Sorso’s Debut in Orinda
Orinda’s nightlife scene, such as it is, is getting livelier. Sorso Bar & Bites, a new Italian tapas bar from veteran local restaurateur Daniele Carsano, makes its anticipated downtown debut this Wednesday. The 1,100-square-foot former Starbucks in Theatre Square has been transformed into a sleek bar-forward space offering a curated selection of Italian and French champagne and wines, artisan cocktails, and a seasonal, seafood-forward menu with raw bar items, small plates, and pizza al Padellino. The latter, a pan-baked pizza with light, airy crust that’s a specialty of Carsano’s hometown of Torino, is offered with six different toppings including fontina, mushrooms, and sausage; nduja, gorgonzola, and olives; and pesto, zucchini, and pecorino.
Courtesy Sorso
Raw bar selections include local oysters with granita mignonette; sea urchin on brioche with lemon-butter and ikura; a tuna tostada with chili-lime shallot; citrus marinated seafood crudo; and coming soon: a full-on “plateau” seafood tower. Among the hot and cold small plates are bruschetta with early girl tomatoes; beef tartare; breaded-and-fried lamb chop Milanese; and prawns with celery, bottarga, olives, and cannellini beans. House cocktails, meanwhile, range from a Sorso spritz with tequila, sherry, amaretto, and orange aperitif to the Kuro Kage with wagyu beef–infused bourbon Japanese whiskey infused with cherry wood smoke.
For Carsano, who helped launch Montesacro and Mint 54 in the Bay Area, Sorso’s debut is particularly special, not just because he lives in Orinda, but because of how it marries his Italian and California influences.
“It’s very unique,” he says. “Italian in the spirit and quality of food and service, but modern California urban in the ambiance and variety.”
Sorso will be open 4–10 p.m., Wednesday–Sunday.
Get ready, Lafayette!
Courtesy Hog Island Oyster Co.
Hog Island Co-founder’s Plans for Lafayette
Dish broke the news last Tuesday that famed North Bay oyster farm and restaurant group Hog Island Oyster Co. was eyeing downtown Lafayette for its first East Bay outpost. Since then, the company confirmed the rumors, releasing a statement last Thursday and unveiling plans to open a new “oyster bar” in the former Barranco space at 3596 Mt. Diablo Boulevard.
We spoke with Hog Island co-founder and CEO John Finger about the new project, a 120-seat restaurant expected to open early next year. When asked why Hog Island chose Lafayette (versus Berkeley or Oakland), Finger said they wanted the first East Bay location a little farther from their Larkspur and San Francisco restaurants. After scouting around Walnut Creek and Lafayette, the team ultimately fell in love with the Barranco spot.
“Spaces have to have a certain feel or soul for us to want to go in and do something,” he says. “This had a rustic-ness that we like, plus it’s a four-minute walk to the BART station. It’s sunny and bright, and it felt like we could make it a Hog Island place.”
The city’s vibe was a factor, says Finger. “There was something about the soul, and the feel of Lafayette,” he says, adding that he is also “looking forward to the warm nights.”
Remy Anthes
Hog Island will make cosmetic changes to the space, including a semi-private back patio section, a re-energized streetside patio, and a large oyster bar that will be front and center as you enter. “We want it to be really visual, so you’ll be able to see the oyster bar from the entrance and the bar and dining room. We want it to feel very fun and upbeat.”
The menu will be like the Larkspur and Ferry Building restaurants with seafood-centric offerings highlighted by Hog Island–farmed oysters and clams and local, sustainably caught fish. There will, however, be specials unique to Lafayette, which Finger hinted could include non-seafood offerings such as steak or other meat.
As for oysters, Lafayette will serve a wide range that should include Hog Island–grown Kumamotos; sweet and high water Pacifics and eastern-style Atlantics; and the occasional Olympias and French Hogs. Other varieties will likely be sourced from friendly oyster farms in Washington, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. All of the oysters will also be available to take home.
Indeed, the company’s headline product remains a source of great pride for Finger. That’s not only because of their environmental importance as vital filtration feeders for the Bay Area’s estuaries and as the lynchpins of Hog Island’s goal to grow the “blue food economy” along the Pacific coast. (“There’s just a connection to place that oysters have as a food that is unbelievable.”). But also, for the unique, joyful place the bivalves hold in our dining culture.
“They are a celebratory food,” Finger says. “You know, our places aren’t quiet: they’re boisterous, they’re fun, people are laughing and talking loudly. I think oysters are just an experience; a social food. Whether you’re shucking your own and inviting people over or grabbing a stool at the counter.”
Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House Closing in Berkeley
Bittersweet craft beer news in Berkeley as Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House announced it would be shutting down its longtime brewpub on Shattuck Avenue near downtown. Brothers John and Reid Martin—who opened the acclaimed 40-year-old institution in 1986, making it the country’s oldest continually operating brewpub—told SFGate they would likely stay open until December, then put the property up for sale or lease. John, who also runs Drakes and Bear Republic breweries, cited a combination of the brothers getting older—they’re in their 60s—along with the recent historic dip in alcohol sales at bars and restaurants across the country as factors in the decision. Until then, look out for the return of favorite archival beers and throwback nights offering beers at 1986 prices.
Dan’s Bar Likely Exiting Its Downtown Home in October
Meanwhile, in downtown Walnut Creek, another old-school watering hole and popular sports bar looks like it will be exiting its space. Short of a “Hail Mary,” 55-year-old Dan’s Bar is set to be pushed out of its longtime home at 1524 Civic Drive, owner Saul Tallarico told KPIX, after failing to come to terms on a new lease agreement with the property owner. Tallarico is currently in litigation with the property manager, alleging unethical business practices and defamation, but acknowledged that he will likely be forced to find another location, with a new business reportedly set to take over when Dan’s lease ends in October. Tallarico has pledged, however, to reopen in a new space if and when that happens.
Small Bites from Around the East Bay
It looks like Top Dog hot dogs and sausages are already being served at downtown Berkeley’s BreakRoom bar and pool hall.
Moraga’s annual Pear and Wine Festival is happening this Saturday, 9/26.
Virtue & Vice shuttered last week after four years in downtown Danville.
Popular Oakland slice house and Barstool Sports favorite, Mama’s Boy is expanding with new locations in San Leandro and San Francisco.
Nékter Juice Bar opened a new East Bay location in Pittsburg at 2261 West Leland Road.
A new dim sum restaurant, Dumpling Harbor, opened near the Sunvalley Shopping Center in Concord.
Smish Smash, one of the SF Chronicle’s favorite smashburger operators, is expanding to the East Bay with a new location set to open at 1823 Solano Ave. in Berkeley early next year.
Dumont Creamery and Café is now open in Livermore at 7375 Railroad Avenue.
Sleepy Alameda is gaining a reputation for its dynamic pastry scene.
North Italia in Walnut Creek debuted a new Happy Hour menu from 3–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri. with $10-12 bites and discounted drink specials.
Don’t forget to check out Taste of City Center offering special prix fixe menus, limited-time dishes, and curated pairings at restaurants and bars in San Ramon’s City Center Bishop Ranch.
Remembering Berkeley sourdough pioneer and pasta maker Eric Pease Sartenaer.
Five & Dime, a new neighborhood pub from Town Fare and Lucy Blue’s Michelle McQueen, debuted in downtown Oakland.
Is a 7 Brew Coffee drive-through coming to Livermore?