New in Alameda
Chicha Contemporary Peruvian Bistro | Peruvian
1544 Webster St., 510-522-3764
Restaurant owner Carolina Yong does wonders with Peruvian cuisine at her small Webster Street bistro, working culinary charms on ceviche and empanadas, bouillabaisse and chowder, quinoa risotto and seco de carne (beef brisket pot roast). Potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, yucca, rice, and corn are staples that may wind up in the stews and soups or with entrées as sides. There is a plentiful pisco bar—perfect for learning the secrets of this awesome Peruvian brandy–based cocktail. The restaurant has earned some West End cred as a cultural hub, thanks to the proprietor’s enthusiasm for Latin and South American culture and her energy for arranging special events ranging from salsa and tango dancing to business mixers. Open for lunch, brunch, and dinner Sun. and Tue.–Sat. www.ChichaBistro.com CC Full Bar Reservations $$New in Jack London Square
Lungomare | Italian
1 Broadway, 510-444-7171
Restaurateurs Chris Pastena and Teemor Noor of Grand Tavern turn to Northern Italy, Tuscany and Liguria specifically, for the basis of this upscale, ambitious Jack London Square hotel restaurant (which replaces Miss Pearl’s Jam House) to put seafood, cured meats, pizza, and pasta in the limelight. Waterfront views, patio dining, a multitude of menus, and live shows in the lounge give it a hint of something-for-everybody vibe, but the food, particularly the fish stews and hand-made pastas, is solid, and the wine and cocktail programs well-built. Plus, there’s something undeniably special about enjoying Oakland with lights glinting off the estuary. Serves lunch and dinner daily. www.Lungomare.com CC Full Bar Reservations WC Accessible $$–$$$Updated in Old Oakland
Cock-A-Doodle Café | California
719 Washington St., 510-465-5400
Ah, a weekend breakfast at this popular, crazy-busy café will make everything right. Blanca Arecihga skews slightly Latin American, with chipotle sometimes making its way into the hollandaise, mango salsa, or mayo. But hungry hipsters with kids in tow, a definite weekend staple, have plenty of sweet and savory options, from graham-cracker crusted French toast and lemon-ricotta pancakes to omelets and garlic shrimp topped with myer hollandaise, to choose from that have little to nothing do with the chef/owner’s roots. The frothy latte comes in a mason jar—a hands-down favorite in the never-ending quest to find the perfect accompaniment to a truly pleasant breakfast, this one arriving tableside at one of hood’s rockingest morning spots. Serves lunch and dinner daily. www.CockADoodleCafe.com CC Full Bar No Reservations WC Accessible $$New in Uptown
Stag’s Lunchette | Sandwiches
362 17th St., 510-835-7824
Like a nose-to-tail restaurant that offers cruelty-free organic meat in a setting akin to a yuppie version of a hunting shack in the deer woods? Then Stag’s may be the place for you, your flannel-shirted friends, and their tie-wearing neighbors. It’s a successful breakfast-and-lunch, meat-centric, order-at-the-counter endeavor by Alexeis Filipello, she of nearby Bar Dogwood and charcuterie fame. There’s trendy chalkboard menu of changing offerings, and a memorable eight-point buck mascot on the wall. Stag’s makes six sandwiches daily, including a salt-crusted grilled cheese and usually a pastrami Reuben from house-cured meat, and Stag’s sometimes gets so busy that the kitchen runs out of bread and diners must rub elbows with strangers—all part of the charm. Breakfast proves equally stellar with long lines to prove it. Open for breakfast and lunch Mon.–Sat. www.StagsLunchette.com CC No Alcohol No R WC Accessible $$

New in Port Costa
The Bull Valley Roadhouse | New American
14 Canyon Lake Drive, 510-787-1135
This reborn, rustic, and refined roadhouse, infused with New American cuisine and craft cocktails, deserves a road trip. Remade into a tavern-like bistro with the feel of a turn-of-the-19th century saloon, this outpost, the star of a tiny waterfront town, puts mussels, ribs, chicken, steak, stew, and craft cocktails on par with the best of the same trendy ilk in Oakland or San Francisco. You’d be happy and sated from a meal straight from the apps or sides—crunchy, fritter-like fried green tomatoes, crispy fried beans, and, say, roasted macaroni gratin—but take a crowd for the family-style approach and add the dry-rubbed St. Louis pork ribs, pozole-like pork stew, or popular fried chicken. Portions are huge and homey and meant to be shared. Serves dinner Thu.–Sun and brunch Sun. www.BullValleyRoadhouse.com CC Full bar Reservations WC $$$

This article appears in the March 2014 issue of Alameda Magazine
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