Pica Pica Castro, Bancarella, Toma, Noir, Fable, MORE!

1) Castro: Pica Pica Maize Kitchen will be opening its third and biggest location yet around Jan. 15 at 3970 17th Street. The bi-level 55-seater will offer a newly enlarged menu with new sharable starters, Venezuelan-style platters, more salads and two new desserts, based on customer feedback. [EaterWire]

2) Lower Nob Hill: Johnny Tu, who may or may not be a cook at the Marriot, applied for a beer-and-wine license with a DBA of J Tu Cafe, and designs to take over the Persimmon Cafe space at 582 Sutter St. [EaterWire]

3) Union Square: Gary Rulli and his newish Ristobar chef Michele Belotti have a spinoff called Bancarella set to open around Dec. 17 in Union Square. It sounds sort of like a typical Italian "bar," with savory bites, a "Milanese style pastry case," great espresso and wine. [Tablehopper]

4) Marina: Inside Scoop has the menu for Toma, a new Mexican-owned Mexican restaurant opening soon on Steiner Street. [ISSF]

5) Hayes Valley: Noir, the new wine bar with kitschy movie theater food, will feature "nearly 50 wines," and should open sometime in January. [Hayeswire]

6) Nopa: Jason Limburg of Wine Kitchen says they're "aiming for the first week of January" for an opening. [EaterWire]

7) Nopa Extra: The Saffron Grill Indian restaurant on Fulton at Divisadero is recovering from a fire right now, and should be back open "in about two months." [Haighteration]

8) North Beach: Italian restaurant legend Fior d'Italia will be returning under new ownership "before year's end." [Website via GrubStreet]

9) Castro Extra: Jon Hearnsberger will be opening something called Fable in the former Luna space at 558 Castro around January 17. It'll be a neighborhood bistro with a "storybook modern" decor and a "secret garden" out back. [Tablehopper]

10) San Mateo: The fifth branch of Paul Martin's American Grill will be opening in the Hillsdale Shopping Center before 2013 comes to a close. [EaterWire]