Chef Paul Canales serves up southern French food at new Oakland

Chef Paul Canales of Oliveto and Duende fame has opened a new cafe on the floor flooring of the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel. The eatery, Occitania (422 24th Avenue), serves dishes motivated by southern French delicacies in a placing adorned with local artwork.

The restaurant is named for a historic location that bridges areas of southern France, northern Spain’s Catalonia and northern Italy’s Piemonte region, where the Occitan language was customarily spoken. With a storied historical past comprehensive with religious persecution and besieged castles, the place has seen a resurgence in recognition and regional pride in modern a long time.

Occitania’s menu consists of dishes inspired by regional specialties, alongside French bistro classics and rotating specials – all featuring nearby, sustainable elements from regional farmers, ranchers, and fishermen.

Escargots make an overall look in a gratin ($19), and primary dishes incorporate petrale sole, minor shrimp, leeks, fennel, and artichokes with aioli and grilled toast ($32) and grilled lamb shank with spring greens and purple wine ($50).

Classics like onion soup ($14) and steak frites ($48) are also on supply, and Eater SF suggests Canales designs to involve a unique burger encouraged by a French-model burger he had at a cafe rising up in Fresno. It took the chef two months to develop the burger, which will characteristic caramelized onions, mushrooms and Gruyere, in addition bread with garlic butter, parmesan and Dijon mustard, in accordance to the outlet.

The drinks menu will attribute a solid emphasis on French wines, aperitifs and craft cocktails and will adjust regularly, according to the cafe.

The interior of the restaurant characteristics hanging ceramic pieces by a nearby artist. Photo: Occitania/Fb

Oakland architectural and structure business Arcsine designed the room, exactly where gold-leaf ceramic designs hang more than the tables. These summary designs created by Oakland artist Peter St. Lawrence are meant to trace at southern France’s legendary mistral wind, Eater SF experiences, whilst wall hangings ty textile artist Ramona Downey and a mural by Sam Strand entire the artistic room.

Canales’s occupation has taken him on a culinary journey through the lands of the Occitan location, as he initial produced Northern Italian foodstuff at long-time Bay Location favorite Oliveto before transferring into Spanish tapas and paella at Duende and, now, dishes from the Occitanian location of France. 

While Occitan is regarded an endangered language, Occitania as a place enjoys increased recognition given that a French geographical reorganization adopted the title for an official area of the state in 2016, as reported in Nationwide Geographic. It can be an space steeped in background, wherever adherents of a Christian sect recognized as the Cathars resisted prolonged persecution in advance of at some point currently being wiped out.

A look at of rural southern France in the Occitania area, from the ruins of a Cathar castle. |  Picture: Laila Weir

The area consists of the substantially-romanticized Provence place and the recreated medieval walled city of Carcassonne, a favourite vacationer end, alongside with tracts of rural landscapes dotted by the ruins of Cathar castles and half-deserted villages.

Canales told Eater SF that, as an amateur historian, “engaging in history” by the cafe is a driving inspiration and creative pressure for him. “I stay in food stuff as a artistic expression of what I do,” the chef commented.

The new eatery opened on Wednesday, June 1, and is at present open up for evening meal. The Occitania staff has options to provide lunch and dinner 7 days a week, as well as brunch on weekends, according to the restaurant’s internet site.

Occitania is found at 422 24th St., Oakland. Present hours are 5-9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 5-10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Info and reservations: www.occitaniaoakland.com, 510-985-9001.