The Chatterbox

I was sorry to learn that chef-owner Michael Black of ~SEBO~ in Hayes Valley has decided to close the restaurant. Unfortunately after a few years of dispute, he was unable to negotiate favorable lease renewal conditions with the property management company. Sebo is planning to have its last dinner service…

Last week, one of my neighbors-about-town let me know Dennis Leary and Eric Passetti’s CAFÉ TERMINUS was on the brink of opening, and whaddya know, it softly opened just before the weekend. It’s right where the California Street cable car line ends, hence the inspiration for the name.…

Before I left for Italy, I heard chef Ravi Kapur (Liholiho Yacht Club, Prospect, Boulevard) had finally locked on a location on Sutter Street for his next restaurant. While he wouldn’t reveal anything at the time, I returned home to the news in the Scoop that the location is…

Congrats to Lauren Kiino, who finally got her building permit for THE RED DOG and FEARLESS, her upcoming SoMa projects. To recap, The Red Dog is her rustic-casual 75-seat restaurant with a full bar, while Fearless is a café with sandwiches (you can read all the details in a previous…

After closing for a remodel and expansion, the team at ~STATE BIRD PROVISIONS~ is getting ready to reopen on Friday October 18th for a two-day soft opening (we outlined the changes in a previous entry here)—this weekend is no reservations/walk-in only, so take your chances on getting a…

Chef-owner Rob Lam of BUTTERFLY has created a new lunchtime pop-up concept called Pan Grill Sandwich Shop (pan is the Japanese word for “bread”). Swing by the takeout window on the south side of the restaurant from Wed-Sun (11am-3pm) for a menu of affordable and flavor-packed bites with Japanese influences…

We noticed some ABC license activity, and Inside Scoop confirms that Bill Russell-Shapiro and his partners at the Absinthe Group are opening a spot in 888 Brannan, down in SoMa. The space is 5,400 square feet, and will have a full liquor license and a substantial bar. To serve…

From the folks who brought you Straw is a new place to get your chicken: PROPOSITION CHICKEN. It’s on Market Street near “the Hub,” and offers chicken three different ways: fried, flipped (rotisserie), or fake (that would be tofu). You then select how you’d like it served: on…

After some shuffling of ownership and changes that upset some neighborhood regulars, Eater reports that FRANKIE’S BOHEMIAN CAFÉ has closed for good. The Czech restaurant, which had a good burger, a decent beer selection, and a fun bar, was most known for its brambory, a potato-zucchini-cheese cake with different…

Michael Morrison, the opening chef at Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani’s ~AME~, has returned to his roots after five years at COCO500. Scoop reports that he’ll be reworking some of the menu items with his personal touch in the coming weeks. Over at COCO500, owner Loretta Keller has…