Openings: Tinderbox Restaurant

The long weekend marked the anticipated debut of Tinderbox Restaurant. It’s a very modern New American project from co-owners and co-executive chefs Ryan Russell and Blair Warsham; to be precise, the daring duo describes their little project as “an experimental American bistro with a foundation on sustainable food and wine” that serves a “playful interpretation of American cuisine.” And playful it is. In fact, to get an idea of the gamut being run here, look no further than the appetizer section. On one hand, you’ve got a (comparatively) simple white bean salad; on the other, a peach salad (fruit in a salad? what will they think of next?) with heirloom tomatoes, with aged white cheddar, with walnuts, with pesto, with balsamic. Of course, it sounds delicious, but it’s no traditional preparation to be sure. If nothing else, Tinderbox will surely be a topic of conversation in Bernal Heights.

After the jump, the complete menu is revealed, complete with uncapitalized items, because you know, that means it’s a modern eatery.

house made libations: raspberry-verbena, blackberry rose-geranium, vanilla rhubarb, or strawberry-pink peppercorn with sparkling wine 7.00 with soda 3.00

peach salad heirloom tomato / aged white cheddar / walnut and opal basil pesto / balsamic: 9.00
crude hamachi cantaloupe / mint oil / prosciutto: 12.00
grilled sardine white beans / preserved meyer lemon / thyme / salami gentile 11.00
yellow tomato “sop” nasturtium / brioche / goat cheese 8.00
rabbit hot pocket verdant salsa verde / castelvetrano olives 10.00

tbox tasting berbere spiced lamb & minted israeli couscous, peach salad, crude hamachi 5.00 OR summer vegetable terrine in kombu aspic, peach salad, yellow tomato “sop” 15.00

house made papardelle grilled prawn tikka masala 17.00 okra tikka masala 13.00
olive oil-steeped black cod corn / caviar / stuffed zucchini blossom / black olive oil / saw leaf 23.00
grilled avocado cutlet warm cucumber / cotija avocado cream risotto cake / watercress 17.00
fried game hen with banana skin milk-poached garlic mash / kaffir lime leaves / banana chili sambal 21.00
pork love: quick loin and slow shoulder blueberry mole / purple potatoes 22.00
summer steak dinner: candied and grilled marrow butter with tomato and herbs / creamy corn / fennel gratin 25.00

on the side: wok-fired greens (changes daily) 5.00
green salad: olive oil , verjus, sea salt 5.00

blackberry beignet chilled blackberry Yunan tea 7.00
dark chocolate cake, molten blue cheese center pistachio gelato 8.00
maple & port torchon de lait pluot / shortbread toast points / raw cane sugar 8.00
almond cannolo strawberries / basil / black pepper / mascarpone 7.00
cheese plate chef’s tasting of cow, goat and sheep cheeses with preserved fruit 8.00

“keeping it bernal” price fix menu
offered sun, tues, wed, thurs
choose an appetizer and a main course with dessert or glass of house wine 35.00

Tinderbox Restaurant [MenuPages]
Tinderbox Restaurant [Official Site]

Openings: Tinderbox Restaurant