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.
Crush’d Wine Bar & Kitchen
Danville’s newest wine bar and small plates restaurant features a sleek, comfortable vibe and wine-friendly nibbles such as charcuterie and cheese boards, tinned fish and caviar. The bar also has a bit of a unique pull in its long list of curated wines on tap in addition to original craft cocktails; check out the spot’s various menus here. Crush’d Wine Bar & Kitchen, 312 Railroad Ave., Suite B (at Church Street), Danville
Honor Kitchen & Cocktails (Reopened)
Honor Kitchen & Cocktails, anchoring one of Emeryville’s main crossroads, has at last reopened after a lengthy dormancy, and by all accounts the updates have been worth the wait. The former site of a basic yet very popular tented outdoor parking lot space during the pandemic is now a luxe, spacious, airy, indoor-outdoor “atrium” with roll-down walls, roughly tripling the size of Honor’s original dining area. The remodel conveys the same roominess, coziness and style of the many nearby lofts and live-work spaces, and vintage-style furnishings and indoor and outdoor murals from Joey Rose color the space. Outside, several fire pits add to the atmosphere. Here is a peek at the menu, which includes pizzas, seafood and vegetarian plates, as well as Honor’s notable fried chicken and meatier fare. And yes, the famous Honor Bucket of bottles remains. Honor Kitchen & Cocktails, 1411 Powell St. (at Hollis), Emeryville
Maria’s Mexican Kitchen
Maria’s Mexican has opened its first brick-and-mortar eatery, Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, in the Allendale neighborhood, steps away from the regular location of the Maria’s Mexican Food truck near Central Gas. The new taqueria inside the former China Pack spot serves a menu of intriguing specialties, including pupusas, birria pizza, menudo and barbecued ribs. Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, 3118 35th Ave. (near Mangels Avenue), Oakland
Peace Natural Vegan Food
Saturday, August 17, marked the grand opening for newcomer Peace Natural Vegan Food inside the small, sweet dining room formerly occupied by Nomad on Solano Avenue. The restaurant serves organic, healthful, vegan cuisine and beverages (kombucha, tea, wine and beer) for lunch and dinner (check hours) with components such as mung-bean soup, long-grain brown rice, cooked greens and vegetables, and bean cake served with vegan sauces. The restaurant also serves lighter, snackier fare, including momos and salads, and an appealing menu of vegan desserts. Peace Natural Vegan Food, 1593 Solano Ave. (near Tacoma Avenue), Berkeley
Pinole Pizza House
Brothers Jay and Zach Qassas, the team behind San Pablo Avenue’s Richmond Pizza House, have expanded their business north to the Del Monte Shopping Center in Pinole. Still in soft opening mode, Pinole Pizza House features a menu of pizza, calzones, Mediterranean wraps and salads similar to the brothers’ Richmond location. The Richmond Standard was the first to report on the opening. Pinole Pizza House at the Del Monte Shopping Center, 620 San Pablo Ave., Suite A (at Del Monte Drive), Pinole
TKK Fried Chicken
TKK, a fried chicken franchise “since 1974,” according to signage, first founded in Taiwan, has landed on Telegraph Avenue in time for the UC Berkeley students’ return. Expect fried chicken tenders, wings, spicy sandwiches, sides of biscuits and crinkle-cut fries, and other fast-casual, Asian-inflected, chicken-focused fare, served with Kung Fu brand tea drinks. Coming soon: Fried bread pudding for dessert. TKK Fried Chicken, 2431 Telegraph Ave. (between Haste Street and Channing Way), Berkeley
