Before we get started, some sad and sudden news in North Beach: On January 2nd, customers arriving at the venerable Washington Square Bar & Grill were shocked to find a sign in the window saying they had closed their doors. Sources tell Northside San Francisco that the Washbag’s investors have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
   

The Fillmore District is shaping up to be the neighborhood of 2008: Not only did the recent openings of Yoshi’s San Francisco (1330 Fillmore St., 415-655-5600) and 1300 on Fillmore (1300 Fillmore St., 415-771-7100) get the Fillmore Jazz District smokin’, but the popular SPQR (1911 Fillmore St., 415-771-7779) also added some culinary excitement to Upper Fillmore. And now it just gets better, because a second location of Pizzeria Delfina will be moving into the ZAO Noodle space (2406 California St.) with the opening slated for May. This new location will boast a wood-burning oven and will be twice the space of the original. Viva la pizza!
   

Fillmore residents: Continue to count your lucky stars, because another sister restaurant opening in the Fillmore is DOSA (1700 Fillmore St.). The new location in the former Goodwill space will have 120 seats and private dining for 20-30. The menu will focus on even more regional Indian cooking with a seasonal approach like they have in India (which equates to spicier dishes in the winter and lighter or fish-based dishes in the summer), so we’ll be eating spicy all year. (Kidding.) Owners Anjan and Emily Mitra are gunning for a late summer or early fall opening in 2008.
   

And then across the street in Japantown is the multilevel Sundance Cinemas Kabuki (1881 Post St.), a place that seems custom-built for cinephiles, oenophiles and gourmands alike. There is a wine and cheese bar with 25 wines by the glass (all hand-picked by Courtney Cochran of Hip Tastes), and unique 100-bottle selections at the 130-seat restaurant next door, Kabuki Kitchen. Executive chef Vince Schofield (whose background includes the kitchen at Boulevard) has put together a New American-Mediterranean menu with dishes like Dungeness cioppino, Coca-Cola pork ribs, grilled sea bass, and roasted game hen with sausage and spinach hash, plus pastas, pizza, and a Niman Ranch burger (dinner served daily from 5-10 p.m.). There is also a bistro with simpler fare, like pizzas, panini and make-your-own cheese plates, plus a full-service bar with a loungey atmosphere. (You don’t have to have a movie ticket to visit the bistro or bar.) So about that theater: There are eight screens, no commercials, and you can reserve your seats in advance. And if you sit in the 21-and-over balcony bar, you can nosh and drink some vino while you’re there (which is where you’ll likely find me).
   

Here’s a little teaser for you, but you’ll need to head back up the hill. Come March, the former Fillmore Grill space will be The Long Bar and Bistro (1301 Fillmore St.). With classic hotel bars around the world as inspiration for owner Alan Walsh, look for a 30-foot mahogany bar with dark woods and rich colors throughout. There will also be outdoor seating under heated awnings, which in this town is useful year-round. I’ll reveal more details about the concept, chef and cuisine in coming months!
   

Another thing brewing that will need more time for all the details to emerge is the really big (and rather unfortunate) news over at Myth (470 and 490 Pacific Ave.): Both the restaurant and cafe have been sold due to owner Tom Duffy’s failing health. Executive chef Sean O’Brien and wine director Alex Fox will depart in February when the new restaurant management group takes over. Duffy has been quiet about the group players, so expect an update next month.
   

Over in North Beach, the facelift at Moose’s (1652 Stockton St., 415-989-7800) is complete. Michael Brennan, the designer behind Cortez and Circa’s interiors, has revamped the decor, adding a 20-person communal table. New specialty cocktails are featured at the refurbished bar, and say ciao (the goodbye kind of ciao) to the white tablecloths in the dining room. Partner-executive chef Travis Flood has updated the menu (the buzz is around his “risotto carnitas”), and wine director Glen Standish knows exactly what to pair with it all – odds are good it will be an organic or biodynamic wine.