Ah, that classic combo: latkes and barbecue. At least it is at a new eatery — which also throws cheesecakes into the mix — that has opened by Oakland’s Lake Merritt.
Crazy Block Cheesecakes debuted this March at 3355 Lakeshore Ave. in the former spot of Merritt Bakery, which closed in 2023 after more than 70 years in business. It is the first brick-and-mortar iteration of the business for owner Benjamin Block, who sowed the seeds of his cheesecake fame with pop-ups at breweries and antique fairs.
“Crazy Block Cheesecakes aims to unite the world and bring understanding across cultures through food,” says Block. “We serve smoked barbecue, latkes and cheesecakes. Our current barbecue offerings include pulled chicken thighs, 16-hour smoked brisket, garlic-rosemary lamb shoulder, short ribs, jackfruit and ‘Chiblam’ (three-way chicken, brisket and lamb).”
Chiblam? On this crazy menu, why not. First, that namesake cheesecake comes in a head-spinning 160-plus flavors, which include Cookies & Cream, Mango, Lemon, Vietnamese Coffee and a blend of banana and vanilla called Banilla. There are upgraded versions for an extra buck or so, like a Choco-Caramel with Ghirardelli chocolate and a Henny Praline with cinnamon and Hennessy cognac. Depending on whether you want a mini or full-size cake, these might set you back $5-$32.
“We are famous for our O.G. New York-style cheesecake which is Grandma Block’s recipe,” says Block. “We make our graham crackers from scratch and source all-local eggs and dairy.”
Crazy Block also serves latkes with sour cream and applesauce ($3), double-fried hand-cut fries with housemade ketchup ($4) and loaded fries with cheese and sauce and toppings like smoked jackfruit or brisket ($7-$8). And speaking of brisket, the barbecue menu features sandwiches served on challah with coleslaw ($11-$20) as well as platters and sold-by-the-pound meats. The sides are collard greens, baked beans and mac-and-cheese.
Crazy Block does catering. And if anyone wants to sample the goods before making the trip to Lake Merritt, they can pick up a cheesecake at local farmers markets or Berkeley Bowl.
Details: Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 3355 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland; crazyblockcheesecakes.com and instagram.com/crazyblockcheesecakes