Chef Robin Song, who earned accolades for some of his earlier work at Hog & Rocks several years back, now has a new stage from which to display his talents, and that's the new restaurant Gibson, debuting this week. The Chronicle broke the news late last week and Tablehopper brings some more details of the Thursday, October 5 opening in the under-renovation Hotel Bijou (111 Mason Street at Eddy).

The menu will be focused on open-fire cooking, much like Saison, Charter Oak and other trendy high-end restaurants utilizing flames to bring out flavor. With that in mind, as Tablehopper tells us, he's got Sonoma duck on the menu ($23) "smoked over the grill with beetroot and blackberry," as well as grilled heritage pork and "a dish of carrots cooked in embers with sunflower, Medjool date and Moorish spices." There's also a dish of charred cucumber with "uni bagna cauda," according to the Chronicle.

As you can see in the Instagram shot above, he's also doing scoops of duck liver mousse that come served with house-made grilled sourdough bread.

Cocktail-wise, you can expect multiple spins on the classic Gibson (a martini served with a cocktail onion). And beverage director Adam Chapman will also be doing some culinary stuff like a Clarified Japanese Bloody Mary (sochu, aged sake, heirloom tomato water, vinegar, spice).

Song tells the Chron he has not given up on his previously announced, Korean-influenced solo project Junju, but he decided to take the hotel gig first after a year or two of floating, seeking some stability. "The reality is San Francisco is a tough place,” Song says. "It’s hard to stand out. It’s damn near impossible. But I’ve always loved the smoke and fire and being able to manipulate it in a restaurant."

He says that Junju will still come together somewhere down the road, but for now, it will be good to find him cooking somewhere again.

Gibson - 111 Mason Street at Eddy - Opening Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

What a perfect meeting of past, present, and future glories. Former Santana guitarist/now-and-forever Journey member Neal Schon is coming back to the North Bay (where he grew up and leaned how to strum) to help launch the first-ever Gibson Robot Guitar. Just what is the Gibson Robot Guitar, you ask? We have no idea. But let's go to the press release to find out!

Ahem: it says that it's -- get this -- "the world's first guitar with robotic technology." Hmm. Ok then.

Well, we're still at a loss as to how the new Gibson differs from you regular electric guitar -- surely, the instrument was concocted in a cobweb-laced science lab with dry ice fumes brimming out of colorful test tubes and beakers and such! -- but what's not confusing is the awesome presence of Journey. Come meet acclaimed Journey guitarist who will host the demonstrate and perform using the world's "first-run limited edition version of the Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar." A question and answer session will follow, and you can try purchasing the guitar on Friday, December 7, when the limited number of cherry guitars go on sale.

What: Meet Journey's Neal Schon
Where: Bananas at Large, 1504 - Fourth Street, San Rafael
When: Monday, December 3
Time 12:30 p.m.
Cost: free