Charles Phan Turning South at SFJAZZ Into Mexican Spot

[Photo: South at SFJAZZ/Facebook]

Since opening up the wildly popular, recently James Beard-crowned Slanted Door, restaurateur Charles Phan has zealously experimented with a host of cuisines, from Chinese (at the now-shuttered Wo Hing General Store and Heaven's Dog) to British (HD replacement The Coachman) to Southern (Hard Water, South at SFJAZZ). Now, he's decided to shift the focus at South, which garnered a serious Bauer thumbs-down a year ago and is usually a ghost town when no one's playing at SFJAZZ. Phan's new angle? Well, Mexican, of course.

As Tablehopper reports, Zuni Cafe alum Rymee Trobaugh is behind the new menu, which will feature Mexican-inspired small plates like ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms, Oaxacan empanadas with black beans, rabbit in yellow mole and puerco con chile verde. South's articulated cocktail focus will also pivot in theme, including more rum, tequila, and mezcal drinks. At least so far, the name isn't changing; Mexico is admittedly south of California, so it kind of works?

If you've walked past South, you'll have noticed that they're already closed "for maintenance." They'll reopen at 5:30pm on Saturday July 12th, for a first taste of Phan's latest foray into an unfamiliar cuisine. Considering The Coachman's recent spate of bad reviews, we're definitely curious about how this one will play.

· Get in the Groove with South at SFJAZZ, Opening Today [~ ESF ~]
· The Coachman, Charles Phan's U.K. Tribute in SOMA [~ ESF ~]
· Bauer Doesn't Dig South [~ ESF ~]