Agave's Oaxacan Flavors Destined for Uptown Oakland

Agave, a new Mexican restaurant focused on the flavors of Oaxaca, will join the influx of restaurants in Uptown Oakland (including ten-month-old Oaxacan restaurant Calavera).

It's opening in the 4,000 square-foot space ground floor of the Kapor Center for Social Impact on Broadway, under the hand of Mexico-native chef Octavio Diaz. The 4,000-square-foot space is designed by Oakland's Arcsine (also responsible for neighoring Duende and Calavera, among others). The menu is inspired by the chef's close connection to Oaxaca, which is nearby his hometown of Santa Gertrudis, Mexico. Therefore mole will have a strong presence on the menu, alongside tems like tasajo, grilled beef with onions, mushrooms, guacamole, black bean paste and rice. Small batch mezcal, craft cocktails, Sonoma County wines (a nod to chef Diaz's first location of Agave in Healdsburg), and Mexican craft beer will also be available.

A little background on the Kapor Center: its mission is "to narrow gaps in opportunity and access for underrepresented communities through the hiring of individuals looking for career growth and training." As such, Diaz will place an emphasis on partnerships with schools and colleges, hiring and training people from those communities.

Agave is slated to open June 13; stay tuned for more details.