Bushido Izakaya closed in September after 13 years at 156 Castro. Clifford’s Chicken and Fish opened December 4 in the Calderon/Church commercial corner, replacing Yami Grill. Clifford’s expands Robert Simpson’s Caribbean restaurant group (Back A Yard and Coconuts) into southeastern US folk cooking, acclaimed by our neighborhood’s residents. Unlike fast food, Clifford’s prepares its fried chicken to order, which takes some 20 minutes. https://cliffordschickenandfish.com/
Nick The Greek, long pending at 298 Castro, began final construction and is “Now Hiring.” Chez TJ, MV’s high-end restaurant (938 Villa), just announced a new executive chef, Stan Michalski, coming from Michelin-starred SF and New York restaurants. Originally, Chef Thomas J. McCombie (trained by Julia Child’s coauthor Simone Beck) co-founded Chez TJ in 1982. By the 1990s it was widely known (warmly reviewed in the national magazine Gourmet). Since McCombie’s 1994 death, a series of chefs has run the kitchen, to critical applause. Each chef brought a different vision to the menus, which change often, reflecting seasonal ingredients. 124 Castro saw Nori Nori Craft Handrolls open last February, close temporarily later; it’s now gone. Beer/wine license notice lists a new business coming, Joyous Cuisine, owner “Latingrill One LLC.” Remodeling is underway. •
