Our sister site Curbed SF dropped the dime on the newest entrant into the 2008 condo dining extravaganza: The Hayes, pictured above. The new Hayes Valley condos are slated to open sometime in 2008 at 55 Page Street, between Franklin and Gough. According to Curbed's source, The Hayes is currently in negotiations with a "big name chef" from a "popular local restaurant" to open a spinoff on the ground level. Predictably, all are mum beyond the little tease, which means that it's time to start churning the rumor mill!
Now, if we've learned anything from the initial Fantastic Four of condo dining, it's that big-name chefs like to stay close to their flagships. The Danko Deuce is a block away from the original, and both Charles Phan and Nancy Oakes have put their respective names on SoMa projects just minutes from their Embarcadero bases. Working around this premise—almost assuredly incorrect, we're sure—several big names call Hayes Valley home, including Traci Des Jardins (Jardiniere) and Judy Rodgers (Zuni). Both certainly fit the "big name" bill and have long been rumored to be looking for the right opportunity to branch out. On the other hand, perhaps a dark horse will claim The Hayes as its own. Further hypotheses are always encouraged.
· CurbedWire: The Hayes Will Host Resto [Curbed SF]
· Introducing the Fantastic Four of Condo Dining [~ESF~]
Your theories, speculation or actual knowledge in the comments or straight to us.