The Chronicle’s annual Top 100 Restaurants list just came out last week, and 14 are in the East Bay. Two restaurants (Adesso and Boot & Shoe Service) are new to the list, and twelve were on last year’s list and still holding strong (Wood Tavern, Camino, Rivoli, O Chame, Bay Wolf, Chez Panisse, Chow, Flora, Vik’s Chaat Corner, Corso Trattoria, Dopo and Va de Vi). Unfortunately, there are three restaurants that were at the top in ’09, but didn’t get any love from Restaurant Critic Michael Bauer time around: Fonda, Marzano and Sea Salt.
photo: East Bay Express
As you can imagine, there’s always a lot of debate around the Top 100. One of the noticeable absences this year is Commis, especially since Chef James Syhabout was just named one of 10 Best New Chefs in the country in Food and Wine Magazine. Congratulations to the staff at Commis, which was also awarded a Michelin star last year. Heads up, people – it just got a lot harder to get a reservation at the 10-month-old restaurant. Please plan accordingly.
3859 Piedmont Ave, Oakland
510-635-3902
Just opened
Moaz Vegetarian, a quick service restaurant, opened a couple weeks ago near the UC Berkeley campus. Originally started in Europe, this is the first on the West Coast. The menu features freshly made falafels, Belgian fries and salads.
2395 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley
510-356-4090
Speaking of falafels, I noticed Ms. Wally’s Cafe opened in Emeryville, and was excited to find out more details in Tablehopper. Angelica Zuberbuhler and Walid Matar, the owners of Wally’s Cafe, are also behind this project, and will continue to serve Mediterranean and Lebanese favorites (tabbouleh, hummus, kebabobs) and will also add new dishes like kibbeh, crepes and galettes.
4336 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville
510-547-0992
The Contra Costa Times briefly profiled the new Up & Under Pub and Grill, named after a tactical rugby kick. A family-friendly sports bar, there are sandwiches (like The Full Back – Grilled chicken with thick cut bacon, roasted tomatoes & peppers, jack cheese, and chipotle aioli on herb fococcia, $8.95), large plates (like The Scrum Half – Crispy beer battered fish & chips with house tartar sauce and slaw, $11.95) and kids meals (all $5.95) on the rugby-inspired menu.
2 West Richmond Ave, Point Richmond
510-778-1313
Opening Soon
photo: Martha Stewart
According to EaterSF, Michael Bao “signed a lease for a 6,500 sq ft space on the second floor of the Jack London Market.” The chef-owner of 5 Vietnamese inspired restaurants in Manhattan is planning to open 10 more noodle bars, sandwich shops and fine dining restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Atlanta and Oakland. What should we expect? The market-style seafood restaurant planned for Oakland will reportedly be a joint effort with Pichet Ong, the award winning pastry chef and owner of P’Ong, and is expected to open later this year.
After opening last spring, Cafe Bailey’s on 65th recently closed and will reopen in a few weeks as Farley’s on 65th. Farley’s Coffee, which opened in San Francisco in 1989 and a second location in uptown Oakland last summer, is “known for locally roasted coffee and good eats, plus art exhibits and live music by locals.”
1195 65th Street, Emeryville
Closed
photo: Citron Restaurant
Citron, a favorite French-Mediterranean restaurant closed last week. Opened originally in 1992, Chef Chris Rossi bought the restaurant five years later, earned 3 stars from The Chronicle and remained on the Top 100 List for 2 years. Rossi also opened the three-star A Cote, located next door, which had a longer run on the Top (2002 – 2008). When Rossi, reportedly, relinquished some of his duties to his staff, the food and service started to decline and Citron was demoted to two stars in 2005. A Cote is still open, but we’ll have to wait and see who ends up in the prime Rockridge District location next door.
5484 College Ave, Oakland
Chef Shuffle
The Chronicle’s Inside Scoop reported two chef changes in the East Bay. Flora, a Top 100 restaurant, will have a new chef in the kitchen at the end of the month when Chris Dettmer, the former Chef de Cuisine at the four-star Restaurant at Meadowood will take over.
1900 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
Scott Howard is making moves to open another restaurant somewhere in Marin. Since his eponymous SF restaurant closed in 2008, the Chef helped open Five last summer and is now serving as consulting Chef until he makes the big leap. Banks White took over as Executive Chef.
2086 Allston Way, Berkeley
Christina Mitchell
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