“Can you recommend a new place to eat?” That’s the question Nosh contributors get the most, and it’s a good one — while we all have our beloved standbys, exploring a new restaurant is one of life’s great pleasures. Watch this space for regular updates on the newest restaurants to try in Berkeley, Oakland and the rest of the East Bay. As always, tips and recommendations are welcomed at editors@eastbaynosh.org.
New Berkeley restaurants
CAFE OHLONE/’OTTOY As announced by Nosh, this long-awaited restaurant dedicated to Indigenous food is now welcoming guests. Founded by Louis Trevino and Vincent Medina, Cafe Ohlone’s new incarnation is called ‘ottoy (“to mend or repair” in the Chochenyo language), and is in the courtyard of the Hearst Museum of Anthropology on U.C. Berkeley’s campus. Reservations can be made online. Cafe Ohlone/’ottoy, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley
KAOKAO GRILL From the team behind Huangcheng Noodles comes this intriguing new barbecue spot in the Elmwood, taking over long-dormant Trattoria La Siciliana. House-smoked meats here are infused with Asian-inspired flavors and ingredients: Applewood-smoked chicken marinated in Southeast Asian spices, served with chickpea curry and rice; char siu-style pork brined in Sichuan flavors; Hong Kong-style smoked-ham sandwiches; sides such as eggplant and cold cucumber salad. Check Instagram to be sure of hours as the restaurant amps up, and see you there. KaoKao Grill, 2993 College Ave. (between Ashby Avenue and Webster Street), Berkeley
MASA RAMEN BISTRO The old Plearn location on University Ave. is now stylish Hawaiian-Japanese haven Masa Ramen Bistro, featuring a spruced up, clean-lined, indoor dining room with new counter seating. On offer are hearty bowls of tonkotsu ramen, katsu and curry platters, musubi, loco moco and other Hawaiian-style specialties. (Coupled with top-tier nearby Hawaiian bakery Ono Bakehouse, this corner of Berkeley is really getting into the aloha spirit.) Masa Ramen Bistro, 1923 University Ave. (between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Bonita Avenue), Berkeley
SIGNAL COFFEE ROASTERS Alameda-based coffee greats Signal Coffee have just opened their first Berkeley location on Solano, in the former Brazilian Breads. Owner Brendan Doherty told Nosh contributor Anna Mindess that the location will offer coffee and pastries not found at its other outpost, and that it expects to hold a grand opening celebration in coming weeks. Signal Coffee Roasters, 1707 Solano Ave., Berkeley
STATE FLOUR PIZZA COMPANY Nosh editor Eve Batey and contributor Brock Keeling had the news on this special new pizzeria now open in the Elmwood. State Flour Pizza Company, 2985 College Ave. (near Webster St.), Berkeley
WATERSIDE CAFE Families visiting the nearby Aquatic Park playground, runners, picnickers, kayakers, frisbee golfers, and waterfront lovers, take note: Reopened and ready to refresh is Waterside Cafe (main photo, above), a special spot serving espresso-based coffee drinks, tea, Italian sodas, local pastries, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, snacks — and the community. The cheerful, homey cafe on the Aquatic Park lagoon, closed since March 2020, is part of Waterside Workshops, and provides job-training internships for local youth. Waterside Cafe, 84 Bolivar Dr. (at Aquatic Park), Berkeley
New El Cerrito restaurants
LILIKOI BOBA We missed this opening over the summer: El Cerrito Plaza has a new little boba and pastry shop, part of a growing California (and beyond) franchise with Hawaiian inflections from boba entrepreneur David Fan. Lilikoi Boba, 3080 El Cerrito Plaza, El Cerrito
TIGON Now open in the former Nong Thon Vietnamese Restaurant space in El Cerrito is Tigon (“tai-gon”), meaning “tiger,” featuring new owners and generous portions of traditional Vietnamese cooking. The spacious, wood-beamed dining room adjacent to the Rialto Cinemas Cerrito movie theater remains mostly unchanged. Tigon, 10086 San Pablo Ave. (at Central Avenue), El Cerrito
New Emeryville restaurants
HUMPHRY SLOCOMBE BAY STREET Everyone’s favorite irreverent, small-batch (and really, really good) ice cream maker Humphry Slocombe has a new scoop shop on Bay Street in Emeryville. Thanks to the E’ville Eye for the…scoop. Expect more Bay Street food and drink openings to come as the new Bay Break food terrace concept ramps up. (As for Humphry Slocombe, Nosh enjoys picturing potential Emeryville-based versions of the group’s famed, collaborative ice cream flavors – the Swedish Sundae? Ratatouille?) Humphry Slocombe Bay Street, 5641 Bay St., Suite 234, Emeryville
THE SUNDAY RESTAURANT Opened this month is…The Sunday, in Emeryville’s former Patatas. (Hat tip to E’ville Eye.) Details are scarce so far, but the new restaurant will offer Korean-American fusion dishes for brunch and dinner. Watch Instagram for more details. The Sunday Restaurant, 3986 Adeline St. (between 40th Street and Yerba Buena Avenue), Emeryville
New Hayward restaurant
TASTY SZECHUAN Thanks to an East Coast reader visiting family in Hayward, we’ve heard that that city has a promising new Chinese restaurant in Tasty Szechuan, recently opened in the former A Heart Szechwan Fish space. Local reviews are bordering on excitable so far. Tasty Szechuan, 766 A St., Hayward
New Kensington restaurant
BENCHMARK PORTIVA Benchmark in Kensington opened a new little sister shop starting this month. Introducing Benchmark Portavia (“carry out” in Italian), the team’s new storefront for grab-and-go food and dry goods, featuring prepared items such as salads as well as Italian-inspired groceries they use at the pizzeria — cheeses, olive oils, pasta, canned tomatoes, good salt and even pizza dough to go. Hours are limited to begin, but are lunch friendly, and locals are molto looking forward to this new option for the neighborhood. Benchmark Portavia, 380 Colusa Ave. (between Oak View and Santa Fe avenues), Kensington
New Oakland restaurants
CAFE COLUCCI It’s here! Temescal’s 31-year-old Ethiopian standout Cafe Colucci and its sister spice company Brundo are now fully open inside their new, larger location at 5849 San Pablo Ave. in North Oakland. (Reminder that the former location on Telegraph Avenue is now closed.) Cafe Colucci, 5849 San Pablo Ave. (between Stanford Avenue and 59th Street), Oakland
EBIKO Piedmont Avenue locals and professionals are loving this new grab-and-go sushi spot from the family behind Berkeley’s Kyoto Sushi, now open in the space that was Gaylord’s for 30 years. With Ebiko, chef-owner David Liu’s intent is to provide fresh, high-quality fish for take-away at an accessible price point, as well as a variety of rice bowls and Japanese snacks and candy. . Ebiko, 4150 Piedmont Ave. (at 41st Street), Oakland
ME & JUNGLE CAFE “Refreshing” seems to be the word most used for this sweet and fanciful new cafe on Piedmont Ave., with lush greenery, comfortable couches and a lovely outdoor patio (with a greenhouse) in back. Food is fresh and Thai-inspired — rice wraps, bowls, healthful proteins, many vegan choices. There is also a menu of coffee and tea drinks and breakfast pastries in the morning. Note: Sister shop Me and Jungle Plant Studio has closed its brick and mortar at 4139 Piedmont Ave., but those gorgeous plants are still available for sale online. Me & Jungle Cafe, 3943 Piedmont Ave. (near Monte Vista Avenue), Oakland
JUNGDON KATSU A commenter let us know that Jungdon Katsu’s Japanese dishes were well worth checking out. The delivery and take-out only spot is a new tenant inside North Oakland’s Longfellow Food Hall. Jungdon Katsu inside Longfellow Food Hall, 5333 Adeline St. (at 54th St.), Oakland
OAKLANDIA CAFE DOWNTOWN Contributor Brock Keeling’s story on Oaklandia Cafe & Bakery’s expansion is a sweet one, and begins in a famous Bay Area cookie shop once located in the same downtown space. Oaklandia Cafe, 555 12th St. (ground floor of 555 City Center), Oakland
OK’s DELI Hot, beloved sandwich purveyor Ok’s Deli, formerly a pop-up and known for its Asian-inflected but also classic Americana-style creations, opened its first brick-and-mortar location Sept. 1. Cesar Hernandez of the SF Chronicle has a thorough report of the shop’s sought-after offerings, including a spam mi sandwich with housemade, artisanal spam. Nosh’s report from 2021 on the pop-up offers more insight into what chef Albert Ok’s new spot is all about. Ok’s Deli, 3932 Telegraph Ave. (at 40th Street), Oakland
ONE MILK TEA CHINATOWN Boozy-boba fans and nonboozy-boba fans alike should check out One Milk Tea’s new. spacious location in Oakland’s Chinatown, opened as of Sept. 2. The Sacramento-based boba mini-chain says it’s rapidly expanding across the state, with East Oakland and Alameda outposts also in the works. So far, this new spot is their only Bay Area location to offer “alcoholic boba,” by which they mean tea infused with soju or sake. One Milk Tea Chinatown, 349 7th St., Oakland
PIZZA MY HEART Fans missing their favorite Capitola-based pies and slices from the now demolished Pizza My Heart location on Bay Street can now find them inside the Oakland Food Hall, available for take-out or delivery only. (Note: a previous version of this item listed its location as the Longfellow Food Hall; thanks to a reader for sharing that Pizza My Heart has since moved from that food hall to another.) Pizza My Heart inside Oakland Food Hall, 2353 E 12th St. (near Miller Avenue), Oakland
SLIVER UPTOWN Sliver pizza fans, check out this gleaming new location in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood — spacious, stylish and open for lunch and dinner daily as of Sept. 13, with outdoor seating available on the sidewalk. The long-awaited restaurant opened at the base of the luxe Alta Waverly apartment building, and as at all Sliver eateries, serves one type of pizza per day. Sliver Uptown is the second new location to open this year; Sliver Danville opened in February. Sliver Uptown, 2300 Valdez St. (at 23rd Street), Oakland
New San Leandro restaurant
FIELDWORK SAN LEANDRO Fieldwork’s newest comfy juggernaut of a beer garden has predictably generated buzz, beginning with a spread on Eater. Built into a 1960s Firestone Auto Service Center, the new San Leandro location is Fieldwork’s eighth and largest at 7,800 square feet, including an outdoor space that can accommodate more than 250 revelers. The craft brewery’s winning formula for relaxed, indoor-outdoor quaffing is on full view here, with ample sun, shade, roomy seating, firepits, loveseats, benches, picnic tables, greenery, bike friendly parking, a 3,000-square-foot indoor space with garage doors, high ceilings and huge windows and adjacent 65-person taproom, artisan pizzas and seasonal bar bites — even a designated outdoor kid’s area and menu. Oh yes, and beer. Lots of craft beer. Fieldwork San Leandro, 100 West Juana Ave. (near Clarke Street), San Leandro
New Union City restaurant
DOUGHWEIME The Chronicle listed this new Union City doughnut and pastry spot among its East Bay openings late last month, with sweet offerings that have Japanese, Hawaiian, Taiwanese and other influences. Be warned that hours are limited, as DoughWeiMe is only open Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. or when they sell out. DoughWeiMe Donuts & Pastries, 31858 Alvarado Blvd., Union City
Featured image: Waterside Cafe in Berkeley. Courtesy: Waterside Cafe
