Heroic Italian is the suspected new tenant at 2020 Kittredge St. in Downtown Berkeley. For the past year, the space was occupied by Mise en Place Kitchen, who recently announced their permanent closure starting October 3, 2021. It’s presumed that Heroic Italian will be taking over the 850 square-foot restaurant and patio space, as evidenced by a Zoning Certificate Business License filed with the city of Berkeley.
Owner David Bullitt, who declined to comment, originally helped his brother, Jeffrey Merrihue, establish Heroic Italian as a restaurant in Santa Monica, according to a profile in SF Eater. The original location’s success in Los Angeles inspired Bullitt to open a San Francisco restaurant, but instead with a concentrated menu of sandwiches, salads, and snacks.
The result was artisanal sandwiches with meats imported from Italian makers, in addition to locally sourced rolls and produce. Heroic Italian debuted in 2020 at Swirl Wine Bar on Castro St. to great reception, so it’s no surprise that a Berkeley outpost is in the works.
Berkeley locals can look forward to noshing on the best that Heroic Italian has to offer, such as the “OMG,” a delectable curation of Italian prosciutto, salami, capocollo, mortadella, porchetta, smoked mozzarella, roasted artichokes and tomatoes, house-made giardiniera, mustard, and mayo infused with black truffles.
Heroic Italian in Berkeley will be a part of the K Street Flats apartment buildings located west of the UC Berkeley campus. While there is no confirmed opening date, Heroic Italian will possibly make its Berkeley debut sometime in 2022.
