Athletic Club Making Oakland Comeback
Months after the Athletic Club Oakland shuttered comes word that it will be reopening under new ownership as the Oakland Athletic Club. While much of the city’s downtown restaurant and bar scene has struggled coming out of the pandemic, the sudden closure of the popular sports hub was a particularly tough blow for Oaklanders who have seen all three professional sports teams leave the city over the last eight years. And so, it seems fitting that the prominent Uptown venue at 59 Grand Avenue will be reborn under an amalgam of partners with strong ties to The Town.
Athletic Club
Courtesy Athletic Club Oakland
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, among the six members of OIAST, LLC, (“Oakland is a Sports Town”) are Chris Pastena, Adi Taylor, Angela Tsay, and Aaron Higgins. Pastena, who will run the food program, is a longtime local restaurateur most prominently of Chop Bar and Calavera; Taylor, in charge of the bar program, is co-owner of downtown watering holes Drexl and Sandbar; and Tsay and Higgins are owner and COO respectively of the proudly Oakland-boosting apparel company Oaklandish, which will sell merch inside.
An announcement on Oaklandish social media reveals that the new ownership team hope to reopen at Oakland Athletic Club in June, before the start of the World Cup, in mostly the same sports bar format as before. There will be a new drinks lineup and “full food program” that expands beyond standard gameday fare, in addition to a new private event room and lounge and mezzanine VIP room. Per that same announcement, the owners’ decision to reopen boiled down to their love for, and belief in, the city they reside.
“We’re six Oakland residents who couldn’t watch this block stay dark. When the Athletic Club Oakland closed on Super Bowl Sunday, we mourned the loss alongside all of you. Then we made some calls. Then we made a decision to bet on Oakland.”
Lucy Blue
Cameron Eichenbaum
Oakland’s Scrappy Restaurant and Bar Scene Fights On
The Athletic Club revival is just the most prominent example of an Oakland food sector that has proved resilient despite challenging economic conditions. At three other recently shuttered bars—The Lodge, Friends & Family, and Kontiki—new operators with ties to the previous owners took over quickly to ensure those venues wouldn’t stay dark for long. Similarly, last year, longtime Oakland advocate Michele McQueen launched her hit cocktail bar, Lucy Blue, in the former Uptown home of Paul Canales’ longstanding Spanish restaurant Duende. That is apparently going so well that McQueen and business partner Matt Sturm are now planning Five & Dime, a neighborhood tavern concept with elevated pub fare and craft cocktails that is reportedly set to open at 329 14th Street in early July.
Alas, one Uptown Oakland resurrection project didn’t manage to stick. Gold Palm, the “Pakistani party food” concept that debuted 18 months ago in the former Flora and Palmetto space across from the Fox Theatre, will be closing on May 27. However, Shirin Raza and Daniel Gahr, who also run nearby Bar Shiru, will expand the hours of adjacent “secret” back bar Moonglow, while keeping the historic venue available for private events and parties.
Albi’s
Courtesy Albi’s
Menu Updates from New Danville and Alamo Spots:
Albi’s, the new Middle Eastern beer garden from Monique Moufarrej located on Incontro’s back patio in downtown Danville, is up and running. You can pair one of the 16 rotating beers and wines on tap with hummus, baba ghanoush, and muhammara dips; labneh yogurt with grilled summer squash and preserve lemon; or grilled kabobs served with pita bread and house-made pickled veggies, among other items on the curated menu.
East Bay Artisan Bakery and Caffe 1277 owner Jourdan de Sanctis and his family took over operations at longstanding Rodney Worth favorite Peasant’s Courtyard a few weeks ago. He recently unveiled a new seasonal menu at the lightly renamed Courtyard Restaurant and it’s an ambitious one. Both the breakfast and lunch menus are peppered with housemade items, including sourdough, croissants, coffee cake, and his popular English muffins. Scratch-made granola parfait, overnight oats, and avocado toast are among the lighter breakfast fare, with plenty of heartier options that include buttermilk pancakes, French toast, a breakfast burrito, and various egg preparations. Meanwhile, French fry poutine, wagyu meatballs, fish & chips, and bucatini pomodoro with fresh-made pasta complement a robust selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches on the lunch menu. De Sanctis also said he’s aiming to open for dinner service in as soon as two weeks.
Sur la Table Returning to Walnut Creek
Sur la Table is returning to Walnut Creek. Four years after shuttering in Broadway Plaza, the popular kitchen supply store chain is poised to fill a high-profile vacancy in the upscale shopping center where it will take over the 6,000-plus-square-foot space previously occupied by P.F. Chang’s. According to Broadway Plaza reps, the store could be open as soon as the end of the year at 1205 Broadway Plaza overlooking Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Early word is that the new store will also host cooking classes.
Shanti Winery Debuts in Livermore
A new winery is now up and pouring in Livermore. Located on the eight-acre historic Home Ranch property at 5443 Tesla Road, Shanti Winery was founded in 2012 by Ray and Dimple Sharma with a focus on Napa and Sonoma wines poured at their Napa tasting room. It will soon include Livermore fruit as well, with the couple planning to take advantage of more than five acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Barbera vineyards on the estate. In addition to hosting tastings, their new Livermore property will also function as a gathering space for private and community events and programming.
Small Bites from Around the East Bay
Acclaimed Berkeley Japanese izakaya Fish & Bird is closing on June 14 after more than six years operating on Shattuck Avenue.
Gone but not forgotten. A Facebook post by the owners of Walnut Creek Yacht Club on the one-year anniversary of its closure generated more than 600 likes and 120-plus comments.
Chef Choy is closing at the end of this month after more than 40 years in business in Pleasant Hill due to its lease not being renewed.
Sacramento-based Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters opened a new café in Livermore.
A new soccer mini pitch with café and bar went live in Oakland’s Jack London Square just in time for World Cup fever.
Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill, a new all-you-can-eat sushi spot, is now open in Pleasant Hill.
Saint’s Smokehouse from Chopped-winning chef Rashad Armstead is open in Oakland.
Chicken finger-centric chain Raising Cane’s is replacing Wendy’s in Walnut Creek.