There Are New Plans To Demolish The Iconic Grubstake Diner (Then Rebuild It)

New plans for 1525 Pine Street will keep the Grubstake diner’s facade as-is

The Grubstake, a diner located at 1525 Pine Street, has been serving late-night patrons since the late 1960s, but its roots in the city go back about a hundred years. Its fate was thrown into question in 2015, when former Mayes Oyster House owner Nick Pigott bought the spot (via a company called “1525 Pine Street Dev. LLC”), promised that “nobody is going to notice a difference,” then commissioned plans to raze the diner and build a condo development in its place. Those designs failed to pan out, but new plans reported on by the SF Business Times would see an eight-story, 21-unit residential development in the space. As part of the new plan, Socketsite reports, the Grubstake’s facade would remain, and the restaurant is expected to return after construction is completed.

For the first time ever, Russian River Brewing Brewing Company will release its popular Pliny the Younger in bottle form

“Never Say Never” reads the heading on Tuesday’s press release from Russian River Brewing Company, an announcement that Pliny the Younger — a Triple IPA that attracts long lines and visitors from around the world during its annual two weeks of availability — will now come in bottle form. The 510ml bottled version will only be available at Russian River’s Santa Rosa and Windsor breweries, with a limit of two bottles sold to each patron “who come(s) for the full experience in our brewpubs.” Mark the calendar now, this year’s release will only be available from February 7th-20th, 2020.

Lavash will reportedly reopen this month

Lavash, an Inner Sunset restaurant known for Persian dishes like kabob koobideh, was shuttered in January of 2018 following a fire. After two years of work, owners Saeed and Nazila Talai tell SF Weekly that they expect to reopen in December (though a final date has yet to be determined). Fans of Lavash’s fesenjan (chicken prepared with a ground walnut and pomegranate sauce) should keep an eye on the spot’s Facebook page.

Santa Clara County is calling out restaurants accused of wage theft

Restaurants in Santa Clara County that fail to comply with Labor Commission requirements on employee pay will be named on SCCDineOut, an app launched by the county to track food safety compliance — and if that non-compliance continues, the scofflaws will lose their health safety permits and be forced to shutter. According to the East Bay Times, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors encouraged the effort after seeing data that suggests that restaurants that engage in wage theft “are more likely to perform poorly in health inspections.” “A healthy workplace is more than just food quality...It’s also about making sure we’re not granting permits to people that allow them to do business in an oppressive fashion,” Supe Dave Cortese says.

Are batch cocktails ruining the bar experience?

The Chron frets that batch cocktails — that is, drinks that are mixed at least partially in advance — might cost patrons “something essential about the bar experience,” as bartenders are deprived of the experience of making drinks and guests can’t customize orders. Some bar owners, however, say that batching drinks helps ensure consistency, and that the practice allows thirsty folks to get their cocktails in a timely fashion. Jennifer Colliau, who owns Here’s How, might have the final word, saying that “If your bartender is charming and you enjoy your drink and the ambiance, that’s what you are paying for...If you had two equal bar experiences, but in one you got your drink faster, isn’t that the one you would prefer?”