Another week, another spurt of great new restaurants and bars in the East Bay. Celebrate with a pint in Emeryville, or, better ye, with an all-out Holi bash in Temescal.
Start at Commonwealth Micropub, newly opened in Emeryville from the team behind CommonWealth Cafe and Public House. This micropub is, as implied, a smaller operation, with eight beers and two ciders on offer (largely from local providers), and a full menu of English and Indian-inspired pub classics. Tuck into a warming bowl of mulligatawny soup or a serving of mini Yorkshire puddings (served with beet hummus, Welsh rarebit, and potted salmon) while watching a soccer match.
Next, get your paleo on at Mission: Heirloom, the Berkeley cafe that opened at the end of 2014. They've added dinner service recently, with dishes like spaghetti squash with meatballs and a bone-in lamb neck for two. They also serve brunch on the weekends, perfect for any carnivores.
Uptown Oakland's Hopscotch has given their lunch menu a refresh, with dishes like smoked salmon with wild rice and a chicory salad with salt pork. Thankfully, you can still get their fried chicken and marvelous First Base Burger, which will pair nicely with an updated cocktail menu. We're particularly excited about the Your Cheatin' Heart, featuring chili vodka from St. George Spirits and smoked salt.
The can't-miss party of the weekend goes down at Juhu Beach Club in Temescal. The restaurant will celebrate Holi, a springtime festival of colors and love, on Sunday 15th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,with $5 drinks, tasty food, and lots of colored powder for the throwing (learn more here). Remember to wear white!
