Grub Hollers Cummingitit, Louis' Restaurant Keeps Lease (and Awkward Apostrophe)

By Jonathan Kauffman Tue., Oct. 19 2010 at 8:00 AM

Categories: Buzz Machine

The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco restaurant scene.

In the "It's about time" category of restaurant openings (cf: Bar Agricole), UrbanDaddy SF announces the arrival of Grub (758 Valencia, at 18th St., 431-4782) on Friday. The pitch: Upscale diner with create-your-own burgers and design-your-own mac 'n' cheese.

The Chron's Catherine B. recently announced that Louis' (902 Pt. Lobos Ave., 387-6330), which has been in the throes of a torturous application process to convince the National Park Service to renew its lease, has succeeded. There's a catch: On Dec. 1, 2010, the Hontalas family, which has operated the diner for 73 years, will have to close for 120 days to make necessary fixes to the building.

Jay B. at Grub Street -- no connection to Grub Restaurant, we think -- warns that the fate of the Tonga Room in the Fairmont Hotel will be decided on Thursday at a meeting of the city's Planning and Historical Preservation Committees. SFoodie hopes that the committee will find an evacuation plan for any band members stranded on the island in the middle of that pool.

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