Around the Creek: Buckhorn Grill reopened after fire; Huynh closed

Four months after a two-alarm grease fire damaged its interior, Buckhorn Grill is open for business again, according to a sign in the restaurant's window. The restaurant re-opened last Friday.

The fire broke out Feb. 7 in the casual Plaza Escuela eatery. A grease fire flared up while chefs were cooking tri-tips and other meat on the grill, Buckhorn Grill manager Paul Punsalang said at the time.

The flames shot up toward a hood over the cooking area and began to melt material on the roof, said a woman, who had just sat down to order a hamburger.

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But as Buckhorn Grill re-0pens, Huynh Restaurant on Locust Street has closed its doors.  Butcher paper covers its windows, and the menu has been removed from the window display case.

The Walnut Creek Huynh,  originally the sister to a popular Oakland location, was one of the first in a series of new downtown restaurants featuring more upscale, authentic Vietnamese food. Diablo magazine in 2007 praised Huynh for serving "flavorful food" in a stylish setting that "feels special enough for a birthday or anniversary—but don’t wait for a special occasion to go." Huynh was followed by , Vanessa's Bistro 2 and Eleve. The original neighborhood-style Vietnamese restaurant, Da Lat, is still operating on Locust Street, as is the newer Pho Saigon Noodle House in the Newell Plaza shopping center.

A man who would only give his name as "Sami," said the owners of the Huynh restaurants in Oakland and Walnut Creek, Kim Huynh and her husband, Hung Tran, closed the Walnut Creek restaurant and sold the Oakland location to him. 

Sami said that Huynh in Walnut Creek was a victim to tough economic conditions.