Adriano Paganini's Back Of The House restaurant group has unveiled its plans for the former La Urbana space (661 Divisadero St. at Grove).
On December 7, the restaurant will be reborn as BarVale, a Spanish tapas bar headed by chef Patricio "Pato" Duffoo and bar manager Jessica Everett.
According to spokesperson Jacob Cross, the space—both BarVale and the adjacent Pinxto Room, a bar-oriented communal space in the adjacent garage—will be "a transitional place that transports and delights. It serves as a meeting place for friends and a stop among many on an evening out."
Cross said the emphasis for the project is on informal, communal, inexpensive food and drinks meant for sharing.
Executive chef Duffoo (recently of Coqueta) will emphasize "quality of product," said Cross. "Having access to California’s rich and diverse agriculture makes it possible to cook Spanish dishes the way they should be done."
The winter menu includes cold and hot tapas like pan con tamate (toasted bread, tomato jam, garlic, and olive oil), piquillos relleno (blood sausage-stuffed Basque peppers), and paella with shrimp, clams, squid, mussels, chorizo rice, grilled lemon and aioli.
The bar, helmed by manager Everett (previously of Zinnia), is set to feature Spanish-oriented refreshments like cava, sherry, gins, and wines. It'll also feature a roster of cocktails set to highlight the food menu, as well as a house sangria and kalimotxo, a red-wine-and-cola Spanish favorite.
Cross said BarVale is modeled on "the essence of Spanish culture. It's inexpensive and packed with people enjoying bites and drinks around a fun bar late into the night."
The restaurant is set to open for dinner service on December 7.