Mark Denham Still Searching for Bishop's New Home

We last heard of Laïola former chef Mark Denham from the Tacolicious stand at the Ferry Building, but his followers on Facebook are aware he's been looking for a space for his restaurant concept, Bishop, for quite some time now. Denham recently filled us in on his latest real estate adventures: passing up the 1001 Guerrero space Salt Block will move into and a deal that was about to happen with the Universal Cafe folks that just fell through. This is all a shame because Denham's food/menu concept is seriously dialed in, considering the restaurant doesn't even exist yet.

Though he admits the market-driven shtick he's going for is a bit of a cliche at this point, he's so passionate about the animal-to-plate approach he can't fathom anything else.

"It's my hope that Bishop's signature will be to present hand-crafted culinary technique usually found only at more expensive restaurants. But I want Bishop to remain a neighborhood spot with genuine drop-in appeal, I intend that Bishop will be primarily a first come first served establishment. Maybe with a reservation policy akin to that of Flour & Water's."

And just to prove he's not kidding with this idea, here's what Denham was thinking menu-wise before the last space fell through. So the quest for prime real estate -- preferably a 60-seater with a wine and beer license in the Mission -- continues. If you're privy to any such location, email Mark or drop us a line.

· Block Party [SFGate]
· Star Guest Chefs to Share Taco Renditions at Tacolicious [~ ESF ~]

[Photo: SF Biz Times/Spencer Brown]