We weren't even hungry, but a couple of weeks ago a friend and I were driving by Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen—which took pride of place as my favorite pho joint in town pretty much as soon as it opened (caveat: I only order the vegetarian kind, and yes I know, I know)—and it looked closed (!), and on a Saturday evening, too. "OH shit," I think were our exact words.

Of course if you are among the many fans who've encountered their notice you know not to expect the worst: They are simply closed for remodeling, although 1) they have picked a terrible time of the year, the bottom of winter, to do so and 2) it was pretty evident that they spent a lot of effort customizing the original iteration of the space, which hasn't even been open that long and so I wonder if they might be kind of vain or what. But a recent update from the amazing local maker collective ADX has given me cause to be proud. The ADX fabrication team are the "our boys" that Luc Lac refers to when they say they're putting the "final touches" on the remodel, which includes a copper and steel installation that will run across the entire back wall of the joint:

If you too have been internet-stalking them like a jilted lover, looking for information on when we can go back to their freshest, crispest pho vegetables, amazing happy hour deals, and famous craft cocktails, may this help you gather patience.