Well, the moment has arrived: owner Michelle Polzine of ~20TH CENTURY CAFE~ has announced the last day of business at the café: Saturday July 10th. (Just in case you missed the how and why, you can read her original note about her decision to close here.) You can still try to pre-order some bagels or a honey cake or strudel for pickup the next two Saturdays (a new ordering page goes up each week), or try your luck at walking up for a slice or cookie 11:30am-2pm (also on Saturdays). I know we will miss having this special little corner space where we could slip out of time and enjoy a conversation over a slow lunch, with Nick Rossi strumming by the entrance if you were lucky. Best wishes and many thanks to you, Michelle and faithful team, for everything you did to bring us joy and happiness the past eight years, one bite at a time.
There is a new tenant taking over the last year of her lease, and according to the ABC license transfer, it’s none other than Four Barrel Coffee. Tal Mor and Jodi Geren, owners of The Mill and Four Barrel Coffee, will be opening a new daytime bakery and evening wine bar serving small plates in the fall of 2021, LOQUAT. 198 Gough St. at Oak.
Meanwhile, over in the former The Riddler location is an upcoming business called LINDEN & LAGUNA. A tablehopper reader gave me a heads up that a wine bar was moving in, and according to some online sleuthing, Chris Nickolopoulos, who is listed on the license, “has over 20 years of wine industry experience with expertise in sales and marketing senior management and entrepreneurial leadership. Chris is the Chief Executive Officer of Maritime Wine Trading Collective, a leading boutique wine import, production, and distribution company based in San Francisco, which he founded with Elijah Pfister in 2006.” I reached out and am waiting for more info on plans for the space. Hayes Valley is going to be chock-full of wine bars, that’s for sure. 528 Laguna St. at Linden.
The counter at 20th Century Cafe. Photo: Dana Massey-Todd. © tablehopper.com.
