Openings, closings
VEGAN BUTCHER SHOP LIKELY HEADED TO UNIVERSITY The Butcher’s Son, the vegan butcher shop and deli that originally planned on opening on Solano Avenue, is now very close to securing a new location on University Avenue. Owner Peter Fikaris confirmed that he and his sister, and co-owner Christina Stobing, have already negotiated a lease for the shop’s new location, in what is currently the Greek restaurant Athineon at 1914A University Ave. Fikaris and Stobing have applied for a liquor license for the space, and they will likely be able to get the keys to the restaurant once the license transfer is complete. This newest iteration of The Butcher’s Son will be “less bakery” and “more deli,” said Fikaris, and will include dinner service once the deli is up and running. Fikaris describes the future restaurant as an “old Italian spaghetti and meatball place with a selection of different pasta and pizza dishes” — all vegan, of course. On the deli side, The Butcher’s Son will offer vegan meats, cheeses, salads and sides, plus a selection of bagels, sandwiches, pastries and desserts. Everything will be made in-house. Fikaris hopes to open in two to three months. The Butcher’s Son will be at 1914 A University Ave., (at Bonita Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with the deli on Facebook.
BLACKWATER STATION NOW PERMANENT We last brought you news of Blackwater Station, the pop-up replacing the Temescal’s Grange Hall, in September. According to Eater, the pop-up is now permanent. Blackwater Station will continue to offer its house-made elixirs and tonics, as well as its unique “buy the bottle” program, where “dedicated brown-liquor hounds can purchase a whole bottle at a reduced price to store at the bar and enjoy on return visits,” according to the bar. On the food side, chefs Jonathan De La Torre and Albert Ok are serving up what look like fairly affordable and interesting plates: 24-hour pork belly and egg noodles in a soy dashi broth ($13), pork meatballs and milk pan de mie with “brassicas bolognese” ($11), and boneless fried chicken with roasted garlic aioli and grilled lime ($9) are all on offer, plus a few vegetable dishes including charred Romano beans ($9) and potato puffs with curry and fried Brussels sprouts ($10). Blackwater Station is at 4901 Telegraph Ave. (at 49th Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
LITTLE STAR MAKING ITS MOVE Earlier this year, Little Star Pizza on Solano Avenue announced that it would be moving next-door to make room for an Oregon-inspired restaurant called Eugene, also owned by Little Star’s John Guhl and Ryan Murff . The new restaurant will be housed in the original Little Star spot at 1175 Solano Ave. and the deep-dish pizza restaurant will move into 1181 Solano. We received a tip that Little Star is making the move this week (it is currently closed through the end of the day today), and will re-open tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 10, in the new location. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of Eugene as we learn more. Little Star Solano is now at 1181 Solano Ave. (at Stannage Avenue), Albany. Connect with Little Star Solano on Facebook and Twitter.
What else is going on…
GATHER GETS A NEW CHEF Oakland-raised Tu David Phu has been appointed the executive chef of Berkeley’s Gather restaurant. Phu comes to Gather after working at Acquerello in San Francisco, Flora in Oakland, and the Park Café Group in San Francisco. He’s the third chef for the restaurant; Sean Baker, the founding chef, left to open the short-lived Verbena in San Francisco, and Charis Wahl was in the kitchen for one year following Baker. Phu has revamped the menu to suit his style, which he described to Inside Scoop as “the Chez Panisse, Daniel Boulud old-school French and Italian school, where I’m looking at classics and re-examining and reinterpreting them according to our terrain and locale.” Gather will continue to focus on cooking with sustainable ingredients from local farmers, whole animal butchery, and creative vegetable-focused dishes. Notable menu offerings include house made burrata cheese; vegetable escabeche with butternut squash, turnip, beet, cipollini and chicory; and a Full Belly Farm egg served on Anson Mills grits with mushrooms, green beans and pickled peppers. The restaurant’s popular burger and pizzas will remain on the menu. Gather is at 2200 Oxford St. (at Allston Way), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
FIELDWORK BREWING NOW HAS MORE FOOD Good news for hungry beer lovers — West Berkeley’s newest brewery, Fieldwork, has now expanded its food offerings. Its new “Jars, Tins and Boards” menu from chef Mike O’Brien includes beer-friendly bites like cotto salami, potted rabbit rillettes, herbed fromage blanc, vegetables à la Greque, marinated olives and roasted pistachios. The menu will likely change with the seasons. Fieldwork also will continue to offer British-style meat, vegetable and vegan pies (“pasties”) made by Oakland’s The Pie Shop. The brewery opened in West Berkeley in February, and it offers a rotating selection of seasonal and limited release brews from Alex Tweet, formerly of Modern Times Beer and Ballast Point Brewing, both in San Diego. Fieldwork will also be hosting a Halloween pumpkin carving and pet costume contest in the near future. Fieldwork Brewing is at 1160 Sixth St. (at Harrison Street), Berkeley. Connect with the brewery on Facebook and Twitter.
SOUR/BITTER FEST For the second year in a row, The Trappist will be throwing an epic sour and bitter beer pairing party. The event goes down this Saturday, Oct. 10 from 2 to 5 p.m., and includes beer from 10 brewers and food from six local restaurants. Each brewery will bring a sour and a bitter beer; likewise, each restaurant will offer both sour and bitter bites. A ticket to the event will get you unlimited beer tastings plus a glass to keep. Food tickets are $2 a pop and available for advance purchase or individually during the event. It’s not a particularly cheap event — the base price is $42 — but the food and drink are sure to be top-notch. Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, The Rare Barrel, Craftsman, Libertine Pub, Brasserie St James, Allagash, Almanac, Drake’s and Fieldwork will be pouring brews. Food will come courtesy of Ramen Shop, Tamarindo, Abura-Ya, Homestead, Chowhaus and B-Dama. More information and tickets are available here. The Trappist is at 460 Eighth St. (at Broadway), Oakland. Connect with the bar on Facebook and Twitter.
ROCKRIDGE OUT & ABOUT FESTIVAL Rockridge’s annual street party is coming up this Sunday, Oct. 11. As usual, the Out & About Festival will include live music and entertainment, art booths, and tons of food. Rockridge restaurants will be offering up plenty to eat, and beer and wine will be available at the festival food courts. Our best bet for nibbles is the Market Hall picnic — there will be everything from Greek chicken sandwiches and Dolce Latte Gorgonzola Cones to street tacos and profiteroles with ice cream. Market Hall will also be pouring Micheladas, sparkling wine spritzers, non-alcoholic shrub sodas, beer and aguas frescas. Rockridge Out & About will be on College Avenue between Claremont and Manila Avenues. The event runs from noon until 6 p.m. Connect with the festival on Facebook.
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