San Francisco

• Looking for Mr. Loongbar. Loongbar in Ghirardelli Square, the Mark Miller-inspired fusion restaurant, is undergoing an identity shift. Principals Bill Upson and Bill Higgins of Real Restaurants are planning to turn Loongbar into a Hong Kong-style seafood emporium in hopes of enticing diners through Loongbar's moon-shaped door. Chef Jeffrey Inahara gave notice and left in July. Meanwhile, talk is that Real Restaurants might go public in 1999. The group has closed its Fog City Diners in Las Vegas and Dallas, but is looking to open a Fog City in Chicago. Also opening are three new concepts: fast-food pizza eatery Tomatina, with sites in St. Helena and Walnut Creek; casual Italian-steakhouse concept Bistecca, open in Scottsdale and coming to Jackson Street; and high-end Postino a Tra Vigne, now open in Walnut Creek.

• When it comes to stylish seafood restaurants, nobody can touch Aqua owner Charles Condy. Recently, Condy hired sommelier Stephane Lacroix (Alain Rondelli) to enhance the eatery's wine program. Now, Condy and executive chef Michael Mina are opening an Aqua in Las Vegas, but not just anywhere in Las Vegas. They, along with Sottha Khunn of Le Cirque 2000, Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Jean Georges, and Todd English of Boston's Olives, are setting up shop in Steve Wynn's Belaggio Resort & Casino, the $2 billion high-roller heaven under construc-tion on the Strip. The Las Vegas Aqua will have executive sous-chef Mark Lorusso as chef, assisted by sous-chefs Jason Weiner and Andrew Budnyj, and Melissa Perello for pastry. The ground-floor location will be cheek by jowl with Wynn's $400 million modern art collection.

• All may not be well at Le Colonial, the Vietnamese-French concept under construction at the site of the old Trader Vic's on Cosmo Place. Executive chef Alex Ong has left, replaced by Dieu Ho (Vancouver's Pan Pacific and Four Seasons hotels).

• North Beach has been abuzz with two high-profile restaurant openings. Reed Hearon's Black Cat is a jazz club on Broadway serving shellfish platters and grilled chops under Rose Pistola alum Scott Warner. Meanwhile, on Columbus Avenue, Rick Hackett (Enrico's Sidewalk Cafe, U.S. Restaurant) and Hanna Suleiman (Caffe Greco) have opened Tavolino, a Venetian-style wine bar serving hot and cold snacks prepared by chef David Stevenson.

• After three years, chef Amey Shaw has been made a partner in Alta Plaza Bar & Grill, under the aegis of Scorpio Restaurant Co..

• Florist to the stars Stanlee Gatti is said to be looking for a restaurant space.