It’s been more than six months since former Ubuntu chef Aaron London made his move to San Francisco official and announced his plans for a solo restaurant, location TBD. Well, now he has a lease, though he won’t reveal the address just yet for fear of jinxing it perhaps (some building permits, and it sounds like a change-of-use, still have to get approved). He tells the Scoop, however, that the space is in Hayes Valley, and it was not formerly a restaurant. This of course piques our curiosity given how little available space there is in the ‘hood. London spent four years in the kitchen at Ubuntu in Napa, both under Jeremy Fox and ultimately as executive chef. His first year in charge he garnered a James Beard nomination for Rising Star Chef, but then the restaurant shuttered last fall and remains on the market. London won’t say too much about the concept, as some of it will change depending on the buildout (suffice it to say he’s a man who respects vegetables, and he’s kind of a maximalist), but stay tuned for some forthcoming details. In the meanwhile, you’ll see him behind the bar at Locanda and at Local Edition. [Scoop]
