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It was with great sadness that Oaklanders saw James Syhabout close his colorful Thai eatery Hawker Fare earlier this year. However, that closure has given the chef time and renewed energy for other projects, starting the launch of Old Kan Beer & Co., and now a new bar called C.D.P., a little sibling for his flagship Commis.
The bar is an extension of Syhabout’s two-Michelin-starred Commis, a refined, tasting menu-focused restaurant in Oakland’s Piedmont neighborhood, where the small and minimalist interior has long precluded the opportunity for a bar where diners can stop by for a drink and a bite. The wine list will focus on brandy and Champagne, while the menu will be small plates and snacks.
With the addition of C.D.P (an acronym for “chef de partie”) there will be a 10-seat full bar, plus 14 more in a lounge area that very closely mimics the look of Commis. Syhabout did the design himself, according to Inside Scoop, with a seamless production in mind. In fact it will be so seamless that that a doorway will connect the two restaurants.
Construction starts May 1; stay tuned for a fall opening.