Seize (Cease?) the Reservation

Starting a restaurant is always uncertain, but in this fear-filled environment, the risks may be overwhelming:

Easy to get a table at pricey Mr. Jiu's
in SF Chinatown (Chron photo).

San Francisco Chinatown restaurants have seen the neighborhood’s streets empty out because of misplaced concerns and suspected xenophobia. Other restaurant owners aren’t sure exactly why business has dipped, but mounting fears around the coronavirus as cases emerge in Northern California could be the answer...

Christopher Kostow, executive chef at the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley...said some cancellations stemmed from international tourists who opted out of their vacation plans, while others were domestic visitors newly nervous about coming to the Bay Area after San Francisco Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency.

We walked into a popular Japanese restaurant last Friday and were seated immediately.

We had our pick of tables. Service was prompt, the sashimi was fresh, and the presentation was attractive (right).

As the Good Book says, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow...