ORINDA, CALIFORNIA — The wait for cocktails and Italian bites in Theatre Square’s former Starbucks space is nearly over.
Sorso Bar and Bites plans to open Wednesday, September 23, according to the restaurant’s website, which now displays an opening date. The new spot is at 2 Orinda Theatre Square, Suite 106.
For readers who have been following the project since we first reported on it in March, that’s the update we’ve been waiting for.
Back then, the windows were covered, the liquor license application was posted, and owner Daniele Carsano was developing a cocktail bar and wine lounge centered on Italian small plates. There wasn’t yet a firm opening date.
Now, the restaurant has moved from “coming soon” to a date on the calendar. A September 13 Instagram countdown also pointed to the opening, as Patch reported.
When we spoke in March, Carsano outlined food including seafood crudos, pressed sandwiches and Italian finger foods. He has previously been associated with other Bay Area restaurants.
But Sorso was a project close to home. Carsano told us he had lived in Orinda for more than a decade and wanted to give people a reason to spend their evenings locally.
His hope was to “give residents an excuse to stay in Orinda,” including somewhere to linger after a movie at the Orinda Theatre.
Carsano also described the concept to What Now as an Italian tapas-style bar, with wine available by the glass or bottle and food suited to either a short visit or a longer evening. Those were the plans shared earlier this year; a finalized opening menu wasn’t available on the website when we checked.
We reached out to Carsano to set up an interview–more soon!
For Theatre Square, the opening will put a familiar former coffee-shop space back into use and add another option for a night out around the theatre.
The website confirms the opening date but doesn’t yet list operating hours. Check Sorso’s website for updates before making an opening-day trip.
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