MARCH
7, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO
A new business is bravely moving into the ever-cursed corner of
Divisadero and Bush, ~TORTILLA HEIGHTS~, the former
location of the Greek establishment, Minerva Café. The soft
opening is possibly next Mon, and it should be officially abierto
on Tuesday the 14th. The partners are Diane Mulligan (one of the
owners of Hobson's Choice in the Haight), Paul Owens (former owner
of the neighboring Fish Bowl bar) and chef Erik Reese (Cypress Club,
Aqua, Scala's, and chef-partner of local biz Asqew Grill). Expect
a place that is planning to balance the magic combo of being a great
spot for drinks and equally great for Mexican food (not unlike the
attempts of recent newcomers Mamacita, Velvet Cantina, and Tres
Agaves). There will be over 50 tequilas and a wide selection of
bottled Mexican beers, which equates to a very strong possibility
you will get your buzz on.
Apps
include shrimp cocktail, a hot Tex-Mex queso you can order with
chicken or chorizo, and a classic Tijuana Caesar salad (apps range
from $5-$8), while entrées include fish tacos, chile rellenos,
and blue corn enchiladas ($11-$14). Desserts bring churros or "plantains
Foster." ($4). The casual space is styled to feel like a hacienda
patio, with Mexican star lights overhead and palapas over two of
the booths. Patrons looking for a place that's good for groups should
be pleased, and all will be digging on the fact that the reasonably
priced dishes are made with free-range and hormone-free meats, and
no farmed fish. Here's another thing I'm fired up about: they will
offer a taqueria-style menu, with burritos, tortas, tacos, quesadillas,
and nachos, until 1:30am. ¡Fantastico! Open seven days a week,
11am-2am, with brunch Sat-Sun 11am-5pm. 1750 Divisadero St. at Bush,
415-346-4531.
On
March 18, ~ABIGAIL'S BAKERY AND CAFÉ~ will
be opening their Dutch doors in the former D Den Thai restaurant
space in the Marina. It will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and
weekend brunch, with some killer coffee from Mr. Espresso. The chef
is Josh Bush (Foreign Cinema) whose Cali-bistro menu will be straddling
that zone between semi-refined yet casual, with a focus on organic
ingredients. Think classic pastry or stone-ground oatmeal for breakfast;
Champagne omelet with Fontina, fines herbes and fried potatoes for
brunch; croques and skirt steak sandwiches for lunch; and for din
din, dishes like roasted mustard-glazed chicken or jasmine-scented
pork chop with pear and bacon stuffing, chanterelles, and braised
bok choy. The space will feature a granite counter with an extensive
pastry display, a dining area that seats 36, an open kitchen, and
a back patio that will seat 15-20 (opening soon). If everything
sticks on schedule, they'll be holding a neighborhood night the
week of 3/23. 2120 Greenwich St. at Fillmore, 415-929-8889.
Another
bit of news in the Marina: the owner of ~COZMO'S CORNER
GRILL~, Mick Suverkrubbe, is bringing on some additional
partners who hail from the club Dolce in North Beach. Some interior
changes will occur, bringing a different vibe along with a new name.
The bar area will be made more comfortable and truly loungey with
some big booths and different lighting, while the dining room will
also be swankified, with less booths and more tables. The mezzanine
will transform into a cocktail party space, ideal for large groups
or private parties. Cozmo's is probably closing for the remodel
in June, with a reopening planned for July 1. Architecture TM (who
did some finishing touches on Scott Kester’s recent project,
Frisson) is overseeing the remodel. Executive chef Eric Hopfinger
will stay on, and will be totally redesigning the menu to reflect
more of his skill with a creative contemporary American style. Not
sure if that means the fried chicken will be M.I.A.—I'll keep
you posted.
I've
received some inquiries about a couple up-and-coming places already
covered by the Chron, but here's an update for you. First off, Daniel
Patterson's new fine dining restaurant, ~COÍ~
(pronounced kwa) will be opening on April 4. The name is an archaic
French word that means quiet or tranquil, and it's how the tone
of the intimate 30-seat dining room will feel: warm, inviting, and
cozy. Scott Kester is designing the space, who incidentally did
almost all of the fantastic design of Patterson’s former location,
Frisson. It's where the parallels stop, however: Patterson stated,
"The food will be more focused on the delicious, rather than
the challenging or new." Which I translate to mean less foam,
more fromage blanc. We shall see! He is proud of his tight-knit
and talented team that is small in numbers but high in caliber:
John Marquez, Jeromy Sung, and James Syhabout (Manresa) will be
in the kitchen, while Jake Godby will be whipping things up the
pastry. Dinner only, Tue-Sat, 373 Broadway St., between Montgomery
and Sansome, 415-393-9000.
Another
eagerly awaited project is ~NOPA~,
opening in early April in the North of the Panhandle (get it?) neighborhood.
The former laundromat is being massively transformed into a hip
dining destination that will seat 110, with high ceilings (try 19
feet), exposed rafters, a dark-stain concrete floor, warm colors
on the walls, an open kitchen, a massive poured concrete bar that
seats 17-18, a mezzanine that overlooks the bar and the kitchen,
and a communal table that will seat 12-14. Whew. Quirky fact: it
ends up the space was a bank in the ‘20s, and the vault is
now going to be used as the wine room. Maybe it can double as a
drunk tank.
NOPA's
partners are Laurence Jossel (chef/hails from Chez Nous and all
three Chow locations), Jeff Hanak (wine/former partner of Chow and
Park Chow), and Allyson Woodman (service/managed Chow). The sous
chef is the talented Marcella Lew, formerly of Andalu. The Southern-Mediterranean
and organic ingredient-centric menu will be shaped as much by the
seasons as by three pieces of my favorite kitchen equipment: a wood-fired
grill, a wood-fired rotisserie, and a wood-fired pizza oven. (The
neighborhood will be wafting.) Apps will hover around $10, entrées
around $20, and $7 or so for desserts. They have a full liquor license
(score) and plan on staying open late, like 1am. I will be beyond
thrilled to have a non-Thai, non-diner, non-pizza late-night dining
option in this side of town. 560 Divisadero St. at Hayes.
IN
THE HOPPER: The word is after a successful run of something like
seven years, ~SLOW CLUB'S~ chef, Sante Salvoni,
has left. Rumor has it that he has something else, possibly of his
own, in the works. Once I'm able to get in touch with him,
I'll get the story.
Potentially
opening this weekend (or next) in North Beach is ~FRISCO
FISH AND CHIPS~, opposite from the Grant & Green, and
just next door to Gino & Carlo. 532 Green St., between Grant
and Columbus, 415-989-FISH.
SIGHTED:
The Chinese restaurant next door to the Transfer bar (on 14th and
Church) is now called ~WILL'S AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE~
with "pho" broadcast on their awning. At last, some Vietnamese
in the Castro.  |