Here's the latest in Oakland food news. In this edition: a literary café is closing in Uptown, an Oakland-based roaster has added a mobile coffee truck to its roster, and Temescal's German beer bar is expanding its hours and launching a happy hour menu.
Closing
Uptown
The Octopus (2101 Webster St.)
Hoodline's veteran tipster Al M. alerts us that cafe and performance space The Octopus Literary Salon is bidding farewell to the neighborhood.
"After four-and-a-half years, we will close our doors on August 31," the owners write in a letter posted on their website. The note adds that they have been struggling for months and the café simply hasn't been "bringing in enough money to continue."
In the same letter, the owners said that The Octopus has been a rich and rewarding experience, and that they have lived their dreams, calling the café a "testament to the power of creative spirit and community."
On Thursday and Friday, patrons are encouraged to drop by from 7 p.m. onward, to "hang out and have a drink with us and bid The Octopus bon voyage."
Updates
Highwire Coffee Truck (Oakland)
Founded in Rockridge, Highwire Coffee Roasters recently acquired a mobile coffee truck, which it plans to use to service various East Bay events.
Once a 1980s San Francisco Chronicle delivery truck, the orange cafe-on-wheels now carries a La Marzocco Linea 2 Group espresso machine, a single-sided Fetco brewer, a Ditting Batch grinder and a Robur E espresso grinder. The menu includes cappuccinos, mochas, tea and cocoa for kids.
"Serving coffee out of a well-used delivery truck not only made sense, but reflects our personalities and commitment to making choices that promote sustainability,” Robert Myers, the company's co-founder, said in a statement.
The coffee truck recently serviced the Oaktown Half Marathon, and has also popped up on a residential street near College Avenue. Check out Highwire's Facebook page to learn more about where it will stop next.
Temescal
Bierhaus (360 40th St.)
German beer bar Bierhaus, which relocated to Temescal from Mountain View in 2018, has expanded its hours — it's now open seven days a week, after previously being closed on Mondays.
It's also launching a happy hour from 3-7 p.m., where customers can order items like a warm pretzel with fromage blanc and everything seasoning, potato pancakes with applesauce and crème and fraiche, or flatbread with Liptauer cheese spread. Snacks run $3-5, with half-liter pours of German beers (and one Oakland IPA) for $5.
Thanks to our veteran tipster Al M.! Have you noticed a new addition to (or subtraction from) Oakland's food landscape? Text a tip and a horizontal photo to 510-757-9959, and we'll look into it.
