With the departure of Treasure Island Music Festival last year, many Bay Areans have lost their annual reason to visit that oasis—you know, the one you simply pass over as you traverse in your cars between San Francisco and Oakland.

But the opening of the new restaurant Mersea is giving us a fresh reason to visit Treasure Island; and maybe, just maybe, is giving the place new cred as a destination in its own right.

Located on the west side of the island dotted with palms, Mersea comes to us from chef/restauranteur Parke Ulrich (Waterbar and Epic Steak) and partner MeeSun Boice, both fans of the Treasure Island community who wanted to be part of the impending revitalization of the island, where new housing, hotels, parks, shops, and seriously major art are already underway.

Designed by Treasure Island–based Mavrik Studio, Mersea is a light-filled jungle of shipping containers that come together to create an eccentric open-air eatery primed for leisurely weekend meals. It's classy yet rustic, rural yet urban—you might find yourself here for day drinking and games of bocce and golfas well for a romantic evening in the draped dining room. If you commute between the city and the East Bay, this is your new happy hour spot for catching the sunset on an otherwise average workday.

Three shipping containers define the borders of Mersea, each transformed into dining, bar and kitchen spaces. Thirteen total containers make up the whole project.

// 699 Avenue of the Palms (Treasure Island), mersea.restaurant