The latest news on NOPA (the restaurant)

Just read on TableHopper that we should expect the restaurant called NOPA to open on the corner of Divis and Hayes in April.

Another eagerly awaited project is ~NOPA~, opening in early April in the North of the Panhandle (get it?) neighborhood. The former laundromat is being massively transformed into a hip dining destination that will seat 110, with high ceilings (try 19 feet), exposed rafters, a dark-stain concrete floor, warm colors on the walls, an open kitchen, a massive poured concrete bar that seats 17-18, a mezzanine that overlooks the bar and the kitchen, and a communal table that will seat 12-14. Whew. Quirky fact: it ends up the space was a bank in the ‘20s, and the vault is now going to be used as the wine room. Maybe it can double as a drunk tank.

NOPA's partners are Laurence Jossel (chef/hails from Chez Nous and all three Chow locations), Jeff Hanak (wine/former partner of Chow and Park Chow), and Allyson Woodman (service/managed Chow). The sous chef is the talented Marcella Lew, formerly of Andalu. The Southern-Mediterranean and organic ingredient-centric menu will be shaped as much by the seasons as by three pieces of my favorite kitchen equipment: a wood-fired grill, a wood-fired rotisserie, and a wood-fired pizza oven. (The neighborhood will be wafting.) Apps will hover around $10, entrées around $20, and $7 or so for desserts. They have a full liquor license (score) and plan on staying open late, like 1am. I will be beyond thrilled to have a non-Thai, non-diner, non-pizza late-night dining option in this side of town. 560 Divisadero St. at Hayes.

They also have their own site www.nopasf.com up and running, but it only has a couple of construction photos at this point.

Hooray for any and all new restaurants in our wonderful 'hood! I'm really looking forward to this one, too!