Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 17, and if you don’t know yet where to take your dad to celebrate, we’ve got a few suggestions for you. Several spots in the East Bay are offering special menus and deals to celebrate.
Berkeley
Donato & Co. in the Elmwood will offer a special Father’s Day four-course menu that serves two for $75. If you’re bringing the whole family, you can add more servings for $30 a person. The meal starts with an organic squash strudel with baby lettuces and borlotti beans and the main course will be a hearty platter featuring a quartet of wood-fired meats — grilled sausages, herb chicken, pork tenderloin and top sirloin — served with polenta taragna (polenta with buckwheat flour), roasted potatoes, romano beans and peperonata (a side dish of sweet bell peppers). The Father’s Day menu will be available for brunch (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and dinner (5 to 9 p.m.). Donato & Co, 2635 Ashby Ave. (near College), Berkeley
La Marcha just started a brunch service this month, and if your dad has a taste for Spanish cuisine, you’ll want to make a reservation for Father’s Day here. The day’s menu features a wide-variety of breakfasty, Spanish-influenced dishes, including Tortilla de Patatas (a Spanish tortilla with egg, potato and onion, served with piquillo alioli), Benedicto (eggs benedict with lamb merguez, grilled tomato, poached egg and harissa hollandaise), Chicken and Churros (buttermilk fried chicken served with churros, cocoa and maple syrup) and Sweet Torrijas (pan die mie french toast with honey-sherry syrup, currants, figs, almonds and tarragon whipped cream). Brunch takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. La Marcha, 2026 San Pablo Ave. (near University), Berkeley
Oakland
AlaMar in Uptown will have something a little sweet and savory for dad at its Father’s Day brunch. The menu will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include alaMar signature favorites like its fried chicken and red velvet flapjacks, make-your-own seafood boil, and tres leches french toast. Here’s another plus — no reservations are required. AlaMar, 100 Grand Ave. (at Webster), Oakland
Bellanico, a Glenview neighborhood Italian favorite, is offering two options for dear old Dad: a three-course tasting menu at brunch and a four-course tasting menu for dinner, both with the option to add wine pairings and order more off the a la carte menu. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. Bellanico, 4238 Park Blvd. (near Wellington), Oakland
Copper Spoon in North Oakland will serve its regular menu, along with a special three-course prix fixe menu. For $64, the special includes baked oysters, twice-cooked smoked spare ribs with cherry BBQ sauce and spinach salad, and prime rib and au jus with corn, squash and roasted garlic potatoes. Flights of whiskey from Berkeley-based distiller Mosswood will be available, along with flights of selected beer. Copper Spoon, 4031 Broadway, Oakland
Eve’s Waterfront over in Jack London Square is a good choice if your dad loves extravagant Vegas-style meat and seafood buffets. From 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., the $50 buffet brunch lineup will include prime rib, crab, grilled salmon, slow braised oxtail, fried chicken, along with more breakfasty fare like Belgian waffles and frittata and many other sides and salads. Guests will get a free cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage upon arrival. Bottomless mimosas can be added for another $12. Eve’s Waterfront Restaurant, 15 Embarcadero West, Oakland
The Good Hop bottle shop on Telegraph Avenue is hosting its fourth annual Dad Joke Invitational, where participating breweries compete in a head-to-head battle of who can sling the most cornball zingers without breaking into laughter. The Good Hop will also be pouring beers from all the breweries involved. The fun takes place from 4 to 10 p.m. The Good Hop, 2421 Telegraph Ave. (at 24th), Oakland
Homestead on Piedmont Avenue will serve a prix fixe Sunday Supper meal on Father’s Day from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. The star of the show this week: crispy, comforting fried chicken. A salad and dessert complete the meal. Sunday Supper is $65 per person, gratuity included. Homestead, 4029 Piedmont Ave. (near 40th), Oakland
Lake Chalet at Lake Merritt will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner on Father’s Day. Specials include a brunch benedict with pan-roasted beef tenderloin for brunch and roasted rack of pork with pork belly and bourbon pork sauce for dinner. There’ll be a live music performance by soul-jazz singer Lilan Kane from 1 to 4 p.m. And while you’re there, check out Lake Chalet’s new Tequila Pier Bar serving E-40’s tequila brand. Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill, 1520 Lakeside Dr., Oakland
Plank in Jack London Square is like a local Dave and Busters, with arcade games, bowling, bocce, big screen tvs and a big outdoor beer garden. On Father’s Day, it’s hosting an outdoor BBQ featuring baby back ribs, chicken, pulled pork, burgers and fries. Feasting takes place from noon to 7 p.m. Plank, 98 Broadway, Oakland
Perle in Montclair Village is all about BBQ, beer, bourbon and Bourdeaux on Father’s Day. The four-course prix fixe brunch is offered for $44 (with a $36 optional beverage pairing) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The main entree is a Comte cheese and beer sausage cassoulet served with French heirloom beans, BBQ lamb belly and duck confit, paired with the 2014 Chateau De Cerons Grand Vin De Bordeaux Graves. A banana bread pudding is a sweet ending to this extravagant meal. Perle, 2058 Mountain Blvd. (near LaSalle), Oakland
Local Food Adventures will host a one-hour guided walking tour of three ice cream spots in Rockridge on Father’s Day. Tour guests will get samples, demonstrations and a little bit of history along the way. Tickets are $20 ($15 for kids). Tour starts off at Dreyer’s Ice Cream Parlor & Café, 5925 College Ave. (near Chabot), Oakland
The Terrace Room in the Lake Merritt Hotel will serve a Father’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Specials of the day include prime rib and bottomless Bloody Mary bar and bottomless pilsner beer. The Terrace Room Restaurant & Bar, 1800 Madison St. (between 17th and 19th), Oakland
Beyond
Benchmark Pizzeria in Kensington is joining forces with Fieldwork Brewery on Father’s Day. Fieldwork will take over the restaurant’s taps and offer $5 pints, which will go marvelously with Benchmark’s outstanding wood-fired pizzas and housemade pastas. Benchmark Pizzeria, 1568 Oak View Ave. (at ), Kensington
Trader Vic’s in Emeryville is the place for dad’s who love old-school classic tiki drinks. Over Father’s Day weekend, it’ll offer some specials including a Rum Old Fashioned cocktail, shaved tri-tip toast and a green goddess salad with bone-in rib eye. Trader Vic’s, 9 Anchor Dr., Emeryville
