michaelD: the bay area buzz report

Oakland is the Brooklyn of the Bay Area

Quote of the week...

"Oakland is the Brooklyn of the Bay Area," says noted restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, who splits his time between the Bay Area and New York. "When the economy went through the floor and people wanted to have good, solid, no-big-deal meals, Oakland was a natural. It's a logical place where great people lived in good spaces at believable prices." - "Oakland, America's Next Great Dining Town" by Carolyn Jung, East Bay Express, Sept 29, 2009

And in more news...

Not only did he (Kevin Best, the co-owner of B Restaurant in Oakland and San Francisco, and Boxed Foods Company in San Francisco) and his wife move from San Francisco to Oakland three years ago, but he's now partnering with the owners of Oakland's Tamarindo and Air Lounge to open a 5,000 square-foot art bar and lounge in mid-October. Era, at Grand and Broadway in the Uptown district, will serve bar snacks and cocktails, feature live music, and spotlight art from the West Coast. - "Oakland, America's Next Great Dining Town" by Carolyn Jung, East Bay Express, Sept 29, 2009

As always, thanks for reading - Michael D.

Michael D is Editor of VIPLineup, a diverse and discerning online listing of selected top pick Bay Area lifestyle and entertainment activities in culture, food, fashion, music, dining & philanthropy.

[ For top pick Bay Area events, visit The Buzz Report | Subscribe to the Weekend Lineup ]

Stevie Wonder makes surprise visit in SF

San Francisco has its great moments. Where were you when Stevie Wonder made an impromptu appearance with Supertaster of the Jazz Mafia at Coda in San Francisco a few days ago?

As always, thanks for reading - Michael D.

Michael D is Editor of VIPLineup, a diverse and discerning online listing of selected top pick Bay Area lifestyle and entertainment activities in culture, food, fashion, music, dining & philanthropy.

[ For top pick Bay Area events, visit The Buzz Report | Subscribe to the Weekend Lineup ]

Commis on Piedmont rocks

I'm not a foodie.  Ok, there, I said it.

With all the bar/lounge/restaurants reviews I write you must be wondering, "huh?" I like good food like the rest of you, but I don't live for it. You won't get the fancy description out of me. Food is either good, great, bad, or ok. Actually, I love the social scene (not to be confused with single scene) that comes with a great bar/restaurant. In fact, I rarely frequent restaurants without a strong bar scene, which I know rules out fine dining experiences like the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, Bay Wolf, Acquerello, Chez Panisse, Ame and Wood Tavern, to name a few. You can almost always find me in the bar/lounge area, and I'll usually opt for 3 appetizers versus one entree.

I'm into vibe, which is not necessarily guaranteed by 5 star decor. Proof: One of my favorites is the often forgotten Quinn's Lighthouse (3.5/5 stars on Yelp) in Oakland on the Embarcadero. It's got great character for an establish of its type, which is basically your "tucked away, peanuts on the floor, average Joe crowd, worn in, patio on the water, great on a weekend afternoon, wear what you want, great "after the ball game" kind of place.

Sooo, when I get excited about a restaurant's food, and the place doesn't have a bar, well that's a big deal...at least to me. All that said to say, I love the 32 seat Commis, the 3 month old restaurant (4.5/5 stars on Yelp) on Piedmont Ave in Oakland. It occupies the former home of Jojo's, across from (ugh) Blockbuster Video (do people still rent from Blockbuster?).

San Francisco Mixology Madness

Some of us really enjoy our libations, and that's not a bad thing, when done in moderation of course. Apparently the people at 7x7 Magazine and Skyy Vodka agree with you, having gone through the effort of hosting the first San Francisco Mixology Madness Challenge, sponsored by Skyy Spirits on September 8th at RN74 (luv this place, a Michael Minna must when in SF).  And the winner is...Scott Baird of North Beach with his Gulf Stream Express. If only now we knew where he bartends regularly. Check out the party video below, and the competitor breakdown here. Psst, I can vouch for competitor Colin O'Malley of John Colins and the new Eve Lounge, both in SF. He gets my vote.

As always, thanks for reading - Michael D.

Michael D is Editor of VIPLineup, a diverse and discerning online listing of selected top pick Bay Area lifestyle and entertainment activities in culture, food, fashion, music, dining & philanthropy.

[ For top pick Bay Area events, visit The Buzz Report | Subscribe to the Weekend Lineup ]

Stuck: Too old to be young, and too young to be old

A funny thing happens to the young spirited person (translation: middle aged) as you approach 50. Fact: You're actually too old to hang out with the 30-35 year olds. You may be "cool with them," but they may not be "cool with you." Often they're just too polite to let you know it. Guess what, you're not a young adult anymore. Sorry.

Now boys will be boys, and at any age they're looking for that perfect combination of "short skirted, long legged, smart, capable, beautiful, sexy, money producing, domestic, working woman baby makers" (whew). And 30 something women, often seeing their male counterpart as immature and noncommittal, are looking for the "mature" male version of the same type. Sorry folks, but generally anything more than a 10 year gap challenges the compatibility a bit. I know, I know...you're the exception.

The Nine Big Deal Restaurants to Watch

#2) Quince (SF) - By now, the situation is well-known, so we won't rehash it completely, but rest assured the eyes of the city (and maybe even the nation) will be upon the reborn Myth space over the next few weeks as the upscale Pac Heights staple makes the big move eastward in what is hoped to be a huge boost for SF's fine dining scene. - Paolo

#3) SPQR (SF) - No, it's not a newcomer per se, but when SPQR returns from its two-week hiatus next week, it's going to be a new restaurant in many, many ways. Former Craft LA and Per Se chef Matt Accarrino is revamping Nate Appleman's menu, and they're even going to take reservations. - Paolo

#4) Frances (SF) - Melissa Perello's long-awaited solo project in the old Palencia space. She started at Aqua under Michael Mina, was the executive chef at Charles Nob Hill at 25, then nabbed three stars while in charge of the Fifth Floor. - Paolo

Psst - And on a thoroughly different note, if you're an oyster fan, save the date for Waterbar's Oyster Fest on October 15 - 17.

As always, thanks for reading - Michael D.

Michael D is Editor of VIPLineup, a diverse and discerning online listing of selected top pick Bay Area lifestyle and entertainment activities in culture, food, fashion, music, dining & philanthropy.

[ For top pick Bay Area events, visit The Buzz Report | Subscribe to the Weekend Lineup ]

Catching up on the scoops

Man you blink and so much happens around the Bay Area! Check it out...

• CHOP BAR (Oakland) - Chef-owner Jesse Branstetter will be roasting a whole pig -- plus, these guys will have JC Cellars wine and Linden St. Brewery beer on hand. Because who doesn't love free pig and booze? Friday, October 2nd from 5:00p-8:00p - Dominique Channell
  

• MARZANO (Oakland) - It seems Oaklanders can't get enough of Marzano's Neapolitan 'za and other specialties from Southern Italy. Just when I thought I could justify my gluttony by earning it with a bike ride up the hill to the Park Boulevard location, the owners of Garibaldi's went and opened ANOTHER one -- this time accessible by BART! Phase One of the new Garibaldi's on College remodel is complete, and Marzano on College (the second Marzano location) is now open in half of the previous Garibaldi's space. - Dominique Channell

Taste of South Beach...something for everyone

A Taste of South Beach was a sweet pick for the weekend. In it's second year, it's still a secret to most of San Francisco, and contrary to what the organizers probably feel, I hope it stays that way. It's a nice sized festival that took place in South Park, a somewhat hidden neighborhood of SF just above Bryant between 2nd and 3rd. This festival is a gem that works for families too.

South Park is a mini park/village all in one, complete with an inner oval of grass, park benches, children's play area, plus surrounding small boutiques and restaurants. It's really a wonderful treasure that makes for the perfect family oriented festival site, while not making "singles" feel like they're in Disneyland. For the most part families are happy to stay on the inside of the oval with the kids and play area, although there was plenty of room on the surrounding street for strollers, people and food booths. Food vendors included well known SOMA restaurants like District, Bacar, 21st Amendment, Flytrap, MoMo's, and Tres Agaves.

Last week: Macy's Passport...in case you missed it

I missed it this year, but a bunch of other people didn't. Take a look. Click the links for photos, and view the videos below.

Ed Jay Photos  |  7x7 Magazine  |  SF Sentinel  |  SF Unzipped

As always, thanks for reading.

A great look at the Bay Area

Hadn't ever seen the Bay Area from this perspective before. Nice work Delrious!

Footage shot by Delrious the summer of 2009 mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area.

As always, thanks for reading.