This Week In Food: New Brunch Spot Comes to NoPa
The NoPa neighborhood gets a delicious new brunch spot, a popular Oakland taco stand has gone legit, and the beloved Cafe Jacqueline in North Beach is temporarily closed, with 87-year-old chef Jacqueline Margulis sidelined with a broken arm.
Early to Rise, the new brunch spot from former Spruce and Quince chef Andrew McCormack, has opened in the former Automat space in NoPa (1801 McAllister at Baker). The menu features McCormack’s house-made doughnuts and bagels, as well as eggs Benedict — with either Canadian bacon, garlic pea greens, or both. There’s also tri-tip steak and eggs, apple butter French toast, and a samusa potato pancake with lime yogurt sauce. Hours are Thursday and Friday 8 am–2 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8 am–3 pm, and Mondays 8 am–2 pm, and it’s first-come, first-served.
A popular Oakland taco stand, Tacos Mama Cuca, has returned as a fully permitted food truck. As SFGate reported this week, chef Maria Marquez has returned to business, but instead of selling her flour-tortilla tacos out of an empty lot by her East Oakland home, she is selling out of a proper truck at 9000 International Boulevard, which is a lot that is home to several taco trucks. In addition to her Sonoran-style tacos, Marquez is also offering an ode to the bacon-wrapped hot dog, which is a bacon-wrapped burrito.
A new Italian spot is coming to the Inner Richmond, from Gianluca Legrottaglie, the owner of 54 Mint and multiple Montesacro locations. It will be called Bettola, as Tablehopper reports, and it’s taking shape in the former Koja Kitchen space at 343 Clement Street. As it is just a block from Pasta Supply Co., and owner Gianluca knows chef Anthony Strong, Bettola won’t be focused on pasta, but will be serving rotisserie chicken and sheet-pan pizza, modeled after the inexpensive tavola calda spots one finds in Italy.
Tablehopper also brings us news of Chicano Nuevo, the new brick-and-mortar set to open in the old Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack space at 3355 Mission Street. The pop-up, known for its Baja-style fish taco and its lengua and cheese-stuffed tamal negro, will be popping up this month on Sundays and Mondays at Evil Eye (2937 Mission at 25th) as owner Abraham Nuñez continues raising funds to open the brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Two former brewers from Drake’s Brewing Company have broken out on their own and have just opened Brix Factory Brewing in West Oakland (2400 Mandela Parkway). The brewery specializes in crisp ales and pilsners as well as West Coast-style IPAs, and it’s led by former Drake’s head brewer John Gillooly, along with partner Mike Boals. Today is opening day, as the Chronicle reports, and the brewery is set to offer a wide range of craft beers to the local community.
