Mission Mission

Since we first scooped this spot a while back, we’ve been wondering how the latest addition to Craig and Anne Stoll’s restaurant empire has been progressing.  Well, it looks like things are proceeding quite swimmingly for this Roman-inspired ATM, so much so that they might actually open on schedule in January! You can kind of discern the basic layout from this mildly-blurry photograph, as it seems there will be tables and stuff up front with kitchen in the rear to the left.

Do you think that this place has any chance to be even more popular than Delfina?  We say that as long as they still let the waitresses tape matches onto their nipples and light them on fire after hours [NSFW], Locanda is a lock to end up being another lottery ticket for the Stolls.

Also, Ramblas:  Never forget.

Reaction to yesturday’s post regarding Zeitgeist turning into a Borders calls to mind the decades-old gentrification question in the Mission. One of my favorite places to take visiting family and friends who are not used to the grittiness of Valencia Street is Ramblas. The drinks and tapas and atmosphere here impart the attitude of the Mission (conversations, drunkenness, vitality) while the upscale nature of the restaurant provides respite from puke-stained streets and bathroom stink.

This morning, SFGate‘s The Inside Scoop reported that Ramblas owner Ron Silberstein (who also owns SoMa restaurant-brewery Thirsty Bear) acquired Cortez, a restaurant with a Michelin star (!!!). I can’t wait to see how it goes — hopefully some family will find their way into San Francisco sometime soon so I can have some organic Thirsty Bear ESB with my lamb cheek.

Link to SFGate story.