Openings, closings…
ANOTHER BREWERY HEADED TO WEST BERKELEY Anvil Brewing will be joining the quickly growing community of West Berkeley beer breweries next spring. Co-owner and longtime home brewer Sean Wells is opening the brewery at 912 Gilman with another seasoned home brewer, Tim Sellmeyer. The pair is planning to serve a mix of small-batch, handcrafted brews, including both Belgian and American styles. Sellmeyer has a couple of award-winning beers that will likely grace the tap, like a nectarine wheat and a chile-based beer. Both Wells and Sellmeyer work as animal surgeons and plan to continue working in that capacity even as the brewery opens; they will likely hire a third brewer to join the team as they get closer to opening. We’ll keep you posted on their progress. Other West Berkeley beer destinations include Trumer Pils Brauerei, Pyramid Brewery & Alehouse, Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room, The Rare Barrel and Fieldwork Brewing Company. Check out Nosh’s drinking map for the full run-down.) Anvil Brewing will be at 912 Gilman St. (between Seventh and Eighth streets), Berkeley. Connect with Anvil on Facebook.
IN-N-OUT NOW IN ALAMEDA The newest East Bay location of In-N-Out Burger opened last week to much fanfare, which was chronicled in Inside Scoop and Eater. The popular burger spot only has one location in San Francisco, and its East Bay locations are few and far between. A vice president for the chain told Eater, “We grow pretty slowly here at In-N-Out and, while we are always looking for new opportunities and potential locations, we are not currently working on a specific site in San Francisco.” In-N-Out is at 555 Willie Stargell Ave. (at Webster Street), Alameda. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
REPUBLIC OF V SELLS TO ANIMAL PLACE Berkeley’s all-vegan store, Republic of V, was sold to Animal Place, a sanctuary for farmed animals. Republic of V marks the fourth Northern California outpost for the organization. “Adding Republic of V to our flock is an ideal way to extend our message that the single most important action someone can take to help farmed animals is to adopt a vegan diet,” said Animal Place executive director Kim Sturla in a statement. Former owners Joe Haptas and Noelle Callahan offered the store to Animal Place, and the pair said in a statement on Facebook that they believe Animal Place is more equipped than they are to “take this store to the next level” and “build the bigger village that is needed in the Bay for vegans and animal lovers.” Republic of V will hold a grand re-opening party June 13 and will remain open in the interim. Republic of V is at 1624 University Ave. (at California Street). Connect with the store on Facebook.
SALSIPUEDES UPDATE Salsipuedes, the newest venture from The Half Orange owner Jay Porter, is still on track to open in June. Last week, Porter announced that Marcus Krauss, a former cook from the Restaurant at Meadowood, would be joining the restaurant as executive chef. Krauss will be cooking vibrant “California Rustic” fare influenced by California seafood and ranches, Pacific Rim flavors, and “New Baja cuisine and culture.” The menu will consist of small plates, shared family style. On the drinks side, Salsipuedes will be pouring natural wines and craft beer. Salsipuedes will be at 4201 Market St. (at 42nd Street), Oakland.
CALAVERA GETTING CLOSE The new Mexican restaurant from Chop Bar and Lungomare owner Chris Pastena is slated to open this summer. Calavera‘s chef, Christian Irabien, is on deck and holding pop-up preview dinners. The last preview dinner was held on Cinco de Mayo; a second event is coming up May 27 at Lungomare. Irabien told East Bay Dish he plans to “explore many aspects of Mexican culinary tradition, from pre-Columbian cuisine to the modern gastronomic movement of Mexico’s major cities” on the menu.” Calavera will be at 2337 Broadway (between 23rd and 24th streets), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
COUNTRY MUSIC BAR OPENS IN JACK LONDON SQUARE Overland, Oakland’s only dedicated country music bar, is now open in the former Centouno space. Owner Paul Hayward told Inside Scoop that the bar will eventually host live music four or five nights a week, and will focus on serving “non-hipster” food and drinks. “We’re not a place that’s going to do cocktails using, like, muddled seal tears with Himalayan gas,” Hayward told Inside Scoop. “We want people to come in, have fun, and meet some people; just let loose and be who you are.” Lunch and dinner will be phased in over the next week, and brunch will be added in another week. On the menu are thin St. Louis-style pizzas, stuffed burgers (and regular burgers), and barbecue, including pulled pork. Overland is at 101 Broadway (at Embarcadero West), Oakland. Connect with the bar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
COPPER SPOON REPLACING ART’S CRAB SHAK We reported earlier this month on the closure of Art’s Crab Shak. This week, the East Bay Express revealed that it will be replaced by Copper Spoon, a restaurant from the owners of the now-closed Sassafras Seagrass food truck. Per EBX, the new restaurant will serve the same style of food as the truck: “family heirloom recipes” using local ingredients. Owners Vita Simone and Carmen Anderson will not be in the kitchen; they have hired a yet-to-be-named chef with a Japanese culinary background. We can expect Japanese flavors to be incorporated into the menu. Copper Spoon will be at 4301 Broadway (at 42nd Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Instagram.
VICTORY POINT CAFÉ RAISING MONEY As we reported in February, Berkeley is getting a dedicated “board game café.” Victory Point Café is now raising funds on Kickstarter for additional games and furnishings, and the owners hope to open in August. The café will boast a selection of at least 500 board games, ranging from classics like Monopoly to Eurogames like Settlers of Catan and Dominion, and will offer a casual food menu, plus coffee and craft beer. Victory Point Café will be at 1797-A Shattuck Ave. (between Francisco and Delaware streets), Berkeley. Connect with the café on Facebook and Twitter.
TEXAS SANDWICH READY TO EXPAND IN EAST BAY Which Wich Superior Sandwiches, a Dallas, Texas-based sandwich chain, has just revealed plans for a rapid Bay Area expansion. The company told the San Francisco Business Times that it plans to open at least 27 locations over the next few years. Which Wich is looking at retail spots in Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Dublin, Concord and Pleasant Hill, in addition to San Francisco, Daly City and San Bruno, which will join the five current locations, including one in Fremont. The chain’s concept is based on creating a “customizable experience” for customers; guests choose from more than 60 toppings for their sandwiches.
What else is going on…
SODA TAX RAISES $160,000 IN FIRST MONTH Berkeley’s new soda tax has generated over $100,000 in revenue in its first month, we reported earlier this week. The money is sourced from a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on 36 different sugar-sweetened beverage distributors, and is on target to raise $1.2 million in its first year, according to Councilman Laurie Capitelli. The proceeds go into Berkeley’s General Fund and will be allocated by a panel of experts with feedback from the community. Panelist and public health advocate Holly Scheider explained that half of the money could go to the Berkeley Unified School District, possibly for the cooking and gardening program, while the other half will be used for other recommendations.
INDIE COFFEE PASSPORT LAUNCHES IN EAST BAY Coffee lovers now have a new way to get out and discover new local cafés. Indie Coffee Passport is a $25 stamp book that gives customers the opportunity to try a “free” drink at 22 participating East Bay cafés. The idea, said organizer Marc Callado in a statement, “is to get people to try out and experience the blossoming independent coffee scene in the East Bay and also to explore a variety of interesting neighborhoods.” Participating cafés include Berkeley’s Alchemy Collective Café, Artis Coffee, Catahoula Coffee Company and Take 5 Café; Oakland’s 1812 Coffee Company, Caffe 817, Gaylord’s Caffe Espresso, Kilovolt Coffee, Marana Café, Perch and Roma Coffee Bar; and several spots in Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, Alameda, Hayward and Dublin. The passport is valid through the end of August. Connect with Indie Coffee Passport on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ANOTHER FOOD DELIVERY OPTION DoorDash, a Silicon Valley-based restaurant delivery service, launched East Bay service this week. According to the company’s website, DoorDash “puts the best local restaurants on your desktop and phone,” and by “building the on-demand delivery infrastructure for local cities, we’re bringing communities closer, one doorstep at a time.” Participating East Bay restaurants include Cholita Linda, Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers, Marica Seafood Restaurant and Burma Superstar.
JANET FLETCHER AT THE PASTA SHOP Cheese maven Janet Fletcher will be signing copies of her new cookbook, Yogurt: Sweet & Savory Recipes For Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, tomorrow, May 23, from 1-3 p.m. at The Pasta Shop on Fourth Street. The event will also include tastings of recipes from the book, including a chopped summer vegetable salad with farrow, yogurt and za’atar; chilled avocado and yogurt soup with tomato salsa; and grilled zucchini with yogurt sauce, feta, lemon and dill. We spoke with Fletcher last month; she told us that she wrote the book because she “wanted to steer people to some of the better choices and also encourage them to make yogurt at home so they can control what’s in it.” The Pasta Shop is at 1786 Fourth St. (at Delaware Street), Berkeley.
FREE BURGER DAY AT THE MELT May 28 is National Burger Day (yes, there is a National Burger Day), and The Melt is celebrating by giving out free burgers to its first 100 customers. The restaurant is also throwing a contest for customers to win free burgers for a year; burger fans will only need to snap a picture with a Melt burger and share it on social media with the hashtag #burgerlover between now and the end of National Burger Day. The Melt is at 2400 Telegraph Ave. (at Durant Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
JAMAICAN JERK FUNDRAISER AT LINDEN STREET The Dock at Linden Street is hosting the sixth annual Jamaican jerk cook-off fundraiser for My Yute Soccer on Memorial Day, May 25. Participating local restaurants include Africari Jerk (sponsored by Kingston 11), Chop Bar, Commonwealth Cafe & Pub, The Dock at Linden Street, Grand Tavern, Growler’s Arms, Ñora Spanish Cuisine, S+S Gastro Grub and Venga Paella. Beer, courtesy of Linden Street, will be on tap to temper the heat. Learn more about the event here.
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