The ice cream shop at 292 Castro, formerly Icicles, became Ice Cream Kween this year, dropping a franchise connection. Proprietor Ashley told me the menu is the same, but with small cakes and other new desserts added. 124 Castro’s Joyous Cuisine (which replaced Nori Nori Craft Handrolls) soft-opened Feb 26. MV Voice story:
https://tinyurl.com/5bvj59kv
Kirin revamp (485 Castro): This Cantonese restaurant, Castro’s oldest continuously open eatery (since the 1970s), shut for a month in late March for “equipment upgrades and the new menu set up,” following notice of an ownership change. Banner sign: “We will be back with dim sum.” Cafe Terrace, which replaced Yakko Sushi at 975 W. Dana (see May 2023 “Restaurant Scene”), closed a year after opening.
Front windows of 156 Castro (formerly Bushido Izakaya) are papered over, implying new construction. Since April, Chez TJ (938 Villa) offers a shorter, lower-priced 4-course Garden Menu, Tuesdays through Thursdays.
Inside Ava’s Market (340 Castro), starting with a late-April pop-up, a new restaurant tenant, Creative Collective, plans rotating international casual menus (including German and Peruvian), initially for lunch service, under the name World Lunch Table.
Nick The Greek, 298 Castro, remains pending at press time. Construction resumed early 2024 and the notice “Now Hiring” remains.
https://www.nickthegreek.com •
