michaelD: the bay area buzz report

Fat Tuesday in Oakland

Fat Tuesday at Brown Sugar Kitchen: BEIGNETS!! Come for the beignets, stay for the Creole Shrimp and Shrimp & Smoked Chicken Gumbo!

Ozumo Restaurant in Oakland will be hosting their 2nd annual “East Meets West” Mardi Gras celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 16 beginning at 5:00 p.m. Highlights will include live entertainment in the spirit of the occasion, the diverse sounds of New Orleans as presented by DJ Gray, and “Fat Tuesday” food and Brazilian drink specials served in the bar and lounge. More>

Picán Restaurant -- Oakland’s hip spot for dining -- celebrates “Fat Tuesday” Bourbon Street-style on February 16th, 2010 @ 5:30 pm. According to assistant manager, Cynthia Fung, the festivities will include beads, boas, traditional NOLA “bites,” as passed hors d'oeuvres, and “bottomless” Southern Comfort Hurricanes and Bulleit Sazerac, a specialty cocktail made with premium small-batch Bulleit bourbon. Masks are optional but encouraged. Space and ticket availability are limited. More>

Miss Pearl's Jam House - They will be celebrating Mardi Gras with live entertainment by the Craig Caffall Band.  They will also have a raffle in the evening.  Be sure to try their new menu and specialty drinks (Jello shots and Hurricanes). More> and here>

Also, head over to Arizmendi Bakery on Lakeshore or in San Francisco for Fat Tuesday. No cocktails, but they do have something called "King Cake", a "colorful Danish pastry with pecans"! Now, as a word of warning, it seems only the San Francisco Arizmendi has a Fat Tuesday-related happening, but check the Oakland Arizmendi Bakery anyway. They're always full of unannounced surprises!

Okay already...Era is open!

Why is it that certain openings get all the ink, and others come and go without notice?  Era Art Bar and Lounge, another addition to the Uptown Oakland district, fits the former. It opened a little over a week ago, and other than some comments about its lack of sufficient seating that I read on twitter, it appears to have fared pretty well.
Era Art Bar & Lounge | 19 Grand Ave, Oakland | web | twitter | yelp | 510.832.4400

[1.25.10] ERA ART BAR AND LOUNGE | Cubism, Cocktails and Clubbing | San Francisco | SFO | Lake Merritt District | Bar | [Urban Daddy] http://bit.ly/aKvaex
This massive space combines a turn-of-the-century cocktail den with a modern art gallery and nightclub—which at first blush sounds a little schizophrenic. And it is, but it's a high-functioning and nattily outfitted schizophrenic, one from the 1890s who draws a mean cocktail.

[2.5.10] Speaking of bars, tonight marks the debuts for two newcomers on the Oakland nightlife scene: ERA and BEER REVOLUTION. The latter is a fairly standard beer spot, but the former, Era, is an ambitious, two-story 5000-square-foot bar/artsy lounge with a 35-foot steel and concrete bar. 19 Grand Avenue, Oakland; 510-832-4400; website [OT via Eater SF]

[2.09.10] The Beginning of a New ERA | The Chatterbox | Tablehopper http://bit.ly/9Nl0VL
The 5,000-square-foot space will bring together art (expect bi-monthly collections of modern and contemporary art), handcrafted artisan cocktails with house-made syrups and bitters, local small production wines, and a wide range of music (with occasional live performances).

[2.12.10] Night Owl: BEER REVOLUTION and ERA add to Oakland's night life scene - [Inside Bay Area] http://bit.ly/bTsn8X
If you happened to pass by the intersection of Grand Avenue and Broadway last Friday, your curiosity about the throng of would-be barflies wrapped around the block would have been justified. Era Art Bar and Lounge attracted 700 people that night in what may be a recent record-setting opening night ... The opening Beer Revolution created a beer loop between Linden Street several blocks west and The Trappist and Pacific Coast Brewing Co. to the north. The city had to make an exception for Beer Revolution's location because the building is so close to other off-site liquor selling establishments. If they hadn't, the City Council might have had a revolt on their hands.

Oakland: Bar Updates and New Eats (2.15.10)

You take a break, slow down a bit, ease on into the new year, and BAM! The Oakland bar/restaurant scene leaves you in the dust. Time to catch up...

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[11.10.09] Word is that eVE (not to be confused with Eve Lounge in SF) will be a 28-seat Berkeley eatery from husband and wife team Christopher Laramie (executive chef) and Veronica Laramie (pastry chef) who plan to open before the month is up.  The Le Cordon Bleu Paris graduates have created a New American menu that will be "micro-seasonal and locally sourced."  Main courses will include:  quail with pancetta, chestnuts and star anise; seared black cod with miso, carrots and almonds; and corned Wagyu beef with rye bread, sauerkraut and mustard.  The menu is available in a prix fixed format only wherin three courses are  $33, five for $55, and seven for $77. 1960 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA. [Sf Examiner]

[12.4.09] Pican Restaurant, Oakland | Foodnut.com http://bit.ly/902btb
Pican is a restaurant in revitalized Uptown Oakland next door to Ozumo. New Orleans native Michael LeBlanc started this restaurant in 2009. This area is undergoing a transformation from long closed auto dealerships and the like to a modern inner city. It serves California infused Southern Cuisine with lots of fresh seasonal ingredients in a vibrant cosmopolitan atmosphere. They were on the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand list for 2010.

[12.10.09] SPICE MONKEY is big on portions, community http://bit.ly/aN5bes
That's just the kind of place Spice Monkey is. You couldn't find a sweeter, more sincere, more gratitude-filled cafe on the planet. And that's precisely Kanitha Matoury's intent for the place, which she opened 19 months ago in the space long occupied by Sabina's, an Indian restaurant. "It's kind of like a community restaurant," says Matoury, a native of Cambodia who lives in Oakland herself.

[12.12.09] MERITAGE in Berkeley matches farm-to-table food with wines - Inside Bay Area http://bit.ly/aWGD6u
...His wine-driven food is certainly exceptional — fresh, local, seasonal, inventive and pretty. The menu is an education in food and wine pairing, as dishes are categorized by the weight and style of wine that best matches them. Thomsen has no formal education in wine; just a sharp palate and the kinds of friends who own Napa wineries and invite him up for golf and breakfast burritos, he tells me...

Bay Area museums...all free all day

3rd Wednesday of the Month

• California Academy of Sciences

2nd Sunday of the Month

• Oakland Museum

Always Free

• Triton Museum

1st Tuesday of the Month

• Asian Art Museum
• California Historical Society
• Cartoon Art Museum
• de Young Museum
• Legion of Honor
• SFMOMA
• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

1st Wednesday of the Month

• Museum of Craft & Folk Art
• Exploratorium
• Mexican Museum
• Museo Italoamericano
• SF African American Museum
• SF Zoo

Courtesy of SFStation.com

Look no further. Eat out in Oakland.

A friend of mine who now lives in Marin, asked me to give him some Oakland restaurant recommendations. Of course I couldn't resist bragging on Oakland, given its lightning fast rise in restaurant selections over the last 1-2 years. And we must mention Commis, a Michelin star rated restaurant, and recently named Best New Restaurant in the West by a Wall Street Journal critic.  My buddy said that he and his wife (former Oakland residents and current Warrior season ticket holders) are always looking for decent restaurants before or after Warrior games.

Here's what I offered. They're all really good, and note my personal favs.

Resources

• Map and list (partial)
• Recent Article
  
• Twitter Feed: TasteOaktown
  

Recommendations

Piedmont Ave / North Oakland

• Commis fav
• Adesso 
• Cesar 
  

College Ave / Rockridge

• Wood Tavern 
• Marzano fav
• Chu
  
• Water Lounge
  

Jack London Square

• Bocanova fav
  
• Encuentro (brand new...heard good things but haven't been)

Old Oakland

• Levende
• B Restaurant 
• Tamarindo
  

Grand Ave / Lake Merritt

• Grand Tavern (haven't been but people love this place)
  
• Boot & Shoe Service (brand new...heard good things but haven't been)
  
• Sidebar fav
  
• Camino
  
• Lake Chalet (food will do but the daytime lakeside location is killer) fav
  

Uptown (Broadway/Grand)

• Pican fav
  
• Ozumo fav
  
• Mua fav
  
• Flora fav
  

Temescal / North Oakland

• Burma Superstar (haven't been but heard good things)
• Barlata (haven't been but heard good things)
• Dona Tomas
  

Park Ave / Glenview

• Bellanico
• Marzano

West Oakland

• Brown Sugar Kitchen

DO Something: Please HELP during the holidays

Can you spare $5 this holiday season?
(2 cups of coffee? A fast food meal? Half a movie ticket?)

The ACCFB serves 40,000 people every week. 14,000 of those people are kids.

1 in 6 Americans are unsure of where their next meal is coming from.

The Bay Area Buzz Report is proud to announce our partnerships with OaklandSeen, The Nikki Thomas Network, First Fridays, VIPLineup and Facebook Friends Fighting Hunger this holiday season in support of the Alameda County Community Food Bank's (ACCFB) efforts to alleviate hunger in our community. 

We're not trying to break your bank. All we ask is that you make a $5 donation to help feed a local family during the holidays. Emergency food assistance is provided to Alameda County residents in need, including low-income and working poor adults, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, abuse survivors, people living with AIDS, and the homeless. 100% of your donation goes to the food bank.

No amount is too small...$1 $5 $10. We need every dime. Your contribution will be multiplied seven-fold as the potent purchasing power of ACCFB stretches every $1 in donations into $7 worth of distributed food!

Help us help others, and reach our team goals of $1,000 each, worth $7,000 of distributed food!

Can you spare 3 minutes to spare $5 to help feed a family? Donate here today, before you forget > 

Click on image/play button to watch the video

Night Writer: Playdate is fun for grown-ups

So tell me, have you tried this playdate stuff?
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This particular playground is Jillians, the sports bar inside downtown San Francisco's Metreon, where dozens of tables are covered with pristine white tablecloths and games such as chess,  Uno, Connect Four, and Operation. Football is on the big screen for those interested in that kind of game. And cocktail waitresses breeze by if you need a drink because someone sank your battleship. Previous Playdates have taken place at hotels, including the Oakland Marriott, which drew 800 people in August.

More...

Turkey tops Bocanova's ambitious offerings

It's a space that seems designed for a younger crowd, but the comfortable chairs and refined styling help broaden its appeal, bringing together locals, tourists and people who are increasingly moving into the high-rises that surround the waterfront. You can also hop on a ferry from San Francisco's Ferry Building and head to Bocanova, a 25-minute trip.

In the past few years, development around Jack London Square has exploded. It will soon house a huge indoor market like its sister city across the bay. The benefits of the area are becoming apparent to well-known chefs, including Daniel Patterson, who is opening Bracina in a few months. It's fortuitous that the ferry links these two Bay Area food sites. [source: sf chronicle]

More...

KPFA 94.1FM launches OaklandSeen...includes michaelD in weekly segment

Could this be my real calling? I received a call from Aimee Allison the other day, and next thing you know I've got a regular spot on her new weekly radio show, OaklandSeen, airing Tuesdays at 11am on KPFA (94.1 FM). This is pretty cool, and seems to be right up my alley. The show is one hour long, and is billed as "...a platform for new ideas and community activism.  (It will) tap the Oakland we hardly hear from to discuss the most pressing local issues, to highlight great work in the city, and to keep our city leadership accountable."

I join Aimee at the end of the show for a 5 minute segment on cool Oakland haps, the latest and greatest in entertainment, nightlife, dining, arts and culture. So, it will be along the lines of what I provide here at The Bay Area Buzz Report, with a little inside scoop thrown in!

Read the full press release>

UPDATED: Second show (getting better, but I still need to slow down!) - airs Tuesday, Nov 10. Subject: Piedmont Ave (North Oakland) & Weekend Haps (11/12 - 11/15) | 5 min | Program Notes

michaelD joins Aimee Allison on OaklandSeen (KPFA 94.1FM 11/10/09 

1st show - Please excuse the fading audio levels. The sounds levels were normalized when it originally aired. Subject: Uptown District (Downtown) and Weekend Haps (11/5 - 11/8) | 5 min

michaelD joins AImee Allison on OaklandSeen (KPFA 94.1FM 11/03/09)

Or listen to the entire show, where Aimee discusses the one-year anniversary of the election of Barack Obama; the euphoria that surrounded his election and a current pulse on how “Oaklanders” feel about his presidency.  Aimee examines if campaign activism last year has inspired local involvement in citywide politics. | 60 min

Entire Show -  Aimee Allison on OaklandSeen (KPFA 94.1FM 11/03/09)

Listen live online: KPFA 94.1 FM (24k mp3) | KPFB 89.3 FM (16k mp3) | iTunes Radio: "Public" | Comcast Digital Cable 967 | iPhone: Public Radio Tuner App

Michael D of The Bay Area Buzz Report joins Aimee Allison on new KPFA "OaklandSeen" weekly radio show

Hip Politics Radio Show & Blog Seeks Accountability and Involvement in City Government and Communities

"OaklandSeen" hosted by Aimee Allison
Starts Tues., Nov. 3, 2009, 11:00a.m., KPFA 94.1 FM
Listen live via radio or online at KPFA.org

"This show is a platform for new ideas and community activism.  I'll tap the Oakland we hardly hear from to discuss the most pressing local issues, to highlight great work in the city, and to keep our city leadership accountable."

Residents, tax payers, young adults are all seeking answers to the challenges facing Oakland, California; they want to know who to hold accountable when a problem arises; they want to know where to turn when all else has failed them.  Young people interested in the political climate and everyday issues happening around them need a platform to express their views.  They also want to feel good about the city they call home and celebrate the accomplishments they see taking place around them.

OaklandSeen, a new weekly radio show and blog launches Tues., November 3, 11:00 a.m., on KPFA 94.1FM, to address their concerns and fuel their participation in local city government. The show airs each week in the same time slot.   Aimee Allison is the creator and host of OaklandSeen.

Presently, Allison is the host and producer of the popular KPFA Morning Show, heard each weekday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  OaklandSeen will feature the voices of everyday Oakland - and has a new OaklandSeen line that will record thoughts and ideas from across the city.  The call in number is 510.848.6767 x 606.

Also featured "on air" with Aimee in a weekly segment, VIPLineup.com editor Michael D with The Bay Area Buzz Report.