All restaurant and bar closings are documented in The Shutter. Notice a place that has recently closed its doors? Kindly send along your sightings.
Pacific Heights: Following over three decades of rather unremarkable sushi, Toraya has called it quits on Fillmore Street. Once upon a time, in a time called the '80s, the place was a trendy hotspot, but obviously times change. More importantly, its shuttering means some prime real estate is up for grabs in Pac Heights. The space is an odd one (see the various rooms above), and Fillmore rent is surely not cheap, but prospective restaurateurs should love the location, right across the street from SPQR. If something like Wine Jar can survive—thrive, even—on the SPQR spillover crowd alone, we have to think that the good-sized space and money location must have potential.
Now that everyone knows about the Myth-Quince blockbuster we shared some weeks back, more details—albeit plenty of "ifs" too—continue to slowly seep out from the Tusks. The latest intel comes from ZagatBuzz and should assuage some Pac Heights worrywarts: if the Myth deal goes through, and if they eventually decide to move out of the old/current Quince location, the shuttering won't happen until "sometime in 2010." [Zagat, previously]
Join us for another edition of Adventures in Shilling, wherein we celebrate the grossest shills from around the world wide web. As always, you too can help fight shills.
Let's dive into the shameless self- aggrandizing right away. Up first, we have the week-old Halu, which proves that not even endearing, eclectic neighborhood restaurants with Beatles posters are immune to the temptation of shilling on the interwebs, not mention horrible grammar:
This is the new rockers haven in the Richmond.!! Rock posters adorn the walls,rock music is played...and a rock and roll drummer ,Shig ,cooks the amazing food.Mimi,his delightful wife is also behind the counter. Halu is billed as a "Different Japanese Restaurant"..meaning for me,no sushi. instead,great yakorti,deep fried or not....ramen bowls...yummy stuff. Lots of veggie options! It's a small place,between Geary and Clement on 8th avenue and there is a nearby public parking lot. Refreshing spin on the usual Japanese cuisine offered around the city. Casual atmosphere....fresh and innovative!!! Get hip to Halu! Shill Probability: 49%
Aside from the uncontrollable enthusiasm, notable red flags include names and parking situation; still, it could be just an(other) overzealous first review. More blatant instances coming up elsewhere: Much more shilling coming up, well past the 50% mark >>
JACKSON SQUARE— It looks like the long Myth saga might finally be coming to a head (or at least a significant crossroads), as the Tusks—a.k.a. Quince—have finally revealed that they've signed an agreement to take the space, confirming just about everything we already knew three weeks ago:
[Lindsay] Tusk says she has 30 days "to kick the tires, so to speak" (we've heard that one before) and investigate the restaurant's financial viability before it's a fait accompli. She says the likelihood is that they would move Quince to the Myth site and possibly open a more casual component of Quince in the cafe space
The end of the week brings a flurry of openings served up by The Dish, your source for the latest and great openings. As always, your sightings are appreciated.
1) Russian Hill: After being shuttered for about eight months, tonight (superstition be damned) is opening night for Cossu, the new incarnation of Pasha. There's a new look and direction, and overhauled menu, now online, bills itself as Moroccan, Asian and California so we'll see how this goes. 1516 Broadway, at Polk; (415) 885-4477; website [EaterWire]
BERKELEY—Last night was the grand opening for Corso Trattoria, the latest feather in Shattuck Avenue's cap. The second restaurant by Wendy Brucker and Roscoe Skipper of Rivoli, the casual, 50-seat Corso specializes in Florentine cuisine. As always, East Bay reports are encouraged. 1786 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, (510) 704-8004 [EaterWire]
PADMA'S UNIVERSE—The Top Chef finale is tonight, and to commemorate the occasion, the LAT pens a fluff piece on Padma, revealing among other things, that The Lakshmi has several projects in the works, including a new show: "Here's how it's loosely described: A group of fun, eclectic people come over to her house for a dinner party; we watch her prep, get ready and cook; guests arrive and eat; maybe someone plays music." [LAT via Eater LA]
His style is different - he learned macrobiotic cooking in Japan - and he uses his varied background to surprise and seduce diners ... On the other extreme, many combinations are subtle, with the flavors melding into one unified taste. In some cases, it leaves me longing for a little bigger portion ... There's no mistaking the French gestalt, but the Asian touches add surprise and subtlety. In fact, at times the flavors are almost too subdued; when the portions are small, the intensity can be ramped up.
While the review is nowhere near the Meadowood rave last week, Bauer gives it a respectable albeit unexcited three stars, even though he still isn't keen on the bed-and-breakfast atmosphere down there in MV. [Chron] NEXT: a Bad Trip to Yoshi's, a Good Trip to Epic and The Elsewhere >>
Over the long weekend, two separate sources tipped us off to a deal that involves Quince buying Myth. Though it should be noted that we're still awaiting confirmation from the involved parties, according to reports/rumors, the Quince folks will buy the Myth building (and adjacent cafe), are currently looking for investors, and if all goes to plan, the current Pac Heights location would shutter. In addition to the cafe, there would be two dining concepts in the new space: one with more casual food and one following the current Quince menu style. Again, nothing has been confirmed at this point and it's unclear how far along said deal is (if at all), but suffice to say, this would be an interesting plot twist to a Myth tale that has seen cameos by everyone from Gordon Ramsay to Ron Siegel. Story developing...
· Eater Archives: The Myth Saga [~ESF~]
THE HAIGHT—When Magnolia reopens this week after his little hiatus, one of the more notable changes will be its new name: Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery. The "gastro" is meant to signify the newfound extra focus on food, and as mentioned earlier, the entire menu is getting overhauled by Brandon Jew, late of Pizzetta 211. As for the physical renovations of the space, there will be a new bar, new tabletops, new booths, and maybe the biggest news: the entire mural is doneski, replaced by a "gold leaf wall treatment." Stay tuned for the Wednesday return. [EaterWire]
PACIFIC HEIGHTS—Last seen in the Plywood Report in the beginning of the month, Long Bar & Bistro missed its anticipated April opening, but the old Fillmore Grill is getting close. According to a Craigslist ad, they are hiring front of house personnel, and an opening for the "classic American establishment" at Fillmore/Clay is nearing. [EaterWire]
Which "premier brunch restaurant" in Pacific Heights is currently on the market? The clues with which to work: "This popular and busy breakfast and lunch restaurant is in Pacific Heights (one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city) and is in a prominent corner location with high visibility and easy access. This restaurant is consistently rated one of the top breakfast/lunch restaurants in the city. This well respected restaurant has a large glass frontage and open airy feeling." 1800 square feet, 78 seats. Go! [RestaurantRealty]
Welcome back to the Plywood Report, your regular, all-encompassing chronicle of the next generation of restaurants and bars to grace our fair city. Spot something new on your block? The tip line awaits. Bonus points and a 4% surcharge if you include photos.
1) Union Square: Just off the corner of Powell, Sutter Street's Cartwright Hotel is renovating their entire ground-floor lobby area (among other things) and part of the redesign involves the installation of a new wine bar called 1915. Work is expected to be done in two to three weeks, and per standard wine bar protocol, there will be small bites for consumption in addition to the vino. [PLYWOOD]
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]
Let's dive into the shameless self- aggrandizing right away. Up first, we have the week-old Halu, which proves that not even endearing, eclectic neighborhood restaurants with Beatles posters are immune to the temptation of shilling on the interwebs, not mention horrible grammar:
JACKSON SQUARE— It looks like the long Myth saga might finally be coming to a head (or at least a significant crossroads), as the Tusks—a.k.a. Quince—have finally 
BERKELEY—Last night was the grand opening for Corso Trattoria, the latest feather in Shattuck Avenue's cap. The second restaurant by Wendy Brucker and Roscoe Skipper of Rivoli, the casual, 50-seat Corso specializes in Florentine cuisine. As always, East Bay reports are encouraged. 1786 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, (510) 704-8004 [EaterWire]
THE HAIGHT—When Magnolia reopens this week after his little 
