One of Oakland's most successful chef-restaurateurs, Charlie Hallowell (Pizzaiolo, Boot & Shoe Service, Penrose) is taking over the former Grand Fare space, which is in the same Grand Avenue building that he co-owns that is home to Penrose. As Eater tells us, his plan, which is still taking shape, is to open an all-day deli type affair inspired by Gjusta in Los Angeles — itself a spinoff of Gjelina, and inspired by all-day Jewish deli-bakeries like Canter's, but with a California Gentile spin.

It's unclear how closely Hallowell plans to follow that model — we know he's good at pizza, and that's a feature of Gjusta, but right now his pizza oven is across the street at Boot & Shoe, and he's not necessarily going to go the way of smoked fish platters and brisket sandwiches, like Gjusta.

All he and his COO, Zach Scott, are saying to Eater for now is that it will be a daytime operation, maybe with dinner, focusing on breakfast and lunch items, with "an accompanying commissary of pantry provisions like jams, charcuterie, and wines." The latter sounds a bit like Grand Fare, which also served pre-made meal items and ice cream. But Hallowell is clearly hoping for a more sure-fire model for his concept, given that Grand Fare barely lasted six weeks at first, and then reopened only to swiftly close again.

Working in Hallowell's favor is that he's already got deli counter infrastructure built for him in the space, with refrigerated cases and such, and Eater reports that he's working with designer Bonnie Bridges of Boor Bridges to make the space his own, which will include some changes to the big walled patio that he's already been using as Penrose's "secret garden" since July, serving a limited menu and hosting Friday movie nights.

This is definitely sounding like a 2018 project, and there's no opening timeframe or even a name as of yet.

Meanwhile, Hallowell will have his hands full opening a new location of Boot & Shoe Service in Berkeley later this year, in the former Build Pizzeria space at 2285 Shattuck Avenue.