No sooner does SFoodie invoke the name of Nick Balla then he appears in a Bar Tartine press release ― to wit, he's taking over from Chris Kronner as executive chef at Bar Tartine, as of March 1. (Kronner is said to embarking on "a significant new culinary project outside the Bay Area," which explains those cryptic travel photos on Facebook recently.) Bar Tartine, of course, is expanding into the Hideo Wakamatsu luggage shop next door later this year. Again, the press release: "As the physical space evolves, the culinary concept will evolve as well. Indeed, Balla's background, experience, and interests herald a new culinary concept for Bar Tartine, to be revealed in the coming weeks." Hmmm: Could Tartine's Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt be thinking about a Japanese concept? That'd explain them opening their doors to pop-ups by Hapa Ramen and Peko Peko....
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