Openings, closings…
ROSAMUNDE NOW OPEN IN TEMESCAL Rosamunde has been selling sausages and craft beer out of its location in Old Oakland’s Swan’s Marketplace for a few years now. They opened their second East Bay location in Temescal over Memorial Day weekend. This new location, in the former Good Bellie’s café at 4659 Telegraph Ave., is the fifth for the the San Francisco-based restaurant. The Temescal location has the same food menu as at its Old Oakland location, including three varieties of vegan sausages and 14 varieties of beer on tap. Rosamunde Temescal will hold an official grand opening June 11, complete with $1 beer specials and an in-house DJ. Rosamunde Sausage Grill is at 4659 Telegraph Ave. (between 46th and 47th streets), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
GIOVANNI HOPES FOR FALL RE-OPENING Back in April, we brought you news of a damaging fire at downtown Berkeley’s Giovanni restaurant. The fire broke out in the early morning of April 23 and caused over $100,000 worth of damage, as estimated by the Berkeley Fire Department. This week, the Daily Cal reports that the restaurant has plans to re-open by this fall. Anastasia Schipani, one member of the family who owns the restaurant, told the student newspaper that the restaurant has received an “outpouring” of support from the community, but is unsure of the restaurant’s ultimate future. Schipani said that she has spoken with potential buyers who want to keep the interior of the restaurant the same. “It’s almost a landmark,” she said. “We’re hoping that if somebody does take it over, they [would] want to keep some of the history of the spot intact, because it has been a very special restaurant to a lot of people over the years.” We reported on the restaurant’s financial troubles in 2013. Giovanni is at 2420 Shattuck Ave. (between Channing and Haste streets), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
OSCAR’S TO CLOSE, WILL BE REPLACED BY SWEETGREEN As we reported earlier this week, Oscar’s will close in the next month after 65 years of business on Shattuck Avenue. The news shocked many Berkeleyside’s readers, with 15,000 of you sharing the story via Facebookto date. The hamburger and hot dog restaurant opened in 1950 and has been operated by the same family for many years. The restaurant was a featured in the NBC drama “Parenthood” and is a favorite of local residents. Oscar’s will be replaced by Washington D.C.-based healthy fast food chain Sweetgreen, which is currently amidst a West Coast expansion. The new restaurant will likely retain much of Oscar’s architecture, but plans are in the works for additional outdoor seating. Sweetgreen aims to open this fall. Sweetgreen will be at 1890 Shattuck Ave. (at Hearst), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
UPTOWN JUICE IN SOFT OPENING Oakland residents now have a new spot to satisfy their juice cravings. Uptown Juice Company, which previously only sold its wares through an online shop and store partnerships, has now opened its first brick-and-mortar location at 1629 Broadway in Uptown. The 100% organic shop is currently in soft opening mode with limited hours, but the owners plan on holding a full grand opening June 22. All online orders are paused through the end of June. Uptown Juice is at 1629 Broadway (at 17th Street), Oakland. Connect with the juice bar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
JUHU BEACH CLUB LAUNCHES SUMMER LUNCH WINDOW The popular Temescal Indian street food restaurant is now serving a few lunch specials through a to-go window. Open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Juhu Beach Club is dishing out the likes of a “Feral Heart Farm Dog” with Juhu Beach Club kimchi, pickled torpedo radishes, and ghost pepper sauce; “The Oakland Dog” with Linden Street mustard, peach chutney, and DIY pickles; and tikka masala fries. Salads and vegan sausages are also on the menu for the virtuous. Juhu Beach Club is at 5179 Telegraph Ave. (at 51st Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
KOBANI OPENS ON UNIVERSITY The empty storefront at University Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, formerly the home of Fresca Burrito, finally has a new tenant. Kobani, a Kurdish and Mediterranean grill, opened this week. So far, Yelp reviews have been highly positive; diners are praising both the falafel and the halal meat dishes like chicken kabobs and lamb and beef gyros. Kobani is at 1901 University Ave. (at Martin Luther King Jr. Way), Berkeley.
CAT TOWN CAFÉ EXPANDS It’s only about seven months old, but Oakland’s Cat Town Café is booming. The adoption center-café is expanding into the vacated space next door to its current location at 2869 Broadway. Co-owner Adam Myatt told Inside Scoop that the new space will function as another “Cat Zone” for potential adopters to play with adoptees and for “high-maintenance” kittens to “take a breather from humans.” To fund the move, Myatt and co-owner Ann Dunn will expand the café menu to include more coffee drinks and hot food. They will also be throwing a “Kittens and Cocktails” fundraiser at Apparel Arts in downtown Oakland June 19. Myatt and Dunn hope to have the expansion finished in time for Cat Town’s first anniversary in October. Cat Town Café is at 2869 Broadway (at 29th Street), Oakland. Connect with the café on Facebook and Instagram.
What else is going on…
OAKLAND INDIE AWARDS TONIGHT This evening, May 29, marks the ninth annual Oakland Indie Awards, a “party with a purpose” to celebrate the independent “businesses and artists who positively impact Oakland’s unique culture, economic health and resiliencies.” The event will include food from Engineered Cupcake, Great Grub Camp Food, LAFAZA Foods, Prickly Pig Barbecue and Sugar Knife Artisan Sweets, plus beer and wine, live performances and art exhibits. It all goes down at Jack London Square from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
MARK BITTMAN AT THE PASTA SHOP For those who saw Mark Bittman‘s appearances at UC Berkeley’s Edible Education 101 talks (or for those who missed them completely), there will be a chance to meet the cookbook author and New York Times columnist at Rockridge’s Pasta Shop this Saturday, May 30. He will be signing copies of his two newest books, A Bone to Pick and How to Cook Everything Fast. The Pasta Shop kitchen will prepare Bittman’s recipe for roasted nuts with ginger, soy sauce and honey for sampling, plus providing tastes of several pantry items like oils and vinegars. Bittman will only be in the house for an hour — from 2 to 3 p.m. — so make sure to be timely. The Pasta Shop is at 5655 College Ave. (at Shafter Avenue), Oakland.
ROLLING SLONE’S BAKERY POPS UP AT MODERN COFFEE Beauty’s Bagel Shop’s Sloane Heffernan has been baking cakes and other treats under the moniker Rolling Sloane’s since last spring. She is holding her first pop-up café outside of Beauty’s this Sunday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Modern Coffee’s uptown location. Rolling Sloane’s will have pies, savory galettes and bite-sized treats. Connect with Rolling Sloane’s on Facebook. Modern Coffee is at 381 19th St. (at Franklin), Oakland.
ANOTHER POP-UP: VENEZUELAN AT CAFÉ V Berkeley’s Café V is playing host to a morning and afternoon Venezuelan pop-up. Juan, one of the café’s employees, is cooking the food, which includes an extensive list of arepas (15 strong), plus empanadas, pastelitos and a few brunch options. The pop-up, called Venezuelan Café, will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Connect with Venezuelan Café on Instagram. Café V is at 2056 San Pablo Ave. (between University Avenue and Addison Street), Berkeley.
DOÑA TOMÁS SPECIAL SUMMER DINNERS Once a month this summer, Oakland’s Doña Tomás will offer a special prix fixe menu highlight a specific Mexican cuisine. The first dinner, on June 1, will feature Oaxacan dishes. Three of the dishes will include a different mole sauce, including a quesadilla with mole amarillo and a mole coloradito for the main course. In addition, Doña Tomás will serve an optional mezcal pairing with each course. Other regions will be Mexico City (July 1), Yucatan (August 5) and Guadalajara (September 2). Each $55 dinner will include three small courses, a main dish and a dessert. Doña Tomás is at 5004 Telegraph Ave. (between 50th and 51st Streets), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
TASTE OF BAY STREET The summer food festival scene is starting to heat up — it seems as though there is a fun outdoor event each weekend. This weekend brings us The Taste of Bay Street in Emeryville’s Bay Street shopping center. The early evening event on May 30 will offer food and drink from the area’s restaurants to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Find out more information.
CAVIAR NOW DELIVERING TO ALBANY The food delivery company is expanding its East Bay to include Albany. Caviar has also added new restaurants to the mix, including Little Star Pizza, Oori Rice Triangles, Himalayan Tandoori and Curry House, Zand Market, Khana Peena, Standard Fare and Benchmark Pizzeria. These restaurants join the likes of Plum Bar, Hawker Fare and Hopscotch, all of which have been delivering through Caviar since last spring. The company was founded in 2012, and focuses on restaurants that don’t ordinarily deliver. See also Mr. Delivery and DoorDash. Connect with Caviar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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