Berkeley's Zut Tavern Re-Opens With More Sho Kamio, Bigger Risotto

Chef Shotaro "Sho" Kamio made a name for himself in Berkeley with Iyasare, the traditional Japanese restaurant that Michael Bauer called "indescribably good" in his three-star review last year. This week, the former Yoshi's chef expands his reach in Northwest Berkeley with the re-opening of Zut Tavern (né Zut! on Fourth) next door.

The restaurant's casual Mediterranean concept hasn't changed much with Kamio at the helm, Inside Scoop reports, only shifted focus to build on Kamio's French culinary training in addition to the Italian influence. The re-opening menu will be "celebrating local and seasonal," of course, and includes: prime rib eye tartare, braised pork cheeks with fried oysters, and a carbonara of squid ink tagliatelle, calamari and pancetta. But it's that Italian influence that gets the biggest flourish: Kamio and company will be folding the daily risotto tableside in a large wheel of cheese.

On the bar side, meanwhile, a humble wine list has glasses ranging from $9-14. House cocktails like the Deck Chair (bourbon, Pimms, lemon, mint and Cointreau) or Calvin's Dark and Stormy land at $11.