Avocado toast for $6?! Why, a millennial could indulge — and still save up for a home in the Bay Area!
That’s one of the highlights of Delegates, a newly opened eatery in downtown Oakland whose name touts its “American breakfast and lunch” menu.
The cafe is the brainchild of Justin Chang and his father, Min, a longtime restaurateur.
Justin says he wanted to create a simple, affordable place where locals can come by every day. The inaugural menu focuses on breakfast and lunch, with prices starting at $5 (for two eggs, hash browns and a biscuit) and topping out at $8 (for the turkey sandwich with house-made pesto on a French roll from Semifreddi’s; the BBQ burger with bacon jam, mushrooms, onions, bacon and Swiss; and the veggie burger). All dressings and sauces are made in-house.
Justin grew up in the business. Years ago, his parents owned the Cherryland Cafe in the Hayward area, then the S and J coffee shop in Newark (named after him and his older sister, Sophia) and then the Pleasanton Cafe.
“I learned early on the ins and outs of the family restaurant business,” Chang says. “The sounds such as ice clinging against a glass, a straw grasping that last bit of liquid in a cup, silverware bouncing off the ground. All these sounds create an instinctual reaction in me whether I’m actually working or just a patron at a restaurant.
“I knew I needed to stay in this industry once I took a step back and reflected on what I was actually good at.”
But don’t go dropping silverware just to test his instincts. Let the man cook!
Details: Delegates is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 578 14th St., Oakland. www.delegatesoakland.com.