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. Gold stars if you include photos.
1) The Sunset: On the week that the zoo somehow gets honored as one of the nation's best, we kick off this edition of the Plywood Report right across the street from the old Sloat Boulevard entrance. In the shadow of the last doggy diner head, Java Beach at the Zoo will be opening, and is expected to be a kid-friendly coffeeshop/diner, with booze of course. Should John's down the street get demolished, it could fill a niche. [PLYWOOD]
2) The Mission: Lady Hopstress has been all over Zaytoon, the little Mediterranean/Middle Eastern moving into the old Bistro Annex space at 1136 Valencia, and a tipster sends along a pic of the facade, and if you look closely, you make out some window signage. Mid-June is the aim. [PLYWOOD]
3) Bonus Mission: Oh, you didn't think we could pass on sharing an early sneak peek at Luisa Hanson's second branch of La Vinoteca, did you? Since Luisa fits in perfectly in the Mish (note: non-fact), she's going for another wine bar project off the corner of Guerrero and 22nd, which should push her enterprise count well past 30. It's really like the old British empire painting the world map red. [PLYWOOD]
4) Glen Park: Things remain a way out for the still-unnamed Italian restaurant at 2790 Diamond. It looks like a complete build-out is well-underway (work has been going on for months already), but despite an initial ETA of April, the owners (also of nearby Higher Ground) still don't see an end date. [PLYWOOD]
5) North Beach: Some people have been wondering about the happenings on the corner of Grant and Union. We mentioned it way back in the fall, but North Beach Pizza will be moving across the street. New signage is up (but covered) and the plywood down, revealing a more modern storefront. No word on when they'll cross the road. [PLYWOOD]
6) The Richmond: Quoth a tipster: "I snapped this on Clement when there was some giant sign switching going on at Prime Time Sports and Blue Fin Sushi. I couldn't tell if one was closing or what though." [PLYWOOD]
