Seven Hills Rise(s) Up, Beast and the Hare Springs to Life

By Jonathan Kauffman Wed., Nov. 17 2010 at 8:18 AM

Categories: Buzz Machine

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

Urban Daddy is the first to report that Seven Hills (1550 Hyde, 775-1550, www.sevenhillssf.com) opens on Friday. Young chef-owner Alexander Alioto (yeah, you've heard of his relatives) has interned in haute cuisine restaurants in Italy and at some hole-in-the-wall in Napa owned by a guy named Keller. The pitch: Locally Italian ― sweetbreads with foraged Euvitis mushrooms, fettuccine carbonara made with Fra' Mani pancetta, prawn spiedini with frisee-asparagus salad.

Urban Daddy, Thrillist, and Tablehopper all trumpeted today's opening of Beast and the Hare (1001 Guerrero, 821-1001) in the former La Provence space. Chef Ian Marks has two big names on his resume: Hog Island Oyster Co. and Fatted Calf. Ergo: Lots of charcuterie made in-house, sturdy small plates, larger entrees like lamb T-bones with sweetbreads, perhaps an oyster or two. (Is the return of sweetbreads to hipster-chef menus a sign the economy is bouncing back? One can only hope).

In the new blog's first scoop out of the gate, The Feast's Tamara P. reports that haute-cuisine Benu may be doing a late-night taco stand from 1:30 to 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, starting in a week or two. They may want to consider passing out buzzers to prospective customers when the magic hour has arrived. You ever remember to check your watch when you're blotto?

Jay B. from Grub Street learns of a new pho restaurant in the Sunset: Pho Ly Thuong Kiet 2 (1429 Noriega). Number one, if you were wondering, is located near L.A.

According to Eater SF's Carolyn A., although the new owner of Long Bar (2298 Fillmore), Reza Esmaili, is still planning on changing the name and decor, he's not going to do it until the new year. (Top) Chef Erik Hopfinger has revamped the menu already, however.

Lastly, Tablehopper says that Postrio has launched a Sunday brunch buffet. Which reminded SFoodie that Postrio is still around. Congratulations!

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