Uptown Oakland’s Flora closing after 13 years
It’s time for one last Aperoltinged Sophia Loren cocktail and a spoonful of that legendary salted caramel pudding.
Flora, the art deco restaurant, and its accompanying bar, Fauna, which helped revive Oakland’s nightlife scene, are closing after 13 years.
Flora owner Thomas Schnetz has sold the iconic restaurant and adjoining bar to former Flora bar manager Christ Aivaliotis, co-owner of Kon-tiki, the downtown Oakland bar.
Schnetz, who also owns Oakland taqueria Xolo and La Venadita in his native Sacramento, cited personal reasons for the sale, saying he’s happy about it but also calling it bittersweet.
“I love the place and have so many great memories,” he said. “But it made sense to me. When I opened Flora I probably never thought I’d sell it or anything like that, but it’s just an opportunity. Nothing more.”
Flora, housed inside the Albert Evers-built Floral Depot building, is an East Bay architectural landmark composed of silver and cobalt glazed terra cotta. The classic and signature cocktails and executive chef Rebecca Boice’s flawless menu helped to usher in a new era of swank to Uptown Oakland, especially following the opening of the Fox Theater in 2009.
“There were so many great people coming through the kitchen and doors,” Schnetz recalls. “Staff and customers. It was pretty unique that we could build this beautiful restaurant for half of what it would normally cost somewhere else. It was something special I wanted to make for Oakland.”
According to SF Eater, Aivaliotis plans to reopen in the spring with a focus on steak and chops. Flora fans have until Saturday to stop in for their last bite or drink.
Dublin sushi restaurant Amakara reopens
Amakara, the new sushi restaurant on the first floor of the Aster residential complex on Dublin Boulevard in Dublin, has reopened after a temporary shutdown.
The Japanese restaurant, which offers a full-service sushi bar specializing in sashimi, sushi rolls, ramen and 15 specialty cocktails, has been in business since 2008 and opened its current location on Aug. 3. A scant month later, a procedural issue
regarding its indoor air quality shut it down for nearly seven weeks, according to a report by the Alameda County Environmental Health Department.
Now Amakara is open again, from 11:30 a.m. daily at 7568 Dublin Blvd., near the Dublin/pleasanton East BART station. It serves lunch, dinner and happy hour. Details: www.eatamakara.com.
S.F.’S Milkbomb opens in Berkeley
San Francisco-based Milkbomb Ice Cream has taken over the University Avenue spot in downtown Berkeley vacated by Ici Ice Cream.
Open since Oct. 19, the shop is already seeing long lines. There are a few dozen premium ice cream flavors — everything from Good Morning Vietnam (Vietnamese coffee) to Mexican mango sorbet — and lots of sauces and toppings. You can get a single or double scoop on a sugar or waffle cone. Or a Milkbomb Sandwich — a warm doughnut (cinnamon sugar is a fave) stuffed with two scoops of ice cream then drizzled with the fixings.
The shop is small and simple, mainly intended for grab-and-go service. It’s located at 2079 University Ave. Details: www.facebook. com/milkbombicecream.