OAKLAND—Big news from the East Bay waterfront. As of November 1st, Jack's Bistro in Jack London Square will have a new owner: none other than Joie de Vivre. Given Joie de Vivre's impressive restaurant list—Americano, Bambuddha, sexy Cortez and Millennium, just to name a few—expect a lot of money to be poured into Jack's. A "big" remodeling project will begin on the first of the month, but the restaurant will not close during renovations. [EaterWire]
THE CASTRO—Months after a fire ravaged the interior, Mecca has finally set a reopening date: October 27th, 5pm to be precise. Executive Chef Randy Lewis supposedly has an entirely new menu, and the interior has experienced a dramatic revamping as well. A passerby shares rumors of exposed indoor concrete; is that kind of thing allowed outside of SoMa? [EaterWire, EaterWire Inbox]
YOGURT WARS FRONTLINE—Lest we forget about the Fro-Yo Wars, we thought it essential to mention that Starbucks founder Howard Schultz has invested $27.5 million into SoCal yogurt giant Pinkberry, which means that the wars may have a clear victor in a not-so-distant future. That, or a proliferation of mocha soy latte yogurt. [CNN]
