If The Uptown isn’t called The Uptown, what will happen to its sign? Credit: Courtesy of Craigslist
After a decade-plus of multiple owners, strong drinks and live music, Oakland’s The Uptown Nightclub permanently closed in September 2020, and went on the market this past May. Now it appears the business has found a buyer, as The Uptown’s long dormant Facebook profile was updated with a “Coming Soon” image as its cover photo and a message that “the Uptown will be reopening as a music venue,” but with “a new name and new ownership.” The bit about the name has already incited ire among Reddit and Facebook users, with many worried that a name change will spell the end of the venue’s iconic neon sign. Nosh’s attempt to contact The Uptown’s previous owners for more information was unsuccessful as of publication time.
The SF Chronicle’s food section has trained its eye on Oakland in recent days. First, it reports that food vendors who rely on Oakland’s First Fridays event are worried, as the event has been jeopardized by a plan to put permanent bike lanes in the street where it’s held, as well as a new, $24,000 monthly charge from OPD to deploy officers at every First Friday. Next, its dining scribes have put together what it calls “The Best Day Ever in Uptown Oakland,” with stops at spots like Daughter’s Diner, Shawarmaji and Palmetto. Our comments section awaits your thoughts on if this guide truly makes up the “best day ever” in the neighborhood.
You might have noticed that celebrity chef Nelson German’s Oakland seafood spot, alaMar, was dark last week. But all is well, a spokesperson for the restaurant tells Nosh: The restaurant was open throughout the pandemic, serving up community meals as well as takeout and delivery, but now that it’s ready to welcome diners back indoors, the spot briefly shuttered “for a minor remodel of the dining room after having used the space as a staging area” for the past year. Diners can get a look at the refreshed space on July 15, when the spot will host a very small (30 diners, only) special event called the Sinatra Supper Club, a $165-per-person, five-course tasting menu punctuated by tastings of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskies. Tickets are available here.
Restaurants in Alameda can apply for rebates on their commercial food service appliances, Patch reports, part of an effort to help the venues switch from gas to electric appliances. According to Alameda Municipal Power, the appliances must have been purchased after September 21, 2020 and can include a wide range of devices, including induction cooktops and ice machines. See all the details on the rebate program here.
The current Bay Area heat wave is hitting restaurants reliant on outdoor dining where it hurts. KTVU reports that spots in toasty cities like Danville and Walnut Creek saw slews of outdoor dining cancellations as folks sought air conditioned venues instead.
Controversial Georgia-based chicken chain Chick-fil-A is expected to sail into Livermore Monday, Bay City News reports. The proposed restaurant at North Livermore Avenue near 580 will likely be approved tonight, with a “4,821-square-foot restaurant” as well as a “parking lot and dedicated landscaping” to replace open space on a stretch of recently-annexed acreage.
