Replacing Cyrus

[jaiko]

Bill Foley, who kicked out Douglas Keane/Cyrus, plans an upscale casual eatery named Chalk Board Bistro in its place. Chef will be Shane McAnelly (who left Va de Vi last month), and the style -- small shared plates and wine flights, with a "fun atmosphere."

Not much more to the EaterSF article, but here's the URL if you want to read the few paragraphs:
http://sf.eater.com/archives/2013/01/...

[Rapini]

Really glad they pushed out one of the West's finest restaurants, so that we can have another in a long, boring series of small plates, wine bar places. Nice work.

[pinotho]

really glad you posted this, and I happen to totally agree with you.

[Rapini]

...and I forgot to mention that the new chef is from Va de Vi. I've been there and--The Chronicle Top 100 notwithstanding--it ain't all that.

[jaiko]

Oh, thank you, rapini! I was beginning to think we were the only people who didn't like Va de Vi. We thought it was a sloppy mess - admittedly we sat inside, which is apparently vastly inferior to sitting outside. And maybe then we wouldn't have had to smell our waiter coming and going, who obviously didn't believe in using deodorant. Ugh...

[Robert Lauriston]

What, you're not excited about getting a taste of Walnut Creek sophistication in Healdsburg?

[goldangl95]

Ha! Apt comment. Va de Vi's food is competent in context (e.g. there isn't a lot of great food in Walnut Creek).

I will say I understand wanting a more casual restaurant in a hotel - one where people can drop by more spontaneously, food that caters to a wide array of tastes, and can fit more budgets. Wish they had come up with a more exciting premise.

[Melanie Wong]

Earlier press had said the place would be promoting wines from Foley's portfolio of wineries. So food-friendly . . . not.