Several pop-ups find permanent East Bay homes in spring

Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings.  The openings and closings for each month are then compiled into a round-up. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.

Alameda restaurant openings

04.29.25: Dumpling House, home of feel-good Chinese food like steamed dumplings, chive pocket turnovers, poached chicken and fresh pork buns, has touched down in New Bamboo Kitchen’s old spot on Lincoln Ave. Alongside Chinese fare, you’ll find smoothies sporting ingredients like açai, pitaya, peach and mango. Dumpling House is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dumpling House, 2105 Lincoln Ave. (at Willow St.), Alameda 

Berkeley restaurant openings

04.08.25: If you’ve ever wondered what hummus might taste like on pizza, now’s your chance to find out. Extreme Pizza, a casual joint known for its creative pies like the “Peace in The Middle East” (homemade hummus, tomatoes, kalamata olives, caramelized onions, feta, fresh basil, pepperoncini and mozzarella), recently opened on Berkeley’s Shattuck Ave. The menu also boasts comfort foods like calzones, subs and salads, plus big, gooey cookies and “pow pows” (freshly baked dough twisted with hazelnut sauce, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar) for dessert. Extreme Pizza, 2360 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley

Oakland restaurant openings

Black Forest Kitchen

04.01.25: If you’ve been to Berlin, you know there’s more to German cuisine than just Bratwurst and Wienerschnitzel. And if you haven’t yet ventured through Germany’s weird and wonderful capital, fear not — Black Forest Kitchen, an Oakland pop-up serving the Berlin street food delicacy döner kebab, opened a brick-and-mortar on April 4. 

Döner is of Turkish origin and loved fiercely throughout Berlin for its thin, juicy slabs of spit-roasted meat topped with herby yogurt sauce and fresh veg. True to form, Black Forest Kitchen’s rendition consists of chicken, red onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, garlic, jalapeños and a spicy sauce (plus a plant-based version with oyster mushrooms instead of chicken). Read more about Black Forest Kitchen in the Nosh feature. Black Forest Kitchen, 478 25th St., Oakland    

04.22.25: The Thai cafe on Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue closed at the end of March for renovations, and the work is complete and the restaurant has reopened. In addition to the renovations sprucing up the place, Dek Doi is now serving beer and wine and added some new menu items. Dek Doi, 4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland  

04.15.25: After years of existing as a pop-up, worker cooperative Discover Community Café has recently established itself in a West Oakland brick and mortar, sharing the same space as Soul Blends Coffee Roasters. Per its website, Discover Community’s goal is to create jobs for people overcoming barriers to employment through food, as well as to “feature one to two local chefs every six months, providing a platform to test out menus, grow their following, and provide a culinary adventure for guests as they discover local chefs through the rotating menu.” The café will also serve local coffee, tea, beer and wine. Discover Community Café, 3207 Louise St., Oakland

04.29.25: After shuttering its Jack London Square location last December, Oakland mainstay Forge Pizza reopened April 29 in what was formerly Beer Baron’s Rockridge location. You’ll find classic pies as well as a selection of non-pizza apps and mains (try the Angry Prawns with lemon-harissa vinaigrette, cucumber yogurt, dill, and charred lime), plus cocktails like the Attitude Adjustment (peppercorn-infused bourbon, select aperitivo, cynar, lemon, demerana and smoked chili bitters). Head to Instagram for details on opening hours. Forge Rockridge, 5900 College Ave. (at Chabot Rd.), Oakland 

04.01.25: The long-awaited West Oakland food hall, Prescott Market, will celebrate its grand opening on April 5. It’s been in soft open mode for the last week or so, beckoning visitors with an expansive selection of beer, burgers, coffee, pizza and Taiwanese fried rice. Check out our in-depth look at the soft opening and the hall’s future plans here. Prescott Market Hall, 1620-1640 18th St., Oakland  

04.22.25: After a short stint of vacancy following Rasa Caffe’s closure, the Tribune tower has a new tenant. Signal Coffee, with locations in San Francisco, Berkeley and Alameda, moved swiftly to fill the space Rasa left behind. Signal offers creative coffee drinks like the ube latte, plus Boichik bagels and classic espresso-based options for getting your morning buzz. Signal Coffee, 411 13th St., Oakland 

04.08.25: After temporarily closing shop in June 2024, Understory, the acclaimed Oakland worker-owned restaurant known for its diasporic comfort food and pay-what-you-can model, made a comeback on April 9. Now located in Fruitvale, Understory will offer dinner, brunch and cafe service. Read more about the rebirth of Understory in the Nosh feature. Understory, 3340 International Blvd., Oakland

04.22.25: Y’s Choice, home of luxurious soul food and seafood, has moved from the Jack London Square area to San Pablo and 18th, at the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC). Swing by for a truly eye-popping meal of red velvet waffles with fried lobster tail, pound cake French toast, fried turkey chops or creamy shrimp and grits. Y’s Choice is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Y’s Choice, 1825 San Pablo Ave. (at 18th Street), Oakland

Walnut Creek restaurant openings

04.08.25: Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Creamery, an East Bay staple since 2011, recently opened its fourth location in Walnut Creek (the others are in Albany, Emeryville and Oakland.) Free of dairy, soy and gluten, Mr. Dewie’s ice cream is crafted with cashew and coconut milk and comes in flavors like maple walnut, orange cream, pistachio, rocky road and more. Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Creamery, 1521 Cypress St. Walnut Creek