Openings, closings..
LA PANOTIQ GETTING CLOSE We brought you news of a new location of La PanotiQ Bakery Café headed to Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood last June. According to the bakery’s Facebook page, La PanotiQ is “inching closer” to its soft and grand openings. Photos posted by the bakery this week show lots of construction, but nothing yet looks complete. It will be opening in the space formerly occupied by Padi Restaurant, and before that — for many years — Holy Land. La PanotiQ is a family-owned bakery and café chain with several locations around the Bay Area: in Mountain View, Campbell, Livermore and two in San Francisco (Noe Valley and Chestnut Street). Expect French-style pastries like traditional croissants “made with pure AOC butter,” and tartes tatins. If the Berkeley bakery follows the style of its other cafés, the menu may also include breads, sandwiches, salads and coffee. La PanotiQ Bakery Café will be at 2965 College Ave. (at Ashby Avenue), Berkeley 94705. Connect with the bakery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
DOWNTOWN BERKELEY MCDONALD’S TO REOPEN MARCH 3 The downtown Berkeley location of McDonald’s has been closed for renovations for the last couple of months, and despite a still-cacophonous building site, the restaurant is slated to reopen next week. The restaurant’s owners Steve and Jan Peat will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony March 3 from 4-6 p.m. The event will include complementary food, a tour of the location, cake and raffle prizes. In addition, Gabrielle Bozmarova, a UC Berkeley student, has organized a black tie opening party for the McDonald’s, which now has around 1,000 confirmed guests on Facebook. She told NOSH in an email that she decided to plan the event because “a lot of the community misses the McDonalds and is very excited for its return. The plan is to wear black tie apparel and bring our own tablecloths and utensils to enjoy a classy night to respect and celebrate our favorite fast food business.” Her gala is set to take place on March 8, but the date is still not set in stone. McDonald’s is at 1998 Shattuck Ave. (at University Avenue), Berkeley.
GENOVA DELICATESSEN UPDATE In a tribute story to old-school restaurants, the East Bay Express shared a quick update on Genova Delicatessen’s status. The 90-year-old restaurant has said that it is amid a rent dispute with its landlords and may be forced to close. EBX spoke with co-owner David DeVincenzi, who said that he didn’t “have much hope that the deli will be saved” and that the landlords are being “completely unreasonable.” DeVincezi said he would likely close around May 1, but will try to open a counter inside the Genova’s factory on Broadway that will sell prepared lasagnas and ravioli. It will not sell sandwiches. Genova Delicatessen is at 5095 Telegraph Ave. (at 51st Street), Oakland. Connect with the deli on Facebook.
IKE’S WILL OPEN IN EMERYVILLE MONDAY Last month, we brought you the scoop on a new Ike’s Place headed to Rockridge. We mentioned that an Emeryville location was also in the works; that spot is set to open on Monday Feb. 29, according to The E’ville Eye. Ike’s will hold court in the corner retail unit of the Parc on Powell Development at the intersection of Hollis and Powell. Ike’s serves a 60+ listing of creatively-named sandwiches like the MC Hammer (chicken, cheddar, barbecue sauce), Al Bundy (avocado, French dressing, gouda, ham, salami), and Womanizer (marinara sauce, provolone, vegan breaded chicken). Owner Ike Shehadeh told The E’ville Eye that he intends to keep the sandwich prices consistent with other East Bay locations; however, he will add an optional $0.30 surcharge on every transaction to offset the increased labor cost of operating in Emeryville, where the minimum wage is currently higher than elsewhere in the area. Ike’s Place will be at 1399 Powell St. (at Hollis Street), Emeryville. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
ANALOG CLOSES, REOPENS In even more sandwich news: Analog, which closed suddenly last week, has now reopened. It turns out that the temporary closure occurred because Analog’s owner, Sean Asmar, was in an accident on Feb. 14. The restaurant closed temporarily while waiting on news from Asmar. Luckily, he will make a full recovery, and as such, Analog reopened on Feb 23. Analog serves massive, foccacia-based sandwiches, half of which are vegan, plus a rotating line-up of local beers. Analog is at 414 14th St. (between Broadway and Franklin), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
BOYD’S BARBECUE TO REPLACE KAU KAU CORNER Earlier this month, we brought you news on the closure of Alameda’s Kau Kau Corner, a Hawaiian restaurant that started as a pop-up restaurant at Alameda’s West End Flea Market and opened its brick-and-mortar location last summer. We now have a lead on its replacement: a barbecue restaurant, called Boyd’s Barbecue, from the folks behind Scolari’s Good Eats. The company has filed for an ABC license to serve beer and wine. We’ve reached out to the Scolari’s team but have yet to receive any additional details. We’ll update you as we learn more. Boyd’s Barbecue will be at 1635 Park St. (at Buena Vista Avenue), Alameda.
GOTT’S ROADSIDE TO WALNUT CREEK The East Bay will be the home to the fifth location of Napa Valley-based burger restaurant Gott’s Roadside. The San Francisco Business Times broke the story last week, and it reported that the new location will be at 1275 South Main St., which previously housed a Fresh Choice buffet restaurant. Gott’s Roadside opened its first location in a St. Helena roadside stand, where it upgraded ingredients and added microbrews and wines to the menu. It later opened locations in the San Francisco Ferry Building, Oxbow Public Market and in Palo Alto’s Town and Country Village. The restaurant serves a variety of burgers, including one made from ahi tuna, as well as hot dogs, sandwiches, hearty salads, milkshakes and ice cream floats. Gott’s will remodel the Walnut Creek building and add more outdoor seating, and owner Joel Gott said he hopes to open in late 2016. Gott’s Roadside will be at 1275 Main St. (at Botelho Drive), Walnut Creek. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
What else is going on…
LAST CALL AT BERKELEY REP Are you seeing Macbeth at the Berkeley Rep Saturday night? In that case, be sure to cap off your night with Nosh after the performance and sample wine, spirits, and other culinary delights from local vendors — all for free! Samplings begin immediately following the Feb. 27 performance in the courtyard outside Michael’s Second Act Bar, in an event sponsored by Nosh. Macbeth opens Friday at the Roda Theatre, and stars Tony, Academy, and Emmy Award winner Frances McDormand and Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Conleth Hill as Shakespeare’s most infamous married couple. Details and tickets at Berkeley Rep online.
OAKLAND JAZZ BRUNCH WITH THE COOK AND HER FARMER This weekend, the sf⎮noir Wine and Food Festival will take place across the Bay Area. The closing event, a jazz brunch, will take place at Oakland’s The Cook and Her Farmer this Sunday, Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brunch will feature food from chef Romney Steele and partner Steve Day, as well as live jazz from the Art Lewis Trio and FatheR BrotheR Son. sf⎮noir describes the “leisurely indulgent Sunday brunch” as “shrimp & grits and a snare drum. Melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk cornbread and a cascade down the piano. Fresh blackberry scones sweet like that bass line.” The larger festival is a celebration of black and Southern-inspired cuisine that takes place during Black History Month each year. Over the course of the weekend, sf⎮noir will host an “In the Kitchen” event with Michele Wilson of Oakland’s forthcoming Gussie’s Southern Table and Bar, a “Market to Table” cooking demo with Jay Foster of Farmer Brown and Nelson German of alaMar, and a wine tasting forum with Anani Lawson of the French Laundry and Per Se. Connect with sf⎮noir on Facebook and Twitter. The Cook and Her Farmer is at 907 Washington St. (at Ninth Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Instagram.
NIDO CELEBRATES LATINA IMMIGRANTS WITH COCKTAILS Throughout the month of March, Jack London Square’s Nido will be serving a special cocktail menu, with each drink inspired by and named for influential Latina women. The seven women honored, such as Sylvia Rivera (an LQBTQ activist) and Juana Rodriquez (a professor), have contributed to Latino culture and community as activists, journalists, authors, professors and astronauts. The cocktails will be made predominately with Mexican tequilas and mezcals. In addition, one dollar of every cocktail sale during the month of March will be donated to Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA). MUA is a Bay Area-based grassroots organization that helps Latina immigrant women gain skills needed to “take the first steps toward change by transforming themselves in their own eyes — from victims to skilled advocates for themselves, their families, and their community.” Nido owners Cory and Silvia McCollow said in a statement that they chose MUA because its work “goes beyond offering basic social services, [and] works to actively empower Latinas.” Nido is at 444 Oak St. (between Fourth and Fifth streets), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
BLIND TIGER AND CROOKED CIDER DINNER Get your fill of creative vegan cuisine and local cider at the Blind Tiger and Crooked City Cider collaboration dinner this Sunday. Blind Tiger organizer S+M Vegan will be cooking up six courses of shared small plates with a strong seasonal and plant focus, which will be paired with three different ciders. It’s not every day that we’d jump at a multi-course vegan dinner, but as our contributor Jessica Wolfrom wrote last year, “Their incredible food becomes a bonding agent and an emulsifier; bringing people from all backgrounds and all eating habits to the table.” The dinner will be hosted in a private loft in Fruitvale, and the $65 tickets for the event are available through Feastly. In other Crooked City news, we’ve learned from owner Dana Bushouse that her ciders are now available at a growing line-up of East Bay bars and restaurants: Drake’s Dealership, The Star on Grand, The Half Orange, Tribune Tavern, Rooz Café, Cato’s Alehouse, Commonwealth Café and Public House and Rosamunde. Crooked City also pops up at Oakland’s 25th Street Collective on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m., first Fridays from 5-10 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5 p.m. Connect with S+M Vegan on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Connect with Crooked City Cider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
JAIR TÉLLEZ DINNER AT SALSIPUEDES There are still a few seats left for a special dinner with Mexican chef Jair Téllez at Salsipuedes this Sunday, Feb. 28. Téllez is the chef and owner of three famed restaurants in Mexico: Laja in Valle de Guadalupe, Merotoro in Mexico City and Verde y Crema in Tijuana. He will cook alongside Salsipuedes chef Marcus Krauss to prepare multiple small plates, a couple entrees, and plenty of beverages, including Téllez’s own naturally produced wine. The $49 tickets are available here. Salsipuedes is at 4201 Market St. (at 42nd Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
TELEFÈRIC ADDS BRUNCH Walnut Creek’s new tapas restaurant, Telefèric Barcelona, opened this January. After almost two months of dinner service, the restaurant is debuting its “Brunchelona” this weekend. The weekend-only menu offers a take on a Barcelona-style brunch, with dishes like las tortillas with Serrano ham or chorizo and Manchego cheese, hues estrellados (fried eggs served over diced crispy truffle potatoes), and pepito sandwiches with fillings like Serrano ham, Mahon cheese, and a fried egg. Additional brunch drinks include a Barcellini (Peralada brut cava, raspberries, grapefruit, St. Germain) and a “Spanish Mary.” Telefèric originated in Sant Cugat (a town north of Barcelona) in 1993, followed by a second spot in Barcelona itself in 1996. The buzzy, modern space on Mt Diablo Blvd, designed by Oakland architects Arcsine, focuses on pintxos (Basque snacks served on skewers), tapas and paella. The drinks at dinner and brunch have been crafted by the Dos Ojos Hospitality team of Michael Iglesias, Joe Cleveland and Ashley Campos, who also own Calavera in Uptown Oakland. Telefèric Barcelona is at 1500 Mount Diablo Blvd. (at South Main Street), Walnut Creek. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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