The former home of Café Claude Marina, which closed back in March, has a new owner. Michael Mina has bought the space, according to Scoop. The exact concept for the location hasn’t been decided yet, though it sounds like it may be more neighborhood-minded and modest than some of Mina’s flashier projects around town. However, what he plans to do with the space in the meantime is almost more interesting: it’s going to function as a pop-up/incubator for some of the Mina Group’s most promising young chefs. The first pop-up will come later this summer from RN74 chef Adam Sobel and Mina himself, who will be collaborating on a Middle Eastern-inspired dinner (Mina was born in Egypt, and Sobel is half Israeli). 2120 Greenwich St. at Fillmore.
The story continues with LUNA PARK, which was maybe for sale and in talks with PlumpJack, but then that fell through. Scoop noticed that Bill Clarke, owner of Mission Beach Cafe, is buying the restaurant. Liquor license activity reveals the name “Thin Place,” but no other details are available. We were in touch with Clarke a few months ago about another Mission location we heard he was considering, so he definitely seems to be in expansion mode. For now, we’re on standby for more info. 694 Valencia St. at 18th St.
Exterior of Café Claude Marina. Photo courtesy of AF&Co.