Uptown Oakland Bar Scene Gets Three Hot New Additions

Confirming our belief that Oakland is becoming ever more eclectic and vibrant than San Francisco as a place for a night out, three hot newcomers are slated to grace Uptown in the coming months. First (and perhaps most exciting), a new cocktail concept from the folks behind Weather Up bars in New York is coming to 741 Telegraph Avenue as soon as this summer. The Rockridge-born owners, Glenn Kaplan and Chris Foott, want to "put some of the style and elegance of Brooklyn and New York on top of the honesty of Oakland. Kathryn Weatherup, for whom the NY bars are named, brings the cocktail cred; while heavyweight designer and builder John Kole of Hecho, Inc. brings his New York industry mastery. So this is bound to be a talked-about destination for pre- and post-Fox Theater drink sessions. [UPDATE: Matt Maddy, the independent design/builder of both NYC Weatherups, No. 7 in Fort Greene and others is the lead designer on the project. John Kole, good friend of the owners, will play the role of consultant as things move forward.]

Second, Flora will be opening a new 2000-square-foot bar between the restaurant and their coming soon Mission-style taqueria, Xolo. And thirdly, former House of Shields owner Alexeis Filipello will be opening Bar Dagwood soon at 1644 Telegraph Ave with "'good inexpensive bar snacks, great cocktails and independent wines and beers,' with a special focus on the meat counter, serving salami, cold seafood, and cheeses.[sic]" All the more reason for BART to try to keep its act together.

· Movin' On Up [Diablo via GrubStreet]
· Flora to Open a New Bar, and Former House of Shields Owner to Open Bar Dogwood in Oakland [East Bay Cocktails via GrubStreet]
· BART rider satisfaction declines [Fresno Bee]

Weather Up in Brooklyn. [Photo: Diablo]