Noodle Bar Coming to Manchester

Cafe Rustica is losing Chef Andy Howell but Manchester might be gaining a Noodle Bar according to an article this afternoon on Richmond.com. No location selected yet but Chef Howell and partner Chef Bill Foster hope to have a place open by mid June.

That’s right; the man famous for opening Italian-influenced restaurants in pre-transition neighborhoods is getting ready to open an Asian-influenced one in one of the hippest areas in town.

And that’s not the only surprise. This time Howell has partnered with Chef Bill Foster (former of Zed Café, Acacia, Rustica and Boathouse, to name a few) and it’s Foster who will be running the kitchen.

“[It was] mostly Bill’s idea, he’s been infatuated with the Noodle Bar concept. He’s going to do most of the cooking, and I’m going to do the front of the house,” Howell said, though he’s quick to add that he’ll still be in the kitchen from time-to-time.

Let’s begin the random speculation on where Savor/Lunch Porter seem too small but then again Cafe Rustica is tiny. Up by Croaker’s Spot? What do you think?