upcoming Oakland events

Friday is the First Friday in February, so there are Art Murmur events galore. And it being Friday, there's Off the Grid at the Oakland Museum. And February is also Black History Month, so there are a variety of events for that coming up. I've listed a few; for a more complete list check out the Oakland Wiki's page on Black History Month.

Friday

Off the Grid at OMCA - Friday, 5-9pm. The Off the Grid food truck pod comes to the Oakland Museum for an evening of food and fun.

Art Murmur - Friday, 5-10pm. Dozens of galleries. Lots of artists. Tons of people. It's the monthly chance to check out new art in uptown, eat from food trucks, and join the happenings. There are also Art Murmur events in Old Oakland, near Jack London Square, and more. (free)

Gallery Event: A Match Made in Oakland - Friday, February 1, 7pm. Blackball Universe hosts an artist reception and the opening of A Match Made in Oakland. (free)

Peace, Pies & Prophets: I'd Like to Buy an Enemy - Friday, February 1, 7pm. Join First Presbyterian Church of Oakland for an evening of theater, laughter, dialogue and an auction of homemade pies (!!!!) as we engage in discussion about peace, justice, and the American way. This performance, produced by Ted & Company, is part of a national tour, Peace Pies & Prophets, and is a fundraiser for the Positive Peace Warrior Network and Christian Peacemaker Teams. $12 donation, no one turned away due to lack of funds.

Innovators - Transforming the Landscape of Black America - Friday, 5-10pm. Come out to the 3rd annual Warehouse 416 Black History Month Exhibit and experience the legacy of Oakland Art. This year's show, Innovators is a special treat, focusing on an incredible group of artists, spanning four generations, who are continually breaking new ground in their work. Runs through February 23rd. (free)

Saturday

Black History Month tours - 10am, Saturday, February 2; Wednesday, February 6; Saturday, February 23. Explore downtown Oakland and learn how Lionel Wilson, Delilah Beasley, Robert Maynard, Byron Rumford, Marcus Foster and others changed Oakland and changed California. Read about last year's tour. (free)

Black History Month community garden work day - Saturday February 2, 11:00am-2:00pm. Join Bay Localize, the People's Grocery Urban Ag Crew, and Chestnut neighbors for a work day at the Chestnut Garden Corridor! (free)

Sunday

Free First Sunday at OMCA - Sunday, February 3, 11am-5pm. First Sundays are FREE! The Oakland Museum of California is free all day the first Sunday of every month. (free)

Oakland Wiki Sunday Edit-a-thons - Sundays, 1-5pm. Bring a computer or note-taking materials to hang with your fellow Oaklanders as we research and add content to the Oakland Wiki. This week's will meet at Sudoroom, 22nd and Broadway. (free)

Wednesday

Vintage porcelain at the Pardee Home - Wednesdays, 2nd Saturdays, 2nd Sundays. View the historic Pardee Home and the collection of porcelain collected by the globe-trotting Mrs. Pardee. You can take the tour for $5 or have the tour and tea for $25. Read more at World of Mailman. ($5/$25)

ongoing events:

• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)

looking further ahead:

Wish You Were Here: A Private Collection of Historic Oakland Postcards - Thursday, February 4, 7-8:30pm. Join local postcard collector and architect, Peter Espe, as he shares his collection of historic Oakland postcards and provides perspective on how this beautiful ephemera informs our understanding of the city's built environment. ($10/$15)

Half Life: Celebrating 30 Years of Working for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament - Sunday, Februrary 10, 5pm-9pm. Special Guests Dennis Kucinich, Daniel Ellsberg, Rep. Barbara Lee, and Rose Aguilar. "Reframing the Nuclear Discourse in the Current Geopolitical Climate." Optional "A Taste of Oakland" Special Reception. ($15-$100)

Film Showing and Program for Black History Month - Wednesday, February 20, 12-1:30pm. In conjunction with the Anza Trail traveling exhibit, join the Anza Trail, Peralta Hacienda, and the Oakland Black Cowboy Association for a showing of the Anza Trail Film, followed by a discussion of diversity in Early California. Oakland City Hall Hearing Room 2. (free)

Black History Tour in Mountain View Cemetery - Free 2 hour tour through Mountain View Cemetery highlighting African Americans who are buried there, including Jenny Prentiss (who raised Jack London), Byron Rumford, Lil' Bobby Hutton (of the Black Panthers) and more. February 23, 10AM, at Mountain View Cemetery. (free)

OMCA White Elephant Sale - March 2-3. It's the annual fundraiser for the Oakland Museum of California. It's bigger than big, it's huge! (free)

history: Fred Korematsu

Happy Fred Korematsu Day! Most people's response won't be "you, too!" or the like, but "who the heck is Fred Korematsu?" Nonetheless, today, January 30th is Fred Korematsu Day. Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu was a Japanese American from Oakland. When executive orders came after Pearl Harbor to remove people of Japanese ancestry from designated "military areas" and placed in internment camps, Fred refused the order and went into hiding, even undergoing plastic surgery.

Fred Korematsu was arrested May 30th, 1942, and tried and found guilty in September. He and his family were sent to the interment camp at Topaz, Utah. According to Wikipedia,

As an unskilled laborer, he was eligible to receive only $12 per month ($170.69 today) for working eight hours per day at the camp. He was placed in a horse stall with one light bulb, and he later remarked that "jail was better than this."

Korematsu faced not only oppression from the U.S. government, he also faced a backlash from Japanese Americans who had cooperated with the government in attempt to show their loyalty as Americans.

Fred's case was appealed several times and eventually reached the Supreme Court, where he lost in a 6-3 decision. Read more about the case on Wikipedia, Korematsu v. United States. In the 1980s, Japanese Americans who had been interred received $20,000 each in compensation. A subsequent investigation found that the solicitor general of the U.S. had suppressed FBI data that showed they were not a risk. In 1983, the conviction was formally vacated. The Supreme Court decision has not been formally overturned, though in 2011 they officially noted the decision was in error so that the case cannot be used as a legal precedent.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Korematsu the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Korematsu spoke out after September 11, 2001 on how the United States government should not let the same thing happen to people of Middle Eastern descent as had been done to Japanese Americans.

Fred Korematsu died in 2005 of respiratory failure. He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery, and his grave marker bears a replica of his Presidential Medal of Freedom. One of the last things Korematsu said was, "I'll never forget my government treating me like this. And I really hope that this will never happen to anybody else because of the way they look, if they look like the enemy of our country."

More reading:

• Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu (Wikipedia)
• Korematsu v. United States (Wikipedia)
• Fred Korematsu Day
• Fred Korematsu (Lives of the Dead)

signs: Cafe Sahara

On the edge of Chinatown next to 880 is this rusted sign. The neon is in surprisingly good shape, as are the numerous small bulbs around the edge. I can't find any info about Cafe Sahara, though, just other pictures of the sign and graffiti-covered building. One photo mentions a fire in 2004 and $200,000 worth of marijuana plants that were discovered, but that's about it. Anybody know more about it?
update: See the comment from Oakland Daily Photo
update: See the entry at Oakland Wiki where @policyhobo has been investigating the Cafe Sahara story.

Mountain View Cemetery: Perimeter Tour

Saturday we had perfect weather for a walking tour at Mountain View Cemetery. Second Saturdays there are general tours to give people an overview, and fourth Saturdays there are more specialized tours focused on different subjects. This one was titled "Perimeter", which promised a fair amount of walking because of the size of Mountain View.

The tour was led by docents Stafford Buckley and Barbara Gibson. Also on hand was docent Michael Colbruno, author of the extremely interesting and useful Lives of the Dead website about the people of Mountain View Cemetery.

We started in the chapel in the main mausoleum with a brief overview of the cemetery, its founding and its design. It was founded in 1863 by a group of Oakland civic leaders who met at the house of Dr. Samuel Merritt. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the noted landscape designer who also designed Central Park in New York.

We headed for the nearest point on the perimeter, with a few interesting stops along the way to note some different mausoleums and graves, including the stately Colton mausoleum. It's the resting place of David Colton, who is sometimes referred to as one of "the Big Four and a half" because of his involvement with "the Big Four" (Crocker, Huntington, Hopkins and Stanford) of California and railroad history. The mausoleum is guarded by a pair of Greek-style sphinxes.

Along the southern perimeter there are several reservoirs, which were created by damming Cemetery Creek (which is known as Glen Echo Greek further downstream). They normally provide water for watering the cemetery grounds for 1 to 2 months of the dry season.

Nearby is one of the unendowed sections of Mountain View. Normally people purchase a plot or mausoleum crypt in Mountain View, which pays for its uptake in perpetuity. People were buried in the unendowed areas with no such promise, but as long as family or friends wanted, they could maintain the grave site. Areas of the unendowed section were also given to a number of charities, like the King's Daughters' Home, a hospital for people considered incurable. That building was designed by Julia Morgan, and still stands at 3900 Broadway.

We also heard about Blair's Park, an amusement park on the border between Oakland and Piedmont. It was created by Walter Blair, who owned property in the area, and featured boat rides, ponies, music and other amusements. Blair also owned the horsecar which brought vistors up the hill from Oakland.

We headed up the hill to see the eastern perimeter, which provided spectacular views of Oakland and the bay. Stafford said that on a clear day from the top of Hill 550 it's possible to see nine Bay Area counties. From the back of the hill you can see areas where many eucalyptus trees were cut down to decrease fire danger, and many, many more redwood seedlings have been planted in their stead.


We walked back downhill along the border shared with St. Mary's Cemetery, and past the influenza plot back to our starting point. As always, lots of interesting stuff to see and learn in Mountain View Cemetery!

Links to some things mentioned:

• Lives of the Dead website
• Barbara Gibson's Last Wishes site
• Mountain View Cemetery Symbols tour
• Mountain View Cemetery influenza plot
• the story of Aurelia Ghiradelli
• Frank Ogawa
• Fred Korematsu
• Piedmont Bath House (more pictures)

Lots more pictures from the tour:


After the tour was over, I rode my bike around to check out a few things for the Oakland Wiki and do some scouting for another history focused bike ride that's in the planning stages. And also to get a closer look at the grave of Fred Korematsu.

Even more pictures from after the tour:

photo of the week: Old Oakland Farmers Market

Imet with some fellow Oakland history buffs to plan a future Oakland history bike ride. We had lunch at Rosamunde (which has several vegan sausage options) and talked about Jack London and Julia Morgan, well-known past Oakland residents who share a January birthday. But before lunch, I wandered around the adjacent Old Oakland Farmers Market and found this scene.

food: Old Brooklyn Bagels & Deli

Ifirst wrote about Old Brooklyn Bagels & Deli replacing Cafe Zoe back in July, but haven't had a chance to check it out until more recently.

The cafe is named for the former town of Brooklyn, which is now part of Oakland. The town wasn't named for the city in New York, but for a ship which brought Mormon settlers to California in 1846. To emphasize the local meaning, there are historic photos on the walls, and an old map of Oakland and Brooklyn across the front of the counter.

As with the predecessor, the space is light and airy, with windows on both the College Avenue and Harwood Avenue sides. And as with Cafe Zoe, they have outdoor seating on the Harwood Avenue side, which seems particularly popular with dog owners.

The first time K and I went, I had a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese which was OK, and very tasty salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. K had a tasty tuna salad sandwich. The second time I went, I had a toasted everything bagel with schmear, before heading off to compare to other bagels in Oakland. They don't have much space, so the bagels are made at sister restaurant Emery Bay Cafe in Emeryville. Other items are made fresh on site.

In short, I'd go back for coffee or lunch, but the bagels weren't anything special. They weren't bad, they just weren't anything special, especially given all the other bagel options that have started up in Oakland. Jweekly.com agrees, at least as far as the bagels are concerned.

More pictures:

photo of the week: a bit of history

Last Sunday I joined the inaugural Oakland Wiki history edit-a-thon. It was the perfect chance to follow up on some research I'd done on "Borax" Smith for an Oakland Urban Paths walk on Saturday. We started with an explanation from librarian Martha Bergmann about the resources available in the Oakland History Room, including the map room. It's an amazing bit of local history that's been preserved in the Oakland Public Library.

upcoming Oakland events

There a variety of events in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. including a concert and a various service events. And Oakland Restaurant Week starts on Friday! Let me know of other fun stuff going on this week.

Thursday

Oakland: The Story of a City lecture by Annalee Allen - Thursday, January 17, 7:30pm. Noted Oakland author and historian Annalee Allen talks about Oakland: The Story of a City and the late author, Beth Bagwell. At the Rockridge Library. (free)

OHA: Neon Works lecture & demo - Thursday, January 17, 7pm. Visit a local neon factory with the Oakland Heritage Alliance to see new signs being built and discover a vintage neon sign collection! This very special event will include a lecture and glass bending demonstration by shop owner Jim Rizzo. I went to this last year, it was great. ($20-$25)

Friday

Oakland Restaurant Week - January 18-27. Celebrate the thriving culinary scene in Oakland with ten days of special deals. Restaurants all over Oakland will offer prix fixe menus at $20, $30, and $40.

Saturday

Sausal Creek service - Saturday, January 19.
- Quarterly Bird Monitoring, 8:30am-12:30pm
- Dimond Park Restoration Event, 9am-noon
- Friends of the Montclair Railroad Trail Volunteer Event, 9am-11am
- Gardening at Wood Park, 9am-noon
See the Friends of Sausal Creek calendar for more information. (free)

In the Name of Love - Musical Tribute to MLK - Saturday, January 19, 7pm. A musical tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring Jennifer Holliday, Tuck & Patti, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, and Oakland Children's Community Choir. Read more at Oakland Local. ($8-$45)

Sunday

Oakland Wiki Sunday History Edit-a-thons - Sundays, 1-5pm. Bring a computer or note-taking materials to the Oakland History Room and hang with your fellow local history nuts as we research and add historical content to the Oakland Wiki. Read more about the inaugural edit-a-thon at Oakland North. (free)

MLK Day of Service at Dover Street Park - Sunday, January 20, noon-4pm at Dover Street Park, 5707 Dover Street. Potluck and gardening. (510) 238-2197.

Monday

MLK Day of Service at MLK Regional Shoreline Monday, January 21, 8:30am-noon. At the Oakport Athletic Field on Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, 5737 Oakport Street. Community service and clean up. www.ebparks.org/activities/events/.

MLK Day of Service - Monday, January 21
- Lakeside Park and the Gardens at Lake Merritt, 9am-1pm, 666 Bellevue Avenue
- Madison Middle School/Sobrante Elementary, 9am-1pm, 400 Capistrano Drive
- Fruitvale Community School/Lazear Elementary, 9am-1pm, 824 29th Avenue
- tree planting, 10-2pm, 27th and Market
www.mlkchallenge.org Email sfpbayarea@gmail.com. (510) 427-1605.

volunteer at Peralta Hacienda - Monday, January 21, 9am-noon. Help cleanup, weed and improve Peralta Hacienda historic park.

Annual MLK Film Festival at AAMLO - Monday, January 21. The African American Museum and Library of Oakland presents an extraordinary film collection directly from their archives. There is also a bone marrow registry drive in support of Bay Area journalist Kevin Weston, who is battling a rare form of leukemia.

ongoing events:

• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

looking further ahead:

Off the Grid at OMCA - Friday. January 25, 5-9pm. The food truck event comes to the Oakland Museum. (free)

OMCA White Elephant Sale - Sunday, January 27. It's the annual fundraiser for the Oakland Museum of California. Check out the massive White Elephant Sale fundraiser before the crowds arrive! ($15-$20)

urban paths: Cleveland Heights and "Borax" Smith

Saturday we had an amazing turnout for the monthly Oakland Urban Paths walk. At least 65 people and 7 dogs joined us for a walk exploring Cleveland Heights and the site of the former "Borax" Smith estate. It was a chilly but beautiful morning, and the view over Lake Merritt was breathtaking.

Cleveland Cascade in 1928

We started the walk at the Cleveland Cascade. Designed by landscape architect Howard Gilkey in the 1920s, the cascade had 3 levels of 7 steps each. Each step had a bowl that made a curved sheet of pouring water. At each side were shell-shaped brackets, behind which were lights running through the colors of the rainbow. Over time, the cascade and nearby steps became rundown and overgrown. Barbara Newcombe was part of the original group that helped rediscover and uncover the cascade back in 2004, and was there on Saturday working on the stairs. The Friends of the Cleveland Cascade group has cleaned up and maintained the stairs, installed new railings and LED lighting, and created replica cascade fixtures that will be installed when enough money has been raised. These days the stairs are heavily used, by people walking between Cleveland Heights and Lake Merritt, by people exercising, or just looking to get a different view of the lake. Read more about the Cleveland Cascade from in last year's OUP: Jane's Walk.

We walked up the steps along the Cascade and around to Cleveland Street. Area maps show a right of way between the top of the Cascade and Cleveland Street, but there are no signs that steps were ever built there. The question of "what neighborhood is this?" led to questions about the boundaries of Cleveland Heights, other names for smaller areas within it like Haddon Hill, and the general question of "what's a neighborhood?" The main take-away is that neighborhood boundaries are fuzzy at best. Even though my Oakland Neighborhoods map has clear boundaries, the reality is that it depends on who you ask.

Along our way east, we admired some of the beautiful houses and apartment buildings, pieces of street art large and small, and of course I was checking out sidewalk stamps. They can give clues about the age of a neighborhood.


We crossed over Park Boulevard into Ivy Hill and Bella Vista, which is where the "Borax" Smith estate was. Francis Marion "Borax" Smith made his fortune in borax mining, and coined the slogan "20 mule team borax" which is still in use today. Smith is better known in Oakland for creating the Key System of streetcars. He and his business partner Frank Havens created the Realty Syndicate and bought large pieces of land then sold smaller pieces for development. To get people out to see the real estate, Smith bought up various streetcar lines and combined them into what became known as the Key System. To encourage people to visit, destination resorts like the Claremont Hotel were built. Traces of the Key System can be found all over Oakland, sometimes in subtle ways. Sometimes they're still there, like the Claremont Hotel, and the Realty Syndicate building at 1440 Broadway. We were fortunate to be joined by Dorothy Lazard, head of the Oakland History Room at the main Oakland Public Library who told us more information as we went along.

Further along, we saw another wayfinding mark: a row of palm trees. They mark one edge of the Smith estate, which was known as Arbor Villa. The house itself was called Oak Hall, and was extravagant. It had 42 rooms, including 15 bedrooms; a ballroom; a bowling alley including a ball return; an organ with 18 or more ceiling-height pipes; an attached conservatory; and even a miniature borax mine. The 50-acre grounds were equally impressive, with a 5-story tower with an observatory; a large lily pond; a paddock where deer were kept; stables; several greenhouses; and a variety of guest houses and other structures.

I was inspired by what I'd learned on the Oakland Heritage Alliance "Borax" Smith tour and the bits and pieces I found online preparing to lead Saturday's walk. So Sunday afternoon I joined other like-minded Oaklanders at the Oakland History Room and did more research on Arbor Villa. I've started an Oakland Wiki page about Arbor Villa, and will be updating it as time permits. Other things I learned about where the existence of an archery range, a small man-made cave called "The Grotto", a cattery(!), and various gardens. One information source was the Sanborn maps, which were created to estimate fire insurance rates. So I also found other details like the observatory tower contained a 10,000 gallon water tank.

We crossed back over Park Boulevard, but we weren't done with the Smiths yet. Frank and his wife Mary donated money for the building of the El Campanil at Mills College. Mary was inspired to help children. After reading Benjamin Farjeon's Blade O' Grass about orphans in London, she took in various orphan children. Frank gave 34 acres of land across from Arbor Villa, and endowed the Mary R. Smith Trust for her to start a "home for friendless girls", AKA orphans. "The Lodge" (a home that's still there) at the center served as the intake office. Eventually 13 cottages were constructed for the girls to live in, and each cottage was given an endowment. A larger structure called the Home Club was constructed where Oakland High School is now, and served as a central clubhouse for different activities.

Along Park there is stairway that goes up the hill between several apartment buildings. Although it was a public right-of-way, it's no longer publicly accessible. The stairs are also where a long, arbor-covered stairway went up the hill to the Home Club. A little further along Park is large home, which was one of the 13 cottages, and was designed by Julia Morgan. Some of the other cottages still exist, and were designed by such notable architects as Bernard Maybeck and George W. Flick.

Our journey back took us across Haddon Hill, past more beautiful homes, apartments, and church buildings. Of particular note was a large home that was owned by noted industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. He started Kaiser Aluminum, Kaiser Shipyards (which built tons of ships during WWII) and what eventually became Kaiser Permanente, the first HMO. I've heard that Franklin Delano Roosevelt stayed there at least once while in the SF Bay Area.

Across the street is a stairway at the end of Haddon Road. As recently as 30 years ago, it was open and accessible. Now it's blocked off by fences, and overgrown by trees and other plants. While it's sad to see public stairways cut off, but it's also understandable when an area wants to restrict easy access from some streets. It was doubtless very different before the MacArthur Freeway (I-580) was built, but now that section of MacArthur feels somewhat orphaned because it's cut off by the freeway.

Our final stairway took us down from Merritt Avenue down to Beacon Street. It's another historical staircase, and beautifully if somewhat impractically designed. Each section of stairs has a different design, whether curved, bay-shaped, or straight. They're also smaller than would be permitted under current building codes. Fortunately a neighbor at the top of the stairs warned us that several of the steps at the bottom were broken, so we proceeded down with extra caution. I reported the problem with SeeClickFix, an online system for reporting potholes, vandalism, and other problems for the Public Works to address. If you'd like to help fix the problem, click here and vote.

More pictures from Saturdays walk:

Special thanks to Chris Kidd for the use of some his photos. I've discovered that leading a walk (particularly a large one) makes it harder to take pictures of the walk. If you have pictures of the walk you'd like to share, let me know.

Those of you who had difficulty hearing me talk (which is probably all of you at some point) will be happy to know we're going to use your generous tips to invest in a portable sound system so large groups can hear better.

Related links:

• Friends of the Cleveland Cascade
• Oakland Neightborhoods Map
• Oakland Heritage Alliance (OHA) website
• about the OHA "Borax" Smith tour
• Oakland History Room
• Oakland Wiki
• SeeClickFix
• full panorama of Lake Merritt

Thanks to everyone who showed up! Hope to see you at the next Oakland Urban Paths walk, which will be the second Saturday, February 9th. The location is yet to be determined, but it'll be in Oakland and it'll be fun!

photo of the week: Lake Merritt panorama

Yesterday was a chilly but beautiful morning in Oakland. I took the photos for this panorama before the Oakland Urban Paths walk I led around Cleveland Heights and the "Borax" Smith Estate. Click on the image for a larger version, though you may need to scroll sideways to see it all.

signs: Miam Miam

Not a great sign, but looks pretty good lit up. And notable because it will go away at some point, as the Miam Miam gelato and frozen yogurt shop closed recently, as reported in the most recent Oakland Food News post.

MLK filmfest at AAMLO

The following is from an email from the African American Museum & Library of Oakland. But I also wanted to call attention to the marrow donor drive in support of Bay Area journalist Kevin Weston. Read more about Kevin's battle at Oakland North.

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AAMLO Annual MLK
Film Festival
January 21, 2013
11AM-4PM

The African American Museum & Library is honored to continue its traditional Martin Luther King, Jr. film festival by presenting a selection of critically acclaimed documentaries that put into historical perspective the nation defining-movement of the 1950s and 1960s for African American civil rights:

• The History Channel Presents: Voices of Civil Rights
• The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
• Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement

AAMLO/FAAMLO welcomes Be The Match
Operated by the National Marrow Donor Program
4–6PM

Be The Match helps to find un-related (not blood related to the recipient) marrow and blood stem cell donor matches for patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood diseases. Our goal is to educate, recruit and sign-up new registry members from a wide range of ethnic and racial backgrounds in order to give all patients a better chance of finding their match. Please get involved to help the many African American families we work with.

One of our current patients is Kevin Weston. Mr. Weston is a 44-year-old news media journalist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is father to 1-year-old Lelah, stepfather to 16-year-old Aminah and the husband of Lateefah Simon. As a long-time mentor to aspiring journalists of color, Kevin's life has touched many. Now, Kevin and his family need our help. In August 2012, Kevin was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of leukemia. A bone marrow match can help save his life. Kevin is African-American. Only about 8% of the nation’s 10 million registered bone-marrow donors are Black, which makes his chance of finding a bone marrow match quite slim. You are the key to helping Kevin change these odds.

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Registering with Be The Match is as simple as a cheek swab. And it can help safe a life.

The Improving State of the Pulled Pork Sandwich

The following is a guest post on Our Oakland by Dave Cambell. Besides being the Program Director of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (ebbc.org) and an avid cyclist, he's a Georgia boy who loves a wide variety of food, none more than good Q!

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While perhaps not as close to the heart as moles and their role in honoring the dead in Mexican culture, southern barbecue is very much cherished grub and revered across a vast swath of lower Americana. I can't think of another food that is as festive or as competitive in the hearts and minds of those who enjoy it. I know cause I grew up in Georgia, ate the stuff relentlessly as a kid, still cook it myself, and have two younger brothers who are competitive barbecue aficionados. Living now in California, I yearn for the stuff. I'm no expert for sure, but I have my favorite style and I am always ready to enjoy the offerings of any local barbecue joint, as long as it's quality and as long as they serve me a pulled pork sandwich. Fortunately, I can do this in a lot more places now because the deep south's culinary gift to the world has finally arrived.

For years I considered the best barbecue restaurant to be Great American Barbecue, just across the High Street bridge in Alameda. It's a St. Louis-style barbecue joint that smokes a ton of ribs and serves pulled pork. I could chide them for using the term "artisan barbecue," which no one should ever have to do, since barbecue by definition is "artisan." That said, their sauces are familiar to west coast barbecue fans, a savory and sweet molasses–good, but the sauce can overwhelm the meat and there's a spicy, tangy richness that's missing. Same goes for Flint's BBQ in East Oakland, which is hefty and hearty, and Looney's BBQ and Everett & Jones, too. All serve saucy ribs and other good sweet and savory barbecue, but no yummy pulled pork sandwiches to remind me of home, all due to their preference for sweet over sour.

And therein lies the secret to good barbecue—vinegar, and lots of it! Deep south barbecue is pork and vinegar. If you're from Carolina, that’s about all it is. In Georgia, we are happy to add some tomatoes to the sauce, but not too much. My recipe is about 1:1 vinegar to tomato sauce, with apple juice as the sweetener, by the way. It makes for a pulled pork sandwich anyone can enjoy. However, improving upon rich southern cooking traditions should be encouraged as should experimentation, something California cooks are always ready to do.

Unfortunately, many restaurants try to do this by offering up a pulled pork sandwich as the 'special of the day.' Don't ever order one of these—I can't tell you how many times my heart's been broken. If you're not in a barbecue joint, order something else. Mind you, some places do make great barbecue pork and ribs, too, such as Chop Bar in Jack London, but theirs is not a barbecue joint and their sauce is all sweet molasses. It's good, but the experience is different. Similarly, the food truck Boffo Cart serves a wonderful, gourmet pulled pork that melts in your mouth, but it's not southern style and it's not in a sandwich. What's a lover of deep south pulled pork sandwiches to do?

Bside BBQ staff

Come to Bside BBQ. They have been around longer than I realized and do two things particularly well: smoke their meats and pair them with great beverages. Their pulled pork sandwich with the Carolina sauce is really good. Pair it with the Thelonious Belgium Ale and life don't get much better. You can take me to task cause their pulled pork would never win a barbecue competition, other than maybe the "anything goes” category, but that's only cause traditions die hard in the south. It's pork, it's vinegar, it's a sandwich, and it's fabulous. They do cheat a bit at Bside, by having gone to some fancy schmancy cooking school in Paris–Le Cordon something or other, but boy does it work. I'm split on the decor and ambiance of Bside BBQ. Its classiness is top notch, but the pristine feel can interfere with the irregular down home experience I seek while chewing on threads of pulled pork. This is no roadside barbecue joint. Still, I have nothing against fine beer, wines and spirits and I reckon there is no reason these things can't be combined with a classy barbecue experience. Whether you seek good barbecue or good drinks, I recommend this place highly.

For a slightly more authentic feel, try Smoke Berkeley. Their pulled pork sandwich has the peppery taste that most reminds me of Georgia barbecue. Maybe it's something in the crispy bits of outer pork layers. I don't know, but I like it. The kitchen is somewhat disorganized, like many a good roadside barbecue joint, but they eventually get you a full plate of food and their pies are so good that it seems like they specialize more in them than cooking meats. The place is also located right next to a car wash service, which is so southern. Overall, Smoke has a nice, simple authenticity to it. I approve.

I also want to give kudos for Smoke Berkeley serving their sandwich on an Acme Bakery bun and even bigger kudos to Bside BBQ for using Semifreddie's kaiser bun. Why don't all restaurants take advantage of the amazing bakeries we have in the East Bay? While Acme Bakery is my favorite in general, I have to say Semifreddie's does the most for a pulled pork sandwich—it nicely holds the meat together on the bun, while adding just a bit of fresh crunchiness. On this note, I also want to give props to Actual Cafe for experimenting with an arepa corn bun for its pork sandwich. It's a promising combination.

PhatMatt's BBQ on Telegraph is worth a trip, too. They'll serve you a 'North Carolina' pulled pork sandwich, but it's more like Kansas City in my opinion—good, but not vinegary enough for my taste and they tend to overdue it on the sauce. One thing I love is that PhatMatt's positions their smoker right behind the counter. You can see it right there, although you can't see the meats inside. This adds to the ambiance of the place and makes it easier to smell the wonderful aromas. You can also get a beer with your sandwich here and watch the ballgame, which is not something you could ever do at a barbecue joint in the deep South. Just ask them to put the sauce on the side, and enjoy!

mmm...cornbread

Can the pulled pork sandwiches of these local establishments be improved upon? Yeah. Smoke Berkeley could smoke their meats more and Bside still chops their pork—it's called 'pulled' for a reason, y'all. I'm still not sure the ultimate bun has been discovered for the pulled pork sandwich, but Semi's is the best so far. And none of these places dabbles in barbecue theater, which is one thing all self-respecting southern roadside barbecue joints thrive in doing. Walk into one of these, and you are overwhelmed at the sights and smells of racks and racks of meat smokin' in da smoker all right before your eyes. Pork butts, ribs, briskets, whole chickens tantalizing you long before you get to the order counter. In fact, you can smell these meats from a mile away, which is why people eat there so often. It isn't something you can experience on the streets of Oakland. So, I'm still seeking pulled pork nirvana but things are improving rapidly. Maybe I'll open up a restaurant, hmm?

My picks for each of these important pulled pork sandwich criteria:
Best sandwich overall: Bside, but Smoke Berkeley's is darn good
Best vinegar sauce: Smoke's hot vinegar sauce
Best coleslaw (gotta have this with pork): Smoke Berkeley
Best cornbread (I love cornbread): Phat Matt's
Best decor: Bside
Most authentic place: Smoke Berkeley
Best smell: Phat Matt's
(alright) Best drink selection: Bside

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I'll probably hit BSide for their BBQ braised tofu nuggets, but that's hardly the same as regular BBQ. So I was happy to have Dave do this guest post—thanks, Dave! If you're interested in doing a guest post about Oakland, let me know.

upcoming Oakland events

An eclectic collection of things to do in Oakland. I'll be on the OUP walk on Saturday in Cleveland Heights. Let me know of other fun stuff going on this week.

Friday

Hot Couture: A Fusion of Fashion & Fire - Friday and Saturday, 7pm. Melding high fashion with industrial art, Hot Couture features world-class fire demonstrations, aerial artistry and a blazing showcase of wearable art from Bay Area designers. ($30-$75)

East Bay Bike Party - Friday, January 11, 7:30pm. The monthly rolling bike party. This month's theme: superheroes. (free)

Saturday

Oakland Urban Paths: Cleveland Heights and Haddon Hill - Saturday, January 12, 10am. Join OUP for a study in contrasts between four different urban stairways in four different states of access. We’ll also explore where the F.M. "Borax" Smith estate was, see a house that was owned by Henry J. Kaiser, and more. (free)

Sunday

Oakland Wiki Sunday History Edit-a-thons - Sundays, starting January 13. Bring a computer or note-taking materials to the Oakland History Room and hang with your fellow local history nuts as we research and add historical content to the Oakland Wiki. (free)

MacArthur B Arthur final showing - Sunday, January 13, 1-5pm. It's the last chance to see the final exhibit, The Home Show, at the MacArthur B Arthur gallery at 4030 MLK. Read more at Oakland North. (free)

Tuesday

Vegetarian Popup at Kitchener - Tuesday, January 15, 6–9pm. A variety of vendors gather at Kitchener with their latest vegetarian wares.

ongoing events:

• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

looking further ahead:

Oakland: The Story of a City lecture by Annalee Allen - Thursday, January 17, 7:30pm. Noted Oakland author and historian Annalee Allen talks about Oakland: The Story of a City and the late author, Beth Bagwell. At the Rockridge Library. (free)

OHA: Neon Works lecture & demo - Thursday, January 17, 7pm. Visit a local neon factory with the Oakland Heritage Alliance to see new signs being built and discover a vintage neon sign collection! This very special event will include a lecture and glass bending demonstration by shop owner Jim Rizzo. I went to this last year, it was great. ($20-$25)

Oakland Restaurant Week - January 18-27. Celebrate the thriving culinary scene in Oakland with ten days of special deals. Restaurants all over Oakland will offer prix fixe menus at $20, $30, and $40.

In the Name of Love - Musical Tribute to MLK - Saturday, January 19, 7pm. A musical tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring Jennifer Holliday, Tuck & Patti, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir,
and Oakland Children's Community Choir. ($8-$45)

Annual MLK Film Festival at AAMLO - Monday, January 21. The African American Museum and Library of Oakland presents an extraordinary film collection directly from their archives. There is also a bone marrow registry drive in support of Bay Area journalist Kevin Weston, who is battling a rare form of leukemia.

Oakland Food News

All the news that's fit to nom or imbibe. There's lots going on in Oakland with restaurant openings and a few closings, beer openings coming up, and more. The annual Oakland Restaurant Week is coming up, January 18-27, with dozens of Oakland restaurants with special $20, $30 and $40 prix fixe menus.

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The new, smaller Trappist off-shoot, Trappist Provisions, is now open on College Avenue. Thanks to Monteskewed for the tip.

Down the street, the gelato and frozen yogurt shop Miam Miam is closed with a 'for lease' sign in the window. Besides frozen treats, it served as a showroom and concept store for Miam Miam design. I'm not sure of the long-term status of that, but did receive an email saying things can still be ordered online.

Nearby, the new Ramen Shop opened on New Year's. Bay Area Bites has a post about the food, and some beautiful pictures of the food.

Further down College near the Rockridge library, I Squared has closed. I didn't even know they were there, but their website says they featured food "inspired by authentic Persian and rustic Italian cuisine (NO FUSION)."

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There were lots of food truck happenings in 2012, but it wasn't all good. The East Bay Express has the report. While Bites off Broadway had a good year, the Clay Street food pod has closed for good. Simlarly, North Berkeley Off-the-Grid has closed up, but according to the East Bay Express report, chances are good that it will re-open elsewhere in Berkeley.

Even before I'd completed this post (which given the number of food- and drink-related things happening Oakland, isn't that hard a target to hit), I saw this report from Luke Tsai at the East Bay Express: Finally, Off the Grid to Make Its Oakland Debut - at the Oakland Museum.

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There's lots of intriguing beer news for Oakland. First up, Simon Waddington reports on Google+ on the new place planned by the owners of Beer Revolution. It will be next door in the old train station on 3rd Street, and fittingly, be called The Old Depot Public House. It will feature vegan German- or European-themed food, and should open in February.

Christina at East Bay Dish has the scoop on the planned opening of Rosamunde in Old Oakland. Like the popup in Uptown, they'll be featuring sausage and other grillables, and have 16 beers on tap. They're having a grand opening this Wednesday, January 9.

Speaking of beer (and pizza), Simon Waddington also reports that "Forge is forging ahead, looks like they are planning for a January opening". The sign I saw still said "Winter 2012", so we'll see.

Including some of the above, East Bay Beer has info on nine beer places opening in Oakland plus others in the East Bay. Go Oakland! I'm particularly intrigued by Diving Dog Brewhouse, which is described as "Beer bar, bottle shop, and brew-on-premises (basically brewing your own beer, with help, and without having to purchase homebrew equipment). Opening sometime in March." Not only do you not need to purchase brewing equipment, but the staff do the cleanup work. From a beer-drinker's standpoint, it's a great way to be introduced to the brewing process and make some good beer. In as past life, I worked on a brew-on-premises and bar. Lousy pay, but great benefits.

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On the subject of coffee, @CoolhandLuke tweeted to keep an eye out for the Get Goes Coffee van. Various locations, including every Saturday on Lakeshore near Brooklyn.

Christina of East Bay Dish says Timeless Coffee has opened. It features non-dairy coffee drinks and vegan baked goods. Based on the address, I think that's where Rooz Cafe was. As far as I know, the Rooz Cafe on Park Blvd. is still open.

In other coffee news, Bay Area Bites has a story on CRO Cafe in Temescal Alley, just off 49th.

Also from East Bay Dish, Christina had the scoop on the cocktail menu at newly-opened Nido near Jack London Square that I reviewed last month.

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Some changes are in store in the Oakland food scene. The former Cafe 504 at 504 Wesley Avenue is now Haddon Hill Cafe. They had a grand opening this past weekend, but I wasn't able to attend. For those of you wondering about the Haddon Hill name, you can learn more on the Oakland Urban Paths walk this Saturday. H/T to @MrOakland for the info.

Another change in store is Zatis on Piedmont will be replaced with a restaurant called Homestead. Inside Scoop SF has the story. The restaurant will feature farm-to-table food and homey decor, and the ETA is some time this spring. It's being opened by a couple Fred and Elizabeth Sasson. He was most recently cooking at Camino, and she was a sous chef at Waterbar in SF.

District in Old Oakland is expanding. Again from Inside Scoop SF comes the news that they'll be doing takeout on the 9th Street side via a new space called District Carriage House.

Another change is Nick's Pizza in Bushrod (North Oakland). It's where Pizza Plaza used to be, and instead of vegan pizzas (which were very good), it has "Oakland style pizza". Get the story from the East Bay Express.

News that's been coming for a while includes Miss Pearl's in Jack London Square is shutting down. It's going to be replaced with Lungomare, which will feature northern Italian cuisine. More details from Inside Scoop SF, which says this past Sunday was the last day.

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OK, this post is way longer than I'd like, but there's just too much food-related news going on in Oakland. A great problem to have, I know.

Christina Mitchell of East Bay Dish has a report on the newly opened Victory Burger, next to Actual Cafe. I sampled the food back at the Oakland Indie awards, and more recently went in to try the veggie arepa (a new food concept for me). I'll have a review coming up soon.

A couple of different articles on Miss Ollie's in Old Oakland. I first heard about them around the time of the HellaWeen Fun Run through Oakland. There's a post from Inside Scoop SF, and one from Oakland Local. Perhaps their ascendance will help make up for the loss of Miss Pearl's which also featured Caribbean food.

The NY Times has an article on the surge of bagel makers in Oakland, with a focus on Baron Baking.

Luke Tsai of the East Bay Express has an extensive review of Destino on Grand.

Ellen Cushing of the East Bay Express has a review of Portal in Eastlake.

Michael Bauer has an extensive review of Hopscotch on SFGate.

SF Eater has info on a "high-end Mexican" restaurant coming to Uptown near Broadway and Grand.

Not far away, Duende had a sneak peek back in December, according to a post on Uptown Place Homes.

Still in Uptown, Oakland Local has an overview of nearby sandwich options.

Last and certainly not least, the Crossroads Collective Cafe has opened at 942 Stanford, and is having a special brunch on Sunday (1/13) to raise funds. It features food from Phat Beets Produce, the Oakland-based CSA. K and I have subscribed to Phat Beets since 2011, and we love it.

film, food, and fun at The New Parkway

After too many delays to count, The New Parkway theater is finally open, and it's a blast. Whether you're a fan of the original, or just wondering what all the hubbub is about, you should definitely check it out.

J. Moses Ceasar tried very hard to open the theater in the original location on Park Boulevard, but the landlords were unwilling to do the work needed on the building. He tried for way longer than most people would have, but finally decided to look for an alternative location. He found that in a space in Uptown in the heart of the Art Murmur community.

Although it's in a new space in a new location, The New Parkway has done a great job keeping the best of the feel of the original Parkway. There are two theaters, each with a balcony, and both are loaded with comfy chairs, loveseats and tables. As with the original, they feature quirky, non-first run movies like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Big Lebowski, and Barbarella. On Sundays during the football season, they also show NFL games featuring the Raiders or the 49ers.

Like the original, it's not just movies, it's food and drinks, too. (As a Kickstarter reward, we got an extremely tasty pizza and a pitcher of beer.) After you order and pay, you're given a small key card which you insert into a machine at your seat. That allows the server to find you in the right theater. They've got an extensive menu, with starters like fries, quesadillas or soup; and pizzas, burgers (including a vegi option), or mac & cheese for more substantial options. The drinks range from Italian soda to hot cocoa to a nice selection of beers on tap. The pizza was very good, and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other choices. That the food is good is no surprise, as Ceasar spent some of the time waiting by having dining parties taste possible food options and help shape the menu. They source food locally, and don't serve anything with palm oil or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

The theaters are spartan but comfortable, and perfect for finding your own little spot, whether you want a comfy chair or loveseat, or you you want to sit at a hardback chair at a table. The lobby is nicely decorated, with living walls, custom art tables designed by folks at Creative Growth, old diner and theater seats, and other old film memorabilia. Besides the living walls, there are other green features, like waterless urinals in the men's room and a balcony railing made from repurposed wine barrel bands.

The night we were there we saw Beasts of the Southern Wild with a fair-sized crowd. As we left, a large crowd was gathering for a showing of Serenity and I saw tweets freom several people I know that were somewhere in the crowd. I also stopped in on Sunday to check out the Raiders game on the really big screen, and there was a good turnout. Whether you go for a quirky movie ($6) or to watch football ($5 worth of food/drink), it's a fun spot in Uptown with good food.

Note: The New Parkway will be open during tonight's Art Murmur, featuring a collection of short films from 6-9pm. After that they'll be showing their current movie features.

More pictures from The New Parkway:

photo of the week: USS Potomac

Last week I received an email asking if I knew of any walking tours of Jack London Square on the coming weekend. The free city tours and the Oakland Heritage Alliance tours aren't run during the winter months, and there weren't any Savor Oakland food tours scheduled. Since I love Oakland and showing it off, I offered to lead a tour myself! We had perfect weather, and I had a great time showing Tiffany and her parents around Jack London and the waterfront.

upcoming Oakland events

It's time for the first First Friday of 2013. The weather should be good, albeit a bit chilly. Looking further ahead, it's time to start planning for Oakland Restaurant Week!

Friday

Art Murmur - Friday, 5-10pm. Dozens of galleries. Lots of artists. Tons of people. It's the monthly chance to check out new art in uptown, eat from food trucks, and join the happenings. There are also Art Murmur events in Old Oakland, near Jack London Square, and more. (free)

music at Awaken Cafe - Friday, January 4, 7pm-midnight. Part of the Art Murmur, this Friday features local musicians Tumbleweed Wanderers and Emily Moldy. (free)

Sunday

free first Sunday at OMCA - Sunday. January 6. Did you know that admission to the Oakland Museum is free on the first Sunday? It's an inexpensive way to see this local gem. (free)

ongoing events:

• Find the Golden Latte - January 1-10. A fun treasure hunt at Oakland coffee shops, and a chance to win a lifetime of clothing from new Oakland company, Famous Four Colors Clothing. There are 5 areas around the bay involved including Oakland, and over 200 coffee shops.
• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

looking further ahead:

Oakland Urban Paths: Cleveland Heights and Haddon Hill - Saturday, January 12, 10am. Join OUP for a study in contrasts between four different urban stairways in four different states of access. We’ll also explore where the F.M. "Borax" Smith estate was, see a house that was owned by Henry J. Kaiser, and more.

Oakland Wiki Sunday History Edit-a-thons - Sundays, starting January 13. Bring a computer or note-taking materials to the Oakland History Room and hang with your fellow local history nuts as we research and add historical content to the Oakland Wiki. (free)

Oakland Restaurant Week - January 18-27. Celebrate the thriving culinary scene in Oakland with ten days of special deals. Restaurants all over Oakland will offer prix fixe menus at $20, $30, and $40.

In the Name of Love - Musical Tribute to MLK - Saturday, January 19, 7pm. A musical tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring Jennifer Holliday, Tuck & Patti, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir,
and Oakland Children's Community Choir. ($8-$45)

Annual MLK Film Festival at AAMLO - Monday, January 21. The African American Museum and Library of Oakland presents an extraordinary film collection directly from their archives.