Jack London Square should be Oakland's crown jewel: a waterfront district where people come to walk, eat, gather and feel the city's energy. It has the views, the history, the ferry access and a setting most cities would envy. And yet it's slipping - badly. Jack London Square is declining because it's being managed without urgency and allowed to drift into neglect.
A buffet's worth of food pop-ups launched in the first year of COVID-19. Some flamed out, while others, like Cenaduria Elvira, became shooting stars. Now, the business that began in a Jingletown backyard and quickly gained notoriety for its focus on flavor-packed, lovingly-crafted dishes from the Mexican state of Jalisco, is ready for the next phase, a brick and mortar in Oakland's Jack London Square.