Grand Lake Kitchen

Grand Lake Kitchen is an all-day deli with two Oakland locations (near Lake Merritt and in the Dimond District). The menu ranges from house-made pickles and matzah ball soup, to salads, burgers, and sandwiches, but if you’re ordering from this place at all, it’s probably for their excellent (and popular) brunch. Things like savory french toast, scrambled egg and bacon plates, and avocado toast are served until 5pm and you should absolutely get it all with a cocktail or sparkling wine. During the pandemic, Grand Lake Kitchen also launched a new takeout concept called Carbona. They operate out of GLK’s Dimond District location and specialize in Detroit-style pizzas, which are fluffy and thick, like sheet cake thick or brick thick, and have perfectly chewy crusts with crispy, darkened edges.