food: Bar César

beets, grapefruit and avocado salad

Last weekend K and I wanted to go out for dinner, and we looked through a short list of places we'd been and places we still wanted to try. We finally decided on trying Bar César on Piedmont. The place is almost always busy, so that seemed a good sign.

The food is described as "bar food and tapas", which we took to mean small plates, not necessarily Spanish food. We got there fairly early on Saturday, and while it was busy, we were able to get a table right away. Although the website says "bar césar has the most extensive wine list [...] in the East Bay", it looked pretty sparse to us. Maybe there's a separate wine list with more than is on the regular menu, but in any case, we decided to go with some choices from their better looking beer list.

We ordered a variety of dishes, starting with a couple of salads: a pear salad (which I don't see on the menu on the website) for me, and a purple beets with grapefruit and avocado salad for K. Both were beautifully presented and delicious.

We also ordered plantains with black beans, which is a favorite of ours when visiting my parents in Miami. It was nicely presented and quite good, though not up to Little Havana standards. The only disappointment were the empanadas, which seemed bland and a bit soggy. K and I ate a lot of empanadas when we were Argentina, and locally we can get El Porteño empanadas at farmers markets and other events, so we know what we like in that department.

Overall, it was very good. Better than pub grub, good beer selection, good service. I'll go again, but there are a lot of good restaurants in Oakland to choose from.

signs: Bar César

Not an amazing sign, but serious points for not being just a bunch of plastic with lights behind it like so many modern signs are these days.

Overall, it makes for a nice look with the rest of the building.

upcoming Oakland events

Avariety of interesting activities going on this week in Oakland. What other fun things are happening? Let me know in the comments!

Oakland Landmarks book signing - TONIGHT, Wednesday, June 27, 6-7:30pm. Meet author Annalee Allen and artist Heidi Wyckoff who will be signing their neautiful book, Oakland Landmarks and talking about the process of creating it. At the main library, 125 14th Street. (free)

Night of Laughter - Thursday, June 28, 8pm. A variety of comedians try to tickle your funnybone for a fundraiser for the downtown YMCA. At Miss Pearl's in JLS. ($8-$10)

Dancing Under the Stars - Friday, June 29, 8:30-10pm. This week's dance: merengue (free)

Oakollectiv closing party - Friday, June 29, 4-9pm. The Oakollectiv store on Broadway is closing down, and they're having a party (and a sale) to celebrate. A new store will be opening in its place later this summer.

Summer Nights at OMCA - Friday, June 29, 5-9pm. Music DJs, a 1968 film, special activities and more, with half price admission to the museum after 5pm.

Maya Dance Jarana at Chabot Space and Science Center - Saturday, June 30, 1-3pm. Join our journey through the Maya world with a celebration of dance. The Jarana is a traditional dance with origins in ranch houses of the 17th and 18th centuries infused with Maya rhythms. (with admission)

Rowing Regatta - Sunday, July 1. The Lake Merritt Rowing Club hosts the Southwest Masters Regional Championships. (free)

looking further ahead:

Family Fun on the Fourth - Wednesday, July 4. Fun for the whole family at Jack London Square, with food, live music, and lots of stuff for kids. See my coverage of last year's event. (free)

Oakland Landmarks art reception - Friday, July 6. Painter Heidi Wyckoff of the Oakland Landmarks book will have a reception at Caffe 817. (free)

OHA walking tours - Saturday, July 7. The Oakland Heritage Alliance's summer walking tour season kicks off with a tour of the former F.M. "Borax" Smith estate near Park Blvd. Read about last year's tour. ($10-$15)

Temescal Street Fair - Sunday, July 8. The annual street fair in Temescal features food, music, art and fun for the whole family. (free)

Community Arts Festival - Sunday, July 29. Art show at Mosswood Park. Music, snacks, art and more. Contact HellaCity@rocketmail.com if you'd like to participate.

Pedalfest - Saturday, August 18, 11am-8pm. The second annual Pedfalfest at Jack London Square. Last year's Pedalfest was hella fun, for cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

ongoing events:

Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
OMCA Summer Nights (last Friday of the month)

Oakland neighborhoods in the news

The questions of what a neighborhood is and where people consider it to be has long interested me. Clearly it interests other people, too, because my Oakland neighborhoods map post is by far the most popular post on Our Oakland, garnering 30 times the page views of most posts. (And of course, this post linking to it will further skew the imbalance.)

It's also interesting to note what the press, both locals and outsiders, refer to a neighborhood as. For a while I tracked stories to note how they refer to Oakland neighborhoods in an attempt to help answer the nebulous question, Where is East Oakland? In general, the stories refer to Oakland, downtown Oakland, some wealthier neighborhoods, but if about crime, mostly 'west Oakland' and 'east Oakland'.

So I was interested to read a story on SFGate, Longfellow a neighborhood key to Oakland's future which nicely sums up some of the issues facing Oakland. If the city can't reduce crime everywhere in Oakland, people will leave.

Justin Berton's article is mostly about the Longfellow neighborhood, which some folks call JAMMI - Just Above the MacArthur Maze Interchange (sadly, the JAMMI blog hasn't been updated in over 3 years). But it also mentions that not all residents think of their neighborhood as Longfellow; some think of it as Santa Fe (which is just north of Longfellow) because of the school there. It also refers to the nearby Golden Gate neighborhood (though it says it's to the northeast instead of to the northwest). I do wonder a bit about the reference by one resident to "the flat bottoms of West Oakland". Village Bottoms perhaps?

In any event, it's an interesting article, and nice to see reference to other Oakland neighborhoods, even if it is about crime.

Oakland History Getting a Pink Slip?

I'm a big fan of the city's free Downtown Walking Tours. I've been on all of them at least once, and have been looking forward to going on them again. Alas, there may not be a chance to do that in the future. Despite Mayor Jean Quan's 'no layoffs or cuts' announcement in May, this incredible program that teaches residents, tourists and students about Oakland's history is once again on the chopping block.

If it happens, it's not just fans of Oakland history like me that will lose out. The program is popular with visiting tourists, including recent visitors for the California Preservation Foundation conference that brought hundreds of people to Oakland. And it's been teaching Oakland students about the history of Oakland for decades—it's part of the 3rd grade curriculum to learn about their city.

The program dates back to the late 1970s, and was initiated by former councilmember Dick Spees, based on a similar program in Portland. The current program coordinator is Annalee Allen, who has been running the program since 1996. Her half-time position with the city is about to be cut, putting the future of the program in doubt. While many of the tours are led by volunteers, Annalee schedules the tours, recruits and trains the volunteers, and serves as a backup tour guide in case a volunteer is unavailable, which in my experience has been about 1/3rd of the time. Annalee also added a new tour to the program, New Era, New Politics, which focuses on more recent history and role of African Americans in Oakland's history. The program currently consists of 8 tours:

• Old Oakland
• Uptown
• Waterfront
• Chinatown
• Churches and Temples
• City Center
• Preservation Park
• New Era, New Politics

While it's possible the tours will continue in some form, there will be no one to coordinate them, recruit and train volunteers, or fill in as a guide when needed. Previously, volunteers were required to take an Oakland history class at Laney College or Holy Names University, but those classes are no longer offered so training a replacement will be more difficult. And while the Oakland Heritage Alliance ($10-$15) and Oakland Urban Paths (free) offer walking tours in Oakland, there is little overlap with the city's tours, and no overlap with the program for schools.

I know Oakland's finances are still a mess, and things like public safety are more important, but this is a drop in the bucket of the city's budget for a not easily replaced resource. I urge you to contact the city council and Mayor Jean Quan and voice your support for the program before Tuesday, June 26th. Particularly those councilmembers on the finance and budget committee (*) and the councilmembers for districts 2 and 3 where the tours are focused.

• Jane Brunner* – District 1
  jbrunner@oaklandnet.com 238-7001
• Pat Kernighan* – District 2
  pkernighan@oaklandnet.com 238-7002
• Nancy Nadel – District 3
  nnadel@oaklandnet.com 238-7003
• Libby Schaaf – District 4
  lschaaf@oaklandnet.com 238-7004
• Ignacio De La Fuente* – District 5
  idelafuente@oaklandnet.com 238-7005
• Desley Brooks* – District 6
  dbrooks@oaklandnet.com 238-7006
• Larry Reid – District 7
  lreid@oaklandnet.com 238-7007
• Rebecca Kaplan – At Large
  atlarge@oaklandnet.com 238-7008
• Jean Quan - Mayor
  officeofthemayor@oaklandnet.com 238-3141

Please help save this valuable Oakland resource and keep knowledge of Oakland's history available.

signs: Leo's Pro Audio

Leo's Pro Audio

Not a great sign, but gets a nod because unfortunately, Leo's Pro Audio is going out of business. If you're looking for some audio or recording gear, they're got everything on sale until the end of the month or so. The building is also of note because it's a named building, The Spitzer Building. As this Tumblr post says,

Not sure the Spitzer Building really has the gravitas to pull off the surname thing.

Whether it does or not, it definitely evokes a bygone era, at least for a smaller, non-corporate building. Anybody know something about the history the building?

upcoming Oakland events

Imissed posting events last week because of technical problems, but I'm back this week, with more fun and interesting stuff to do in Oakland! We're clearly in summer, because there's just way too much stuff to do.

Oakland Rising's Townie Awards + Party - Wednesday, June 20, 5:30-8pm. Join Oakland Rising for their 3rd annual Young Progressives Party and Townie Awards. Read more at Oakland Local.

Temescal Street Cinema - Thursday, June 21. Free movies outdoors, at 49th and Telegraph. (free)

Dancing Under the Stars - Friday, June 22, 8:30-10pm. This week's dance: the Rumba (free)

Voices for Peace Concert + Conference - Friday, June 22 (concert) and Saturday, June 23 (conference). Kick-off for the Summer of Peace 2012. The concert includes a variety of musicians, including 60s folksinger Country Joe McDonald.

Eye from the Edge: A Memoir of West Oakland reading - Saturday, June 23, 2-4pm. A reading from the new book, Eye from the Edge: A Memoir of West Oakland by Ruben Llamas. Come in before the event for a no-host lunch at La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen.

Walk in the Wild: An Epicurean Adventure! - Saturday, June 23, 5pm. Walk in the Wild brings together some of the Bay Area's finest bakeries, breweries, caterers, restaurants, and wineries for the Oakland Zoo's largest annual fundraiser. ($125-$150)

The Great American Backyard Campout, Saturday, June 23 – Sunday, June 24. A rare chance to camp out in Joaquin Miller Park. It's a great chance for families that might not otherwise be able to go camping to experience it.

7th Annual Laurel Summer Solstice Music Festival - Saturday, June 23. An impressive lineup of musicians bring live music to the Laurel. (free)

Montclair Fine Arts Festival - Friday, June 22 – Sunday, June 24. The annual arts festival returns to Montclair. Read more at Today in Montclair. (free)

looking further ahead:

Maya Dance Jarana at Chabot Space and Science Center - Saturday, June 30, 1-3pm. Join our journey through the Maya world with a celebration of dance. The Jarana is a traditional dance with origins in ranch houses of the 17th and 18th centuries infused with Maya rhythms. (with admission)

Rowing Regatta - Sunday, July 1. The Lake Merritt Rowing Club hosts the Southwest Masters Regional Championships. (free)

Family Fun on the Fourth - Wednesday, July 4. Fun for the whole family at Jack London Square, with food, live music, and lots of stuff for kids. See my coverage of last year's event. (free)

Oakland Landmarks art reception - Friday, July 6. Painter Heidi Wyckoff of the Oakland Landmarks book will have a reception at Caffe 817. (free)

Temescal Street Fair - Sunday, July 8. The annual street fair in Temescal features food, music, art and fun for the whole family. (free)

Community Arts Festival - Sunday, July 29. Art show at Mosswood Park. Music, snacks, art and more. Contact HellaCity@rocketmail.com if you'd like to participate.

Pedalfest - Saturday, August 18, 11am-8pm. The second annual Pedfalfest at Jack London Square. Last year's Pedalfest was hella fun, for cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

ongoing events:

Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
OMCA Summer Nights (last Friday of the month)

Oakland Food News

All the news that's fit to nom. As is frequently the case, there's lots of food-related news from Oakland.

I experienced some new and new-to-me tastes at the recent Oakland Indie Awards. A new-to-me taste was Nieves Cinco de Mayo, which has a shop in the Fruitvale Village complex. Along with more standard flavors like strawberry (made with berries fresh from the farmers market) and coffee (made with Blue Bottle Coffee), they also feature flavors like corn and key lime, depending on what's in season. Read more at Oakland North. I'm planning to check them out more fully next time I'm in the area on a warm day.

One of the most popular food vendors giving samples at the Indie Awards was Victory Burger, which will be around the corner from Actual Cafe. They successfully raised $25,000 for the build out of the space on Kickstarter so hopefully it's all going forward as planned. The vegi option was good, and the homemade pickles are fantastic.

Another new-to-me taste at the JLS Night Market was Cholita Linda. There was a good-sized line, but someone said, "It's worth it. They have the best tacos." K and I shared some fish tacos and some tofu tacos (made with Hodo Soy tofu), and they were amazing—definitely worth waiting for.

Phat Beets Produce has been at the north Oakland farmers market at the Arlington Medical Center for a while. They recently moved a few blocks away to Stanford and Lowell. But they're also planning a healthy cafe and a commercial kitchen for aspiring food entrepreneurs. The East Bay Express has the full story.

Big food news for East Oakland. Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., will be opening a Foods Co. supermarket and drugstore at the Foothill Square shopping center on 107th Ave. and MacArthur. CM Larry Reid is excited about it, and presumably area residents are, too. The Oakland Tribune has the story.

Linden Street Brewery received a well-deserved award for their Burning Oak Black Lager, Best Local Beer as voted in SF Weekly. Congrats to Adam and his crew!

The East Bay Express a nice write up of Kamdesh Afghan Kabab House on 14th Street, and the challenges of getting used to a new cuisine. Sounds tasty but a bit meat-centric for my vegetarian ways.

I saw a blurb on SFGate that pointed me to Oliveto's ongoing series about food, It's Complicated: A Series of Conversations about Eating, Cooking, and The Politics of Food. Past events in the series include Our Local Seas: A Comeback Story and Building a Local Grain Economy: A Kitchen Table Talks Production. Coming up in September is Grass-Fed Beef, when the panel includes local food writer Michael Pollan.

Some closing I heard about last month have come to pass. Tully's closed their Oakland branch across from city hall, but they still have branches in Berkeley, Pleasanton and San Francisco. Much more surprising was the sudden closing of B Restaurant.

I still haven't made it over to West Oakland to check it out, but Eat Drink Oakland has some gorgeous pictures of the food from Fuse BOX.

As noted, Kitchen 388 on Grand Avenue has reopened, with more focus on dinner. According to the East Bay Express, you can also order their food to be delivered across the street to coffee house / bar Room 389. I haven't been to Room 389 yet, but Sweeeeet Oakland loves it.

Speaking of which, Sweeeeet Oakland also loves the recently opened Donut Savant on Broadway. Their tip: ask what's fresh and may be still warm! Read more at the East Bay Express.

I missed the article back in April, but Tablehopper says that Charlie Hallowell of Pizzaiolo and Boot & Shoe Service is planning a new place across Grand Avenue from Boot and Shoe Service that will also be a full-service butcher shop.

Speaking of meat, Oakland urban farmer and writer Novella Carpenter has an interesting essay, "Why I Eat Meat".

Old Oakland will be getting a new place, a branch of Rosamunde Grill which features grilled sausage and craft beers. According to the San Jose Mercury, it's scheduled to open later this summer, but if you can't wait that long you can sample their fare at a popup at Classic Cars West along 26th Street, Saturdays from noon to 8pm.

SFGate's Bar Bites has a nice review of Caña, the Cuban restaurant on Lake Park bear the Grand Lake Theater. I haven't been yet, but a recent discussion on Twitter about plantains makes me want to go.

Oakland and its amazing food scene continue to attract attention from all over. The Boston Globe has an article titled, "Leave your heart wherever, but eat in Oakland". It talks about the food scene, and mentions Plum, Blackberry Bistro, Brown Sugar Kitchen, Picán, Barlata and others before launching into a full-on list of restaurants by neighborhoods.

Speaking of Brown Sugar Kitchen, there's some local love for Tanya Holland's B-Side BBQ in Diablo Magazine. Number 42 on their list of 50 Things You Gotta Do This Summer is dine at B-Side BBQ on San Pablo. The website lists some non-meat options, so I might even try it.

Also on their to-do list are:
#35 - sipping a farmers market cocktail at Easy Lounge on Lakeshore
#32 - slurp at boozy milkshake at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe
#29 - share a sundae at Loard's
#26 - ditch stadium grub for the Bay Area BBQ Championship at the Coliseum in July
#18 - guzzle a local brew at Linden Street Brewery
#13 - lick a margarita with a Sloshee, an Oakland-made margarita popsicle
#11 - eat by the water at Bocanova or Lake Chalet
#10 - bike the urban wine trail starting in Oakland
and a bunch of things not focused on food and drink, like #25 - camping at the Oakland Zoo, #22 - renting a boat at Lake Merritt, and more.

Last but not least, there's a new food truck pod in Oakland, The Eatup, Fridays, 6-11pm at 21st and Telegraph. I haven't been yet (nor to the Clay Street Food Pod), but hooray for more food options in Oakland!

Eliminate Disparities for High School Students of Color!

The following is a press release from Oakland Community Organizations.

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OAKLAND, CA — On Thursday, June 14th, Clergy and lay leaders from Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church and St. Columba Catholic Church will announce an emerging partnership between the Center for Social Justice at Holy Names University and Oakland Technical High School to support at-risk African American and Latino males. Like many schools in Oakland and all over the nation, African American and Latino males at Oakland Tech experience an enormous achievement gap that increases their likelihood to dropout and hinders their opportunity academic success. Specifically, only 4 out of every 10 African American Males graduates from high school in Oakland. These inequities show up later in the lives of our young men as rampant rates of unemployment and high rates of violence perpetration or victimization. Leaders from Lakeshore and St. Columba are determined to help eliminate these quality of life disparities!

Who: Interfaith clergy, lay leaders from St. Columba and Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, representatives and students from Holy Names and Oakland Tech
What: Announcement of a partnership supporting Latino and African American males
When: Thursday June 14th, 2012 at 6:30pm
Where: Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave in Oakland
"This forming partnership has the potential to supply Oakland Tech with mentors, teacher assistants, parent liaisons, case managers, workforce connectors and career counselors from Holy Names graduate and undergraduate programs," said Lakeshore congregation member and OCO leader Jesus Portillo. Robert Paige, OCO leader and student at Oakland Tech, intimately understands the importance of support. "A few years ago my brother dropped out of school because he had to do it all on his own. As a result, he faces an uphill battle because he doesn’t have a diploma or GED, and he is formerly incarcerated. I was headed down the same path until I received academic help and a mentor. So, I know this will help lots of students at Tech!"

Partners from Oakland Unified School District’s African American Male Achievement Initiative, Oakland Tech Parent Teach Association, Teach for Tomorrow and Be a Mentor and education advocate Danny Glover will all be on hand to celebrate and pledge their support.

This event is organized by Oakland Community Organizations, a PICO (People
Improving Communities through Organizing) affiliate.

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For more information, contact:
Brandon Sturdivant Sr.
Oakland Community Organizations
510-684-1399
brandonsturdivant@gmail.com

Volunteers Work to Improve Joaquin Miller Park

This past weekend I joined dozens of other volunteers to help improve Joaquin Miller Park. The event was organized by Volunteers for Outdoor California (V-O-Cal), along with the Friends of Sausal Creek and the city of Oakland parks and rec department. There was also a large contingent from the Bicycle Trails Coalition of the East Bay there to work on the trails. V-O-Cal does park improvement projects all over northern California, from the coast to the western Sierra. This project appealed to me because it was a chance to help improve Oakland's largest park, but also a chance to camp there, which isn't normally allowed**.

Volunteers could work Saturday, Sunday or both days, and were allowed to camp Friday and Saturday nights. I elected to stay both nights and work both days to see and do as much as possible. After getting camp set up near the Fire Circle on Friday evening, some of us joined city of Oakland naturalist Stephanie Benavidez for a short walk to hear about the history of Joaquin Miller and the park that bears his name. It's hard to believe now, but when he lived there in the late 1800s, it was relatively barren after the redwoods were logged. Today it's covered in a variety of trees, many of which he planted.

Saturday morning after registration and breakfast, we heard a bit about V-O-Cal and about what we'd be working on, as well as some words of thanks from Oakland parks and rec director Audree Jones-Taylor. Then we broke up into crews of about 10 people each and received a brief safety talk and explanation of the tools we'd be using.

The most common tools for trail maintenance and creation are also some of the most common for fighting wildland fires. First up is the McLeod, a combination heavy duty rake and hoe tool named after ranger Malcolm McLeod. It's great for clearing organic matter for a new trail (or a fire break), as well as clearing loose dirt. Also named for a ranger is the Pulaski, named for ranger Ed Pulaski, US Forest Service ranger, 1910. It's a small adze on one side and an axe on the other. It's good for digging into soil, chopping small roots and branches, and making small adjustments to the tread of a trail. For digging larger amounts or prying up stones, the pickmatic is frequently used. It has a pick on one side and a large adze on the other. There were shovels, too, but the only time I saw one used was when we were trying to dig out an old fence post.

Crews were assigned a section of the Bishops Walk trail in the lower part of the park. Some sections were just widening and smoothing the trail, but other sections were rerouted and involved building a whole new trail. The most difficult of those required building a retaining wall to support a switchback. I was on the crew that was at the top of the trail near Lookout Point. Our section wasn't too difficult, widening the trail and adding some drainage dips, but we also removed the remains of a fence near the lookout and picked up buckets full of bottles and broken glass. Another crew spent the day building a fence near the headwaters of the creek to protect a restoration area.

On Sunday morning, most crews went to a different trail to begin maintenance work. The switchback crew went back to work, and I joined a crew that did touch up work on various areas along Bishops Walk. It was a shorter work day, which was good for those of us not used to using some of the muscles involved.

All in all, it was tiring and dirty, but a lot of fun. Part of why it was fun was because everything was very well organized. Thanks to all the crew leaders, and special thanks to the volunteer project team:
Project Team Leader: Morris Older
Technical: Woody Collins
Kitchen: Lila, Rachel
Outreach: Trina Hudson
Camp Operations: June Nakatani, Joe Lovelace
We ate well, had fun in camp at the end of the work day, and got to hang out with a lot of friendly, interesting people. I'll definitely sign up for more V-O-Cal events in the future. The next one is in Golden Gate Park in August. You have to work hard, and bring your own camping gear, but it's a chance to camp for free while you're working to make Bay Area parks better.

More pictures from the weekend:

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** As noted above, camping isn't normally allowed in Joaquin Miller Park. But there is another opportunity coming up in a few weeks, The Great American Backyard Campout, June 23-24. It's a great chance for families that might not otherwise be able to go camping to experience it. Read more on the Oakland Parks and Recreation website.

upcoming Oakland events

Lots going this week in Oakland, and even better, a lot of it is free! There's music, a bike safety class, a bike party, and more. The East Bay Open Studios are going on this weekend, too.

SoundWaves at JLS - Thursday, June 7, 5:30-7:30pm. Live music at the foot of Broadway. (free)

Bike Safety Class With EBBC - Thursday, June 7, 6-9:30pm. Join East Bay Bike Coalition for a free bike safety class. (free)

Gala Dinner at Children's Fairyland - Thursday, June 7, 6:30-9:30pm. The annual fundraising gala at Children's Fairyland. Read more at Oakland Local.

East Bay Bike Party - Friday, June 8, 7:30pm. The monthly East Bay Bike Party rolls again! This month's theme is dancing with the stars, aliens and astronauts. The ride begins at Ashby BART and rolls through Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland to finish at Mosswood Park. (free)

Dancing Under the Stars - Friday, June 8, 8:30-10pm. This week's dance: do The Hustle! (free)

(Cook)Book Club - Saturday, June 9, 1-2:30pm. Make a dish from DIY Delicious and join author Vanessa Barrington and East Bay Dish blogger Christina Mitchell for a DIY potluck. (free)

Urban Farm Tours - Saturday, June 9, 11am-5pm. Join the Institute for Urban Homsteading for a tour of various urban farms in Oakland. ($5/location or $25-$30 for all)

East Bay Open Studios - June 9-10, 11am-6pm. The annual East Bay Open Studios art tour. Check out and support artists all over Oakland and beyond. (free)

Jingletown Open Studios - 9-10, 11am-6pm. Lots of open studios with lots of different artits. Read about last year's holiday walk in Jingletown. (free)

looking further ahead:

Rowing Regatta - Sunday, July 1. The Lake Merritt Rowing Club hosts the Southwest Masters Regional Championships. (free)

Oakland Landmarks art reception - Friday, July 6. Painter Heidi Wyckoff of the Oakland Landmarks book will have a reception at Caffe 817. (free)

Temescal Street Fair - Sunday, July 8. The annual street fair in Temescal features food, music, art and fun for the whole family. (free)

Community Arts Festival - Sunday, July 29. Art show at Mosswood Park. Music, snacks, art and more. Contact HellaCity@rocketmail.com if you'd like to participate.

Pedalfest - Saturday, August 18, 11am-8pm. The second annual Pedfalfest at Jack London Square. Last year's Pedalfest was hella fun, for cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

ongoing events:

Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
OMCA Summer Nights (last Friday of the month)

Learning to Row at Lake Merritt

As noted in The Lake That Isn't, the building that houses Lake Chalet was a pump house for the Oakland Fire Department before the wings were added in 1913 for boats. The building fell into disuse and disrepair, then was renovated and reopened in 2009. Now one wing houses Gondola Servizio, while the other is back to its original purpose—housing boats for the Lake Merritt Rowing Club (LMRC).

Saturday was National Learn to Row Day, so the LMRC and other rowing clubs around the country had open houses to introduce people to the sport. It started with a brief tour and explanation of rowing. The first thing I learned was the difference between sculling and sweep rowing. Sculling refers to using two oars per rower; sweep rowing refers to using one oar per rower. (If you're confused by this usage of sculling, you're not alone. My first thought was the single-oar method of sculling. It's taught for propelling any sort of small boat in an emergency, whether a becalmed sailboat or a rowboat where you've lost an oar.) While the LMRC teaches both, the open house was focused on sweep rowing, demonstrated in boats with 8 rowers plus the coxswain. That allowed a mix of 4 experienced rowers with 4 new rowers, and also teaches the teamwork aspects.

After reviewing the equipment, people moved to the "ergs" (short for ergometers), to learn and practice the basic rowing stroke on dry land. Unlike a basic rowboat where rower and oars stay fixed relative to each other, in a rowing shell, the rower is on a seat which slides back and forth during the stroke. The stroke for rowing is both simple and complicated. It's a 3-part process, arms, body, then legs, but all in a fluid motion, while keeping the oar level, but simultaneously keeping it clear of your legs. Ultimately most of the strength comes from your legs, not your arms, but if you're doing it correctly, rowing provides a full body workout.

Then it was on to one of the trickiest tasks—learning to get into and out of the boat safely, without tipping it over or pitching yourself into the water. With everyone safely aboard plus 4 experienced rowers, a coxswain to give directions, and a chase boat following in case of emergency, it was time to push off from the dock and start rowing.

People quickly learned rowing is a team sport. Not only do you need to use the correct rowing stroke, you need to do it at the same time as your boat mates. The coxswain sets the pace, but everyone needs to follow it. By the time the boat had been up the lake and back, people seemed to be getting the hang of it.

Rowing is a fun sport and a good workout, for ages 12 to 90+. The LMRC offers classes, and has a special summer series for youth rowing. Scholarships are available. If you'd rather just watch, rowers are out early many mornings practicing. The LMRC is hosting a regatta on July 1st, the 2012 Southwest Masters Regional Championships, so you'll have a chance to check out competition, too.

Lots more pictures:

Fun at the JLS Night Market

Friday was another installment of the new Jack's Night Market at Jack London Square. K and I checked it out, availing ourselves of yummy tacos from Cholita Linda and some Linden Street Beer from the Oakland Grown booth. There were lots of other food options, interesting items for sale, live music and a DJ, and an exhibit from the Pacific Pinball Museum. People of all ages looked like they were having fun, especially the hula hoopers, who were getting a good workout to boot.

More pictures from Jack's Night Market:

Projet en Vue

Last night I went to a reception for the truly amazing Projet en Vue. I highly recommend checking it out in person, TODAY only from 1-5pm at 4030 MLK Way. It's great on the web, but even better in person. And you can meet the artists behind it, Saskia and Sati. Last night some of the interviewees were there, too.

The project consists of audio interviews with a wide variety of people in Oakland by Saskia and photos of them by Sati, as well as some drawings of the subjects. A few of the subjects are exclusive to this reception; they're not on the website. Read my earlier write up about Projet en Vue here.



Check out the coverage at Oakland North.

Oakland Indie Awards 2012

Last night was the 6th annual Oakland Indie Awards, and it's the best party full of Oakland love around. There were over 200 deserving nominees, but there could only be a few winners. Congrats to you all, nominees and winners! The winners:

Oakland Soul Award - Ise Lyfe
Ripple Effect Award - Taco Grill Taqueria & Pozoleria
Innovative Newbie Award - Ecologic Brands
Greenie Award - BaDesign and Green Planet 21
Socially-Responsible Rockstar Award Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Revolution Foods
Mike Pherson Pillar Award - Head Designs

There was music from the Oaktown Jazz Workshop and the Oakland Faders, dozens of food vendors giving samples of their food and drink, and dozens of vendors selling their wares. Beer and wine were available for purchase from Linden Street Brewery, Trumer Pils, and Urban Legend Cellars.

And I saw plenty of familiar faces, like Toussaint Stewart of Besto Besto, Annalee Allen, the folks from the Bay Area Curling Club, Tina Tamale, Paula Wirth, Mayor Jean Quan, Rebecca Saltzman, Erin Killmer-Neel, Heidi Wyckoff, Susan Mernit, Sal Bednarz, Robert Raburn, and doubtless some others I've forgotten to list.

Lots of photos:


More coverage:
Oakland Local
East Bay Express
Oakland North