10foot5's Profile
Peet's Coffee's new oatmeal [moved from San Francisco]
I generally have no reason to go into a Jamba juice, but noticed they had Oatmeal for $1 on Wednesdays in December. I was surprised how much I liked it - very creamy, but the oats have a little bit of chew to them, which is quite satisfying.
I don't know if their oatmeal is slow cooked, but they do serve it out of a simmering pot whereas Peets is clearly instant oatmeal. I think I saw that JJ uses soy milk, Peets uses water.
Don't know what the regular price is, but at $1 per I stopped by every Wed. in Dec.
Best bites of 2011
I HAVE had the mussels at A Cote and I remember loving them, but that must have been 8 to 10 years ago so I can't really compare the two.
That said, you won't go far wrong trying the ones at Sidebar. Even if the preperation differs they are still very good.
Best bites of 2011
I did try the porchetta at Southie but for whatever reason it didn't make an impression on me. Maybe I was distracted that day.
I tend to get the seafood sandwiches and the veggie sandwiches at Southie - they are so good I don't feel the need to spend the calories/cholesterol inherent in the meat options.
Best bites of 2011
A modest list this year, mostly lunch-centric.
Feijoada at Rio California
Tuna sandwich with hardboiled egg and olive at Southie
Steak tartare at Southie
Porchetta sandwich from the Porky cart outside of Plum (discontinued)
Diablita pizza at East End Pizza Co.
Kim Chi Stew at Bowl'd
Pa-jeon (Korean scallion pancake) - Pomelo
Szechuan beef tendon at China Village
Puntarelle with garlic and anchovy at Dopo
Mussels w/ Pernod, cream, shallots and shoestring potatoes (along with Classicist Manhattan(s)) (after swim workouts, immediately counteracting any health benefits) at Sidebar
B Side BBQ in Oakland
I tried B Side for the first time today.
The space itself is a bit nicer than what it was in its last incarnation as Yardie Jerk (R.I.P. - I miss their Oxtails and coconut cornbread). It was about 80% full at 12:30 on a Thursday.
I got Brisket and Baked Beans to go.
The brisket was a disappointment.
Have you ever has brisket that was so tasty that it didn't need sauce at all? Where the meat falls apart at the gentle coaxing of a fork, and the charred outside bits combine with the fatty bits and melt in your mouth in perfect harmony?
If so, hang onto those precious memories - Because this isn't that.
The brisket was under cooked to the point where it was almost impossible to cut with a plastic knife. The meat was only fairly chewy, but the fat was really tough to get through. I actually had to trim quite a bit of fat off which to me is a sin in BBQ. Fat should be the star.
The meat did have a good smoky flavor but that was about it. It was fairly bland on its own. When I covered it with either the tomato based sauce (that comes with brisket) or the vinegar based sauce (which I requested as extra), the sauces added needed flavor and salt but covered up the smoke.
There was no smoke ring to speak of. Instead, one side of the meat was almost a bright red color and the rest of it was pale grey. I have no idea if only one side of the brisket was getting the smoke all along, or if the strange coloring was for another reason. Usually a smoke ring is pinkish, no?
The full size portion was quite generous and $16 seems about par for the course for that amount of BBQ.
The baked beans were really, really good. Not too ketchup-y or sweet as baked beans so often are, these were a real treat and had lots of charred piece of meat to add interest.
The Texas toast and pickled vegetables that come on the side were both fine, although I think the vegetables would benefit from a bit more vinegar. They are nice and spicy (from included jalapenos) but the overall flavor is so mild that it really can’t stand up to the other strong flavors of BBQ.
I’ll probably go back to try other items, and for the fabulous beans, but I won’t get brisket again unless I hear that my experience was the exception rather than the rule.
Downtown Oakland/Ogawa Square - AT NIGHT?
Spice Monkey is not too far (Webster between 16th and 17th). They have decent burgers, good salads, a pretty big menu.
I love Disco Volante's burger, but I've only been there at lunch.
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Spice Monkey
1628 Webster St, Oakland, CA
Decent Rye Bread in the east bay?
Thanks for all the suggestions. If I don't make it down to Berkeley bowl tomorrow (it will be a madhouse, won't it?) I'll either grab an Acme Corn Rye from Piedmont Market or get a light rye from La Farine. Have any of you tried the La Farine rye? - I like their breads in general.
I should have mentioned I need the loaf sliced for sandwiches.
Where to buy sauerkraut juice in the bay area
Sorry I can't help out with a bay area source, but did just open a christmas care package from my parents in Cleveland which contained sauerkraut juice to make Slovak Sour Soup.
We made poppyseed kolache earlier this week.
Had to share that info with someone.
NEW: Kamdesh Afghan Kabab House (Downtown Oakland) - Anyone?
Martin pretty much nails it.
The lamb is so-so. The chicken is better but was frighteningly undercooked the second time I tried it. the Afghani naan is very Wonder Bread-esque. I like the salad that comes with but can't remember right now what's in it.
I was hoping it would be better.
kimchi chronicles - new PBS series
I thought it was pretty painful to watch.
Very amateurish narration. The show I saw was basically a rapid fire list of places to go. My wife walked by and said it sounded like a sorority girl narrating a slide show of her Junior year abroad.
Season pass deleted.
A child at Plum?
I've had good luck taking my kids to Pizzaiolo. The bocci ball court out back is a life saver for keeping young and restless picky eaters happy.
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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
El TacoBike- breakfast, downtown Oakland
I tried La Calle once (when Cafe Gabriela was out of pork adobo) and got the worst torta I've ever tried. A very Americanized version of a torta with way too much white fluffy roll to filling ratio. Who puts yellow mustard on a torta? A Torta Al Pastor! In a blindfold test I would not have been surprised if told that that sandwhich had come from a Subway.
I'm surprised to hear they are affiliated with Tamarindo, I would have guessed it was a chain based in the midwest.
I guess I shouldn't judge on one experience and, in fairness, try again. What would you recommend at La Calle?
(I fully support the idea of a taco bike BTW)
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Tamarindo
468 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607
La Calle
1000 Broadway, Oakland, CA
Cafe Gabriela
988 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
Good pupusas in the East Bay?
I don't have a whole lot of experience with papusas but I'm always happy the ones they serve at Tamales Mi Lupitas on Foothill.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/643804
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Tamales Mi Lupitas
3340 Foothill Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601
Best Cheese pizzas?
You may want to try the Dopo pizza at Dopo. A solid contender, IMHO.
I prefer it to Rotten City, which is the only one of your top tier I've tried.
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Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
Soft Shell Crab cravings
Cafe 15 does a very good soft shell crab sandwich as a special some days. They had one on the menu about 2 weeks ago. You can check the daily specials on twitter.
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Cafe 15
597 15th St, Oakland, CA 94612
Best Things I Ate Last Month: May 2011 edition
Sandwiches
Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Carrot Slaw w/ Cumin on a La Farine baguette from Southie
Porchetta from the Porky cart (Plum)
Non-sandwiches
Szechuan beef tendon from China Village
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La Farine
6323 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
Southie
6311 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
Sandwiches in the East Bay
Crispy Skin Alert!!!
I had a Porchetta from the Porky cart today and they have started including crispy, crunchy, tasty skin in their sandwich.
It is now, officially, fantastic.
Plum Review (Oakland)
The panisse was indeed served over a yogurt based (I believe) sauce. Neither the panisse nor the dressing had much flavor, IMO. That dish and the funyon-esque onion strips got the meal off to a shaky start.
Both dishes were $3 so it's no big deal. But it did give me a few moments of worry as I was the one who suggested that the group go to Plum. Luckily the anchovies and foie gras showed up next and we were off and running.
Plum Review (Oakland)
Went to Plum for dinner with a large group and tried the entire menu. A very pleasant evening on the whole.
Highlights
Foie gras mousse with rhubarb compote
Sous-vide and raw asparagus with morels and ash
The chicken dish was great but I'm blanking on what made it so.
Disappointments
Chickpea and greens pannisse were flavorless and had an unappealing texture
The little gems salad was not dressed properly. The bites that had the delicious dressing were outstanding; other bites had no dressing whatsoever.
There was a bit of awkwardness at the end of the meal as our server told us the 16% gratuity was split amongst the entire staff, leaving us in a quandary as far as how mush to tip for his excellent service. We ended up adding 4% more as 20% is our standard.
Asian Noodles in East Bay
I tried the kimchi jji gae at Sura for Lunch today. I think we'll have to agree to disagree for now. I enjoyed bowl'd version much more.
Perhaps it's not a fair comparison. I got takeout and the jji gae container biodegraded a bit ahead of schedule, leaving most of the broth sloshing in the bottom of the plastic bag. The broth that did remain was OK but nothing special. Some of the pork was good, some of it a bit too fatty and chewy. Overall it was a bit bland and under spiced for my taste. Price was right - with rice and tax it was still under $10.
Regardless, I'd never been inside Sura before. It seems like a nice place, and it's good to be exposed to another Korean option in my neighborhood. Thanks.
Asian Noodles in East Bay
I have not tried Sura yet, I'll put that on my list. Thanks.
My standby Kim Chee Jjige (I'm determined to spell it differently every time - as that's what the restos seem to do) is at Jong Ga house if you've had that one. But they vary from day to day too.
Hawker Fare [Oakland]
Tried Hawker Fare for lunch yesterday.
Pork Belly was very good with pickled greens ($9). The wasabi/plum sauce condiment was unnecessary IMO. It might go well with other dishes but the pork belly and greens were better without it.
Chopped salad was also very good ($6.50). Crispy fried lotus root added a nice crunch. Sesame seeds added a nutty flavor. Lettuce was fresh and the dressing light and tangy. The menu says it comes with a hardboiled egg but mine didn't.
I'm no fan of the Siamese peanuts though ($3). I like the listed ingredients but the end result was too sweet, sticky and bland, and not peanuty, shrimp pasty, chili flakey or fennely for my taste. With that cast of characters I expected a taste explosion.
Prices were quite reasonable.
I'll definitely go back and try more.
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Hawker Fare
2300 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94612
Asian Noodles in East Bay
You and I are generally on the same page, abstractpoet, but not in this case. I thought the Kim chi Stew was really good at Bowl'd, about the best example I've found in the East Bay. Spicier than most with a nice vinegar tang. Plenty of good quality meat and tofu.
I've only had it once though - maybe it varies from day to day.
Their packaging for takeout is also exemplary. They sort of Cryovac (probably not the right word) seal each plastic container keeping everything tidy and amazingly hot. After the 20 minute drive home the food was still too hot to eat.
I don't make it up Solano all that often but I want to try other items at Bowl'd. I may have a hard time passing up the Kim chi Ji Gae though.
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Bowl'd
1479 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706
Plum Review (Oakland)
Yes, I had one on Wednesday and thought it was very good. I liked the touch of fennel in the topping. The pork was very moist and quite fatty (not a bad thing).
Not quite as good as the ones from Marin Sun Farms sold at Market Hall (Rockridge) on Saturdays, but good. MSF has that crispy skin that puts it over the top.
I believe both sandwiches are $9.
Sandwiches in the East Bay
Yes, I had one on Wednesday and thought it was very good. I liked the touch of fennel in the topping.
Not quite as good as the ones from Marin Sun Farms sold at Market Hall (Rockridge) on Saturdays, but good. MSF has that crispy skin that puts it over the top.
Southie by Wood Tavern
The beet, fennel and goat cheese sandwich (on La Farine baguette) is SO GOOD.
Had it for dinner last Thursday. When I was passing by today, even though other options on the menu looked good, I got it again.
Then again I'm, becoming sort of a beet freak.
New Karibbean City - Oakland
I'm curious, annabana, if you've ever eaten food from New Karibbean City?
I'm having a chicken curry at the moment which is a substantial portion of falling off the bone tender chicken in a nicely spicy sauce with loads of rice and peas, freshly fried plantains, a decent festival - all for $10. I watched them stock the kitchen while I waited on my order -fresh chicken and bags of produce lead me to believe they make everything from scratch on-site.
True, the place was abandoned but for the guy manning the kitchen, and all they had available at 2PM on a Wednesday (when they had already been ostensibly open for 3 hours) was chicken curry, but I still say the food here is tastier, more interesting and a better value than anything that hundreds of people are buying daily 2 blocks away in the city center.
Good Jamaican food in Oakland has long been a crapshoot, from Penny's extremely flexible hours, to Yardie Jerk's this-month-we're-open, this-month-we're-not routine.
New Karibbean City may not have the greatest Jamaican food in the world, but it’s pretty much on par with or better than anything I’ve found in the East Bay over the last 15 years. I feel it’s definitely a decent lunchtime option for any slightly adventurous Chowhound working in downtown Oakland.
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Yardie Jerk
3301 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608
New Karibbean City
1408 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94612
