BERKELEY—Last night was the grand opening for Corso Trattoria, the latest feather in Shattuck Avenue's cap. The second restaurant by Wendy Brucker and Roscoe Skipper of Rivoli, the casual, 50-seat Corso specializes in Florentine cuisine. As always, East Bay reports are encouraged. 1786 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, (510) 704-8004 [EaterWire]
PADMA'S UNIVERSE—The Top Chef finale is tonight, and to commemorate the occasion, the LAT pens a fluff piece on Padma, revealing among other things, that The Lakshmi has several projects in the works, including a new show: "Here's how it's loosely described: A group of fun, eclectic people come over to her house for a dinner party; we watch her prep, get ready and cook; guests arrive and eat; maybe someone plays music." [LAT via Eater LA]
PACIFIC HEIGHTS—Mark Sullivan has been offering a (not so) secret steak as an off-menu option at Spruce (pictured), says UrbanDaddy: "... you have to special-request this 34-ounce bone-in masterwork. The cut, which includes the porterhouse and T-bone portions, is made specifically for Spruce by Niman Ranch ... The dish comes with vegetables from Spruce's organic garden and, the kicker: crispy duck-fat potatoes. On any given night, he'll have about eight chops on hand" [UD]