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.
Braid Bakery
A San Francisco-born bakery that has established a following selling artisan breads at San Francisco and East Bay farmers markets and pop-ups has chosen Berkeley for its first permanent location. After successfully popping up in places like Morningtide, Flowerland, Oaktown Spice shops, and Covenant Wines, Braid Bakery is opening a storefront and kitchen on University Avenue near Grant Street on Nov. 13.
French-born pastry chef Valentine Erman launched Braid Bakery in San Francisco in April 2023 as a cottage food operation, and built a following for her creations blending traditional Jewish baking with French and Mediterranean flavors. Erman, who has moved to Europe with her family, sold the bakery to Alex Kaytes and Roy Wang in December 2025. Kaytes and Wang have expanded Braid’s menu and are now launching the bakeries first brick-and-mortar location. They make fresh challah, babka, brioche, and other baked goods. Expect to see Braid Bakery’s triple chocolate, cinnamon sugar, and cinnamon walnut and cardamom babkas in rolls, minis, and loaves, plus challah. Braid Bakery, 1812 University Ave., Berkeley
The Burger Fix
You get a smashburger, they get a smashburger spot, everyone gets a smashburger. Now, Berkeley’s Epicurious Garden has its own smashburger spot. The Burger Fix celebrated its soft opening Nov. 2. The food hall has welcomed several new tenants this year, including Shattuck & Butter and Serotonin Scoops. The Burger Fix, 1511 Shattuck Ave., Unit A, Berkeley
CHIX
A Southern brunch spot just opened in Old Oakland from chef Dottie Moore. As of Nov. 1, CHIX is serving a daily assortment of Southern comfort food, including fried chicken and waffles, oxtail hash, graham cracker crusted French toast, and other meat and vegetarian dishes. Additionally, it looks like CHIX will serve a buffet brunch for $55. Moore is the granddaughter of East Bay barbecue maven Dorothy T. Ellington, who founded Everett & Jones. CHIX is located in the former Horn Barbecue spot. CHIX, 464 8th St., Oakland
Fong Kee Claypot & Cafe
A new Cantonese restaurant specializing in claypots and other dishes recently opened in Castro Valley, the Castro Valley News first reported. The menu includes over a dozen types of claypots, from steaming salted chicken to Chinese sausage to frog legs and eel. Fong Kee Claypot & Cafe fills the former Rudy’s Donut location. The restaurant already has a location in Union City. Fong Kee Claypot & Cafe, 3692 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley
HanGo Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
A new hotpot spot recently opened in Richmond near the Pacific East Mall, where 99 Ranch Market is located. Hango specializes in Korean style bbq and hotpot. The AYCE-style (all you can eat) hotpot and Korean bbq spot serves mini individual hotpots with a variety of soup bases, a sauce bar, and rotating items on a conveyor belt. The restaurant is located in the former Saigon Harbor seafood restaurant. Hango, 3150 Pierce St., Richmond
North Beach Pizza (Downtown Berkeley)
A beloved Berkeley staple, North Beach Pizza, has soft opened a new location in the former location of Bobby G’s Pizzeria in downtown Berkeley, as Nosh first reported last month. The 44-year-old San Francisco pizza chain actually opened its first East Bay location on University Avenue many years ago, so is now returning to its roots on University Avenue. This new location is currently just slinging slices until the grand opening Wednesday, Nov. 11, when they will roll out a more complete menu. North Beach Pizza will offer free slices for the first 200 people of the day, as well as 50% off of a personal pizza in the evening (5-8 p.m.) on Nov. 11. The other Berkeley North Beach Pizza on Shattuck is still be open as well; once the University location is fully up-and-running, the Shattuck location will have more limited hours. North Beach Pizza, 2072 University Ave. (at Shattuck Avenue), Berkeley
Nono’s Doughnuts & Cafe
A new specialty donut and coffee spot across from the Cal campus is soft opening Nov. 5, with several opening specials, including a buy three get one free deal. The spot not only has sweet donuts, but has a selection of savory donuts as well as cafe drinks. Nono’s, 2514 Bancroft Way (at Telegraph Avenue), Berkeley
Salt & Lime
A full-service Mexican restaurant serving “ceviches, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, grilled flank steak, quesabirria” with cocktails emphasizing tequila, according to Diablo, just opened in downtown Walnut Creek in the former location of Oyama Sushi. Salt and Lime, 1521 N. Main St., Walnut Creek
Salt & Straw Rockridge
Portland-based scoop shop Salt & Straw, which has 10 locations in Northern California, including two in San Francisco, is opening its first East Bay store on Nov. 13 in Rockridge. Cousins Kim and Tyler Malek launched Salt & Straw in 2011, and the ice cream company is known for mixing flavors with regional, made-from-scratch ingredients. For example, Fall flavor pumpkin pie is made with pumpkin-spice custard layered with pumpkin pie filling and almond croissant clusters, and cranberry shortbread tart is a mix of orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a coconut cream with cranberry jelly and pieces of cranberry tart. Salt & Straw, 6310 College Ave. Unit 140 (at Alcatraz Avenue), Oakland
Sweetgreen
Los Angeles-based salads, bowls, and wraps chain is holding a grand opening for its latest location inside the Emeryville’s Public Market on Nov. 17. The restaurant is also inviting the public to try a complimentary meal on Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14 before the grand opening (RSVP here, you must have the Sweetgreen app to participate). Grand opening festivities will include giveaways as well. According to a press release, for every meal sold on opening day, Sweetgreen will donate a meal to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Sweetgreen, 5959 Shellmound St., Suite 85, Emeryville
Yak & Spice
Himalayan cuisine has a new home on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, serving handmade momos (dumplings), halal meat dishes like tandoori chicken and goat biryani, and bread made from a clay tandoor, according to its website. The name Yak & Spice presumably refers to the bovine animal that’s essential to Himalayan populations, which also provides sustenance through yak milk and other dairy products like yak yogurt. “Every dish on our table draws from Nepal, Kashmir, and the wider Himalayan range: recipes passed down through kitchens, not looked up — served in a dining room built for lingering over one more plate,” the website states. Yak & Spice, 4086 Piedmont Ave. (at 41st Street), Oakland
