Openings, closings…
BUCCI’S TO CLOSE SEPT. 30 East Coast-syle Italian joint Bucci’s will have its last day of operation Sept. 30. The popular Emeryville restaurant has been in operation for nearly 30 years, serving up classics like spaghetti and meatballs, gnocchi, fried calamari and pizzas to a rapidly changing dining market. Co-owner Amelia Bucci told the Bay Area News Group that she and and the other owners have decided to retire. “[Co-owner] Paul [Camardo] and I are 70-plus, and we’ve been doing this a long time,” she said. “This is a good time to say goodbye.” The E’Ville Eye speculates that the closure also may be linked to the recent increase in Emeryville’s minimum wage. According to the Eye, Bucci’s had raised its prices and added a $2.50 per person service charge to accommodate increased wages. No word yet on what will be headed to the Bucci’s space next; however, its location near the new Branch Line bar, Prizefighter and Rotten City Pizza may likely prove to be a hot ticket for prospective bar and restaurant owners. Bucci’s is at 6121 Hollis St. (at Doyle Street), Emeryville.
PUBLIC MARKET EMERYVILLE UPDATE Staying in Emeryville, construction on the newly re-designed Public Market seems to be moving along. Two new vendors, both currently operating as food trucks, have been announced. Mayo & Mustard will serve hot deli-style sandwiches; according to its website, the restaurants’ mission is “to spread the ‘Mayo & Mustard sandwich experience’ and captivate the appetites of those who love sandwiches.” Its brick-and-mortar joint will serve an expanded version of its truck menu, including breakfast and dinner offerings. We Sushi will serve organic and sustainable sushi with house-made sauces prepared using “traditional techniques to draw out the distinct flavors of the fish and ingredients.” The Public Market storefronts will be the first brick-and-mortar locations for both Mayo & Mustard and WeSushi. Both restaurants hope to open by the end of October. Public Market, as well as the adjoining Hot Italian pizza restaurant and Peet’s Coffee, continue to operate during construction. Public Market Emeryville is at 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville. Connect with the market on Facebook and Twitter. Connect with Mayo & Mustard on Facebook and Twitter. Connect with WeSushi on Facebook and Twitter.
PROPAGANDA GASTRO PUB TO EMERYVILLE And still in Emeryville (where it appears a lot of the action is this week!), The E’Ville Eye reports that the latest addition to Adeline’s evolving “restaurant row” will be a gastropub called Propaganda. It is the brainchild of Kiet Truong, owner of Region, Co Nam and Unicorn, all in San Francisco, and will be located at the City Storage corner space at 40th and Adeline. Truong considered Oakland for the new spot but chose Emeryville because, he said: “This whole area is changing. Ten, fifteen years ago it was not the same. I noticed the bike lanes and that’s a good sign that there’s more than just vehicle traffic.” Propaganda will be at 4000 Adeline St. (at 40th Street), Emeryville.
GROWLERS’ ARMS HAS CLOSED After less than a year in operation, Oakland’s pub The Growlers’ Arms has closed. Tablehopper broke the news earlier this week. The restaurant’s last night was Aug. 19, and it went out in style with a three-course dinner prepared by guest chefs from owners Seamus and Shelley Mulhall’s days at Chez Panisse. The Growler’s Arms specialized in British pub fare with a modern spin, serving dishes like Bubble and Squeak, shaved Brussels sprout salad with Lancashire cheddar and farmers market apples, and Snails and Soldiers in a fennel-parsley salad with scarlet turnips and herb dressing. Shelly Mulhall told Inside Scoop that she suspected the restaurant wasn’t a great fit for the neighborhood. “There are a lot of families with kids here, and maybe it was just a little bit too upscale and people just wanted a more family-oriented restaurant,” she said. “It was a very ambitious concept, and I think if we had been in an area with some more foot traffic, like Rockridge or the city, we would have been okay, but it’s still a little quiet here in Glenview.” She added that she and Seamus will be taking “time to regroup” as they try to sell the restaurant space.
CLOVE & HOOF TO ADD DINNER Temescal’s hybrid butcher shop and sandwich joint is getting ready to expand its hours. Clove & Hoof told the East Bay Express that they plan to add dinnertime hours, along with an expanded menu, by sometime this September. The new menu will include, of course, plenty of meaty items like pig’s head cakes with kimchi, fish sauce caramel fried chicken and waffles, barbecued shrimp and grit cakes, and a butcher’s cut of the day atop bone marrow mash. Clove & Hoof is at 4001 Broadway (at 40th Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
SUMO ROLL NOW OPEN Downtown Berkeley now has its own sushi “burrito” joint. Sumo Roll opened earlier this month at the corner of Allston Way and Oxford Street, offering substantial, burrito-sized sushi rolls. Combinations include the Shinsen (wild longfin tuna, masago, organic spring greens, “avomame,” house pickled daikon radish, seaweed salad, crunchy sea noodles and ginger soy aioli) and Kabuki (sesame and miso seasoned eggplant, “avomame,” mixed greens, beet slaw, yuzu green beans, seaweed salad and ginger soy aioli). Early Yelp reviews are highly positive; Michael Y. called the rolls “super fresh, tasty, and filling” and Kisha T. says that the $11 rolls are “well-worth it.” Sumo Roll is at 2173 Allston Way (at Oxford).
C.R.E.A.M. TO ALAMEDA The ice cream sandwich chain is expanding again, this time to Alameda. It is hold a grand opening party this Saturday, Aug. 22, and in true CREAM fashion, will be giving away copious free ice cream treats starting at noon. There will also be a giveaway for a free 16GB iPad mini. We suggest arriving early; there’s sure to be a long line. C.R.E.A.M. will be at 2630 5th Street, Alameda. Connect with the ice cream shop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What else is going on…
JOSEPHINE ADDS DELIVERY Josephine, the East Bay’s homegrown home cooking hub is growing. The self-described “Etsy for food” launched last spring and helps connect enterprising home cooks to hungry eaters around Berkeley and Oakland. Until this week, customers needed to stop by a pick-up area, usually the cook’s home, to get their meals. (This is, of course, a perk for those who desire conversation and engagement with the cooks preparing the meals.) Josephine has now launched a trial delivery run: One meal each evening will be marked for delivery, and customers within certain zip codes will be able to request their meals to be brought to their door. Why jump into delivery when the company has heretofore focused on face-to-face delivery? “We’ve been so focused on a pick-up experience until this point because of our firm belief that the human relationship between cooks and customers enriches the value of home cooked food,” said co-founder and CEO Charley Wang in an email. “Our challenge is to articulate and distinguish the cooks and the relationships being served with the food, in a way that is accessible and convenient for more people. We’re very excited to continue to make the healthier and more fulfilling choices the easiest ones for our communities.” Meals for delivery this week have included banh mi sandwiches, chicken fricassee and Ecuadorian stewed chicken. Connect with Josephine on Facebook and Twitter.
OAKLAND CHINATOWN STREETFEST Get your fix of Chinatown food, artwork and entertainment all weekend long at the Oakland Chinatown StreetFest. The event runs Aug. 22 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will celebrate the “traditions that Oakland’s Chinatown has so diligently preserved,” according to its website. In addition to edible treats, the festival will include two entertainment stages and a “Cultural Village,” sponsored by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Learn more about the Chinatown StreetFest on Facebook.
COSECHA TO TEND BAR, THROWING MEZCAL PARTY Fans of pristinely sourced shrimp tacos and smokey mezcal, rejoice! Old Oakland’s California-inflected Mexican restaurant Cosecha is adding a bar full of the spirit and its less trendy cousin, tequila. Cosecha is christening its bar operation with (what else?) a mezcal party on Sunday, Aug. 23. Chef Jose Ramos of Nopalito will also be in house, along with bartenders from Ramen Shop. On hand will be Alipus Mezcal Joven from San Juan del Rio, which is craft-distilled from non-irrigated agave espadín, plus several other mezcals and tequilas. Cosecha is at 907 Washington St. (at 9th Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
FREE POUTINE TUESDAY Just in time for arriving students, Berkeley’s Smoke’s Poutinerie is holding a free poutine giveaway. The Canadian chain specializes in the gloriously nap-inducing Quebec dish of fries tossed with gravy and topped with cheese curds. Smoke’s offers over two dozen different versions of poutine, including some particularly outrageous combinations like triple pork (chipotle pulled pork, double-smoked bacon and Italian sausage) and pierogi with sour cream and bacon. The free poutine will be available next Tuesday, Aug. 25 from noon to 2 p.m. Smoke’s Poutinerie is at 2518 Durant Ave. (between Telegraph Avenue and Bowditch Street), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
HENHOUSE AND SOCIAL BREWING AT COMAL Also next Tuesday, Comal will be hosting two Bay Area brewers for a special dinner in its private dining room. HenHouse Brewing of Petaluma and Social Brewing of San Francisco will be in the house, pouring their own beers, as well as a collaboration brew. Comal chef Matt Gandin has come up with a special prix fixe pairing menu featuring flavors from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Dishes will include jgmon Serrano with spiced melon (paired with the collaboration beer, a hoppy saison), grilled chicken livers with chipotle salsa (paired with HenHouse Oyster Stout) and pork picadillo tamal with mole coloradito (paired with Social Pan au Chocolat). Find more information about the event here. Comal is at 2020 Shattuck Ave. (at University Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
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