For the sake of sustainability, the menu is rich in vegetables and includes vegan options. When there is meat, it will come from sources known to support regenerative ranches like Oakland’s Cream Co. Meanwhile, Stern uses an arsenal of spices in foods made from his own fermentation experiments, from lacto peppers. – fermented and other ingredients, then dehydrate them into powders.

To handle the beverage side, they brought in Jenny Eagleton, previously a sommelier at Oakland’s popular natural wine bar, the Punchdown.

A meal might start with a sourdough foccacia ($ 8) that Stern has been perfecting for three years. The highly hydrated dough undergoes a 30-hour cold fermentation, resulting in a soft, sparkling bread with a chewy texture, according to Dennig. It will come with freshly squeezed olive oil known as olio nuovo, mixed with homemade fruit vinegar.

“We think this is a very good opening conversation about fermentation,” said Stern, describing the “complex and beautiful flavor”.

The chef is delighted to launch a homemade Toscana soppressata ($ 16), a fully baked Tuscan head cheese the couple fell in love with when they learned how to butcher in Italy. Stern infuses it with lacto-fermented Early Girl tomato powder and chili peppers, as well as candied lime, and serves it with pistachio pear butter and crackers.

While the tomatoes are still in season, the restaurant will offer a cold “invisible” tomato gazpacho ($ 14) that looks crystal clear after clarifying the tomatoes. It’s bright and fresh, Stern said, with the sweetness of chanterais melons and the warmth of a pickled tomato and chili jam at the bottom.

Expect to always find fresh pasta, like spicy scallop spaghetti ($ 28) with a touch of umami from Shared Cultures miso, as well as candied lemon and kelp splinters. Agnolotti ($ 24) can be stuffed with quince paste and many herbs like rosemary and sage.

While Eagleton brings expertise in natural wine, she said she is focusing more on “community-driven winemaking,” working with winemakers who share their skills, maintain Indigenous traditions or create space for diverse. identities in industry.

She’s also erecting a drink wall beyond wine, hoping to encourage diners to broaden their horizons by choosing sake, cider, amaro, or something alcohol-free. (There will also be beer, of course.)

When it comes to sake, Eagleton said she is excited about breweries with women at the helm and the long-standing traditions that result in several generations of brewers in the same family. One of the first sakes Daytrip will pour is an unusual organic red rice sake from the Mukai Brewery that has a “beautiful, flavorful, yeast, berry, light soy sauce that is rich and food friendly”, a- she declared.

“If we can build relationships with our clients to talk about really unique things, maybe we can take them further down the rabbit hole,” she said.

Dennig had originally planned to offer pastries, such as dulce de leche croissants, on weekends. But not wanting to stretch the team too much right away, she said she hoped to start the morning shift in a few months.

Day trip. Opening Oct. 21, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Sunday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to Saturday. 4316 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland. www.instagram.com/this.is.daytrip

Janelle Bitker is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @janellebitker