EaterWire Midday Edition: Ogden Partners With Chumash Indians, Mono Taking Shape

CENTRAL COAST—Yes, the San Luis Obispo area is a bit out of our coverage area, but the home turf of Bradley Ogden and the Lark Creek restaurant group (One Market, Lark Creek Steak and Yankee Pier) is surely the Bay, and the announcement of Ogden's newest venture tops our list of "things we didn't expect to read today": "Bradley Ogden ... is partnering with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to open a restaurant at the Royal Scandinavian Inn in Solvang, it was announced Monday. Ogden, chef, co-founder and co-proprietor of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group, has been guided in his success by creating dishes using native American ingredients." The same article also claims that Ogden will be moving to the area, which if true, would seem to be fairly noteworthy, given that his empire rests in the Bay and Vegas. This Native American project has no ETA at this point. [SLO]

OAKLAND—The Oakland Tribune pays a visit to Mono (rhymes with "oh no"), the Jack London Square restaurant in the midst of a soft opening of sorts. The article profiles the husband-and-wife ownership team and compares Oakland's rise to Brooklyn's boom, but the best part might be photo gallery, complete with sneak peeks at the interior: "The restaurant's modern black and white design is modeled after the owners' loft down the street. They've filled the dining room with smaller tables and one long communal table, envisioning Mono as the neighborhood's dining room." Mono is currently open for lunch only; dinner begins next week. [Oakland Tribune]

[Photo courtesy]