Lose any restaurants lately?

Not recently, but I am still in mourning over the loss of La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton a few years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Rothko:
Not recently, but I am still in mourning over the loss of La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton a few years ago.

Max
Momma Leones;
Kokomos
Grape
Aqua Grill
Spotos - Down town
Columbia
Shulas
Old Heildeburg

A very short list of northern PB County. There are closures weekly.

quote:

Not recently, but I am still in mourning over the loss of La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton a few years ago.

Me too!!!

Recently lost a couple of my faves in Seattle:

Union Square Grill
and
Oceanaire (technically a chain, but the next closest one is in San Diego.)

quote:

Originally posted by spo:
I know restaurants close all the time, but that is no comfort.

In my area California Cuisine closed their restaurant and our now just a catering company. I will miss their bourbon pork chop with a sweet potato gratin which reminded me of lasagna, but made out of sweet potato.

Laurel, which at one point was a sister restaurant to Wine Sellar and Brasserie, was taken over by another company is closed. Changed concept from $$$ to $$ and is still owned by the same company. Sad to see it go, although I hear the new place is good.

Lose anything in your area recently?

spo - add molly's, chive and jack's la jolla to your list. Chive has had a near constant chef turnover for years and peaked about 8-9 years ago. Molly's wasn't the same after Brian Sineott left for 1500 ocean and was doomed when the mariott opened up a Roy's. Jack's blew it by turning the fine dining room into an "Italian steak house" - it sucked after that. I am sure there are several others in the SD area that I am forgetting.

Red Guy, I liked Chive when it was A.J. Voytko as chef I believe. The veal chop was great but their mussels with citrus butter were even better. When he left the menu changed, then they changed to small plate format. I lost interest because the place was not the same again. I thought Chive closed 2-3 years ago. Was it more recent than that?

We had an offline at Molly's once. I liked the carpaccio but from what I understand some of the more discerning forumites actually requested to see the meat's credentials. The schnitzel was pretty bland.

Brian left molly's about 3 or 4 years ago. The new chef (Timothy Au, I think) was there when you had the recent off-line. The food there was hit or miss under chef Au, so I guess that it should't count as a favorite that recently closed. Try 1500 ocean if you want to get an idea of what Molly's was once like. I thought that Chive closed within the last year, but I might be mistaken. We ate there last year before a Padres game.

And within a few months,

Cacao
North 110 and
Armadillo Beach have all closed

quote:

I thought that Chive closed within the last year, but I might be mistaken. We ate there last year before a Padres game.

I was off.

Parallel 33 - although they also peaked several years ago and their fate was sealed when Amiko Gubbins left.

The Wendy's by my house closed about 3-1/2 years ago after being open for less than a year.

Oh, maybe that is not what you meant, but it IS what you said. Even if it is not technically recent except on a geological scale.

Moo

The Dining Room at the Ritz closed this week after 25 years. Apparently 5-star dining at it's finest. I never made it there.

Cafe Annie closed here

they opened under a new name and remodeled, but i hear it's not the same. even if they kept every single employee i figured things would change for the worse

quote:

Originally posted by mona lisa vito:

quote:

Not recently, but I am still in mourning over the loss of La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton a few years ago.

Me too!!!

The sad thing is it was sold as a pad for a condo building which never got built. Also, the owner's daughter had a nice wine store called Great Tastes which had a good selection of French and high end CA wine. It closed too as she sourced her wine through the restaurant's suppliers.

quote:

Originally posted by FL Wino Spouse:

quote:

Originally posted by Rothko:
Not recently, but I am still in mourning over the loss of La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton a few years ago.

Max
Momma Leones;
Kokomos
Grape
Aqua Grill
Spotos - Down town
Columbia
Shulas
Old Heildeburg

A very short list of northern PB County. There are closures weekly.

Dont forget Rosa Mexican and City Kitchen from DOwntown at the Gardens. I guess you have a lot of closures when there are over 100 eateries on a 4 mile stretch of road.

quote:

Originally posted by jburman82:

quote:

Originally posted by FL Wino Spouse:

quote:

Originally posted by Rothko:
Not recently, but I am still in mourning over the loss of La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton a few years ago.

Max
Momma Leones;
Kokomos
Grape
Aqua Grill
Spotos - Down town
Columbia
Shulas
Old Heildeburg

A very short list of northern PB County. There are closures weekly.

Dont forget Rosa Mexican and City Kitchen from DOwntown at the Gardens. I guess you have a lot of closures when there are over 100 eateries on a 4 mile stretch of road.

Yes, Rosa Mexicano and Old Heidelburg are two other restaurants that I also lament closing.

Jack Falstaff in San Francisco - South Beach
Great neighborhood place within walking distance of a loft I stay at while in town.

Latest to close in Baltimore:
Babalu Grill
Blue Sea Grill
The Brass Elephant
Ixia
Lucy's Pub
Pisces
The Bicycle
Jordan's Steakhouse in Howard County
Vin in Towson

Among others.

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:

Oceanaire (technically a chain, but the next closest one is in San Diego.)

Not anymore, the one in SD is closing. Chapter 11. They had a happy hour with $1 oysters, great squid diablo, crab cakes etc. Too bad.

quote:

Originally posted by spo:

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:

Oceanaire (technically a chain, but the next closest one is in San Diego.)

Not anymore, the one in SD is closing. Chapter 11. They had a happy hour with $1 oysters, great squid diablo, crab cakes etc. Too bad.

When did you hear this? I know they were closing underperfoming locations, but I thought that they were keeping the San Diego location open. As a side note, I read in the UT that Brian malarkey (prior Oceanaire chef) is opening up a new place in the gaslamp.

I can rattle of lots of restaurants in the Denver area that has closed recently. But I'm not really sure it's the economy. Seems like that's just a big part of that industy, especially the chef owned restaurant industry. The restaurant is or becomes the chef. They seems to work 7 days a week 52 weeks per year and just burn out! A terrible business model! The restaurant then closes and in comes another to start all over.

I can see no difference in trying to get a dinner reservation today, in one of the top rated good restaurants in town, than 2 to 3 years ago when the economy was supposingly better. It's still a tough chore. May people be buying less expensive wines or menu items, most certainly, but they are still going out to eat. If I notice a drop off in crowds, it's at restaurants that people didn't really want to go to anyway( mediocre food, wine,service, etc.), but went to because they couldn't get into their 1st or 2nd pick. More of those people are probably staying eating at home.

Red Guy, I was wrong, I just called them, they are not closing.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by spo:
I know restaurants close all the time, but that is no comfort.

Laurel, which at one point was a sister restaurant to Wine Sellar and Brasserie, was taken over by another company is closed. Changed concept from $$$ to $$ and is still owned by the same company. Sad to see it go, although I hear the new place is good.[QUOTE]

The word from some foodies at my workplace is that Cucina Urbana is a hit... I still like the sister rest... Kensington Grille, as they do free corkage several nights a week and I can walk there..

Oceanaire is still doing okay here in Indy. Makes sense. Seattle and San Diego are where great fish comes from. Too many good local options for fresh fish. Exactly why the chain would fail in San Francisco. Here in Indy, who cares? Nothing but walleye, catfish and bass for 1000 miles.

Elements closed several months ago, a local restaurant, and one of the very best meals in town. Shame, classy place. I hope R Bistro can ride it out, my pick for best local restaurant.

Lost a small local one about a week ago, Emory's, burned to the ground. They're looking into arson. Shame, it was one of the few decent places north of Seattle, and my wife's favorite. Put about 50 people instantly out of work.

Roy's in Buckhead. I always enjoyed a meal there while in Atlanta. For a "chain", I think they do a good job with the whole "fusion" thing. (Note: better enjoyed when in Hawaii ).

LoLa's and Mirabelle in Dallas. Both were excellent.

We have had a number of chains like the rest of the Nation, but I just do not dine at many if at all.

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:
Lost a small local one about a week ago, Emory's, burned to the ground. They're looking into arson. Shame, it was one of the few decent places north of Seattle, and my wife's favorite. Put about 50 people instantly out of work.

Sounds like Benny The Torch out for insurance money

Lost our two 58 Degrees locations. I even kept a small locker, at the one on my side of town, as this allowed no-corkage access while dining or relaxing in the lounge. Vin Tabla went too, but that was really no great loss (staff really had 'tudes and menu/wine list was meh). Anthony's in the Catalinas, a WS Grand Award winner for years, is still going but the experience isn't what it once was. I hope we don't lose them.

quote:

Originally posted by FL Wino Spouse:

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:
Lost a small local one about a week ago, Emory's, burned to the ground. They're looking into arson. Shame, it was one of the few decent places north of Seattle, and my wife's favorite. Put about 50 people instantly out of work.

Sounds like Benny The Torch out for insurance money

That's always the first thing I think of, and quite often it's true. But I'm not so sure in this case, and the jury's still out. We'll probably know more in a couple weeks. It was owned by a former mayor, fwiw.

Better Half Bistro - we did not do a full offline there, but 5 or 6 of us had dinner one night. I enjoyed it. Heard bad things about the place as if it was going down hill. Good selection of half bottles and started out with $5 corkage.

EXY - Greek place that was supposed to be good.

Nicolosi's - 57 years open old school Italian restaurant.

The Memphis area has lost several restaurants, but no BBQ restaurants!

Elfo's
Encore
Steak & Ale
Bol of Pasta
Stella's
and several more!

tempo

quote:

Originally posted by Red guy in a blue state:

quote:

Originally posted by spo:
I know restaurants close all the time, but that is no comfort.

In my area California Cuisine closed their restaurant and our now just a catering company. I will miss their bourbon pork chop with a sweet potato gratin which reminded me of lasagna, but made out of sweet potato.

Laurel, which at one point was a sister restaurant to Wine Sellar and Brasserie, was taken over by another company is closed. Changed concept from $$$ to $$ and is still owned by the same company. Sad to see it go, although I hear the new place is good.

Lose anything in your area recently?

spo - add molly's, chive and jack's la jolla to your list. Chive has had a near constant chef turnover for years and peaked about 8-9 years ago. Molly's wasn't the same after Brian Sineott left for 1500 ocean and was doomed when the mariott opened up a Roy's. Jack's blew it by turning the fine dining room into an "Italian steak house" - it sucked after that. I am sure there are several others in the SD area that I am forgetting.

I was never impressed by Jack's I guess. My fave place in that area is Trattoria Acqua. Awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by TBird:
tempo

Next to go is that place we stopped in that didn't have a single wine on the list we wanted to drink.

You know, the one that put my Grand Marnier on ice.....

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:

quote:

Originally posted by Red guy in a blue state:

quote:

Originally posted by spo:
I know restaurants close all the time, but that is no comfort.

In my area California Cuisine closed their restaurant and our now just a catering company. I will miss their bourbon pork chop with a sweet potato gratin which reminded me of lasagna, but made out of sweet potato.

Laurel, which at one point was a sister restaurant to Wine Sellar and Brasserie, was taken over by another company is closed. Changed concept from $$$ to $$ and is still owned by the same company. Sad to see it go, although I hear the new place is good.

Lose anything in your area recently?

spo - add molly's, chive and jack's la jolla to your list. Chive has had a near constant chef turnover for years and peaked about 8-9 years ago. Molly's wasn't the same after Brian Sineott left for 1500 ocean and was doomed when the mariott opened up a Roy's. Jack's blew it by turning the fine dining room into an "Italian steak house" - it sucked after that. I am sure there are several others in the SD area that I am forgetting.

I was never impressed by Jack's I guess. My fave place in that area is Trattoria Acqua. Awesome.

Funny, but Tratoria Acqua has never done it for me. I have been there several times over the years and never been impressed. Did you do the fine dining room at jack's or one of the see and be seen areas (there were 3 restaurants within one establishment). I thought that Tony did a good job in the fine dining room before they changed to the "Italian steakhouse" concept. What a shame.

Third Floor Fish Cafe in Kirkland. Decent place; I've been there a few times over the years.

unlike tempo, that place deserves to close. tempo actually rocked!

quote:

Originally posted by Gigond Ass:

quote:

Originally posted by TBird:
tempo

Next to go is that place we stopped in that didn't have a single wine on the list we wanted to drink.

You know, the one that put my Grand Marnier on ice.....

Looks like Rainwater's on Kettner will be closing.

I attended a very nice wine dinner with the Rainwaters. Good people.