Chez Panisse Damage Worse Than Expected, Reopening Pushed

Unfortunately for Alice Waters and team, further evaluation of the damage from the Chez Panisse fire continues to push back the restaurant's reopening. After original builder Kip Mesirow (who flew across the country to pitch in) and his team pulled back the layers of damage, they discovered that the restaurant's top and bottom porches, facing Shattuck Avenue, are no longer structurally sound. To get the porches back in action, they'll have to be torn down and rebuilt, which means structural repairs to both the upstairs and downstairs of the restaurant itself.

As a result, the Chez Panisse re-opening originally targeted for April 15 has been pushed back indefinitely, and plans to begin taking reservations today for those dates are also scuttled. If and when a reopening date is announced, we'll let you know.

· Chez Panisse fire update: Damage worse than thought, 'more significant demolition project' looms [Inside Scoop]
· Chez Panisse Pushes Reopening to April [~ ESF ~]
· Fire Hits Chez Panisse; Waters Hopes to Reopen 'Soon' [~ ESF ~]