Argent Hotel: Word has it that when this Downtown hotel (50 Third St.) reopens in the spring as the Westin San Francisco Market Street, it'll feature a to-be-named Northern Italian restaurant and cafe.
Bar Bambino: Opening later this month, this new Mission wine bar and cafe (2931 16th St.) will specialize in Pan-Italian vintages and seasonal, complementary cuisine. In addition to pastas and entrees, chef Lizzie Binder (formerly of Jardinère) will offer sophisticated sandwiches (think crostini, panini, bruschetta) fashioned from custom-made Della Fattoria bread, and artisanal cured meats and cheeses. The rustic-yet-modern late-night setting will also feature a backyard patio for supping and sipping on vino and specialty roasted coffees.
Baz: Fans of chef David Bazirgan, who made his mark at Baraka, are looking forward to his forthcoming 75-seat gastro bistro in an undisclosed spot in the Mission/Western SoMa (the area home to Chez Spencer and Nihon), slated to open in about six months. Expect three-star food without the formality, in this case, seasonal French- and Med-inspired dishes, served in an industrial-yet-inviting space.
Burger Bar: Thomas Keller may be planning an upscale burger joint in Yountville, but it looks like Fleur de Lys chef-owner Hubert Keller, who's bringing his red-hot Las Vegas–based Burger Bar to San Francisco and points elsewhere, will beat him to the punch. Though the next Burger Bar outpost will debut in St. Louis (the supposed birthplace of the burger) in November, Bay Area residents will have to wait till early 2008 for an opening in Downtown or Union Square (the lease has yet to be signed). Though the SF branch will feature a larger wine list, much of the menu will mirror that of the original's, including the signature $65 Rossini Burger featuring Kobe beef, sliced foie gras and shaved Perigord truffles.
Butterfly Bistro Vietnamese Kitchen and Bar: Robert Lam, the chef-owner of butterfly embarcadero, is poised to open this casual eatery specializing in affordable Vietnamese street food at the recently refurbished Shops at Tanforan mall in San Bruno (1150 El Camino Real, ste. 210). Slated to open sometime in March, it will take advantage of the South Bay's warm clime with additional patio seating.
Camino: Russell Moore, Chez Panisse Café chef and produce buyer for more than a decade, plans to cast out on his own later this year (or in early 2008) with this unique, rustic restaurant at 3917 Grand Avenue in Oakland. The focal point of the simple, brick-walled building will be an eight-ft.-wide fireplace ("camino" means fireplace in Italian) in which much of the evening's menu will be prepared; there will be an additional wood-fired oven in the kitchen. Moore will continue to source local ingredients for his Med-inspired country cuisine (think lamb à la ficelle hung over the fireplace, spit-roasted meats, grilled whole fish, beans baked in the coals, rabbit cooked in cazuelas), and hopes to purchase whole animals, then serve different parts on different nights.
Clown Alley, The Sequel: Myth's Tom Duffy has purchased this venerable late-night burger joint at 42 Columbus Avenue in the Financial District. In the short term, Duffy will operate the 45-year-old diner as usual but plans to close it in early May for about two weeks to "bring it into the 21st century." Rest assured, the spot will continue to serve unpretentious, affordable burgers until the wee hours, along with Chicago-style hot dogs and frozen custard drinks made with mix-ins like nonpareils.
Nua: Lined in exotic woods, this hip yet casual Med eatery is poised to open in North Beach (550 Green St.), where it will offer seasonal cuisine and an extensive wine selection.
Piqueos: The folks behind Mochica are expected to open this tapas-style Peruvian in Bernal Heights (830 Cortland Ave.) by the end of March or early April.
The Restaurant Collection at the Mint Plaza: Three new anchor restaurants will front the Mint Plaza project, a still-under-construction pedestrian-friendly work/live community that will extend Jessie Street between Mint and Fifth streets in SoMA. Rumors are swirling about certain potential suitors, so watch this space for more updates.
Roe: This SoMa supperclub (651 Howard St.) is closing in mid-April and will reopen on May 1st with a new concept. Although it'll retain the same name, new chef Thai Tran (ex Ame and Boulevard) will completely revamp the menu in a Southeast Asian high-end style imbued with Japanese influences. In addition, the dining room and adjoining two-floor lounge will be redesigned by the LA design firm O'Brien & Associates (of Republic and Minx).
Spork: KFC's loss is the Mission's gain. Next month, chef Bruce Binn (formerly of Citizen Cake and Slow Club) will open this casual New American diner marrying the kitsch of the eponymous utensil with a Californian sensibility in the Colonel's old space at 1058 Valencia Street.
Spruce: The owners of The Village Pub will finally open their highly anticipated New American in Presidio Heights (3640 Sacramento St.) – billed as "a two-star restaurant dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt" – the first week of June. The Village Pub's chef, Mark Sullivan, will oversee the robust menu emphasizing house-cured meats.
The owners of Bogie's, the 25-year-old French vet located in Downtown San Mateo (60 East Third Ave.), are in the process of morphing it into an upscale steakhouse with a large new bar and back patio, as well as a menu specializing in Wagyu beef. The transformation is expected to be completed in a few months.