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Joie de Vivre in Oakland
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Jacob Fenston
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Last Updated on January, 22 2008 at 08:09 PM
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Palm trees rustling in a balmy breeze, a pool-side hammock swaying lightly to the rhythm of a steel drum, an exotic cocktail, and the sweet smell of simmering goat head stew wafting from the kitchen.
This will be Oakland next summer, say people behind the $6 million renovation of the Waterfront Plaza Hotel and attached restaurant in Jack London Square. |
Palm trees rustling in a balmy breeze, a pool-side hammock swaying lightly to the rhythm of a steel drum, an exotic cocktail, and the sweet smell of simmering goat head stew wafting from the kitchen.
This will be Oakland next summer, say people behind the $6 million renovation of the Waterfront Plaza Hotel and attached restaurant in Jack London Square.
Global warming and a couple of high-profile names may be on their side. The country’s second largest boutique hotel company, Joie de Vivre, which announced its remodel of the hotel and restaurant earlier this month, has recruited celebrity Chef Joey Altman, host of KRON-TV’s Bay Café, to help jump-start the new restaurant in Oakland’s floundering waterfront development.
“We want it to be an oasis where people can check into and feel like they’re not in Oakland,” says Mr. Altman. “We want them to feel like, you know what, you could be in Kauai, or you could be in Jamaica, or you could be in the South of France.”
It might sound far-fetched, but the idea worked in San Francisco’s tenderloin district 20 years ago, launching Mr. Altman and Joie de Vivre CEO Chip Conley on their careers.
Mr. Conley transformed a trashy old motel in the run-down tenderloin into a funky tropical-themed hot-spot called the Phoenix Hotel that became a favorite with touring rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam.
Two years later, a young Mr. Altman, trained in French cuisine but inspired by fiery Caribbean fare on a recent trip to Jamaica, opened Miss Pearl’s Jam House in the old diner at Mr. Conley's hotel, under the “Hotel – Restaurant – Cocktails” sign.
“Right out of the gate we were white hot, and we were doing probably 200 dinners in an eighty-seat restaurant a night, which is literally bursting at the seams,” says Mr. Altman. “It was just craziness.”
Since then, Mr. Altman has opened four Bay Area restaurants, as well as hosted three TV shows, and Mr. Conley has opened 25 hotels up and down California.
Now Mr. Conley and Mr. Altman want to reprise that first success in Oakland. Both say the remodeled hotel and restaurant will help revive Jack London Square.
Mr. Altman says Jack London Square has been struggling to find it’s personality. “I think there’s gonna finally be enough critical mass to push it into its next phase, and I think this restaurant that we’re gonna do is really gonna help.”
Mr. Conley points to their track record. “We have gone into locations in the past without a lot of energy and foot traffic, and we’ve been able to help create that energy with our hotels and restaurants,” he says.
Foot traffic could be exactly what Jack London Square needs at this point. Jim Ellis, principal partner with the company in charge of redeveloping the nine blocks that make up Jack London Square, and a partner in the purchase of the Waterfront Plaza Hotel, agrees the square hasn’t quite found its niche.
“Oakland is changing, a lot more younger people are moving here, and we’re trying to keep up,” he says.
Currently the development has a 20 percent vacancy rate, which Mr. Ellis says is because many old tenants are being transitioned out — victims of the search for the square’s new hip personality. Mr. Ellis says the new tenants won’t necessarily be more upscale, but more “current and relevant.”
Mr. Ellis says prohibitively high prices in San Francisco are making Oakland a destination for restaurateurs.
“A lot of restaurateurs have been sniffing around Oakland, actually contacting us (about) wanting to close down their restaurants in San Francisco and open up here in Oakland,” says Mr. Ellis.
Currently one other restaurant – besides Mr. Altman’s – is being negotiated, and another, Cocina Poblana, opened earlier this month.
But Mr. Altman says he doesn’t see the square’s seven or so other restaurants as competition.
“I see everyone there as an ally," he says. "My philosophy is a rising tide raises all boats. You know, an art gallery doesn’t open in the middle of nowhere, it opens on the street where the other art galleries are.”
 Celebrity Chef Joey Altman
Mr. Altman, who will be the restaurant’s consulting chef, plans to spend the first three months on-site, in the kitchen and dining room, tweaking ingredients and making sure dishes are prepared as imagined. He’s already thinking about the recipes.
“There will definitely be a lot of those flavors like ginger, chilies, cilantro, allspice, and cinnamon," he says. "We want it to be really bold, high flavor profile, but also healthy. It’s all about crisp and fresh and bright, like you gotta go out and wear a bathing suit tomorrow.”
The restaurant and hotel will re-open this summer. Get your bathing suits ready, Oakland. |
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