Our Oakland

a bite of Oakland food news

2013-05-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick bite of food news. I got a press release that the new restaurant replacing Hudson on College Avenue in Rockridge is opening this month. A16 (named for a scenic highway in Italy) will be under the direction of Executive Chef Rocky Maselli. It will have pasta, pizza, and "a focus on dishes from Italy’s Puglia region, a destination known for its seafood." They'll serve Linden Street

upcoming Oakland events

2013-05-24T09:59:00.002-07:00

It's Memorial Day weekend. Lots going on, including various special events on Memorial Day. WednesdayOakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free) FridayBites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. My favorite food truck event, held Fridays outside Studio One Art Center

it's fire season again

2013-05-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

In an annual rite, people across the Oakland hills are clearing away underbrush, cutting the grass, and trimming tree branches in preparation for fire season. It's something that's never too far from people's minds in the hills, at least since the 1991 firestorm. According to the Tribune, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said, "Already this year we've responded to a 50 percent increasing in

In Search of the East Bay's Best Ribs

2013-05-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

If you enjoyed Dave Cambell's guest post The Improving State of the Pulled Pork Sandwich, be sure to check out his recent post on the new lOAKal blog, In Search of the East Bay's Best Ribs.

upcoming Oakland events

2013-05-16T14:10:00.001-07:00

Lots going on this week. The biggest event is the 41st annual Oakland Greek Festival, but there are walking tours, concerts, plays, the Malcom X Jazz Festival, Bites off Broadway, and more. WednesdayOakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free) FridayBites off Broadway -

Love Our Lake Day - celebrate with Oakland+WOBO June 9th

2013-05-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Come walk, bike, and paddle Lake Merritt with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. Join WOBO and the city of Oakland for safe, car-free fun on streets and parks around Lake Merritt on Sunday, June 9 from 11am to 4pm. A special grand opening ceremony at Lake Merritt Boulevard amphitheater and pedestrian bridge will take place at 2pm to commend and thank the residents of Oakland for approving an

Go In Peace - CD Release Concert

2013-05-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

An upcoming event I'm particularly excited about is the CD release concert for my wife's first album, Go in Peace. The concert is this Saturday, May 18th at 7pm at College Avenue Presbyterian Church and admission is free. Katarina will be performing with our friends Tess Evans Clark and Bobby Medcalf, plus one or two other special guests. CAPC is generously providing the space and snacks. The

Oakland Urban Paths: Piedmont and the Rose Garden

2013-05-13T20:38:00.001-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day, the Oakland Urban Paths walk on Saturday trekked through Oakland and Piedmont, and included a stop in the Morcom Rose Garden where celebrations for the Oakland Mother of the Year Award were going on. About 35 people and 5 dogs joined us for an unexpectedly warm walk on stairways in Lakeshore, Grand Lake, and Piedmont. We met in Mandana Plaza to begin the walk, then

signs: Piedmont Piano

2013-05-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

I've posted this sign before, but it's worth checking out at night, too.

Bike to Work Day 2013

2013-05-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the annual Bike to Work Day, and thousands of people all over the Bay Area took part. I volunteered with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition near Coast Guard Island along the estuary. I don't know the overall stats, but we had over 250 bicyclists go past the energizer station. Not all of them stopped, as some had already been to other energizer stations, but it was awesome to see so

upcoming Oakland events

2013-05-08T13:13:00.001-07:00

This week's big event is the annual Bike to Work Day! There's also the return of Bites off Broadway, an Oakland Urban Paths walk, the opening for "Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words", a mother's day tea at Cohen-Bray House and more. WednesdayOakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past

Oakland Wiki Jane's Walk

2013-05-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday a group met near the Lake Merritt BART station for a Jane's Walk. Jane Jacobs was an urbanist, activist and author. She's probably best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities which argued that urban renewal did not respect the needs of most city dwellers. Each year since her death in 2007, people around the world gather for walks in her memory. This walk was led by Himy,

upcoming Oakland events

2013-05-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Lots going on, including First Friday, the restart of Jack's Night Market, an OaklandWiki Jane's walk, and more. WednesdayWhat I Hear, I Keep: Stories from Oakland's Griots - Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30-5:30pm. Visual and audio art installation at Peralta Hacienda based on African American stories of modern-day Oakland, with local residents telling about their lives and exploring their identities.

Slow Art Day

2013-04-29T14:26:00.002-07:00

Lake Chelan, by Betty Jo Costanzo Saturday was Slow Art Day, an event that's been going on worldwide since 2009. It basically goes exactly opposite what many people's interaction with art is these days. Instead of shuffling through a museum trying to see as much as you can, or squeezing through a crowded gallery opening or First Friday event glancing at what you can, it encourages participants to

Oakland Food News

2013-04-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Just a few morsels of food news. But a chance to remind you to partake in Oakland Veg Week! Even if you don't go to one of the Oakland restaurants with specials for the week, try eating vegetarian for a change. There are lots of great restaurants in Oakland with vegi and vegan options that make it easy. I noticed some activity at Lost & Found on Telegraph earlier this week. No update on when it

upcoming Oakland events

2013-04-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

This week is Oakland Veg Week. It's a great time to try eating vegetarian! There's also a home tour coming up, supporting the work of the Children's Support League of the East Bay. Let me know other events by leaving a comment. Oakland Veg Week - April 22-28. The second annual Veg Week in Oakland. Features vegetarian food events, including a popup at Kitchner, vegi food trucks at Off the Grid,

signs: Williams Liquors

2013-04-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Much of the sign is plastic (and old, weathered plastic at that), but it has this little gem in the corner.

upcoming Oakland events

2013-04-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Monday is the start of Oakland Veg Week. It's a great time to try eating vegetarian! This week there are a variety of interesting events, including the Oakland Heritage Alliance: Great Estates in April tour, celebrating the Cambodian New Year at Peralta Hacienda, Earth Day cleanups, and more. Let me know other events by leaving a comment. For a complete list of Earth Cleanup events, check out

Oakland Urban Paths: Parklets

2013-04-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the monthly Oakland Urban Paths walk, this time focused on Oakland's parklets. A 'parklet' is taking over one or two parking spaces and making them available to people, by extending the sidewalk into a seating area. The walk was led by Chris Kidd of OUP and Ruth Miller, an urban planner who was instrumental in getting parklets introduced to Oakland when she worked with Walk Oakland

photo of the week: tulips!

2013-04-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Aphoto from last weekend's tulip festival at Mountain View Cemetery. Alas, the indoor flower displays were last weekend only, and the warm, dry weather we've been having means the tulip displays outside won't last much longer. At least they'll live on in this photo, which makes a lovely background for a desktop computer or a smartphone.

upcoming Oakland events

2013-04-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Seemingly a quiet week. I'll be on the Oakland Urban Paths walk on Saturday, though not leading this one. Let me know other events by leaving a comment! WednesdayWhat I Hear, I Keep: Stories from Oakland's Griots - Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30-5:30pm. Visual and audio art installation at Peralta Hacienda based on African American stories of modern-day Oakland, with local residents telling about

Mountain View Cemetery Tulip Festival

2013-04-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the annual tulip festival at Mountain View Cemetery. I've seen the outdoor displays before, but this was the first time I'd seen the exhibition indoors. The outdoor displays are impressive, and reason enough to visit Mountain View during the tulip festival. But the indoor exhibition was stunning. Not all the arrangements were to my taste, but they were all pretty amazing.

First Friday Fun

2013-04-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Friday night there was way too much fun and interesting stuff to do, but that didn't stop me from trying to do most of it anyway. I started at Bikes 4 Life in West Oakland to join people in a ride over to Uptown. The ride was sponsored by Bikes 4 Life, East Bay Bicycle Coalition and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. About 15 people rode from there to the new sculpture garden in Uptown. At the

signs: Xyclo

2013-04-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a three-fer on signs. Xyclo has three interesting signs: a nice metal sign, a better-than-average plastic sign that lights up, and a neon sign that plays on the 'ycl' as part of 'bicycle' in the name. They also have very tasty food, that's beautifully presented.

upcoming Oakland events

2013-04-04T13:21:00.001-07:00

It's time again for First Friday and the Art Murmur. Events of special note include the grand opening of the sculpture garden in Uptown, the opening of the second part of the Robert Akeley exhibition in Temescal, the annual tulip festival at Mountain View Cemetery, and the Oakland International Film Festival at the New Parkway, Grand Lake and other locations. WednesdayWhat I Hear, I Keep: