EUREKA! Eureka! restaurant at 2068 Center St. will open its doors on Monday, Oct. 28. The restaurant aims to provide “an unforgettable, value-driven dining experience defined as “‘eatertainment,’ combining gourmet food, an innovative bar program, live sports, and live entertainment in a modern yet rustic setting.” The restaurant, part of a 10-location chain owned by Robert Suzuki, will have “locally sourced food, locally sourced music and locally brewed beer whenever available.” Eureka! will serve 30 American craft beers on tap, 21 small-batch American whiskeys, and many different hamburgers, including the Fig Burger, with fig marmalade, bacon, and melted goat cheese, and the San Joaquin Veggie Burger served with arugula, tomato, lemon vinaigrette, and homemade zucchini pickles.
A SHOPPE AT SEA Kristin Lamb and Shawn Mansager have always been the type of people to roll up their sleeves and do things themselves. The couple are both educators — she is a special ed teacher and he is an assistant principal in San Francisco — and when they moved to Oakland they made a lot of their own furniture. Once the house was decorated, the couple couldn’t stop creating, and that led them to move to a work/live loft in Berkeley and open a home decor store. A Shoppe at Sea at Suite A 1640 University Ave. had its grand opening Oct. 20 and now will be open alternating weekends from around 11 am to 3 or 4 pm. (See website for details.) It’s full of eye-catching, re-purposed furniture, some of which was made by the pair, other purchased. Kristen used to have an accessories business but has always wanted to own a storefront, she said.
TOGO’S Togo’s has opened its latest outpost at 2172 Shattuck Ave. near Center St. During its first week of operation (which ends Oct. 22) Togo’s will give a free, six-inch sandwich for everyone who donates $2:00 to the Berkeley Food and Housing Project. During its second week of operation, Togo’s will offer customers a free cookie or brownie or scoop of ice cream from Almare Gelato, located next door. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Togo’s recently marked its 40th anniversary. It has 250 stores on the West Coast and plans to reach a total of 400 in the next few years, according to a company statement.
SAVVY REST NATURAL BEDROOM Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom has just opened its doors at 3001 Telegraph Avenue near Ashby Ave. (We first reported the news in August.) The store specializes in nontoxic, natural and organic products for the bedroom. The company makes its own line of mattresses and bed-frames incorporating reclaimed wood. It also sells sustainably sourced furniture from Pacific Rim and Maple Corner. Savvy Rest products are manufactured in Virginia and the company is employee-owned. The Berkeley store is the company’s third retail store and it will be run by Dominick A. Palamenti. Customers who buy a mattress in October will get $500 worth of free bedding.
LE PETIT COCHON We brought you the news in September that Todd Kneiss (pictured right), the owner and chef of Bistro Liaison, was opening a new casual French café just a few yards north of the restaurant. Le Petit Cochon (“the little pig”) will open its doors tomorrow, Oct. 23, at 1801 Shattuck Ave. Suite C, between Hearst and Delaware. It will offer take-away items and will have a few stand-up tables for stop-and-go noshing. Menu items include charcuterie, cheeses, baguettes, soups, rotisserie chicken, tarte flambée, specialty salads and sandwiches, as well as ice cream. The store will also sell gift baskets and holiday items after Thanksgiving, as well as kitchen items, olive oils, wines, truffles, salts, spices, and gourmet food — items that Chef Todd hand-selects from his culinary journeys in France. Prices will range from $7-$12. The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Shop Talk is our regular column in which we post updates on Berkeley businesses — openings, closings, new directions, relaunches, relocations. If you’re a Berkeley business with news, or a Berkeleysider who has spotted a change in your neighborhood or on your travels, shoot us an email with the details. Read previous Shop Talk columns. Check out also our weekly Bites column, which provides food news for the whole East Bay.
