Prepare yourselves, pasta and porchetta lovers — an Italian takeout spot from a lauded Marin chef is on its way to West Oakland.
Fatto a Mano Alimentari is coming to Prescott Market, chef and owner Elena Fabbri and the food hall officially announced Friday. Fabbri and her husband, Gustavo Mutul, are the owners of La Gastronomia di Porchetta in Fairfax, a farm-to-table restaurant that was named one of the top 25 restaurants in the Bay Area in 2024 by the San Francisco Chronicle.
In addition, as announced in August, FOB Kitchen’s Janice Dulce will also join Prescott Market, bringing dishes inspired by her Filipino roots, as well as her time growing up in Guam and the Bay Area. The veteran chef from FOB Kitchen in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood will feature dishes like tacos, grilled chicken inasal, and Guamanian red rice at FOB West.
Both Fatto a Mano Alimentari and FOB West are slated to open later this year at the indoor/outdoor food hall in West Oakland, which officially opened in April. The food hall currently has six food food businesses, after the recent departure of Prescott Meats Deli (Fatto a Mano Alimentari will takeover its location). The food hall includes Almanac, Cafe Noir, Fast Times, Woo Can Cook, Pizzeria Violetta, and Highwire Coffee.
Fatto a Mano, the new Italian takeout spot coming to Prescott Market, will offer focaccia, charcuterie, sweets, wine and more. Credit: Courtesy of Fatto a Mano Alimentari
Fabbri speaks fast and enthusiastically as she sits at one of the outdoor tables under an umbrella. An “alimentari” is typically a family-owned small shop that sells fresh pasta and pantry items, and it was always one of her goals to have an alimentari where she can share authentic Tuscan food. In 2017, she and Mutul began selling porchetta sandwiches, made from whole roasted pig, at Bay Area farmers markets. Then, in 2021, they opened La Gastronomica di Porchetta, a sitdown restaurant in Marin County serving authentic Tuscan dishes. (Mutul also runs Pibil Marin, focusing on food from the Yucatán region).
For Fabbri, who is from the Italian seaside town of Forte dei Marmi, opening a shop in Oakland wasn’t necessarily in her plans, but the stars seemed aligned. She met Prescott Market’s director and curator, Harvinder Singh, at a farmers market, and they started talking about her opening a casual takeout spot.
Fatto a Mano will feature prochetta, both by the pound and on sandwiches. Credit: Courtesy of Fatto A Mano Alimentari
She now sees it as the perfect place to expand outside of Marin. “Oakland is such a diverse place in terms of the culinary scene and all of the things that are happening,” Fabbri, who also cooks for 700 Marin students through the school district during the weekdays, says. “As an immigrant, I am very attached to what’s authentic, and I try to be traditional to what my regional food is.”
The alimentari will include the porchetta — sold per pound or in a sandwich — as well as salads, paninis, housemade pasta dishes, wine by the glass or bottle, and desserts. The takeout counter will have a retail section with housemade sauces, pasta, and other pantry items.
“We are going to have our whole pasta lab, we’re going to make focaccia in house, so people can come up and see the pasta-making,” Fabbri adds about the fresh pasta being rolled out behind the glass. Prices will mostly range from $17-19 per sandwich or dish. Fabbri also hopes to include traditional dishes like peposo del inpruneta, a veal stew with black pepper; polpo in zimino, baby octopus with greens; and fagioli e salsiccia, a bean and sausage stew. The menu will also rotate based on what’s in season.
Fabbri sees her restaurants as an opportunity for people to learn more about authentic Tuscan food. She also plans to hold private pasta-making classes for small groups at Prescott Market.
Like other food businesses inside the new food hall, there’s a focus on sourcing locally and using seasonal and organic ingredients. Fabbri said the majority of ingredients at her stall will be locally-sourced. However, she is a stickler when it comes to certain Italian ingredients, including the organic flour, Italian salt, and even water from Italy for pasta-making.
Singh, who cofounded the West Oakland Farmers Market, notes that several businesses source from West Oakland Farmers Market purveyors and other local farms.
Fatto a Mano will offer pasta dishes like this spinach maltagliati tossed with blistered cherry tomatoes and burrata. Credit: Courtesy of Fatto a Mano Alimentari
“That’s not something we force onto [the entrepreneurs], that’s something they naturally believe to do,” Singh said. “That’s great and that’s the spirit we are cultivating here, a strong local food economy. People are developing their menus based on the seasons. When the pomegranate and pears and apples come in season, you’ll see that on their menus.”
Joe Ernst, founder of srmErnst Development Partners, which purchased two square blocks in West Oakland for R&D tech and manufacturing rental space – says the new food businesses will add to the community space.
“We get a lot of families who love to come in and they can let their guard down a little with their kids, so they can enjoy food and drink with their friends,” Ernst, who also developed the building in Alameda that houses Almanac Adventureland and Brewery and Firebrand Artisan Breads, said. “It’s real positive.”
Janice Dulce of FOB Kitchen in Temescal is opening FOB West at Prescott Market later this year. Credit: Courtesy of FOB Kitchen
As for FOB West, construction on the buildout of the space will begin soon, according to Ernst. He said both new businesses will open around the same time, before the year’s end.
Singh hopes Prescott Market is a place people come to for events. They are currently hosting regular events including a drag bingo night, trivia night, a vintage market, live music every Friday, and the Sunday farmers market.
The group also has several events planned in October, including a championship parade for the Oakland Ballers – the baseball team plays at Raimondi Park, just across the street – on October 5 and an upcoming night market on October 9, which will include many food vendors, a performance from Bandaloop, and live music.
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Dining and Cooking