I stopped by the House of Shields (39 New Montgomery St.) to get a quick peek inside yesterday. Chef Dennis Leary of The Sentinel and Canteen—who is turning the turn-of-the-century H.O.S. back to its former glory and reopening it as a bar with light bites of food—told me they're months away from opening, while pointing out a ceiling fan opaque with dust. "They operated this place like that!" he said in disbelieve.

Painters are painting, the sign is being redone, the place is going to be pretty snazzy. But for now, we're just going to have to watch and wait.