Update: Per Diem Sets an Opening Date of December 16

Though we first reported that Per Diem (43 Sutter Street; 989-0300) would debut in early December, the restaurant now has an official opening date of December 16. Cal-Ital is the shorthand for the flavor on offer here, with chef Adam Hinojosa (ex-Osteria and Café Des Amis) putting out a menu utilizing farm-to-table and whole beast practices for its lunch, dinner, and to-go services. His Italian-inspired, California-realized offerings shall include local cornmeal-fried oyster po' boys, pizzettas with a Golden State bent (pear and prosciutto with blue cheese), and trend-heeding twists on comfort classics such as a truffle and tomato brisket with Bloomsdale spinach and Maple Farms duck leg confit over blue cheese tortellini with pomegranate fume.

The palatial restaurants of the Financial District will now have a new 2,500 square foot, bi-level option amongst its pantheon. The space will sport two separate bars and a private dining room, though somehow they hope this will still translate into an "intimate" eating experience should you want to get all romantical with it.

Dark wood, exposed concrete, and steel beams hope to capture an air of the California Gold Rush optimism from which the restaurant is named. A place to spend your precious daily yield, if you will.

For those into the inside baseball facet of the game, Per Diem's team is Darren Matte (proprietor of Brick Yard), Logan Shedd (former manager of Suba in New York), Cameron Baird, and Sean Wells (designer of Umami and Mamacitas). [EaterWire]

· Previous Per Diem Coverage [~ ESF ~]