Later this year RN74, Michael Mina’s French-centric wine bar, will close and transform into International Smoke. You may remember that International Smoke was Ayesha Curry’s Mina Test Kitchen concept. Curry announced the news two days ago on her Instagram account. The successful pop-up ran all last summer and featured lighter barbecued fare. Mina and Curry are developing the menu together and they hope that International Smoke will reinvigorate the restaurant space on the ground floor of the sinking Millennium Tower.
Maison Corbeaux (formerly the Bank of Wine and Spirits), the luxe alcohol shop inside Wingtip, is moving locations. It will take up the historic London Market space on the corner of Sacramento and Divisadero Streets in Pacific Heights. The new spot is twice as large as the original space and it will feature a tasting bar, deli, and coffee stand. The original Wingtip space will shutter on May 19th and until then, Mason Corbeaux is offering a 15% discount on all purchases.
The Castro Fountain, the Ice Cream Bar’s sister dessert restaurant, is opening this weekend on Castro Street. The 1930s style soda fountain and bake shop will serve housemade organic ice cream, special sodas, and all-American classic desserts. Those with a sweet tooth can look forward to enjoying yellow cake with fudge frosting, pecan pie, old-fashioned milk shakes, and egg creams. Opening day is Friday, May 12 from noon to 11 p.m.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chaya
Chaya Brasserie has launched a new happy hour menu with $8 cocktails, $7 wine/draft beer, and a delicious menu of Califonia-Japanese bites. The happy hour is available everyday in the bar and patio from 4 p.m. to close on weekdays and from 5 p.m. to close on weekends. The Embarcadero hot spot is serving up fun bites like the unagi dog, eel tempura and sushi rice served in a buttery brioche roll, tako tacos, braised Spanish octopus with green papaya and cotija, and six different kinds of sushi rolls and sashimi.
Photo Credit: Wes Rowe
ABV’s Over Proof, the upstairs cocktail bar with a special price fix tasting menu, has launched its second concept. Double Back offers an in-depth journey into the whiskeys of the world. Five whiskey cocktails are paired with five bites from chef Colin Hilton. The beachy decor of the previous concept, Flip-Flop, has been replaced with a samuri-meets-spaghetti-Western look. Reservations are required for Double Back and there are two seatings per night, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Note that it’s only open Wednesday through Saturday night.
