Tag Archives: Chef Paul Canales

Dining Outside At Occitania

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Escargot at Occitania.
Escargot at Occitania.

Chef-Owner Paul Canales thinks of his new Occitania restaurant in Oakland as the light to his more moody-vibed Duende that’s a mere five blocks away.

Certainly, he — and the rest of us — were badly in need of a little more levity when work commenced on this restaurant in October 2020 during the throes of the pandemic.

Taking inspiration from the Occitania linguistic region of Southern France, Occitania opened its doors in June of this year on the property of the Kissel Uptown Oakland, a Hyatt brand.

Chef-Owner Paul Canales in front of the bar at his newest restaurant.
Chef-Owner Paul Canales in front of the bar at his newest restaurant.

At the end of August, the restaurant added a few sidewalk tables, which is where I dined recently when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant. The tables sport large umbrellas for shade, with heaters forthcoming.

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Duende in Oakland Welcomes the Food Gal for A Book-Signing Event

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If you’ve yet to enjoy the signature fideua with duck at Duende in Oakland, then head there, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 6.

That’s when Chef-Proprietor Paul Canales will be hosting a special book-signing event in the lively bodega side of the restaurant featuring yours truly.

Canales’ recipe for the classic Spanish paella-like dish made with noodles rather than rice is spotlighted in my cookbook, “San Francisco Chef’s Table” (Lyons Press). The book is a compilation of more than 50 top Bay Area restaurants with their stories and their famed recipes.

Fideua with duck and olives at Duende is featured in my debut cookbook.

Fideua with duck and olives at Duende is featured in my debut cookbook.

You’ll not only enjoy glasses of bubbly cava and tastes of the fideua, but go home with a copy of the cookbook, signed by Canales, book photographer Craig Lee, and myself.

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