Damask Rose Coffee Opens + Grocery Strolling #2
The family who brought us Old Damascus Fare has opened a new coffee shop in North Oakland ... plus, another installment of the "Grocery Strolling" series, with a spotlight on Kathmandu Market & Deli
New Café Opening: Damask Rose Coffee
The family who brought us Old Damascus Fare opened their new café, Damask Rose Coffee, last week. You may remember Old Damascus Fare from their Syrian food catering, or their participation in La Cocina’s restaurant incubator program and their eatery in UC Berkeley’s MLK Jr. Student Union Building.
As a student, I would eat at Old Damascus Fare at least once a week. When Covid shut down campus, the La Cocina eateries in MLK closed too. I had been wondering where the Rawas family went, and was very pleased to learn about their new venture in North Oakland.
At Damask Rose Coffee, you’ll find coffees (including espressos, Americanos, pour-overs, cappuccinos, Gibraltars/Cortados) and drinks (hot chocolate, teas, and lattes). It occupies the former Jump’n Java space, and the family has retained the distinctive Mark Bulwinkle metal artwork in the windows.
Those who miss the food of Old Damascus Fare will find small bites, including savory flatbreads and dips, and beautiful pistachio-studded phyllo pastries, such as baklava and warbat.
Of course, the name Damask Rose is a reference to Damascus’s renowned flower. You’ll see that beautifully reflected in the vision of the café, with its striking hanging flowers and latticed roses, as well as in their rose lattes and rose lemonade—the latter, pictured below, is a floral and fruity drink topped with chia seeds and dried rose petals.
Damask Rose Coffee is located at 6606 Shattuck Ave., Oakland, CA 94609. They are open 7AM-6PM on weekdays, and 8:30AM-6PM on weekends. You can find them on Instagram @damaskrose.coffee.
Grocery Strolling #2
This is Part 2 of “Grocery Strolling,” a series for those who linger when browsing grocery aisles. Read Part 1 here, featuring Rap Snacks, King Oscar sardines, and Truff hot sauce.
Kathmandu Market and Deli
Kathmandu Market and Deli is more than your average convenience store. In addition to the regular offerings of snacks, drinks, and groceries, the family-owned shop also serves hot Nepalese foods. Most recently, the Singh family added a new item, freshly baked pizza slices, to their hot food options.
By the way, did you know you can also buy South Asian specialty ingredients here? Downstairs, in the back of the store, are pulses, spices, flours, ghee, and pickles.
There are very good South Asian grocery stores in West Berkeley with bigger inventories such as Bombay Spice House and Milan International. But in the vicinity of the UC Berkeley campus, options are limited outside of Kathmandu Market and Deli. Their selection will help you cover the basics (and then some!) to fill out your South Asian pantry.
Kathmandu Market and Deli is located at 2521 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704.