Small Change Oyster Bar will soon be serving up fresh seafood, micheladas, and wine in Oakland. The new restaurant is taking over the former Doña Tomás space at 5000 Telegraph Ave. in Temescal. A November 2022 opening is planned, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Small Change Oyster Bar is brought to us by Branden Nichols, who most recently was the lead shucker at Shuck It, the resident oyster bar at Market & Main food hall in Martinez. Nichols began his career in oysters leading oyster pop-ups at Bar Cava in Martinez and Punchdown in Oakland.
After his leaving Shuck It earlier this year, Nichols looks forward to starting his own venture in Temescal. Small Change Oyster Bar is named after the fishing boat that his grandfather took him out on as a kid.
The restaurant will take a relaxed approach to the growing popularity of oyster bars. “The intention of our spot is to come have a good time, slam oysters, drink wine and stick to my roots… It doesn’t have to be super dressed up,” Nichols tells the Chronicle.
The menu will be centered around raw oysters on the half shell served from an elevated shucking booth in the dining room. They can be served with Nichol’s cilantro-shallot mignonette or baked as oysters Rockefeller.
The oysters will come from across the country, but primarily California, Washington and Alaska. There will be other dishes to enjoy such as clam chowder and ceviche, with local seafood sourced from Berkeley’s Monterey Fish Market.
To drink, Nichols will have his signature michelada that comes garnished with a crab claw, shrimp, and raw oyster. There will also be a selection of natural wines and bubbles to complement the seafood dishes.
For more information and updates, follow @smallchangeoysterbar on Instagram.
