Commonwealth chef/owner Jason Fox and partner Timothy Felkner, former general manager of Zero Zero, wanted a name for their new restaurant that would ring with the history of its surroundings. Oro, Spanish for gold, is then a reference to the nearby Mint Building, a structure built in 1854 to mint gold coins during the California Gold Rush. The restaurant, first announced six months ago and due to open in late summer in the space formerly home to Thermidor, will be Fox's second.

For Oro, Fox is designing a seasonal, casual menu alongside chef de cuisine Travis Day (Central Kitchen, Yoshi’s, Commonwealth). They'll have a particular emphasis on whole-animal cooking and a house charcuterie program to match. Small items like "Halibut Chicharonnes," will be sharable, while a few a la carte items like salt cod croquettes will ensure everyone can try something on their own. The chefs will also offer a "blind menu" of family-style, off-menu dishes

For the project Fox has also recruited Shaundon Castonguay (Bar Tartine, Benu) as General Manager and snagged bar manager Randy Mariani (Tupper & Reed, Foreign Cinema) and wine director Kelly Evans (Saison).

Fox, meanwhile, will remain executive chef/partner at Commonwealth.

We'll update you with more as the opening approaches.