Chef Paul Canales is all about the details. Whether it’s getting into the weeds of what ingredients make a classic bouillabaisse, or selecting local artwork for his new Oakland restaurant Occitania, he’s involved on all levels. After years of running the kitchen at East Bay Italian standard Oliveto before branching out to Spanish food at Duende, Canales is now embarking on an exploration of southern French cuisine — and he wants to show diners a side of French food they may not know. “There’ll be some classic things that echo that kind of [French] restaurant,” Canales says. “But the food will be much more wide ranging than what you see in any French place around here for sure.”
