Tag Archives: closed

Albie’s Beef Inn, San Diego, California – CLOSED

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UPDATE: Albie’s closed at the end of 2015 and was gutted by the new owner. The previous owner Ted Samouris saved much of the decor including all the nudes and plans to reopen, but as of June 2017 nothing has been announced so it seems unlikely that it will reopen.

Staying on topic with last week’s post on the Red Fox Room in San Diego, my friend D. A. Kolodenko recently gave a wonderful review of another one of my favorite steakhouses, Albie’s Beef Inn, for San Diego’s City Beat weekly magazine. In his column he mourns the loss of the Whaling Bar in the remodel of the venerable La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, which opened in 1926. Although you will no longer be able to enjoy that classic bar, there are still some classics that remain in San Diego, Albie’s being one of them, the adjacent Andy’s Steak ‘n Eggs being another. Read on for more…Goodbye, Whaling Bar.

Albie's Beef Inn

Photo by Amy T. Granite for City Beat

Some of Albie’s artworks by Larry ‘Vincent’ Garrison

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Albie's art 1

Albie’s happy hour (M-F 4pm-7pm) is one I try to catch when I’m in town, for double well drinks at the single price, plus free food. A photo I took of the bar area in 2001 (it is not uncommon to see people with walkers in Albie’s):

Albies001.jpg

Albie’s Beef Inn
1201 Hotel Circle South, San Diego, CA 92108
Phone (619) 291-1103
Open for Lunch M-F 11:30am – 4pm; Happy Hour M-F 4pm – 7pm; Dinner Mon-Th 5pm – 10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm – 11pm; closed Sundays

 

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Bill’s Food & Drink (Bill’s Gay Nineties), New York City – CLOSED

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Yet another old place in Manhattan closed and reopened as a fancy place (it was Bill’s Gay Nineties for the last 90 years or so, until March of last year when it closed) . Though when I went there I didn’t feel like they were very friendly. I felt like an outsider. On the bright side it looks like they kept lots of the old decor (in the bar anyway). I’m just a bit sad that I didn’t spend more time there, especially when the piano bar was going. But the cold service drove me away.

New bar area:

Bill's Food & Drink

Old bar area (photo I took in 2011):

Boston,NYC - Nov 2011 249

Bill’s Food & Drink | About Us.

Bill’s Gay Nineties is relocating.

 

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Empress of China, San Francisco – CLOSED

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I don’t visit touristy Chinatown in San Francisco very often, but once in a while I like to go there on an afternoon and explore, preferably on a rainy day when the streets are wet and fewer people are out. One of my favorite rest stops is the bar at the Empress of China, especially for Happy Hour, which offers half-priced appetizers and cocktails daily from 3:00pm – 6:00pm.

The Empress of China opened in 1967 in a modern office building designed by the architectural firm of John Carden Campbell and Worley K. Wong and built on a hill so the restaurant and bar have sweeping views of Chinatown, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill from its large plate-glass windows. While waiting for the elevator that takes you from the lobby to the bar take a look at the many photos of celebrities who have dined there in the restaurant’s heyday of the 1960s and 1970s.

Empress of China interior, San Francisco, 2004

Empress of China bar, photo by Telstar Logistics

As you can see the bar has a very nice 60s feel to it, and with the views it’s a wonderful place to relax over a $5 Mai Tai (albeit a sweet pineapple 1970s version) during Happy Hour. The restaurant itself has a very different look, though an amazing one. Interiors are reproductions of the styles of decorating that was popular during the Han Dynasty of around 200 B.C.

Portion of 1970s menu from the archives of the National Museum of American History

Empress of China dining room postcard

Not much has changed since this vintage postcard photo was taken. Only the furniture is different. You can this one and other rooms in the photo gallery on the restaurant’s web site. Since I have not dined there in many years I can’t offer a review of the food. I know it’s fairly expensive, but probably worth it for the atmosphere and views, especially at night. Give this place a chance for dinner sometime because it’s almost a miracle that a place like this has survived so long in a city like San Francisco that has so much creative and inexpensive Asian food.

Empress of China
838 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 434-1345
Open for lunch M-F 11:30am-3pm, dinner M-F 5pm-10pm, Sat & Sun 11:30am-10pm
Bar open 3pm-10pm, Happy Hour daily 3pm-10pm

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CLOSED – Country Bill’s in Portland, Oregon

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This blog is primarily intended to celebrate classic and historic restaurants that still exist, but occasionally I will be mentioning a restaurant that is gone or recently closed.

Le Continental visited Country Bill’s in Portland last May and regrets to report the news that it will be closing at the end of this week, after 48 years in operation. The last day it will be open is Saturday, Sept. 15th., 2012.

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CLOSED – Caesar’s, San Francisco

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Last night I went with friends to a San Francisco Italian restaurant that has been open since 1956, but is sadly closing in about a week: Caesar’s. I’m posting this quick post as a suggestion to visit it while you can. It was packed last night (and noisy!) so make a reservation soon, and bring patience because it took a while to get our food and they were out of many items. Despite their business our waiter was efficient and helpful even while obviously rushed.

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Art nouveau bar. I wonder where it came from, or what bar was here before Caesar’s?

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The dining room has been remodeled recently but there are a few booths and the tables and chairs looked vintage.
I ordered the house specialty, Cannelloni Alla Romana.

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Cannelloni Alla Romana

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Crab Cioppino

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Petrale Dore

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Ravioli

It’s sad to see another San Francisco classic close its doors.

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Arrivederci, Caesar’s.

Caesar’s
2229 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94133
415-989-6000
Open Tue-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-9:30pm; Sat-Sun 1:30pm-9:30pm (through August 31st, 2012).

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