Best Friends
Need gifts for the buzzy food brand lover in your life? Stop by Best Friends, Albany’s newest wine bar that doubles as a food-forward retail shop. Centering local wine producers and craft beers, the bar doubles as a charming marketplace where trendy tinned fish, fancy olive oils and chili crisps abound. And if all that shopping makes you hungry, the bar serves a rotating menu of small snack plates with cheese, meat, olives and nuts. Best Friends, 901 San Pablo Ave., Albany
Book Society
If you’ve been searching for a sleek, dimly-lit space to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine, look no further: Book Society, a wine bar and Art Deco-designed bookstore, cracked open its doors in Berkeley’s Elmwood district on Dec. 7. To any introvert’s delight, the shop features a self-serve wine dispensing system that allows visitors to fill up their glass on their own while perusing the lofty, elegant bookshelves. Unsure where to start? Search the shelves and you’ll find wine bottles nestled next to books on display as a pairing suggestion. Book Society, 2945 College Ave., Berkeley
Chipotle
Chipotle, home of Mexican-inspired fast food including tacos and burrito bowls, opened a new location in Richmond on Thursday. The restaurant is open daily from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., and, for a limited time, smoked brisket offerings are on the menu. Chipotle, 4200 Klose Way (Suite B), Richmond
Malibu’s Burgers
Fans of this hit vegan fast food joint were understandably let down after its Oakland location’s December 2023 closure, but luckily, it didn’t stay gone for long: Malibu’s Burgers reopened its doors in Uptown Oakland’s former Hi Felicia space on Dec. 7. In tandem with Vegan Mob’s recent resurfacing, Malibu’s return signals a glimmer of hope for the East Bay’s vegan food scene, particularly after a wave of notable closures (including Lion Dance Café and Soulely Vegan) hit the community last year. Check their Instagram for updates on their opening hours. Malibu’s Burgers, 326 23rd St., Oakland.
The Peach
Kao Saelee, the founder of Jo’s Modern Thai, is moving forward after a tumultuous period in which the head chef and majority of staff quit, citing workplace issues such as understaffing and what they saw as unfair new demands, and the Laurel restaurant had to be temporarily shuttered. Now, Jo’s has reopened and Saelee is celebrating the soft opening of his new restaurant The Peach, an effervescent brunch spot in the former Lakeshore Cafe space. Awash in millennial pink and natural wood accents, The Peach infuses diverse Asian flavors with American brunch classics, with creative menu items including curry shrimp congee (a unique spin on shrimp and grits), lobster toast topped with lemon and Thai basil aioli, and smash fried chicken and pancakes. The Peach, 3257 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland
