(RE)BOOT & SHOE SERVICE With a new season, comes a new start… This past Sunday, on the autumn equinox, Oakland’s Boot & Shoe Service celebrated its official grand re-opening under new ownership. The restaurant was originally founded by Charlie Hallowell, who was accused by several employees of sexual harassment last December; it was sold to couple Jen Cremer and Richard Clark this spring. Cremer is a former employee of Hallowell at Pizzaiolo; and Clark has a long list of industry experience, most recently at Tartine Manufactory in San Francisco. According to Eater, the restaurant’s liquor license finally transferred to Cremer and Clark in August, and the couple has been working for the past few months on two goals: to create a “healthy and fun” workplace for employees, and to bring back customers who felt torn about patronizing a Hallowell restaurant. On Sunday, the restaurant threw a party featuring snacks, drinks, musical performances and a t-shirt that read, “REBOOT Est. 2018.” Boot & Shoe Service, 3308 Grand Ave. (between Mandana and Lake Park), Oakland
NOKNI RETURNS TO THE KEBABERY The last time Nokni threw a pop-up at The Kebabery in Oakland’s Longfellow neighborhood, it was shut down, mid-service by an Alameda County food inspector for being illegal. Fortunately, when news spread and public outcry mounted, the county decided to temporarily loosen its strict interpretation of the California Retail Food Code. So, chefs Steve Joo and Julya Shin will bring their California-Korean cuisine back to The Kebabery to try again. Nokni will pop-up from 5-9 p.m., Oct. 2, with a menu of spicy noodles, steamed tofu, and ssam plates. The Kebabery, 4201 Market St. (at 42nd), Oakland
WHOLE FOODS V. DXE According to the Daily Cal, Whole Foods filed a restraining order against national non-profit animal-rights group Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, in an attempt to stop planned protests on its property this week. The SF Bay Area chapter of DxE, which is based in Berkeley, is known for provocative protests featuring half-naked humans covered in fake blood at various shops and restaurants that serve animal products and meat. The group has protested Whole Foods for the last four years, alleging animal cruelty at the farms from which the Amazon-owned supermarket chain sources. While Whole Foods was denied a permanent statewide restraining order, it was granted a temporary ban at the Berkeley location (3000 Telegraph Ave). The ban prevents activists from entering stores and demonstrating on Whole Foods property, but DxE’s Occupy Whole Foods protests, which started Sept 23. and will continue through Saturday, are taking place on the sidewalk outside the market.
WEST SIDE CHANGES It was just a little over a year ago that Nosh spoke with the owners of Ninth Street Café, the West Berkeley eatery that took over after Janice Chaplin-Wilcox’s 31-year-old institution Westside Café closed. And now, we’ve gotten word from Nosh tipster Sean Rouse, that the café has changed hands again. A sign on the door says the spot will reopen as West Side Organic Café under new management on Oct. 9. West Side Organic Café will be at 2570 Ninth St. (at Parker), Berkeley
CALIFORNIA STRAW BAN UPDATE Last Friday, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB-1884 into law. The bill, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019, prohibits full-service restaurants in California from providing single-use plastic straws, unless specifically requested by the customer. Dine-in restaurants that automatically give out plastic straws can be fined up to $300 for violating the law. Because AB-1884 only affects full-service restaurants, that means, for now, establishments like convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and boba shops will not be affected and can continue business as usual. However, some Bay Area cities, including Berkeley, are working towards banning plastic straws from all food establishments. Berkeley, which has a goal of reaching zero waste by 2020, is currently considering the Disposable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance, which would require that all plastic single-use foodware, including straws, be replaced by reusable, compostable or recyclable options. In addition, the ordinance would require that customers be charged a quarter for every disposable take-out container or ware provided.
A BROWN DINNER Oakland-based food writer and photographer Nik Sharma has an award-winning food blog (A Brown Table), a weekly cooking column in the San Francisco Chronicle (A Brown Kitchen), and now, a cookbook. Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, which comes out Oct. 2, offers inspired, yet accessible recipes for home cooks that combine flavors and techniques from India, where Sharma lived for many years; the American South, where his husband grew up; and California, where the couple currently call home. On Oct. 4, Sharma will co-host a dinner and book release party at Camino that starts with a book signing, drinks (Bellini with peppercorns) and passed snacks, then progresses to a sit-down meal inspired by recipes in the book (the star of the night will be Sharma’s roast leg of lamb slathered in yogurt, ginger and cardamom, cooked à la ficelle). Camino co-owner Allison Hopelain told Nosh that the Sharma-Camino collaboration is a natural fit because the guest chef cooks “California food from an Indian perspective. At Camino, we use a lot of the same spices that Nik uses in Season, but from a California perspective. So it feels familiar but flipped — same ingredients in play, but a different vantage point.” The evening starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $100 (including tips). Camino, 3917 Grand Ave. (between Jean and Sunny Slope), Oakland
SWEET AND TENDER GHOUL-IGANS Halloween is a favorite holiday for Lauren Herpich, Local Food Adventures founder, and she wanted to find a way to combine her food tour business with the spooky day. That’s how the Oakland Sweets Spirits & The Beyond Food Tour came to be. This 90-minute walking tour will start sweet, with red velvet cupcakes from La Farine, before taking a turn for the grave, quite literally. Guests will visit the final resting places of famous (and infamous) locals at the Chapel of the Chimes and Mountain View Cemetery, including tiki legend, “Trader Vic” Bergeron. Appropriately, the tour wraps up with drinks at the Kona Club for Mai Tais. Tours take place at 4 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October. Tickets are $25-$30; guests must be 21+ to attend.
GREAT AMERICAN BEER FEST WINNERS Four East Bay breweries have reason to knock back some celebratory suds after this year’s Great American Beer Festival, which took place Sept 20-22 in Colorado. San Leandro-based Drake’s Brewing Co. placed first for its Santa’s Brass in the wood- and barrel-aged strong beer category. Oakland’s Original Pattern Brewing, which opened its Jack London Square brewery in April, won silver for its Call of the Void in the other Belgian-style ale category. And Alameda’s Faction Brewing Co. and San Leandro’s 21st Amendment both won bronze for The Penske File (international-style pale ale) and El Sully (American-style cream ale), respectively. Congrats to all!
LA BEDAINE WILL RETURN Last week, Nosh had reported on La Bedaine, the French take-out and pastry shop in Berkeley that is currently closed. We had incorrectly reported that the shop had been sold, and although we made an update on the posting, we know many Nosh readers are fans of the business, and we wanted to make sure you got the latest information. A friend of owner Alain Delangle contacted Nosh to let us know that the chef is recovering from a stroke and plans to reopen his shop as soon as possible. We’re happy to report this wonderful news and look forward to La Bedaine’s reopening. La Bedaine, 1585 Solano Ave. (between Peralta and Tacoma), Berkeley
DOUGH FOR THE DOGS Concord’s Out the Dough, which serves ice cream-style scoops of safe-to-eat, uncooked cookie dough, created a new product this summer that’s just for sweets-loving canines. Out the Dough’s Chewlicious DogDough is a tribute to the founders’ recently departed dog, Chewy. “We miss him dearly and are so happy to be able to keep his lively, fun, food-lovin’ spirit alive through this OTD product,” they wrote on the Out the Dough Instagram. Chewlicious is made with five ingredients: oat flour, peanut butter, honey, banana and applesauce, so while it’s made for furry friends, aside from the optional dog treat topping, it’s technically human-friendly too. Out the Dough, 4666 Clayton Rd., Concord
