Tag Archives: Oliveto restaurant
Bites: What’s new in East Bay food, XX
Openings, closings
HIVE A new coffee shop called Hive (“the place to bee”) should be open within a month in Oakland’s Dimond district at 2139 MacArthur Blvd. Calanit Kamala, who is opening the spot with Bree Dezort, says they will be serving Highwire coffee and Starter Bakery pastries, as well house-made sandwiches and salads. ”We are going to have honey cake as one of our specials, as well as completely vegan honey-lavender-coconut granita,” she adds. Follow Hive on its Facebook page for details of opening day. … Continue reading »
Bites: What’s new in East Bay food, XV
Bites is Berkeleyside Nosh’s round-up of restaurant, bar and food-related news in the East Bay. To stay up-to-speed with all that’s going on locally, read our daily Nosh Wire, and check out previous editions of Bites. We always love receiving food-related tips at nosh@berkeleyside.com.
PURPLE KOW Popular San Francisco boba (tapioca) tea and dessert spot Purple Kow is making its move into Berkeley. It’s setting up a new location on Center Street. (According to license applications, it’s replacing La Cascada at 2164 Center, though the business has been somewhat coy about its exact location so far in its online posts.) Cafe reps say it plans to open by mid- to late-April, and that Purple Kow is accepting resumes. Learn more about Purple Kow on Facebook. There are lots of details about available drinks, toppings and other menu options on the company website. Reader ECHang, who tipped Berkeleyside to the news, noted “Long lines stretching” at the San Francisco location on Balboa Street. (Purple Kow also applied for its on-sale beer and wine license earlier this month.)
CLAYPOT Claypot Restaurant, set to move into the old Bacheeso’s location at 2501 San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley, is gearing up to open by the end of March, according to an ad on Craigslist that was posted in late February. (Berkeleyside first noted the business’ plans earlier this year.) According to the ad, Claypot will feature Asian fusion casual dining along with beer and wine. We’re taking it as a good sign that Claypot launched its Facebook page on Wednesday, promising one thing: “Claypot Restaurant will be opened soon.” … Continue reading »
Bites: What’s new on the East Bay food scene, XIII
Bites is Berkeleyside Nosh’s round-up of restaurant and bar news in the East Bay. Bites is produced by Nosh in collaboration with Christina Mitchell, founder of East Bay Dish. To stay up-to-date, read our daily Nosh Wire, and check out previous editions of Bites.
Freshly served…
ASSEMBLE Assemble Restaurant has quietly opened for lunch service in the old Boilerhouse space at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond. Terumi Shibata-Mazzera (Downtown Restaurant, Trattoria Corso) and her husband Richard Mazzera (Cesar, Downtown Restaurant, Chez Panisse) are at the helm. They’re serving American cuisine with regional classics like a cheesesteak sandwich (roast beef, peppers, onions, melted house-made cheese whiz on an Acme torpedo roll served with house-made chips, $13), muffaletta (salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, mozzarella, olives, tomato and celery, served with potato salad, $11) and fish & chips (club soda batter, tartar sauce, served with cole slaw and house-made chips, $15). Dessert also looks promising with “Serena’s Solution” chocolate cake, served with salted caramel ice cream ($6) on the menu. There are beer, wine and cocktails. Dinner will be added in the next few weeks. 1414 Harbour Way South, Richmond. 510-215-6025. Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. … Continue reading »
Bites: What’s new, what’s hot, what’s happening, IX
Bites is Nosh’s round-up of restaurant and bar news in the East Bay. Got a tip or a scoop? Send it our way at nosh@berkeleyside.com. Bites is produced by Nosh in collaboration with Christina Mitchell, founder of East Bay Dish. (And we’ve started numbering Bites so you can check out previous editions and be sure you are up with all the food news.)
Coming soon…
CHOLITA LINDA BISTRO Word on the street is that Cholita Linda, which until now has served its Latin American “dressed up” street food treats at farmers markets and the like, is opening a bistro in Temescal. The plan is to take over three stores — S&S Seafood at 4923 Telegraph Ave., a vitamin store and a hair-braiding place — and turn them into a restaurant. Cholita would be one of three foodie newbies coming to this vibrant neighborhood: Indian street food spot Juhu Beach Club, run by Top Chef alum Preeti Mistry is due to open March 1 at 5179 Telegraph Ave. in the old SR24 location; and beer and sausage place The Hog’s Apothecary is coming to 375 40th St. soon. The transformation of this vibrant Oakland neighborhood continues. There’s no word yet on Cholita Linda’s Facebook page, and attempts to reach the business had been unsuccessful at press time, but we’ll keep you posted. … Continue reading »
With Duende, chef Paul Canales breaks free
Paul Canales, who opened his new restaurant and bodega Duende in Uptown Oakland last week, admits to having been more than ready to embark on his new venture. Canales was at the venerable Oliveto in Rockridge for 15 years — he joined as an intern and left as Executive Chef — and he loved it there. But, even before he handed in his notice in 2010, he had been fantasizing for months about a different cuisine, a different aesthetic — in fact an altogether different approach.
He was drawn to small plates and Spanish food, mainly because of his heritage — his father was raised in the Basque region — and partly because his passion for Italian food had run its course.
“Entrées never seem that exciting to me. They are a lot of commitment for a dinner,” he said this week sitting on a stool clutching a carton of coconut water in his vibrant new space on 19th St., a stone’s throw from Oakland’s beautiful Fox Theater. Adding to the disconnect was the fact that Canales and his wife — Ici Ice Cream owner Mary Canales — and their daughters didn’t eat that way. “We don’t eat a lot of one thing — we like ethnic food,” he said. … Continue reading »
Thin-crust pizza restaurant to open in Rockridge
Some might argue that opening a new pizza restaurant directly opposite one of the East Bay’s most cherished pizza joints is asking for trouble. But Jeff and Heather Clapp, the couple behind Jules Thin Crust, which is slated to open in March at 5804 College Ave., are confident there are enough customers around for both Zachary’s and their new launch.
“I love Zachary’s deep-pan mushroom pizza,” said Jeff on Tuesday this week as he worked on fitting out the space formely occupied by Las Palmas taqueria with his father-in-law. “We used to live in Rockridge and would come to Zachary’s often. We see Jules as offering something very distinctive.” … Continue reading »
This week on NOSH: Hot spots, truffles, Corpse Revivers
In case you missed the news, Berkeleyside recently launched NOSH, an exciting new East Bay food section.
Here are the stories we published on NOSH this week:
Bites: What’s new, what’s hot, what’s happening Our regular round-up of East Bay food news, including new restaurants and bars.
Why Norman Rockwell’s turkey dinner sets us up to fail Just in time to ensure perfect results on Thanksgiving day, The Local Butcher Shop’s Monica Rocchino shares an expert view.
To Die For: Kao Mun Gai at Hawker Fare Former America’s Test Kitchen cook Kate Williams finds out what all the fuss is about the poached chicken and rice dish at this hot Oakland restaurant.
Raising the dead at Revival Bar & Kitchen Ms Barstool, aka Risa Nye, gets more than she bargained for sipping a Corpse Reviver in downtown Berkeley.
Three mouth-watering views of Asian cuisine Japanese farm food, the flavors of Burma, and Charlie Phan’s new tome: three exciting new cookbooks that would make perfect gifts. … Continue reading »
Announcing: Berkeleyside NOSH, East Bay food news site
Today sees a thrilling new launch for Berkeleyside and, we hope, an exciting new source of information for East Bay residents on all things edible.
With the launch of Berkeleyside NOSH, Berkeleyside has broken out of Berkeley (gasp!). We felt — and we trust you agree — that if we were covering food and drink locally, we couldn’t ignore all the wonderful things happening in Oakland, as well as neighboring areas like Emeryville, Kensington, Albany and El Cerrito.
Be assured, Berkeleyside itself remains firmly focused on Berkeley. It is purely for our food-related stories on NOSH that we have expanded geographically. … Continue reading »
Chez Panisse chef opens butcher shop in Berkeley
On Tuesday, Aaron and Monica Rocchino quietly opened the doors to their new business, an artisan butcher shop where the term “snout to tail” really comes into its own.
The Local Butcher Shop, in the old Red Hanger Kleaners space on Cedar Street in the Gourmet Ghetto, has already attracted dozens of curious foodies.
One-on-one customer service, offering cuts of meat hewed from whole carcasses, is the principal order of business. But providing some meat — most likely beef — to … Continue reading »
Bill Fujimoto reports from the Berkeley Farmers’ Market
Bill Fujimoto, the former manager of Berkeley’s Monterey Market, recently took a stroll through the Derby Street Berkeley Farmers Market with Bob Klein, owner of Oliveto restaurant. Klein had his video camera in hand to shoot some footage for the Oliveto Community Journal.
Fujimoto, a produce expert who left Monterey Market in 2009 and is now at Diablo Foods in Lafayette, chatted to farmers about the fruit and vegetables coming to market. He spoke with farmers from Full Belly Farm, Riverdog and Lucero. The report is one in an ocasional series created by Klein where he talks to the producers and farmers supplying his restaurant, often with his friend Fujimoto in tow. … Continue reading »
Chez Panisse chef to open artisan butcher shop
Chez Panisse chef Aaron Rocchino and his wife Monica are bringing artisan meat to the heart of the Gourmet Ghetto with the opening this summer of The Local Butcher Shop on Cedar Street in the old Red Hanger Kleaners space.
“We think there’s a void in the market for restaurant-quality, sustainable meat for home customers,” said Monica Rocchino, who is setting up the new retail operation with her husband.
“It’s an idea whose time has come. I’m looking forward to having this shop in the neighborhood,” said Michael Pollan, who lives in north Berkeley and has done much to champion the consumption of responsibly sourced meat.
The butcher shop will feature whole animals sourced directly from farms, none of which are further than 150 miles from Berkeley. The emphasis will be on grass-fed, sustainably raised meat, and the butchering and cutting will be to order. … Continue reading »
