New Southern, Mexican, Indian, Yemeni and Italian spots among East Bay debuts in January

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. Subscribing to the Nosh newsletter is the best way to stay up to date on all of the openings and closings, breaking news, deeper developments, and events in the East Bay food scene.

Albany restaurant opening

Anahuac

02.03.26: A new Mexican restaurant comes to Solano Avenue. Anahuac held its grand opening Jan. 31 with a menu of plentiful dishes including fajitas, enchiladas, a large seafood selection, and drinks. It is located in the former Fonda location. Anahuac, 1501 Solano Ave., Albany

Berkeley restaurant openings

01.28.26: Pochys Home Style South Indian, a casual restaurant on Berkeley’s Solano Ave., has moved and reopened under a new name. The South Indian eatery is now known as Bangalore Blues and, accordingly, is bathed in deep blue hues down to the plates. Dishes like chicken biryani, masala dosa, idli (soft, steamed savory cakes made with fermented rice and lentil batter) and ghee dosa (crispy, crepe-like pancakes cooked in ghee) are made from scratch and the menu is focused on dishes common in the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore Blues, 1889 Solano Ave. (at The Alameda), Berkeley

Eight Grams Matcha

02.03.26: A new matcha cafe opened its doors in Berkeley, founded by a Cal alum. A former RareTea boba shop, the cafe, currently in its soft opening, offers a matcha latte topped with honeycomb, and a banana matcha sweetened with banana milk. A few tea-infused puddings are also on the menu. Eight Grams Matcha, 2440 Bancroft Way Ste. 101 Berkeley

01.28.26: Gusto, a new Algerian restaurant specializing in Halal fast food, has opened in Berkeley. The casual spot serves comfort foods like merguez (spicy North African lamb sausage), Algerian tacos and burgers. Sweet treats like maqrout (cookies filled with dates and nuts or almond paste), plus coffee and tea, are also on offer. Gusto, 1986 Shattuck Ave. (between Berkeley Way and University Ave.), Berkeley

01.28.26: A new cafe specializing in dosas, the soft and crispy pancakes characteristic of Indian street food, is now open in Berkeley. Stop by Id Cafe (in the former Organic Greens location) for treats like egg dosas and mysore masala dosas (topped with red chutney and stuffed with a spicy potato masala), plus drinks like rose milk, masala chai and kala khatta soda. Id Cafe, 2177 Kittredge St., Berkeley

01.22.26: There’s a new coffee shop for early birds and night owls alike in Berkeley. Qahwa Time serves Yemeni coffee and sweet treats from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Stop in for teas and lattes infused with spices like cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, plus hazelnut cheesecake and fresh fruit smoothies. Qahwa Time, 2440 Shattuck Ave. (at Haste St.), Berkeley

Emeryville restaurant openings

01.07.26: Mamacita, a fast-casual Mexican spot, has opened in Emeryville’s Public Market following C Casa’s departure in February, the E’ville Eye reports. Mamacita serves staples like tacos, burritos and quesadillas, but reviewers on Yelp are most thrilled about the pozole. (Both red and green are on offer). Mamacita, 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville

Tease Southern Kitchen

02.03.26: A southern food business opens inside the Emeryville Public Market. With dishes like lobster mac n’ cheese, garlic noodles, and shrimp po’boys, Tease will surely please a palate hankering for southern comfort food. Tease started in Antioch and had a brief stint in Oakland. Located in the former Minnie Bell’s. Tease Southern Kitchen, 5959 Shellmound St., Unit 15, Emeryville.

01.28.26: Emeryville’s only Japanese grocery store is set to celebrate its grand opening on Jan. 31. Tokyo Central will offer an array of imported Japanese goods, including to-go sushi, sashimi and bento boxes, beauty items, ramen and other pantry staples. The market also includes a dine-in restaurant, Handroll Factory, which offers assorted hand rolls like bluefin tuna, shrimp, wagyu and uni. Check out Nosh’s behind the scenes look at Tokyo Central covering everything massive new grocery has to offer. Tokyo Central, 5603 Bay St., Emeryville

Oakland restaurant openings

01.22.26: Fresh Italian fare has landed at West Oakland’s Prescott Market. Fatto a Mano Alimentari, which is still in soft opening mode, offers an assortment of pastas made daily — spaghetti, bucatini, gnocchi, paccheri and the like — with varied sauces, including beef bolognese, pomodoro and four cheese. If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, try the grilled eggplants dressed with cucumbers, black olives, Feta cheese, hummus and a side of focaccia, or the Tuscan bean soup. Check out Nosh’s feature for more on chef and owner Elena Fabbri and her plans for the spot. Fatto a Mano Alimentari, 1620 18th St. (at Peralta St.), Oakland

01.22.26: Acclaimed San Francisco eatery Flour + Water has touched down on the sunny side of the Bay. Flour + Water Pizza Shop, the upscale Italian restaurant’s takeout and delivery concept, officially opens its doors on Jan. 22 at The Lark Uptown in Oakland. You can expect signature sourdough crust pizzas, with classic toppings like margherita and pepperoni, plus other creative toppings like smoky eggplant and fennel sage sausage. Nosh has all the details on the restaurant and its menu, including wings seasoned with an Oaktown Spice Co. blend and served with an herby green sauce à la Cheeseboard. Flour + Water Pizza Shop, 271 24th St. (at Waverly St.), Oakland

01.22.26: Proyecto Diaz, the West Oakland café inspired by Oaxacan and Latin American flavors, has opened a new shop in Uptown. The café is currently in soft launch mode, with opening hours Monday-Friday between 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., with plans to expand its hours fully next week. Proyecto Diaz, 2201 Broadway (at 22nd St.), Oakland

01.28.26: After two decades of standing vacant at the corners of Shattuck, Telegraph and 46th Street, the original, boarded-up Kasper’s Hot Dogs location is serving hot dogs once again. It’s now home to Winky Dinky Dogs’ second location, offering creative bites like the Mistah F.A.B Mac n Cheez dog. Check out Nosh’s full story on the opening here. Winky Dinky Dogs, 4521 Telegraph Ave., Oakland

Richmond restaurant opening

01.22.26: If the coffee at Qahwa Time sparked your appetite, head north to Richmond’s Yemen Cafe & Restaurant for a fully-fledged experience. You can find a hearty breakfast like fassolia (white beans) with eggs, garlic, tomatoes and onions, or sample some of the lunch and dinner items — lamb soup, hummus and shawarma, and shish kafta (charbroiled beef prepared with parsley, onions and seasoning.) Yemen Cafe & Restaurant, 13112 San Pablo Ave. (at Maricopa Ave.), Richmond

Walnut Creek restaurant opening

01.07.25: Square Pie Guys, the local Detroit-style pizza chain known for its crispy edged-pies, is gearing up to open its sixth Bay Area location in Walnut Creek on Jan. 11. You’ll find the Square Pie Guys classics on the menu, plus a new item: a signature pizza developed in collaboration with iconic Bay Area rapper P-Lo. It’s topped with rich vodka sauce, red onions, longanisa, Italian sausage, and hot honey bomba sauce, then finished with spicy ranch and fresh basil. Plus, a portion of proceeds from each pie sold will support United Playaz, a nonprofit dedicated to youth empowerment, mentorship, and violence prevention in the Bay Area. Square Pie Guys, 1991 N California Blvd., Walnut Creek

New Southern, Mexican, Indian, Yemeni and Italian spots among East Bay debuts in January

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