The following highlights East Bay eateries that are brand new, have permanently closed or are taking an indefinite break.

(Why not wear that sparkly top at home?) Special gratitude to venues maintaining transparency in the time of peak COVID transmission - how a business handles and shares news of a positive case speaks volumes about staff and customer care at this difficult time. Support of a favorite business, even only through takeout or delivery, has never been more desperate - or delicious, as the holidays still bring out the best in area cooking, baking and imbibing. And of course, the lockdown doesn’t just affect restaurants - food trucks, pop-ups, bars and breweries are hurting, too. Denied indoor service for most of the year, eateries across California poured funds into parklets, tenting, heat lamps, table guards and staff training for the safety and comfort of al fresco patrons, only to see outdoor dining officially struck down this month at least through early January 2021.

Instead, December 2020’s widespread COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have led to a near-statewide stay-at-home order, as well as a provisional end to outdoor dining that has restaurants fighting to survive. Usually at this time of year, coworkers, family and friends don their sparkliest outfits and gather to indulge in a holiday drink or festive meal at a local venue, often at a table or private event space booked weeks in advance.

Mother-daughter team La Guerrera’s Kitchen is serving up Mexican eats, like tamales and chicken mole rojo, at a new brick-and-mortar restaurant that opened on Dec.

Wolf express taqueria