Semi-Closings

Orson to Close, Essentially, and Become Temporary Event Space

The lively horseshoe-shaped bar area at Orson, during a StarChefs event in 2010.
The lively horseshoe-shaped bar area at Orson, during a StarChefs event in 2010. Photo: StarChefs

Elizabeth Falkner’s once buzzed about expansion to SoMa, Orson, appears to be taking a step closer to outright shuttering. Tablehopper reports this afternoon that Falkner has decided to cease operations as a full-time restaurant in November and to open the space for corporate holiday parties (of which there are already a number booked). She will also use the space as a pop-up venue in the coming months — not unlike the curious case of Ubuntu and their winter hiatus. Beginning November 2, Falkner plans to do weekly pop-ups of her own to coincide with her high-profile appearance on this season of Next Iron Chef, which could go on for nine or ten weeks, or just a few — only she and the Food Network know how many episodes she made it through.

As we and others have noted over the last year, dinner crowds had been dwindling in the extra-large space and the food seemed to have taken a backseat to the drinks and happy hour crowd-pleasing.

The move to close the restaurant comes on the heels of changes at Falkner’s relocated flagship, Citizen Cake, which recently underwent a bit of a make-under, menu-wise — much like the original menu of Orson was more ambitious and sophisticated than the revisions that followed, Citizen Cake is now branding itself more as a family-friendly, diner-cum-ice cream parlor, with hot dogs and burgers on the menu, as well as liquid-nitrogen ice cream and Falkner’s famous desserts.

Check Facebook for further info about the pop-ups, but we’re going to throw out an educated guess here that the place will go completely dark shortly after the new year, or after Falkner’s final Next Iron Chef appearance — whichever comes first.

Changes at Orson in SoMa [Tablehopper]

Orson to Close, Essentially, and Become Temporary Event Space