Openings, closings…
VICTORY POINT CAFÉ AIMS FOR SEPTEMBER While the owners of the upcoming Victory Point Café on Shattuck Avenue initially hoped to open the doors on their board game-themed spot this month, they are now looking at a September opening. We read on the café’s Kickstarter page that construction plans to wrap up by Aug. 31, with a soft opening scheduled for Sept. 1. Victory Point is also still waiting on its beer and wine license, so guests will likely have to make do with coffee, tea and sandwiches while playing one of the café’s 650 board games. Victory Point Café will be at 1797-A Shattuck Ave. (between Francisco and Delaware streets), Berkeley. Connect with the café on Facebook and Twitter.
NOODLES FRESH OPENS IN EL CERRITO Noodle fanatics can now get their fix in El Cerrito. Noodles Fresh opened up earlier this month a few doors down from the Cerrito theater on San Pablo Avenue and is dishing up regional Chinese noodle specialties six days a week. We hear from a tipster that the service is so far hit-or-miss, but that “they do serve a nice bowl of noodles.” Options include stir fried dishes like Dan-Dan noodles and noodle bowls with Sichuan chile fish or Hainan chicken. Noodles Fresh is at 10042 San Pablo Ave. (between Central and Fairmount avenues), El Cerrito. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
BANH MI TO EMERYVILLE August appears to be a boom month for Emeryville dining announcements. Also slated to open next door to upcoming Propaganda, which we reported on last week, is Banh Mi Joint. The restaurant has applied for a liquor license, but otherwise has little online presence. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more. Banh Mi Joint will be at 3900 Adeline St. (at 39th Street), Emeryville.
What else is going on…
21ST AMENDMENT GRAND OPENING PARTY We last brought you news of 21st Amendment‘s new San Leandro brewery and massive tasting room in June. The brewery opened to the public June 26, but it is now finally holding a grand opening party this Saturday, Aug. 29 from 12-10 p.m. Plenty of beer will be flowing, including the release of an inaugural beer and several other special one-off beers. Live music, watermelon bowling and brewery tours will keep you busy and visiting food trucks will sell bites and nibbles to soak up all that beer. Kids are welcome — 21st Amendment will offer a kid zone with face painting, bounce houses and “age appropriate treats.” Admission is free, as is a shuttle between the San Leandro BART station and the brewery. 21st Amendment joins longstanding Drake’s Brewery and upstart Cleophus Quealy in San Leandro. It is housed in a 95,000 square-foot former Kellogg’s factory and will eventually include a restaurant, “floating” bars above the production facility, meeting spaces and an indoor amphitheater for events, beer classes and concerts. 21st Amendment is at 2010 Williams St. (near West Gate Parkway), San Leandro. Connect with the brewery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SWEET BAR CELEBRATES MICHAEL JACKSON’S 57TH Long before opening Sweet Bar Bakery in Uptown Oakland, chef Mani Niall was Michael Jackson’s private chef. His bakery now throws occasional Michael Jackson-themed parties, and will be celebrating what would have been the pop singer’s 57th birthday starting this weekend. Sweet Bar will be serving Jackson’s favorite pizza (shiitake mushrooms, Japanese eggplant and roasted red peppers) and ” ‘ookies” (pecan sandies with maple sugar) as specials for “about a week,” said Niall in an email. The chef credits Jackson for his current success, so this celebration comes as little surprise. “His effect on my life is immeasurable and probably made me get serious about cooking,” said Niall. “It was just a job until I met him. I saw how hard he worked at his craft and it was, well, inspirational.” Sweet Bar Bakery is at 2355 Broadway (at 24th Street), Oakland. Connect with the bakery on Facebook and Twitter.
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