Delay at the Clay

STREET TALK | CYNTHIA TRAINA

A small architectural detail has become a sizable hurdle in the restoration of the Clay Theater: the decorative crown molding where the ceiling meets the walls. According to project sponsors, attempts to preserve the original molding revealed it was too fragile to restore. Reproducing its historic appearance required additional preservation review, adding almost three months to the construction schedule. 

“Close assessment of the interior’s historic egg and dart plaster molding resulted in this material being deemed unfit for reinstallation,” said Ted Gerike, the new director of the Clay. “The solution is a common preservation technique wherein moldings are taken from the originals, and the features are replaced in-kind.”

The replacement molding was approved by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission on November 4, clearing that hurdle and allowing construction to proceed. But the delay means the theater’s new operators, who had been aiming for a spring reopening, is now looking at a later date in 2027. Gerike said he is cautious about naming an opening date. “I don’t want to jinx it,” he said. 

Behind the scenes, the work is extensive: seismic strengthening, steel reinforcement, floor leveling and new upstairs restrooms accessible by stairs and an elevator.

INDOOR GOLF TEES UP: Pacific Heights Golf Club, a private indoor golf club planned for 2870 California Street, formerly a yoga studio, is aiming to open in 2027 after renovation of the building is compete. Neighborhood resident and former pro soccer player Charlie Wehan is behind the project, which calls for six golf simulators, a lounge, weekly leagues and member tournaments. Members will be able to book a round or work on their swing from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

All 200 founding memberships have already been claimed. The club is keeping an interest list, and any spots that open up will go for $499 a month. The opening is expected in the spring of 2027.

ELIZA’S WILL RETURN: Across the street, Eliza’s Chinese restaurant plans to reopen at 2877 California in November after extensive repairs, following the June 29 fire at the nearby Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Although the restaurant escaped the flames, water and smoke damage, along with electrical problems, forced a major overhaul. 

Eliza’s moved to California Street in 1999 from its original Civic Center location, which opened in 1988. Says Betty Leung, one of the owners, “We will open as soon as we pass the city inspection.”  Best guesstimate is late November.

TWO NEW RESTAURANTS: At long last we know what’s coming to the former Ten-Ichi space at 2235 Fillmore. SF Standard reports that Rich Table alum Gizela Ho will open her debut restaurant, Good Morning 96, there. … Bar Oliver, the Basque-inspired Manhattan restaurant, plans to open its second location at 2259 Fillmore in the former Alice + Olivia space beside the Clay Theater, the Chron reports. It’s something of a homecoming for Aisa Shelley, who got his start in Bay Area hospitality. Expect service from morning coffee through dinner. The Fillmore location will also feature a full bar and an open hearth for grilling fish and steaks. Bar Oliver is expected to open concurrently with the new Clay Theater.

CLICK YOUR HEELS: For neighbors missing a local shoe repair shop, here’s an address worth noting: Zebki Shoe Repair has opened a second storefront at 1250 Fillmore Street while continuing to operate a studio at 1426 Fillmore.

Owner Azeb Demeyesus began learning the trade at 18 in Ethiopia and brings nearly three decades of experience repairing shoes, purses and belts. She has owned Zebki for the past decade, building on a business that had already served the Fillmore for almost 20 years. The additional space allows for expanded repair services and a broader selection of shoe-care products, insoles, laces and accessories. The expansion was supported by a city program that helps established businesses move into additional commercial spaces.

A NEW HED-ING: Japantown’s Hed 11, located in the Enso Hotel at 1800 Sutter, served its final dinner on October 30, but a new incarnation is on the way. The restaurant will become Hed Very Thai Japantown, trading its elaborate tasting-menu format for more casual meals, including bento-style Thai lunch sets. The Japantown location is the second for Billie Wannajaro — the first Hed Very Thai is downtown — and Wannajaro says the change reflects diners’ growing interest in approachable meals that fit into everyday life. The restaurant plans to reopen November 13.

HAIL & FAREWELL: Johnny Doughnuts at 2404 California Street has closed, part of a company-wide retrenchment. “We expanded too quickly,” said one of the partners. … And serial restaurateur Kevin Chen’s briefly open-without-permits speakeasy-market Yuzu (left) and Avocado Green matcha bar at Fillmore & Sutter probably aren’t coming back. Says Chen: “It turns out the city won’t allow the tea and coffee shop at the corner. Planning won’t approve it. And for Yuzu, Planning is requesting new paperwork and construction work to establish it as a retail market, even though it was a market before.”

MEET YOUR SUPERVISORS: The Pacific Heights Residents Association holds its annual meeting at the grand Flood Mansion at 2222 Broadway on November 12. This year the event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a wine and food reception where residents can meet their local supervisors. The main event is a program titled “Who’s Shaping San Francisco? Culture, Technology and What Comes Next.”

LOCALS DINING OUT: Actress and neighbor Julia Roberts at the Tailor’s Son. … Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at Florio. … And back home on Fillmore, at least for a night: Dino Stavrakikis, longtime impresario of Dino’s Pizza on the California-Fillmore corner, and his son Santino joined a few dozen friends and fans in the rear garden at Via Veneto.

Cynthia Traina is a residential realtor with Vantage Realty. Contact her with news or suggestions at CT@CynthiaTraina.com or @PacificHeightsRealtor.