For Immediate Release
WINTER FUN AT SHAKEWELL: SUPERBOWL SPECIALS, VALENTINE’S DAY MENU, COCKTAILS AND MORE
Celebratory Menu Items, Seasonal Cocktails, $18 Prix Fixe Lunch Set the Tone in February
Oakland, Calif.—January 26, 2016—Shakewell, a stylish-yet-casual restaurant and bar in Oakland’s Lakeshore neighborhood, is pleased to usher in February with Super Bowl favorites, Valentine’s Day specials, new cocktails and new bar seating.
Super Bowl Sunday Brunch and Happy Hour
On Sunday, Fe
bruary 5, from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Shakewell’s brunch menu will include Wood-fired Chili con Queso ($12), Spicy Chicken Wings with Point Reyes Blue cheese dip ($14), and a Michelada cocktail (beer, hot sauce, tomato juice, lime juice and pepper; $10). During brunch hours, guests can order a dozen Spicy Chicken Wings for take-out ($14).
Beginning at 4 p.m., Shakewell will host a special Super Bowl Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m., with Bar Bites half off (at the bar and in the bar area only).
Valentine’s Day Specials
In addition to the regular menu on February 14, Shakewell will offer the following:
- Hudson Valley foie gras torchon with fig conserva, marcona almonds, watercress, toasted pan de mie ($22)
- Local oysters on the half shell with pink peppercorn and Cava mignonette and meyer lemon ($18)
- Flannery grilled dry aged prime ribeye for two with smashed fried potatoes, grilled spring onions, romesco, red wine jus ($78)
Reservations are recommended.
Prix Fixe Lunch
This weekend isn’t the end of Oakland Restaurant Week at Shakewell. In addition to the regular lunch menu, Shakewell offers a $18 three-course prix fixe lunch every Wednesday through Friday. The revolving prix fixe meal includes a choice of salad, a choice of entree and a dessert.
New Cocktails and Bar Seating
Shakewell has replaced its communal counter across from the main bar with table seating, encouraging guests to linger over its cocktail menu, including the following new additions:
- Broadway & Mac ($14)—a robust concoction consisting of Berkeley-based Mosswood Distillery’s espresso barrel whiskey, Bruto Americano, Barolo Chinato (Barolo wine infused with herbs and spices) and angostura bitters
- La Jolla Tigre ($14)—a wintry combination of gin, yellow chartreuse, canella amaro (a San Francisco-made aperitivo featuring Ceylon cinnamon) and orange bitters
- About Thyme ($13)—an aromatic infusion of Rittenhouse rye, lemon, house-made thyme honey syrup, combier fruit liqueur and absinthe
Chef Jen Biesty and General Manager Tim Nugent have created an appealing bar menu that highlights the restaurant’s bold Mediterranean cuisine with global influences, and Bartender Nick Stratton’s cocktails match the menu in spirit, flavor and seasonality. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the bar menu is half price. And on Thursdays during Happy Hour, oysters are just $1 each.
Stratton, who was born and raised in Oakland, spent several years in Washington, D.C., where he first went to pursue a degree in medicine. After some soul searching, he cut this medical studies short and found a home in the restaurant industry, working as a server at the high-end bistro Circa on Dupont Circle, then at Paolo’s in Georgetown before returning to Oakland to work at Bocanova.
Stratton started working at Shakewell in June of 2015 as a server, but within a few months he was asked to take over the bar program. His service background and extroverted personality is a strong asset at Shakewell.
“Sure, a great bartender is somebody who can mix or shake or stir a great cocktail,” Stratton said, “but he’s also someone who’s also easy to talk to, is entertaining and can read customers well enough to know what they want.”
Stratton shakes up the cocktail menu seasonally, with the newest offerings available since late December. His hallmarks? Sweeteners that go beyond simple syrup, like Velvet Falernum from Barbados or Luxardo from Italy’s Veneto region. He also likes to incorporate Amaro and housemade bitters into classic cocktails. His favorite alcohols are rum, mezcal and agave tequila. Among Shakewell’s most popular cocktails are Love at First Sip ($13), a refreshing blend of Hanson’s cucumber-mint vodka, lime and elderflower with a cava float, The Fairlane ($12), featuring habanero-infused tequila with lime, coconut crème and muddled cucumber, and Dealer’s Choice ($13), a customized “cocktail on the spot” for bar patrons and diners alike.
Stratton and Chef Biesty coordinate on produce orders, ensuring that ingredients are in season and match changes in the restaurant menu. In addition to cocktails, guests can also enjoy sherry-based cocktails, an eclectic wine list featuring bottles from Greece, Spain, France, Portugal and California, and a small, locally focused beer list.
About Shakewell
Shakewell serves bold Mediterranean cuisine with Spanish influences. Located in the heart of Oakland’s Lakeshore Avenue, the menu is organized by small plates, bomba (wood oven paella), fish, meat and sides that are meant to be shared and are crafted using the best products available. Shakewell’s vibrant and social bar is a focal point of the restaurant, where guests gather to enjoy affordable and seasonal cocktails and tapas. The restaurant’s design team drew inspiration from Moorish, Spanish and Mediterranean patterns and architecture, while utilizing a confident but subtle use of color and beautiful plaster finishes, complemented by locally commissioned art.
Shakewell is located at 3407 Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland, Calif. Happy Hour is served Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the bar open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (no food between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.) Lunch is served Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (closed Monday). For more information or to book a reservation, visit www.shakewelloakland.com or call (510) 251-0329.
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Media Contact:
Adrienne DeAngelo
Ellipses
adrienne@ellipsespr.com
510-658-1353