Openings, closings…
KRONNERBURGER DEBUTS ON PIEDMONT Long-awaited KronnerBurger, the brick-and-mortar restaurant for Chris Kronner’s popular San Francisco burger pop-ups, is now open on Piedmont Avenue. The restaurant has been in the works for a couple of years now, and Eater has been chronicling Kronner’s search for a restaurant space. He found a home in the former J’s Mexican American, a unique triangle-shaped building at the corner of Piedmont and 41st Street. The building has been given a full revamp, with bright white walls and a modern interior. The space was designed by Wylie Price, who was also behind Rockridge’s Ramen Shop, and includes metalwork by Oakland artist Luigi Oldani. On the menu is, of course, Kronner’s signature KronnerBurger, which is made entirely from scratch (from buns to ketchup) and served with a side of bone marrow, plus a vegan burger, pork burger, and appetizers like a wedge salad and fries with beef cheek gravy. For now, the restaurant is only serving lunch, but will add brunch over the weekend and dinner service next week. KronnerBurger is at 4063 Piedmont Ave. (at 41st Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
THE TAP HAUS NOW POURING BREWS Good news for Thalassa fans — owner Doug Miller’s newest bar, The Tap Haus, is now open. Its location, at 2516 Durant Ave., has previously been home to a Tower Records as well as Silver Ball Gardens pinball, and it is a sister spot to Miller’s new billiards room, Berkeley Public. The German-inspired beer bar has around 20 beers on tap (six of which are German), as well as a “European-influenced” wine list. On the food side, The Tap Haus is mostly serving German-style pub food, like sausages and soft pretzels, plus a few Polish and French dishes. “My father spent a lot of time in Germany. … He instilled a love of German food and beer in our family,” said Miller in a prepared statement. The Tap Haus will hold a grand opening celebration May 16, which will feature music from Ba, a German-American festival band. The Tap Haus is at 2516 Durant Ave. (between Telegraph and Bowditch), Berkeley. Connect with the bar on Facebook.
BA-BITE OPENS A new Middle Eastern restaurant, Ba-Bite, has opened on Piedmont Avenue, according to Inside Scoop. Ba-Bite will serve home-style fare made with fresh, local produce. Menu highlights include composed salads, mezze, hummus platters, and rotating hot specials like tangines, kebobs, and roasted vegetable majadera (spiced rice and lentils with caramelized onions). Owners Robert Gott and Mica Talmor were longtime catering chefs who operated the Oakland-based company Savory Events. As they said on their website, “After many years feeding our loyal corporate and private clients, we felt that it was time to begin feeding our neighbors.” Ba-Bite is at 3905 Piedmont Ave. (at Montell Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
KINGFISH PUB SETS OPENING DATE Temescal’s Kingfish Pub is set to re-open May 16. The 93-year-old bar was moved across the street to make room for a new condominium development earlier this year. Owner Emil Peinert opted to move the entire building instead of becoming part of the new condos. A back patio and a new foundation were also part of the transition. The Kingfish Pub will be at at 5239 Telegraph Ave. (at 52nd Street), Oakland. Connect with the bar on Facebook.
OVERLAND COMING SOON Jack London Square’s newest bar looks ready to open soon. Overland will be a country music bar, complete with line dancing, live music and stuffed burgers. The bar’s ABC license is now active, and its website says it is opening this spring. Overland is located in the former Centouno space, which originally housed a saloon called Overland House. Overland will be at 101 Broadway (at Embcaradero West), Oakland. Connect with the bar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
DORSEY’S LOCKER CLOSURE CONFIRMED We reported last week on the uncertain future for North Oakland’s soul food restaurant, Dorsey’s Locker. This week, Inside Scoop confirmed the rumors that the restaurant would close and be replaced by Blue Bay Bar and Grill. Dorsey’s will continue to operate through May, when it will change hands to new owner Joseph Santini. Santini told Inside Scoop that the new restaurant will transition to a Brazilian and soul food concept with an emphasis on seafood. Luckily for Dorsey’s fans, Santini says that he will retain a few of its popular menu items. Find Blue Bay Bar at 5817 Shattuck Ave.
ART’S CRAB SHAK SHUTTERED In another blow to historic North Oakland restaurants, Art’s Crab Shack has now closed. Inside Scoop reports that the seafood restaurant’s owner had decided to retire and sold the space to Oakland developer Ben Weinstein. Weinstein has previously worked on popular Oakland restaurants like Flora and Stag’s Lunchette. We will keep you posted as we learn more about the new restaurant.
What else is going on…
NIDO CHEF RAISING MONEY FOR NEW TACO CART Nido chef Jose Ramos and his wife Elizabeth Tinajero launched an Indigogo campaign this week to raise money for a new farm-to-table taco cart and catering company. The business, called León, hopes to bring scratch-made Mexican food and tacos to East Bay farmers markets and Off the Grid events. On the duo’s Indigogo page, they describe the food as healthy, seasonal and organic. They plan to make even their tortillas from scratch with einkorn, spelt, sprouted brown rice and quinoa flours. Much of the food will be gluten-free and will include vegetarian and vegan options. In an email, Tinajero said, “Jose and I are passionate about cooking with organic ingredients and making the most flavorful food we can to nourish our Bay Area community.” If León surpasses its funding goal, it hopes to purchase a stone grinder to make its own masa with heirloom varieties of corn. Connect with León on Instagram.
EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD PLANT SALE Berkeley’s Edible Schoolyard is holding its 13th annual plant sale May 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Representatives from the organization will sell plants like tomatoes, vegetables, fruit trees, berries and herbs, and will offer gardening advice for all attendees. In addition to celebrating edible plants, the event will feature live music, a raffle, tours of the garden and local wood-fired pizza. The Edible Schoolyard Berkeley is at King Middle School, 1781 Rose St. (at Grant Street), Berkeley.
BITES OFF BROADWAY ENTERS FIFTH SEASON The popular food truck gathering will launch its fifth season May 15. Bites off Broadway hosts several local food trucks every Friday throughout the season in front of the Studio One Art Center on 45th Street near Broadway in Oakland. The first event will include food from Burnt Ends BBQ, Fist of Flour Doughjo, Ñora Spanish Cuisine, Cassave Restaurant and Taqueria, Annakoot and Curbside Creamery — plus hula hooping, face painting and a pop-up Shabbat. Bites off Broadway is at 365 45th St. (between Lawton and Manilla avenues), Oakland. Connect with the event on Facebook.
MOTHER’S DAY IN THE EAST BAY Those celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday have plenty of East Bay options for brunch and beyond. In Berkeley, FIVE will serve a brunch buffet. The extensive menu includes everything from a smoked trout-stuffed tomato to pork loin alla parmigiana. Also in Berkeley, Revival Bar and Kitchen is debuting its spring dinner menu as a celebration of Mother’s Day. It will serve supper starting at 3 p.m. In Jack London Square, Lungomare is hosting a brunch buffet of seasonal Italian-inspired dishes like asparagus salad with sieved egg and tessa, ricotta blueberry pancakes, and creamy polenta with mascarpone cheese. Lungomare will also be serving its full list of wines, local beers, seasonal cocktails and housemade sodas. Nearby, Haven will serve a four-course brunch that includes the restaurant’s signature “breaking bread” course. In Uptown, alaMar will host a pop-up of chef Nelson German’s soon-to-be-regular brunch menu. The meal will be a four-course prix fixe and include West Coast oysters, eggs Benedict and banana bread Nutella French toast. Hopscotch will open early with a special brunch menu. Expect dishes like kimchi fried rice with shoyu eggs and buttermilk fried chicken and biscuits. Picán is also serving special brunch dishes like cheddar scallion hush puppies, biscuits and gravy, and fried chicken Benedict. In Old Oakland, Miss Ollie’s will give a special gift to all mothers who dine at the restaurant for brunch. It will be serving a four-course meal that includes chef Sarah Kirnon’s famous fried chicken. FIVE is at 2986 Allston Way (at Shattuck Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. Revival Bar and Kitchen is at 2120 Shattuck Ave (at Addison Street), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. Lungomare is at 1 Broadway (at Water Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. Haven is at 44 Webster St. (at Embarcadero West), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. alaMar is at 100 Grand Ave. (between Webster and Valdez Streets), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hopscotch is at 1915 San Pablo Ave. (at 19th Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Picán is at 2295 Broadway (at 23rd Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook. Miss Ollie’s is at 901 Washington St. (at Ninth Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
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