A Major Bay Area Baker Is Finally Returning to Oakland
After a dynamic five years, Reem Assil — the titanic baker and restaurateur behind the eponymous Reem's — is headed back to the Town. She'll open a Reem's outpost at 85 Webster Street in fall 2025, the former 3,000-square-foot home to Timeless Coffee in Jack London Square. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the space will serve a small menu and will be used primarily for production, with windows allowing customers to see bread bakers.
The return to Oakland is a long time coming for Assil. The restaurateur's Ferry Building outpost closed in December 2024 after a two-year run. Yes, her Mission Street space is wildly popular, hosting a Sunday Supper series with other local chefs. But when Assil launched in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood in 2017, a fervor erupted for her flatbreads and Arab cooking. 'Jack London Square has always been this, do we take the risk? But I've always believed when you have a good anchor, that place gets really enlivened,' she told the paper.
Michelin star-earning restaurateurs head east
Rupert and Carrie Blease, the owners of the decade-old (but now closed) Lord Stanley, are teaming up with Tommy Halvorson. He's the former owner of Serpentine's at 2495 Third Street. Now, the San Francisco Chronicle reports all three will take over that location with tasting menu restaurant Wolfsbane. Popular Lord Stanley dishes including onion petals and sherry vinegar may appear on the 10-course menus, but the much more intimate space will highlight seasonal rotations first and foremost.
Sunset vegan cafe flipping into breezy taco spot
The vacant corner location on Judah Street, last occupied by Beach'n and before that Beachside, is primed for a new tenant. Ruby's will open in late summer 2025 from the husband-and-wife team owners of Mission Rock Resort. The San Francisco Standard reports wraps, salads, tacos, and loads of 'California beach fare' will be menu mainstays.
Mission cafe's cutest pet contest heats up
Only-in-San Francisco phenom Fayes, the hybrid video store-coffee shop on 18th Street, is in the midst of its annual Cutest Pet Contest. This year's the 27th annual affair, and per an Instagram post, there's still time to submit. Send a 5-by-7-inch photo of your cat or dog to fayescutest@gmail.com with name and age by Wednesday, July 23.
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