Highly anticipated Jaji and Sirene open doors this week 

Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.

Headlands Brewing

Headlands Brewing, a local beer garden championed for its family-friendly spaces and outdoorsy aura, opened its third East Bay taproom last Friday, this time touching down in Walnut Creek. Nestled between a handful of redwood trees, the beer garden comes with plenty of seating and cozy fire pits, as well as a play area for kids. Alongside Headlands beer, patrons can enjoy a menu of burgers, salad and sandwich offerings, plus cocktails crafted by Jae Daaboul of East Bay Spice Company and Parche. Headlands Brewing, 2999 Oak Road, Walnut Creek

Jaji

If marrying ingenuity and nostalgia is a specialty, then restaurateurs Paul Iglesias and Sophia Akbar have certainly staked their claim on it. After the sweeping success of Parche, their celebrated Colombian restaurant that blends traditional dishes with a colorful, 21st-century flair, the couple is slated to open a new restaurant with a similar concept this week, this time with a nod to Akbar’s Afghan roots. Located on the ground floor of the Kissel hotel, Jaji delivers a modern take on traditional Afghan flavors that aims to invoke both nostalgia and excitement. The rotating menu will serve dishes like mantou (Afghan dumplings) and vegan kebabs, while the full bar’s cocktail offerings tap into flavors common to the region, like coriander and pistachio. Jaji, 2455 Broadway, Oakland

Lao Garden

Berkeley welcomed a new Laotian restaurant to its ranks last week: Lao Garden will celebrate its grand opening on Feb. 1, with a 20% discount on dine-in orders. You’ll find a variety of noodle dishes, curries, wraps, salads and seafood specialties on the menu, which waxes poetic about Laotian culinary mastery. Lao Garden, 2514 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley 

Nosso

Nosso, a sleek, vibey lounge complete with a wall adorned in pink roses absolutely begging for selfies, celebrated its grand opening in Downtown Oakland earlier this month. Patrons can enjoy live DJ sets while sipping on craft cocktails and munching on elevated bar food — think oxtail sliders, thai chili wings, Brussels sprouts and fries — Wednesdays through Saturdays starting at 4 p.m.  Nosso, 532 8th St, Oakland

Sirene

From the team behind San Francisco’s highly acclaimed bistro The Morris comes Sirene, which dropped anchor in the low-lit, moody space previously known as Sister this week. The restaurant opens officially on Jan. 29. Smoky and seafood-forward, Sirene is giving new life to Sister’s old bones, staying true to the exposed brick interior while injecting a burst of color with fresh paint, plants and artwork. Better yet, the wood-fired pizza oven will be put to good use — items like grilled abalone with garlic butter and whole roasted spiny lobsters with charred béarnaise sauce are on offer, as well as fried chicken, shrimp chorizo and lobster-duck mortadella. Stop by Wednesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for coffee and pastries; dinner service runs from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Sirene, 3308 Grand Ave., Oakland