Calabash

Calabash is an all-day spot serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner—which is one reason we already have plans to spend every waking hour at this Oakland spot near Uptown. The other is the fact that this place is from the chefs behind the excellent Kingston 11 and Komaaj. They’re doing feel-good Afro-Caribbean and Iranian dishes, from sweet plantains with blackbean sauce and roasted lamb leg salad to eggplant and sumac labneh mezzes, and serving in a plant-and-couch-heavy space that looks like a lounge crossed with a fancy, sun-filled cafeteria. Expect this place to be the backdrop for casual conversations, especially since it has two bars.