No Worries Filipino Vegan Cuisine just opened last week in Downtown Oakland. The lunch menu is affordably priced ($5.95 – 7.95) and includes your choice of dishes like lumpia, adobo, giniling and bistek. I met the chef/owner, Jay-Ar Isagani Pugao, last year and was lucky enough to taste some of his food. Let’s just say this place is on my list of places to visit, sooner rather than later. It’s open Monday – Friday, 11am – 3pm and 5pm – 9pm, Saturday, 5pm – 9pm and closed on Sunday.
1442 Franklin St, Oakland
510-444-4466
photo: Christina Mitchell
Pepple’s Donuts opened their retail shop about 2 weeks ago in the former Wilma’s Catfish Kitchen space. Originally, a wholesale company, their vegan donuts were only available at coffee shops. Now, they’re selling directly to the public Sun – Thurs, 9am – 6pm, Fri & Sat, 9am – 10pm.
6037 San Pablo, Oakland
Earthly Coffee Shop has been serving “Healthy Quick Bites” for a few weeks. There are several different sandwiches on the menu and the owner’s grandma contributed her beef empanadas to the offerings. Grandmas are the best.
5506 Martin Luther Way, Oakland
510-684-7216
Underdog Wine Bar opened a couple months ago on Livermore’s Concannon Vineyard. Chef Barbara Llewellyn’s small plates menu is designed to go with the wine list. My crab cakes were lemony and surprisingly delicate. The server recommended the Chardonnay Flight, but I think the one in the middle, the 2008 Brophy Clark, was the best pair. It’s open daily from 12 – 8pm.
4590 Tesla Road, Livermore
925-583-1581
Table 24 is all set to open on the 24th. Perfect timing, right? There will be a variety of soups, sandwiches, salads, pizzas on the lunch and dinner menus, along with mains like pastas, fried chicken, and lamb chop lollipops. Facebook fans have been invited to some complementary practice meals next week to get ready for opening day. They will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and open at 7am daily.
photo: Table 24
The Island has some sweet news: John and Nora Dunning, the owners of Crema Cafe are moving their business from Oakland to Alameda. The plan is to renovate the former Space Happy location and open the patisserie in January. After taking a peek at their Facebook page, it looks like they also have plans to open a cafe Berkeley.
1354 Park Street, Alameda
2865 Seventh Street, Berkeley
Closed
KTVU ran a story about a fire that completely destroyed Tiki Tom’s restaurant and bar in Oakland. It wasn’t open at the time and nobody was hurt. Acording to Inside Scoop, the fire is now “officially suspicious” because the planning permit expired on 8/30, the liquor license expired on 9/30 and the landlord was planning to evict Tiki Tom’s by December.
300 29th Ave, Oakland
photo: KTVU
In other news…
Congratulations to the whole team at Gather, for receiving national attention being named a Best New Restaurant by Esquire Magazine this week. But it was Sean Baker, who received the big recognition as Chef of the Year. Berkeley, stand up!
2200 Oxford Street, Berkeley
510-809-0400
photo: Gather
Speaking of Gather, their opening sous chef, Rhasaan Fernandez took over the lease at Sam’s Log Cabin on September 1st. The restaurant serves basic breakfast fair (organic eggs, pancakes, griddle cakes) and is in the process of shifting to all house cured meats. Sam’s Log Cabin is open Tues – Sun, 7am – 2pm. Rhasaan has been serving pasta, piadini and other goodies at local farmer’s markets through Boffo Cart, his other venture.
945 San Pablo Ave, Albany
510-558-0494
Here are a couple new brunch options in Berkeley:
Zut! just started brunch service last week, and I must admit, the menu looks pretty good to me. Nutella pizza with bananas, ricotta and berries? Sure! Fried eggs, flat iron steak, hot sauce and fingerling potatoes? Yes, please! Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30am – 4:00pm.
1820 Fourth Street, Berkeley
510-644-0444
There are 6 specials ($11) on Sea Salt’s new brunch menu like Biscuits and Gravy with fennel sausage gravy and two sunny side eggs and Pork Rillons with cheddar cheese grits, maple syrup and two poached eggs. The Hangtown Hash with hama hama oysters, lardons, pickled onions, crème fraiche and two poached eggs is a little more expensive at $16, but looks pretty good to me. You can order these dishes on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am – 3pm.
2512 San Pablo, Berkeley
510-883-1720
Christina Mitchell
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