Antonio Friscia Heading Up Fireside by The Patio in Liberty Station

Fans of Antonio Friscia and his food will be thrilled to know that the chef is returning to a local kitchen. The next project to unfurl in The Patio Group's ever-growing restaurant roster is Fireside by The Patio in Liberty Station, which is finally set to make its debut in Spring 2016. At its helm will be Friscia, who under his newly-formed Legal Restaurants brand is overseeing all operations at the restaurant, from menu development to design and marketing.

With Friscia's participation, The Patio Group has completely revised its original game plan for the space. Full details regarding the new concept should be revealed shortly, but a rep confirmed that it will feature yakitori-style grilled meats. When reached for more food-related scoop, Friscia told Eater,

"The menu we've developed for Fireside by The Patio is wood fire and charcoal-driven. It’s rooted in generations of technique and tradition, and inspired by flavors of Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Japan and Thailand."

The well-regarded chef, who has over three decades of restaurant experience, has been chef-partner at several local high-profile projects including Stingaree Nightclub & Guest House, Gaijin Noodle & Sake House, Don Chido and Rustic Root and is also an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers; he'll lead Fireside by The Patio's globally-inspired menu as well as its beverage program. Joining the culinary team is longtime right hand chef Fern Tran and chef de cuisine Michael Ground, who was previously the executive sous chef at CUCINA urbana.