<\/p>\n
Burdell in Oakland<\/p>\n
Yelp –\u00a0Maryanne W.<\/p>\n
Burdell Owner Taking Over Wood Tavern Space<\/p>\n
A week or so after news broke<\/a> that longtime Oakland favorite Wood Tavern would be closing at the end of the year, word comes of its replacement. And it\u2019ll be staying in the Oakland family. Geoff Davis, chef-owner of critical darling Burdell,<\/a> will be taking over the prime Rockridge venue where he\u2019s planning a neighborhood bar and grill concept dubbed Uncle\u2019s. It marks a departure from Burdell, in which Davis has drawn national acclaim for an upscale reinterpretation of black soul food since opening in Oakland\u2019s Temescal district in 2023.<\/p>\n At Uncle\u2019s, Burdell\u00a0told the\u00a0San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>\u00a0that he plans a more casual concept that draws its inspiration from classic 1970s-era steakhouses such as San Francisco\u2019s Tadich Grill, in which grilled meats join items like oysters, pastas, a tableside Caesar salad, and, of course, martinis. He said he was also inspired by his childhood growing up in Modesto when his uncles would entertain guests while grilling steaks in the backyard (thus the name). Burdell\u2019s version will be a modern spin, the most obvious example being that his menu will emphasize underrepresented cuts of steak\u2014French coulotte and Brazilian picanha, for example\u2014paired with seasonal (and non-customizable) sides and sauces. Currently, Wood Tavern is set to close at the end of the year when its lease runs out, so expect Uncle\u2019s to launch sometime in 2027.<\/p>\n Enssaro Moves to Rockridge<\/p>\n Speaking of Rockridge, popular Ethiopian restaurant Enssaro has completed its move to the same tony Oakland neighborhood with a makeover to match. The owners held a soft opening over the weekend at their new location on College Avenue (near Trader Joe\u2019s), where it moved after 20 years in the Adams Point District near Lake Merritt. Family-operated by the same mother, daughter, and son team, Ensarro\u2019s new home received a contemporary makeover from the same design group behind Draymond Green\u2019s San Francisco restaurant Meski and Oakland\u2019s Lucy Blue. The food, meanwhile, remains the same with a menu centered around spongy fermented injera, Ethiopian flatbread with spiced meat, and veggie combos. A full bar mixes artisan cocktails, and there is outdoor dining on the back patio. Here\u2019s a sneak peek.<\/a><\/p>\n Egg Palace to Replace Trueburger in Oakland<\/p>\n A quirky replacement has emerged for Trueburger\u2019s shuttered Temescal location at 4101 Broadway. Egg Pals, which has run its hit breakfast sandwich pop-up for four years out of Ramen Shop, Tacos Oscar, and Mother Tongue Cafe & Bar among many other local spots, is opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant dubbed Egg Palace.<\/a> In the morning, owners Brack DeFries and Chris Morgan plan to serve their signature egg sandwiches\u2014centered by a jammy soft-cooked egg and American cheese on a Starter brioche roll\u2014in addition to an expanded menu of breakfast items. By night, the restaurant will reopen for dinner with a full bar and menu centered around burgers (6-ounce patties cooked medium rare rather than smashburgers) and drink-friendly bar snacks. The pair, who met while bartending at various Oakland venues including the now shuttered Kronnerburger, are aiming to launch by the end of the year.<\/p>\n More Details About CreekHaus in Orinda<\/p>\n An ambitious new multi-use project envisioned as a community gathering hub in downtown Orinda is coming into focus. Set to launch in Orinda Village over the coming months, CreekHaus promises to be an indoor-outdoor destination mixing elements of food, drink, live music, and community events. The first phase of the project will see the opening of a caf\u00e9 from sustainable San Francisco roaster Equator Coffees, as well as the adjacent CreekHause Beer Garden offering local craft beer, wine, and sourdough thin crust from acclaimed local pizzamaker PizzaHacker that can be enjoyed al fresco in an oak tree-shaded garden patio abridging San Pablo Creek. An upscale bistro and cocktail lounge will launch later. While initial plans suggested a debut as soon as the end of the summer, the project\u2019s complex nature has led to an \u201cevolved\u201d timeframe calling for CreekHaus to be rolled out in phases with no set opening date.<\/p>\n Orinda\u2019s Creekhaus<\/p>\n Courtesy of CreekHaus<\/p>\n The project is the brainchild of Ben Zarrin, founder of Paymun, the local real estate and design-build firm that will also be housed on the upper floors of the nearly 10,000-square-foot complex. Zarrin, who lives in Orinda with his wife and four kids, said he conceived of the project as \u201cOrinda\u2019s backyard,\u201d a place where multiple generations of neighbors can congregate from morning through nighttime.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of younger families that have moved here with their kids,\u201d he told Dish. \u201cSo, we want to make sure that this is somewhere that everybody in the community can enjoy and be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n Zarrin acknowledged that implementation of CreekHaus has been more complicated than he anticipated, while thanking his staff and small army of \u201cpartners, subcontractors, consultants, engineers, utility providers, inspectors, and City staff\u201d dedicated to working through the challenges. It\u2019s a process, he says, that will be worth it in the end.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery challenge, every milestone, and every thoughtful decision have made the project stronger and more resilient,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to continue sharing that journey with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay tuned and follow the project\u2019s progress at creekhaus.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Drink Club Debuts in Livermore<\/p>\n Downtown Livermore is known as a drinking town with more fun watering holes opening seemingly every day. The Downtown Pour Collective<\/a> is hoping to tap into that spirit of spirits with a new monthly club membership<\/a> where members receive discounted pours during non-peak hours at five local bars and restaurants every month for a fee. Founding businesses include Demitri\u2019s Tavern, Calamari Bistro, The Cheese Parlor, Swirl on the Square, Stampede, L Campo, Wingen Bakery, and Bruno\u2019s. Check out the details here.<\/p>\n Small Bites from Around the East Bay<\/p>\n San Francisco\u2019s iconic Ghiradelli Chocolate Company closed its tourist-magnet chocolate and ice cream shop due to a workers\u2019 strike.<\/a><\/p>\n A woman was arrested last week<\/a> for using bear spray on several customers outside a Lafayette grocery store (either Trader Joe\u2019s or Diablo Foods).<\/p>\n Will lower egg prices mean lower prices<\/a> at Bay Area bakeries and restaurants?<\/p>\n Stereo41 in Walnut Creek, Albi\u2019s in Danville, Caf\u00e9 Bolita in Berkeley, and Hinata Sushi Kitchen in Hayward make this roundup<\/a> of new outdoor dining options in the East Bay.<\/p>\n Contemporary Peruvian restaurant Pucquio closed after more than a decade<\/a> in Oakland\u2019s Rockridge district.<\/p>\n Drive-through national coffee chain 7 Brew Coffee looks to be coming to the East Bay with new locations in Concord<\/a> and Pittsburg.<\/a><\/p>\n Participate in Monday night karaoke and get 10% off your tab<\/a> at Crazy Block Cheesecakes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n