The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco restaurant scene.
Details? Who needs details?: Inside Scoop notes how Mourad Lahlou ― who's been working the better part of a year to acquire the former Zinna space at 500 Jackson (at Montgomery) ― finally has the greenlight to open an eatery there. Could be Aziza, might be something else: He isn't sure. As for the fate of Aziza at 5800 Geary (at 22nd Ave.), Lahlou isn't sure.
Big pimpin': Meanwhile, Scoop gives Show Dogs owner Gayle Pirie space to advertise inform readers about the three squares a day her wiener café is now serving. Just so there's no confusion.
Presto change-o:
• Grub Street breaks the ruh-roh news that Valencia Street wine and burger joint B3 is retooling, closing temporarily later this month to shift emphasis from the latter to the former while shedding original partner Ron Elder.
• Haighteration notices that the Lower Haight branch of Ali Baba's Cave (531 Haight, at Fillmore) has magically morphed into Al-Fanoose.
• Tenderblog logs the temporary closures of Saigon Sandwiches (for remodeling, doors open again April 1) and Lahore Karahi (for vacation, return date Mar. 25)
• Inside Scoop reports on ex-Top Chef contestant Preeti Mistry unpacking her knives to launch a weekday Indian lunch pop-up called Juhu Beach Club in the Garage Café space at 320 11th St. (at Folsom). Premiere: Mar. 15.
And pretty much everybody got a call back from Charles Chocolates' Chuck Seigel, explaining last week's Facebook shutter bombshell. Monday ― just another day in the Buzz Machine.
Follow us on Twitter: @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook. Contact me at John.Birdsall@SFWeekly.com
Tags: Al-Fanoose, Aziza, B3, Charles Chocolates, Juhu Beach Club, Lahore Karahi, Mourad Lahlou, Preeti Mistry, Saigon Sandwiches, Image
