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Nov 28, 2006 3 min read

November 28, 2006

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I reported a couple weeks back that Frisco Fish & Chips in North Beach bit the (saw)dust… well, check out who is moving in! How about the ~NORTH BEACH LOBSTER SHACK~? Yup, you 650-savvy folks will note this is a second location for the Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City. The partners, Russell Deutsch and Ed Rounds, who have incidentally been best friends since seventh grade, are making the space more "shackadelic" over the next few weeks, which means adding picnic tables from Maine, some buoys, and installing a 110-gallon lobster tank. The 38 seats will be filled within a couple weeks with folks happily munching on lobster rolls, Crab Louie salads, and other fab seafood bounty (take a peek at the Old Port menu here to thoroughly whet your appetite). 532 Green St. (between Grant and Columbus), 415-989-FISH (3474).

At some point around the New Year, another groovy coffee lounge will be open and in effect: ~SUGAR CAFÉ: COFFEE BAR AND LOUNGE~. It's opening right above the Cellar (near Union Square) and is from the same owner, Keith Goodman. The café will open early in the morning, serving baked goods and coffee that is roasted on-premise, while lunch will bring sandwiches and salads. The evening will transition into more of a lounge vibe, with DJs and a full bar that will be open until 2am, plus bottle service will be offered. The space is being designed by Craige Walters, who was also behind some of the funkier spots around town, like Lime and Sneaky Tiki. Scot Peterson of D Fab is doing the lighting; he also did the lights at Fluid, Jet, and worked with Craige on the lighting at Lime (they are currently working together on the remodel happening over at 1015). Sugar Café will have a nine-foot striped granite fireplace, hardwood floors, banquettes, a custom seven-foot chandelier from David Weeks, chocolate brown walls with hits of aqua, and an upstairs VIP lounge with porthole windows that look down on the bar. Sweet. Intended hours will be 7am-2am, daily. 679 Sutter St. at Taylor St. Any inquiries can be made with the Cellar, at 415-441-5678.

That ~SNEAKY TIKI~ is coming back on the scene—expect for it to reopen in a couple weeks. It originally closed because it was being sold, but that deal fell through, so Greg Bronstein and Craige Walters talked about it and decided to reopen. (This location seriously has a weird curse, I swear—maybe the tiki vibe will finally shake it.) 1582 Folsom St., 415-701-TIKI.

Random tidbit for the week (hey I like to keep up on what's happening on Sixth Street!): Mirch Masala is morphing into ~ALI BABA'S CAVE~, serving a terrifying combination of Indian food, pasta, hot dogs, and fish. Uh, okay. What, no donuts? 35 6th St., 415-348-1652.

Just around the corner, ~BOCA~, The Bar of Contemporary Art, has closed the 414 Jessie Street location as of this last weekend. The Blasthaus folks promise there is a bigger and better location in store for 2007. Stand by.

Here's an opening I missed earlier this month, and thought I would mention anyway: ~B RESTAURANT & BAR~ has opened at Yerba Buena Gardens, right next door to Samovar Tea Lounge on the upper terrace. The same folks behind boxed foods company and B Restaurant & Bar in Oakland opened this contemporary California restaurant a few weeks ago. B has a seasonal menu crafted by Aaron Webb (Campton Place, Lark Creek Inn) who is committed to using ingredients from within 100 miles. There is a wine list of over 300 selections focused on small production wineries, plus cocktails too. Lunch hours are from 11:30am-3pm Mon-Fri, dinner hours are 5:30pm-10pm Mon-Thu and until 11pm Fri-Sat. Brunch is served Sat-Sun 10:30am-3pm. Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 4pm-7pm and the bar remains open until last call. 720 Howard St., Yerba Buena Gardens upper terrace, 415-495-9800.

Okay you (fellow) ~MYSTIPIES~ fans: Yumna McCann has just started selling her South African meat and vegetarian pies at the Saturday Alemany Farmers' Market, along with chicken and vegetarian curry over rice that you can enjoy there or warm up at home. Yay! In the coming weeks, she will begin taking advanced orders for meals...

Yo, are there any talented and unhappy sous chefs out there? Our boy Sean O'Brien over at ~MYTH~ is looking for a professional and creative candidate to join the kitchen since his sous, Brian Lockwood, is leaving at the end of December. Email Sean at seanobrien [at] mythsf [dot] com or drop off your resume between 1pm-4pm, Tue-Sat at 470 Pacific Ave.

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