Truth be told, since reopening, Mecca has pretty much written the script on how to get the Deathwatch Committee's attention. To review, after notching an extremely-glowing (and hopeful) three-star Bauer review in September 2006, Mecca was forced to close shop last summer for roughly four months or so, which also brought along the opportunity for a complete remodel. Since making a comeback in October, here's what Mecca has been up to in the past three months down on Market Street:

· Lost its main attraction, "uber-chef" Randy Lewis, sans a comparable replacement.
· Isolated the locals who ventured back after its sabbatical.
· Received the worst Bauer review of year.
· Resorted to questionable brunch advertising tactics.

Given that the two things Mecca has going right now are very overpriced cocktails and a Ladies' Night shindig that reputedly brings in a crowd for one night of the week, the Committee has no choice but to dole out the DW stamp. Even when Lewis was in the kitchen, Mecca was a polarizing spot to grab a meal, given the lounge atmosphere and pricetag; now, with the kitchen struggling, spot inspections reveal that the place—especially the dining side of things—has become a ghost town on many nights. Over/under on a radical overhaul, like perhaps doing away with food altogether: Autumn '08.

And yes, the Committee is now accepting nominations for Deathwatch, 2008 edition.

True story: one of the new year's resolutions here at Eater HQ is bring more Eater Deathwatch to the huddled masses. Have you noticed a restaurant knocking on death's door? Let it be known that the Deathwatch Committee is now accepting nominations for Deathwatch, 2008 edition.

What, you thought a restaurant had to be open before getting placed on Deathwatch? For the case of Pompei, the Committee took the liberty of doling out the famed stamp to Luisa Hanson's next project a bit prior its grand opening. The sad thing is that, were it not for the supreme Barleycorn hubbub earlier this year, Pompei might be deemed too low-profile for the 'Watch. But here we are, so let's get to the paperwork.

Even if the Committee was to look past the obvious karma shortcomings of the Luisa Hanson empire (cf. this), and the Barleycorners' continued assault of Yelp, simple mathematics says that Pompei is doomed from the get-go. By our count, Hanson has attempted to open approximately 30 restaurants in the past 20 years, and two are currently open. Most never got off the ground, and those that did often closed within the year. Throw in the fact that the corner of California and Larkin won't get the foot traffic of Luisa's on Union Street or the easy revenue of a bar (the only hope for Duffy's next door), and you've got yourself the first Deathwatch of the year. So you see, it's just a number game, really. With a tinge of karma.
· Hanson Reveal, Part II: The Front Room's Fate [~ESF~]

Welcome to Eater Hospice, wherein we track the painful demise of restaurants on Eater Deathwatch.

Earlier this week, the wrathful eyes of the Eater Deathwatch Committee fell upon the unfortunate case of Avenue G. Usually, some time passes before you'll get an update from the hospice on a Deathwatched restaurant, but the second half of the week brought several items of desperation worth sharing from the Avenue G front.

First and foremost, they scored a reopening notice in the local paper (they reopened in September, but whatever), so it looks like the PR side is busy. That's the "good" news; now the bad. From a passerby, we have word that Avenue G has added a promotion to the mix: jazz night (advertised on the street corner, natch). Sadly, the jazz band outnumbered the crowd two to one, says that same tipster. No, that can't be good at all. Here's the hospice paperwork:

After an intense examination of quickly-fading restaurants around town, the closed-door proceedings of the Eater Deathwatch Committee have finally come to a halt. Ladies and gents, please welcome Eater Deathwatch to the table.

Here we have the unfortunate tale of Avenue G, a textbook example of that which warrants the wrathful stamp of the (otherwise amiable) Deathwatch Committee. Already, Avenue G's move from the Richmond to the high-rent, high-profile location of the corner of Union and Stockton seems to have backfired. The menu confuses "eclectic" with "absolute shitshow," offering Filipino profiterolles [sic], right next to antipasto misto, right next to tandoori chicken curry. As for the prices, well, instead of getting Avenue G's $95 "omakase" tasting menu with a wine pairing, you could instead opt for the $96 five-course tasting menu at ... Gary Danko. Toss in a hard-to-search name that is anything but internet-friendly, and a nice little case study is born.

Since reopening in September, Avenue G has manifested myriad Deathwatch symptoms: 1) In the "duh" category, empty seats rule the dining room every single night. 2) The aforementioned empty seat quandary is exacerbated by floor-to-ceiling dining room windows bordering a pedestrian-heavy neighborhood called North Beach. 3) Happy. Hour. Promotions. 4) Blatant curbside chalk signs saying yes, we are indeed open! 5) Finally, the nail in the coffin literally came just last Friday: Avenue G took the plunge and purchased a Yelp sponsorship. Over/under on the end to this sordid story: Christmas 2007.

Know a restaurant that warrants a Deathwatch stamp? Your nominations here.

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Coming soon to a restaurant near you.

Consider this a friendly reminder for your not-so-friendly side. As you may have heard, our newest feature around these parts is the infamous Eater Deathwatch, wherein the above stamp will be diabolically and strategically applied to quickly-fading venues in the city.

The Deathwatch Committee is nearly ready to convene for its inaugural run, but we still want to hear your nominations. Restaurants of all ilks will be considered, but particularly those displaying the symptoms of the fatal disease: special promotions, blatant shills and of course, a multitude of empty tables during peak hours. Operators on the Deathwatch Hotline are standing by, stamps at the ready.
· Eater Deathwatch: Call For Submissions [~ESF~]

Coming soon to a restaurant near you.

And now for something you are going to hate/love to hate/hate to love. Our newest feature to the site, the Eater Deathwatch, wherein the above stamp will be diabolically applied to quickly-fading venues. At times, we'll track deathwatched restaurants through their painful deaths, and in others, we'll just leave them alone as they slowly drift away on their crusty deathbeds.

How do we choose who to put on Deathwatch? That's entirely up to the Deathwatch Committee and their proceedings are mostly closed-door. But, in general, it's mostly intuition, based on some warning signs, like special promotions, blatant shills and of course, scores of empty tables at 8pm on a Friday night. As soon as the first Eater Deathwatch rolls, we're pretty sure you'll understand.

But we're not ready convene a meeting of the Deathwatch Committee just yet. First we want to know what you're thinking. Have you noticed a restaurant knocking on death's door? You better believe that we are now accepting Deathwatch nominations, both in the comments field and on the Deathwatch Hotline.

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