Openings…
ARTÍS COFFEE A new coffee shop is coming to the north end of Berkeley’s Fourth Street. Artís Coffee will open next door to Scrap Book Territory at 1717B Fourth St. (near the intersection with Virginia Street.). The owners describe Artís as a “premium retail store dedicated to the art and craft of coffee.” As well as selling coffee — “fresh, perceivably better coffee through live-roasting” — the shop will offer all the tools of the trade needed to roast, grind, brew, store and enjoy coffee. Victory at a national business plan competition against business schools around the country helped launch the founders on their way to opening Artís. We will report back nearer opening time. [Hat-tip: Sean Shoemaker]
THE DOCK AT LINDEN STREET James Syhabout of Commis and Hawker Faire fame, and Adam Lamoreaux of Linden Street Brewery are teaming up to open a new beer garden and restaurant called The Dock at Linden Street. The eatery will be located in the same historical West Oakland building as Linden Street Brewery: 95 Linden St., which dates back to the late 19th century and used to be a loading dock, according to Inside Scoop SF, which broke the news. Syhabout said he’s going to focus on cuisine that goes well with beer, be that dishes from Japan (tempura, yakitori) or South America. There is a 60-car parking lot, so private events and block parties could be in the cards. Separately, Syhabout is continuing to work on his third restaurant, Box & Bells in the old Somerset space on College Avenue. He expects it to open later this year.
KYU 2 SUSHI Emeryville is set to get a new sushi restaurant called Kyu 2 Sushi, according to Bites & Bourbon, who reports that the build-out is ongoing and looking good: “a rustic wood look, cozy, small and intimate, yet casual.” The menu posted on the restaurant window looks promising and includes a wide variety of nigiri and makimono, and signature rolls, sashimi and salads, including Dungeness crab and Sopa Fria. An opening is expected within the next couple of weeks at 6485 Hollis St. in Emeryville.
HOG’S APOTHECARY We alerted you to Hog’s Apothecary in Oakland back in November. Well it’s finally opened its doors. It had a “very soft opening” this week, and will let the voracious food media in sometime soon so we can report back on what we find. The self-styled American-style beer hall, owned by Bradford Earle and John Streit, features lots of American craft brews and local wines on draft, rotating firkin selections, a selection of craft bottles, and “a menu of artisanal sausages, made in house, roasts, chops and all things porcine including a selection of small plates and salads.” The Hog’s Apothecary, which has no less than three TVs for your game-viewing pleasure, is at 375 40th St. in Oakland.
VENGA PAELLA We gave you the deets about new Spanish spot Venga Paella last month. The Spanish restaurant, at 229 Brush St., at Third Street in Oakland, now has an opening date: Oct. 7. The restaurant is being launched by chef-owner Eduardo Balaguer who used to work at Casa Balaguer, his family’s traditional paella restaurant in Valencia, Spain, among other experience.
What else is going on…
TASTE OF TEMESCAL The fifth annual Taste of Temescal gathering will take place Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6-8:30 p.m. The culinary crawl — which takes in a slew of the area’s great restaurants, including Abesha, Barkada Bakery & Café, Cholita Linda, Juhu Beach Club, La Calaca Loca Taqueria, Mariposa Bakery, Pizzaiolo, Tanjia Moroccan, and The Cro Café — consists of an evening of food, drink, live music and fabulous prizes along Telegraph Avenue from 43rd to 51st streets, Shattuck Avenue and Temescal Alley. Proceeds will benefit Emerson and Claremont schools, Women’s Cancer Resource Center, Oakland Tech High School and the Lions Center for the Blind. To buy tickets, visit Brown Paper Tickets.
VIVA TAMALES! Viva Tamales! is a tamale cook-off and fiesta celebrating Mexican Independence Day with the iconic tamal. This friendly cooking competition, which takes place Sunday, Sept. 15, in downtown Oakland, is for tamales from anywhere they are celebrated — Mexico, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Ultimately, the true Master of Masa will be revealed! For more information visit Oakland Food Events.
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Contest: Name that Nosh
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. Catch up with previous Bites columns.
