I am so outta time (overtime!) writing this column, so this East Bay update is a quickfire round of info for you.
Opening this Friday in Oakland in the former Flora and Fauna bar is PALMETTO and The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto, a Caribbean restaurant and bar from The Kon-Tiki team. Owners Christ Aivaliotis and Matt Reagan are excited to be in this historic, Art Deco space, serving tropical takes on steakhouse staples from chef Manny Bonilla, and classic cocktails, served in pared-down portions so you can enjoy more spirit-forward drinks, without getting too loaded. Cheers to that. The space is filled with pastels, tropical plants, and lots of glam touches (I’m basically ready to move into their Instagram feed), while The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto is more nautical. Reservations available Saturday and onwards. Hours: Tue-Thu 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm; brunch coming soon. 1900 Telegraph Ave. at 19th St., Oakland.
Opening soon in Alameda is COFFEE CULTURES ALAMEDA from Jason Paul, David Burke, and Luigi DiRuocco (they were all born and raised in Alameda, so this location is very special to the group of partners). Coffee Cultures was established in 2013 at their original location at 225 Bush St. in SF (this location closed in 2019). They opened a second location in SF at 1301 Mission St. in 2015, which is currently open Mon-Fri 9am-2pm. And now they have a new Alameda location, with a beautiful courtyard with a mural, tables, and chairs. They will have a counter and banquettes inside, but in the beginning, it will just be to-go and courtyard seating. Phase two will bring a pick-up window on the Blanding Street side.
In addition to full coffee service (featuring Perennial Espresso, Half Baked Decaf Espresso, and single origin coffees, plus they partnered with Mr. Espresso on a private label Coffee Cultures), there will be Straus soft-serve ice cream, Straus yogurt parfaits, Starter Bakery pastries, steel-cut Irish oatmeal, and affogatos. Opening hours are Mon-Fri 6am-2pm and Sat-Sun 7am-2pm. 1926 Park St. at Blanding, Alameda.
It has been so exciting to watch RED BAY COFFEE open their breathtaking new Oakland café and headquarters in a former bank at International Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue—take a look and get all the details in this Eater piece.
Read all about Dominica Rice-Cisneros’s upcoming BOMBERA in the Dimond in this Salon feature, which helps make the closure of Cosecha Cafe sting a bit less.
The tropical style of the new Palmetto. Instagram photo via @palmetto-oakland.
