Mattin Noblia, Chef at Just-Opened Rendezvous Tapas

On Friday, Sir Paolo broke the news that one time-Top Cheffer and Iluna Basque chef-owner Mattin Noblia is executive chef at the newly opened Rendezvous Tapas restaurant on Van Ness Street. Today, we caught up with Noblia, who tells us they're really in more of a soft-launch phase as of now. His opening menu includes approachable fare like lamb sliders and chicken skewers with plans to mix in slightly more avante garde things like an octopus salad and beef cheek moussaka in the coming weeks. Owners Roger Lwin and Jerrold Gor—who also own the shuttered mysteriously still on-hiatus Spire—have been hard at work on the interior. They've redone the booths, changed the lighting, replaced the floor and redone the vibe to include burgundy, red and white tones matched to dark wood floors.

The bar is still awaiting modification. Noblia is working to bring on a pastry chef. The nightclub side of operations and the cocktail program are also in the works. Solidifying things a bit, Noblia will be hosting a bunch of friends for his big birthday bash at the restaurant on Thursday. Considering there are 3,000 on his Facebook invite list, the word may not get out quite as slow as he'd like.

· Mattin Noblia resurfaces at Rendezvous Tapas Lounge, opening tonight [ISSF]
· All Previous Rendezvous Tapas Coverage [~ ESF ~]
· All Previous Mattin Noblia Coverage [~ ESF ~]

[Photo: Facebook]