Jon Smulewitz News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

While some 45-year-olds may experience the phenomenon known as midlife crisis, 45-year-old Mr. Espresso is experiencing a complete rebirth in Oakland. 

Mr. Espresso, an Oakland-based, family-run company that has been roasting and distributing Italian-style oak wood roasted coffee to Bay Area retailers, cafes and restaurants for 45 years, will open its first cafe, The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, in downtown Oakland, Monday, May 22, 2023. Mr. Espresso was founded in 1978 by Carlo Di Ruocco, a native of Salerno and the original “Mr. Espresso.” The company continues to be a family affair, with Carlo’s wife and the family’s three adult children all actively involved in the day-to-day business operations.

These are best restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley and beyond, according to restaurant critics Soleil Ho and Cesar Hernandez. Find top-notch tacos, splurge-worthy fine dining restaurants and other inventive fare in the Bay Area's most dynamic place to dine.

The most significant San Francisco Bay Area restaurant closures of 2020 FacebookTwitterEmail 11 1of11The dining room at The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena , Calif., on Thursday, March 31, 2016.Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle 2016Show MoreShow Less 2of11 People dine at the sushi bar at Ichi Sushi in San Francisco in 2014John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2014Show MoreShow Less 3of11 Russell Stein plates a margherita pizza at Mozzeria restaurant in San Francisco.John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2012Show MoreShow Less 4of11 Bar owner Thad Vogler makes a Mojito ...