Breaking: Tavern on the Green Coming to Town, Opening SF's Biggest Restaurant

The SF Business Times just dropped the bombshell that Manhattan's Tavern on the Green will be taking a massive space in the Metreon overlooking Yerba Buena: "The world-famous Tavern On The Green, which has never expanded beyond its home overlooking Central Park, has leased 30,000 square feet plus a 13,000-square-foot terrace overlooking Yerba Buena Park [Ed. note: 43,000 sq ft total, FYI]. That's bigger than its New York flagship, which is the second-highest grossing independent restaurant in the United States, with 750,000 annual visitors and annual revenue just under $40 million."

The move, surprising to begin with, is made even more curious when you consider that it will be housed in (atop) the Metreon movie theater, which—as the article points out—has been a blackhole of a flop for retailers and restaurants alike since opening in 1999. Other notables: 75% of the space will be reserved for special events, it will cater to the nearby convention center attendees, emphasis will be put on local ingredients (shocking, yes), there is no executive chef yet, and summer 2009 is the initial aim. Discuss.
· N.Y.'s famed Tavern On The Green to open S.F.'s biggest restaurant [BizTimes]

UPDATE: The Chron's piece is out, and former Le Bernardin chef de cuisine and current Citarella executive chef Brian Young will be manning the kitchen. [Photo courtesy]