It looks like the LUSTY LADY will be getting a second life at the hands of Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield. The pair, who reopened Tosca Cafe in October, have taken over the space of the former worker-owned strip club in North Beach, which sadly closed in September. Scoop reports that Seth Boor, whose previous projects include Sightglass, The Mill, and Southern Pacific Brewing Co., is the architect behind the remodel. They are hoping to maintain a lot of the spirit of the beloved Lusty Lady, including its seediness, with private booths available by reservation, and maybe even peep show windows that open onto a bartender. (I foresee lots of inappropriate cocktail shaking technique.) Ceri Smith and Randall Grahm will also be in charge of the wine list, and Isaac Shumway will helm the drink list. They’re still working on a name, and hope to open in the second half of 2014 (first they need to get a lock on a full liquor license). 1033 Kearny St. at Broadway.
~FOREIGN CINEMA~ is launching a new bar menu to coincide with the remodel of their back bar, and they’ve brought on a brand-new bar manager too. Kevin Dowell will now helm the bar, starting with a new cocktail menu that debuted January 2nd. Look for his new creations at adjacent Laszlo too. New cocktail offerings include the Stranglehold with Venezuelan rum, orgeat, lemon, rye whiskey, and Angostura, or the Little Dreamer with vodka, manzanilla sherry, lemon, Pamplemousse liqueur, and cucumber. The cocktail list will change seasonally, so keep your eyes peeled for new offerings.
As previously reported on tablehopper, Polk Street bar Bigfoot Lodge has closed and is now open under new ownership. The new name is CABIN, and the owner is David Zimmerman (Blackthorn Tavern in the Inner Sunset, F8 in SoMa). Early Yelp reports say the decor is largely the same, with the addition of lots of televisions tuned to sports. 1750 Polk St. at Washington, 415-440-2355.
