Lokanta plans December opening of pizzeria in Emeryville food hall
Neapolitan-style pizza is coming to the Emeryville Public Market.
The food hall, owned by Oxford Properties and City Center Realty Partners, has announced that Pizzeria Mercato, purveyors of 12inch Neapolitan style pizzas made with natural ingredients sourced direct from Italy, will be making a home in December inside the former Hot Italian space at 5959 Shellmound St.
Owned by the operators of Lokanta Mediterranean Grill & Bar, a restaurant with locations in Walnut Creek and Pleasanton, Pizzeria Mercato will also offer fresh pasta, beer, wine and a full bar.
“Public Market has such a great,
welcoming feeling and energy. We knew we wanted to create exquisite pizza and we knew we wanted to be part of what’s happening here,” said Dogan Ozdogan, who together with Sani Mizrak and Muhammet Culha owns Lokanta and the forthcoming pizzeria.
Lokanta is known for its rich moussaka, halloumi and meaty kofte. Save for a cheese pizza on the kids menu, the trio is not known for making pies. Ozdogan said he plans to share more details, possibly including a chef’s name and details on the pizzas, in the coming months.
The news comes on the heels of the food hall’s official reopening. Events are returning, as well. Public Market’s monthly live music series, Market Beats on Second Fridays, is back, with the next date Sept. 10. In September, Public Market is co-presenting a movie night with the city of Emeryville. “Raya and the Last Dragon” will screen on Sept. 24 in Christie Park, adjacent to the food hall.
Lemonade closes restaurants in Palo Alto, Walnut Creek
Five years after opening in the Bay Area, the trendsetting Lemonade restaurant group has closed its locations in Palo Alto and Walnut Creek.
That leaves San Francisco as the only option for South Bay and East Bay residents who had become fans of the eatery’s seasonal salads and creative lemonades.
Lemonade, which has described itself as “part lemonade stand, part grade-school cafeteria,” drew raves for its fast-casual concept that showcases contemporary veggie-centric dishes, farmto-table salads and sandwiches. The current menu, for example, offers a peach and tomato caprese sandwich, summer vegetable gemelli and a fennel crunch salad.
Signature lemonades come in flavors like blood orange hibiscus, raspberry mint and caramelized pineapple.
A Bay Area representative of Lemonade confirmed the closings but was not able to provide details; the University Avenue and Broadway Plaza locations are no longer listed on the website. Queries to the restaurant’s corporate team went unanswered.
The remaining Bay Area locations are in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood and Yerba Buena/Mission Street. There are 17 Lemonade restaurants in Southern California.
DETAILS » lemonadela. com
Scott’s Chowder House returns to its San Francisco roots
Scott’s Chowder House, the casual spinoff of Scott’s Seafood in San Jose, is in fast expansion mode.
The third location to open in nine months is located on San Francisco’s Grant Avenue, near the Cafe de la Presse bistro co-owned by Scott’s new culinary adviser, award-winning chef Laurent Manrique.
The expansion puts Scott’s back in the city where it first started, in 1976.
The chowder concept from Scott’s/San Jose owner Steve Mayer and general managerexecutive chef Sammy Reyes had been in the works for years and was fine-tuned with feedback from business and tech customers. The first Chowder House opened in November 2020 on South First Street in San Jose and the second is nearby at 111 W. St. John St.
All three offer chowders, sandwiches and salads, including Boston and Manhattan chowder, lobster bisque, seafood gumbo, Maine and Connecticut style lobster rolls, Dungeness crab rolls and smoked salmon Cobb salad. New on the menu: beet and berries salad and a chicken-quinoa power bowl.
DETAILS » Hoursatthe new location are 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 334 Grant Ave., San Francisco. The San Jose/ First Street restaurant is open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. The San Jose location near San Pedro Square is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. www.scotts chowderhouse.com