Fog City Reopening With a Whole New Look

Say goodbye to the old look. The iconic black and white tiles and neon lights are now gone from the new exterior. [Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr]
The iconic, pie-shaped Fog City Diner will reopen after an extensive remodel shuttered it since spring, and Inside Scoop has the details on just what went down behind closed doors. Now called just Fog City, the space will retain its signature Bay views, but will lose much of the diner feel that defined the restaurant for much of its 25 years in business.

Designer Michael Guthrie revamped the 165-seat dining room and bar to reflect a more open, modern atmosphere. The red leather booths and diner kitsch of yore have been eliminated, but the underlit bar top concept remains. Outside, the neon sign has been replaced with more refined blue lettering running down the side of the building and the exterior leans toward warm materials like brick and wood (Inside Scoop has the renderings here).

New chef and partner Bruce Hill (of Bix and Zero Zero) overhauled the kitchen too, adding a large wood-fired grill, rearranging the orientation of the space, and bringing on help in the form of former Bix chef Erik Lowe. The menu will lean wood-fired as well, and desserts from Bix pastry chef Aaron Toensing will include custard from a Stoelting custard machine and freshly fried crullers.

The Fog City team is eyeing a September opening date, so stayed tuned for more details.

· The New Fog City Comes into Focus [Inside Scoop]
· Fog City Diner to Shutter; Complete Overhaul on the Way [~ ESF ~]