Covers issues of increasing feed prices and high water demands, methane/pollution, increased production and adapting to higher Chinese demand for dairy. Well done, about 9 minutes long and aired on 6/14/13.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/...

Looks like that corner building was Swarm Gallery at 560 2nd Street which announced last month that it was closing because a restaurant is moving into its space. According to Swarm owner Svea Lin Soll, “[r]eal estate is going up and a lot of restaurants are moving in, unfortunately art suffers the most in times like this...[i]t’s actually kind of odd that this is happening because we are starting to develop a very vibrant art scene here.”

http://oaklandlocal.com/2013/05/swarm...

during what time were you there?

From about November, 2010, after the remodel, a worthwhile happy hour of (left to right) tuna sliders, mai tai and duck tacos with plum sauce, about $5 each:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53697546@N08/5146285518/in/photostream/

The tuna sliders and duck tacos are not on the current online happy hour menu:

http://www.tradervicsemeryville.com/h...

Recently spotted is a new Filipino street food restaurant on Fruitvale in Oakland. Not yet named and no finalized menu, it's offering take-out only until a formal opening expected in a few weeks. Phone for orders is 510-789-6343.

Edit: just noticed a web post yesterday reporting the name as "Lucky 37 Filipino."

Hat tip to Gene Anderson of OurOakland.Net

http://blog.ouroakland.net/2013/05/a-...

(not yet named
)2868 Fruitvale Ave (near Brookdale)
Oakland, CA 94602
tel: 510-789-6343
(no website yet)

Here are some pictures I took about 2 weeks ago at the Oakland Produce Market around 7 -7:30 am. If you click on "Start Slideshow" in the upper right, you get an animated slideshow with music (Aaron Copland's Piano Sonata, 1941).

http://weeklyegret.phanfare.com/6057036

I want to go back and add some video clips of the hectic pace of nearly constantly moving hand trucks and fork lifts.

Ben's on 3rd St next to West Coast Produce looked like it had an interesting blend of customers: civil service employees from nearby government offices, hipsters and produce market workers. The view from the 4x4 tops on the ground floor of Ben's offers a safe yet close-up look at the action just outside its windows.

Blue Bottle Coffee at 300 Webster (at 3rd St) opens its coffee bar at 7 am on weekdays and 8 am on weekends. They also have a roastery on this site.

Nido, a few blocks to the east at 444 Oak, opens a take-out window at 8 am on Tuesday - Friday and sells slices of Jaynelle St. Jean's savory PieTisserie pies and a cup of coffee for $5.

Here's Luke Tsai on Jaynelle's pies:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/WhatThe...

We found some free parking until 10 am near the Cost Plus Market on 2nd Street about 2 blocks west of Broadway.

Sounds like this could have the makings of an interesting early bird tour/Chowdown some morning at 6:30 am or so.

Gene was the host of a San Francisco-based radio food show for about 16 years airing on Saturdays from 10am - 1pm on KGO 810. He did it as well as you can do food talk on the radio, showing his knowledge and asking good questions of his guests. He passed away yesterday after a series of illnesses and will be missed.

Here's a clip of Gene's radio promo last year for a tasting of wines from Paso Robles, CA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHq9u...

MASHED FAVA BEAN DISHES (e.g, FUL),
seconding hyperbowler

here's the link to the thread on their Oakland and San Francisco sites:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/853326

thanks for the info. do you know what time might be good to take some photos? 5am or 6am or 7am or whatever? anyplace to eat that opens early in that area?

From OaklandNorth.net, a quality local blog produced by graduate students at UC Berkeley's School of Journalism:

"It’s 4 am in Oakland, and Franklin Street is buzzing with the sound of forklifts, shouting and trucks in reverse. At one storefront, Van Lam checks produce prices on a computer and enters them using a handheld mobile device. Though restaurant owners and shopkeepers are just starting to filter into the wholesale produce stall, Lam’s been there since 2 a.m. He’s there nearly every morning at the same time.
...
"Lam stocks a variety of produce, ranging from his own favorite tropical fruits to bell peppers and tomatoes. They come from places like Salinas, Hawaii and Mexico. And they end up at small Asian stores around the city, local markets like Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market and restaurants in both the East Bay and San Francisco."
...

http://oaklandnorth.net/2013/04/26/oa...

4/22 through 4/28 - Oakland Veg Week
http://oaklandveg.com/events/

looks like an interesting weekend brunch at District with mostly positive reviews at another site

http://districtoak.com/menu-brunch.php

District Oakland
827 Washington St
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 272-9110

few details other than "music, dancing, great food and much,much more!"

http://www.wherevent.com/detail/Peralta-Hacienda-Historical-Cambodian-New-Year#description

https://www.facebook.com/events/150810438421021

For more information, please visit
www.peraltahacienda.org or call (510) 532-9142.

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park
Sat, April 20, 10am – 3pm
2465 34th Avenue
Oakland
(510) 532-9142.

I think that I've tried them all - soy, rice, almond, quinoa + oat, coconut, hemp. Lately my favorite is, for its combination of nutrition and taste, Good Karma Flaxmilk Original or Unsweetened, refrigerated half gallons occasionally available for $2.99 at Oakland and Berkeley Grocery Outlets in the SF Bay Area. Has a slight nutty taste, more so than almond milk. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is about 3.5:1 in favor of omega-3 (1200 mg per serving). Works well for me as a coffee creamer or for cereal. has decent ingredients but not organic.

I was finding soy too chalky, rice milk too thin, almond disappointing in that it probably calculated out to less than an ounce of almonds per half gallon. The quinoa + oat was intriguing but only found it a few times in the stores. Hemp milk gave me headaches - wonder why.

Good Karma FlaxMilk
distributed by Good Karma of Glendale, CA
goodkarmafoods.com

Luke Tsai chimes in on Sound Room/Uptown Kitchen in the East Bay Express today:

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-sound-room-and-uptown-kitchen-share-risks-and-rewards/Content?oid=3501996

A very solid issue this week from the Express with a half dozen Oakland-centric food stories.

A few blocks from Sound Room/Uptown Kitchen there are a couple of small event/private dining spaces with kitchens but don't know if they would work for the kind of event that Melanie went to. Haven't been to either one but have walked by the Starline which is a beautifully restored 1893 Victorian and it got the last two paragraphs in a NY Times article in 2011. (http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/travel/in-oakland-calif-the-uptown-neighborhood-blooms.html?_r=0 ). Kitchener lists event rental rates at $50/hr on their site.

Starline Social Club
2232 Martin Luther King (at W. Grand
)Oakland
(510) 301-2770
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Starline-Social-Club/210907402268458
https://vimeo.com/45682580

and

Kitchener
372 24th St
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 835-5885
http://www.kitcheneroakland.com/event...

Oakland Grocery Outlet today:

(click on "Start Slideshow" at top right) -

http://weeklyegret.phanfare.com/5998563

haven't tried the swai burgers yet

Luke Tsai of the East Bay Express, with a hat tip to Chowhound, reviews Masala Cuisine:

"...Masala Cuisine is, really: the closest thing I've experienced, in a restaurant setting, to being invited into the home of two wonderful Indian cooks."

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland...

HALLOUMI - a cooking cheese from Cyprus made of sheep's and goat's milk. Picked up some packages of Mt. Vikos brand last January. It doesn't melt and when baked takes on a deep walnut-like taste and can also be fried and grilled. Makes a good meat substitute. Found some 26 oz. packages on sale last January at Oakland Grocery Outlet, now gone. Loved it.
http://www.mtvikos.com/halloumifromcy...

FOUL MADAMAS (cooked and mashed fava beans)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ful_medames
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/602202

- 1/16, Oakland, 7:30am -9:30 am, "Grits and Greens," breakfast at Miss Ollie's, 901 Washington St., with panel discussion on food, art and technology. $12.

http://www.facebook.com/events/403917273016256/?ref=ts&fref=ts&__req=2u%20%20

http://gritsandgreens2-huboakland.eventbrite.com/

- 1/16, Oakland, 6-9pm, screening of film "Soul Food Junkies" and panel with director. Also food from Taste of Africa and Smokin' Warehouse. Free.

http://soulfoodoakland.eventbrite.com/#

- 1/17, Oakland, 6-8pm, "Food:An Atlas & People's Kitchen,"...
"What would it take to assemble an international collection of food systems maps and data visualizations from around the world and then publish it as both an electronic and a printed e book?"

http://oaktechtalks1.eventbrite.com/

- 1/18-1/27 Oakland Restaurant Week. Annalee Allen of the Oakland Tribune notes that many of the restaurant week sites are located in historic buildings.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/annalee-...

- 1/13 - 1/20, 1st Berkeley Restaurant Week, $30 for three-course prix-fixe dinner at 20 restaurants including Ajanta, Angeline's, Anh Hong, Cafe Rouge, Comal, Gather, Revival, Riva Cucina, Rivoli, Corso.

http://visitberkeley.com/berkeley-restaurant-week

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/WhatThe...

- 1/25 Oakland Museum of California- and every Friday after that from 5-9 p.m., Off the Grid with ten mobile food vendors parked on 10th Street, between Oak and Fallon, Live music, films, dancing, 1/2 price admission to museum.

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/WhatThe...

open

http://blog.ouroakland.net/2013/01/fi...

East Bay

- New Year's Eve Dining: East Bay restaurants offering special New Year's Eve menus include Ajanta in Berkeley (www.ajantarestaurant.com); Borgo Italia in Oakland (www.borgoitaliaoakland.com); District in Oakland (www.districtoak.com); Gather in Berkeley (www.gatherrestaurant.com); the Joshu-ya Brasserie, also in Berkeley. (www.joshu-ya.com); and Lake Chalet on the shores of Oakland's Lake Merritt (www.thelakechalet.com) [from Mercury News

- 1/18 to 1/27,Oakland, 3rd Annual Restaurant Week, about 43 restaurants

http://visitoakland.org/restaurantweek.cfm

- Saturdays, Oakland, 2-6 pm. Wine tastings at Two Miles Wines, 477 25th St.

http://www.twomilewines.com/

here's a link to a slideshow of some photos I took about 3 months ago of the banh khot at Ba Le on Int'l Blvd at 19th Ave in Oakland. There is music accompanying the slideshow, in case you want to lower the volume:

http://weeklyegret.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?s=0&username=weeklyegret&a_id=5846104&s_id=6670702&q=http%3A//weeklyegret.phanfare.com/5846104

here are the same photos without the slideshow:

http://weeklyegret.phanfare.com/58461...

at Oakland Grocery Outlet today:

-$3.99 Barão Do Sul Tinto 2005, a Portugese Red. This tasty bottle is back after an absence of a few months. I don't know wines but I liked the aromas of black cherry and leather and a tangy acidic taste on the palate. The back label suggests it goes well with mild cheese, grilled meats and bacalhau (salted codfish).

Most of these guys liked it:

http://grossoutwine.wordpress.com/201...

Jonathan Kauffman, was at the Portsmouth Square location and liked the pineapple buns, I think, in that he suggested that you "[c]ontrast the waifish, even crumb of a storebought dinner roll against the granular crunch of the top coating," (see his last two paragraphs):

http://jonathankauffman.com/bread-of-...

Here's a list of some free community Thanksgiving meals in Oakland and Berkeley as well as some restaurants serving on Thursday, courtesy of OaklandNorth.net:

http://oaklandnorth.net/2012/11/16/wondering-whats-open-on-thanksgiving-day-weve-got-a-list/

-- Free sites, may need donations or volunteers:

Allen Temple Baptist Church, 8501 International Blvd., Oakland, CA

https://www.allen-temple.org/index.php?option=com_events_booking&view=event&id=210

Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, CA (510) 465-4793

http://www.lakemerrittumc.org/Thanksgiving.html

Two Star Market, 2020 Macarthur Blvd., Oakland, CA (510) 531-3576

http://www.2starmarket.com/

Spice Monkey Restaurant and Loft, 1628 Webster St., Oakland, CA

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/FREE-Thanksgiving-Dinner--Make-Your-Reservation-Now-.html?soid=1102539686154&aid=fU4Gw6MQ-Mw

St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County, 675 23rd St., Oakland, CA (510) 877-9255

-- Restaurants, not free -

The Claremont Hotel, 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley

http://claremont-hotel.com/events.shtml

Meritage at The Claremont, 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley, CA

Pican, 2295 Broadway, Oakland, CA (510) 834-1000

http://www.picanrestaurant.com/

Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill, 1520 Lakeshore Drive, Oakland, CA. (510) 208-5253

http://www.thelakechalet.com/

Miss Pearl’s Restaurant & Lounge, One Broadway, Oakland, CA (510) 444-7171

http://www.jdvhotels.com/dining/sanfr...

Oakland - 20% off all wine sale for 5 days, November 7 - 11. I assume it's at all the stores but don't know for sure.

some photos from Oakland Grocery Outlet last week:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53697546@N08/sets/72157631892784099/show/

They still had the Trago Reposado Tequila at $16.99. Also Dos Lunas Reposado Blue Agave Tequila at $24.99 which I haven't tried. Cans of Wonder Kombucha Cherry Cassis and other flavors for 79 cents for 8.4 oz. Gobbled up some 24 oz. cans of Tailgate Hefeweizen for 99 cents each. A little on the sweet side.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/tailgate-hefeweizen/89038/

Also 69 cents for a 23 oz. can of Peace Tea, a diet green tea. I really liked the design on the can. It goes really well with 'The 1968 Exhibit' at the Oakland Museum of California which has been extended through Sunday, November 25, due to popular demand.

http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Tea-Diet-Green-23-Ounce/dp/B00603ZKJM
http://museumca.org/1968