Ever hear of Kitava? It’s a tiny island off Papua New Guinea whose residents supposedly lead disease-free lives due to the way they eat.
Kitava is also a vegan health-food restaurant with two locations in the Bay — and coming by the end of the year, a third in Albany.
“Like our other locations in San Francisco and Oakland, Kitava’s menu will feature real food everyone can enjoy, with entree bowls, salads, small plates and desserts made from plants, consciously sourced proteins and healthy fats,” says Bryan Tublin, owner and cofounder.
“We’ll also serve a variety of nonalcoholic drinks such as Spindrift sparkling water and OLIPOP sodas, coffee and tea, and a small selection of better-for-you alcoholic beverages (i.e., gluten-free beer, natural wine and high-ABV kombucha). Our menu remains very allergen and diet-friendly, and is 100 percent free from gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, refined sugar and seed oils.”
Sure, but will it make you live longer? According to the restaurant’s website, which cites a 1994 study of Kitava island’s residents titled “Cardiovascular risk factors in a Melanesian population apparently free from stroke and ischaemic heart disease: the Kitava study” — maybe.
“Dr. Lindeberg’s initial study found Kitavans to be ‘apparently free from stroke and heart disease,’ with subsequent studies over many years also revealing low or undetectable levels of obesity, diabetes and heart attacks, even in old age,” the site states. “These outstanding health markers have been largely attributed to a nonindustrialized diet centered around real food (such as root vegetables, coconut, fish and fruit) and free from processed foods (such as grains, dairy, seed oils and refined sugar).”
The restaurant’s menu is given over to things like brunchy snacks (chocolate-cardamom overnight oats, berry chia pudding, banana-blueberry muffins), small plates (zaatar cauliflower and hummus, fried plantains) and “signature bowls” like an Evolved Caesar Salad with farmer’s greens, a pastured egg, avocado and cashew parmesan. For dessert, there are almond-coconut cookies and dairy-free soft serve.
The design of the new space is inspired by the eatery’s bright, airy location in Temescal, but will be customized for the Albany community.
“The vibe will be open and welcoming, with a warm-yet-clean aesthetic that invokes going over to a friend’s house for a meal,” Tublin says. “There will be ample space for families to gather, friends to hang out over a meal or drink, remote workers to have a healthy lunch during the week and kids to grab an after school snack.”
The initial hours will be slightly limited, but the restaurant plans to expand those and introduce a weekend brunch. There will also be a children’s night every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to close, where kids under 12 get a free small plate.
Details: Soft-opening hours will be 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily at 1187 Solano Ave., Albany; kitava.com
