Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.
Tease Southern Kitchen & Catering
“As we prepare to bid farewell on Sunday, Sept. 22, to Tease Southern Kitchen & Catering, formerly known as Ovo Tavern & Eatery, we share our heartfelt journey of community, resilience, and unforeseen challenges,” said an email from Trevel Adanandus, founder of Oakland’s Tease Southern, to The Oaklandside. The restaurant and bar first opened as OVO (“Oakland’s Very Own”) Tavern in 2015, and in 2022, shifted to Southern-style soul cooking — chicken and waffles, seafood pasta, fried fish. The closure notice calls the shuttering an “unforeseen end,” citing conflict with new property owners as a reason. “As we navigate this chapter’s closure, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the loyal patrons and supporters who have enriched our journey with their presence and love,” continued the note. Sept. 22 will be their final day of service. Tease Southern Kitchen & Catering is at 5319 Martin Luther King Jr. Wy. in Oakland.
Thai Delight
Earlier this month, Nosh spotted 17-year-old Berkeley restaurant Thai Delight’s windows papered over, but were reassured by signage that the inconvenience was only temporary, and that take-out remained available through the kitchen. Loyal Thai Delight diners had been noticing small shifts in decor, quality and service at the otherwise steadfast spot, so a possible refresh similar to the one they underwent in 2005 seemed in the works. But now, in an abrupt reveal, Thai Delight’s familiar pine-green facade and dining room are gone. The space has been transformed as of Sept. 15 into modern new hot pot restaurant Azure (see this week’s openings), the space repainted a bright yellow with bold red accents. Though we welcome the newcomer, we’d also like to join locals in saying a fond farewell to nearly 20 years of some of Berkeley’s best basil tofu and pumpkin curry. Thai Delight was at 1700 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley.
And one more closing to report this week — mine. It has been a pleasure to cover East Bay openings and closings for Nosh for six years, during what has been an incredibly exciting (and challenging) time for the industry. May all your favorite spots stay open. Kindly, Joanna Della Penna
