6 days ago
This Titanic Polk Street Gay Bar Just Got Pulled Back from the Brink
Polk Street, where the first San Francisco Pride parade marched in 1970, just got great news: The last remaining gay bar in Polk Gulch got a big stimulus injection from a new owner. The Cinch Saloon, an icon in the area alongside the Grubstake Diner, opened in 1974. Now it'll get a second life from Scott Taylor, a beverage director at nearby Harris' Restaurant for 23 years.
The news is more than just timely, given Pride. According to the San Francisco Chronicle , rumors had been in the air that the Cinch would close any day. One of the two former owners died in 2023. This Tuesday, June 3 announcement gives a spark of hope to the area that, once upon a time, was just as important a gayborhood as the Castro. Drag main character Juanita More told the paper she'd help Taylor keep the Cinch around 'for a hundred years.' New Oakland restaurant event debuts this summer
The Oakland Restaurant Collective — a new-ish collection of business owners in the Town including chef Nelson German of alaMar Dominican Kitchen and the teams behind Jaji and the Caffè by Mr. Espresso — is about to run its first Summer Affair. The event runs all of June and is meant to highlight the some 30 restaurants in the cadre who will host special, restaurant-week-esque menus. There are a ton of events at participating restaurants to peep, too. Ferry Building croissant favorite set to shutter
Back across the water, Grande Creperie on the waterfront is in jeopardy. The business, which opened in 2022, was informed its lease will end on June 30, 2025. The San Francisco Standard reports owners Patrick and Joanna Ascaso were told in January they'd have an extended lease. They say they were told by building management their outfit no longer fits the 'cultural mix' of the Ferry Building. Michelin star-holding restaurant rolls out affordable menu
One of the city's newest additions to the ol' tire guide has just unveiled a plan to bring in diners on those nights that are decidedly less special occasion-y. On Monday, June 2 the team at 7 Adams released its 7 at 7 menu. In an Instagram post, the business owners said the idea is to offer a nightly, $127 seven-course menu somewhere between the $87 five-course menu and the $157 chef's counter experience.
Sign up for our newsletter.
