New Cured: Fish Bar to bring raw local seafood and sake to Livermore

Frances Catano and Joe Tomaszak have long been fans of raw bars, with their bountiful array of oysters, clams, mussels and sushi. “We live out here in Sunol and have worked in San Francisco for 10 years or so,” says Catano, “and sad to say, we don’t have anywhere here in this area that we can pop in before dinner or on a sunny day for raw-bar bites.”

This fall, they hope to plug that hole in Tri-Valley seafood coverage with a restaurant in Livermore where people can slurp down oysters, munch tasty bread and butter and savor a nice glass of wine – or, in this case, also sake. Cured: Fish Bar at 136 Maple St. is the next step in the duo’s food-industry journey after working in buzzy Japanese restaurants like San Francisco’s Robin, Rintaro, the dear departed ICHI Sushi and Los Angeles’ Ototo. They hope to show off both Tomaszak’s chops as a sushi chef and Catano’s wide experience in the beverage realm.

“While technically considered a ‘raw bar,’ the name of our restaurant Cured: Fish Bar will hopefully open up the conversation that not all raw fish is actually raw but cured, whether by salt preservation, aging or other interesting curing methods that Chef Joe has been learning in the sushi world,” says Catano.

The self-professed “huge Japanese sake nerds” are designing the bar to feature their favorite sakes, which should pair nicely with the menu’s fresh oysters and Bay Area-sourced crudo and sashimi. There will also be daily hot dishes to pair with seasonal produce.

“Seasonality and sustainability are very important to us,” Catano says, and the duo has been inspired by their travels to Japan and Spain, as well.

The restaurant design comes courtesy of architect Joshua Wood, who designed the Cheese Parlor next door. Wooden fixtures will be hand-built by a friend of the two, Chung-Ah Kim, who built similar fixtures at the Izakaya Rintaro in San Francisco. And local and former Bay Area artists are “helping us create the aesthetic we are going for,” promises Catano.

Overall, the goal is to have a place where people can get an elevated raw-bar experience without taking that hour-long journey into San Francisco.

“Not only is there a need, but I sense there is a demand for a fresh take on seafood,” Catano says. “We want to not only stop having to commute to the city for our passion, but also be part of the growing food scene (here). I think folks in Livermore are eager and excited to try new foods and support small artisan businesses.”

While the restaurant’s still in the permitting phase, the couple offered a sneak peek via a few photos of their dishes from recent private parties: