Italian Colors, established in 1993, is a family owned Californian-Italian dining establishment nestled in the Oakland Hills, Montclair District of the East Bay.
Chef Alan Carlson trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduation he worked as an apprentice at Auberge Bertone in New York. He went on to work with the Galloping Gourmet and enjoyed positions at resorts and restaurants in Aspen, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and finally Oakland where he started as the executive chef at Scott’s Seafood, going on to open Zza's Trattoria beside Lake Merritt.
Chef Carlson founded Italian Colors committed to the idea that food should be fun, tasty, and accessible. Nearly three decades later, it remains an institution contending that luxury does not require pretension: a space in which people enjoy exceptional food and world-class wine while drawing on the table. The restaurant features the cuisine of the Mediterranean with international influences, offering dependable Italian staples and nightly seasonal specials.
