Charleen Badman and Pavle Milic to Open FnB on Craftsman Court on Tuesday

By Nikki Buchanan Mon., Jan. 7 2013 at 10:18 AM

Categories: Buchanan, News

The tattoos say it all.

Chef-owner Charleen Badman and her suavecito, front-of-the-house partner Pavle Milic served their last supper at the original FnB on Stetson Drive on New Year's Eve. And now they're getting everything organized and spiffed up for a Tuesday opening (that's tomorrow, January 8) at their Craftsman Court location -- which has been home to their other businesses -- Bodega, Baratin and AZ Wine Merchants -- for the past 11 months.

What will they call the new place? FnB, of course. "We're FnB," Milic says. "The name is owned by Charleen and me, nobody else."

Buchanan

Charleen and Pavle in their new kitchen

Peter Kasperski might have something to say about that -- or he might not. Milic/Badman's landlord, who announced late last year that he owns the name and is keeping it and might use it for a restaurant in San Diego, did not return Chow Bella's call for comment.

Badman and Milic insist they're on solid legal ground to put up the FnB sign and they intend to do just that -- probably today.

"We didn't want a gossipy, sensational story," Milic says by way of explaining their tight- lipped policy pre-move. We wanted to wait until we got over here to settle everything."

As for the interior, it's admittedly hard to tell from the photos Milic sent over late last week, but imagine this: A kitchen has been created near the back of the space that was formerly the Bodega. In the back corner of that kitchen we'll find The Sinatra Table, a tall four-top that may be reserved for a very up-close and personal look at the FnB crew in action. But don't expect anything glamorous or even particularly comfortable. As Milic puts it, "You're in the pit; it is what it is."