Police Investigating Report of Spiked Drink at Healdsburg Bar Duke’s Spirited Cocktails

A Healdsburg bar is cooperating with police after allegations of a woman’s drink being spiked while at the business over the weekend began circulating online, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Healdsburg bar Duke’s Spirited Cocktails stated on its social media accounts Wednesday that it is “actively cooperating with the Healdsburg PD in their investigation of these alleged incidents” but did not state what is being investigated. “Every member of the Duke’s team is committed to patron safety and always have been,” the post reads. “We have six certified security guards and a state-of-the-art, high definition surveillance system covering every inch of the bar and outdoor patio. The safety of our patrons is our highest priority.”

The Facebook post that triggered the investigation stemmed from the alleged victim, who described being drugged at a bar across the street from Healdsburg Plaza, the Press Democrat reports, and eventually reached the attention of Healdsburg Vice Mayor Ariel Kelley. In a public social media post Monday, Kelley stated the Healdsburg chief of police had not received any reports on a potential drugging at the bar and urged any victims to come forward. The post was updated later that day to state that the crime was reported.

The owner of Duke’s declined to comment to the Chronicle.

Chef behind Michelin-starred Ettan announces new Fillmore District restaurant

Chef Srijith Gopinathan confirmed he’s planning to open a restaurant in a huge space at 1700 Fillmore Street in about seven months, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Gopinathan’s restaurant partner Ayesha Thapar declined to share the name of the project, but called it a “prominent, landmark-style destination restaurant” on par with Gopinathan’s restaurant Ettan. This news lands just as Gopinathan opens Little Blue Door, a California-Indian food counter located at Los Altos food hall State Street Market.

El Farolito’s North Beach location moves forward after months of red tape

El Farolito is finally poised to open its long-awaited North Beach location this month, the San Francisco Chronicle reports; the expansion was momentarily held up due to the city’s rules around chain stores. San Francisco currently bans businesses that are considered a chain, those with 11 or more locations, and initially moved to block El Farolito’s attempt at opening a spot in North Beach. Supervisor Aaron Peskin told the Chronicle the issue was eventually resolved by modifying some of the signage at other locations in the chain, stating, “The bottom line is at a time like this the city needs to be a better partner to a business like El Farolito.”