03/14/06

Hopefully this Thursday, Nick Fasanella's latest venture, ~NICKY'S PIZZERIA RUSTICA~, will be firing up its brick-lined ovens and opening its doors (call and make sure they are open if you plan on heading over). Nick is well known for his last venture next door in the Rouge space, Nick's Crispy Tacos, which he is no longer involved in. (He is currently the plaintiff in a lawsuit with his former partner over some partnership accounting.) This new venture is in the old That's Amore space. The pizzeria will have a clean and modern look, with elements of mahogany, brushed aluminum, and counter that will seat ten, in addition to having some stand-up space. There will also be some tables and chairs, and even a few outside seats. So anyone who has indulged in Nick's tacos knows his commitment to fresh and quality ingredients. For his pizza, he'll be using organic ingredients (the flour is organic) and supporting local and sustainable farmers when possible. The pizza is a rustica style, which means a lighter foccaccia-style crust that is square and baked in a pan. (It's how his grandma used to make it.) He'll be offering pizza by the slice, along with a choice of salads, and beer and wine. He hopes to stay open until 2am on Fri-Sat—let's hope the drunks don't prove to be too annoying. Open daily, 11am-10pm, until 2am Fri-Sat. 2109 Polk St. at Broadway, 415-771-4222.

Heard some word that someone will be moving into the ~JULIE'S SUPPER CLUB~ space on Folsom that closed a little under a year ago. The corporation's name is believed to be Toxic Lounge (huh?) and the last word was that it's going to be  Julie's Club 2 (double huh, since Julie Ring sold the club in 1998). Had a hard time tracking down someone in time for this week's column, but will let you know if I hear anything interesting.

Okay, this is what I call some seriously useful news: fellow night owls can now get their late night grub on at a 24-hour ~NAAN 'N' CURRY~ that just opened across from the Hilton Hotel on O'Farrell St. Yes, you heard right, 24-7. Tikka masala at 3am, it can be yours. 336 O'Farrell St. at  Taylor St. 415-346-1443.

This was previously mentioned in the Chron, but some folks didn't catch it: the Fourth Street area in SoMa is going to bloom into an official Cal-Med gourmet HQ this fall when ~ORSON~ moves into the former Red Dot warehouse space; nearby neighbors include Fringale, Coco 500, Zuppa, and Bacar. Orson is a new project from Elizabeth Falkner, Executive Chef/Owner of Citizen Cake and partner Sabrina Riddle, Chief Sales/Marketing Officer of Olivia Companies (since Olivia's office is right around the corner on Brannan, maybe Sabrina wanted a new place to eat?). It's named after Orson Welles, of Citizen Kane fame (get the connection now?). Zack/deVito Architecture (Gordon's House of Fine Eats, Bacar, Globe, Manresa) are crafting a main dining room with a warehouse-meets-loungey vibe, a DJ booth, modern Italian style, and an eye-catching bar  area staffed by "Bar Alchemists." There will be some other funky touches, like interactive dessert menus and a chocolate sommelier. I'll have the 2004 Gianduia, thanks. 508 4th St. at Bryant St.

~SCOTT HOWARD~ just started serving lunch on March 6, so now you can go in and experience the wicked carrot soup (it really is that divine) and some of Howard's innovative combinations, like lamb tenderloin with orange caramel, olives, and fennel or green garlic salmon with tapioca and horseradish jus. The contemporary space is just right for a midday lunch meeting, and don't miss dessert from their latest addition, Andrea Terrenzio, who is leading the pastry team. Monday-Friday, 11:30am-2pm, 500 Jackson St. between Montgomery and Columbus, 415-956-7040.

For those who abandoned reading ~CHOWHOUND.COM~ long ago because of their archaic software and frustrating lack of usability (and lack of dollars to do anything about it), it looks like CNET is now on board, which means a serious redesign of the site and new software is happening in the very near future. Rejoice.