Sign up for our mailing list and stay in touch.
More Interesting Numbers
Photos: Eater SF
Our friends at Eater SF are pointing out what astonished neighbors have observed: her as yet unopened pizza and pasta place in the old Front Room space has been in operation since 1959. That's a pretty neat trick, given that the Front Room opened eight years later, in 1967. Perhaps the year 1959 brings back fond memories, like her first lawsuit.
Truth in advertising aside, these awnings really look tacky and cheap, don't they?
Pompei No More
Karl Briullov: The Last Day of Pompeii
Eater SF received confirmation of a rumor that has been swirling around, namely that she has abandoned the name Pompei for the upcoming pizza and pasta parlor in the old Front Room space.
The new restaurant will instead be named 1500. Yes, you read that right. At least it's not a copycat name.
No doubt her other ventures will soon be renamed 1415, 1785, 1851, and 2241.
Oh Yum
Ever the marketing genius, she decided to capitalize on the mad buzz of anticipation in the neighborhood and put up a set of menus at Pompei (the old Front Room).
We're sure the soon-to-be-offered Frutti di mare (current ETA: late April) will be the pinnacle of culinary delights, but the prospect may have been even more mouth watering without all the graffiti and bad-German-porn-style stains covering the windows.
Not to mention that the City and County actually requires owners to remove graffiti. To help things along, call 311 or go here.
A Done Deal
After months of, um, delays, the Skipjack Sushi deal is finally going through. We're not at liberty to disclose much detail, but believe us: it was the usual story and then some.
With all the financial arrangements now completed and a beer and wine license in place, it's only a matter of time before unsuspecting Union St. patrons will be able to enjoy the culinary delights that La Vinoteca no doubt will offer. Unless, of course, there are further “delays” caused by the lack of building, plumbing, and electrical permits.
Oh, and we can't wait to see the results of the first health inspection.
Still No Permits?
Update: As Luisa Confidential reported earlier, work is in full swing at Vino Teca, her sumptuous new wine bar thing over at 1785 Union.
There was some doubt as to whether this could be the former tenants (Skipjack Sushi) packing and leaving, but today's inspection by yours truly leaves no doubt. A crew of workers are keeping themselves busy installing stuff in the kitchen and painting pretty much everything else.
You probably don't need a permit to paint the walls, but for electrical, plumbing, or construction work you do. Still no sign of any such paperwork online, however.
And the alcohol license? It's still “pending.”
Know something we don't? Click and tell.
No Demolition?
Photo by Eater SF
The ever-vigilant Eater SF posted photos of the current proceedings at 1415 Larkin showing what they rightly describe as a “mess.”
That is in itself not terribly surprising, but here's the snag: the permit that she has obtained for the work (#200801102218) clearly states "no demolition work." If this isn't “demolition,” what is?
Duffy's Irish Pub
The fine folks over at Eater SF are certainly keeping tabs on Ms. Hanson and her schemes:
— Duffy's Irish Pub will open in the Barleycorn space. In February. (Right—work hasn't started, the asbestos still adorns the plumbing, and there's no liquor license in sight.)
— Pompei is the planned name of the new pasta and pizza palatium currently under construction in the old Front Room.
As Eater SF puts it, “Duffy's has pretty hard act to follow.” No kidding. They also placed Pompei or their Deathwatch 2008...
More on this in the forum.
A Look Back
With our Annus Horribilis firmly behind us, it's perhaps time to cast a few glances back at what was. Those of you who were at the 'Corn on the last night will remember Frank Ryan's rendition of the proceedings, reproduced here with kind permission from the artist himself.
If you have pictures, video, or audio that you think other people would enjoy, please email your humble servant and we'll put them up here.
Cockroaches, mouse droppings, and pasta
Kudos to Menu Pages for their follow-up piece on the Luisa re-opening. A little digging at the Health Dept. unveiled some juicy facts:
— Luisa’s had “a severe cockroach infestation throughout the facility."
— The cockroaches and the mouse droppings were on the food, which was being stored improperly, in open containers.
— The department plans to reinspect every few weeks: “If it reverts back to what we saw, we’ll go to a director’s hearing and we’ll push for a revocation of her permit.”
Oh, to be a Norway rat.
Luisa's is open again
We have heard reports that love is once again being made to pasta at 1851 Union. Ms. Hanson must've scrambled to get things back up to a passing grade. Of course, no-one has any second thoughts about dining at Luisa's now that everything is fine and dandy again.
In fact, Eater SF reports that “Marina dwellers, in all their glory, were aplenty and unaware, as is the norm.” Ignorance, as they say, is bliss.
It's worth noting that Ms. Hanson is now required to post the original inspection report in a highly visible place and to provide the actual score upon request. That score, as you will remember, was a miserable 64. You know what to do.
Dept. of Public Health Shuts Down Luisa's
Whatever the inspectors found when they checked out Ms. Hanson's establishment on Dec. 7th, they must not have liked it much. Luisa's is temporarily closed, pending “repairs.”
The public records show a nice, long list of offenses, including food in poor condition, improper food storage, defective plumbing, and general uncleanliness.
The kicker? There's “high risk” of rodents, roaches, and flies. The jokes write themselves.
One wonders what this, it it becomes widely known, will do to the effectiveness of all those ads Ms. Hanson has been running lately. Do tell a friend.