michaelD: the bay area buzz report

Taste Oaktown: Everyone's paying attention now

East and South Bay Restaurants earn Michelin nods
Yelpster acclaim is all well and good. A Zagat nod is wonderful. But when it comes down to real bragging rights in the restaurant world, it's all about the red guide. The Bay Area boasts 10 one-star restaurants this year, including Oakland newcomer Commis, which joins Berkeley's Chez Panisse, Mountain View's Chez TJ, Saratoga's Plumed Horse and Woodside's The Village Pub on the prestigious list. Los Gatos' Manresa is one of just four Northern California restaurants to earn two stars. And The French Laundry continues its three-star reign, one of just 71 restaurants on the planet to hold that rating. (oakland tribune)

Hitting Oakland's Uptown
You’ve heard the buzz about the nightlife renaissance in Oakland’s Uptown district. An array of new restaurants and chic bars, an überhip art scene, and several music venues have sprung up in the blocks between the classic Paramount Theatre and Old Oakland, turning the city’s vision of an arts and entertainment district into a thriving reality. Here’s our cheat sheet to your ultimate night on the Uptown. (diablo magazine)

Brunches with Punch
While brunch at the gourmet depots listed here isn’t bargain basement as average breakfasts go, it’s an excellent value for a meal at these high-end, sustainably-run eateries. And there’s nothing average about these brunches. After experiencing them, you’ll never be able to tolerate inferior French toast again. (oakland magazine)

Proud Papa!

Sorry, couldn't help it...

One of my two favorite girls. 22 months of ultimate, never ending, overwhelming joy!

MJ: This Is It (sneak peek!)

Here ya go...get out the tissue! We're just a few days away from when the Bay Area, along with the rest of the world gets a behind the scenes look at what some are calling Michale Jackson's finest performance. Chances are slim if you haven't already gotten your ticket, but check here for availability.

New York (CNN) -- For Kenny Ortega, Travis Payne and Michael Bearden, "It" is a bittersweet feeling.

The three men expected to be spending their time this summer and fall working on Michael Jackson's concert engagement at London's O2 Arena, which was scheduled to begin in July. Instead, they are talking about Jackson's last days and the new movie about that time, "This Is It."

In an interview, they described "This Is It," the movie that they've made from rehearsal and backstage footage of Jackson, shot just before he died June 25. The film, which has been dominating advance ticket sale outlets, opens wide on Wednesday. [CNN]

More...

Oakland Eats: Heard on the street

Can you keep up with all of this? Luv the challenge!

Tamarindo in Oakland is going to be opening a tequila bar by December in the space next door (it used to be New World Vegetarian). There will be 30 more seats and later hours—you'll be able to pass through a shared doorway, but the spaces will be kept separate. 468 8th St. at Broadway, Oakland, 510-444-1944. [Tablehopper]

I also asked owner Alfonso Dominguez about his other project, ERA, the upcoming gallery and bar project he is doing with Kevin Best of B Restaurant and Bar, and Gairy Jacques of Air. It's about a month or so out, will keep you posted. 19 Grand Ave. at Broadway, Oakland. [Tablehopper]

For those reasons, Jack London Square is attracting such San Francisco culinary luminaries as four-star chef Daniel Patterson, whose third restaurant, Bracina, is scheduled to open at the end of the year, and Richard Corbo, whose Pizzeria Zanna Bianca is slated for 2010. [SF GATE]

Just outside the square, Eric Tucker, chef of San Francisco's vegan mecca, Millennium, plans to open Encuentro Cafe and Wine Bar next month. At least three Chez Panisse graduates have started restaurants, and two of them are working on seconds. [SF GATE]

Free Wifi in the Bay Area

You know how it is when you've been meaning to do something, and then someone else beats you to it? Well, that's how I felt when I received a tweet from Bay Area on the Cheap, telling me that they have already compiled a pretty extensive Bay Area list. I can't vouch for its accuracy, although the web site states that it's a growing list. The Oakland and San Francisco lists are below. I was tempted to hyperlink all of the locations below, but I ran out of time. It would be great if one of you guys could do that and send it to me? Please?  Why do I think there's an iPhone app for this?

Btw, props to Bay Area on the Cheap, they do a great a job of delivering info on entertainment deals.

Oakland
Barnes & Noble – Jack London Sq, 98 Broadway, 510-272-0120
Brookdale Recreation Center – 2535 High St – 510-535-5632
Buffet Fortuna – 800 Broadway – 510-839-1688
Cafe 817 – 817 Washington St
Cafe Dejena – 3939 Martin Luther King Jr Way – 510-655-9328
Cafe Teatro – 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza – 510-267-8970
Chachie’s Pastries/Coffee/Gelato – 1768 Broadway – 510-286-2366
City Hall complex area – 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Coffee @ The Trib – 411 13th St – 510.452.5600
Crema – 411 13th Street – 510-452-5600

Baby + Train. Even seeing is barely believing.

Why would I post this nearly horrific video, which by now most if not all of us have seen broadcast on the major news stations? Because I want to document this graphic reminder of how quickly our lives can change, how quickly those that are the nearest and dearest to us can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Can you even begin to imagine what this mother is thinking and feeling as she watches the train run over her son?

I think we're fortunate to have these "happy ending" yet powerful reminders that life is so very precious, and that we truly need to thank the Almighty for "every breath you take, every move you make, every step you make," as the song goes. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't worry about things we can't control. Love your family, and then love them some more, and be sure they know it.

Sound corny? Ask any parent how they felt when they saw this video for the first time.

As always, thanks for reading - Michael D

This week's 5 sec poll...
SF/Bay Area residents: "What type of cell phone do you use?"

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Michael D is also 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.
Twitter: Michael D & VIPLineup | Facebook: Michael D & VIPLineup

[For top pick Bay Area events, visit VIPLineup.com  |  Subscribe to the weekly Weekend Lineup]

At your service. Whatever you need. Done.

In this ever evolving age of technology I continue to be amazed by the pace at which advances are put before us.  Frankly, the challenge is not so much how to implement new technology.  Companies are becoming better and better at user friendly applications (how do you say, "Apple"). The challenge now is determining which of the thousands of applications to embrace for any given solution.

Well, life may have just gotten a little easier with the click of a button. Enter Redbeacon.

"But sometimes you wish it (life) were easier—as easy as snapping your fingers and summoning your own household savant.

Let's say you're looking for someone to cook you dinner every night (which you are). Just type in "personal chef" in the "Who do you need?" category—you could even do a natural word search and type "cook me dinner" if other words fail. Next, specify dates—whether you need them immediately, for a specific dinner (like one with the foodie you met by the squash blossoms at the farmer's market) or something more flexible. Then explain in more detail what you need done and where. If a photo is appropriate, you can attach one of those, too." (Urban Daddy)

Give it a whirl. I wonder if the service can find someone that is willing to do my work and just cut me a check when it's done.

As always, thanks for reading - Michael D

This week's 5 sec poll...
SF/Bay Area residents: "What type of cell phone do you use?"

***********************

Michael D is also 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.
Twitter: Michael D & VIPLineup | Facebook: Michael D & VIPLineup

[For top pick Bay Area events, visit VIPLineup.com  |  Subscribe to the weekly Weekend Lineup]

Catching up: Burger Bar, JLS shuttle, Taste Temescal, iPhone starts your car

Burger Bar Opens in SF
Allow us to present Burger Bar, the much-anticipated build-your-own burger joint from Fleur de Lys chef Hubert Keller nestled on the sixth floor of Macy's in Union Square, opening Friday.

Don't let the department store entrance off Geary (nor the fact that the space once housed Macy's bridal registry) deter you. Just ride the elevator to the sixth floor, make a beeline into the restaurant and grab a booth with a tableside flat-screen and bird's-eye Union Square views. (Urban Daddy)

Grant helps Oakland catch ride to bus shuttle
The City of Oakland has secured $1 million in funding to jumpstart a shuttle service between Uptown and Jack London Square — two vital and emerging neighborhoods where new restaurants, galleries and offices are opening. (SF Business Times)

Speak Up: Give Oakland businesses a chance!

It ticks me a bit when I hear people dogging out newly opened bar and restaurant establishments because their service wasn't "perfect," or the food was a little off. Let me be the FIRST to say that I don't think the people of Oakland should have to settle for anything less than first class service and quality, on all fronts. However, can they spare the harsh destructive criticism, especially at these beginning stages? Are they trying to help or hurt?

First people complain that there's nothing to do in Oakland. Then they say that San Francisco is too cold, too far and too vanilla in comparison. Then they complain about how "people" have the wrong impression of Oakland -- that it's not as bad as the media portrays it. They then rattle on about how ineffective Mayor Dellums is, and how there aren't any major department stores in Oakland. Blah, blah blah...

FREE Must-Have iPhone Apps for Parents

It’s hard to believe that a little device that’s the size of your hand can actually help parents become more organized, time-efficient, knowledgeable, even relaxed. However, that’s the beauty of an iPhone. The key, though, is to find the right apps to get you there, and with so many choices (more than 75,000), it takes time and effort to find good ones.

What follows is a list of 20 free apps that won’t necessarily make you a better parent, but can make your life a little easier, or help out in a pinch wherever you are. And when you have a screaming, bored, hungry, or need-to-use-the-bathroom kid, sometimes a little help is all you need. The apps listed below have been compiled from the eyes of a parent, but many can be used regardless of whether you do or don’t have children. (Source - Mashable)

So of course I'm going to test drive a few of these. I downloaded WebMD Mobile, EventsFinder (duh...of course) and ReQall (something to supplement my ever shrinking memory), and a few others...

(Descriptions - Mashable, Categories/Comments - Michael D)

Must haves...

• WebMD Mobile - WebMD’s iPhone app enables parents to look up symptoms and try to figure out what’s ailing their children. Of course, it shouldn’t take the place of professional medical advice, but for those cases when your child has a minor rash, fever, cough, etc., this is a great resource to try and narrow down what is going on, and prepare for a doctor visit if necessary. No brainer.

It’s hard to believe that a little device that’s the size of your hand can actually help parents become more organized, time-efficient, knowledgeable, even relaxed. However, that’s the beauty of an iPhone. The key, though, is to find the right apps to get you there, and with so many choices (more than 75,000), it takes time and effort to find good ones.

What follows is a list of 20 free apps that won’t necessarily make you a better parent, but can make your life a little easier, or help out in a pinch wherever you are. And when you have a screaming, bored, hungry, or need-to-use-the-bathroom kid, sometimes a little help is all you need. The apps listed below have been compiled from the eyes of a parent, but many can be used regardless of whether you do or don’t have children. (Source - Mashable)

So of course I'm going to test drive a few of these. I downloaded WebMD Mobile, EventsFinder (duh...of course) and ReQall (something to supplement my ever shrinking memory), and a few others...

(Descriptions - Mashable, Categories/Comments - Michael D)

Must haves...

• WebMD Mobile - WebMD’s iPhone app enables parents to look up symptoms and try to figure out what’s ailing their children. Of course, it shouldn’t take the place of professional medical advice, but for those cases when your child has a minor rash, fever, cough, etc., this is a great resource to try and narrow down what is going on, and prepare for a doctor visit if necessary. No brainer.