"Another dining destination from the chefs behind Berkeley’s popular Spanish restaurant La Marcha is scheduled to open in 2019. Called Alcalá, the new restaurant will be an upscale and full-service restaurant in Oakland’s quiet Montclair neighborhood. The 62-seat restaurant (and 10-seat bar) at 2084 Mountain Blvd will be part of a newly constructed, mixed-use building designed by Lowney Architecture; it will occupy the third floor, above ground floor retail and office space. The name Alcalá is a reference to the Arabic word meaning “the citadel” or “fortification,” an apt description for the restaurant’s new location in the Oakland hills. The menu of traditional Spanish dishes will focus on paella and meats cooked on a wood-fired grill, plus the charcuterie and tapas that have already made La Marcha a popular dining destination in Berkeley (and earned it a spot on the East Bay Essential 38). Owners Sergio Monléon and Emily Sarlatte, who opened La Marcha as a permanent extension of their catering company Nora Cocina Española in 2015, have brought on chef Raiden Brenner, who has experience at other Oakland favorites like Oliveto, Cultured Pickle Shop, and Duende. It’s the second brick-and-mortar restaurant for the group, who plan to open a wine shop in Berkeley later this year called Mile Limit." - Ellen Fort
