New Public Market tenants, La Crema, more

Openings, closings..

TWO NEW TENANTS ANNOUNCED FOR EMERYVILLE PUBLIC MARKET Slowly but surely, Emeryville’s Public Market is adding more new restaurants. Shiba Ramen and KoJa Kitchen are now both up and running, with We Sushi and Mayo & Mustard to follow later this spring. Now we hear that a new casual Peruvian café, Granja Eatery, will occupy a prime 1,500-square-foot space at the front entrance to the market. Granja Eatery is a project from chef Carlos Altamirano, who owns several restaurants and food trucks across the Bay Area. Altamirano will offer street food-style Peruvian food, and the restaurant will feature an open kitchen and a bar with beer, wine and sangria. He hopes to open this fall. Also headed to the market in July will be Oui Oui Macaron, a Daly City-based macaron company. It will be the first food purveyor to open in one of Public Market’s three shipping-container spaces. Public Market Emeryville is at 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville.

LA CREMA REPLACED MONTERO’S IN ALBANY The old Montero’s space at the corner of San Pablo and Solano avenues in Albany now has new life as La Crema, a Mexican restaurant. La Crema offers a long menu of tacos, burritos and special items like moles, enchiladas and fajitas. So far, Yelp reviews have been mostly positive, with diners praising the pupusas, enchiladas and homemade tortillas. Yelper Casey C. even went so far as to say: “The most amazing meal I have had in a long time prepared with love by my favorite ladies! This beautiful mother-daughter duo has more then impressed me! Call me a regular, I’ll be back this week!” La Crema has only been built out in part of the restaurant space; a Berkeleyside tipster told Nosh that one of the employees told her that the La Crema owners would be opening a coffee shop next door. La Crema is at 1106 Solano Ave. (at San Pablo Avenue), Albany.

EDOKO RESTAURANT DINING ROOM CLOSED As of Feb. 8, the sushi restaurant Edoko is no longer serving dine-in customers. The restaurant is now exclusively focusing on catering. A tipster told Nosh: “We were so sorry to see this, as over several years this was a favorite Japanese restaurant for us. They offered an outstanding buffet array of sushi and hot Japanese dishes for a fixed price under $20.” Edoko now offers sushi party trays with options ranging from an all-vegetable roll platter to an elaborate “Ninja Platter” of assorted nigiri. Non-sushi eaters can choose from meat-based party platters, heavy on tempura and teriyaki. Edoko is at 1722 University Ave. (at McGee Avenue), Berkeley.

Dinners and events…

PASSOVER IN THE EAST BAY Passover begins this Friday, and there are several options for dining and take out in the East Bay. Berkeley’s Masse’s Pastries is selling special cakes, such as flourless chocolate and cappuccine (an almond meringue and hazelnut buttercream layer cake), for the holiday. Saul’s Delicatessen is both serving seder dinners in the restaurant and also offering dishes for takeout through April 30. Also in Berkeley, The Melt is offering a special “Matzoh Melt” sandwich made with toasted matzoh crackers, aged melted cheddar and a dash of “Melt spice.” At Comal, chef Matt Gandin is preparing multi-course family-style dinners in the restaurant’s private dining room April 25 and 26. The menu will include dishes like jalapeño matzoh balls and beef brisket in adobo. Note: The dinners will follow Sephardic traditions, so they will include rice, beans and corn. In Oakland, Rockridge Market Hall will be offering items from its Passover menu through April 24. In addition to popular items like matzoh ball soup and gefilte fish, Market Hall has added a complete seder plate combination that includes house-made charoset, horseradish, roasted lamb bone, long cooked egg, parsley and a box of matzoh. Beauty’s Bagel Shop is offering catering throughout Passover; menu items include wood-fired matzoh, chopped chicken liver and chocolate dipped coconut macaroons. Masse’s Pastries is at 1469 Shattuck Ave. (at Vine Street), Berkeley. Connect with the bakery on Facebook. Saul’s Restaurant and Delicatessen is at 1475 Shattuck Ave. (at Vine Street), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. The Melt is at 2400 Telegraph Ave. (at Channing Way), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comal is at 2020 Shattuck Ave (between University Avenue and Addison Street). Connect with the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter. Rockridge Market Hall is at 5655 College Ave. (at Shafter Avenue), Oakland. Connect with the store on Facebook and Twitter. Beauty’s Bagel Shop is at 3838 Telegraph Ave. (between 38th and 40th streets), Oakland. Connect with the shop on Facebook and Twitter.

TELEFÈRIC CELEBRATING ST. JORDI DAY You may not have heard of St. Jordi Day, but it’s big deal in Barcelona, the birthplace Walnut Creek’s Telefèric. St. Jordi Day is much like America’s Valentine’s Day, and honors Catalonia’s 15th-century patron saint Jordi. In Catalonia, it is customary for men to give their sweethearts a rose on the celebration day, and women return the favor with a gift of a book. All day at Telefèric on April 23, diners will be presented with a rose upon entering the restaurant. Additionally, the restaurant will serve two special dishes: Pintxo Sant Jordi (bread topped with caramelized onion, sopressata, Mahon cheese and micro arugula) and Give Me A Rose (a chocolate cookie topped with Oaxacan chocolate ice cream, chocolate cream olive oil, Maldon salt, and rose petals). Telefèric Barcelona is at 1500 Mount Diablo Blvd. (at South Main Street), Walnut Creek. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What else is going on…

CUESA TAKING OVER JACK LONDON SQUARE FARMERS MARKET Starting May 15, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) will be taking over operations at Jack London Square’s Sunday farmers market. It is replacing the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association, which launched the market in 1989. Inside Scoop broke the news earlier this week, and CUESA confirmed the acquisition with Nosh in an email. CUESA’s Brie Mazurek told Nosh that the organization is “inviting all existing sellers to stay, listening to the community, and growing the market and education offerings over time. We’re excited and looking forward to serving Oakland residents.” In a post on CUESA’s website, director Marcy Coburn added: “We’re grateful to PCFMA for what they have built, and excited and honored to be coming to Oakland’s iconic Jack London Square. … We look forward to working with Oakland communities and existing farmers market sellers, while bringing CUESA’s educational programming to Jack London Square.” CUESA will host an official grand opening for the market later this summer; at that time, it will also kick off its public education programs like its popular free cooking demonstrations by local chefs.

BA-BITE TURNS ONE, ADDS BRUNCH Piedmont Avenue’s Ba-Bite is celebrating its first anniversary this week by adding a brunch menu. Brunch will expand the restaurant’s regional Middle Eastern menu to include dishes from the Ashkenazi Jewish canon. “When we first opened Ba- Bite, I was imagining that chopped liver and pickled fish would show up one day,” said chef Mica Talmor. “Perhaps happy hour? But since the current menu format was so well received, I abandoned my Ashkenazi aspirations. The success of the shakshuka and the growing interest in Jewish delicatessen’s made me think we should offer brunch — the best meal of the day, the best part of the weekend, the perfect excuse to drink before noon! Also, I wanted babka.” Besides babka, you can expect a latke Benedict made with house gravlax, harissa-braised beef hash and zucchini and feta pancakes. Much of Ba-Bite’s regular menu (minus its majadera and tagine) will also be available. To drink, mimosas, in orange and pomegranate. Brunch will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ba-Bite is at 3905 Piedmont Ave. (at Montell Street), Oakland. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.

ALBANY AND EMERYVILLE DISCUSS SODA TAXES Last week, we reported that Oakland may see a soda tax measure on its November ballot. It turns out, it is not the only East Bay city discussing such a tax. In back-to-back city council meetings this week, both Albany and Emeryville voted on whether to move forward a discussion of adding soda tax measures to the November ballot this year. Albany’s city council decided to continue to discuss and vote on the issue at a meeting May 2; Emeryville, however, voted to table the discussion until the 2018 election cycle. Both city councils acknowledged that the success of Berkeley’s soda tax has spurred interest in a regional soda tax, and they are supportive of the campaign in Oakland.