Two of San Francisco’s Oldest Restaurants Are Getting Evicted

It’s been a brutal year for closures, and now two long-standing San Francisco restaurants are being evicted. San Francisco Business Times reports that the Port of San Francisco has initiated eviction proceedings against both Fisherman’s Grotto No. 9 and Tarantino’s at Fisherman’s Wharf. The restaurants were named in unlawful detainer lawsuits after both businesses were given three-day notices earlier this month to pay rent or vacate the premises, the Times reports. The lawsuit only focuses on the last year of unpaid rent, a representative for the Port of San Francisco says; Fisherman’s Grotto, also known as the Grotto, owes $332,642 in rent, while Tarantino’s owes $147,436 in rent going back to October 2022. However, the businesses together owe $1.4 million in unpaid rent dating back to March 2020.

The two restaurants are long-standing tenants of Fisherman’s Wharf. The Grotto was established in 1935, while Tarantino’s was founded in 1946. Both restaurants were in year 53 of a 66-year lease that was established in 1970 at their current location. Herringbone Tavern Inc. owner, Chris Henry, who also owns both Tommy’s Joynt on Geary Boulevard and Sausalito’s Barrel House Tavern, recently took over both restaurants. “We remain open and willing to explore short- and long-term strategies to keep both restaurants open and active,” Port representative Boris Delepine told the Times.

San Francisco’s fancy new rooftop bar pushes back opening date

The much-anticipated opening of rooftop Nikkei restaurant Chotto Matte in Union Square has been pushed back to October, the San Francisco Standard reports. Originally slated to open on September 23, reps for the restaurant say Chotto Matte will debut on Saturday, October 21, serving Peruvian Japanese cuisine atop the former Macy’s Men’s department store at 100 Stockton Street.

Vegan Mob expanding to San Francisco and Santa Rosa

Vegan Mob’s original Lake Merritt location in Oakland may be closed, but it’s not the end of the hit vegan soul food chain. SFGATE reports that owner Toriano Gordon is just getting started: He’s opening a restaurant location in the Bayview at 90 Charter Oak Avenue and another at 13 West Third Street in Santa Rosa. The Bayview location is set to open Saturday, September 30th and will be “a smaller, 24-seat operation.” Meanwhile, the Santa Rosa location is slated to open Saturday, October 7 and will be a larger space with “162 seats, a bar, indoor lounge, art gallery and movie screen.”

Fresca to shut down its Inner Sunset location

Peruvian restaurant Fresca announced that it will permanently shut the doors to its Inner Sunset location at 737 Irving Street as of Saturday, September 30. In an Instagram post, the restaurant team shared that they are “extremely sad to leave this amazing neighborhood.” There is just one last location of Fresca in Noe Valley, which the post says should reopen soon following a remodel.