After months of cleanup and construction, it looks like the opening of CHUBBY NOODLE in the former Gatip Thai in the Marina is in sight. Pete Mrabe (Don Pisto’s) has partnered with Nick Floulis, who is the winemaker for Pushback Wines and has been helping Pete behind the bar at Don Pisto’s for some time.
They plan to soft open on Thursday May 29th, and will just be open Thu-Sat from 5pm until 12am to start—Mrabe says they’ll serve about 30-40 people a night, and then close up. There will only be two of them running the show (with a dishwasher), since Mrabe wants to get a feel for the place and dial it in. It’s kind of like having a big dinner party. The grand opening is looking like June 26-29—yup, it’ll be a four-night opening party.
The menu is going to start off small, about eight items. You can expect to see three or so raw/seafood dishes, five noodle or rice dishes, and three small plates, like dumplings. There will also be a larger plate, like a whole fish or a slab of ribs.
Floulis is going to continue the Don Pisto’s tradition of making some pretty impressive wine-based cocktails (have you ever had their margarita?). He said they’ll be serving a signature concoction off a tap he’s calling “Cold Tea” (it will come in a teapot)—and anyone who has ever dined out after hours will get the joke. There will be 16 taps in all, with 12-13 wines (some will be custom barrel blends with various winemakers) and they are also going to be one of the first places in the U.S. to have sake on tap.
It’s a 49-seater, with a communal table (which you can also reserve for large groups), a stand-up bar, and wood booths with bench-style seating. And to be clear, Chubby Noodle at Amante in North Beach will continue, business as usual! 2205 Lombard St. at Steiner.
Yellowfin tuna tartare with garlic chips. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
