News has just arrived that the chef behind the replacement for Barracuda (and more recently Mandu) in the Castro, which we learned last fall would be called Finn Town, is none other than Ryan Scott, the guy behind Market & Rye and the 3Sum Eats truck — and, a while back, a Season 4 competitor on Top Chef. In recent years, Scott has won an Emmy and been a frequent TV personality, making culinary appearances on the Today show and elsewhere, but now he'll be opening his first, full-fledged, sit-down restaurant in the Castro, which he calls a "tavern with a twist."

Via a release, Scott explains that Finn Town takes its name from one of the former names of the neighborhood, from back in the 1850s, harkening he says to a time when "the food was unpretentious and the drinks were strong and satisfying." His partner in the business is Castro resident Rick Hamer, and the intent is to create a neighborhood mainstay where they keep all entrées under the $25 mark. As for menu highlights we know of so far, think gruyere popovers, crab tater tots, and sweet tea-brined fried chicken.

SFist asked Scott what he hoped to bring to the neighborhood that he feels has been lacking lately, and he says, "There’s certainly great culinary institutions of the Castro but with the closures of Home and 2223, we felt that comfort food was really missing in the neighborhood." He adds, "We wanted to fill that niche and provide a wonderful environment with a bar program that’s heavily cocktail driven."

There will in fact be two bars in the space, with cocktails that include house-made tinctures and infusions, with consulting mixology from Fifty Fifty Cocktail Company, who created cocktail menus for Bergerac, The Dorian, and House Rules.

As of now, the team is aiming for an early fall opening.

Finn Town - 2251 Market Street between Noe and Sanchez - Opening early fall