Grand Lake News: The Alley's Rod Dibble Recuperating, The Star Opening Soon

Rod Dibble, the long-time pianist at The Alley, 3325 Grand Ave., Oakland, is on two months' sick leave while recuperating from heart surgery but is expected to return soon, Ken Katz reports in the latest issue of the Splash Pad Newsletter. (You may read more about dibble in this Piedmont Patch profile, "Grand Avenue's Piano Man: The Last of an Era.")

Also in this issue:

—The Star on Grand, part of the popular Little Star family of Bay Area restaurants, is expected to open around June 10 at 3425 Grand Ave.

—It looks like a proposed artisanal wine and distilled spirits shop that hopes to open at 3256 Grand Ave. will move ahead. The owners have signed a lease and are feeling hopeful about a positive recommendation from city zoning staff, the newsletter reports. The shop has a new name, too — the Alchemy Bottle Shop. (See more in "Grand Lake Business Battle: Artisanal Wine Shop vs. City of Oakland.")

For more details and other Grand Lake news items (lots of them - it's an especially newsy issue), see the newsletter at www.splashpad.org/mostrecent.html. You can subscribe to future issues by sending an email to info@splashpad.org.