Category — dining

Uptown’s long-awaited Era Art Bar opens today at 4:30pm. Created by the impresarios behind several Old Oakland spots including B Restaurant, Air Lounge, and Tamarindo, Era promises to be a uniquely styled club. Era boasts hand-crafted cocktails, carefully-chosen wines, two floors for lounging, top-flight DJs, and stunning interior design. See what the buzz is about at 19 Grand Ave.

Tonight the Fox Theater celebrates its anniversary of reopening as a live-performance venue with a party at the Den. Despite not having any dedicated parking, the Fox has sold out almost all of its shows and was the top Google search term in San Francisco in 2009. Joined by the New Parish at 18th and San Pablo, the Fox is establishing Uptown as a live-music destination, though there is a growing perception the Paramount is falling behind (a position disputed by a boardmember in a recent OakBook column).

Downtown’s good news is not just about bars and nightclubs. The DTO, or more specifically Uptown, has seen several new restaurants open this short new year. Though we’re still waiting for Bakesale Betty, True Burger has opened on the same block as the erstwhile bakery, and Hibiscus at 18th and San Pablo adds a sweetly Southern note to downtown dining in a handsome historic building with a focus on Creole foods and unique cocktails.

With the announcement of Barnes & Nobles’ closure in Jack London Square, some observers mourn the passing of yet another bookstore, while others see potential for destination retail to emerge in the prominent space. On the other side of downtown, the Broadway Specific Plan, meant to outline the transformation of Auto Row into a “lifestyle” shopping center, is seeing fierce criticism from both anti-development types led by the Oakland Heritage Alliance who are critical of the goals of the project, and from urbanists who are very uncomfortable with the huge amounts of parking called for in the study (more parking than retail, actually).

Today is of course the First Friday of February, and without rain, it’s likely tonight’s Art Murmur events will be crowded. Highlights include local cityscapes at Pro Arts Gallery, a multimedia exhibition by French artist Pierre Alain Clauzin at Hatch Gallery, and a retrospective of late graffiti artist Mike “Dream” Franciso at the New Parish. From Jack London Square to Midtown to Uptown, the DTO offers art and entertainment tonight for any budget, or no budget. See you at the hot dog stand on Telegraph!

This week’s downtown news is brought to you by first-hand experience, online media sources, and the number 30.

Specialty film is the theme of moment, with the International Black Women’s Film Festival opening at the Oakland Museum tonight. If you missed yesterday’s viewing of Afro-futurist classic Brother From Another Planet, there will be another airing of the Black Sci-Fi film fest in August. And 21 Grand is showing an avant-garde video art project this evening,

Yesterday I had the opportunity to enjoy a lunch prepared by the team behind Encuentro, a wine bar and vegetarian restaurant planned for 200 Second St. While they wait on all the hassles to clear to open their restaurant, they host an occasional lunch that is both literally and figuratively underground – in a semi-sunken loft somewhere near the JLS train station. Tuesdays and Thursdays (though not next Thursday), look for an open door to find an $8 gourmet and vegetarian lunch, usually a choice of sandwich or salad (lemonade, ice tea, and cookies are extra). You can find more information by sniffing around Facebook.

In other Jack London Square news, the Chronicle reports that the much-anticipated restaurant Bocanova is coming closer to its debut, with more details available on its New World cuisine and family-style dining. In related news, the forthcoming gastropub on 13th off Clay Jefferson is finishing its buildout and anticipates an early August opening. In perhaps even more joyous news, the hulking half-finished City Walk project across the pedestrian way has been transferred to another developer, raising hopes that the project might actually be finished. New restaurants joining new housing? It seems like the 10k Plan has a little more steam.

Downtown promises plenty to do today and tomorrow, July 3 and 4 2009, from First Friday events spanning the length of the district, to tomorrow’s long-awaited return of fireworks on the waterfront.

ProArts, the non-profit dedicated to aiding and promoting East Bay artists and artisans, has merged with the Oakland Art Gallery. The Oakland Art Gallery, subsidized by the city of Oakland, was one of Oakland’s few galleries dedicated to local artists a few years ago, but now has been eclipsed by private galleries in better locations. Merging the two organizations should help restore focus to the Oakland Art Gallery, and give ProArts better access to like-minded organizations including the city’s Cultural Arts Department. Today, the First Friday of the month, ProArts will present its first show at its new space in Kahn’s Alley.

First Friday was of course popularized by the Art Murmur galleries concentrated on Telegraph, and there will be no shortage of art to see in Uptown. Adding to the likely boisterous atmosphere on this lovely evening, Oakland Soft Rock Chorus will perform in the street around 23 and Telegraph, probably at 8:30. The OakBook’s monthly arts article highlights several of the Uptown galleries’ shows, including Mark Inglis Taylor and Porous Walker at the Hatch Gallery.

Down south, the Ellington, a new high-rise building at 2nd and Broadway, will host a curated “Art Walk,” combining tours of the apartments with works by Oakland artists. Also on 2nd, Swarm Gallery currently displays contemporary landscape paintings by Claire Baker and R. Reynolds.

For those less interested in fine art than street art, Old Oakland’s Fiveten Studio presents its second annual graffiti exhibit, featuring “the Throw Up Style.” Featuring a dozen artists and a hip-hop DJ, the event is at 8th and Broadway.

Between Uptown’s Art Murmur and Old Oakland / Jack London Square’s events, new bar Penelope is getting raves for its cool interior and innovative, savory cocktails. Nearby, on the pedestrian alley between the Federal Building and Preservation Park (what was once 13th St), a gastro-pub is under construction with the goal of opening at the beginning of August.

Many Oaklanders are looking forward to the opening of the Lake Chalet, which promises to grace Lake Merritt with fine, though not daring, cuisine. You don’t have to wait to enjoy a lake view at dinner, since the Terrace Room at the Lake Merritt Hotel has reopened. I’ve heard great things about brunch.

Last but not least: after a two-year hiatus, fireworks will be back at Jack London Square, despite some finger-wagging from budget watchdogs. The Square will provide entertainment starting at 1pm, including performances by a big band and an R&B group. Valet bike parking will be provided by Bay Area Bikes‘ new bike-rental location at 427 Water St. Though it’s likely to be foggy as usual, downtown’s waterfront will boast a spectacular show. See you there!

In journalism, it’s called burying the lede. In dialogue, it’s an aside. This week, the juiciest information about openings in downtown Oakland came from a careful reading of an article and a blog. In a wide-ranging interview with Bakesale Betty herself, the Trib’s Dave Newhouse reveals the opening date of Uptown’s new Bakesale Betty’s bakery: in September! Meanwhile, an SF Weekly blog about Souley Vegan’s prepared dishes at the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market mentions that the vegan soul food cook hopes to reopen a downtown location this summer, at 3rd and Broadway.

There’s hidden information, and then there’s rumor and innuendo, which I suppose is a form of information. From the rumor mill, an Uptown steakhouse, and new dance club or two, and an Old Oakland take on hip Japanese cuisine are said to be in the works. Frozen yogurt is now being served in City Center, providing another place to get a sweet treat. With the Parkway perhaps getting a lifeline, it seems like anything is possible. Except perhaps a reopened Kaiser Auditorium.

Today, the Washington Inn continues its Friday night comedy series in Old Oakland; Mike Moto headlines. Jack London Square continues its nighttime dance lessons under the stars with American Tango. And Oaklandish is bringing back its Salsa by the Lake event this Sunday, though in Splash Pad Park to avoid Measure DD construction.

Finally, Mignonne Decor closes the doors on three charming years in Old Oakland with a sale today and tomorrow on vintage housewares and furniture. Though the store is, if anything, moving up in the world (it will soon find itself in West Berkeley’s furniture district), Old Oaklanders are disappointed that four gifts and clothing boutiques have closed in less than a year. But with some exciting things in the works for Uptown and other parts of the DTO, we hopefully won’t have to wait long for a new place to patronize! Sadly, though, we won’t read about it on OaklandGoods.

It’s happening downtown, from waterfront events to new construction, to good decisions and bad decisions from City Hall.

Jack London Square, its first round of new construction almost complete, is set the liven up summer with a series of special events. Thursdays Palm Tree Plaza at the foot of Broadway will show nautically-themed films, with The OakBook hosting a trivia contest. Fridays the Linden Street Studio will teach dance classes (today is the waltz) under the stars, and restaurants are offering prix-fixe dinners. A hanging tile mural is being installed on the new Amtrak parking garage. And more opportunities are arising for the future: east of the square, the former Zazoo’s is for sale. It appears to be a $3.2m tear-down, potentially zoned for up to 120 residences, and no height limit.

It’s not all roses, though, for downtown’s waterfront: The Island reports the Port of Oakland is considering ending ferry service at Jack London Square. I find this very unlikely, since it would entail ending the Alameda Ferry as well, while the Water Emergency Transit Authority is attempting to expand ferry ridership and infrastructure.

On Wednesday the Planning Commission approved plans to renovate the former Sweet Jimmie’s on San Pablo and 17th, on the edge of Uptown near Old Oakland. The operator of SF’s Independent will create a smaller venue, a restaurant, and two clothing boutiques, and gussy up the façade. The building hosted Dave Chappelle’s surprise performance last month. Meanwhile, with no public hearings needed, nearby @17th is set to be the new location of the Bench and Bar.

Less awesome for downtown was the Planning Commission’s decision to grant The Shorenstein Corporation five years to resume construction on 601 12 St, which is now a gigantic hole. The lot is half a block from the partially shrink-wrapped CityWalk site. Old Oakland could endure nine years of construction as result of that decision, mitigated only by $50,000 worth of murals on a fence.

City Hall may be closed today, but there is good policy news as well. As the reader may know, on May 5 pedestrian advocates and downtown residents persuaded the City Council to use a prominent Uptown lot for public art instead of car parking. The approved motion, introduced by Councilmember Ignacio de la Fuente, directed Cultural Arts to incorporate the lot into its Uptown arts budget, but allowed the parking plan to move forward in two weeks if City Administrator Dan Lindheim determined an arts use is infeasible. It’s been two weeks, and Cultural Arts has presented several options to Mr. Lindheim, which have not been declared infeasible. So Uptown will not take a step backwards by reverting a prominent Telegraph Avenue lot, however temporarily, to car parking. Whatever Cultural Arts does with the lot, I’m confident it will enrich the neighborhood, complement the streetscape, and perhaps even give Playa-haters a chance to see large-scale sculpture. Uptown Unveiled debuts in June.

In case you missed them.

Mignonne, an Old Oakland boutique featuring vintage and French housewares, furniture, and gifts, is moving to West Berkeley. This weekend the shop holds a moving sale, at 10th and Jefferson across from Lafayette Square Park. Other shopping opportunities include a new gallery in Uptown, and 17th St has been on the upswing this year. A recent business article reports that Oakland’s retail vacancy rate is much lower than the national average. Of course, it’s hard to subtract from zero.

Much was made of an empty Uptown lot where pedestrian advocates successfully delayed a plan to build a parking lot. The alternative, integrating the lot into the Uptown Unveiled public-art program, must be ruled feasible by Tuesday for it to proceed. Meanwhile, here in Old Oakland we have our own empty lot, the site of a high-rise office tower known as 601 City Center. Unlike the Uptown lot, construction started and then stalled, leaving a huge hole in the ground. But Oakland and the developer, Shorenstein, have agreed to, among other things, create a “a public art program to increase the attractiveness of the security fencing.” Funny that just a few weeks ago city staff argued that decorating construction fences with art is unattractive!

The East Bay Express reviews Pican, which, alongside Ozumo, is fast-becoming a premiere destination for its California-meets-Atlanta cuisine, epansive bourbon selection, and warmly handsome interior decor. The Coco Times reviews Banyan 14, while Becks reviews nice outdoor spots downtown for this beautiful weather.

An SFer posted a sweet blog about how much he (or she) likes working in the DTO, which to him feels like a secret. One reason we’re not seeing new highrises like 601 City Center or 1100 Broadway being built is that, despite the low vacancy rate, there aren’t new tenants moving into the market (and a source reports that Kaiser is consolidating at lot of its operations to Pleasanton). But big block of space was just leased: a “neutral” office for BART to conduct its negotations with its union.

On this second Friday of the month, sunny downtown Oakland may not be hosting a big art walk or a restaurant opening, but there is much to read about the DTO on this beautiful day.

Dashe and JC Cellars, local urban wineries, are profiled in AppellationAmerica.com. Taste their wines at their shared warehouse, or at next week’s Oakland Indie Awards.

Bloggers, contributors, commenters and readers enjoyed meeting each other at one of Uptown’s hottest spots last week. Read Zennie’s take on the party, and the neighborhood.

A Chronicle food critic blogs that “it’s happening in Oakland,” about the recent spate of high-quality restaurant openings. Four of his favorites are downtown. OaklandGoods visits a new favorite, Pican, and an old favorite, the Paramount Movie Classics.

Many activists are quite pleased that the City Council gave public art a crack at using a prominent Uptown lot instead of car parking. Stay up to date on the two-week process by keeping an eye on the blogs.

Walk Oakland Bike Oakland posts the progress on Lake Merritt improvements as reported by Councilmember Pat Kernighan. Now that the rainy season is ending, the long-promised paths and bike lanes around our crown jewel are ready to be poured!

The Chronicle profiles Anthony Holdsworth, chronicler of a changing downtown in pastel. See his triptych of 14th and Broadway in the lobby of Oakland’s City Administration Building, 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Nice to know, the reader may think, but what am I doing tonight? Three downtown events stand out tonight, Friday May 8. The Franklin Square Wine Bar is hosting one-dollar tasting flights of Italian wines on their lovely plaza. With two weeks until their cabaret license may be suspended, tonight at Oasis may be a last chance to dance to reggae, dancehall, and techno. And at Café Van Kleef tonight, West Oakland horns-driven outfit Damon and the Heathens will perform danceable funk with plenty of local references. But with Uptown, Old Oakland and Chinatown all offering a variety of walkable dining and entertainment options, it’s easy to come downtown without a plan! See you on the sidewalk.

Though April’s bucolic weather turned out to be just a tease of summer, the Oakland Museum kicks off spring in the DTO with their annual California Wildflower Show, this weekend. For those willing to brave the drizzle, today offers First Friday events, in addition to the nationally-lauded Art Murmur. From Uptown art posters to a new Saturday brunch spot, here’s what you need to plan your downtown night and day.

Poster Art Party at the Den

Oakland’s newest and prettiest music venue is hosting an exhibit of contemporary concert posters by artists Lil’ Tuffy and Jason Munn, who have designed posters for The White Stripes, Thievery Corporation, and Beck, among others.

1807 Telegraph Ave, all evening.

RAW in Uptown

The Uptown Apartments’ unfinished retail space once again hosts an art exhibit and mixer for First Friday, featuring seven artists, primarily working on paper.

1951 Telegraph, 6 – 9p

HOME at Fiveten Studio

Six local artists explore the concept of “home” in different media.

831 Broadway, 6p – 9p

Notorious at the Paramount

Oakland’s other Art Deco jewel presents Alfred Hitchock’s Notorious. A classic movie in a beautiful venue for only $5, and the theater opens early for cocktails at the two bars.

2025 Broadway, doors at 7p, movie at 8p

Filmnight 1.0 at Swarm Gallery

A collaboration with Mills College, Swarm Gallery presents “the first in a series of monthly screenings of experimental, documentary, short, feature-lenth and animated film, video and all formats in between, curated by filmmakers and film enthusiasts from the Bay Area and beyond.” Tonight’s offerings include digital media by Amanda Bailey, Brian Caraway, Stephanie Cooper, Loke Davis, Grace Rosario Perkins, Steuart Pittman, Annie Vought, Doug Williams and Andrew Witrak.

560 2nd St (at Clay), 7:30p

Dancing Under the Stars at Jack London Square

Jack London Square kicks of its summer programming of outdoor dancing led by an instructor from the Linden Street Dance Studio. Tonight will feature salsa dancing, and prix fixe menus at Cocina Poblana, Miss Pearl’s Jam House, Scott’s Seafood, Il Pescatore,  Kincaids, and Hahn’s Hibachi.

8:30p, bottom of Broadway (by the palm tree forest)

Saturday Brunch at La B

La Borinquena Mexicatessen debuts its brunch menu in celebration of “America’s Cinco de Mayo holiday,” in the words of Tina Tamale. Mimosas, sangria, cerveza, huevos, botanas and the full menu (tamales!) will be served in the generously-defined morning, with a mariachi trio performing at noon.

La Borinquena, 582 7th St at Jefferson, 10a to 3p Saturday May 2

Wednesday night, the Oakland Planning Commission passed an updated zoning law for downtown Oakland, after more than a year of discussion and debate. The new law aims to spur more development and business success in the center of the East Bay, while respecting neighborhood character and promoting public transit use. While a few dozen people debated downtown’s future, a block away a few thousand people were experiencing downtown’s present. And it’s pretty cool.

At least six spots are set to open in the coming months: a wine bar near City Center, the reopening of Umi Toshi on Clay in Old Oakland, Mimosa Champagne Bar in the ever-expanding Uptown district, Farley’s East coffeeshop and ERA dance club on Grand near Broadway, and Geisha dance club on 14th St in SOBO (UPDATE: Councilmember Kaplan reports that Bakesale Betty has received permits and is under construction). This bounty of entertainment retail is shared with other neighborhoods as well, but downtown is beginning to take its place as the rightful star of Oakland’s show.

Jack London Square, in the midst of an enormous expansion, is turning up the heat this weekend, with a boat show and the announcement of a series of Friday night outdoor dance classes starting on May 1, led by Linden Street Dance Studio. Next week, the Ellington, a high-rise condo building that fell victim to its developer’s bankruptcy, will reopen under new ownership for sales. And speaking of foreclosed but completed condominium complexes, Dwell in Old Oakland is expected to be sold to a capable real estate firm very soon.

This week, all week, Uptown was thronged with crowds attending multiple concerts at the Fox, the Uptown, and the Paramount, as well as simply enjoying the revitalized neighborhood. I stopped by AVE and Flora with a visiting relative on Tuesday evening, and both were packed with folks that did not look like they were here for Green Day. It is hard to remember that only two years ago the entire district was vacant. Despite all this obvious success, KALW is going to have a radio show discussing whether or not the 10k program was a good thing. Seems like old habits die hard.

On Tuesday, at a Council Committee meeting, I joined three other pedestrian advocates in calling for the city to scrap a Redevelopment Agency plan to build a temporary surface parking lot on Telegraph Avenue, next to the Fox Theater. To argue for a pedestrian-friendly streetscape, fellow blogger Becks and I pointed to Uptown’s recent resurgence, with restaurants and clubs beginning to line the streets just like a real urban destination. Only the remaining parking lots and empty storefronts mar an Uptown stroll, but it seems that every month several establishments are springing up to fill in the void. This month has seen three openings, taking a big step toward the promise of a continuous, active pedestrian connection throughout Uptown. Thanks to Somar, Pican, and especially AVE, an Uptown bar crawl now appears to more than a flight of tipsy urbanist fantasy.

Somar and AVE, each filling big holes along Telegraph, are hip watering holes with unique amenities. Somar lies behind a Modernist facade at 1727 Telegraph, its 1970s entrance disguising high brick walls and hand-welded iron sconces, lending a surprisingly warm and sophisticated vibe. The drinks list is well-priced, or even downright cheap by the standards of downtown’s newest establishments. Somar’s unique addition to Uptown is its large dance-floor, with DJs spinning House and Pop several nights a week.

AVE (2022 Telegraph), from the team behind Air Lounge, breathes new life into a neglected block. The makeover of a long-abandoned watering hole into a sleek gathering space for Oakland’s hippest is nothing short of stunning, and was the brainchild of Old Oakland architect Alfonso Dominguez, of Fiveten Studio. Already the home of networking events for young professionals, AVE offers appetizers and some larger plates, finally giving Oakland a taste of food along with our libations.

Pican (2295 Broadway), the star of the show, complements its next-door neighbor Ozumo with another destination dining experience. Its pre-opening party a week ago was a wonderful showcase for this unique establishment. The decor was elegant, yet understated, though thankfully not quite as understated as some Oakland establishments (like Oliveto). In addition to California-inflected Southern cuisine (like fried oysters topped with microgreens), owner Michael LeBlanc, a New Orleans native, boasted “the greatest selection of bourbon in the Bay Area,” a welcome amenity for Oakland’s underserved whiskey connoisseurs. At the opening, representatives from three distilleries provided samples and information about their traditional craft, which is seeing a resurgence of interest. Pican boasts not only a unique approach to regional food and drink, but its bourbon tasting room, appointed with cabinetry apparently straight from the French Quarter, promises to be an educational excursion for the elite tippler. Between Southern comfort food, Southern craft liquor, and the caring staff’s genuine Southern hospitality, Pican is well on the way to establishing itself as one of Oakland’s restaurants of renown.

At Tuesday’s hearing, members of the Council Committee seemed fairly persuaded that the up-and-coming neighborhood around the Fox Theater deserves better than a surface parking lot, though no final decision was made. Uptown’s aspirations are now quite visible: from Pican to Van Kleef, with Somar and AVE in the middle, there is a pleasant pedestrian experience to go along with Uptown’s entertainment. This evening boasts another addition to Uptown’s potential pub-crawl: the Den at the Fox (1807 Telegraph) opens its doors, allowing Oaklanders a glimpse into the beauty and glamour of the Fox Theater even if one has not yet found an appealing performance. See you there!