Jack London Square neighborhood in Oakland

[lisakaz]

I'm visiting Oakland, and wondering if anyone can recommend a reasonably priced restaurant for dinner in or near Jack London Square?

[hungree]

Now that Nido is in the neighborhood and hitting it's stride, is Chop Bar going to have to modify their lunch/brunch menus?

They currently have fish tacos, bus station chicken (black beans, chicken, tortillas), and chicken torta for lunch. Nido kills it with fish tacos, has fantastic chicken ollita de pobre, and their torta is one of their top dishes.

For brunch they have breakfast burrito, carnitas burrito, chille verde---all things I'm sure would be better at Nido.

All that's left is the Burger (killer and top 5 in east bay) and Pork Banh Mi (good but Sierra Deli down the street does it better).

Wondering if Nido will eat Chop Bar's lunch and Chop Bar will move away from the mexican/spanish/latin american dishes... What you all think?

[Lmonach]

Le Cheval has great Vietnamese food. you should also explore Chinatown, lots of great finds there. If you want to stay in the square, Kincaids isn't bad for a corporate restaurant - their salad with Maytag blue cheese is good and the fire roasted meats are also pretty good.

[shanghaikid]

wouldn't consider pearl's-too pedestrian
bocanova-avoid the seafood-not fresh, tapas are innovative and fresh
cosecha- new twist on mex food. owner previously worked at chez panisse & eccolo
(open only till 6 pm daily). 1/2 block from b st. address misleading. entrance on 9th st. side, next to yogurt store.

Cosecha
907 washington St.
Oakland, Ca.

[Pius Avocado III]

Cosecha's dinner service is occasional, always on a Saturday with one seating at 7:30pm. Their website indicates the next one is Dec. 3.

[Robert Lauriston]

Bocanova, Encuentro, B, Battambang, Chop Bar are all places I've returned to repeatedly.

Kincaid's is a chain. Scott's might as well be.

Miss Pearl's is closed? Anybody know if Eddie Blyden's got a new gig? I love that guy's food.

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Battambang
850 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

B Restaurant & Bar
499 9th St, Oakland, CA 94607

Chop Bar
247 4th St, #111, Oakland, CA 94607

Bocanova
55 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Encuentro Cafe & Wine Bar
202 2nd St, Oakland, CA 94607

[oakjoan]

I second the B rec. A really nice place with good food.

[hyperbowler]

According to Tablehopper, a truck backed into a fire hydrant and flooded the place.

http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox...

[Glencora]

But that was nearly a month ago.

[drewskiSF]

Their Yelp page has an announcement that says they plan to re-open Mid-December

[escargot3]

I used to enjoy an annual trek to Miss Pearl's. But about 5 months ago, I invited several friends to have dinner there, and it was a dreadful evening: food prep was mediocre and service was deplorable.

I hope they will use this opportunity to rise from the ashes like the Phoenix, with renewed vim and vigor.

[Glencora]

I agree. It's a nice place to sit outside by the water in warm weather.

[Robert Lauriston]

I don't think Blyden was there five months ago.

[escargot3]

That would be interesting -- if I got caught in the transition.
We were there at the end of July.

[Pius Avocado III]

The Chop Bar group bought Miss Pearl's. I understand it will be operated as MP's until January before morphing into an Italian place.

[Robert Lauriston]

Had lunch at Miss Pearl's today. Very good Cubano ($13 with choice of fries or salad), good cheeseburger (ditto), excellent sweet-potato fries. They have a brunch buffet. Eddie Blyden's still there.

[Robert Lauriston]

I had a very good gumbo for lunch today at Miss Pearl's and tasted a great Boston clam chowder. I guess their last day is January 6 or 7.

[Pius Avocado III]

Went last night for gumbo and those excellent hushpuppies- the gumbo is the best I've had outside New Orleans or my own kitchen.

They will close the doors after brunch service Sunday Jan 6.

Chef Eddie was very confident; he said he'll be taking a short break and then we won't have to go far to find him.

[Rapini]

Try Encuentro Cafe & Wine Bar (202 - 2nd St., near Jackson; www.encuentrooakland.com). It's a vegetarian restaurant, but embraced even but carnivores. It's a small-ish place, reasonably priced and very good food.

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Encuentro Cafe & Wine Bar
202 2nd St, Oakland, CA 94607

[wolfe]

Any particular cuisine? What do you consider reasonable and would you extend the neighborhood as far east as Chinatown?

[ML8000]

Exactly, define reasonable.

That said, avoid the big corp places at JLSq - Kinkaide's, Scott's Seafood, maybe Pearl's. Bocanova is nice, gets good reviews and on a nice day you can sit outside. Maybe get a drink at Heinold's. Might consider Fat Lady.

Besides Chinatown there's Old Oakland, B Restaurants, Tamarindo and the Trapist (more beer then food).

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Tamarindo
468 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607

Fat Lady
201 Washington St, Oakland, CA 94607

Bocanova
55 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607

[Pius Avocado III]

Miss Pearl's is "temporarily" closed.

[ML8000]

Didn't know that, thanks.

Chop Bar might also be worth checking out.