Farm-to-table Alley & Vine opens in Alameda
A farm-to-table restaurant with major culinary cred has opened in downtown Alameda.
Alley & Vine, owned by Francisco Bazo, Casey Hunt and Jason Ryczek, who met while working at San Francisco’s Waterbar, specializes in modern California cuisine with an emphasis on pristine seafood and top-notch produce.
The restaurant, located at 1332 Park St., Suite D, is currently open for takeout, delivery and meal kits. But post-pandemic, it has all the ingredients to land on our “best new restaurants” for date-night list. In addition to a menu relying on organically grown and sustainably sourced ingredients, the restaurant features a dramatic dining room, open kitchen and expansive patio covered in trumpet vines.
Chef Ryczek, the former executive chef at Farallon in San Francisco, works with purveyors such as Bohemian Creamery in Sonoma, California Caviar in Sausalito, Four Star Seafood in San Francisco and Crispian Bakery in Alameda. On the menu, you’ll find everything from white sturgeon caviar with popcorn and chive creme fraiche to braised beef short rib with crushed sunchokes, winter greens and bone marrow bordelaise.
Bazo, a certified sommelier and beverage director — he held the same title at Waterbar — is behind the domestic and international wine list and craft cocktails ($24 serves two; $16 at happy hour), like Staycation, made with Rum Haven coconut rum, Diplomático Rum and pineapple, and Solstice Bloom made with El Tesoro reposado tequila, housemade hibiscus grenadine and habanero bitters.
In a news release sent to this newspaper, the trio gave a heartfelt and hopeful message about opening a restaurant during a pandemic: “Even in these uncertain times, our excitement, energy and enthusiasm propels us forward and keeps us positive for the good times ahead,” they said.
Alley & Vine is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with happy hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. daily.
Condiment chef offers Cambodian takeout in San Jose
Channy Laux, the chef and founder of Angkor Cambodian Foods, a line of award-winning sauces and condiments, is now cooking in the South Bay.
Fans of Laux’s prahok, lemongrass paste and other flavorful condiments can now experience them in her own classic Cambodian dishes like pearl noodles and pineapple curry, which she is offering for delivery and takeout from Angkor Chef Restaurant, a cloud kitchen in downtown San Jose.
Angkor Chef, at 949 Ruff Drive, joins the small but mighty Cambodian restaurant scene in the Bay Area, which includes Chez Sovan in San Jose, as well as Battambang and Nite Yun’s award-winning Nyum Bai, both in Oakland.
A representative for Laux said the chef plans to remain open for at least six months to determine if the project will be temporary or long term.
1950s-style Mels Diner closes permanently in Concord
The Concord location of Mels Diner — the “American Graffiti”-themed restaurant chain — has closed for good.
The Mels history dates back to 1947, when David “Mel” Weiss and Harold Dobbs built their first carhop eatery in San Francisco. However, the Mels at 4391 Treat Blvd. had only been in operation for a handful of years. Previously this Concord building was home to a Coco’s Restaurant.
Other locations in Northern California and northern Nevada are listed as still open, including those in Walnut Creek, San Leandro, Antioch, Pinole, Fairfield, Vacaville and the Sacramento area. According to the website, the Walnut Creek restaurant, which opened in 1995, is the chain’s oldest in this region.
Most locations are offering takeout and delivery, starting with breakfast every morning, a staffer said. Details: originalmels.com
49ers giving away Jimmy G jerseys in restaurant benefit
With Levi’s Stadium closed to fans all season and to the San Francisco 49ers for half the season because of COVID-19 restrictions,
the stadium’s restaurants and other food purveyors have taken a financial hit.
To help support these partners, the Niners are encouraging football fans to give their business to these restaurants and stores. The payoff? The team will give away five Jimmy Garoppolo jerseys to fans who do.
The “Shop + Eat Local” initiative aims to boost 17 partner businesses. These include Iguanas Burritozilla, Smoking Pig BBQ, Sandi’s Cobbler Cup Catering, Konjoe Burger Bar, Curry Roots Catering, Sauced BBQ, Blue Line Pizza, Starbird, Super Duper Burgers,
The Chairman (Bao), Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Salt & Straw, Copita, Burgess BBQ & Burgers and the Buena Vista, as well as Peet’s Coffee locations and Safeway stores.
Many of those eateries ran concession stands at the Santa Clara stadium that were closed for the entire football season because of the pandemic.
To enter the contest, fans need to reply to the 49ers’ official Twitter account (twitter. com/49ers) with proof of a receipt from one of the participating businesses. Only one entry per person is allowed, and entrants must be 18 or older.
The sweepstakes runs through midnight Jan. 24.
To enter without providing an online entry, hand-print your full name, complete mailing address, phone number, valid email address and date of birth on a 3-by-5-inch piece of paper or index card and mail it in an envelope with proper postage to “San Francisco 49ers Stadium Restaurant and Food Partners Sweepstakes,” c/o Forty Niners Football Company LLC, 4949 Marie P. Debartolo Way, Santa Clara, CA 95054.
The five winners will be selected at random from all eligible entrants.