New School Italian Will Bring the Party Back to Hog & Rocks Location

The era of Hog & Rocks is officially over, as new chef/owner Anthony Strong now has the keys to space and has transferred the liquor license, with plans to open at the end of summer.

The chef, who was previously chef at Locanda, has been building up to this moment: after a stint of traveling, he launched “delivery only restaurant,” Young Fava, but closed after a few weeks in a change of direction. Then, the chef debuted Italian pop-up, Cibi Cotti, in the Local Mission Market space, which served as more of a testing ground for his eventual brick-and-mortar restaurant.

While he’s staying tightlipped on most of the details (including the name, though the liquor license shows the business name as CC Club), Strong says the restaurant will be his version of “new school Italian,” much like his pop-up Cibi Cotti, wherein the restrictions of authenticity have been stripped from the kitchen. “We’re going to be be playing around a lot, open up the pantry,” Strong told Eater SF. “Loosening up and not behing beholden to ‘the rules.’”

Strong says he’s trying to keep away from the confines of fine dining, and “let the party happen.” To that end, the restaurant will serve dinner and weekend brunch, with a full bar, in a laidback dining style inspired by restaurants he encountered on trips to Italy and Japan.

The Hog & Rocks space will receive a light renovation, but nothing too serious says Strong, who partially chose it for that reason. “It’s really quick turnaround on a space that is already in great shape,” he said. Following the makeover, the chef hopes to open in late summer. Stay tuned for more details.

• Hog & Rocks Is Closing as Chef Anthony Strong Takes Over Space [ESF]