Out the Door, during drier times. [Photo: Flickr/nicolelee]
Westfield Center: Oh, the perils of having a restaurant within a mall, even a relatively nice one like Westfield: Charles Phan's Out the Door is currently closed for some sudden and necessary renovations. Apparently, Westfield has some major plumbing issues, and being on the bottom floor, Out the Door was recently the recipient of those very issues. In a nutshell, significant leakage from the ceiling flooded the restaurant, forcing Team Phan to shut down operations temporarily. At this point in the soggy situation, there is no timetable for a return date, but stay tuned.
Reacting to the global rice shortage, Slanted Door mastermind Charles Phan gives a video interview with MarketWatch. While others have been bitching and moaning about the crisis and the subsequent rising costs, Phan—who serves 100 pounds of rice a day to 1,000 customers—takes a refreshing zen approach, saying that the whole frenzy should be a "wake up call" because it finally sheds light on problems around the world and that he might make the move to Texas popcorn rice, which is half the price of Jasmine. [MarketWatch]
Over the weekend, the first annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival was held, and tickets to the picturesque seaside shindig were fetching up to $5K. Along with mega-name attendees like Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Elizabeth Falkner, Gary Danko, Hubert Keller, Charles Phan, and Jacques Pepin (to name just a few), Eater LA was on hand for some first-handaccounts—including some candid shots of Father Keller (pictured, right). Please do head down to Eater LA for a full recap later today (complete with all your favorite Top Cheffers), but until then, kindly note that the place to be was the wine room, Iron Chef Morimoto is a master on the golf course and Big TK couldn't get a table at his own event. For now, we just have to point out the Chronicle's clever juxtaposition of quotes from the super chefs and their (rich) super stalkers fans:
Super Chefs: "[Thomas] Keller took all the attention in stride, but acknowledged that 'the groupie fan thing is sort of absurd.'"
Super Fans: "'I just want to shake your hand,' said 20-year-old Joshua Berman [to Keller], a Providence, R.I., culinary school student who traveled across the country to volunteer at the event and be in the shadow of his heroes."
Though the entire health care hoopla is dying down up here, the LA Times dedicated 1,000 words this morning to the Healthy SF mandate. For the most, it's a fairly-comprehensive summary of the situation, from Mayor PlumpJack's enthusiastic support to the Supreme Court appeals, and finally, to the ways in which various restaurateurs are dealing with the increased costs. Some tidbits to be salvaged from the wreckage:
San Francisco diners are apparently OK with the surcharges: "Restaurant patrons so far don't seem to mind footing the bill for expanded healthcare. 'We haven't noticed it, so I guess it's not that big a deal,' said Stacy Wong, a Tres Agaves customer waiting with friends to lunch on Jalisco-style fish tacos."
Restaurateurs are not: "But restaurateurs are irate, saying they eke out livelihoods on profit margins as slim as two pennies on the dollar. The program is burdensome for the city's 4,200 eateries ..."
Newsom, acknowledging the law's shortcomings: "No one argues that our program is perfect, but it's better than anywhere else ... City Hall is not going to back away."
Much of the concept—from the cuisine to the name itself—for Charles Phan's upcoming restaurant in the SoMa Grand condo complex is still up in the air, but here's what we do know: it's in the ground floor space of 1085 Mission Street, a complete build-out is required, and several months ago, Phan was rumored to be flirting with an Asian small plates lounge concept. The space, pictured above from inside and out, was originally slated to have the Phan restaurant and a second retailer sharing it, though it's been reported that Phan will now take the whole space. On the other side of the lobby, Estela's Sandwiches has apparently bailed out, says Lady Hopstress. Original ETA for Phan was set at June, but considering the state of things there (i.e., construction hasn't really commenced), we wouldn't be surprised at all to see that date pushed back.
· Introducing the Fantastic Four of Condo Dining [~ESF~]
This is Hangover Observations, wherein we share our thoughts on last night, the night that was.
Last night marked the second annual Eat + Drink Awards Gala put on by 7x7 magazine. The event—held at the opulent City Club of San Francisco and hosted by imminent restaurateur Tyler Florence—celebrated and honored the hard-working folks of the local restaurant industry (well, technically, just those that do their jobs better than the rest; Luisa Hanson was almost assuredly not in attendance). In any event, it was as close to the Oscars as the restaurant industry get on a local scale, except instead of Billy Crystal, there was Tyler Florence and instead of gold statuettes, there were cute little piggies. The full list of winners was mentioned earlier, but now, our thoughts on the evening's festivities:
1) The second best moment of the evening: the transition from cocktail hour to awards ceremony came in the form of a drumline. The high school drumline—go Cougars—stole the show and in many ways, gave the performance of the evening. The crowd got into it, and it was a great way to start the formal ceremonies. It also gave some folks the opportunity to tell inappropriate drummer jokes that had been left unused since the mid-80s.
SOMA—The condo dining craze just continues to grow, as Charles Phan's unnamed project in the SoMa Grand—still slated for a June debut—is already expanding: "It is also reported that restaurateur Charles Phan (Slanted Door) has decided to take over the entire retail space instead of half as originally planned. The expanded space in addition to the restaurant will include a private lounge for SOMA Grand homeowners." NB: the perks set up for homeowners fall in line with similar options at the Danko and Mina upcoming condo developments. [SF New Developments]
CITY-WIDE—In some sad news, David Gogolak, the 36-year-old co-founder of Asqew Grill, died recently in a Montana avalanche. He opened the first Asqew Grill in the Haight in 1999, and the ninth location of the BBQ chain will open this spring in Mill Valley, where he lived with his wife and two young kids. Donations in David's honor may be made to any of three non-profit organizations close to David's heart: the Montana Land Reliance, Flathead Nordic Ski Patrol or The Cottage in Darien (a home for the mentally handicapped), c/o Kelly Associates. [EaterWire Inbox]
Welcome to the premiere of The Gatekeepers, a brand new feature wherein Eater—along with photog Jennifer Yin—traipses about town with the hope of meeting the fine men and women standing between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables. Jennifer Yin, 1/14/08
What better place to kick off The Gatekeepers than at The Slanted Door? Open in the Ferry Building since spring 2004, the current location of Charles Phan's seminal modern Vietnamese restaurant is its third location and by far its grandest, trendiest and most popular incarnation. Crowds consisting of everyone from local Chowhounds to FiDi business folk to out-of-towners battle for seats at the waterfront institution, with only Phan's well-oiled machine keeping order. Meet David Williams, just one of the many staffers that continue to make TSD what it is.
David Williams, Restaurant Manager and Host at The Slanted Door: "There are 165 [seats], give or take. It's hard to pick favorites, I tend to like seats at the back of the restaurant, most guests want the view. I feel like a meal at The Slanted Door is all about the food, so any table is great." 8 PM on a Saturday night. What's the wait for a table? "Well, we usually have the reservation sheets filled with walk-in or call in requests by 7pm. If we have space to take a name at 8pm, probably about 45 minutes to an hour wait. The bar is open-seating, full menu at the counter and the lounge is also open seating, with an expanded appetizer menu only."
When discussing the Slanted Door, more often than not, conversations invariably lead to a reminiscing of sorts on its original location in the Mission. Looking at Charles Phan's current 8,000-square-foot, designer digs, it seems hard to imagine that it all started at the quaint place pictured above. So what exactly is going on at that famed little 584 Valencia Street storefront these days? Though the space right off 17th is currently vacant, the Phans still own the building. Reportedly, they haven't decided what to do with it yet. The options: it could become another Vietnamese restaurant (perhaps a branch of Out the Door?) or even another genre of Phan restaurant entirely; or, they might just sell it (sorry, Missionites). Given how the neighborhood has boomed over the last decade or so, it's certainly worth keeping an eye on.
The Restaurant at the Infinity: Future Home of Nancy Oakes and Co.
The Chronicle finally hops on the condo dining bandwagon with a lengthy treatise about a quartet of local superchefs who have recently announced mega-projects. This "Fantastic Four" is composed of Michael Mina, Gary Danko, Charles Phan and Nancy Oakes. While the article is more fluff/summation than actual breaking news, there are a couple new items—not to mention some deliciously goofyphotos—to be found amongst the rubble, so let's break down the fantastic foursome one by one:
Restaurateur: Charles Phan Complex: SoMa Grand Restaurant: Unnamed New Tidbit: "Phan said he's ironing out the details ... but is strongly considering opening the space as a lounge with Asian small plates."
It's time for another installment of the Plywood Report, your regular chronicle of the next generation of restaurants to hit San Francisco. See some plywood and/or construction in your neighborhood? Drop us a tip. Bonus points and a free Yelp listing if you include photos.
1) Pacific Heights: Steps away from the suddenly-booming Fillmore Street, Charles Phan's Out the Door continues to make significant progress in its cavernous space on Bush. Assuming this branch will riff off the Westfield design, it looks like the ordering counter is up front with the kitchen behind it. At this point, it's hard to discern much else, but are we (not) looking at another hidden dining room? The date remains early spring "at best." [PLYWOOD]
2) SoMa: A tipster sends along ponderings at the future site of the Lava Lounge: "... at 527 Bryant (according to Yelp and Google, that's where Eagle's Drift-In SOMA used to be, but that's before my time.) Anyway, the front window is now all covered with white paper and I got a glimpse inside (no pictures, sorry.) It looks like almost finished bar renovation with very nice looking wooden bar and some tables. Is this old news? Do you guys know what's going in that spot?" [Eater Inbox]
Not that he needs the publicity, but Charles Phan has got to be glad he put in glass walls, because all about the gossips rags, it's Slanted Door celebrity mania. [PopSugar]
Welcome back to the Plywood Report, your regular, all-encompassing source for the next generation of San Francisco restaurants still in various stages of construction. Big, small, ugly? We've got you covered. See something a-brewing in your neighborhood? Drop us a line. Also: a gold star if you include photos.
1) Pacific Heights: Checking the above scene at 2232 Bush Street (right off Fillmore), the third location of Out the Door by Charles Phan remains a ways off. The plumbing was just completed this week, but that late fall prognostication may have to be pushed back a bit. [PLYWOOD]
2) Hayes Valley: Quoth a Hayes Valleyian, "This little spot in Hayes Valley taking over what used to be the Don't Call It Frisco Laundromat (next door to Suppenkuche) is going to be called Bar Jules. It's on 609 Hayes Street between Laguna and Buchanan. Construction has been going on for at least 7-8 months. I saw a poster on the window saying they'll be open in November 2007 but the latter half of the month would be my guess. Would have snapped a picture but my camera phone a piece of." [Eater Inbox]
This here is the Plywood Report, your regular, all-encompassing source for the next generation of San Francisco restaurants still in various stages of construction. From splashy, big-name endeavors to smaller remodelings, we've got you covered. See something a-brewing in your neighborhood? Drop us a line. Also: bonus points and a gold star sticker if you include photos.
Out the Door 3.0: Not in a mall basement this time.
1) Pacific Heights: The third location of Out the Door is set for a late fall opening. As of now, the space itself (a former silk flower factory) can be described in one word: cavernous. Charles Phan apparently bought the entire building at 2232 Bush earlier this year, but only the downstairs area will be used for dining purposes. Even though it looks spacious now, this branch of Out the Door will seat roughly half the number of the Westfield location. [PLYWOOD]
Celebrity chefs have been wary of San Francisco as a whole, but they certainly have no qualms about opening casual offshoots (see: Colicchio, Tom). Less than a month ago, word came out that after twenty years atop the Chicago dining scene, fine Mexican dining extraordinaireRick Bayless would be opening a branch of his Frontera Fresco outpost in the Union Square Macy's. As with the Chicago branch of the same name (also in a Macy's), our version of Frontera Fresco will dole out Mexican street food goodness: tamales, huaraches, tortas and the like. But where exactly will it be?
The chocolate store (pictured above) in the basement area is where Eater Staff believes Bayless to be settling down sometime in November. Neuhaus will move across the way to the area that is currently curtained off to the public, leaving Bayless to set up a quick service restaurant in the former candy shop. As opposed to Charles Phan's questionable Out the Door experiment in Westfield, we imagine Frontera Fresco will be more similar in scope to Wolfgang Puck's "Express" endeavor, several doors down in the Macy's basement.
· Frontera Fresco [Official Site]
· Rick Bayless' empire ventures to S.F. [The Stew]
· Eater Investigates: Why Isn't Anyone at Out the Door? [~ESF~]
When we first heard word that Charles Phan was disappointed in the performance of Out the Door, the first true offshoot of the venerable Slanted Door, we can't see we were incredibly shocked. After all, it's in the basement food court of a mall—an upscale mall, yes, but a mall nonetheless—and when it comes to turning dinner tables, the Westfield San Francisco "Centre" isn't an ideal location. But at the same time, it's Charles Phan, people, and there is no reason that Out the Door should be wasting away during the dinner hours, especially when the rest of the food court has lines aplenty.
Needing to see it with our eyes, the Eater Investigative Staff was dispatched to the mall. Arriving around 6:30pm, the mall food court was still abuzz with a motley crew of mostly after-work shoppers, some young people and a small handful of tourists. Upstairs, Lark Creek Steak had a pretty decent business dining crowd for a Tuesday, both at the bar and in the main dining room.
But back to the downstairs quandary. Only about half of the two dozen tables in the back area of Out the Door were filled, with a lone person ordering take out at the register. What gives? By contrast, most of the other, more "mall-foodie" booths in the food court at lines up to 10 people.
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Over the weekend, the first annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival was held, and tickets to the picturesque seaside shindig were fetching up to $5K. Along with mega-name attendees like Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Elizabeth Falkner, Gary Danko, Hubert Keller, Charles Phan, and Jacques Pepin (to name just a few), Eater LA was on hand for some 
Though the entire health care hoopla is dying down up here, the LA Times dedicated 
Last night marked the second annual Eat + Drink Awards Gala put on by 7x7 magazine. The event—held at the opulent City Club of San Francisco and hosted by imminent restaurateur Tyler Florence—celebrated and honored the hard-working folks of the local restaurant industry (well, technically, just those that do their jobs better than the rest; Luisa Hanson was almost assuredly not in attendance). In any event, it was as close to the Oscars as the restaurant industry get on a local scale, except instead of Billy Crystal, there was Tyler Florence and instead of gold statuettes, there were cute little piggies. The 
SOMA—The condo dining craze just continues to grow, as Charles Phan's unnamed project in the SoMa Grand—still slated for a June debut—is 
