Thanks for these. I will try BB or CC. I have to have them on Friday so the farmer's market isn't going to work.

Sorry, my post was highly ambiguous. I'm looking for a retail outlet that sells really fresh mussels for home prep. On my list are Monterey Fish Market and Tokyo Fish market. But if there are other places in Chinatown or elsewhere I'd be grateful to hear about them. I'm going to be buying enough for a large dinner party.

Can someone tell me where to get the best mussels in the Oakland/Berkeley area. I'm particularly wondering if there are any great/inexpensive Oakland Chinatown places.

I am extremely disappointed to say I agree with you, Mick. I took a friend tonight and I found everything other than the hot links (which remain damn good, in my opinion) to be rather disappointing. My initial experience was very strong, but that may have been partly due to anticipatory excitement. What is "Ad Hoc" -- Q is too far for me, and I"ve never been able to get my head around E&J, it always seems so blah.

I'm off to Smoke next week with high hopes.

At the recommendation of some reliable people on the this board I tried out Smokey J's today. And to my taste it is now the go-to place this side of the bay. I'm sure B-Side will be popular, but Smokey J's has just the feel I'm looking for, and the tastes I crave. I wish they (that is, he; seems to be a one-man show, and the man is enormously friend, informative, and generous) had a St. Louis rib on the menu, but even without it I'd argue in its favor over any place in the bay area with the possible exception of Memphis Minnies.

I had a pulled pork, brisket, and hot link three-way. Smokey J does it all himself -- makes the sausage, rubs and smokes the meats, makes the two sauces available on every table. And it shows. The meat was well smoked, tender, juicy but not overly fatty, and delicious. I went too early for ribs, but I'm sure they will be just as good. The man seems to know and care a lot about his cue, which really shows. The prices were very reasonable and the portions (three-way could easily feed three, with sides) were generous.

Honestly, after 25 years of complaining about the lack of BBQ in No Cal., I'm done complaining. So long as J is in business, I'll shut the hell up and stuff my face at Smokey J's. That is, until B-Side perfects its St. Louis rib, at which point I'll be tempted to divide my allegiances.

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Smokey J's BBQ
3015 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705

Right, so, I suppose what I mean is not baby back, which to me are just a much easier rib to get right. Back east and in Chicago I recall most places have a choice between baby back and St. Louis style, but I see your point. I am talking about spare ribs, with or without tip. Thanks for the drill down. One can never be too clear when it comes to ribs.

I actually posted a review of B-Side just a couple of hours ago. It seems not to have landed. I'll see if I can dig it up and try again.

I happened to be in the neighborhood, otherwise I would not have noticed the "open 11-4" sign on the door at B-Side today. I sat though my piano lesson, hardly paying attention, anticipating lunch. I must have been among the first handful of customers, so everything I'm about to say has to be seen through that lens.

The place is warm and inviting. The staff greeted me enthusiastically. They seem excited. That's a good sign. The interior is small, but really nicely done. I'm sure in a month or two it'll be impossible to get a seat without an hour wait, so probably B-Side will be a take-out place for me. But the haze of smoke over the eating area strongly suggests this is a place that takes its 'cue seriously. That's a good thing.

They were taking cash only, and I had limited funds, so I ordered a half portion (4) of St. Louis ribs and a side of mac&cheese. The mac was really excellent--creamy, buttery, with some crust built in. I imagine the rest of the sides will be similarly excellent. One of the appealing things about B-Side is that with the sides and a couple of fish/shrimp options, it's a place I can take my veggie wife.

As for the ribs, I've said this before here, and I'll say it again -- to my mind the test of a real barbeque house is St. Louis ribs and to a lesser extent brisket. These are hard meats to get right, and hard meats to smoke at home. The best baby back ribs I've ever had, I made. I wouldn't come close to saying that about St. Louis ribs.

The ribs were very juicy, and had good flavor, with a nice kick at the end. But they were quite a bit too chewy/fatty/gristly for my taste, which means someone is rushing the smoking or otherwise not facing the real challenge of the St. Louis bone. I grew up in the south, so this may well be entirely a regional preference thing. But to me, a really outstanding rib is one that all but falls apart in your mouth. Also, and as importantly, when I hit the bone, I want to be able to rip it apart just up to the nub. If its soft and I can squeeze out the innards, I'm a happy man. The bones at B-Side fell quite a ways short of that ideal

That said, I will absolutely be back to taste the rest of the meats, and from what I saw on the plates of the other diners, I will probably like it. Most likely the baby back ribs will be great. But I can report that, after an initial love affair with Tomm's, I am still in search of a really fantastic St. Louis pork rib in Northern California.

Tanya Holland does what she does very, very well, and if I had to predict, I'd say that in six months, Ms. Holland will probably answer my prayers. But she's not there yet.

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B-Side BBQ
3301 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608

I went by the other day and it really looks ready to go. They had a private party over the weekend and a sign on the door, which is, said "opening very soon." So, I'm hopeful. But I will definitely keep you posted and put up a review as soon as they crack the door wide enough for me to squeeze through.

I've only sampled the pull, but my experience was very good -- better than the others I've tasted in this area. Also, she's putting in a much larger smoker, which is going to work better for the ribs. I have not seen the menu, and I'm hoping she does St. Louis ribs instead of just baby back, which she has on the menu at BSK. To me that's the test of a real BBQ place.

I was originally enamored (probably let my enthusiasm get the best of me) with Tomm's, and I still think they do a pretty decent rib. But my experience since they opened has been very inconsistent, and in general the food other than the ribs has been a disappointment. I'm off to Smokey J's BBQ on Shatttuck on Thursday, and that sounds very promising from the comments above, although again, without a St. Louis Rib on the menu, it's a bit hard to tell.

Could this be the answer to the east bay's bbq troubles? A new bbq joint by Tanya Holland of Brown Sugar Kitchen? I, for one, am mighty curious. Sign on the door says it should be open soon.

My pals from Chicago are coming for five days with their three kids (10-14). They are staying in Union Square. (I am in Oakland, so I'm not up on the latest in SF). They are fairly adventurous and sophisticated eaters. I would be very grateful for recommendations of low to medium-priced places in the city where they won't have to wait two hours for a table and which will fit a group of 6-8 people. I'm particularly interested in places walking distance from Union Square -- say, Tenderloin, SOMA, Union Square, etc.

Thank you.

Finally, real bbq has come to town (Oakland, to be precise) I'm more than thrilled to say that this is, in my humble opinion (I grew up in the south) the only thing that even approximates real bbq in northern CA. Yes, I've eaten at Memphis Minnies and E&J etc. And yes, I stood on line at Flints and Dougs.

And yes, I still say, this is the only thing that approximates . . . well, you know. Basically, here's what I have to say: even during the soft open, where they had a limited menu, this place so far surpasses any other bbq I've had in northern CA that I spent the rest of the day irritating my spouse with exclamations like, "Dude, I've been waiting 20 years for this" and "Did we just have real bbq or am I having that dream again?"

Go. Go now. Soon there will be lines out the door. It's cheap, it's fabulous, it's well run, they have a huge menu, and it's the real, smokier than hell itself, sauce-slathered, meat falling off the bone, Memphis deal (they are connected to a famous and well-loved bbq house in Memphis).

Ask for Tony, tell him South Carolina sent you, and breath a huge sigh of relief. Thank the food gods; thank Tomm's (yes, two Ts, not one). Finally, for the first time in my CA tenure (going on 25 years), we have real bbq.

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Tomm's BBQ & Deli
3446 Market St, Oakland, CA 94608

Can anyone suggest some can't-miss places near the HP Pavilion. I'm thinking not crazy expensive and spicy. But anything that an Oakland crew making a rare venture south will appreciate.

Thanks.

That's great, thanks. I grew up picking apples in NY, so that will be nostalgic as well as tasty. I was hoping to hear from lots of people with top 10 lists and that sort of thing, too. Maybe I'll try again on a day other than Saturday.

My wife and I will aimlessly cruising around Western MA, VT and NH for a week in mid-Sept. Any and all recommendations for must eat places will be much appreciated. I know that's a too-broad question, but as yet we have no plans to be anywhere in particular, so if there are experiences we simply must have (food-wise, that is), then we will build our trip around those.

Thank you.

Others here have reviewed Dibartolo Restaurant in Oakland; some thumbs up, some down. I live close by and I was extremely happy when the place opened, because (a) it meant the space would not be filled by yet another nail salon and (b) we need decent eatery. I went a few times by my feelings were distinctly mixed; it wasn't bad, but it was inconsistent and pricey and not altogether convincing food-wise. I went away slightly saddened; what could have been, wasn't. Then someone told me they got a new chef and on my dog walk I looked at the menu, which appeared to have been transformed. So I checked it out, and again, and again, and . . . simply put, go. In a few months you won't be able to get in the door. It's as good (although not as focused on pizza) as Pizzaiolo, but neither as crowded nor as loud, and with much, much, much better drinks.

I'm here alone for 48 hours, from San Francisco, staying at Chestnut/2nd, and looking for (a) a legit Cheesesteak joint for multiple gorgings and (b) anywhere else (preferably ethnic and inexpensive) that can't be missed. I'd prefer to go within walking distance, but if someplace is an easy subway ride, well, lay it on me.

Thanks.

Thank you!

Can someone tell me the best place to get bialys in Los Angeles?

Thanks.