Northern California

Oakland’s 2023 Restaurant Week Kicks off March 16, 2023

It’s time again for Oakland Restaurant Week, a ten day event where the top restaurants in The Town design special menus to entice diners and showcase the culinary innovation that Oakland is known for. It’s a great time to go out and sample the delicacies that our city has to offer, and this year there’s an extra incentive: 12 restaurants are partnering with Community Kitchens to bring you “Community Course,” which offers diners a chance to make a $5 donation while they enjoy their meal. This nominal donation will go to enabling other people in our town to taste the same great flavors, people who might not otherwise have the resources to do so.

Community Course is an optional $5 donation that diners are encouraged to add to their Restaurant Week meal at one of the participating restaurants.  One hundred percent (100%) of funds raised will support East Oakland Collective’s August Feed The Hood event in conjunction with Digital Underground’s 3rd annual Shock G Day, and all Community Course donations will be matched by the Oakland Roots Sports Club.

Participation in this fundraiser is an acknowledgement of what a tremendous privilege it is to be able to eat from the kitchens of all our diverse and amazing Oakland Restaurant Week chefs, as well as an opportunity to make this event meaningful both for those who participate and those who cannot.

Below are the restaurants participating in Community Course; they represent the creativity, diversity and generous spirit of Oakland. Treat yourself to a once-in-a-year delight at one of these establishments, and when your meal is over, consider deepening your bond to the community by donating a little bit to the great town we live in.

Restaurant Week is March 16-26, 2023.

More information is on the Visit Oakland site: https://www.visitoakland.com/events/annual-events/restaurant-week/

Lion Dance Cafe

380 17th Street

Lion Dance Cafe is offering a two course menu plus a glass of red or white wine; the wine is vegan and sourced from makers traditionally underrepresented in their fields.

“This vegan restaurant that opened during the pandemic is inspired by Singaporean and Chinese cuisine. Formerly a pop-up known as S+M Vegan, many of the dishes are inspired by co-founder CY Chia’s childhood in Singapore, which includes family recipes and classic hawker fare. The plant-based menu focuses on high quality, seasonal ingredients culled from the local Old Oakland farmers market and other local farms. The menu is always changing, resulting in delightful surprises like Rendang and Nami Lemak with jackfruit that’s caramelized in a house-made spice paste with coconut pandan rice, and a Shaobing sandwich that’s only available on Fridays and Saturday, with roasted sweet potato and preserved Chinese mustard greens on bread that’s baked in-house. The restaurant is also moving toward a cooperative model, and current staff-inspired dishes also appear on the menu.”

– Thrillist

Home of Chicken & Waffles

444 Embarcadero West

Home of Chicken & Waffles is offering an amazing deal: Buy One plate of Chicken and Waffles and get the second one for Free!

“This family-owned Oakland eatery is the kind of place where you can merrily eat your way into oblivion, Southern-style. First-timers need to know this: the fried chicken is coated in a crispy, thin crust with a hint of spice, and it’s served with waffles. Yes, breakfast waffles. Yes, you’re supposed to drizzle everything with syrup. Yes, it is tasty. Among signature dishes is Angie’s Delight, a plate that includes one fried chicken breast and one waffle, with a side of grits. You’ll have to make some choices: dark meat or white (even the white meat is moist and tender), Southern-style or smothered (either way it’s fried, but smothered chicken comes obscured with gravy), waffles or another side dish (stick with waffles). If you’ve ordered right you won’t have room for dessert, which tend to be super-sweet throwbacks to a bygone era. You’d be better off 

skipping the pecan pie and ordering a second piece of chicken or another waffle. Also located in Walnut Creek.”

– Gayot

Parlour

357 19th Street

Parlour is featuring seasonal dishes priced at $45 or $65 prix fixe meal options with a la carte option as well.

Parlour’s Italian influenced Bay Area cuisine showcases the beautiful wood-fired oven that is the centerpiece of the open kitchen, while the bar offers classic and modern cocktails with an assortment of carefully curated spirits, wines, and beer.

Occitania

422 24th st, Oakland, CA 94612

At Occitania you can sample a glass of sparkling wine before you dive into the two-course prix fixe menu, featuring classic pork rillettes and pan roasted sturgeon.

Inspired by regional southern French cuisine, Occitania is named after the traditional Occitan linguistic region, which stretches across regions of France, Italy and Spain. 

It is an area of culinary familiarity for Chef Paul Canales, who first made his mark on the Bay Area at Oliveto preparing Northern Italian food before becoming known for Spanish tapas and paella at Duende.

Mela Bistro Modern Ethiopian

35 Grand Ave

Come to Mela Bistro to experience a Taste of Ethiopia. Guests will start with appetizers, meat and vegetarian/vegan options, house made honey wine and dessert.

Mela Bistro Modern Ethiopian Cuisine is an intimate restaurant in downtown Oakland where you can gather with colleagues, family and friends. Executive Chef Adiam Tsegaye incorporates modern and traditional techniques that highlight the rich essence of Ethiopian cuisine. Her menu creations are plated beautifully, offering patrons high quality meats and fish, fresh vegetables and traditional Ethiopian spices and herbs.

Bar Cesar

4039 Piedmont Ave

Bar Cesar is offering a special prix fixe menu offering 3 courses for $40. The menu includes a choice of Guacamole or Oysters, Ceviche Tostada or Potato Flautas, & Lamb Chops, Grilled Salmon, or Mushroom Enchiladas.

“Bar César first and foremost offers the broadest selection of classic cocktails, spirits, beer and wine — the menu blends Latin American, Iberian as well as local cuisine. To a great extent the ingredients are fresh farm to table and sustainable.”

– Urban Dining Guide

Sidebar

542 Grand Ave

Sidebar is offering a special prix fixe dinner menu for $45 per person, featuring a seasonal salad, choice of entree and Chocolate Bar Coconut ice cream.

An old school neighborhood eatery with timeless appeal and a modern approach, Sidebar is where Oakland’s past meets its present. Sit alongside Lake Merritt, and enjoy classic cocktails, good food, cold beer, and nice wine.

Bardo Lounge & Supper Club

3343 Lakeshore Ave

At Bardo you’ll find a three-course dinner menu, with a choice of entree between Braised beef short rib and Roasted Tofu with crispy fingerling potatoes.

“This lounge lets you time travel back to the swinging 60s. The space is comprised of cozy nooks, all meticulously curated with throwback flair, as well as a more traditional dining room upstairs. Note the cool couples in the alcoves, nibbling bites from groovy vintage metal tray tables. Earnest service keeps it all in check. 

The menu matches the mood; and cocktails, like those punch bowls, figure largely. While nostalgia peppers the carte, familiar-sounding items like broccolini casserole and porcupine meatballs have been reimagined with sparkling results—think lemongrass vinegar and mint aïoli. Can’t decide thanks to one-too-many sips of the stirring stuff? Order the ‘Dinner Party Menu,’ which leaves you in the hands of this capable kitchen.”

– Michelin Guide

Brotzeit Lokal

1000 Embarcadero

Brotzeit Lokal is offering a weekday lunch special for $15, and two different three-course prix fixe specials, for brunch and dinner each. These specials come with a choice of fan-favorite Bavarian dishes and a select cocktail, beer or wine.

“If you want a water view with your brew, head to this spot east of Jack London Square and enjoy a bretzel and obatzda (a soft German pretzel with Bavarian cheese dip), a selection of local wurst, or some Wiener schnitzel with your German or Belgian beer.”

– Fodor’s Travel Guide

Calavera

2337 Broadway

Calavera is offering a Three-Course dinner menu for $45 featuring the the best in Mexican cuisine in a lively, vibrant dining room in the heart of uptown Oakland. Check out the menu below:

“Calavera’s diverse menu celebrates the unique and layered gastronomy of Mexico. Using traditional ingredients and techniques, Chef Omar Huerta presents both new and familiar Mexican flavors with an inspired, modern perspective. Calavera offers a full bar with an extensive tequila and mezcal collection, innovative cocktails, and a bottle wine list. Come enjoy the spirit of Mexico in an artistic, comfortable environment in Oakland’s uptown!”

– Kayak

Chop Bar

190 4th St

Chop Bar is offering a three-course prix fixe menu, with choices of some of their most delectable dishes, friendly to both vegetarians and carnivores.

“Chop Bar somehow manages to capture the best sides of Oakland effortlessly: it’s surprising, it’s homey, it’s gutsy, the crowd is diverse, and the restaurant is on trend without shoving it in your face. Dinners at Chop Bar are always bustling — particularly on warm nights when you can take advantage of the indoor-outdoor front porch — and always new and different, as the menu changes nightly (save the oxtail poutine, thank God). Watch for special events like the occasional not-to-be-missed pig roasts.”

– Thrillist

Duende

468 19th St

Duende is offering a classic dinner meal for $65 per person that includes the following items:

– 1 Ensalada de Col

– 1 Patatas Bravas

– 1 Paella

– 1 Cava Splash

– 1 Dessert

A modern and casual dining experience, a cutting-edge cocktail program, and an inviting Spanish-based wine program! Duende’s inspiration is authentic regional Spanish cuisine, but with equal parts traditional and contemporary influences.

Duende’s intense desire for creative expression results in a daily-changing menu that is dynamic and ever evolving. Offerings from the kitchen include small plates of Tapas and Pintxos, intermediate selections of Raciones, as well as gorgeous pans of Paella and Fideua, all designed to be shared among family and friends.