The Chatterbox

NAKED LUNCH will be hosting chef Natalie Nesbit (she worked at Zinnia, Oliveto, and Café Majestic previously) and her pop-up Grasshopper on Sunday June 23rd, from 5pm-10pm. Her Asian-influenced menu includes chicken tsukune and mushroom “zombies” (stuffed buns named after an East Bay lunchroom staple). Check out the full lineup…

Learn all about oysters from author Rowan Jacobsen on Thursday June 27th at ~WATERBAR~ during happy hour. From 2pm-5:30pm, the author of A Geography of Oysters will be on the patio, shucking oysters, answering questions about his book and, of course, about oysters. The book talks all about oyster…

Potentially opening in early July in Oakland is a new wine bar and shop called THE RED WHALE (thanks to a tip on Chowhound). Owner Bradford Taylor is going to primarily focus on small-production California wines (with some on tap), plus some European wines will be in the mix. You…

According to Our Oakland blog, HUTCH BAR & KITCHEN has softly opened and the kitchen is just ramping up this week. This Uptown Oakland project is in the former 2022 lounge. Diablo Dish originally shared details about the project: chef-owner David King (Southpaw BBQ, Delfina, Twenty Five Lusk) is a…

A reader writes in to tell me the venerable NAN YANG (open since 1981, and the East Bay’s first Burmese restaurant) is closing on June 26th (although they may stay open through the end of the month). Chef Philip Chu—famed for his Burmese cuisine—is retiring. Regulars are…

Back in 2012, we mentioned M.H. BREAD AND BUTTER was opening in San Anselmo. Well, this café from co-owners Nathan Yanko (a baker formerly of Tartine) and Devon Crosby-Helms (a personal chef) is now open. In addition to the artisan baked breads is a menu (from chef Arielle Segal)…

During my trip to New Zealand, I had the pleasure of making my way through all the appetizers at Clooney in Auckland, a very chic and contemporary restaurant from restaurateur Tony Stewart (he is also behind The Hamptons in Auckland). At the time, he told me he had a pop-up,…

A report by Dana Massey-Todd. As mentioned back in February, pastry chef Sybil Johnson of Aqua and Kokkari is opening her own place in the former Chapeau! location in the Richmond. Her new spot, called HEARTBAKER, is cozy and comfortable, but not too twee; it’s got a darker rock…

A few weeks ago, Eater and Uptown Almanac were discussing the upcoming brick-and-mortar Mission location for the CRÈME BRÛLÉE CART, but didn’t have a lock on the exact address. Crème Brûlée honcho Curtis Kimball has landed a space at 3338 24th Street (between Mission and Valencia), previously Yojoa Express,…

Just last week, I was parked in front of the former Bar Bambino in the Mission, wondering who the next taker was going to be for that chic space. And then boom, a new ABC license hit the wires, announcing MARUYA from Masaki Sasaki and Raymond Feliciano. Sushi hounds will…