Openings…
TAKE 5 CAFE We brought you news in July that Glynis Fairley and Karen Rosen were working on opening a new coffee shop, Take 5 Café, at 3132 Sacramento St. (at Woolsey). Well, Take 5 (pictured, top) had its soft opening this week and is serving Bicycle coffee and a variety of pastries. “We look forward to serving our neighbors and friends a cup of organic Bicycle Coffee or organic Numi tea,” said Rosen. “We are starting our first week serving drinks and pastry and will be ramping up to our full menu of handcrafted salads and sandwiches.” Rosen urges Berkeleyans to also swing by to check out their art gallery/collectable store and see the owner’s mosaic table.
BARON’S MEAT We heard via a Chowhound posting that Dave Samiljan of Baron’s Meats has opened a burger and sausage grill in the old East End Pizza space at Alameda Marketplace. Baron’s Meats & Poultry is known for its all-natural, free-range, humanely raised, locally produced, and, when possible, organically raised meats. The butcher shop, as well as the new grill, which opened on Sept. 24, are at 1650 Park St. in Alameda.
MOCKINGBIRD William Johnson and Melissa Axelrod (who, between them, have worked at Zuni, Spruce, RN74, Alembic, Delfina, Fringale and Ottimista), have opened Mockingbird in Uptown Oakland. The focus is on locally sourced, rustic food with modern cooking influences, according to Eater SF. Johnson told Eater that Mockingbird won’t have a set chef, but rather several chefs working together by committee. See their dinner menu, which includes dishes such as pan roasted local cod served with toasted quinoa, summer squash, and beets harissa, as well as house made gnocchi with basil pesto and sweet corn. The space shares a courtyard with the New Parish, and the pair say they plan to eventually offer food service for concertgoers from their back window. SF Weekly describes the restaurant as romantic with “a vaguely New Orleans-ian charm.” Mockingbird is at 1745 San Pablo Ave. Dinner service runs Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30-10pm.
BONITA FISH MARKET We’re hearing rumors that a new fish shop is set to open next to Athineon Greek restaurant, which is located at 1941 University Ave. The new business, at the corner of Bonita Avenue and University, will be named Bonita Fish Market, said reader Leon Mayeri, and is expected to open “in the next month or so.” We’ll report back when we know more.
PARIS BAGUETTE As reported in Shop Talk earlier this week, Paris Baguette is moving into the old Tully’s Coffee location at 2150 Shattuck Ave. in downtown Berkeley. Paris Baguette, run by manager June Park, a recent Cal graduate, hopes to open in early December. There is also a Paris Baguette in downtown Palo Alto.
LEVANT CAFÉ Also noted in Shop Talk, Levant Organic Café has opened at 2177 Kittredge St. (at Fulton) serving panini sandwiches (like grilled fresh salmon on herbal bread), yogurts and fruit parfaits, meat and vegetarian dishes, coffees and teas. Owner Shihadeh Kitami says he hopes to eventually open a rooftop garden on the café to grow his own produce and herbs.
OASIS LOUNGE Popular café/grocery store/halal butcher shop Oasis Food Market, at 3045 Telegraph Ave., will open a second restaurant in Oakland, this time in the Adams Point neighborhood, according to the East Bay Express. Oasis Lounge (344 Grand Ave.) will be located in the same building as the Lake Merritt Supermarket convenience store, and will be a full-service sit-down restaurant and hookah lounge.
What else is going on…
BUILD PIZZERIA ROMA in downtown Berkeley has announced the debut of “Cal Night” which takes place every Wednesday night. UC Berkeley students and faculty in groups of four or more, with appropriate ID, can get a menu available only to them which includes special food items, as well as discounted pricing on a broad range of items that will vary from week to week. BUILD is at 2286 Shattuck Ave. on the corner of Bancroft.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY FERMENT CHANGE Phat Beets Produce and the North Oakland Farmers’ Market are creating an alternative space on Saturday Oct. 12 to honor over 500 years of culinary, resistance led by the world’s indigenous peoples. The idea is to “decolonize your diet with an Indigenous People’s Day Fermented Food Celebration. Expect Nepalese Fermentation- Gundruk, Maya-Aztec Fermentation Vinegar, and Ethiopian Fermentation Injera Bread. North Oakland Farmers’ Market @ 942 Stanford St @ Lowell St., 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Recent Nosh stories (in case you missed them):
For the East Bay’s best taco trucks, head to Fruitvale
Nasturtium cookies offer refreshing floral sweetness
Black Panther son opening Rasa Caffe in Berkeley
Sierra Nevada’s Berkeley tasting room to open in November
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.
