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UNION SQUARE—His Greatness Thomas Keller will be in San Francisco next Tuesday, and brace, he'll be catering the grand opening party at the new Prada flagship. He will be preparing "classic, whimsical canapés from all his restaurants," including his signature salmon cornets from the French Laundry and his version of the BLT, which is just like your version, except for the fact that it is made with Korobuta pork breast, garden lettuce puree, black truffles and pain au lait. [EaterWire]

FINANCIAL DISTRICT—All kinds of name chefs are expected to be on hand October 14th for the March of Dimes Signature Chefs event at the Palace Hotel: "An exclusive list of Bay Area chefs prepare their signature dishes, and California’s most celebrated wineries will provide the perfect complement for each ... Following the tasting there will be a seated desert and a spirited live auction, with each chef serving as the focal-point of an exciting auction package." Chef list is forthcoming; more info here. [EaterWire]

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THE SUNSET—Nick Fasanella (Nick's Crispy Tacos) just took over Palermo/Spiaggia Deli, and now he's going to be taking Underdogs Sports Bar & Grill too. The first catch is that he's holding a contest and taking suggestions for a new name and concept for the now-dismal bar, which is not be confused with Underdog, the vegan sausage joint next door. The second catch is that the prize for said contest is $500 ... credit at the bar. So there's that. [SFist]

'BUCKSWIRE—At long last, Starbucks has released the list of the 600 stores to be closed this summer. For the most part, San Francisco was largely immune to the purge: only two stores are slated to shutter: one in the Metreon and the other at 901 Market. Across the bridge in Berkeley, the store at Shattuck and Cedar will also get the ax. [BuxGoss]

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SOMA—The Hoss Zare era is ready to begin at the Fly Trap. According to a tipster's bounceback message from OpenTable, the restaurant will shutter after tonight's service. The planned remodel will reportedly make the 102-year-old restaurant more lounge-like: communal table in, piano and white tablecloths out. [EaterWire]

GHIRARDELLI SQUARE—The people at Bar Marche and Marche on the Square and the rest of the Marche Ghirardelli festivities wanted to pass along that Bar Marche is officially open. Even though the upstairs dining area is not yet ready (as we mentioned earlier), the entire menu is currently being served at the wine bar. If you're a local and have frequented the pre-Danko Ghirardelli Square and the Marches, let us know your early thoughts. [EaterWire]

EMBARCADERO—This week's Scoop brings the news that after about a year, David Rosales is out at Mexico DF: "Roberto Cruz has taken over as chef. Cruz opened the restaurant with former chef David Rosales, who has decamped for his home state of Oregon. Luis Contreras, former sous chef at Fonda, the Albany restaurant where Rosales earned a Chronicle Rising Star Chef nod in 2003, is Cruz's sous chef." Rosales' biggest fan won't be happy. [Scoop]

TENDERLOIN—Russell's Room, the expansion of Bourbon & Branch into the former barbershop next door, is complete. Via Thrillist: "With space for 30 max, the candlelit parlor's done up with an alternating leather/antique mirror wall treatment, velvet-upholstered couches/chairs, and pressed-tin ceilings ... Though RR's available for private parties (where you'll customize your own drink menu), on any other night the password 'cigar' gets you in." [Thrillist]

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BERNAL HEIGHTS—After ten years on Cortland Avenue, owner Judy Hedin is selling her neighborhood staple Moki's Sushi and Pacific Grill. But even though the new ownership group sounds suspiciously like a froyo purveyor (Limeberry Inc), Hedin has penned a non-teary farewell note to her Bernal Heights following, assuring everyone that Moki's will remain the same, "without change in name, concept or personnel." The owners, also of Sozo Sushi in Pleasanton, have a sushi chef who has put in time at Fuji and Ebisu here in the city. Until the ownership swap goes official, Moki's will be celebrating its swan song/ten-year anniversary throughout July and August. [EaterWire]

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POLK GULCH—Right on schedule, Swan Oyster Depot has reopened after its Fourth of July vacation. The stools still go up at 20 past 5 and all is right in the world. [EaterWire]

SAN FRANCISCO— Will the Quickly-Ed Jew mess ever go away? The answer, it would appear, is a simple "no": "...the restaurant chain at the center of the matter -- Quickly -- is still hovering in purgatory. You recall that one of the charges against Ed was that he tried to extort $80,000 from Quickly to help the chain's stores get permits required of franchise operations in the City. To this day, Quickly still doesn't have the permits." Oh, that crazy Ed Jew. [Bronstein at Large]

THE MISSION—A few weeks ago, someone tipped us off that the old Senses location at 1152 Valencia (between 22nd and 23rd) was finally taken by one Angel Oscar Martinez-Diaz, who will open Janitzi there. Well, work is well underway, and we have word that Janitzi will be a Latino bistro, showcasing all kinds of dishes from Mexico, Central America and the surrounding regions. The location itself has been a bit of a revolving door for some years now, but the changing face of lower Valencia—including Beretta down the street (overflow, anyone?)—should at least give Janitzi the opportunity to make good. Aesthetically, the dining room is a shell, but the kitchen looks to be mostly intact from the Senses era, so the early word on a debut is mid-August. [EaterWire]

GLEN PARK—The plywood vet heretofore known as "the Glen Park Italian restaurant at 2790 Diamond" now has a name: Manzoni. An opening is still completely up in the air, but sources say owner Monhal Jweinat—also of Higher Grounds down the street—is hoping to debut within a month. [EaterWire]

CIVIC CENTER—Tomorrow is the big day down at the City Hall Victory Garden, as Alice Waters and Mayor Newsom will plant 40 organic, um, plants beginning at 9am. But some people are starting to think that the garden's (unpublicized) temporary nature is just a stunt: "And the Victory Garden concept is great, conjuring up the collective commitment to our national interests that inspired patriotic citzens to plant gardens during the two world wars .... Then I heard that they're going to rip out the garden in a couple months ... Just what this country needs, another hollow gesture toward environmental sustainability." [SFBG]

[Photo: Flickr/T.L.A.]

NOE VALLEY—We've known that Kookez Cafe has been on the market for quite some time, but someone has finally bought the restaurant. According to the good folks there, Kookez is planning on closing at the end of August, and the owners will be moving to Sunnyvale, where they're still flirting with the idea of another restaurant. As for the 4123 24th Street space, the name on the liquor license application identifies the new owners as the Tangerine Restaurant Group, but there's no word (yet) on whether or not they are related to the Castro's Tangerine. Stay tuned for updates... [EaterWire]

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POLK GULCH—We've been meaning to mention this for a while now, but we should note that the iconic Swan Oyster Depot is in the midst of its annual Fourth of July vacation. The storefront is completely papered up, which suggests that they might be sprucing up the interior. The hiatus started last weekend and assuming the note on the door is to be believed, will come to a conclusion next Monday. Stay strong, SOD faithful. [EaterWire]

THE CASTRO—And now, an update from the decades-long show called The Patio Cafe: owner Les Natali is currently showing the space to prospective tenants. Says Natali in BAR: "We're looking for a restaurant operator with a Mel's Diner type of menu – reasonably-priced, satisfying food that everyone can enjoy and visit often. And it has an outdoor patio dining area." [BAR]

The build-your-own martini screen. [Photo: Eater LA]

MOUNTAIN VIEW—Dark dining isn't the only restaurant gimmick to recently migrate up here. The first Northern California location is in place for uWink, the ultra-gimmicky SoCal restaurant where diners order everything via touch screen terminals at each table which also double as video game consoles. No, really. It's the brainchild of Nolan Bushnell, the man responsible for Atari and Chuck E. Cheese. A location just opened in Hollywood, and Silicon Valley will be home to uWink #3 (401 Castro Street in Mountain View, to be exact). As it stands, "sometime in August" is the ETA. Thanks, LA. [EaterWire]

SOMA—We're not usually big on special dinners, but Thrillist has some details on Ame's umami dinners, which begin next Monday: "Hiro Sone will roll out SF's first-ever tasting menu specifically designed to showcase Umami, the mysterious 'fifth taste': the essence of protein, once unlocked by MSG, here summoned by natural ingredients like soybean, wheat, and seasalt." [Thrillist]

GHIRARDELLI SQUARE—After initially pushing back opening to next week, Bar Marche has gotten the green light, and has now pushed forward its debut. Executive chef/co-owner Brian Crawford and company are now looking to debut this Friday the 11th. [EaterWire]

SOMA—Joseph Manzare has added some star power to his Sunday dinners at Zuppa, in the form of some pals from his days at Spago: "[Anne Gingrass-Paik] will be consulting chef on the regional Italian menu offered at Zuppa on Sundays. Joining her on the line is [Naoki] Uchiyama of Palo Alto's long-shuttered Le Poisson Japonais. Manzare says he dragged Uchiyama 'by the ear' from Tokyo to help him open a high-end sushi and robata restaurant in San Francisco this fall." [Scoop]

SONOMA—Last week, it came out that Preston Dishman is on his way out at The General's Daughter, but the Southern cuisine specialist wants to remain in the area: "Dishman says he's hoping to stay local and has a few offers already. He'll be at the General's Daughter through July. His wife, who manages the restaurant's front-of-the-house operations is also leaving. Does anyone smell a possible love match for John Ash, where Chef Madura recently departed?" [BiteClub]

THE FILLMORE—We already had Sunday brunch at 1300 on Fillmore, and as of this weekend past, chef/owner David Lawrence has decided to expand the service to include a Saturday version too. Hangtown fries, now available two days a week. [City Dish]