North Main Street restaurant shuffle

--Sasa opens today. This Japanese small plates restaurant opens this evening in a historic, brick 100-year-old building at 1432 North Main Street that, once upon a time, was the Lawrence Meat Market. Local developer Brian Hirahara, the same developer behind Va de Vi, did the renovation, which will also includes outdoor dining. Diablo magazine's Ethan Fletcher says he's excited to try out Sasa's fresh fish, which the restaurant says it will import daily from Japan's renowned Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest fish market in the world. The executive chef is Philip Yang, the chef and owner of Lafayette's Blue Gingko.

--Le Bistro at 1606 North Main Street has closed. The restaurant, which says it served food inspired by the South of France, has a sign on its front window and door, thanking patrons for eight wonderful years.

--Cafe Delle Stelle is looking for a facelift. The casual Italian restaurant is located in the historic, two-story Sturm building, at 1532 North Main Street and the corner of Lincoln Avenue. This building, with its distinctive second-floor balcony, used to house the Melting Pot fondue restaurant. In the 1940s, the building featured The Nut Bowl Fountain. Historical records show that this corner, in fact, was the site for a variety of "fountains," popular eateries at the time.

The owners of the building would like to alter the facade of the building, the style of which is called "1930s artistic front commerical." The owners would like to make it more upscale Mediterrenean/Tuscan, with new details such as having a front entry way with faux stone columns.

The landlord also told Walnut Creek Design Review Commissioners that the restaurant's owner is looking to fix up the interior of the restaurant to make it feel less casual and more high end. Hmm, it's not clear, from reviewing the Design Review Commission records, if that means the end of Cafe Delle Stelle, or Cafe Delle Stelle in a new, improved form.

Some downtown restaurant news: new openings and a liquor license violation for one happening spot

Just in time for the holidays:

--Vanessa's Bistro 2, at 1329 N. Main Street, is open, in the former Tokyo Lobby spot. It bills itself as "Vietnamese tapas with a French twist." Some selections from the menu: Spicy Atlantic salmon tartare, vodka molasses marinated pork loin, and Dijon mustard and black peppercorn marinated rack of lamb with sweet potato croquette (with a port wine, bing cherry reduction).

--The other new "modern" Vietnamese restaurant in downtown, Eleve Restaurant, does not yet look open, though it looks awfully close. It is in the stylishy renovated two-story 6,000-square-foot building at the corner of North Main Street and Civic Drive.

--The other new Asian restaurant coming to town--and on Main Street and with a small plates focus--is Sasa. It will serve what is known as Izakaya Japanese cuisine, which is drinks and food in a "casual" but sophisticated atmosphere. Sasa is to go into the historic 1910 brick front building that long ago housed the Walnut Creek Meat Market. The building is being renovated to house dining indoors and out.

--And more new Asian on Main: The sign on the former San Franciscan says that the Modern China Cafe will be opening in that spot "soon."

--I've also heard from a friend that the popular Alamo delicatessen, the Brass Bear, has also opened on North Main. The Brass Bear has been a "mainstay" in Alamo for around 30 years.

--Over on Locust Street, the spot that once housed the Ephesus kebob lounge, and then a place called Class, now has a new sign atop it. It is now calling itself "Lift." Huh? Well, if nothing else, the business needs to fix that splintered woodwork that hangs over its door. And maybe work on its, uh, curbside appeal.

--The Persian-food fan husband of a friend is absolutely excited about the opening of Alborz on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, in the former location for Tin's Tea House.

--Finally reporting this hiccup for popular restaurateur Tony Dudum of 1515 Restaurant and Lounge. I remember noticing from a City Council agenda report that agents with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control had paid a visit to 1515 on July 23. The police noted that the ABC found that 1515 was serving liquor past its closing time of 12:30 a.m. Ironically, Tony Dudum and his dad Jack Dudum were, at that exact time, filing an appeal with the city to have their hours for serving alcohol extended past 12:30 a.m. They wanted to stay open until 1:45 a.m. The City Council in September gave them an extra half hour. Well, according to state ABC records, 1515 Restaurant had its liquor license "suspended" for 15 days; but in lieu of a suspension of serving alcohol, 1515 agreed to pay a fine of $3,000.

In an e-mail to me, Tony Dudum explains that "there was an honest misunderstanding between the city, the ABC, and myself. I am in excellent standing with all agencies."