And now, some morning plywood. As always, do feel free to send along your sightings of any recent activity sneakily spied in your nabe. Gold stars for all if you include photos.
1) Union Square: Cafe Claude's takeover of Claude Lane is starting to take shape, with visible signs starting to show. Above is the new door for Gitane, in the old Blupointe space at 239 Kearny that opens up to the alley in the back. Current due date is summer. Meanwhile, across the alley, Cinque (the Italian rep) has been pushed back to next year. [PLYWOOD]
2) Ferry Building: This week's Chron food section blew the lid off Chris Cosentino and Mark Pastore's new (ad)venture in the Ferry Building: the first retail shop for his Boccalone salumi line. Team Incanto has already colonized the old Capay Organic space, across the way from Petitie LuLu in the middle of the arcade. [PLYWOOD]
3) Noe Valley: A Noe Valley tipster sends along word that the Vietnamese restaurant going into the corner of Church and 25th has removed/covered up that amazing vintage sign that was serendipitously discovered a few months ago. Tear. [PLYWOOD]
4) SoMa: Another reader noticed action at the old Sneaky Tiki space at 1582 Folsom Street: "What's going on at Sneaky Tiki? There is fresh paper on the windows and I've seen people inside over the last few days." Anyone? [PLYWOOD]
5) North Beach: The expansion of Panta Rei into the vacated shoe repair next door has yet to be approved by the city, but that hasn't stopped the Italian joint on Columbus from starting to move in already. Chairs, tables and other various furnishing currently adorn the addendum. They must be confident that they'll get approved. [PLYWOOOD]
6) Russian Hill: Rounding out the report this week is Crave, the spinoff of the popular Street that was reported earlier this week by Lady Hopstress. According to her, it will be in the old Teavana space on the corner of Polk and Vallejo, serve daytime hours and have about 45 seats. As you can see above, the space is still rife in ruins with Teavana leftover, but late July is the aim. [PLYWOOD]
