As the winter rains and darker afternoons give way to clear skies and later sunsets, restaurant week season has arrived in the East Bay.
Oakland’s annual event turning a spotlight on its diverse dining scene runs March 14-24, and, for the first time ever, includes participating restaurants from every single council district in the city. Berkeley Restaurant Week, which is focused on fungi this year, is March 21-31.
Oakland Restaurant Week
The Town’s celebration of its culinary culture has been going since 2010, and this year will have more than 150 participating businesses.
The organizers, Visit Oakland, have also gamified the event. Diners can download the Vibemap application to their smartphones, and check-in at Restaurant Week participants they visit. Each visit earns points toward badges and awards like restaurant gift cards and hotel stays.
In previous years the motto for the event has been “Eat, Drink, Repeat,” but Visit Oakland worked to expand on that idea in 2024.
“We added the word ‘Stay,’ and we have seven hotels offering specials for people who want to spend the night in Oakland,” said Peter Gamez, president and CEO of Visit Oakland. “It’s a great opportunity for a little getaway, you can go out to dinner and enjoy a show at the Fox or Paramount and stay in the city.”
Participating restauranst are offerings a range of special dishes and menus, at both lunch and dinner time.
“Following the pandemic it is critical that we support these restaurants, and maybe we can get some of the people who have shied away from going out to try out these restaurants with some really great special,” Gamez said. “That’s one reason we wanted to have representation in every area of Oakland as we look to raise the economy.”
Gamez noted Oakland’s rich diversity and how that helps make The Town’s dining scene unique.
“It’s a fact that 125 languages or dialects are spoken in Oakland and with that amount of diversity in language you’re bound to have a lot of diversity of food as well,” Gamez said.
Oakland Restaurant Week partners with both the Alameda County Food Bank and Community Kitchens.
Berkeley Restaurant Week
The 12th annual Berkeley Restaurant Week features more than 75 participants this year, and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has become more diverse and inclusive.
Rather than everyone creating a pared-down prix-fixe menu, restaurants have more flexibility now to participate in whatever way they see fit and offer specials that work for their business.
Organizers are also leaning into coinciding with the NCAA Basketball Tournament, using the theme “March Munch Madness.” Accordingly, the tiered pricing options all have basketball-inspired names. “Lay Up” offers range from $10-$20; “Jump Shot” offers go from $20-$30; “Three Pointer” offers range from $30-$40; and “Full Court Press” offers are $40 and more.
“Culinary prowess is part of the Berkeley DNA,” said Jeffrey Church, Visit Berkeley’s director of partnership development. “The city has a legacy that continues on with new food proprietors and wineries that are continuing to draw attention.”
In addition to Restaurant Week menu specials, the event also includes a trio of events. The Berkeley Restaurant Week kick-off will be March 20 from 11 a.m. to 3p.m. at Berkeley Bowl West and will showcase a special menu from La Marcha Tapas Bar. Also on March 20 at Berkeley Bowl West, there will be a ticketed event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Both of the events will support the Berkeley Food Network.
Also, on March 19, SWAY will host a Restaurant Week Partner Spotlight from 6 pm. to 9 p.m., and, on Friday, March 29, Ciel Creative Space will hold a NCAA basketball Sweet 16 Watch Party at its West Berkeley location starting at 5 p.m.
This is the first year Berkeley Restaurant Week has partnered with the Berkeley Food Network, and all of the Restaurant Week menus will have a call-to-action to donate to the organization.
Berkeley Restaurant Week also has a fungi theme in 2024, and organizers have encouraged participants to have some mushroom-focused dishes on their menus.
“Restaurant week is a great time to explore old favorites and find new ones,” Church said. “The food service industry has suffered beyond just the pandemic. The cost of eggs, meat, and other basics have gone up.”
Restaurants are busy enough these days making ends meet, Church said, so Visit Berkeley took on the work of designing menus and table cards for the event this year and is also working to facilitate connections and collaborations between Berkeley businesses.
“Restaurant work is so hard,” Church said. “They are generally heads down, working as hard as they can just make sure the business is going. So we want to bring added value, take some of the labor off their hands, and introduce restaurants and food providers to each other.”
