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OAKLAND— Oakland native James Syhabout has launched a Dine About Oakland Schools Initiative, in which five percent of all bills at his restaurants (Hawker Fare, Box & Bells, The Dock and Commis) will benefit Oakland Public Schools. Each week will benefit a specific school: 1/11-1/17 benefits Claremont Middle School, 1/18-1/24 benefits Cabot Elementary and 1/25-1/31 will benefit Oakland Tech. [EaterWire]
SAN FRANCISCO— In dating and food news, entrepreneur Stephanie Robesky is breaking new ground. To celebrate her 39th birthday, she's managed to score extremely rare and coveted tickets to Noma Tokyo, Rene Redzepi's two week pop-up at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. Since she's single and doesn't want to dine alone, Robesky has put out a call for dining companions on her website, Nerdgirl— she'll even pay for the dinner and wine. If you're a Bay Area between 28-46 years old, with enough cash to cover a flight and hotel room, take action. The reservations are for the last weekend in January, so don't delay. [Bold Italic]
OAKLAND— Local tofu producer Hodo Soy, is teaming up with national taco chain Chipotle. Chipotle's new vegan option, Sofritas, is a combination of Hodo's organic tofu, chipotle chilis, roasted poblano peppers and spices. For those willing to veer off their normal carne asada path, Chipotle is offering a special deal— order a Sofritas bowl, burrito or taco on Monday, January 26 and receive a free entree (of any kind), redeemable between January 27- February 28. [EaterWire]
PALO ALTO— Asian Box, the Palo Alto-based Vietnamese fast-casual chain, is about to get a lot bigger. They've recently received a large investment from the SoCal-based Horowitz Group that will expand operations and chef Grace Nguyen's (Slanted Door) menu, adding add pho, more salads and dinner entrees, as well as bottled sauces and marinades. The group expects to add nine more location to their existing five restaurants by the end of 2015. [EaterWire]
