Fog City Diner to Shutter; Complete Overhaul on the Way

The iconic Fog City marquee, soon to meet its maker. [Photo: Spudart/Flickr]

It hasn't been a good week for San Francisco institutions: first Masa's announced its closure, and now Fog City Diner has told Inside Scoop it's planning to close, at least in its current form, on March 15. However, it's not a total death sentence for the nearly 30-year-old institution whose famed appearance in a Visa commercial still draws tourists; chef Bruce Hill (Bix, Zero Zero, Picco) will come onboard to revamp the concept and menu, and the restaurant will be fully renovated.

Fog City Diner had a strong reputation in the '80s under Cindy Pawlcyn (who now owns a small wine-country empire that includes Mustards Grill and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen), when its global small-plates concept was still sparkling and new. (For the youth unaware that such things were once new, Scoop notes that it was "the State Bird Provisions of the '80s.")

The new space will be just "Fog City," no "Diner," and designer Michael Guthrie will strip away some of the diner touches to create a big new bar and add some custom kitchen equipment; the Bay views will be left untouched.

· San Francisco institution Fog City Diner to close next month for a complete overhaul [Scoop]
· All Fog City Diner posts [~ ESF ~]