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Horn Barbecue<\/p>\n
Ethan Fletcher<\/p>\n
Horn Barbecue<\/a> in Lafayette has closed, at least temporarily, just a year after Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn opened an outpost of his barbecue operation on Mt. Diablo Boulevard. According to reports<\/a>, the restaurant\u2014located in the former home of Bo\u2019s Barbecue and Bonehead\u2019s Texas BBQ\u2014appears to have been shuttered for the last few weeks with a liquor license suspension notice posted to the window. Meanwhile, Horn\u2019s Oakland flagship is reported to have experienced sporadic hours of operation, while his Elk Grove location also closed less than a year after opening outside Sacramento. All this as Horn recently launched a new location in Fresno and his social media promotes a football-themed tailgate event in San Francisco at which he\u2019ll participate this Friday leading up to the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n For his part, Horn told us in an email that the closure was temporary as he \u201cstabilized operations\u201d and that he was committed to reopening in Lafayette \u201cfrom a position of strength.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lafayette location is currently on pause as we assess next steps following operational challenges related to our ability to serve alcohol,\u201d he said. \u201cOur plan is to reopen and continue serving the Lafayette community.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Horn<\/p>\n Brandon Ruffin<\/p>\n Horn also added that he is actively searching for a new location in the Elk Grove area, and that his Oakland restaurant would remain open during the transition. For now in Lafayette, the windows are dark, the phone is disconnected, and online ordering is disabled, with no current timeline for reopening. Horn\u2019s rise to barbecue fame has been marked by equal measures chaos and controversy as it has smoked brisket and ribs. Horn opened his universally acclaimed flagship restaurant in west Oakland in 2020, capitalizing on a series of viral sold-out pop-up events that drew huge crowds for his California-infused take on traditional Texas barbecue. A devastating fire shut down that location in late 2023, even as Horn was and continues to be hounded by legal and financial troubles lodged by former business partners, vendors, and employees. Despite these mounting issues, Horn managed to relocate his Oakland restaurant to a new downtown space, while expanding east to Lafayette, Elk Grove, and Fresno over the last year. Time will tell if Lafayette is, in fact, revived, but Horn has proved remarkably resilient in the past\u2014a mindset he outlined in our review<\/a> of his Lafayette restaurant last March.<\/p>\n \u201cThe past few years have tested me in ways I could never have imagined,\u201d he said. \u201cYet, through every trial, my resolve has only grown stronger, and my faith has deepened. We are not defined by adversity. We are defined by our response, our commitment, and the impact we have on the lives of those around us.\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019ll keep you posted in Dish.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Zachary’s Chicago Pizza<\/p>\n Zachary\u2019s Opens in Livermore<\/p>\n Tri-Valley deep dish fans rejoice: Longtime East Bay favorite Zachary\u2019s Chicago Pizza<\/a> softly launched its sixth location this week in downtown Livermore. Taking over the former Patxi\u2019s Pizza space overlooking Bankhead Plaza, the new restaurant seats 120 with a full indoor-outdoor bar (topped by bleacher wood from UC Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium) and a covered outdoor patio. And just in time for the Super Bowl, Zachary\u2019s will be offering its full lineup of stuffed-crust (and thin-crust) pies sporting scratch-made dough bursting with its signature chunky diced tomato sauce and other quality ingredients, in addition to meatballs; salads; and wine, beer, and house cocktails. Current pizza specials include a butternut squash with spinach, red onions, goat cheese, and mozzarella topped with parsley, and a veggie option with yellow squash, broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, and cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. The Livermore location will be open for dinner only during the soft opening phase but will be open early on Super Sunday for takeout orders.<\/p>\n Tokyo Central Specialty Market<\/p>\n Courtesy of Bay Street Emeryville<\/p>\n Tokyo Central Debuts to Fanfare<\/p>\n A massive new Japanese market debuted to much fanfare in Emeryville over the weekend. Japanese-owned Tokyo Central Specialty Market<\/a>\u2019s sprawling 40,000-square-foot new store, the much-anticipated anchor tenant at the revamped Bay Street mall, reportedly drew hours-long lines when it launched officially on Saturday. Customers were lured by the store\u2019s huge selection of imported seafood, produce, dry goods, beverages, and home goods, along with ready-to-eat foods such as onigiri made with fresh-milled rice, sashimi and sushi, a hot food buffet, and an on-site hand roll restaurant with an 8-person bar. Meanwhile, another Japanese grocery store, Osaka Marketplace, is aiming for a summer debut in Pleasant Hill, where it is planning a new 49,000-square-foot store with a gourmet food hall in the former OSH downtown, and Korean-American mega grocery chain H Mart appears to be making progress on its latest store in Dublin\u2014even as it announced plans to start construction on its largest-ever U.S. location in Fremont\u2019s Pacific Commons Shopping Center later this year.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Rockridge Market Hall<\/p>\n Truffle Fest Hits Market Hall on Saturday<\/p>\n This is a fun one. Oakland\u2019s Market Hall will hold its second annual Truffle Fest<\/a> this Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. The Rockridge artisan food hall will be highlighting the freshly foraged truffles it imports from France and Italy during the winter months, with events including free tastings of truffled charcuterie and special items from the kitchen and bakery such as truffled ravioli, truffled pizza, truffled cheese from the Cheese Shop, and grilled oysters with truffle butter from Billingsgate Seafood Market and Cafe. Fresh black truffles will be on sale and purveyors on hand to discuss all things related to these famously earthy, aromatic fungi.<\/p>\n Small Bites From Around the East Bay<\/p>\n We last wrote about<\/a> My Friend Fernando, East Bay chef Jacob Croom\u2019s Cali-Mexican pop-up operation, back in 2023. Now, it seems that the Tartine Manufactory alum is aiming to go brick-and-mortar, with plans to open Pico, a \u201cMexican-inspired bar and restaurant,\u201d according to the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>. Croom is actively scouting locations in the East Bay with a strong preference for Hayward, where he currently lives.<\/p>\n Looks like \u201cpremium Swiss chocolate company\u201d L\u00e4derach Switzerland is opening an outlet in Walnut Creek\u2019s Broadway Plaza<\/a>.<\/p>\n Que Onda! Tacobar has closed<\/a> its Walnut Creek location.<\/p>\n Four months after launching in Broadway Plaza, business is booming<\/a> at Original Joe\u2019s Walnut Creek.<\/p>\n A restaurant called Sala Mediterranean Grill<\/a> will be taking over the former Lemonade space at 1348 Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek.<\/p>\n A fried fish sandwich made at a Chinese bakery in San Leandro is drawing lines<\/a> down the block.<\/p>\n Beloved Piedmont Avenue dive bar the Lodge will be revived<\/a> under new ownership in Oakland.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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