End of the La Barca Era, Roxie Theater Offers Drinks, and Boozy Bowling

After (nearly) 50 years of serving drinks and playing host to generations of City dwellers, La Barca is readying to close. Inside Scoop reveals that the Mexican restaurant and bar is in the process of transferring ownership to four new owners, one of whom is the current owner, Jimmy Bernard's son, Vance Bernard. The new team plans to reconceputalize, remodel, and lose the Mexican food. No closing date has been announced, meaning there's still time to sit at the bar and reminisce, while saying goodbye to the end of an era.

While La Barca's new owners wait on their liquor license to transfer, Grub Street shares, via the Examiner, two places have received the green light to serve drinks. Earlier this year, Roxie Theater announced it would start serving beer and wine along with movie-and-a-popcorn. Now you can order that Merlot. And the pending Mission Bowling Club will serve drinks to people in clown shoes when it opens in February 2012.

Gerald Hirigoyen's basque restaurant Piperade is readying to blow out the wall and take over the space next door. Inside Scoop regales the news of the pending event and private party location, which will allow for 30-40 more seats. It'll also have a basque name: Lauburu.