Business & Tech
Last-Minute Prep for A16 Rockridge Opening Saturday
The buzz was literal Friday afternoon as one worker stacked firewood for an oven, another used a power saw outside the front door and bartenders moved wine bottles behind the bar.
A16 Rockridge, the new Italian restaurant at 5356 College Ave., Oakland, is to open for dinner on Saturday, June 1.
Here's a peek inside on Friday afternoon as chefs, bartenders and a carpenter coped with last-minute details in preparation for opening night.
The restaurant will feature Southern Italian food, especially items from Puglia, known for its pizza.
Things to know about A16 Rockridge:
—If you don't have a reservation, you might get a meal anyway. A marble counter in front of the pizza oven is reserved for walk-in diners who don't mind pulling up a tall barstool.
—The restaurant is named for Autostrada A16 in southern Italy, where owners Shelley Lindgren and Victoria Libin traveled to gather ideas before opening their A16 restaurant in San Francisco.
—Pizza cooks in under two minutes in an oven that Executive Chef Rocky Maselli calls "the Ferrari of pizza ovens."
—You'll be able to get sustenance even late in the evening, with "bar bites" served after the dining room stops taking orders.
For more about preparations for opening day, visit the A16 Rockridge Facebook page.
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