The Tablehopper
Giant Steps: Rubicon closes tragically, Masa's turns 25
By Marcia Gagliardi

Closings – never any fun, especially when it’s a restaurant as admired and adored as Rubicon (558 Sacramento St.), which closed its doors Aug. 9, after 14 years of entertaining us, wining and dining us, educating us, and enchanting us. The current cost of doing business in San Francisco was a primary component of owner and restaurateur Drew Nieporent’s decision to close, plus a shrinking profit margin. There is also no word about the fate of the famed wine cellar; there are a couple interested parties who may buy the building, but nothing is final.

Executive chef Stuart Brioza and his fiancée, pastry chef Nicole Krasinski, who were at Rubicon for four and a half years, intend to stay in San Francisco, but have no firm plans at this time. Stuart and Nicole really valued the opportunity to make Rubicon their own and were creating new dishes every day until the very end, inspired by the remarkable ingredients from local purveyors and farmers. They said the evolution of their craft, and their dishes, was very much inspired by their access to top-notch ingredients; they feel like both their food and the restaurant were made better because of these relationships with the people supplying the ingredients. They were also so grateful for their solid and talented staff behind them, many working there for years. And last, they were proud of their relationship with Larry Stone and owner Drew Nieporent, who were so very supportive of their food. In fact, Drew would tour the farmers’ market with Stuart and would dine in the restaurant continuously whenever he was in town from New York. Here’s wishing them many thanks and all the best, especially since Stuart and Nicole are off to Hawaii on Sept. 4 to be married (Larry Stone is actually marrying them and acting as the master of ceremonies.) Thanks for all the memorable meals, and good times – may they be continued soon!

Many Russian Hill residents are bemoaning the closure of Le Petit Robert (2300 Polk St.) after six years of business. I spoke with Thomas Lefort of Bay Bread, and the restaurant, one of Bay Bread’s last, closed July 31; this trend is a continuation of Bay Bread unloading their table service restaurants (Platanos, Cortez). The renovation will take a couple months, reopening in October as a larger La Boulange de Polk, which is just next door. The kitchen will be modified, and a counter area will be installed.

Over at Cafe Majestic (1500 Sutter St.), general manager Ryan Maxey and the talented executive chef Ian Begg have suddenly departed. The restaurant is currently looking for a new chef; I will keep you posted on where Begg lands.

Another shift: Christie Dufault, the former wine director of Quince, has departed after two years with the widely adored restaurant. She has decided to embark on a new chapter in her life while the restaurant transitions to the new (and much larger) Myth space. She has greatly valued her time working with the Tusks at Quince and has been instrumental in developing the award-winning wine program there (the restaurant just received a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator in 2008). Dufault will still be involved with Quince, just in more of an advisory capacity. Lindsay Tusk of Quince said, “Yes, we miss her already – she built a very dynamic wine program for Quince and we are all sad to see her go. She was and is an integral part of the restaurant and really created something that didn’t exist – we are very proud of her contribution. Personally, I learned a lot from her.” Christie is off to France this fall, working as a guide in Burgundy. After that, she intends to continue teaching regularly at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) at Greystone in St. Helena, and acting as a sommelier with Vintrust.

A few blocks away, there is yet another restaurant project coming to Fillmore Street! Moving into the former Toraya (1914 Fillmore St.) spot will be a second location of Woodhouse Fish Company, an East Coast-meets-West Coast old school-meets-new school fish shack from Dylan MacNiven of Woodhouse Fish Company on Market Street. He said the menu will focus more on West Coast seafood, like Dungeness crab, local oysters, and more, which is kind of already happening at Woodhouse number one. The space is going to entail quite the build-out, so expect at least six months or so until the opening. It will be a bit more up-market than the casual Market Street location, with about 50 to 75 seats. Lunch and dinner will be served daily, and MacNiven is mulling over possibly launching brunch as well. Ironically, before the space was transformed into a restaurant 40 years ago, it was actually a Japanese fish market. Good juju, I’d say.
Over at the Presidio Lombard Street Gate, veteran restaurateur Antoine Alliaume (LaTerrasse, Curbside Café) has ended his 11-year run with his French bistro Curbside Too (2769 Lombard St.) and morphed it into Curbside Taqueria. With full service restaurants all around him (The Presidio Social Club, LaTerrasse, Liverpool Lil’s, Pres a Vi, Baker Street Bistro), and with the nearest lunchtime tacos and burritos a good walk down Chestnut Street at Los Hermanos, he saw a niche that needed filling. Alliaume has made longtime chef Vincente Cortes an owner. Meanwhile, I hear his neighbor Jacques Manera of Baker Street Bistro is opening a new spot called 560 Central Park in the ever-hot NOPA area. I will keep you posted.

Urban Tavern (333 O’Farrell St.), the restaurant project opening in the Hilton from Donna Scala, and Laurent Manrique and Chris Condy of C&L Partners, is now serving lunch and dinner. The executive chef is Patrick Kehler, most recently at Circolo, but he also served as chef de cuisine at Aqua. The Mediterranean-inspired menu includes appetizers like clams and chorizo with fingerling potatoes and piquillo peppers, and entrée choices like chicken “bouillabaisse” style with saffron and fennel broth, tomato confit, fingerling potatoes, and fresh dill. There will also be a charcuterie selection, omelets served all day, and roasted meats carved tableside. For dessert, there is a classic peach Melba, and crème catalane infused with star anise and saffron.

Did you know Masa’s (648 Bush St.) is celebrating their 25th anniversary? On Saturday, Sept. 13, to be exact. The big-time celebration will feature the return of guest chefs Julian Serrano, Elizabeth Falkner, Richard Reddington, and pastry chef Keith Jeanminette. The event will feature an all-star, special nine-course tasting menu highlighting the talents of the guest chefs. A wine pairing will be available, selected by master sommelier Alan Murray. The event will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There are two seatings, 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., $250 per person.

One more fun event while we’re at it: Book Passage is hosting an offsite event at A16 (2355 Chestnut St.), with executive chef Nate Appleman and wine director Shelley Lindgren, who are celebrating the release of their new book, A16: Food + Wine. There will be a special meal at A16 on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 12:30 p.m. Price is $100 and it includes the book (which on its own is $35). Order tickets at www.bookpassage.com.

Marcia Gagliardi also writes a popular weekly e-column about the San Francisco dining scene; subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com. She writes additionally for San Francisco and Travel + Leisure magazines, and Fodors.com. Got a hot tip?
E-mail marcia@northsidesf.com.