Far from the new kid on the block, East Ocean Seafood Restaurant is a neighborhood landmark. Having opened its doors in 1989...
East Ocean Seafood Restaurant
Change – a consistent theme of this past year, but one thing that isn’t changing is the energy, excitement, and creativity that Alameda Restaurant Week brings to the island every January.
After an eventful 2020, with constant pivots based on the pandemic’s twists and turns, 30 plus Alameda restaurants are geared up and ready to welcome the community to join them for this year’s restaurant week, which runs from January 21-31.
“The town is closer than ever before. Businesses are talking to each other more,” said Stan Yee, owner of the Town Tavern. “The pandemic has brought the whole community together, and it’s especially notable in a small town like ours.”
From new kids on the block to those who have been pillars of the community for over a decade here’s a sneak peek at the participating restaurants and the range of culinary experiences they bring.
Alameda
Restaurant Week
East Ocean Seafood Restaurant
Far from the new kid on the block, East Ocean Seafood Restaurant is a neighborhood landmark. Having opened its doors in 1989 on Webster Street in Oakland, they’ve been in Alameda since relocating 25 years ago. East Ocean specializes in authentic Hong Kong cuisine -- you’ll find dim sum favorites like har gow and siu mai, alongside classics like the crispy pan-fried noodles topped with meat and seafood.
With its long history, the restaurant has built a sense of community amongst its staff. “It’s a family-run restaurant. Most of the employees have been here for over 20 years. In fact, the former owner and her sister still work at the restaurant!” says current owner David Chan.
While COVID precautions mean that they’re no longer able to offer dim sum on the steaming carts that we know and love, the food is still as enticing as ever. They also have an impressive selection of frozen handmade dim sum items, including BBQ pork buns and pea shoot and shrimp dumplings that are ready to be steamed up at home.
Fresh, traditional Mexican food. That’s how chef-owner Ivan Tellez describes Canasta Kitchen. Or rather, kitchens....
Canasta
Kitchen
CANASTA KITCHEN
Fresh, traditional Mexican food. That’s how chef-owner Ivan Tellez describes Canasta Kitchen. Or rather, kitchens. He opened his first food truck in 2014 and has since grown to three food trucks and two brick-and-mortar restaurants, with the Alameda location being the most recent addition this past June.
Ivan’s family is originally from Chiapas, a state in Southern Mexico, and he found himself longing for Southern Mexican-style cooking. “The inspiration for the original food truck was the stuff I like to eat. I grew up in the industry, I’ve been in restaurants since 2004 in the Bay Area, and my family used to own restaurants back in Mexico”.
Ivan’s personal favorites? “Empanadas, flautas, and fish tacos. When I first opened, there weren’t many people who made empanadas the way we do it back home -- with masa from scratch -- those were something I missed, so I knew I had to serve them. The flautas are also made Southern Mexican style with flour instead of the more-common corn tortillas. And I love our fish tacos, but I can only eat three because they’re so big”.
Also on the menu are less traditional dishes that he aptly names “locos platos,” which include the Tateritto and CaliBurrito, burritos filled with tater tots and fries, respectively. If you’re in for a challenge, try the Burro no Mamadas, a double size super burrito that’s the length of a forearm.
What gets Ivan going? “I love to see people happy with food.”
Giuseppe Naccarelli, a restaurant veteran and chef-owner of Trabocco, had been in the industry for over 30 years before opening...
Trabocco
Trabocco
Giuseppe Naccarelli, a restaurant veteran and chef-owner of Trabocco, had been in the industry for over 30 years before opening up the restaurant seven years ago. Trabocco, well-known by the community for its expansive Italian menu, has participated in Alameda Restaurant Week since its inaugural year.
Abruzzo, the region in central Italy where Giuseppe is from, is touched by the Adriatic Sea on the east and mountainous areas on the west, so the cuisine features both seafood and meat dishes. It’s also known for its quality wines such as the famous Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and olive oils. These components lend themselves to Trabocco’s menu, accompanied by pastas that are made fresh in-house daily alongside quality local and Italian ingredients.
With a menu that boasts dishes like a truffle-oil topped pizza and agnolotti filled with butternut squash, walnuts, and a brown-butter sage sauce, deciding what to order is no easy task. Giuseppe can’t pick a favorite himself, “they’re like my children -- everything has a reason to love and a reason to slap!”. Crowd favorites are the grilled octopus and potato appetizer, oxtail ravioli, seafood spaghetti, seafood stew, and the lamb skewers. No matter what you pick, you can’t go wrong, especially when accompanied by one of Trabocco’s cocktails.
An Alameda native, Stan Yee, the owner of Town Tavern, is no stranger to the town’s restaurant community. His parents have owned...
TOWN
TAVERN
TOWN TAVERN
An Alameda native, Stan Yee, the owner of Town Tavern, is no stranger to the town’s restaurant community. His parents have owned China House, a neighboring Chinese restaurant, since 1968.
When Stan moved back to the island after college, he found himself leaving it during his downtime, searching for a different experience that he would find across the bridge in Oakland or San Francisco. He’d been talking about opening up something in Alameda for several years; when the current space became available, he decided to take the leap. “We wanted to bring a new experience to Alameda and become the friendly neighborhood corner bar, like a modern-day Cheers of the community. We’re not quite a restaurant, we’re not quite a bar, even though we have a full menu and a full bar.”
Since the pandemic, Town Tavern has pivoted to focus on takeout and catering with the same classics they’re known for -- Stan describes the menu as “yummy bar food.” His must-gets are the loaded tots, the creole-spice seasoned chicharrones, the fried chicken sandwich topped with creole spice, tapatio aioli, jalapeno slaw, and their doughnuts that are fried fresh per order.
At the end of Park Street, in what was formerly a photography studio, sits Spinning Bones, a rotisserie restaurant that opened...
SPINNING
BONES
SPINNING BONES
At the end of Park Street, in what was formerly a photography studio, sits Spinning Bones, a rotisserie restaurant that opened at the end of 2019. While newer to the block, chef-owner Mike Yakura is no newcomer to the restaurant industry or Alameda: he’s the former owner of Dobbs Ferry and NoodleMe in SF and has been an island resident for over a decade.
When he decided to open Spinning Bones in 2018, “I just wanted clean and easy food to feed the people I live near,” says Mike.
The inspiration for the restaurant? True California style. “We wanted to create a point of view but keep it simple. The core at Spinning Bones stays the same, you have your chicken, ribs, shoulder, steak, and we play around with the sides based on what’s in season and what we feel inspired by”.
“The restaurant has been a reflection of the community and Alameda at-large,” says Mike. He takes pride in the community’s trust in the restaurant and the open dialogue he has with his customers in crafting the menu.
Boasting an extensive collection of over 150 kinds of whiskies, American Oak is a whiskey bar serving American comfort food with...
American
oak
AMERICAN OAK
Boasting an extensive collection of over 150 kinds of whiskies, American Oak is a whiskey bar serving American comfort food with Southern influences. All of the dishes highlight the unique characteristics of whiskeys.
But that doesn’t mean the food doesn't speak for itself; their ribeye steak is a community favorite and has earned recognition as the best steak in Alameda. Other menu highlights include the fried chicken sandwich, the Kobe beef burger, and the grilled smoked Sakura pork chop. While picking an entree won’t be an easy task, the maple bourbon bread pudding is a clear winner for dessert.
American Oak also has its own Whiskey Club, where customers can sign up to learn about special events such as virtual whiskey tastings and cocktail demos. Members can purchase a ticket to an event, pick up a whiskey kit tailored to the event, and participate in a virtual demo presented by Kat, the bar manager. “It’s a great and popular event, especially during these times,” says owner Chuck Carlisle.
Alameda's
Explore
DINING SCENE
For a full list of restaurants, visit alamedarestaurantweek.com.
Whatever you’re eating this restaurant week, be it a forearm-sized burrito from Canasta Kitchen or a platter of lobster from East Ocean, you can’t go wrong. This restaurant week may also be the most important one yet as the restaurants weather through the second wave of shutdowns. According to the Natural Restaurant Association, over 110,000 restaurants have closed in the last year. If you’re able to, show your support this restaurant week and order directly from restaurants rather than third-party apps so that all of your support goes directly to them.
bursting with as much flavor as ever
After an eventful 2020, with constant pivots based on the pandemic’s twists and turns, 20 plus Alameda restaurants are geared up and ready to welcome the community to join them for this year’s restaurant week, which runs from January 21-31.
“The town is closer than ever before. Businesses are talking to each other more,” said Stan Yee, owner of the Town Tavern. “The pandemic has brought the whole community together, and it’s especially notable in a small town like ours.”
From new kids on the block to those who have been pillars of the community for over a decade here’s a sneak peek at the participating restaurants and the range of culinary experiences they bring.
“The town is closer than ever before. Businesses are talking to each other more,” said Stan Yee, owner of the Town Tavern. “The pandemic has brought the whole community together, and it’s especially notable in a small town like ours.”
East Ocean Seafood Restaurant
Far from the new kid on the block, East Ocean Seafood Restaurant is a neighborhood landmark. Having opened its doors in 1989 on Webster Street in Oakland, they’ve been in Alameda since relocating 25 years ago. East Ocean specializes in authentic Hong Kong cuisine -- you’ll find dim sum favorites like har gow and siu mai, alongside classics like the crispy pan-fried noodles topped with meat and seafood.
With its long history, the restaurant has built a sense of community amongst its staff. “It’s a family-run restaurant. Most of the employees have been here for over 20 years. In fact, the former owner and her sister still work at the restaurant!” says current owner David Chan.
While COVID precautions mean that they’re no longer able to offer dim sum on the steaming carts that we know and love, the food is still as enticing as ever. They also have an impressive selection of frozen handmade dim sum items, including BBQ pork buns and pea shoot and shrimp dumplings that are ready to be steamed up at home.
CANASTA KITCHEN
Fresh, traditional Mexican food. That’s how chef-owner Ivan Tellez describes Canasta Kitchen. Or rather, kitchens. He opened his first food truck in 2014 and has since grown to three food trucks and two brick-and-mortar restaurants, with the Alameda location being the most recent addition this past June.
Ivan’s family is originally from Chiapas, a state in Southern Mexico, and he found himself longing for Southern Mexican-style cooking. “The inspiration for the original food truck was the stuff I like to eat. I grew up in the industry, I’ve been in restaurants since 2004 in the Bay Area, and my family used to own restaurants back in Mexico”.
Ivan’s personal favorites? “Empanadas, flautas, and fish tacos. When I first opened, there weren’t many people who made empanadas the way we do it back home -- with masa from scratch -- those were something I missed, so I knew I had to serve them. The flautas are also made Southern Mexican style with flour instead of the more-common corn tortillas. And I love our fish tacos, but I can only eat three because they’re so big”.
Also on the menu are less traditional dishes that he aptly names “locos platos,” which include the Tateritto and CaliBurrito, burritos filled with tater tots and fries, respectively. If you’re in for a challenge, try the Burro no Mamadas, a double size super burrito that’s the length of a forearm.
What gets Ivan going? “I love to see people happy with food.”
TRABOCCO
Giuseppe Naccarelli, a restaurant veteran and chef-owner of Trabocco, had been in the industry for over 30 years before opening up the restaurant seven years ago. Trabocco, well-known by the community for its expansive Italian menu, has participated in Alameda Restaurant Week since its inaugural year.
Abruzzo, the region in central Italy where Giuseppe is from, is touched by the Adriatic Sea on the east and mountainous areas on the west, so the cuisine features both seafood and meat dishes. It’s also known for its quality wines such as the famous Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and olive oils. These components lend themselves to Trabocco’s menu, accompanied by pastas that are made fresh in-house daily alongside quality local and Italian ingredients.
With a menu that boasts dishes like a truffle-oil topped pizza and agnolotti filled with butternut squash, walnuts, and a brown-butter sage sauce, deciding what to order is no easy task. Giuseppe can’t pick a favorite himself, “they’re like my children -- everything has a reason to love and a reason to slap!”. Crowd favorites are the grilled octopus and potato appetizer, oxtail ravioli, seafood spaghetti, seafood stew, and the lamb skewers. No matter what you pick, you can’t go wrong, especially when accompanied by one of Trabocco’s cocktails.
TOWN taverN
An Alameda native, Stan Yee, the owner of Town Tavern, is no stranger to the town’s restaurant community. His parents have owned China House, a neighboring Chinese restaurant, since 1968.
When Stan moved back to the island after college, he found himself leaving it during his downtime, searching for a different experience that he would find across the bridge in Oakland or San Francisco. He’d been talking about opening up something in Alameda for several years; when the current space became available, he decided to take the leap. “We wanted to bring a new experience to Alameda and become the friendly neighborhood corner bar, like a modern-day Cheers of the community. We’re not quite a restaurant, we’re not quite a bar, even though we have a full menu and a full bar.”
Since the pandemic, Town Tavern has pivoted to focus on takeout and catering with the same classics they’re known for -- Stan describes the menu as “yummy bar food.” His must-gets are the loaded tots, the creole-spice seasoned chicharrones, the fried chicken sandwich topped with creole spice, tapatio aioli, jalapeno slaw, and their doughnuts that are fried fresh per order.
SPINNING BONES
At the end of Park Street, in what was formerly a photography studio, sits Spinning Bones, a rotisserie restaurant that opened at the end of 2019. While newer to the block, chef-owner Mike Yakura is no newcomer to the restaurant industry or Alameda: he’s the former owner of Dobbs Ferry and NoodleMe in SF and has been an island resident for over a decade.
When he decided to open Spinning Bones in 2018, “I just wanted clean and easy food to feed the people I live near,” says Mike.
The inspiration for the restaurant? True California style. “We wanted to create a point of view but keep it simple. The core at Spinning Bones stays the same, you have your chicken, ribs, shoulder, steak, and we play around with the sides based on what’s in season and what we feel inspired by”.
“The restaurant has been a reflection of the community and Alameda at-large,” says Mike. He takes pride in the community’s trust in the restaurant and the open dialogue he has with his customers in crafting the menu.