Berkeley
Open
CHIPOTLE Berkeley got a new Chipotle at the beginning of the month. This is the burrito chain’s third shop in Berkeley, with one near the Cal campus on Telegraph Avenue, and another on Gilman Street. Chipotle took over the former Alko Office Supply space on Shattuck Avenue. Along with its regular offerings of burritos, bowls and tacos, this location will serve beer. Chipotle, 2225 Shattuck Ave. (at Kittredge Street), Berkeley
ICI ICE CREAM Mary Canales opened the second location of her popular Ici Ice Cream shop in downtown Berkeley. Located next door to Tender Greens, this Ici is a retail-only location (the original shop on College Avenue also houses its production kitchen). The downtown Ici mostly offers similar products and services to the Elmwood store, but this new Ici has milkshakes! Any flavor of ice cream available that day can be blended into a cold, frosty shake. Perhaps it’s because it’s so cold out lately, but as of now, there haven’t been any lines at this location. We’ll see what happens when the weather starts warming up! Ici Ice Cream, 2079 University Ave. (at Shattuck), Berkeley
Closed
ÁNH HÔNG Vietnamese restaurant Ánh Hông closed its downtown Berkeley location at 2067 University Ave. to make way for a new housing development. It is currently still standing, but its windows and doors are completely boarded up. As Berkeleyside reported last July, University Apartments will be a seven-story building featuring 50 housing units and a 1,500-square-foot ground-floor restaurant, will eventually take its place. Nosh reached out to David Trachtenberg of Trachtenberg Architects, who said that the restaurant will be demolished in March. Ánh Hông is a family-owned restaurant chain, with locations in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Milpitas. The family claims to have invented Bo 7 mon, or “seven courses of beef.”Ánh Hông opened its Berkeley location in 2005.
CLOSING SOON
BERKELEY PRODUCE CENTER As Nosh reported in November, the Cheese Board Collective is taking over the Berkeley Produce Center space next door (at 1500 Shattuck Ave.). The reason for the closure is that the market’s owner, Sam Hort, is retiring. The Produce Center will close on Dec. 31.
Oakland
Open
DOSA BY DOSA On Dec. 15, the husband-wife team that owns DOSA restaurants in San Francisco opened their new all-day, counter-service restaurant in Uptown Oakland at The Hive. Called dosa by DOSA, the restaurant has a more casual vibe, cheaper prices and a menu geared towards a more on-the-go type crowd. In the mornings until 11 a.m., there’s a breakfast menu that includes a variety of dosa, Tandoor oven-baked stuffed naan and comforting soups and porridges. For lunch and dinner, the menu expands with salads, rice bowls, wraps and more dosa. As with its other restaurants, dosa by DOSA offers creative craft cocktails, including herbaceous and spice-tinged drinks with Indian flavors. dosa by DOSA, 2301 Broadway (at 23rd), Oakland
HAWKING BIRD James Syhabout took over the former Blackwater Station space and transformed it into a Hawker Fare spin-off restaurant called Hawking Bird. Painted bright blue and yellow, the Temescal eatery specializes in chicken three ways — poached, fried and fake (that is, tofu, provided by Hodo Soy). The “main chick” here is khao mun gai, a Thai dish of poached chicken and rice served with salted mung bean sauce, cucumber and cilantro, and add-ons like a fried egg, a side of chicken broth or served “dirty” with chicken livers, but fried chicken and tofu salads and sandwiches are also offered, as well as sides like Thai pickles, garlic noodles and tater tots. Hawking Bird originally opened for lunch only, but has recently expanded its hours for dinner service and to take advantage of its full bar. It’s now open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Hawking Bird, 4901 Telegraph Ave. (at 49th), Oakland
Closed
DIAMOND DOGS Six-month old Jack London Square hot dog joint Diamond Dogs called it quits this month on Dec. 14. As Nosh reported in June, the spot, located at 468 Third St., was opened by Rob Wertheimer, a former bartender at The Double Standard, who served “hot dogs for grownups.” A message on Diamond Dog’s Facebook page explained that complications in obtaining a liquor license was the reason for its closure. Wertheimer wrote that the former occupant could not transfer their existing license to him “due to undisclosed financial liabilities” and he was also unable to get a new license. So, in the end, he decided to close shop. “I never intended on operating without alcohol — I am a bartender, and the vision for Diamond Dogs was always to be a casual neighborhood spot with good food, friendly service, and eventually, full bar and cocktails,” Wertheimer wrote.
IZZY’S STEAKS AND CHOP HOUSE As Hoodline reported, Izzy’s Steak and Chop House (59 Grand Ave. at Webster) closed this month. Signs posted on the doors said, “Sorry, Izzy’s is closed for business. Please visit our San Francisco or San Carlos locations.” We have reached out to Izzy’s for comment, but have not yet heard a response at time of publication. Stay tuned on Nosh for updates, including what’s to come next in the space.
SACRED WHEEL CHEESE SHOP As Nosh reported earlier this month, the Temescal cheese shop located at 4935 Shattuck Ave. (at 51st) closed on Dec. 23. Sacred Wheel owner Jena Davidson said that she and her mother, who is also her business partner, decided to move back to the East Coast “due to the ever rising cost of living in the Bay Area.” They attempted to sell the shop to two of its employees, but the deal fell through once they learned the shop needed $50,000 worth of structural work. Neither seller nor buyer could afford the repairs, so the shop had to close.
Closing soon
DESCO New Year’s Eve will be the last day of service for chef-restaurateur Donato Scotti’s Italian restaurant, located on the corner of Ninth and Washington streets in Old Oakland. Desco, which opened in 2013, announced its closure, saying there was an “inability to come to a long-term agreement that would allow us to make updates to the restaurant space and concept.”
Beyond
Open
GOTT’S ROADSIDE Over in Walnut Creek, Northern California boutique burger chain Gott’s Roadside opened its first East Bay location this month. It joins locations in San Francisco, Napa, St. Helena and Palo Alto. Gott’s Walnut Creek is in outdoor shopping district, Broadway Plaza. Gott’s is best known for its gourmet take on burgers, fries and shakes, but it also offers salads, seafood tacos, beer and wine, as well as seasonal, limited-edition specials. Gott’s Roadside will be at 1275 S. Main St. (at Botelho), Walnut Creek
MOOMIE’S CAFÉ In Emeryville, a new business took over the space formerly occupied by E-22 Café. Moomie’s Café offers pastries, coffee drinks, salads, sandwiches and empanadas. E’ville Eye reported that Moomie’s was opened by proprietor Erik Hansen, who transitioned from a career in fashion. As for the name, “Moomie” is a nickname given to Hansen by his Peruvian husband Franco.
We stopped in last week, when Moomie’s had several sweet and savory croissants from Firebrand bakery, and three types of empanadas — beef, chicken and vegetable ($6.50 each) in its bakery case. The empanadas are made by Hansen in a nearby commercial kitchen in Oakland and can be heated up to eat on the go, or on site. Inside Moomie’s, seating is a bit limited — there’s stand-up bar seating and a bench on one side of the café, but on warmer days, there’ll also be outdoor patio seating. For now, the café is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. It plans to open on weekends in the near future. Moomie’s Café, 1366 Powell St. (at Hollis), Emeryville
Closing soon
CAFÉ EUGENE Albany’s Pacific-Northwest-inspired eatery Café Eugene, located at 1175 Solano Ave. (at Stannage), will close after its New Year’s Eve dinner seating and open bar party on Dec. 31. Café Eugene opened in January 2016 on Solano Avenue. Its owners, the 1100 Group (Little Star Pizza, The Star and Boss Burgers) plan to convert Eugene into a family-friendly, sit-down Mexican restaurant called Cantina Del Sol. Under the direction of chef Luis Rodriguez, who once was the executive chef at Berkeley’s Picante, Cantina Del Sol will offer a menu of traditional Mexican eats and a full-service bar.
