Curing Whiz Dave Knopp Departs Pal's Takeaway

Jesse Friedman/Beer & Nosh

Dave Knopp, right, with Pal's Takeaway's Jeff Mason.

​Call it bittersweet. Mission deli Pal's Takeaway says goodbye to sidekick Dave Knopp tomorrow with a final Knopp creation, a pulled chicken sandwich with pepper gravy and house-pickled onions. Turns out Knopp cut back his involvement at Pal's weeks ago; he's following his wife to Washington DC, where she scored a job. Knopp's main contribution to Pal's was pickling, curing, and smoking ― he'd been a longtime presence in the kitchen at Hayes Street Grill and the Andante Dairy stall at farmers' markets. Pal's owner Jeff Mason calls Knopp a working investor, executive chef, and "erstwhile sidekick." He hasn't found a replacement, though Ryan Ostler has smoked whitefish for Mason in recent weeks. No doubt erstwhile sidekicks are harder to find on Craigslist.

Pal's Takeaway: Inside Tony's Market, 2751 24th St. (at Hampshire), 203-4911.