The resilient Bay Area restaurant industry is gearing up for more exciting eatery openings in the coming months. Among them, a new rooftop bar in Walnut Creek. More high concept options for downtown San Jose. An eclectic restaurant and bar in Livermore. The flavors of Portugal in Gilroy. And a renovation of a Mexican restaurant that’s been serving in Los Gatos for half a century
Here are a dozen of the most eagerly anticipated restaurants expected to make their debut in the last half of the year, with a few inching even closer to opening day.
Eos & Nyx, San Jose
The entrepreneurs behind an impressive restaurant venture named after the Greek goddesses of dawn and night — Eos & Nyx — are hoping to energize a key downtown San Jose block with their modern Mediterranean concept.
Hospitality industry veterans Dan Phan, Johnny Wang and George Lahlouh, who co-own the spirit-centric MiniBoss, Paper Plane and Still OG, all downtown, are bullish on Urban Catalyst’s plans for Paseo, on the site of the old Century 12 movie complex.
They’ve leased nearly 4,000 square feet for their Eos & Nyx restaurant, and construction is well under way. Schematic designs show an angular and dramatic space with 20-foot-high ceilings, live trees and wood design elements.
General manager Ronald Bonafacio and executive chef Nicko Moulinos promise an innovative menu that features the influences of France, Spain, Italy, Greece and North Africa. Dinner, lunch, brunch and craft cocktails will be served both inside and alfresco.
Details: Planning a summer opening at 201 S. Second St., San Jose.
The Monk’s Kettle, Oakland
For nearly 17 years, The Monk’s Kettle served as a sort of church for beer lovers in San Francisco’s Mission District, pouring revered tipples like St. Bernardus Belgian Tripel and smoked Aecht Schlenkerla Urbock (gesundheit!).
But this spring, owners Christian Albertson and Nat Cutler posted a heartfelt Dear John letter announcing their intent to move out of the city, bemoaning the “crazy delivery fee numbers” and “drastically changed customer behavior” that’s damaged the pub environment. “I would say in a nutshell, the city just hasn’t recovered,” says Albertson. “And it’s not just from the pandemic, it’s really been in the works for the last decade where the economics of the city have really made people move out. In a way, we’re really chasing the clientele.”
Well, the Mission’s loss is Oakland’s gain – Rockridge’s, to be specific, that tony neighborhood of boutique shops and buzzy restaurants. The new Monk’s will feature a more spread-out space with perhaps 80 seats and plenty of standing room, plus parklets out front and a back deck with a roof trellis to protect against the elements. In other words, it’ll be a great place to hang for hours while guzzling beer and munching on chef Raiden Brenner’s elevated farm-to-table grub – including a much-lauded burger with stout-onion jam and gruyere, killer pretzels with beer cheese and fried-chicken sandos with hop-salt fries.
“We’re going to bring over our draft system with 28 drafts and do something similar with the bottle list of probably 60 to 80 bottles,” says Albertson. Those rotating drafts have featured the Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa’s Moonlight Brewing and Fort Bragg’s North Coast Brewing, among others. With the move, expect East Bay beers — including Ghost Town, Cellarmaker and Temescal Brewing — to feature heavily as well.
“We’re just really excited and honestly, it feels in a way we’re getting back to what Monk’s was a decade ago, until the city fell apart and went a little haywire,” says Albertson. “We love the new space and neighborhood, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Details: Scheduled to open in September at 5484 College Ave., Oakland; monkskettle.com. (Monk’s also has a location in San Rafael.)
Pedro’s, Los Gatos
How many combination plates and margaritas do you suppose have been served in the past 52 years?
Pedro’s Restaurant & Cantina, the classic Mexican restaurant that has held forth in downtown Los Gatos since 1972, is temporarily closed for a major renovation of both the interior and the menu.
What began as a 12-table restaurant more than 50 years ago has gone through two expansions since, including opening a massive location near California’s Great America in Santa Clara. That’s where Pedro’s fans will need to get their fix until the Los Gatos original reopens.
Diners can expect a new food and drink menu that balances creativity, seasonality and authenticity, the Pedro’s team says, while retaining generational classics such as chiles rellenos and enchiladas. And longtime general manager Harry will be back to welcome customers.
Details: Look for a late summer reopening at 316 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos; www.pedrosrestaurants.com.
The Black Cat, Livermore
Livermore’s dining scene continues to heat up with the imminent arrival of The Black Cat, a restaurant and bar that will highlight natural wines, eclectic small plates and tins of seafood known as conservas.
The Black Cat is the passion project of Dina Parks, daughter of the head winemaker at Plowboy Wine in the Sierra foothills, and restaurateur Gianni Schell, who owns Livermore’s Rebel Kitchen & Libations. The space is undergoing renovations to transition from its old life as a Mexican restaurant into a charming, retro-themed space with natural wood, pops of contrasting color and midcentury light fixtures. There’s a lush back patio and garden, with mismatched bistro sets, colorful umbrellas and picnic tables, and a restored vintage photo booth inside.
“We have just hired our chef, Abel Visa, who is the creator of Aguita Dinner Club (in Los Angeles) and has experience at numerous L.A. restaurants, such as Poltergeist and All Day Baby,” says Parks. “We are currently creating a menu based on seasonal and local ingredients. There is no specific cuisine, but the dishes are inspired by the foods that Gianni and I love to eat, but done in our own way.” That means small bites like “fresh crudo, Japanese sweet potato, bone marrow and an anchovy snack plate with Wingen Bakery sourdough which is down the street from us.”
The restaurant will stock traditional wines from California — including Wood Family Vineyards, Soda Rock Winery and Retzlaff Vineyards — as well as natural wines from the U.S., Europe and South America. The cocktail list is small but focused on craft ingredients in concoctions such as the Cat’s Meow, made with black sesame-infused aged rum, Amaro Averna and honey.
“We are crazy cat lovers,” explains Parks. “So 10 percent of proceeds from this cocktail will go to local cat-rescue groups, such as one I used to foster cats called Paws That Matter.”
Details: The Black Cat plans to open in early June at 2241 First St., Livermore; blackcatlivermore.com.
Rise Woodfire, Santa Clara
Restaurateur Omid Zahedi, who transformed the historic San Mateo train station into a huge eatery and bar with outside dining during the pandemic, has turned his sights to the South Bay.
He’s opening his second Rise Woodfire restaurant — with wood-fired rotisserie chicken, salmon, ribs, prime rib and pizza — in the largest restaurant space at Rivermark Plaza in Santa Clara. There will be house-baked pies too (maybe in time for summer’s stone fruit).
Zahedi grew up in the fast-food pizza business — his Iranian immigrant father opened pizzerias after coming to this country — but chose the financial services field for his career. Years later, he developed a passion for “the new wave of fine pizza” and built a brick oven on a trailer to practice on family and friends and serve at charity events.
Once the recipes were perfected, he and wife Susan Payrovi launched their first eatery, Rise Pizzeria, in downtown Burlingame in 2017.
Details: Expected to open in late summer at 3905 Rivermark Plaza, Santa Clara; www.risewoodfire.com
Calicraft, Walnut Creek
The Walnut Creek-based brewery is working on three big expansion projects right now: adding a rooftop bar in downtown Walnut Creek; building a new research and development brewing, winemaking and distilling space in Walnut Creek’s Shadelands area and launching a new taproom in Davis.
According to brewmaster Thomas Vo and CEO Blaine Landberg, the first of these to open will be a new rooftop bar and taproom planned in downtown Walnut Creek above Va de Vi. One of just two rooftop bars in the city, the new Calicraft venture will have an outdoor deck and indoor drinking space. They’re also working on building out their non-alcoholic drink offerings, with beverages like a new mint-and-ginger spritz, as a way of making their brewery a “third place” — one where people of all ages feel comfortable hanging out that’s neither home nor work.
Next, they’ll expand their production facility to not only brew more beer but expand into winemaking and distilling. The new 10,000-square-foot, two-story building in Walnut Creek will offer research and development space to broaden their offerings beyond beer. The team recently returned from a visit to Louisville, Kentucky, where they got pointers on adding whiskey distilling to their repertoire. And on the winemaking front, they’re hoping to make natural-style wines that celebrate the region and play with unorthodox grapes. That’s currently set to open in spring or summer of 2025.
And the Davis project — a new taproom and beer garden — is on deck for fall of 2025. Why Davis? Several Calicraft staffers are alums of UC Davis’ prestigious brewing program.
Details: Calicraft plans to open its rooftop taproom at 1501 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Walnut Creek in early September; calicraft.com.
Giorgio’s, Mountain View
Red-sauce lovers who’ve been missing Frankie Johnnie & Luigi Too since the vintage El Camino Real restaurant closed for redevelopment a few years ago can rejoice: The Italian classics are coming back.
Giorgio’s, a sibling restaurant from the D’Ambrosio family, will open this summer in the new mixed-use development being constructed near Castro Street.
Look for the same great recipes (insider tip: the Sausage Bread is stuffed with links from their New York Style Sausage Co. in Sunnyvale) but a different footprint. There will be about 60 indoor and patio seats for onsite dining, as the new restaurant puts a greater emphasis on takeout, delivery and corporate catering.
For those new to the D’Ambrosio clan, they’ve been cooking in the Bay Area since 1956. The original Giorgio’s is located on Foxworthy in San Jose; there’s also one in Milpitas and the newest location in Morgan Hill. And the Frankie, Johnnie & Luigi nameplate lives on in Dublin.
Details: Slated to open in late June or early July at 939 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View; www.giorgiositalianfood.com/mountain-view
Daryoush, Walnut Creek
Berkeley’s popular Persian restaurant will be opening on Walnut Creek’s Locust Street in early June, after redevelopment at the original location forced a move, says owner Daryoush Ermagan. That’s bad news for Berkeley denizens, but excellent news in The Creek, where the eatery is taking over the downtown spot formerly occupied by Kaiwa Sushi.
Expect to enjoy the same Persian fare that has delighted Daryoush devotees near the UC Berkeley campus: Colorful appetizers including Panir Sabzi (marinated feta with fresh herbs) and Kashk-e-Bademjan (roasted eggplant dip), and 14 variations on the kebab theme, from Chicken Koobideh and Shishlik (lamb) to Salmon Kabob and Jujeh, skewered Cornish game hen.
Details: Daryoush plans to open in June at 1534 Locust St. in Walnut Creek; daryoush.com.
Petiscos, Gilroy
Carlos and Fernanda Carreira are expanding their popular Portuguese small plates concept beyond San Jose’s Little Portugal neighborhood and downtown San Jose — to Gilroy first and who knows where next?
The family that won San Jose’s first Michelin star for Adega had been balancing both that upscale restaurant and their more casual Petiscos concept. Now they and their executive chef, David Costa, are concentrating on Petiscos and their Pastelaria bakery.
What can South County diners expect? A menu with dozens of savory Portuguese choices, including Flamed Chourico, Shrimp Fritters, Codfish Cakes, Cuttlefish Tempura, Duck Rice, Pork & Clams and Roasted Octopus. Pastry chef Jessica Carreira makes the desserts, both classic and contemporary.
Look for an impressive wine list, as the Carreiras were wine importers before they got into this end of the business.
Details: Opening later this year at 7574 Monterey Road, Gilroy; www.petiscosadega.com
Crush’d, Danville
From the mind of Francis Hogan, the chef behind Pleasanton’s Sabio on Main, comes a new restaurant concept: Crush’d.
The new spot will offer 24 wines on tap, charcuterie, cheese and seasonal small plates, and a gourmet mini-market beginning in mid-June. The wine bar’s taps are a big deal to Hogan, who says storing wine in kegs lets wine bars optimize their by-the-glass experience. The wine temperature can be precisely controlled and there’s generally less exposure to oxygen, which can dampen a wine’s aroma and flavors, with this method than if the wine is served from an already-opened bottle.
“We’re really focused on changing the narrative about wines on tap,” he says.
Details: Expected to open in mid-June at 312 Railroad Ave. in Danville.
Pivot, Pleasanton
Hogan is also well into the ambitious process of reimagining this former Faz location in Pleasanton and converting it into a modern sports bar.
“At its core, it’s going to be everything you know and love about a sports bar,” he says, with flat screens showing sports from around the world, from the Super Bowl to morning cricket games.
The menu will offer sports bar favorites and classics, but with an elevated spin. Chicken wings, for instance, will come from free-range chickens sourced from the Central Valley, and sauces will be made from scratch.
The restaurant will also offer four private suites designed to mimic those at Chase Center, which offer passed hors d’oeuvres and a comfortable, private space for watching sports. And if you prefer to play, as well as watch, Hogan has partnered with Topgolf to create simulator suites for playing virtual golf.
Details: Pivot is expected to open this fall at 5121 Hopyard Road in Pleasanton.
Raising Cane’s, Hayward, San Jose
Cult favorites can be just as highly anticipated as restaurants with Michelin cred.
Such is the case with Raising Cane’s, which is bringing its signature chicken fingers to two more Bay Area cities, two years after making its regional debut. In the coming months, fans and the Cane’s-curious should be able to buy the crunchy, fried-to-order chicken breast strips in San Jose at the Evergreen Circle Project and in the East Bay at the Hayward Center.
Founded in Baton Rouge, the Raising Cane’s chain is known for maintaining a strict menu focus — just chicken fingers with one signature dipping sauce, crinkle-cut fries, cole slaw and Texas toast. Customers may purchase a single chicken finger, a few as a combo, loaded on a sandwich or in large party packs.
The beverage menu, also concise, includes sweet tea and “unsweet” tea, both freshly brewed throughout the day; lemonade that’s freshly squeezed daily; and fountain soft drinks.
Details: Expect opening dates to be set soon for 2394 Evergreen Place, San Jose, and 26231 Mission Blvd., Hayward; www.raisingcanes.com/home
STILL COMING
We’ve highlighted these much-anticipated restaurants before, and they recently confirmed that, yes, they are still on the way!
Ocean Oyster Bar & Grill, Redwood City: Ocean, a restaurant in Union City with a large menu of fresh fish, seafood and raw bar offerings, is taking over the prime location on Redwood City’s Broadway that housed the Spaghetti Factory until early in the pandemic.
Hobee’s, San Jose: This venerable breakfast establishment is taking over a German beer garden downtown. Camille and Daniel Chijate, owners of the long-running Hobee’s chain, are opening soon in a historic blue Victorian on North Second Street.
The Silos, Morgan Hill: Ross Hanson, owner of the popular Oak & Rye artisanal pizzeria in Los Gatos, says work is coming along nicely on his new place called The Silos in the historic Granary District on Depot Street. Look for a big bar program and shareable small plates.