The line forms here: Those longtime cult favorites of the New York street food scene, The Halal Guys, are embarking on a global expansion. In Northern California, where all the available franchises have been snapped up, San Jose’s could be the first to serve gyros or chicken and rice to folks standing in the Guys’ signature long lines. Eateries are also in the works in Berkeley (2126 Center St.) and San Francisco (340 O’Farrell St.), with aggressive site-scouting elsewhere.

May is the target opening month for the restaurant at The Plant on Curtner Avenue, in a food-centric section of the shopping complex, according to franchisee Patrick Mock. He’s actually a fan-turned-franchisee, being a former NYC resident. “It’s one of the best meals you can have in New York — at any price,” the South Bay businessman says.

Stay tuned for opening dates. And read more about The Halal Guys and their food on the Eat Drink Play blog, http://blogs.mercurynews.com/eat-drink-play/.

Veggie-forward: Tava Kitchen has rebranded itself with a new “no boundaries” outlook and menu. Sure, you can still get a wrap filled with chicken tikka. But once you see what they are doing with vegetables, you may change your mind. That’s part of the plan. “We created boundaries on a map. I don’t want to create them on a plate,” said co-founder Hasnain Zaidi, who opened Tava Kitchen with two Duke buddies, Jason Pate and Vijay Brihmadesam.

The concept has been launched in Palo Alto (Town & Country Village) and will roll out later to San Francisco (Second and Mission), Santa Clara (Valley Fair) and the soon-to-come Alameda Landing. Gone are the steam trays. In their place are casserole dishes filled with cedar-plank salmon and grass-fed lamb meatballs and sides like kale and quinoa in a masala vinaigrette, and a golden beet salad with pistachios. Tava is open daily from 11 a.m. until 9 most nights at 855 El Camino Real (in the back near Trader Joe’s). www.tavakitchen.com.

Back in the Bay Area: It’s a real homecoming for acclaimed chef-restaurateur Jonathan Waxman. The Berkeley native who launched his career at Chez Panisse, then found fame in New York, has opened Waxman’s at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square.

Look for a Cal-Ital experience inspired by seasonal produce — as well as Waxman’s signature roast chicken and his pastas. The inaugural menu features petrale sole crudo with avocado and oranges; chicken liver parfait crostini with pickled spring vegetables; risotto di mare with mussels, squid and Dungeness crab; and, for dessert, warm strawberry crostata and ricotta-filled cannoli with Cara Cara oranges and butterscotch. Waxman’s will be open daily for dinner; the bar opens at 4. www.waxmanssfo.com.

Send tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@mercurynews.com.