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San Francisco Chronicle​

James Beard Award-winning restaurant returns, plus more East Bay openings

Restaurant comebacks were a common trend across the East Bay in April. Popular waterfront pizzeria Forge and progressive restaurant Understory are back serving diners in new locations. New arrivals include a Black-owned cafe at a West Oakland food hall and the latest from a growing coffee shop. Lauded restaurant returns Understory, Oakland's progressive, James Beard award-winning restaurant has made a comeback. The worker-owned business reopened with menus boasting Southeast Asian influence in dishes like slow-braised short ribs, grilled Filipino-style chicken inasal and a caramelized papaya burger. The lunch and brunch menus include sandwiches and quiches, along with coffees and an ube horchata. The restaurant offers a pay-what-you-can dish to accommodate diners regardless of what they can afford. Pizza house is back The Oakland pizza specialists at the Forge are now making their sourdough pies in Rockridge. Expect pizza and a slew of new dishes like lemon-harissa shrimp, mussels with mozzarella garlic bread and a beefy burger. The restaurant brought activity back into the former Beer Baron space, so naturally there is a long, 22-beer tap list. The Forge closed its waterfront restaurant at Jack London Square in December. It has since opened a location at Oakland International Airport. 5900 College Ave., Oakland. Local coffee roaster expands The East Bay's homegrown roasting outfit Signal Coffee opened its latest location at Oakland's Tribune Tower. Like its sibling locations in Alameda and Berkeley, there are drip coffee and espresso drinks made with specialty-grade beans along with pastries made in-house. The new brick-and-mortar takes over the former Rasa Caffe space. Signal has also amplified its presence across the Bay Bridge with a new popup at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Dumpling House is the latest restaurant to bundle meats and vegetables into comforting, bite sized packages in Alameda. East Bay Nosh reports there are steamed dumplings, pork buns and poached chicken at the new restaurant. There are also sweet smoothies made with mango, peach and pitaya to drink. 2105 Lincoln Ave., Alameda. Mexican snacks find a new home Find comforting Mexican snacks at Yoyo's Botaneria in Hayward. The menu features all-time favorites like wheat chicharrones topped with avocado and pico de gallo, fried taquitos and esquites — also known as chaskas — topped with a mix of chile, mayo, cotija cheese. More elaborate corn treats add spiced shrimp or chorizo with bell peppers. Marquesitas, a style of crispy crepe roll that's rare in the Bay Area, come filled with your choice of bola cheese, fruits or spreads like cajeta or hazelnut cream. Yoyo's Botaneria previously served its snacks in San Leandro. Baked goods and breakfast Hayward's popular Don Polvoron is now baking and cooking in Livermore. The new shop offers Mexican style breads like conchas, empanadas and its namesake polvoron cookies. The breakfast tortas use telera rolls and come with fillings like eggs with ham or bacon, or a scramble with pico de gallo. Tamales, steamed tacos and flautas round out the menu. Yelp users report the new business opened in April. Buzzing food hall gets new tenant West Oakland's new Prescott Market food hall has a new stop for sandwiches and brunch fare. Cafe Noir brings dishes like shrimp and grits with Andouille sausage and sweet potato pancakes into a diverse spread of vendors. Owner Marissa Gittens first opened Cafe Noir in Oakland's Lower Dimond District in 2023, in an effort to pay homage to the Black diaspora and representative dishes. European bites in the Tri-Valley Yelp users report Naschmarkt, which operates Campbell and Palo Alto restaurants, is now cooking Austrian-German cuisine in Pleasanton. The menu includes appetizers like pretzels, sausage trios and spaetzle with smoked chicken, accompanied by a robust beer list. Entrees include classic dishes like wiener schnitzel and cabbage stuffed with pork and bacon. 310 Main St., Suite B, Pleasanton.