Openings, closings
HAL’S OFFICE IN ALBANY OPENING JAN. 20 After permitting delays and time off to visit with a new grandchild, Bonnee and Abraham Elterman are finally ready to open their new coffee shop, Hal’s Office, next door to their frozen yogurt shop, As You Wish, on Jan. 20. The coffee shop will be open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week. We last heard from the Eltermans back in July 2015, when they told Nosh that they intended for the café to honor the space’s former resident, Hal Hoffman, a notary and realtor. As we reported in 2015, Hal’s Office will serve Counter Culture Coffee, along with pastries from Oakland’s Firebrand. Bonnee’s son Sam Alcabes said they plan to “slowly roll out more food options” over time. It is clear from the café’s Facebook page that its owners hope to become as much of a part of the neighborhood as the frozen yogurt shop. “We want to become a neighborhood staple, where people can come together and talk about the weather and whatever comes after that,” they wrote in a job posting on Facebook. Bonnee added: “We are so happy to continue serving our Albany community. Lower Solano is a special place and for decades Hal Hoffman’s office was a gathering place. We hope that Hal’s Office continues to be a place for the neighborhood to come together.” Hal’s Office will be at 1207 Solano Ave. (at Cornell Avenue), Albany. Connect with the café on Facebook. [Note: This post has been updated to reflect a new opening date and additional information from the owners.]
BOOT & SHOE SERVICE 2.0 TO BERKELEY In case you missed it, we brought you the scoop this week that a new location of Charlie Hallowell’s Boot & Shoe Service will be taking over the Build pizzeria space in downtown Berkeley, which closed abruptly in April 2015 after being in operation for just two years. It’s a fair guess that Berkeley’s Boot & Shoe will offer wood-fired pizzas as well as a selection of antipasti and pasta dishes, if the Oakland spot’s current dinner menu is a template. Boot & Shoe will join a slew of new pizza-focused restaurants in downtown Berkeley, including Lucia’s, Gio’s Pizza and Bocce and Draw Billiard Club, which plans to offer deep-dish pizzas. The lease was just signed on the Shattuck Avenue building, and restaurant spokeswoman Carly Roemmer said it would likely take a year to open. Boot & Shoe Service Berkeley will be at 2286 Shattuck Ave. (at Bancroft), Berkeley. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook.
EVEN MORE PIZZA: BARE KNUCKLE PIZZA Downtown Oakland’s first wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzeria is set to officially open Jan. 17. Called Bare Knuckle Pizza, the restaurant held its soft opening practice run Wednesday. Viet Nguyen originally opened Bare Knuckle as a farmers market stall and catering operation, gradually developing a unique pizza recipe that pays homage to New York pizzerias Grimaldi’s, Lucali’s and Pauly Gee’s, according to the restaurant’s website. Each of Bare Knuckle’s pizzas is made with mainly local and organic ingredients, as well as a naturally leavened dough. There will be several vegetarian options on the menu, as well as a vegan pie made with mozzarella from The Butcher’s Son. Bare Knuckle Pizza will be at 351 12th St. (at Webster Street), Oakland. Connect with the pizzeria on Facebook and Twitter.
URBAN REMEDY NOW OPEN The Berkeley location of Urban Remedy is now serving its signature organic juices, raw snacks and ready-to-eat meals. Located in a former flower shop in the Elmwood, Urban Remedy aims to “blend cutting-edge nutrition with Traditional Chinese Medicine,” according to its website. The juice shop’s food menu includes snacks and larger items like raw cacao brittle, kale chips, zucchini “fettuccine,” quinoa bowls and collard wraps. Owner Neka Pasquale is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and certified Chinese nutritionist; she founded Urban Remedy in Marin county as a juice cleanse business for her nutrition clients. The Berkeley location is only part of Urban Remedy’s East Bay expansion; shops have opened in Lafayette and Walnut Creek, and an Oakland location is on the way. Urban Remedy is at 2946 College Ave. (at Ashby Avenue), Berkeley. Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Dinners and events
SIPPING SPAIN AT TELEFÈRIC On Monday, Walnut Creek’s Telefèric Barcelona is hosting its third rendition of what it calls its “Sipping Spain” wine tasting dinners. This month’s dinner will showcase five wines from Ferrer Family Wines, from the Penedés region of Spain, which will be paired with six courses of food. It will take place on the restaurant’s upstairs patio at 6:30 p.m., and will run $71 per person (including tax). Tickets are available here. Telefèric Barcelona is at 1500 Mount Diablo Blvd. (at South Main Street), Walnut Creek. Connect with the restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Bookmark the Nosh Guide, our curated selection of great places to eat and drink in the East Bay, compiled by Nosh editors with the help of Nosh readers.
