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News for Restaurants in San Francisco
July 2012 Archive

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Want to know who's doing what in your city? Gayot has the restaurant news you want to read on openings, closings, special events, and more. Learn everything you need to know about the restaurants in San Francisco here.

RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

San Francisco fast-casual creperie, Crêperie Saint-Germain, has expanded to two new locations: at 555 California Street in the Bank of America building, and at 135 4th Street in the Metreon Center. Crêperie Saint-Germain, now operating in four locations, specializes in traditional French buckwheat crêpes and gluten-free crêpes. Crêperie Saint-Germain, Bank of America, 555 California St., San Francisco, CA 94104, no phone available.
 
The Lark Creek Restaurant Group has opened a new venue called Wine & Wall at the tip of Market Street, adjacent to its popular One Market restaurant. The concept is a blend of (wine-based) art gallery, wine bar and boutique wine shop, with tastings and tough-to-find selections and a short menu of nibbles from One Market's Mark Dommen and Patti Dellamonica-Bauler. The space is also available for private events. Open daily. Wine & Wall, 30 Steuart St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-243-9463.
 
New restaurant Shanghai opened in mid August, taking over the former Mecca space on Market Street (that has undergone two short-lived restaurant incarnations since Mecca closed at the beginning of 2009). Eighty-three-year-old Shanghai, China, native Francis Tsai is proprietor, and the chef is Leo Gan, best known as opening chef of former Steuart Street destination Shanghai 1930. The concept features modern Shanghai cuisine (including prix-fixe options) for dinner, dim sum brunch on weekends and a late-night menu of small plates. The central, full bar offers classic and contemporary cocktails, an international wine list that includes some Chinese wines and late-night happy hour service. Dinner Tues.-Sun., Brunch Sat.-Sun. Shanghai, 2029 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114, 415-701-8866.
 
Roland Passot's LB Steak has opened in the former Marché space in Menlo Park. The new location joins Passot's original LB Steak on Santana Row, and features similar elegant-yet-casual steakhouse dining using Prime beef and local, seasonal ingredients. Menlo Park's signature dishes under chef de cuisine Ryan Ellison (LB Steak Santana Row, Oliveto, A.P. Stumps) include a 32-ounce "tomahawk chop" with choice of sauce and sides such as Yorkshire pudding, cream of spinach or truffle mac ‘n' cheese. See more at http://www.lbsteak.com/. Dinner nightly. LB Steak, 898 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025, 650-321-8980.
 
This June, Pascal Rigo's San Francisco chain of La Boulange bakeries and cafés were purchased by Starbucks, and on the heels of that announcement comes word of a new opening within the Westfield San Francisco Centre. La Boulange du Dome, so named for its location under the mall's historic 102-foot-wide glass domed roof, marks the chain's 20th venue, and will feature tea sandwiches, snacks, soups, salads, tartines and traditional pastries, as well as macaron ice cream sandwiches. A wine list includes Champagne and half-glass pours. Visit http://www.laboulangebakery.com/ for more information. Open daily. La Boulange du Dome, Westfield San Francisco Centre, 865 Market St., Level Four, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-348-1866.
 

News Bytes

Presidio Social Club has taken foie gras off the menu Foie Ban Vs. Federal Land
The Presidio Social Club caused quite a stir recently with its declaration of exemption from the new California ban on production and sale of foie gras. Citing its location on federal land --- the property is located within the Presidio, a national park --- the restaurant and bar began serving foie gras as a menu staple starting at 4 p.m. on Bastille Day, July 14, 2012. The controversial ingredient was showcased in menu items such as foie gras sliders on house-made brioche. However, sources have reported that foie gras has since been taken off the menu. Presidio Social Club, 563 Ruger St., San Francisco, CA 94129, 415-885-1888.
 

Chef Shuffle

Jeremy Fox, former chef of Ubuntu and Manresa, is preparing to launch Barnyard Venice in Southern California sometime this summer. The restaurant will offer a menu of "peasant cuisine" reflecting Fox's personal culinary journey. Barnyard Venice, 1715 Pacific Ave., Venice, CA 90291, no phone available.
 

Closings

Cyrus will close in October 2012 Word came via press release on July 12, 2012, that wine country standout Cyrus will close in October of this year. The announcement would have been a stunner had there not been months of public dispute between the seven-year-old restaurant and its landlord, Hotel Les Mars. Come October, the hotel's affiliate Crossroads Winery, LP, owned by Hotel Les Mars co-owner Bill Foley, will acquire the restaurant space and assets. In September, to mark the departure, Cyrus chef-owner Douglas Keane plans to replay many of the restaurant's "greatest hits" in special tasting menus. He and Cyrus co-owner Nick Peyton will "see what opportunities await for Cyrus," but have announced no firm move or future opening. Cyrus, 29 North St., Healdsburg, CA 95448, 707-433-3311.
 
Shokolaat in Palo Alto closed at the end of dinner service on Saturday, June 16. Chef/owner Shekoh Moossavi will be moving to France in pursuit of new opportunities. Shokolaat Restaurant, 516 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301, no phone.
 
Trace Leighton and Daniel Clayton's Berkeley restaurant Origen closed after eight months of business. The restaurant occupied a space on Telegraph Avenue near Oregon Street that has been called "cursed" by locals --- since 2005 the address has seen several short-lived restaurants come and go (Locanda da Eva, Maritime East, Zax Tavern). It should be noted, however, that Casa de Eva, a successful Mexican venture, was there for almost 40 years before closing in the late nineties. With Origen's closure, Leighton and Clayton will shift focus back to their Pleasant Hill venue The Fig Tree. Origen, 2826 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705, no phone.
 

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to
learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.

View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in San Francisco

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