Pete Mrabe (Don Pisto’s, Chubby Noodle) continues to be one of the busier restaurateurs I know. A while back I mentioned that he’s going to be opening a deli and grocery in North Beach at 728 Vallejo. He has finally decided on the name, which will be CENTRAL STATION, inspired by the police station next door. He will initially be making and selling pasta for wholesale accounts, and then selling pasta to the public, in addition to five kinds of hot sandwiches in about a month or so (rumor has it that he’s going to be using the superlative pastrami made by Peter Temkin at Machine Deli). I’ll keep you posted as the project ramps up—he expects it to be fully stocked and running with the full program within a couple of months. 728 Vallejo St. at Stockton.
Mrabe is also ready to talk about his other project that I’ve had to keep under my hat for a while: As noted elsewhere, he has had plans to do something at GATIP CLASSIC THAI in the Marina. Yup, he’s branching out of North Beach. It’s going to be another location of his popular CHUBBY NOODLE, serving his delicious fried chicken, tuna poke, grits, ramen, and other dishes. He is almost done with making mostly cosmetic changes, like adding a marble bar, putting in wood tables, and giving the place a refreshed look—there are 49 seats in all. There is an open kitchen, which will have a bar counter, though there will only be beer and wine; he is currently applying for a beer and wine license since the previous tenants weren’t cooperating with a transfer. Look for an opening in April. 2205 Lombard St. at Steiner.
The famed fried chicken at Chubby Noodle. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
