TBD-Restaurant-San-Francisco-stark-insider-002This week on the Stark Insider restaurant watch, San Francisco edition: TBD Restaurant.

And, no, that’s not TBD as in to-be-determined. That’s TBD as in TBD.

Chef Mark Liberman (AQ) is the driving force behind the new restaurant scheduled to open November 5, 2013 in the Mid-Market neighborhood of San Francisco. According to a spokesperson, a grill and custom-built hearth will be the exclusive means of cooking.

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Located just two doors east of sister restaurant, AQ Restaurant & Bar, the Northern California-inspired menu “pushes the limits” of cooking with fire, emphasizing open-fired, grilled, smoked, rotisserie, and hearth-baked vegetable and meat preparations.

TBD also features a selection of bar snacks and desserts focusing on soft-serve ice cream, a favorite of Chef Mark.

ALSO SEE: San Francisco: French Laundry, Meadowood lead Michelin Star restaurants (Complete List)

The beverage program includes more than 20 beers on tap, a global-inspired wine list, and an extensive sherry selection, as well as low-alcohol cocktails called “loopholes” (after all, who doesn’t love a loophole?).

TBD Menu sampling

JuliaSpiess

TBD opens with a full dinner menu priced and arranged in categories, featuring “Raw” dishes such as Swiss chard, goat feta, grapes and farro ($6), Aged beef sirloin with Brussels kraut and pastrami ($24) from the “Grill” section, and Heirloom carrots with lentils and sesame ($12) on the “Plancha.” A selection of “Smoked” dishes includes Pork Andouille, escarole and fenugreek ($18), and aPumpkin Soup with onions and hay ($6) and Hunter’s Stew with rabbit oloroso and whey ($24)  fall in the “Hearth + Embers” section. The appropriately classified “Sweet” section offers a different flavor of soft-serve ice cream weekly and warm, homey desserts such as S’mores with housemade marshmallows, chocolate and chicory ($12) and Dutch Oven Cake with parsnip and sweet woodruff ($6).

With the cold weather coming it looks like TBD might be just the spot to “gather ’round the hearth’ with good friends.

Monica is the PR contact for Stark Insider, and helps with calendaring, coordinating SI video shoots, and assisting with inquiries. monica (at) starkinsider.com.