All stories about "Myth"

Hot news off the wire from the ongoing Pacific Avenue saga known as the Myth sale: the Chronicle is now reporting that Ritz-Carlton Dining Room chef Ron Siegel, sommelier Stephane Lacroix and Carl Pascarella have cut bait on the pending deal to buy Myth. From SFGate:

The three have been in negotiations to buy the restaurant from owner Tom Duffy and K2K Development since late last year and had hoped to take over this fall. But when that didn't happen, and the economy took a turn for the worse, the trio became concerned that a new venture would be too risky...

The option to buy the restaurant expired at 5 p.m. Tuesday, said Duffy, who would not elaborate on the future of Myth.

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SHUTTERSVILLE—This weekend marks the end of the road for two high-profile restaurants, Myth and Palmetto. Preparing for a renovation, overhaul and ownership change, the finale for Myth will be tomorrow night, with the closure expected to last a little over two months at this point. Palmetto, on the other hand, will shutter after Sunday service, and it shan't be returning at any point. [EaterWire]

NEW ORLEANS—That Top Chef rumor mill just refuses to stop churning:. The latest is that conspiracy theorists are abuzz because Bravo is currently holding open auditions in New Orleans for next season. Of course, a casting call in a city is by no means an indicator that the entire fifth season will air there, but still, it would be a pretty marketable concept. The first four seasons were shot in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. [Nola]

SOUTH BAY—Let's close out the week with some adventures in marketing, courtesy of the San Jose Airport, which is ready to welcome an exciting restaurant lineup, including the following two concepts straight from Reno: "A home-grown answer to the Hard Rock Cafe - San Jose Rocks ... There will also be a Sharks-theme eatery, team CEO Greg Jamison confirmed. There's a rumor it might be named The Sharks Cage and feature a bar that looks like ice." [SJMN]

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All news fit to run goes in EaterWire. Your tips are welcome at sf@eater.com.

COW HOLLOW—In the wake of Mme. Tablehopper's semi-rumor that Palmetto might be closing this weekend, we inquired with some folks over there and our source confirmed that their last day is indeed Sunday. We couldn't uncover anything with regards to the next tenant, but Lady Hopstress has it that that it will be a "fun, casual, seafood-based concept." As if there were any other kind of casual, seafood-based concept. [EaterWire, TH]

FINANCIAL DISTRICT—It's old news that this upcoming weekend is the the last hurrah for Myth before it goes under the knife for renovations (and in all likelihood, an ownership change). Last we heard, the sale is still not technically complete, so take this as you will, but a tipster brings word that Myth is hoping to reopen around the 20th of May. If this premature tidbit is roughly accurate, it would probably mean that Myth's physical two-month facelift likely won't be a huge one. Stay tuned ...[EaterWire Inbox]

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All closings around town are reported by The Shutter. Notice a restaurant or bar that has recently passed along into the next life? Your tips very much appreciated.

Today marks the beginning of the Myth Cafe hiatus and the end of the Ryan Scott era there. In his last day, the Top Chef contestant was spotted earlier working away per normal in the kitchen, as he always seems to be (a good thing). Other items dispatched from the corner of Pacific and Montgomery: the above teary shutter signage, a line out the door, signed goodbye notes from employees and the smell of truffles wafting in the air. For those wondering, the special of the day was a guacamole lavash wrap, not chicken piccata, which would have been nothing short of awesome. Up next: Myth, in two weeks.
· Ryan Scott Leaving Myth Cafe; Myth and Myth Cafe Closures Imminent? [~ESF~]
· EaterWire: Myth Closing Temporarily April 1 [~ESF~]

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JACKSON SQUARE—As you may have noticed in the comments earlier this afternoon, an Eater Commenter discovered that Myth will be closing come April. The restaurant, this time around, confirms the temporary closure. The last day of service will be Saturday, March 29th, with the duration of the shuttering termed as "indefinite," for now. [EaterWire]

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And now, some big pieces of news, still white-hot coming off the EaterWire:

Item #1) Future Top Chef contestant and noted sexy food connoisseur Ryan Scott is leaving Myth Cafe. His last day will be next Friday, March 14th. No solid explanation is being offered by Scott or his spokespeople as to the reason for his departure, aside from the looming temporary closure of Myth Cafe and Myth, which brings us to...

Item #2) Possibly the bigger news: according to Scott and co., both Myth Cafe and Myth will temporarily close on March 14th and 15th, respectively. The wrinkle here is that this intel comes from Team Ryan Scott, not Team Myth. Sources at the restaurants are staying mum on the whole matter, insisting that nothing is certain yet, which means that a) Scott's exit has nothing to do with any Myth Cafe closure, or more likely, b) the long-rumored Myth overhaul is finally here. Story very much developing...

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JACKSON SQUARE—Everyone's still ultramum on the happenings/ non-happenings at Myth, so it's likely any deal has yet to be finalized. Nonetheless, it's pretty safe to assume that the sale to Carl Pascarella's "Pacific Avenue Restaurants Investors" hasn't fallen through yet, as just this week, the group added a request for a caterer's permit to its still-pending liquor license. Last we heard from the BauerBlog, former Myth owner Tom Duffy said escrow could close by "early February," so things should be coming to a head soon enough. [EaterWire, previously]

THE INTERWEBS—If ever there a new service made for the responsible-eating masses of the Bay Area, it's a new service that allows anyone to check the endangered status of a certain fish: "You can text Blue Ocean's Fishphone at 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. Immediately you'll get a text back with an assessment and, when appropriate, a more environmentally sound alternative." [Bitten]

· Myth: Still Great, But O'Brien's Time Winding Down [CH]
· All Stops Pulled Out For French Laundry Resy [CH]
· Epic and Waterbar Already Getting the Hound Vote [CH]
· Everyone Likes Pie, and Mission Pie Has Lemon Ones [Mouthfuls]
· On the List of Useful Lists: Decent Bar Food [Yelp]
· Not on the List of Useful Lists: Restaurants With Lines [Yelp]

JACKSON SQUARE—The craziness continues at Myth, where wine honcho Alex Fox—last thought to be joining the Kuleto Brigade at Epic Roasthouse sometime soon—will instead be staying at Myth until the sale is final (thought to be sometime in March), according to tomorrow's Inside Scoop. Unfortunately, chef Sean O'Brien's last day is now set for January 31st, which poses several more questions. [Scoop, Item #4]

TINSELTOWN—The best movie ever featuring a Thomas Keller cameo, Disney/Pixar blockbuster Ratatouille, has been nominated for a whopping five Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Achievement in Sound Editing, Achievement in Sound Mixing and Original Screenplay. [Oscar.com]

On the gossip front, the rumor mill keeps on churning regarding the future of Myth. The latest entrant in the race to find out what exactly is happening down on Pacific Avenue comes from the Chron, who spoke to former Myth honcho Tom Duffy. Here's what Duffy had to say, directly via the BauerBlog:

Ron Siegel and Stephane Lacroix, the touted chef and sommelier of the critically acclaimed the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, have joined forces with Carl Pascarella, the former CEO of Visa USA and a regular on the San Francisco social scene, to buy and run Myth and its sister cafe, says Tom Duffy, former owner of the popular restaurant.

Pascarella, the financial architect on the project, signed a purchase agreement on Friday afternoon, according to Duffy.

[Photo courtesy]

[Photo: Flickr/violetbloom]

JACKSON SQUARE—From Food & Wine's (transfixed) Kate Krader comes news a rumor of a massive chef shuffle involving some local biggies: "I could go on about so many other great meals and drinks, but I'm transfixed by the big news I heard: Ron Siegel ... is leaving the Ritz Carlton—along with sommelier Stephane Lacroix—to take over the kitchen at Myth from another of our great [Best New Chefs], Sean O'Brien." This just goes to show you that if you let a F&W senior editor run loose in this town for a week, she'll uncover some juice. Background reading on last month's Myth ownership change can be had over at the BauerBlog; more details on Siegel at Myth as they come in, natch. [Mouthing Off]

**UPDATE 1/9: Staying true to its name, Mouthing Off apparently jumped the gun a bit on this story, as we've now learned that nothing has been made official. Siegel and Lacroix have indeed been contacted by the Myth people, but at this point, there's nothing to report beyond a standard preliminary courtship. Repeat: just a rumor; nothing close to official yet.

· New Myth Owner Patina Group: "All About Mediocrity" [CH]
· Spread the Bitterness: Your Worst SF Meals, 2007 Edition [CH]
· Is Underdog Worthy of a Sunset Venture? [CH]
· As Pointed Out By Our NY Mothership, ShamelessRestaurants Died [SR; error msg]
· ...And Things Are Pretty Quiet on Zagat's SF Boards [Zagat Discussions]
· Absolute MUST Read: Stoners Now Posting on Chowhound! [CH]

All news fit to publish goes in EaterWire. Your juicy tidbits to sf@eater.com.

WINE COUNTRY—Weeks after debuting in the Michelin guide at the esteemed two-star level, Joseph Humphrey has decided to leave The Restaurant at Meadowood. Humphrey will take up executive chef duties at Cavallo Point, the upcoming Fort Baker restaurant expected to open sometime in summer 2008. He will stay on at Meadowood until January, so you might want to think about making one last reservation at Meadowood before crossing it off your list. [Napa Valley Register]

FINANCIAL DISTRICT—When it rains it pours, and the BauerBlog also has the big, somewhat disappointing news that Sean O'Brien will be leaving Myth: "Myth has been sold to the Patina group, so O'Brien and the sommelier, Alex Fox, will be out of a job come February. It's too bad because while the decor is stunning, it was O'Brien and Fox who really made the place one of the hottest reservations in town. Without these key people, Myth simply won't be the same restaurant." [Between Meals]

Compared to the likes of New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco's trendiness factor isn't very high. Only a handful of restaurants--if that--require primetime reservations a month in advance and you're just as likely to run into a local celebrity at Michael Mina as you are in the Mission. Of the few stereotypically trendy places in town, Myth just might have the most name recognition, so it's a bit of surprise when Aleta Watson's Sunday review reveals some issues with Owner Tom Duffy and Executive Chef Sean O'Brien's established downtown gem. For the most part, the food remains "inspired" and "seductive," yet Watson finds some shortcomings with Myth's service:

Our server proved altogether too chatty, however, spending more time talking about his plans to open a bar than remembering to bring our wine or noticing that we had been waiting half an hour for our food. When Duffy learned of the lapses, he intervened. Appetizers arrived quickly - there had been a backup at the pizza oven. And our server brought us complimentary glasses of honeyed, fizzy moscato di Asti with dessert as an apology.