This chef ran one of the Bay Area's best popups. Now he's opening his own spot

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

An Oakland popup known for late night eats is graduating into a full-blown bar and restaurant.
Chisme is moving out of its sultry lair inside Oakland's Low Bar and over to 347 14th St., where the Kon-Tiki shook Mai Tais until its closing in December.
Chef Manuel Bonilla said the new Bar Chisme will be more of a dive bar, with a small cocktail program with a few original drinks to complement his Filipino-Salvadoran cooking. Gone are the tropical trappings of the previous tiki bar for what will be a more casual, yet eclectic look.
'We're going for 'abuelita's house on acid'. Very homey and very chill,' he said.
The owners of the Kon-Tiki, Christ Aivaliotis and Matt Reagan, shut down their popular spot late last year after seven years in business. Bonilla is familiar with the new location: He was the Kon-Tiki's opening chef.
But his choice to return to the space amounts to a bet on the future of downtown Oakland, as Aiviolitis wrote in a profanity-laden screed that business in downtown Oakland was nearly impossible.
Aivaliotis and Reagan approached Bonilla and his business partners to take over their old corner space. Bonilla is keeping the operation as minimal as possible to protect himself from increasing costs. Unlike its predecessor, there won't be any servers and all orders must be placed and picked up at the bar. The vision: 'Straight up no-frills, but with Chisme's food,' he said.
Bonilla's resume isn't just dive bar food. It includes Oakland's two Michelin-starred Commis, and he currently works at modern Salvadoran restaurant Popoca. At Chisme, Bonilla's dishes have included yucca smothered in black beans, rich sisig pupusas and handmade chicken nuggets. Bar Chisme's menu will lean in a similar direction with the addition of a smashburger and a grilled burger. The house cocktails will feature ingredients like rums and agave distillates, also reflecting that influence.
Chisme took over Low Bar's kitchen in March of last year after the venue's owners announced they were ending their kitchen program. Chisme had made appearances as a popup before settling into its residency. Bonilla's cooking and being the only open kitchen until close to midnight made Chisme a magnet for late night diners or an excuse to stick around for another drink.
Chronicle restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez praised Bonilla's vision, which went from playful to layered. Dishes like tortas stuffed with lechon fuse cultural cues from his Filipino and Salvadoran background. 'His style is loose and fun but never misses a chance to impress, like the family member who steals the show on the dance floor,' he wrote. Chisme was ranked among the best new restaurants of 2024.