I think that's a smart idea. Service should be better, and the atmosphere more relaxed. The new look is clean, simple and much brighter than East Side, with white swags under wooden valences over the windows, and a big mirror on the back wall. The front bar is gone, replaced by an extra table or two. The tables are covered with white linens, then with glass tops, and decorated with single red rosebuds in white bisque vases.
Bread is a good sourdough loaf sliced up and served with olive oil.
That gave us 90 minutes to eat, max, before we'd have to put up with the next batch of diners giving us moon eyes as they stood uncomfortably by the coat rack. There are 15 Italian wines, the rest mostly Sonoma Valley selections. Small Caesar salad. The romaine lettuce was satisfactorily fresh, and there were croutons and a light, bland Caesar dressing, but I missed anchovy filets, which lay limply across my salad in all their intense saltiness the last time I ate here. Minestrone del contadino.