Chef-owner Pete Mrabe of ~DON PISTO’S~ is going to be launching a second business in North Beach (because he’s just not busy enough, ha), a noodle/raw bar. He tells me he’s going to focus on Southeast Asian dishes, but look for some Mexican ingredients to make their way in there, too (the guy loves his chiles). The menu will consist of three-four noodle dishes, like pho, ramen, and wok-tossed noodles, while there will be five-six raw selections (he said look for combinations of fish, chile, lime, and salt). Mrabe, who previously worked at Betelnut, said he’s looking forward to working with flavors beyond what he’s doing at Don Pisto’s. The format will be counter service, with no servers, and should be open for dinner in about three months. Mrabe asked me to hold on the project’s name and exact location for a few weeks, so I’ll reveal those when I get the all clear/thumbs up/go-ahead.
A tuna ceviche on one of the earlier menus at Don Pisto’s.
