Closings

Criolla Kitchen Closed for Real This Time; Relaunch Appears Kaput [Updated]

So long for now?
So long for now? Photo: Grub Street

By all accounts, Criolla Kitchen (2295 Market) in the Castro seems to have had a rocky first year, with a partner reshuffle in December and a subsequent announcement of a rebranding and revamp under the name Parish Eleven, which was set to take place in April. That relaunch may be canceled after all, as the restaurant shuttered over the weekend and put up a sign that reads, “Criolla Kitchen will be closed for the immediate future due to issues beyond our control. We look forward to serving you as soon as we can reopen.” Things don’t look good for the reopening however as Grub Street further discovers this a.m. that their phone line is dead.

Furthermore, the restaurant’s Twitter and Facebook haven’t been updated since mid-February, which is strange given that they probably would have wanted to promote the upcoming revamp, if it were really happening.

Chef-partner Randy Lewis has stayed on board throughout the transitions, and appeared intent on making over the restaurant in a slightly more upscale vein, incorporating influences from New Orleans and Portugal with California ingredients and a modern style. Lewis had been doing weekly preview dinners for Parish Eleven this month, and no closure for a remodel had been planned — the last reported plan via Tablehopper was to use their one closed day in the week, on Tuesdays, to do any necessary construction.

As soon as we hear any further official word from the team, we will update you. It’s a prominent piece of flatiron/corner real estate, however, and we doubt it will stay dormant long, in any event.

Below, the sign currently on the door.

Update: Chef Randy Lewis wrote in to Eater to confirm that the place is, in fact, closed, due to an “unfortunate” occurrence that he is not at liberty to disclose. This of course piques our curiosity, but suffice it to say, the place is dunzo, and up for grabs, as we suspected yesterday. [Eater]

Earlier: Criolla Kitchen to Become the Slightly Nicer Parish Eleven

Criolla Kitchen Closed for Real This Time; Relaunch Appears Kaput [Updated]