The signature burger at Millennium in Oakland costs $25 — a typical price for a restaurant burger as the cost of beef, along with everything else, keeps climbing. But like everything else at the pioneering vegan restaurant, it doesn’t contain an ounce of meat. Even so, Millennium co-owner Alison Bagby said the price should be higher: $35, more than the burger at San Francisco’s RT Bistro, whose 6½-ounce beef patty is made with a custom blend of short rib, brisket, chuck and dry-aged rib cap.
That’s because Millennium’s veggie burger is extremely labor-intensive. Preparing the patties — a blend of 10 ingredients, including black lentils, arborio rice and pecans — takes “easily half a day,” said chef and co-owner Eric Tucker. The burger’s toppings, such as smoked onion jam and cashew cheese, also require similarly transformative labor.
That kind of difficult math is why Millennium, after 31 years, went dark last month. It is returning on Wednesday, with a new focus on tasting menus that will better control costs and reduce waste. The tasting menu will be served in Millennium’s airy, covered patio, while a pared-down a la carte menu — including the burger — will be available in the dining room. Bagby and Tucker, who still have an active lease at 5912 College Ave. in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, made the changes hoping to keep the restaurant alive…