Openings, closings
NEW NEXT DOOR Next Door has now opened in the old Addie’s Pizza Pie location, at 3290 Adeline St. in Berkeley (as tipped by Nosh in March). Eater SF reports that the “menu has a little bit of everything,” from red curry tofu to fried chicken. See the full menu here. Chef Sharon Lorraine Anderson, formerly of The Purple Plum, is running the kitchen. Henry Alvarez, the controversial former head of San Francisco’s Housing Authority, and his wife Dionne Roberts, are the owners. Hours run from 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, as well as Sunday; and 5-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Mondays. A Mother’s Day brunch is available this weekend; generally, breakfast is available Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more at Next Door Berkeley.
BARKADA BAKERY After several weeks popping up on the sidewalk, Temescal’s new bakery, Barkada, at 4316 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland, is set to open Saturday. Get connected with all the latest Barkada news via the café’s Facebook page and blog. At the end of April, the owners posted a short round-up of what it’s taken to get the business going: “We are so happy to be joining the neighborhood! We have been planning, designing and constructing the space for the last five months and are pretty close to opening. We are in the homestretch and are going through our inspections this week.”
DRIVE-IN BARBECUE? A new southern barbecue spot called BBQ Hut appears to be gearing up to open at Shattuck and Alcatraz avenues in North Oakland. Signs went up over the past few months touting its southern approach and its drive-in-ability. Reader Robin Hirsh noted: “As long as I can remember that corner has housed a market, surrounded by a high metal fence and gate that is perpetually locked.” One online listing described it as the “Earl Moffett Barbecue Hut,” founded in 2012. Additional information wasn’t readily available online, but we’ll let you know if we can find out more.
BIDDING ADIEU TO BANKS FIVE restaurant’s chef, Banks White, has announced his plans to relocate to New York City to serve as the chef de cuisine at Mintons, described by the New York Times as “a Harlem restaurant and jazz club owned by Richard Parsons, which is to reopen in the fall.” Read White’s reflections upon his time in Berkeley — which he called “a great journey” — on Nosh. We also wrote about White in 2011; read him talk about why Berkeley kept him on his toes.
RISING FROM THE ASHES Good news for fans of Breads of India. The restaurant, at 2448 Sacramento St. in Berkeley, which was seriously damaged by a fire in September, plans to reopen in mid-June, said owner Rohit Singh. Repairs started in late April after months navigating insurance issues and city permits, he said. The restaurant will offer the same menu with daily specials, but the space will be updated and ADA compliant. The location, which opened in 1997, was Breads of India’s first. There are also branches in Oakland and Walnut Creek.
GREEN EARTH CAFÉ CLOSES The Green Earth Café and Bakery, which opened at 2124 Center St. in Berkeley in January 2012, shut its doors abruptly in mid-April. “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that Green Earth Café and Bakery in Downtown Berkeley will be closing immediately due to family illness,” the owners, Barbara Johnston-Brown and Ciren Zhuoga, posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page. Johnston-Brown, who was a nurse and classically trained chef, opened the vegan and macrobiotic restaurant after two of her sisters had died of breast cancer and she herself had been diagnosed, according to the Huffington Post. (Hat tip: Liza Lutzker)
ADIOS PICOSO Picoso Taqueria, tucked inside Epicurious Garden on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, closed last week. The tiny restaurant served an array of Mexican dishes but was especially known for its tacos. No word on the reason behind the sudden closure.
What else is going on…
MOTHER’S DAY MENUS ABOUND Tons of East Bay restaurants are offering special Mother’s Day menus or deals this Sunday. We’ve noted a few but we hope you’ll share others in the comments below. BUILD Pizzeria Roma, 2286 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, will serve its regular menu, but offer all moms a free bellini or mimosa. The restaurant also plans to debut its first dessert pizza, topped with Nutella chocolate, fresh berries and mascarpone cream, for $11.95. The Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court in Oakland, serves a Mother’s Day High Tea beginning at noon on Sunday. There’s one “pouring” only, and it happens at 1 p.m. All the details, and ticket information, are online here. Advance purchase is required. FIVE restaurant, at 2086 Allston Way in Berkeley, will prepare a Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adults cost $70, kids under 12 cost $25, and little ones under 5 are free. Bistro Liaison, at 1849 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, is another spot to find a Mother’s Day brunch. Over in Oakland, Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill, at 1520 Lakeside Drive, will serve bunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A la carte brunch offerings include a lobster and mascarpone scramble ($19), and bananas Foster rum French toast ($13) with banana-cinnamon rum caramel sauce, whipped cream and smoked bacon. Moms will receive a complimentary Gerbera daisy while supplies last. Lindgren’s Coffee and Cafe, at 2120 Dwight Way in Berkeley, will kick off its first Sunday brunch on Mother’s Day with an all-you-can-eat buffet for $17. Brunch runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features eggs, bacon, meatless sausage, eggs Benedict and Florentine, an omelette station, home fries and more. Brunch includes one complimentary mimosa, which can be upgraded for a fee to a bottomless version. And, if you’re more inclined to pick up a treat to carry home for mom, check out all the check out all the goodies at Virginia Bakery, at 1690 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley.
CELEBRATE VENUS Venus, at 2327 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, will celebrate its 13th anniversary on Monday, May 13: “Chef Amy is preparing a tribute dinner of 13 classic tastes, sommelier Patrick Cress is selecting some lovely bubblies and wines, special song and entertainment may spontaneously arise. All friends, fans, and loved ones of Venus are invited. Vegetarians and omnivores alike will find delightful, seasonal, and inspired offerings, mostly gluten-free.” Seating starts at 6:30 p.m., with dinner at 7, and costs $52-$65. Call 510-540-5950 for reservations.
FOOD FIGHT The 2013 Culinary Clash is set to hit Pinole on May 16 from 5-8 p.m. The event is a benefit for Kitchen@812, a non-profit commercial community kitchen and food incubator. Four local chefs will battle it out to win this year’s title. The line-up includes defending champion Patrick Robertson of Grace Street Catering in Oakland; Jules Lujan of the Powder Keg Pub and Seafood Cafe in Hercules; Dave Tendick of Smokehouse 10 in Martinez; and Marsha Tomassi of the Ultimate Inner Cook in Richmond. Tickets cost $40 in advance and $50 at the door, and include food, wine and live music. For more information call 510-223-9900 or visit www.wccbdc.org.
MAC ‘N CHEESE POP-UP Sweet Bar Bakery, at 2355 Broadway in Oakland, is working on a pop-up mac ‘n cheese party with Renato Sardo of Oakland’s Baia Pasta on Thursday, May 16, from 6-9 p.m. For $14, you’ll get Sardo’s “awesome mac n cheese, plus our house salad and a special roasted fruit and mascarpone napoleon. Ala carte sides include Bel Campo merguez sausage, beer, wine and all other desserts.” Confirm details via Sweet Bar’s Facebook page.
SPRING JAZZ STROLL Coming up May 18 is Rockridge Market Hall’s Spring Jazz Stroll: “all along College Avenue, shoppers can enjoy live performances as they shop and dine around Rockridge.” Market Hall merchants — including Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop, Hapuku Fish Shop, The Pasta Shop, Market Hall Bakery and Market Hall Produce — “will provide sidewalk fare to enjoy while you stroll.” From 2-4 p.m., The Mary D’Orazi Trio will perform on College at Shafter Street, next to The Flower & The B. There’s no charge to participate.
PIG ROAST Chop Bar’s much-loved pig roast comes back May 19 at Linden Street Brewery, at 95 Linden Street in Oakland. “Pig Tickets” cost $20, with Linden Street beers for $4, Fernet Branca for $5, and Pastena Cinque Wine for $5. The Brass Mafia will provide the soundtrack to this great feast and party, which runs from 4-8 p.m.
DINE OUT FOR EDUCATION Berkeley Unified families are fighting to raise money for the district’s popular cooking and gardening programs with a special event Thursday, May 30. So far, 25 restaurants have signed up to participate. See the list here. The school district will not receive future federal funding for the popular programs in 2013-14, leaving volunteers clamoring to find a way to support the programs locally. The group has created a petition for its cause. Get connected with the group on Facebook.
Recent Nosh news (in case you missed it):
Berkeley works to save schools’ edible programs
Contest: Name that nosh 05.08.13
Backyard roots: Book shares secrets of city farming
Modern Art Desserts: Talking with Caitlin Freeman
FIVE chef on his time in Berkeley: ‘A great journey’
Meals on Wheels supporters feast for a cause
Bites is Nosh’s round-up of restaurant openings, happenings and closings in the East Bay. Got a tip or scoop? Send it our way to nosh@berkeleyside.com. Follow Berkeleyside NOSH on Twitter, and on Facebook.
Some of these items may first have appeared in Shop Talk, Berkeleyside’s regular column in which we post updates on Berkeley businesses. Got a tip for Nosh Bites? Send it to nosh@berkeleyside.com.
