to purchase the space, and the move won't be happening until after Beer Week, meaning next spring.
Finally, over in Oakland, chef-restaurateur James Syhabout has opened his new cocktail bar, CDP, next door to his restaurant Commis on Piedmont Avenue. The focus is on Champagne and brandy, and there are bar bites, and as Eater reports, it's going to serve as a place to arrive early or linger after dinner for guests at Commis. The name stands for Chef de Partie, which means junior chef or line cook.
This Week in Reviews
Michael Bauer continues his trend of not doing starred update reviews, so it would seem, maybe, that the Thursday update review is a thing of the past. Instead, he does brief check-ins on Gialina, Delfina, and Oakland's Dopo, finding things to love at each place. He says some of the plating is sloppy these days at Gialina, and Delfina is "as good as ever" after 19 years. At Dopo, he falls in love with some meatballs he's never had before, called polpette all'Etna, which are made with chicken and pork and cooked over lemon leaves.
For his Sunday review, Bauer heads to Gialina's new little sister spot, Ardiana. He says this is chef-owner Sharon Ardiana's "most ambitious restaurant," and while he's impressed with a couple of the larger dishes like the short rib and the pan-roasted chicken, he's really just here for pizza. Everyone familiar with Bauer's work knows he's a pizza hound, and that he's been a longtime devotee of Gialina. He's just as in love with Ardiana's pizzas here, and his favorite is a bacon pizza with basil and tomato that comes topped with fresh arugula. The verdict: two and a half stars.
And at the Weekly, Pete Kane is most impressed with chef Jason Franey's work at the new Villon, at the Proper Hotel. He likes the tuna tartare bites, as well as a beet salad with "burnt" ricotta. A couple dishes, he says, were a bit overloaded, like a skate wing "overdressed with lobster bouillabaisse, cauliflower, concentrated grapes, and a kind of pesto." Also, he says, "the decor is smart, like Ken Fulk without the animal print or animal heads," and overall it's "as good as hotel restaurants get."