According to a pair of well-placed sources, the last few months have seen some troubling financial and managerial happenings at Chez Spencer. Keep in mind that no confirmation will be coming from the powers that be at Chez Spencer—now or ever—but we're hearing the rumblings of the following developments of note. As always with unconfirmed rumors, take it as you will:
1) Owner and executive chef Laurent Katgel is rarely on the premises anymore. 2) The restaurant/Katgel has gone through one supplier after another, following running up unpaid debts with past suppliers.
Even though Out the Door is still scheduled to return in a month or two, things have been suspiciously quiet at the shuttered Westfield branch, prompting some juicy (unconfirmed) rumors. From the Inbox: "A little bird in the industry confirmed my suspicions that PhanCo is trying to use their leak repairs to wiggle out of their lease at the mall. First-hand, there's been no sign of activity in there for nearly 2 weeks now." [EaterWire]
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NORTH BEACH—The rumor du jour, as shared by the Scoop, involves Liam Tiernan of Tiernan's taking over the Washbag: "PlumpJack might still be in the picture, but, according to [Tiernan], he and his wife and co-owner, Susan, have the key and are ready to get going as soon as the Washbag emerges from bankruptcy proceedings .. That means the Washbag could be back up and operating by Labor Day." More fodder for the fire: several commenters have chimed in with some thoughts regarding last week's eviction notice. [Chron]
UNION SQUARE—We shared some plywood shots from Urban Tavern earlier today, and as if on cue, Lady Hopstress brings forth some juicy rumormongering from the Hilton front: "Donna Scala was helping to conceptualize and develop the high-end gastropub for the hotel—I heard a rumor that she was not going to be involved with the project once it launched, and it ends up Laurent Manrique is now going to be the chef!" Manrique just relaunched Fifth Floor and the Hilton is mum on the rumors, but this could be a biggie if it fleshes out. [TH]
From the Eater Inbox, further rumblings about that westward expansion by Employees Only: "Was imbibing with my friend at Employees Only back in February and chatting up one of the owners. He had just returned from a NoCal visit. Had been checking out the scene, looking to expand out on the West Coast. He was especially impressed with Bourbon and Branch ... E.O. is a gorgeous friggin bar, though. Very intimate, lots of candle light, good wine list." [Eater Inbox]
Word on the fog-lined streets is that the people behind Manhattan's ever-popular Employees Only will be making the transcontinental jump to consult on a new (Beretta-esque?) project here in San Francisco. The tease description: "Think Lupa with lots of Amaros." Provoking, yes? Suffice to say, the city's cocktail craze shan't be dying down anytime soon. Anyone with further information/teases is very much encouraged to share. [EaterWire]
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~]
We're still waiting official word on the future of 2080 Van Ness, but the word on the street is that (The?) Heights will be putting a strong emphasis on evening revelry, with the term "nightclub" being thrown about by the folks taking over Hue L'Amour. Construction is currently in full swing, both inside and out, and last we heard, they were aiming for a May debut (grain, salt).
Now, it's unclear if "nightclub" is an archaic term for an upscale bar/lounge or what, but ditching a restaurant-centric idea for a nightlife one might be for the best, seeing as how the following concepts (among others) have all tried and failed there: Italian, French, American, Seafood, Spanish, Cuban, Mexican, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, and even a piano bar. There's not much left, is there? But let's turn it over to the masses: what would you like to see go into 2080 Van Ness? Is a nightclub welcome?
· Signage Alert: Heights Officially Replacing Hue L'Amour [~ESF~]
More than a few folks have been waiting for the other shoe to drop on the next round of Mint Plaza restaurants, and now comes some pretty credible news that Manhattan's Il Buco has been scoping out restaurant spaces in downtown San Francisco. Specifically, we're hearing that Il Buco is signing a lease at 54 Mint—yes, that 54 Mint. The once-derelict space has been completely cleaned out for the arrival of someone (see above), and for what it's worth, our sources in NYC say that Il Buco has remained a strong, steady classic. So far, all involved parties from both Mint and Il Buco are very mum on the whole matter, meaning no confirmation. Yet. Story developing...
· 54 Mint Might Have an Insect Problem [~ESF~]
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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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]
Per Gael Greene, it would appear that Food Jesus is currently on a trip to Dubai: "All we know is that Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller flew off to Dubai where surely they will check in with Markus Draxler, once the dashing eminence running the dining room at Restaurant Daniel, now heading the sales operation of a giant development in Abu Dhabi." The Arabic Laundry, anyone? [Insatiable Critic]
Earlier this week, it became known that Cafe Flore may be threatening closure if several demands are not approved. The owners of the Castro establishment have started a website detailing their desires, namely the options to stay open later, serve alcohol later and have a DJ. The rationale given by the Flore folks is pretty basic: nearby businesses (Harvey's, Lime) are open late, so it's merely a case of keeping up with the competition. Plus, giving Flore a bar tilt will, ahem, "help community fundraising efforts."
You've heard the Pro argument; now, in the interest of an open forum, we'd like to present the case against Cafe Flore, made by a neighbor in the Eater Comments. The crux of the argument is basically that the Save Cafe Flore movement is just a money ploy to resell the cafe. Furthermore, the proposed changes would turn the place into a neighborhood menace, if not immediately, then in the future. The full argument follows:
Reports of Emeril's exit have been greatly exaggerated. After an earlier "report" that had Food TV icon Emeril Lagasse leaving the network he helped build, FishBowl has since retracted its findings, because well, they are not true at all. Only Emeril Live has been canceled, says the network: "Emeril is not leaving the network, Essence of Emeril will continue production and we will pursue specials and other opportunities in the future." [FishBowl]
Eater has just received confirmation that Pinkberry will be opening its first northern California franchise. The dates are still up in the air, but as long rumored, the SoCal frozen yogurt giant—which recently received a cool $27.5 million from Starbucks founder Howard Schultz—will indeed open a location in the Stanford Shopping Center. The news came to a head after an innocent employment ad sparked all sorts of rumors. The following is our phone conversation with the Los Angeles-based company that started those glorious fro-yo wars:
Within hours of our Herb's Fine Foods query, we caught wind of the following rumor: "It will be Toast (church street). It will be their second location and they hope to open in the Spring!" When asked, the Toast people were mum, so on this Friday, we leave the rumor mongering to you, dear reader. Is Toast coming to 24th St or did the title of that Voice article confuse someone? [EaterWire Inbox]
Earlier this week, a reader put forth a question regarding Herb's Fine Foods, the Noe Valley diner with the goofy sign that shocked the neighborhood when it suddenly closed about a month ago:
Herb's fine food suddenly closed down in Noe Valley. It was a greasy spoon institution ... I am very interested to know what happened and what will become of this vacant space ... I also think that Noe Valley can't convert business to restaurants unless of course they were already zoned as one. This is a prime space and someone will be a fool to not open up a great restaurant.
According to a Noe Valley Voice article earlier this month, Herb's was forced to close because they couldn't afford the rising rents entailed in a new lease. When the Eater Investigative Staff arrived on site at 24th Street, not much intel was available. The place has been completely gutted and there were no signs of activity within. Building scaffolding persists, along with lead warning signs, even though it appears that work permits have expired. In other words, there are no clues as to the space's next tenant. Anyone know anything?
· Herb's Is Toast [Noe Valley Voice]
Hear a rumor about the future of 3991 24th St? Your rumor mongering and desires in the comments field. And as always, the tip line eagerly awaits.
Anyone have any guesses as to which SoMa space will house the Medici Lounge? "Have I mentioned that I'm helping to open a restaurant/lounge in the heart of San Francisco? ... My brother-in-law owns the place–it's a great space South of Market, nearby clubs, galleries, offices, studios. The previous owner under-utilized it for years, and still made a profit. Now we get to see whether a complete revamp, organic Mediterranean menu, super-premium bar and different demographic target will improve upon the old concept, or stagger under the weight of its own ambitions." [Creative Capitalist]
Comments
Even though Out the Door is still scheduled to return in a month or two, things have been suspiciously quiet at the 
NORTH BEACH—The rumor du jour, as shared by the 
We're still waiting official word on the future of 2080 Van Ness, but the word on the street is that (The?) Heights will be putting a strong emphasis on evening revelry, with the term "nightclub" being thrown about by the folks taking over Hue L'Amour. Construction is currently in full swing, both inside and out, and last we heard, they were aiming for a May debut (grain, salt). 
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 
Eater has just received confirmation that Pinkberry will be opening its first northern California franchise. The dates are still up in the air, but as long rumored, the SoCal frozen yogurt giant—which recently received a cool 
