Ravi Kapur/Nopa Restaurant Chooses Name, Bar Manager

Easily one of the most anticipated in-the-works projects in SF right now is the forthcoming Tendernob restaurant from chef Ravi Kapur (Prospect) and Allyson Jossel and Jeff Hanak, the folks behind Nopa and Nopalito. While they originally said there was no way they were naming it after Kapur's hit Hawaiian-themed pop-up, Liholiho Yacht Club, they've changed their minds, and the restaurant is planning to go by that name. As Tablehopper reports, diners can expect the flavorful island-influenced food to star on the menu at the new brick-and-mortar; some past dishes from the pop-ups have included spiced honey-glazed quail, tombo poke with spicy mayo, and pineapple malasadas.

Liholiho has also scored one of the city's best bartenders to run its cocktail program: Kevin Diedrich, who's been doing some consulting (most notably for Gaspar Brasserie) since leaving his pet project, Jasper's Corner Tap, in the wake of a big management shuffle. Diedrich, who also has some personal ties to Hawaii, will be incorporating that into the drinks. (While the restaurant gets underway, he's pulling some shifts at The European and ABV, in case you want to taste what he's working on.)

The sizable, bi-level space is still under construction, with Farina designer Brent Terpeluk heading up the redesign, and the current target is looking like late fall or early winter—it's not clear if the restaurant will appear in time for the end of 2014. In the meantime, interested parties can get a taste of Kapur's cooking at a new pop-up he's launching, Paniolo Social. Every Thursday in August, beginning a week from tomorrow (August 7th), he'll be offering casual Hawaiian-inspired drinking food like spicy noodles, yakitori, poke bowls, sashimi, and aloha dogs at Bloodhound. The pop-up will run from 4 pm until sell-out.

· Ravi Kapur's Restaurant Name, Revealed [Tablehopper]
· Ravi Kapur/Nopa Opening Tendernob Restaurant [~ ESF ~]
· Liholiho Yacht Club Pops Up Again at State Bird Provisions [~ ESF ~]