New Restaurants
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| La Terrasse |
215 Lincoln Blvd. |
San Francisco |
415-922-3463 |
| TWO |
22 Hawthorne St. |
San Francisco |
415-777-9779 |
| Umami |
2909 Webster St. |
San Francisco |
415-346-3431 |
New Nightspots
Coming Soon
Bite
Late-night eats will round out the offerings of live DJ beats, private Jacuzzis and rooftop lounging at the Downtown club Crash (34 Mason St.), which hopes to present Southern-style grub – served till the wee hours – beginning in the next few months.
Enrico's
This recently shuttered beatnik hangout at 504 Broadway will once again ply North Beach patrons with jazz and sidewalk supping when it reopens this March under new management. Partners from Bambuddha Lounge (who also own Nob Hill Cafe and Venticello) are collaborating with chef Seamus Cronin (currently of Venticello) and hiring designers to freshen up the interior while retaining its vintage vibe.
Laïola
Although they haven't yet signed the final lease, restaurateurs Andrew McCormack (Frisson) and Joe Hargrave (formerly of LuLu) aim to open this casual, no-reservations, 55-seat contemporary tavern (pronounced lie-la) at 2031 Chestnut Street in the Marina later this summer. Chef Mark Denham (executive chef of the now defunct 42 Degrees) will oversee the moderately priced, ingredient-driven Spanish menu, which will include the likes of honey lamb and chickpea fries with romescu sauce. The restaurant and bar, whose name is the ancient French word for church or gathering place, is the first of what they hope will be a collection of ethnically inspired neighborhood taverns.
Good Deals and Other News
Thomas Keller's temporary, prix fixe–only Yountville restaurant (it offers a single, nightly changing, four-course American comfort-food menu) has become such a hit that he's decided to it keep it open ad infinitum. The restaurant now accepts reservations and hopes to expand its hours to Tuesday and Wednesday evenings sometime later this spring. Meanwhile, plans to debut Burgers and Half Bottles – Keller's Napa Valley–style interpretation of In-N-Out originally scheduled to replace Ad Hoc – are on hold until a new location is found.
Diners in search of chef Hiro Sone's cuisine will have to wait till nightfall now that he's discontinued lunch service. Hotel guests and Downtown diners can still enjoy lunch (and breakfast) at the St. Regis' other dining room, Vitrine (415-284-4000).
Contrary to an earlier report, chef-owner Calvin Schneiter will not be selling his five-year-old small-plates destination. Schneiter reports it's business as usual at his Mission spot, where he will continue to modify the menu seasonally.
Dennis Leary's Lilliputian haute diner in the Commodore Hotel has stopped serving weekday breakfast. Fans can still drop in for lunch Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 AM–2 PM and weekend brunch from 8 AM–2 PM, plus dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
Swiss-born Emile Mooser is hanging up his toque after 30-odd years, selling his eponymous San Jose fine-dining venue to new owners who plan to continue dinner service without interruption. However, don't bother logging on to the restaurant's old Web site – in addition to selling the restaurant and its name, Mooser has sold its Web address, www.emiles.com, to a marketing company that doles out frequent-flier miles (think e-miles). For restaurant reservations and additional information, guests should call the restaurant's main phone number at 408-289-1960.
Patisserie maestro Gary Rulli has tapped Angelo Auriana – executive chef of Santa Monica's famed Valentino – to work in his Marina branch on Tuesdays. Auriana will consult on the menu and showcase special seasonal offerings, such as the recent white truffle prix fixe.
L'Amour Dans le Four
This petite wood-fired-oven eatery closed its doors in December, after its building was sold. However, the owners are actively looking for a new location.
Lark Creek Restaurant Group
As part of its 18th Annual Crab Festival, this restaurant group is offering crustacean-inspired à la carte menu specials at all its restaurants, including One Market, The Lark Creek Inn, Lark Creek Walnut Creek , Yankee Pier in Larkspur, SFO and Santana Row, and its newest, Lark Creek Steak at the Westfield Centre.
Changes are afoot down in the tiny hamlet of Carmel now that Walter Mankze has resigned as executive chef of both this Cal charmer and nearby Bouchée. Owner David Fink assures a smooth transition at the venues, where the current chefs de cuisine have been promoted, including Tim Mosblech at L'Auberge, who has worked alongside Mankze both there and at Patina, as well as with Laurent Gras at the Fifth Floor. Fink also intends to remodel Bouchée later this spring, in honor of its fifth anniversary. Eddie Moran, who worked at Jardinière as well as NYC's Daniel, now oversees Bouchée.
Manka's
Inverness's eccentric, rustic restaurant has temporarily closed due to a fire that swept through the main lodge and dining room on December 27th, though nine or so cabins and rooms were unaffected and are still available for rental. Chef-owners Margaret Grade and Daniel DeLong are considering reestablishing dinner service in an alternative off-site location for Valentine's Day while they begin the slow process of rebuilding the Arts and Crafts hunting lodge.
Slated to close on February 17th, the once Continental kitchen of this Saratoga thoroughbred will reopen around the first of May with a modern Californian, seafood-heavy menu by Peter Armellino (chef de cuisine of Aqua) featuring spotted prawns, spiny lobsters and sea urchin bred on the premises. Designwise, the main dining room will be relocated to the former lounge space to fully take advantage of the 20-ft. ceilings and views overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains, while the bar area will be moved into the adjacent room.
Former wine director Justin Hall has returned to this North Beach eatery having spent the last few years working at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. The third-level sommelier, who will be taking his fourth and final Master Sommelier exam this spring, will slowly restructure Rose Pistola's wine list and hopes to host wine dinners in the future.