Pagarung Thai Cuisine has permanently closed its longtime restaurant in the Oakland hills’ Montclair Village commercial district. A sign on the door of the business at 6200 Antioch St., which had been operating with sporadic hours since the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks customers for their support over the years.
Meanwhile, a new restaurant is opening at the site with an application for an ownership change filed by Bay Bridge Hospitality LLC. The owners, the mother-daughter team of Alex Piyapanee and Supapoon Kongthai, plan to start serving brunch on Oct. 1 with the goal of adding dinner hours after the soft opening.
Community time: Montclair Village’s Picnic on the Plaza series will return Sept. 20, featuring “Salsa & Sangria” from 12 to 4 p.m. with dancing, food and beverages, along with picnic table dining on the Antioch Court plaza. The final event in the series, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Oct. 25, will have a Halloween theme.
Around town: Fans of banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches are waiting for the new location of Go Banh Mi to open in the space occupied for many years by Grinders on Montclair Village’s Antioch Court. Their website, gobanhmi.com, is taking catering orders with a minimum order of $200. Walk-up service for its grilled meats, tofu, fried egg and other Vietnamese sandwiches is reportedly coming soon.
Nearby, Montclair Plaza’s shoe repair shop has also shut down permanently. The owner cites health reasons, asking customers to leave him a note about any pending repairs.
Road repair: A gaping pothole on Mountain Boulevard in front of the Montclair Chevron station has finally been filled by Oakland Public Works. The city has also repaved the boulevard’s heavily pitted stretch between Ascot and Woodminster Lane.
Speaking of roads, a new sign has been posted at the stoplight by Thornhill and the freeway offramp for southbound Highway 13. Notorious for backups during the afternoon commute, the post reminds motorists to drive forward to the white line so it triggers the left-turn sensor.
Space awareness: Chabot Space & Science Center is celebrating its 25th year on Skyline Boulevard and has a new anniversary video for viewing on its website at chabotspace.org.
The popular attraction descends from humble beginnings at a small observatory in downtown Oakland some 143 years ago. Many generations have visited since 1883, with more than 150,000 students, teachers and families coming to the Skyline campus last year.
Ginny Prior can be reached at ginnyprior@hotmail.com and followed on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and at ginnyprior.com.