Cantinetta Piero, the flagship Tuscan restaurant in the soon-to-open Hotel Luca in Downtown Yountville, is set to debut at the end of November. Meant to conjure up the convivial attitude and open-air lifestyle of Tuscany, the space includes design elements such as vaulted brick ceilings with massive beams, a dedicated pizza bar, an open kitchen with a wood-burning oven and salumi-curing room, and 20-ft.-tall glass walls that open onto an outdoor dining area filled with olive trees. Chris Vacca (formerly of Cantinetta Luca and the Patina Group) will oversee the seasonally driven menu, and longtime Napa veteran Michael Galyen (formerly of Bistro Don Giovanni) will run the front of the house (6774 Washington St., Yountville; 707-944-8080).
A little closer to home is Encuentro Cafe and Wine Bar, a tiny vegetarian enoteca set to open in Oakland's
up-and-coming Jack London Square area during the first half of November. Eric Tucker, the chef behind San Francisco’s Millennium,
is pairing up with New Jersey restaurant veteran Lacey Sher (formerly
of the vegan Down to Earth restaurant) and partner Linda Baz for the project, which will be fashioned from reclaimed materials on the ground floor of a new "green" condo
building. The space lacks a full
kitchen, however, so expect a limited menu of
Mediterranean-style sandwiches, soups and small plates (such as a
local, organic vegetable–rennet-based cheese plate) and a selection of
biodynamic, mostly New World wines (200 Second St., Oakland; 510-832-9643).
Speaking of Jack London, Blue Bottle
opened its second cafe and roastery outpost at 300 Webster Street. Opening hours are Monday–Friday, 8 AM–2 PM (510-653-3394).