The real winners in the same-sex marriage ruling? The cupcake industry, obviously: "The San Francisco Convention and Travelers Bureau predicts the court's decision will encourage more gay couples to come to the city. So it won't be easy to get a hotel room in San Francisco. The occupancy rate has gone up two summers in a row -- nearly 87 percent last July. 'Especially because we're close to City Hall at Citizen Cake, tons of people coming in and having cakes and receptions in the afternoon, cupcake weddings. Cupcake weddings are pretty hot,' says Elizabeth Falkner." [ABC]
The return of Frjtz—the city's only "Belgian Fries, Crepes and Art Teahouse"—to Hayes Valley brings an interior vastly different from the look of the two original (and now shuttered) Frjtz locations in Ghirardelli Square and Hayes Valley. The new Frjtz, at 581 Hayes, is located right next door to the old one and continues the minimalist, sterile, ultra-modern theme put forth by its Valencia Street counterpart, which is the only other one still open. Eclectic artwork adorns the walls throughout the space, which snakes back well beyond the Hayes Street entrance into even more lounge areas rife with wooden banquettes and artsy frivolities like molded moose heads, comic book portraits and exposed pipes.
Further reading on the new Frjtz can be had at Chowhound and NFT.
Frjtz Trendy Belgians, Whiteness, Art Teahouses
581 Hayes Street, Hayes Valley; (415) 864-7654 Open daily for lunch and dinner; website
MARKET STREET—A few weeks ago, we closed out an edition of the Plywood Report with a passing mention of Destino's expansion into the former dry cleaners space next door, and now we're pleased to bring more intel from the Nuevo Peruvian front. As suggested by its name (Pisco), the new project will be of the nightlife variety, specifically an upscale Latin bar. The emphasis will be on fancy cocktails and such, an appetizer-ish menu will be in play, and there will even be a dancefloor. As seen above, the tiny space is still pretty raw, but we're hearing that Destino is hoping to have Pisco up and running in about two months' time. [EaterWire]
HAYES VALLEY—It doesn't look good for the Subway franchise trying to weasel its way into 1680 Market Street, which is on the northside of Market between Franklin and Gough (perhaps better known as the Zuni-CAV-Espetus block). The item will once again go in front of the Planning Commission during next week's meeting, and the preliminary recommendation has been updated to Disapproval. [EaterWire, previously]
NORTH BEACH—For the first time in history, there might be a meeting between the Police Commission and Entertainment Commission, because of North Beach's rowdy behavior: "The area covered by Central Station district — which has more than 100 bars, 300 restaurants, 350 beer and wine licenses and 45 liquor stores — sees an increased crowd on the weekends when people from all across the Bay Area come to party, according to Central's police chief, Capt. James Dudley ... Punishing clubs' bartenders who overserve is difficult, Dudley said. Club owners who cooperate with police and the Entertainment Commission, however, say they're at a disadvantage." [SFE]
Welcome back to the Plywood Report, your regular, all-encompassing chronicle of the next generation of restaurants to grace our fair city. Spot something new on your block? The tip line awaits. Bonus points and one free Earth Day if you include photos.
1) Pacific Heights: On California Street, all signs of Zao Noodle Bar are long gone, and Pizzeria Delfina has already started to move into the space. The Stolls have even foregone the usual methods of window paper and canvassed their new baby in special pizza boxes. Late summer remains the aim. [PLYWOOD]
2) Polk Gulch: Up next in the gallery is our first look inside Booth, the "nouveau diner" going into the old Polk Street Station space. We've seen the renderings before, and from what we've been reading elsewhere, the optimistic aim is a June opening, but a peek behind the paper reveals that not much has been done with the space beyond the initial gutting. I.e., rocks abound. A June arrival would indeed be optimistic, but we're thinking it'll be much later than that for this one. [PLYWOOD]
Belgian beer and fries hotspot Frjtz (re)opened in Hayes Valley last night, and here's the first word: "The new cafe is much larger than the old one (probably 3-4 times the size), and is located in a former sofa/high end furniture store. Sadly, there's no longer a back patio, but the cafe's design is meant to mimic some futuristic, minimalist forest - lots of white airy space, with some interesting abstract nature motifs and murals as decoration. Menu looks the same - I forgot to see if they had mussels on the menu (as they do at the Valencia Street location)." 581 Hayes Street, between Octavia and Laguna, Hayes Valley; (415) 864-7654; website [Chowhound]
It's Friday afternoon, and that means it's time to check in on the week that was at our sister site and friendly neighborhood blog, Curbed SF.
1) Megalopolis alert: Bay Area reps meet with Sacramento to plan San Framento. 2)Storefronting stumbled upon De Beers store is moving into Union Square this summer, and the diamond store has already been defaced, most likely because of that Leonardo DiCaprio movie. 3) After six years of review (don't ask), the Market & Octavia Neighborhood Plan, complete with 40-story towers, was actually approved. 4) Oh, and there may have been some Olympictorchcoverage on Wednesday.
Welcome back to the Plywood Report, your regular, all-encompassing chronicle of the next generation of restaurants to grace our fair city. Spot something new on your block? Let us know. Bonus points and an Olympic torch if you include photos.
1) Hayes Valley: Continuing to approach the post-plywood finish line is Frjtz on Hayes Street. After the original Hayes Valley location closed in '07, the Belgian fries joint had to take the space directly next door. Since the shuffle, they've opened a bigger, trendier joint in the Mission, and from a look inside the upcoming one, it will probably be smaller than the Valencia one, but may incorporate many of the same trendy design elements like the molding, chairs, etc. [PLYWOOD]
At its best, Lawrence's food is classic and satisfying. Triangles of cornbread, enfolded in a linen napkin, come to the table still warm, served with butter and slightly hot red-pepper jelly. They are cheerfully replenished. A simple dish of lightly sautéed wild mushrooms with fresh herbs arrives on a bed of silky hominy grits...
Fried chicken should be a draw, made with Fulton Valley Farms organic birds, but those birds have been boned. No matter how crisp the coating and how carefully it's been fried, boneless fried chicken isn't as juicy as chicken cooked on the bone, and 1300's, though served with truffle whipped potatoes and a light pan gravy, doesn't win us over.
HAYES VALLEY—It doesn't look good for the Subway franchise trying to weasel its way into 1680 Market Street, which is on the northside of Market between Franklin and Gough (perhaps better known as the Zuni-CAV-Espetus block). The item will once again go in front of the Planning Commission during next week's meeting, and the preliminary recommendation has been updated to Disapproval. [EaterWire, 
