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 Vivanno if you include photos.
1) Financial District: Something's astir at 318 Kearny, the space that last housed Pasta Paradiso. The thoroughfare stretch of Kearny has a lot of upheaval in recent months, but this one might be especially notable because the names on the liquor license application are from the Tiramisu Group, aka the lords of Belden Alley: Pino Spinoso and Giuseppe Scoppetta. Interesting, yes? It's a small space in a location that's quiet at night, so we're wondering if it's going to be of the lunch/cafe ilk. [PLYWOOD]
The next generation of restaurants and bars gets a spotlight in the Plywood Report. Notice something new sprouting up on your block? Let us know.
SoMa: About a month and a half ago, Mercury Appetizer Barfolded in the no man's land of Lombard and Van Ness, promising a "new and approved" location. Well, it didn't take too long for chef/owner Dominic Ainza to find that coveted bigger location, as Mercury is moving into the old Sneaky Tiki space on the corner of Folsom and 12th Street (get ready for a whole new batch of "Mercury rising" puns). The new space is definitely much bigger than the Lombard closet, but we wouldn't exactly call it a bustling area either. We're hearing the name will be simply Mercury Lounge, so for everyone's sake, here's hoping the "appetizer bar" concept is doneski too.
· The Shutter: Mercury Appetizer Bar Finally Folds [~ESF~]
Welcome back to the Plywood Report, your regular chronicle of the next generation of restaurants to grace our city. Spot something new? The tip line awaits. Bonus points and a goat courtesy of Willie Brown if you include photos. Goat subject to availability.
1) Polk Gulch: Let's start of this edition of the report at McTeague's Saloon, which has found a special place in our heart simply for its name. The spinoff of the Holy Grail right next door is a bit behind schedule (May-June was the initial aim), but from the above shots, it's just about ready to promote to post-plywood status. [PLYWOOD]
But wait, there's more plywood to be shared. A Missionite sends along the news that someone has claimed the semi-cursed space at 1152 Valencia, last seen putting Senses, Watercress and Watergate out of business: "An application for an alcoholic beverage license (beer and wine) has gone up in the old Senses location on Valencia St. (between 22nd and 23rd). The restaurant will be called Janitzi; The applicant is Angel Oscar Martinez-Diaz. Not much else to see there at this point." [EaterWire, previously]
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 if you include photos.
1) The Richmond: Let's examine the multiple instances of brilliance at work in the above shot of 1115 Clement St, shall we? Yes, let's: a) despite the "Bussines Closed" sign on the door, the Grand Opening sign somehow, amazingly made it through the entire restaurant's lifetime; b) not only did the Grand Opening banner survive, but so did the simultaneous signage for both previous incarnations (Bubble Zone and V Sizzling Plate); and finally, c) as seen by the liquor license activity, the shuttered Bubble Zone is ditching the boba angle (that's so 2005) and going alcoholic to morph into Sake Zone. We can only hope a third business name is added to the facade. But will they reuse the opening banner? [PLYWOOD]
Financial District: Directly across the street from the TransAmerica Pyramid, fresh signage announcing the, um, reopening of Basil Leaf Grill has been confusing FiDi workers, because misspellings aside, the Washington Street space has been empty for years and basically, office folk don't exactly know from where/when it is returning. Even though something similar was there once upon a time, when your raw build-out looks likethis, calling it a reopening might be pushing it a bit. Bonus plywood ploy: Note the way they randomly threw the "Organic" buzzword in there; that's called playing the audience. We're on to you, Basil Leaf. Not to say we disapprove, but we're on to you.
We've been hearing that Michael Chiarello has been on the premises quite a bit for his two new Yountville projects as they near so here's an update from the Chiarello front. Up first, his NapaStyle store is slated to open by this coming holiday weekend (we heard July 2nd), though it looks like they'll need a big push in the next few days. However, the juicier news—and delectable plywood shots—involve Chiarello's previously-unnamed restaurant, which as the new sign indicates, now bears the name of Bottega Ristorante. October is the due date, and as you can see from the pics above, the space is a good one, albeit very raw: original brick, old beams, and even some monastery-like arches. What's not to like?
· Napa Dispatch: Work Begins at Chiarello's NapaStyle [~ESF~]
· BREAKING: Michael Chiarello Opening Yountville Resto [~ESF~]
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But wait, there's more plywood to be shared. A Missionite sends along the news that someone has claimed the 
