Antoinette, Hoi Polloi, Valentine’s Day, more

Openings, closings…

CHEF NAMED FOR ANTOINETTE AT CLAREMONT The former Paragon restaurant at the Claremont is set to open this month, according to a spokeswoman for the hotel’s owners, the Fairmont Group. As we previously reported, Dominique Crenn, of Atelier Crenn and Le Petit Crenn fame, both in San Francisco, is overseeing the opening of French-style brasserie Antoinette. The new restaurant’s chef is Justin Mauz, who has left his post as sous-chef at Joel Robuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas to come to the East Bay. Mauz has also worked as pastry chef at Sixteen Restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Chicago. Farimont describes Antoinette as “Chef Crenn’s take on the classic ideas that surround the French dining culture: ingredients, responsible sourcing, and the community that it inspires.” Antoinette will be at The Claremont Club & Spa, 41 Tunnel Rd., Berkeley. Connect with the Claremont on Facebook.

HOI POLLOI IS EXPANDING We received a tip from a reader this week that Berkeley’s Hoi Polloi Brewpub may be growing. Owner Viet Vu confirmed the rumor, and told NOSH that he will be moving brewing operation to a larger space at 30th and Brook streets (near Broadway) in Oakland. The new location will be able to house a seven-barrel brewery, which more than doubles the capacity of Hoi Polloi’s current three-barrel set-up. The Berkeley location will remain a retail space for Hoi Polloi, but there will be more room for customers. Vu said that once the new brewery is up and running, he replace the current brewing area in the back with more seating. Vu is beginning construction on the new brewery this week, and hopes to be brewing there within a year. Hoi Polloi’s new brewery will not be open to the public. Hoi Polloi Brewpub and Beat Lounge is at 1763 Alcatraz Ave. (at Adeline Street), Berkeley. Connect with the brewery on Facebook and Twitter.

GENOVA DELICATESSEN MAY CLOSE Last Friday, we got wind of a potentially huge loss for Temescal — Genova Delicatessen may be forced to close due to a rent dispute. The East Bay Express broke the story. General manager Julio De La Cruz told EBX that Genova’s owners are currently in negotiations, but if the landlords “don’t budge, we’ll be left without any other choice but to close. Eater SF published an update to the story after receiving a statement from Temescal Plaza, LLC, which stated: “Temescal Plaza appreciates the interest and concerns from the community in support of keeping Genova’s Oakland store open. Genova is an important part of the shopping center and the Temescal community, and our goal is for Genova to remain at Temescal Plaza. We continue our efforts to come to a mutually agreeable resolution with Genova.” According to EBX, the restaurant’s lease is up at the beginning of June, and the owners will try to make their final decision by April. Genova Delicatessen is at 5095 Telegraph Ave. (at 51st Street), Oakland. Connect with the deli on Facebook.

ENDLESS SUMMER SWEETS NOW OPEN ON SHATTUCK Last summer, we got wind of a new restaurant specializing in country fair foods headed to Berkeley. The restaurant, Endless Summer Sweets, is now open. It is holding its grand opening celebration this weekend. Owner Antoinette Sanchez told NOSH in an email that Endless Summer Sweets aims to “create fun in food” and that all of her dishes are “made fresh, with summertime in mind.” On the menu are treats like funnel cakes with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream, hand-dipped corn dogs using a variety of sausages, caramel apples, popcorn and root beer floats. Endless Summer Sweets previously operated as a food stand and catering company. This is its first brick-and-mortar location. Endless Summer Sweets is at 2370 Shattuck Ave. (between Durant Avenue and Channing Way), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.

ANTIDOTE JUICERY BRINGS JUICE, MORE TO 40TH There’s a new juicery in town: Antidote. The juicery and sandwich shop opened next door to Homeroom on Oakland’s 40th Street a few months back and, according to co-owner Shay Nowick, it has “been a neighborhood secret for a few months.” Antidote’s tiny kitchen is housed in a repurposed shipping container, and it churns out a full lunch menu of made-to-order juices, salads and panini sandwiches. Other drinks include smoothies, coconut water slushies and concentrated juice shots. The menu’s emphasis is, not surprisingly, on healthy, local ingredients. Antidote also sells juice cleanse packages through its website. Antidote Juicery is at 420 40th St. (at Webster Street) Oakland. Connect with the juicery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MARZANO TO REOPEN In better news, we hear that the Italian restaurant Marzano will return to Oakland. Marzano’s original owners, Justin Hafen and John Hurley, turned their restaurant over to Seamus and Shelley Mulhall in 2014, who opened The Growler’s Arms in its place. Hafen and Hurley remained the landlords. After The Growler’s Arms closed back in August, Hafen and Hurley began looking for new tenants. They reached out to former Marzano employees, Manna Tekie and Rob Holt, who will be taking over the space. Tekie and Holt plan to “bring the restaurant back to its original form.” The opening menu will include pizzas and old favorites like pan roasted octopus and wood-oven braised chicken. Much of Marzano’s original staff will also return. Tekie and Holt hope to open Feb. 11. Marzano will be at 4214 Park Blvd. (at Glenfield Avenue), Oakland.

SAUCED BBQ & SPIRITS TO WALNUT CREEK Only a couple of weeks after Pyramid Brewing closed its Walnut Creek location, we have word on its replacement — Sauced BBQ & Spirits. The San Francisco Business Times reported that the new restaurant, which also has locations in Livermore and Petaluma, will feature a range of barbecue options, including Carolina pulled pork, Texas-style brisket and baby back ribs. To drink, the restaurant will serve a variety of beer and an astounding number of spirits — the other locations have a collection of 250 bourbons and whiskies. Sauced hopes to open this summer. Sauced BBQ & Spirits will be at 1410 Locust St. (between Cypress and Bonanza Streets), Walnut Creek. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What else is going on…

EMERYVILLE STARBUCKS LAUNCHES ‘STARBUCKS EVENINGS’ We’ve known since last fall that a few East Bay Starbucks locations had applied for ABC licenses in order to expand their offerings to include beer and wine. We now hear from the E’Ville Eye that the Powell Street Plaza Starbucks has now started its “Starbucks Evenings” program. The program adds craft beer (Anchor Brewing, Lagunitas and Ballas Point), wine and heated small plates to the menu. Beer and wine are served after 2 p.m. on weekdays and after noon on weekends; the location will also stay open an extra hour, until 10 p.m., Fridays through Sundays. Beers are priced in the $5 range, wine is priced from $8-10, and new food items are in the $5-7 range. Starbucks will hold an official grand opening sometime this month. Starbucks is at 5767 Christie Ave. (near Powell Street), Emeryville.

JOURNEYMEN TO POP-UP AT BLACKWATER STATION Chefs Chris Wolff and Jon Tu, of Bar Tartine and Rich Table, respectively, are at it again. We last spoke with the two chefs, who host a series of pop-ups under the moniker, Journeymen, in the fall. They are now plotting a series of three meals at Temescal’s Blackwater Station, the first of which takes place Monday, Feb. 15. The $59 ticket includes four courses, a gin cocktail, two snacks, bread and butter, petit fours, and coffee. Beer and wine are separate. Wolff told NOSH that he’s particularly excited about a gulf prawn snack (creme fraiche, fried potato, pickled mustard seed, jalapeño and fermented iceberg lettuce) that he’s calling “a really, really awesome shrimp salad in one bite!” Another highlight, he said, is a codfish dish cooked at very low temperatures and served with American Hackleback caviar and sun choke “hummus.” The meat course will make use of beef from Mindful Meats: “The cows are all grass-pastured their whole life, so this meat has some serious flavor,” said Wolff. Tickets, available here, are expected to sell out quickly. Journeymen will also pop-up at Blackwater Station on March 14 and April 25. Connect with Journeymen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Blackwater Station is at 4901 Telegraph Ave. (at 49th Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.

SUPER BOWL IN THE EAST BAY Those of us not willing to shell out the big bucks (and brave the traffic) to get to Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara still have plenty of options for game-day viewing and eating here in the East Bay. Josephine cooks are offering up specials like homemade chips, chicken wings, and two kinds of soft pretzels. It teaming up with Berkeley salsa company, Alta, to offer two special dips for those chips — aguacate salsa and ahumado salsa. Hopsy is pulling out the big guns for the weekend by upping its beer menu to 30 options. It is adding a pilsner, a white IPA, a triple IPA and two Abbey Ales to the menu. Order today through Friday for next-day delivery. FIVE restaurant is offering two special cocktails for the event: The Newton (Sambuca, cherry brandy, rum and lemon) and Manning it Up (bourbon, mezcal, quince shrub and lime). In Oakland, The Legionnaire Saloon will be serving “the BEST” Guinness wasabi Bloody Marys (with or without bacon), chili, and cheese tamales. It will show the game on all big screen televisions and an HD projector. Connect with Josephine on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Connect with Hopsy on Facebook and Twitter. FIVE is at 2086 Allston Way (at Shattuck Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook. The Legionnaire Saloon is at 2272 Telegraph Ave. (at 22nd Street), Oakland. Connect with the bar on Facebook.

VALENTINE’S DAY IN THE EAST BAY It’s not too early to make Valentine’s Day dining plans. On Feb 6., Rockridge Market Hall will hold its annual “For the Love of Chocolate” event, featuring chocolate samples from local producers and a 15% discount on all chocolate purchases. Also at Market Hall, Hapuku Fish Market will host a caviar tasting and a Valentine’s Day cooking demo. The event will take place Feb. 11 from 5-7:30 p.m. In Berkeley, Gather will add a few special dishes to the menu, like burrata cheese with Dirty Girl beets and bee pollen, hay-smoked short ribs, and black cod bouillabaisse. A special cocktail called “Painted Lips” (gin, creme de cassis, lime, egg white and pink peppercorn) will also be on the menu. Nearby, FIVE restaurant will offer a $63 five-course meal with a complementary sparkling wine. Expect decadent and romantic dishes like oysters, lobster ravioli and filet mignon. In Oakland, Desco will serve a special $45 three-course menu with main course choices like squid ink carnaroli rice with shrimp and vegetable ratatouille, ravioli with eggplant and smoked trout, or grilled veal T-bone steaks with romanesco and cipollini onions. Over on Piedmont Avenue, Homestead will serve a $100 (service included) four-course meal of “fun and interactive” dishes that will consist of dishes that can all be eaten with your hands. Plenty of champagne will be flowing. The Barrel Room in Rockridge will also have a prix fixe menu with an optional wine pairing. Down at Jack London Square, Lungomare is holding a weekend-long celebration: On Feb. 12 and 13, it’ll serve special a la carte selections (Kushi oysters with cumber granita; house made corzetti pasta with braised oxtail; and rib eye steak with rosemary potatoes, winter greens and hedgehog mushrooms). On the day-of, Lungomare will also serve a $55 three-course meal that includes the above dishes plus several more choices. Over in Fruitvale, The Half Orange will host a $45 six-beer, four-course meal partnered with Berkeley’s Fieldwork Brewing. There will be intriguing pairings like the Rancher Farmhouse Ale with posole ramen and the Delta Hoppy Red with smoked kalbi. Rockridge Market Hall is at 5655 College Ave. (at Shafter Avenue), Oakland. Connect with the store on Facebook and Twitter. Gather is at 2200 Oxford St. (at Allston Way), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. FIVE is at 2086 Allston Way (at Shattuck Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook. Desco is at 499 Ninth St. (at Washington Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. Homestead is at 4029 Piedmont Ave. (at 40th Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. The Barrel Room is at 5330 College Ave. (at Bryant Avenue), Oakland. Connect with the bar on Facebook and Twitter. Lungomare is at 1 Broadway (at Water Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. The Half Orange is at 3340 E. 12th St. (at E. 33rd Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Twitter.