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. The openings and closings for each month are then compiled into a round-up. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.
Alameda restaurant opening
Share Pizza
11.06.24: Share Pizza, a pizza delivery outpost that serves half-bake sourdough pies to customers in Alameda, opened brick-and-mortar on Main Street on Oct. 30. If you’re looking for an affordable lunch option, stop by for a slice or two (cheese goes for $3 a piece; pepperoni slices are $3.50). The shop has also hot and half-baked pies available to go. Their specials menu rotates and sells out fast, but you can check their Instagram for updates or pre-order for delivery online. Share Pizza, 1930 Main St, #2, Alameda
Berkeley restaurant openings
Bangkok by the Bay
11.12.24: Bangkok by the Bay is bringing lively Thai dishes, like chicken satay and papaya salad, and comforting noodle soups to West Berkeley after its opening earlier this month. Tucked near the water in the Aquatic Park district, Bangkok by the Bay also offers a happy hour menu starring Thai street food eats like moo ping (grilled pork seasoned with garlic, cilantro and caraway seeds) and pau pia (crispy vegan rolls). Bangkok by the Bay, 800 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley
Carem Cafe
11.26.24: Tucked away on Berkeley’s San Pablo Ave. is Carem Cafe, which, according to the Facebook post that tipped us off, is a small takeaway café specializing in various treats to the tune of coffee, boba, gelato and bánh mì sandwiches. As of now, there’s no seating at the café, so plan to hit Carem on the go. Carem Cafe, 2729 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
11.19.24: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, a Honolulu-headquartered purveyor of Hawaiian plate lunches, recently opened a new location on Berkeley’s Telegraph Ave. The fast-casual chain with locations across the United States and in Japan, offers hearty plates that consist of rice, mac salad and a choice of protein, including chicken katsu, kalua pork, loco moco and garlic shrimp. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, 2475 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley
Masterpiece Coffee
11.12.24: A new coffee roaster debuted a small cafe in West Berkeley in late October, and escaped Nosh’s notice until now. Masterpiece Coffee specializes in single-origin roasts from beans sourced from around the world and matcha drinks. Masterpiece Coffee is now open at 1714 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
El Cerrito restaurant opening
Mugunghwa
11.19.24: El Cerrito welcomed a new Korean restaurant to the neighborhood: Mugunghwa, named after the Korean national flower, celebrated its soft opening on Nov. 13. The extensive menu features well-loved Korean favorites like bulgogi (beef marinated in sweet soy sauce), fried chicken and soft tofu soup, but you can also find less common items including mul naengmyeon (cold noodles) and bossam muchin (thinly-sliced pork tossed with a spicy, tangy homemade sauce, noodles and vegetables). Mugunghwa, 10140 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito
Emeryville restaurant opening
Oaks Corner
11.06.24: Emeryville’s Oaks Corner, an old-timey sports bar that shuttered during the pandemic, has reopened without its hofbrau component, the E’Ville Eye reported. You’ll still find classic bar food like burgers and onion rings on the menu, plus an assortment of Chinese dishes including lo mein and egg rolls. Oaks Corner, 4099 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville
Fremont restaurant opening
Freewheel Brewing
11.26.24: Freewheel Brewing has been a long-time pillar in the Redwood City beer scene. On Nov. 15, the brewery celebrated its soft opening at its second location in Fremont’s former Das Brew building. Freewheel specializes in British-style ales and IPAs, but you’ll also find a German-inspired kölsch on the menu. Grab a bite at the taco truck stationed outside — TBD if this location will open up its own food program in the future. Freewheel Brewing, 44536 South Grimmer Blvd., Fremont
Solkadhi
11.06.24: The team behind Puranpoli, an acclaimed Santa Clara restaurant specializing in Indian snack foods, soft launched their latest project, Solkadhi, in Fremont on Oct. 17. Cuisine from the coastal state of Maharashtra is the star of Solkadhi’s menu, which includes dishes such as vada pav (deep fried spiced potato balls with chutney to pair) and misal pav (an oily, spicy curry made from sprouts and moth beans, served with two bread buns). The SF Chronicle reported on the opening. Solkadhi, 39158 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont
Oakland restaurant openings
Asu Mare
11.26.24: Asu Mare, a new purveyor of authentic Peruvian cuisine, opened in Oakland’s Bushrod neighborhood last week. Inside, you’ll find offerings just as colorful as the mural of Machu Picchu blanketing the walls, such as the traditional lomo saltado, a beef stir fry, and Inca Kola, a sweet lemon verbena soft drink. They’re still getting up and running and there’s no website listed yet, so for now, stop by the restaurant in person to check out their menu. Asu Mare, 6211 Shattuck Ave., Oakland
Cafenated
11.06.24: After what felt like a steady trickle of departures over at the Hive in Uptown Oakland, some good news: Cafenated, a Berkeley-based coffee roaster, has taken up residence in the former shipping-container-turned-café Red Bay coffee box. Cafenated sources green beans directly from women’s coffee farm cooperatives in Central America, South America and Africa, and operates two brick-and-mortar cafes on Vine St. and College Ave. in Berkeley. The coffee box celebrated its grand opening at the Hive on Oct. 27, offering espresso beverages and drip coffee as well as matcha, pastries and Boichik bagels. Cafenated Kiosk, 2327 Broadway, Oakland
Dragon Gate
11.12.24: Dragon Gate Bar and Grille, a late-night downtown Oakland destination offering authentic Taiwanese fare and private karaoke rooms, has reemerged in Jack London Square after two years following a pandemic-era closure. The new space — formerly Kincaid’s — is bigger and certainly bolder than the original at 300 Broadway, boasting multiple bars, tons of dining tables and seven private karaoke rooms. (The largest VIP room features its own private bar and restroom, plus sweeping waterfront views.) Go for the music and stay for snacks: bun cha, tofu, fried prawns and pancakes grace the menu, as well as several teas, draft beers, wines and whiskeys. Dragon Gate, 1 Franklin St., Oakland
Little Bird Bar
11.19.24: Quietly and without ceremony, Little Bird Bar has nested in what was formerly Radio Bar in Downtown Oakland, serving up cocktails, local draft beers and spirits in an eclectic, causal environment. The space is dimly lit but punctuated with bold pops of color in the decor and the drinks like the electric Blue Bird cocktail. Little Bird Bar, 435 13th St., Oakland
Monk’s Kettle
11.12.24: Monk’s Kettle, the gastropub formerly located in San Francisco’s Mission district, has rehomed to College Avenue in Rockridge, where it quietly opened its doors on Nov. 2. San Francisco’s “drastically changed customer behavior” was the impetus for the move, and the Rockridge space provided more room for larger gatherings and parties. The pub serves 26 beers on tap and elevated bar classics like hamburgers and sandwiches, plus ritzier offerings including a house-pickled vegetable medley and toast topped with roasted mushrooms, pickled bonshu menji, burrata, hot honey and hella herbs. Monk’s Kettle, 5484 College Ave., Oakland
Noori Chicken
11.06.24: On the heels of BBQ Chicken’s recent Rockridge opening, Oakland has been blessed again with another Korean fried chicken destination. Noori Chicken is now open and serving wings — plus other Korean goodies like spicy seafood ramen, corn cheese, seafood pancakes and army stew — in the former Los Kinjas location in Adams Point. Noori Chicken, 366 Grand Ave. (Suite A), Oakland
Tarts de Feybesse
11.26.24: Looking for a warm, buttery, flaky croissant? Look elsewhere — though Tarts de Feybesse is a bonafide French bakery, croissants aren’t on the lineup. Founding chefs and partners Paul and Monique Feybesse, both of whom have worked in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe and the Bay Area, are honing their focus on some of the finer delicacies the French pastry scene has to offer — most notably the fouace aveyronnaise, a brioche pastry adorned with orange blossom water and sugar — at their new Uptown Oakland location. Tarts de Feybesse began as a pop-up, but the popularity of its eclairs, apple tarts and sourdough bread made opening the brick-and-mortar a no-brainer. Check out the San Francisco Chronicle’s in-depth report on the bakery here. Tarts de Feybesse, 324 24th St., Oakland
