Charles Phan's Heaven's Dog is set to open next Friday.
Times may be tough, but you wouldn’t know it from the barrage of restaurants slated to open in the next few months.
Adesso: Dopo chef-owner Jon Smulewitz is branching out in February with this tiny Italian small-plates purveyor just two blocks from the mother ship (4293 Piedmont Ave., Oakland).
Bushi-tei Bistro: Bushi-tei’s casual Pan-Asian bistro offshoot will open in the Japantown mall in late January or early February (1581 Webster St.).
Café des Amis: The team behind Spruce, Village Pub and Pizza Antica hopes to open this Parisian-style brasserie in Cow Hollow by the first quarter of 2009. Partner Gordon Drysdale will be the top toque (2000 Union St.).
Calafia: Palo Altans can look forward to this concept from Charlie Ayers, the first Google executive chef. The 102-seater will be an all-in-one casual dining room, bar and market with “slow food, served fast” for brunch, lunch and dinner. Look for advanced technology for ordering and a design featuring sustainable and recycled materials (855 El Camino Real).
City Grill: Lupa restaurateur Stefano Coppola plans to open this American grill in Noe Valley on January 14th in the space recently vacated by Kookez (4123 24th St.).
Heaven's Dog: Charles Phan’s (Out the Door) long-awaited upscale Chinese venue in the new luxury residential tower SoMa Grand – one part restaurant lounge, one part noodle bar – is slated to open January 16th. Local phenom Andy Wai (ex Chef Wai) will be chef de cuisine, and the Olle Lundberg–designed (Moss Room) space includes a 40-seat noodle bar and a late-night lounge (1160 Mission St.).
Lafitte: Come this spring, Russell Jackson, aka San Francisco's “Dissident Chef” of Subculture Dining, will be emerging from the underground to open this seasonal Northern Californian in the long-deserted Pier 5 building.
Marinitas: Marin restaurateur Heidi Krahling plans to open this Latin-inspired restaurant just down the street from her original space, Insalata’s, sometime in early February. Frank Villas (ex Mamacita) will oversee the kitchen (218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.).
Martins West: Redwood City meets the West End at this forthcoming restaurant and pub housed in a 110-year-old former saloon that will serve British-inspired fare (black pudding, fish 'n' chips) fashioned from local California larder. Run by two Evvia veterans, it's slated for March (831 Main St.).
Mayfield Bakery and Cafe: Rustic, sustainable cuisine will be the bill of fare at this January arrival in Palo Alto’s Town and Country Village run by the folks behind Spruce and Village Pub. The all-day menu will be complemented by breads, pastries and desserts baked next door in the restaurant group’s new corporate bakery (855 El Camino Real).
Nopalito: This quick-service, all-day Mexican joint brought to you by the NoPa folks is slated to open mid-January in, where else, NoPa (306 Broderick St.).
Sidebar: Gastropubitis hits Oakland in January when the husband-and-wife duo behind the defunct Zax Tavern open this East Bay venue serving reasonably priced modern Californian cuisine (542 Grand Ave.).
– Meesha Halm