Oakland Restaurant Week starts March 14 with 150-plus eateries participating
Ever had a hankering to try a Colombian chorizo hotdog with pickled mustard and shaved Garrotxa cheese? Or what about arancini with salted-yolk aioli and pork floss, or a vegan coconut laksa with Malaysian spice paste and pulled Hodo yuba?
Well, you can consume all these scrumptious things during 2024’s Oakland Restaurant Week, which runs March 14-24. This year, more than 150 eateries are participating in the 10-day “week,” which sees chefs trotting out new specials and prix-fixe meal deals to adventurous diners.
The full list of restaurants is posted at Visit Oakland’s website (visitoakland.com/events/annual-events/restaurant-week) and is searchable by type of cuisine, neighborhood and Michelin recognition. That’s just a reminder that Oakland has 25 restaurants that have been starred, Bib Gourmand-ed or recommended by the French tire company. What better reason to go out and enjoy some impressive meals today?
While the list is waaaaay too large to publish here, here’s a sampling of five places offering restaurant deals. Note that tax and tip are not included and that most places require full-table participation. Happy eating, campers.
Lion Dance Cafe
This year, the chefs will be offering participating diners a prix-fixe dinner menu ($45) that includes prawnless garlic crackers (gluten free), a seasonal market salad (GF), your choice of entree – laksa, teochew char kway teow or nasi lemak – and a glass of vegan wine. 380 17th St., Oakland; liondancecafe.com
Parche
Parche is offering a special lunch menu priced between $25-$35 per person and a dinner menu priced at $65 per person. Lunch includes a house salad or yuca fries, “sandwich” choice — arepa con queso, Colombian chorizo hotdog or Coke-braised short rib — a dessert and non-alcoholic beverage.
The dinner menu includes salmon salpicon (tartar), empanada de ajiaco (shredded chicken and capers), aborrajado de platano (sweet plantain fritter with crab), posta negra (Mexican Coke-braised short rib) and a dessert. 2295 Broadway, Oakland; parcheoak.com
Jo’s Modern Thai
The restaurant is offering a prix-fixe dinner ($45) that includes shrimp-mousse toast, vegan coconut cakes, massaman curry, drunken noodles, mango sticky rice and Thai tea panna cotta. 3725 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland; josmodernthai.com
Viridian
Chef Kevin Tang’s $45 restaurant week dinner menu includes arancini with salted-yolk aioli, pork floss and leek confit, mustard-green salad with pomegranates, candied cashews and whipped goat cheese, an entree — caramelized cod with fumet, garlic-chive oil and spring peas or short-rib bo kho (stew) with carrot-miso puree, Thai basil and crispy smashed fingerling potatoes. 2216 Broadway, Oakland; viridianbar.com.
Left Bank Brasserie
The restaurant is offering three-course prix-fixe menus for both lunch ($25) and dinner ($35). The lunch lineup includes your choice of starter (soup du jour, salade verte or escargot with Pernod-garlic butter), an entree (moules frites, tuna Nicoise or roasted chicken breast) and dessert (cherry clafoutis or Noel Royale bittersweet-chocolate fondant).
The dinner option includes similar starter and dessert options and an entree choice of moules frites, beef Bourguignon or salmon with artichokes en barigoule. 55 Webster St., Suite 66-055, Oakland; leftbank.com