Cafe Gabriela (reopening)
The recent spring weather is not the only thing lifting spirits this week. Oakland’s Cafe Gabriela, closed since 2020’s COVID lockdown, has reopened its cafe dining room and is once again welcoming folks to come in and “land, rest and rejuvenate.” The cafe, owned by Penny Baldado and named for Gabriela Silang, a Filipina revolutionary, is known for its inclusive, community-minded, progressive spirit as well as its strong espresso drinks, hearty sandwiches, salads and other nourishing cafe fare. The cafe first opened in 2010. Cafe Gabriela, 988 Broadway (at 9th Street), Oakland
El Jardin De Los Sueños
East Richmond residents have been watching this opening closely, tucked near the entrance to the highway and boasting, in a bonus for the area, a roomy parking lot (though, despite the garden theme, no outdoor seating just yet). Family-owned El Jardin de los Sueños (garden of dreams) joins nearby businesses Catahoula, El Tucan, Factory Bar, Waffles n Cream and PraJam Thai along San Pablo Avenue, offering a fresh array of sandwiches, salads, pastries, including selections from Starter Bakery and Noah’s bagels, specialty coffee drinks and a sizeable menu of fruit smoothies for breakfast and lunch daily. El Jardin de los Sueños, 12411 San Pablo Ave., Richmond
