Farmer Joe's Marketplace
NARRATIVE
A brief stint of residency of 35th and Macarthur introduced me to the original Farmer Joe's. My friend Bonnie RAVED about it and I thought it was a decent spot. Smaller than the Food Mill down the street, but filled with community and grocery so it had a little soul. I've since moved from that spot to the San Antonio/Fruitvale part of Oakland. I love my new digs...and I LOVE that Farmer Joe's is a 5 minute drive for me, which means I get to impulse buy St. Benoit yogurt...a lot.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Farmer Joe's Marketplace
3420 Fruitvale Ave
Oakland, CA 94602
Phone: (510) 482-8278
HOURS:
7 Days a week.
8:30 am - 7:30 pm (I believe.)
PRICE RANGE
Inexpensive - Decadent. I go in "for just a few things,' but then am compelled to try the Elderberry soda in the English food section or the chocolate orange Maya bar so conveniently placed to the checkout.
SUMMARY
Grocery shopping is a luxury, or at least should feel like it. Buying the stuff that keeps you going day to day shouldn't be a grind filled with bleeps and boops and coupons sticking themselves out at you from the aisle. I'm a farmer's market/Trader Joe's/Draeger's/Mollie Stone's/Alameda Marketplace/Rainbow Grocery/Whole Foods/Urban Harvest kinda girl. In a desperate pinch I'll walk into Albertson's or Safeway, but then I am usually with a friend and they tout that these stores are more convenient. I think they're oppressive to the shopping experience.
I'm a romantic. My grocery store needs to be an experience and not an errand. I want to have a marketplace/community center kinda feel. I want friendly service. I want decent tunes. I want the choice of discounts for using my own bag, a basket, or a cart with functioning wheels. I want organic produce, free range eggs, interesting chocolate, a fabulous selection of teas, and ample samples.
Farmer Joe's has expanded their Macarthur spot while keeping the charm of the first location. You walk in and after passing the outdoor produce section and outdoor seating, you find yourself in greeted with flowers and produce (organic and conventionally grown), and make your rounds to the olive oil bar, dairy, bulk grains, deli case, and can get lost in the aisles of little gourmet impulse purchases.
I seriously dig the lighting. Low-key. It feels friendly.
The store always has a mixture of folks --moms and dads with kids in tow, people who look like they are from Piedmont but can come lowland to shop in the Diamond district, neighborhood locals who've been fans for years, and newcomers who are amazed to find this kind of store on Fruitvale. Except for some truly specialty items, Oaklanders may never need to plan on spending a whole day on line at Berkeley Bowl ever again!
This week I became addicted to a fancy brand of flatbread cracker that shall remain nameless. Rosemary and sea salt had my name all over it. Along with a tasty chunk of swiss it served as my snack of choice.
SERVICE
When I need help, it's like having neighbors know exactly what I need and will help me find it. Awesome!
REST ROOMS
Well kept. Nice soap selection, too.
SUGGESTION?
Expand the supplement and toiletry section. I find my supplements a little cheaper across the bay.
Dia de Los Muertos Celebration, Oakland Museum of California
NARRATIVE
When I moved to the Bay Area, I was humbled to find that Puerto Ricans were not the majority Latino population in the United States. I was infused with Mejicano, Central an South American culture. One of the greatest traditions I have discovered has been the Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the Oakland Museum of California. It's always been filled with ceremony, craftsmanship, community, and celebration. Especially after losing a firefighter in 9/11, I have returned year after year to pay homage to my lost loved ones and to gain further understanding of this celebration beyond my Catholic upbringing.
This year's theme is Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts. This year's Dia de Los Muertos Celebration is Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006 from noon - 4 pm.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak Street
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.238.2200
HOURS:
** This year's Dia de Los Muertos Celebration is Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006 from noon - 4 pm.
Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
First Friday of each month open until 9 p.m.
Museum closed on these holidays:
New Years Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
PRICE RANGE
Inexpensive. You'll be sampling tortillas you grind yourself. You also may be purchasing sugar skulls or other artwork made by artisans, but mostly you'll wander the gardens, listen to the music, and participate in the community festival.
SUMMARY
My friend Amy, originally from Pittsburgh, PA, introduced me to the festival in 1999. She took video and I marveled at the honoring of the Departed in such a beautiful way. All Souls' Day and All Saints Day were celebrations I looked forward to as a kid in Catholic school. I focused on my favourite saints and especially enjoyed mass at St. Anthony of Padua in Endicott, NY because there was such a beautiful grotto of saint statues there.
I always wander the gardens to get the layout. The children's crafts activities are housed immediately as you enter. Volunteers offer you a guide and welcome you to the museum after you walk downstairs and past the koi pond.
Sculptures, altars, music, and people dressed as skeletons with face paint or elaborate costumes fill the courtyard. There are marigolds everywhere. You can choose to purchase one as a donation to remember your those you have lost to add to an altar created by local artists.
The stories the altars tell and the laughter of kids creating their own shakers and puppets are a lovely contrast. Death is a part of the cycle of life, not sinister or macabre.
Grinding the corn into masa for my first homemade tortilla was a treat. So much work, and SO good. Kernels are ground, ground, ground, into meal that is malleable, and pressed between our palms and then finally cooked for our consumption. I love being connected to the process like this.
The highlight for me is the community ceremony that is rooted in Native American tradition, ecumenical, and a statement to how we as human beings can take time to celebrate and reflect. Afterward I wander about the altars, read the stories, examine the pictures, and offer my silent thoughts to my lost loved ones. It is not my tradition, per se, but as an adopted Californian, I feel lucky to consider this annual event held at the Oakland Museum of California to be a highlight of the year for all to celebrate.
Exhibits are free to the public during the celebration as well.
SERVICE
Museum and festival volunteers are extremely helpful. A map of the layout of the event can help you strategize your visit.
REST ROOMS
Absolutely pleasant! The museum rest rooms are well kept! Changing stations are included for those with new family members!"
Crepes a Coco French Crepe House, Oakland, CA
NARRATIVE
This afternoon I am nursing a cold and am sitting in a little cafe that serves buckwheat crepes. I was hungry, but because my nasal passage is a myth I remember from my past at the moment, I have to judge my food choices by any ability of scent to skirt it's way to my olfactory center. I walked by after visiting the Oakland Farmers' Market by 580 and smelled a combination of cumin, cinnamon, cayenne...spices that are hearty and comforting.
I knew I would taste my breakfast here.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Crepes a Coco
French Crepe House
3227A Lakeshore Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: 510.834.8038
HOURS: Tue-Sat 9am - 8 pm
Sun 9 am - 3 pm
CUISINE
Light, cafe fair featuring savoury and dessert buckwheat crepes, salads, and sandwiches.
PRICE RANGE
Inexpensive - Mid-range. I was nursing my cold so I opted for a lunch crepe and a dessert crepe in addition to my cup of tea. Total was about $15.
SUMMARY
The storefront could look like a cheerful cafe. The interior is a sunny morning light yellow with tracklighting about the perimeter and artwork reticent of France along the walls. It's a place of intimate dining, most tables seat two. There are a pair of dj turntables in the back for dj occasions. Essentially this is your favourite friend's kitchen inviting you home to tell you the latest good news and you could spend hours here. I'm treating it as a cafe right now, but I am sure breakfast has that easy-going brunch feel to it as well.
The cook is a gregarious, 6'4" gent with dreads. I perused the menu, sought out a few choices and then asked his opinion. He painted a beautiful picture of the house crepe, and since that was on my list of choices, I took it as a match and chanced on it. I opened up my laptop and started playing backgammon. When the owner passed by me, I asked him for a cup of mint tea. It was served promptly to me in a beautiful white bowl and saucer. My hands cupped around the bowl helped settle me back into my body. Illness always makes me feel out of The cook served me the house specialty crepe: La Coconut Groove. Curried Chicken, Coconut Milk, and mushrooms with a vegetable ratatouille wrapped in a beautiful envelope of buckwheat crepe.
The scents filled my nose and warmth filled my belly with flavour and goodness.
SERVICE
I felt completely at home. This place would do well to offer wi-fi service so anyone could plop down a few bucks, enjoy the music, enjoy the people strolling by, enjoy their crepes and wile away their hours here.
REST ROOMS
I didn't visit the restrooms since I was late to an appointment with a nap I had, but the place is lovely and I would assume the feel would carry into the W.C.
Spices III, Oakland, CA
NARRATIVE
On Friday Bonnie and I worked up a huge appetite after opening up the dance floor at the Oakland Museum of California for First Friday. The band was Mazacote and they were awesome.
I have been nursing a cold/flu for the last week and my appetite has been turned off. My sense of smell was somehow hijacked in this whole process and I was in search of a meal I could enjoy again.
Spices III is the third spin-off of the Spices restaurants on Clement Street in the Richmond District of San Francisco. About 18 months ago, we finally got our very own in the East Bay.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Spices III
12th Street between Broadway and Webster
(West side of 12th Street)
Oakland, CA
HOURS
Mon-Sun: 12 pm-12 midnight
CUISINE
Taiwanese fabulousness.
PRICE RANGE
Inexpensive. My favourite, favourite dish is the shredded tofu salad appetizer with shredded carrots and light sesame dressing.
Super cheap. Other favourites for me are the braised beans and the scallion pancake. There are seasonal seafood dishes as well.
SUMMARY
We arrived at Spices III at 10:30. The restaurant was packed. Our hostess showed us a table by the door that was available and I reviewed some of my favourite dishes to Bonnie.
One of the waitresses brought over chili cucumber salad and said it was compliments of the chef.
Nice.
True, it had been the second time I had been to the restaurant in a week. The previous week I went with Denise and Michelle for a snack and we had the Taiwanese Rice Sticks, Tofu Pockets, Shredded Tofu Salad and I honestly forget the chicken dish.
Bonnie and I agreed on Crispy Fish, a crispy lo mein noodle dish, and a scallion pancake to be soaked in the chili dressing from our complimentary appetizer. These dishes filled our bellies, and even more importantly filled my nose. When I touched the pickle to my lips I rejoiced. The lips tingled and the mouth was refreshed with the coolness of the cucumber. Mmmmm.
The Crispy Fish was dusted with chili powder and served with a black bean and leek light sauce. It was spicy, flavorful, and felt like it was taking the layer of illness away (albeit temporarily) that had coated my throat.
We ate, were entertained by pop videos, warmed by the decor, and absolutely satisfied by our meal.
SERVICE
In addition to the bonus treat of the Chili Cucumber salad, Spices III always leaves me feeling like a valued customer. I never want - my tea pot and water glass are always filled and I almost always have to wave off the waitresses because I spend about 10 minutes perusing the extensive menu for something new to try. All the staff is friendly and the owner can frequently be found outside. He's young, stylish and has a smile for his customers on the way in.
REST ROOMS
The restroom is tucked in the back of the restaurant and reflects the same warm, playful decor of the restaurant.
Jack London Square Farmer's Market & Artisan Marketplace - Oakland, CA
NARRATIVE
Last Sunday I woke up to another week pondering my stolen car situation and was so thankful that friends were having dinner that evening. I wanted to see what ingredients I could buy by the water. I zipped down in the insurance rental to see how I could fill my ingredients for the Moosewood Inn Stuffed Cabbage recipe. It was a sublime early East Bay autumn day filled with sun and I walked over the brick street with my bag among the booths feeling connected.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Jack London Square Farmers Market
Water Street between Franklin and Washington Streets
Oakland, CA
http://www.jacklondonsquare.com/events.phpHOURS
Sun: 10am-2pm
WARES
California farmers, treat sellers, craftspersons, and chefs mingle along the Oakland waterfront to sell everything from Afghan breads and spreads to kettle corn to beautiful produce and flowers and jewelry and handcrafts.
PRICE RANGE
Inexpensive - Decadent. Depending on your ability to restrain impulse. I went for cabbage and left with earrings, bread, and spreads that were not on my list. I was also tempted by a Fig balsamic something or other that I finally tore my eyes from.
SUMMARY
My goal for the market was to find ingredients for the nuts and rice filling for the cabbage...oh, and the cabbage for the recipe. I veered toward the crafts portion of the market first, just to see the wares and immediately fell in love with an elegant pair of silver drop earrings with lapis lazuli on them. I engaged the craftswoman about her work, because I saw the prices were ridiculously reasonable. (I ended up spending $35 on two pairs of earrings. She specializes in simple silver jewelry with gemstone accents. When I find her card, I will include her name here.)
I asked her to hold them for me and went to the ATM to get another 20-spot and returned. Her daughter was charming and it was pleasant to find out that the artist was a former fellow neighbor in Alameda. We spoke about engaging youth in positive ways and I just felt kinship.
After bidding her adieu, I strolled south and found myself engaged by the fountain and saw a setup for a cooking demonstration - this was new for me. I had arrived too late to enjoy it, but made a mental note for next time.
The peaches were fat, round, golden globes, but I let them slip by. Some hanging plants reminded me that I would like more for my apartment, and then the Afghan bread seller was to my right, spreading a lovely chutney on a sample for other shoppers.
He offered me some and I tried to resist, ate the lovely pumpkin-filled bread and left with it, cheese spread, and a roasted tomato pesto that eventually added to the tomato sauce of my stuffed cabbage. Mmmmmmm.
The market was filled with other strollers, but definitely coming to an end. It was after 2 and sellers were breaking down their booths and making their last bargains. I vowed to return the next weekend, earlier.
On my way back to the car I saw a father and son, both dreaded, chasing each other and giggling on the green by the water. They were silhouetted by the sailboats, yachts, and sunlight reflecting off the water. It was a gorgeous Sunday.
SERVICE
The booths are filled with friendly merchants to offer you advice, suggestions, samples and neighborliness. Some drivers come from 4-5 hours away to visit Oakland and empty their trucks of produce. Some artisans are your next door neighbors.
REST ROOMS
Duck into the many restaurants' rest rooms found along the route. It's an easygoing atmosphere.
