As we reported months ago, Joe Grasso and Garrett Miller, two of the owners of Union Trust steakhouse, were intending to open a pub called American Oak in the former Roy’s space at 1500 Samsom St. With Union Trust going through bankruptcy, and seemingly no work going on in the space for months, this project appears to be dead. In July, Michael Klein wrote about the prospect of a Chicago-based restaurant group taking over the space to open Townhouse, an American wine bar. No word on whether that’s been finalized yet.

While we’re looking forward to seeing a new use for this space, we’re a little upset that the building’s facade has been mangled in the meantime.

Looking up 15th St.

A closer look

The bricks have been removed from underneath most of the windows on both the 15th St. side and the Sansom St. side, and have apparently been patched with cinderblocks and mostly covered in plywood. But why would this have happened? Could it be related to Rumor, the club opening this month the basement of the building? Do clubs even need windows? Or was the intention to expand the size of the existing windows to street level? We just don’t understand.

Maybe we’re just a little bitter because we kind of miss Roy’s. Those spiked pineapple chunks were amazing.