Eating Through Oakland

I recently investigated a few more restaurants for you!  Bocanova has now been open for a month in Jack London Square.  I love the dinning room and outdoor seating.  The little gem salad was fantastic and my halibut sandwich with onions, peppers and avocado was very satisfying.  My friend ordered a few items that I was not a fan of, but I have to give it 5 stars for concept and atmosphere and about 3.5 stars for food.  I will definitely go back and next time I have to try the crab deviled egg  which  is mentioned many times on Yelp!

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Burma Superstar opened this spring in the Temescal district of Oakland and has been on my to-do list for months.  Be prepared for a wait, as this is a popular eatery.  My cousin was in town from NYC, so the seven of us had to wait an hour for a table.  Once we were seated, we had some the best service, ever!  I counted 4 different staff members helping us and the service was just flawless.  You have to try the green tea leaf salad, the spicy crispy chicken and the salt and pepper calamari.  Lucky you if you live in the Temescal and can walk over to this joint!

Aunt Mary's Cafe is the neighborhood spot that I wish was in my neighborhood.  Featuring sustainable foods with southern flavor.  Come for strong coffee, malted waffles and bubble and squeak, ( potatoes, greens, eggs with a house made biscuit and gravy.)  Aunt Mary's is also open for lunch and dinner and it has indoor and outdoor seating with a heat lamp!

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Coming soon to the Temescal is Remedy Coffee.  I can't wait to see this coffee house featuring Ritual Coffee that is roasted in San Francisco. (and has a cult following)  Constuction is underway and I love the telephone booth that will be stationed within the coffee house.  (Wow, when was the last time you used a phone booth?)  You can purchase beans and lattes at the outdoor espresso cart while construction is underway.

Free Tools!

So you are not a contractor, but you are a weekend warrior.  You decide that you can swing a bathroom remodel, but do not want to invest money into expensive tools, as you will only be using them once or twice.  Oakland has a tool lending library in the Temescal district!  To borrow tools you need to have a library card and have proof that you live in Oakland, Emeryville or Piedmont , (a utility bill or property tax bill).  The tools are free and you can keep them for 3,5 or 7 days depending on the tool. 5205 Telegraph Avenue  - 510-597-5089, open Tuesday thru Saturday

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Out and About in Oakland

TomorrowOakland Unwrapped will host, Full Moon Buy Night at Jack London square.  Support local business and artisans as they fill the square and sell their wares.  Oakland Unwrapped is an Online Marketplace where shoppers can find and buy directly from Oakland-owned independent businesses and artists. In 2008, Oakland Unwrapped became a program of OneCalifornia Foundation, a nonprofit economic development organization in downtown Oakland.  Click here for more about Full Moon Buy Night. Artist's such as Scott Courtnay-Smith who creates fine art as well as wearable art. (see his fedora above.)

Enjoy the Bay Area's hot Fall nights with the fourth annual Sunday in the Redwood's Concert Series.  There are two weekends left, for more information, click here.

October 4 - Amazing Jazz

October 11 - Neo Soul Experience with Ledisi

Coming Soon to Redwood Heights! Mid-Century Home in the Oakland Hills

In 9 days my newest listing 3253 Jordan Road will hit the Oakland real estate market!  To preview this home before it hits the market go to, www.3253Jordan.com.  Below is the custom property brochure that was just created for especially for this property. (This brochure will be scored and folded into a small booklet.)

*The attached brochure was created for Deidre Joyner, all rights reserved, by Jenn Kelly

The Best Ice Cream in Oakland and Berkeley

The other week, I attended the Eat Real Fest at Jack London Square.  To kick off the festival there was an ice cream evening.  It wasa 90 degree Friday night, Perfect!  Ice cream for dinner.  In the name of researchI sampled several scoops of creamy goodness.  If I had to pick my last meal on earth it would be ice cream.   I partake in ice cream daily,  so I think I am an ice cream expert.   So here are my top picks!

• St. George Spirits Whiskey Gelato by Gelateria Naia.  -  unbelievably smooth, with caramel notes.  Insane!
• Saffron and Candied Almond Ice Cream by Ici - aromatic and earthy with the fantastic texture of the crunchy nuts.
• Raspberry-Lemon Verbena Ice Cream by Ici - fresh, fruity and the perfect balance between sweet and tart.

Visit Ici at 2948 Ashby Avenue in Berkeley.  All of the diary and eggs are organic and flavors change daily and with the season.

Visit Gelateria Naia at 2106 Ashby Avenue in Downtown Berkeley, at 230 Bay Street inside WholeFoods Oakland, or at Michael Mischer Chocolates at 3352 Grand Avenue.

A North Beach Staple is Now Open in Oakland

In the 1950's Giovanni Gianni, (Papa Gianni) moved his family to America and in 1956 opened the first espresso house on the West Coast on Vallejo Street in San Francisco.   Now 50+ years later, a cult following and several Bay Area locations, it is fitting that food mecca, Oakland gets a location.  Last evening Caffe Trieste had their grand opening party!  As I pushed through the jammed packed cafe, I felt has if I were on a movie set.  Papa Gianni and the the North Beach Band with the Giotta Family Singers were singing classic Italian songs, glasses were raised, couples were dancing in place, (as there was no room for large movement.) and excitement and joy was in the air.  As I looked at the beautiful honey colored wood cabinetry, exposed beams and the shiny stainless steel hood, I couldn't remember what existed before Caffe Trieste moved in. ( I had to ask...this use to be two small store fronts, one was a mailbox shop and I am still not sure of the other business.) With Caffe Trieste open to 10 pm Monday-Thursday and until 11 pm Friday - Sunday, folks will have a relaxing and affordable place for a snack, espresso or glass of vino.  Go Oakland!

Oakland Restaurant Buzz

Oakland is often written in the media as a gritty, high crime city to avoid.  Oakland insiders know Oakland as the only city we want to live in.  It is not that we are oblivious to our City's flaws, but we love the culture, feel completely at ease and understand our potential.  Being the foodie that I am, I am super hyped about our current restaurant scene.

After a major renovation and 100 years after its birth, the Lake Merritt Boat House is now transformed into, the Lake Chalet. The Lake Merritt Boathouse is one of the defining buildings on the shores of Lake Merritt. It was designed in 1908 by John Galen Howard as a high-pressure salt water pumping station for the City of Oakland Fire Department.  ( This $19 million project to restore the historic Lake Merritt Boathouse and renovate four acres of adjacent parkland was funded by the Oakland Trust for Clean Water and Safe Parks, Measure DD, a $198 million bond measure approved by Oakland voters in 2002. It is nice to see our tax dollars at work.) Luscious and beautiful, this restaurant seats over 400 people, boasts 3 bars including one on the outdoor dock.

This restaurant hums with large crowds and clinking martini glasses and Oaklanders are proving that we prefer to spend our dining dollars in our City.  Todd, the bartender last Saturday made me a wonderful citrusy Vodka drink that he calls, Five Alive, (remember this drink from Coca Cola).  Try the dungeness crab and citrus consomme, the crispy brandade fish sticks with malt reduction and arugula and crab and shrimp deviled eggs.  Better than the food is the crisp atmosphere with the glistening water views.

Sidebar restaurant on Grand Avenue across from Lake Merritt is a neighborhood joint with fresh decor and sweet horseshoe shaped bar.  The other week, after a long day at work, I took my kids to Sidebar for a late impromptu  dinner.  We had great service from Chad and Enrique and loved my Niman Ranch burger with house-made pickled red onions and a fried egg.  Who knew that a fried egg is the perfect topping for a burger?  The yolk opens and melts into the patty upon the first bite.  The fresh berry and polenta cake dessert with marscapone cheese was perfection and both my children and I were satisfied with the total package that sidebar delivered.

Coming Soon!

Pizzaiolo is coming to Grand Avenue.  They will take over DiBartolo restaurant.

À Côtéwill be opening a sister restaurant in the Gleview district of Oakland on Park Blvd. featuring small plates with Latin flavor.

All weekend Jack London Square will host the Eat Real Festival.  Founded in 2008,  Eat Real Festival is a social venture created to inspire eaters to choose tasty, healthy, good food. Tonight to kick this event off, the festival will be scooping ice cream from local folks.  This event is free all weekend, will have music and cooking demos and more and food costs between $1 and $5 bucks.  I am off to eat ice cream!

Enjoy the weekend!  Deidre

Exercising Outdoors in Oakland

Earlier this summer my friend Luz started raving about this boot-camp that she started, she was going on about how good she felt.  When I heard that it started at 5:30 am, I said thanks for inviting me, but no.  Luz was persistent and being significantly out of shape, I enrolled.  For the month of July I got up in the wee hours of the morning, dressed in darkness and made my way down to Lake Merritt in Oakland for squats, weights and jogging.  The first week was difficult, but I have to say, I lost 2.5 pounds and most importantly feel healthier and stronger.  Monday, I will start my second session and I now feel comfortable plugging Oakland Adventure Boot Camp. (http://www.oaklandbootcamp.com)    I have a gym membership and I have to say I never go.  When I am on a machine I will take my towel and cover the display screen in hopes that the time will go by quicker, but it never does for me.   When I arrive at 5:30 to camp it is dark and I get to see the sun come up and somehow an hour goes by a bit faster outside.  Trainers Anna and Jennie run a women only camp and coach you at all levels.  Oakland Adventure Boot Camp is the third boot camp that I have tried, and this is the first time that I enrolled for a second session!

Deidre Joyner of The Oakland Berkeley Journal Gets National Attention!

Keith Pandolfi editor at This Old House contacted me a few months ago after he selected Oakland as one of the best cities to buy an old house in the United States. Keith wanted to know more about the various districts of Oakland, as he was looking for a great neighborhood for first time home buyers. I suggested Temescal, as many of my clients would love to live there. I am happy to say that the Temescal district of Oakland made it through to the July/August 2009 issue. ...and I am happy to say, I was sourced and thanked!

East Bay Adventures

Upcoming events in the Oakland-Berkeley area.Charles Chocolates in Emeryville, (6529 Hollis Street) is hosting FREE summer movies. Tonight's film is Soul Food and in honor of this movie, barbecue ribs, fried catfish and mac n' cheese will be on sale, (along with Charles Chocolates' Blue Bottle coffee services, hot chocolate and sweets).  Food and snacks service will start at 6:30 and the movie starts at 9:00 pm. To order ticket click here.

Future film line up:

July 10 - Soul Food.

July 24 - Tortilla Soup.

August 14th - Babette's Feast

August 28th - Ratatouille.

September 11th - Pizza

September 25th - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

July 24 - Tortilla Soup.

August 14th - Babette's Feast

August 28th - Ratatouille.

September 11th - Pizza

September 25th - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Sheila  Metcalf Tobin, (SheilaMetcalfTobin.com) will have her art on display at Herribone in Berkeley.

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Pretty Penny, (Rockridge - prettypennyclothing.com.) will be hosting their first Craft Bazaar, highlighting a group of local crafters.

Mark Schroeder's latest sculptures will be on display at the Autobody Fine Art Gallery in Alameda from July 10 to August 16.  The opening reception is Friday, July 10, from 7:00 -10:00 p.m.  The gallery is located at 1517 Park St. across the street from the Havana restaurant. MarkSchroeder.com

My Bay Area Weekend!

Last weekend I made a point of getting out and enjoying my community.  Friday morning I headed to Brown Sugar restaurant, a cute soul food eatery on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland operated by chef  proprietor, Tanya Holland. I had a "screaming", (that means unbelievable, over the top) piece of brown sugar peach coffee cake, a fantastic latte and I loved the corn waffles with brown sugar butter.  (I suggest you upgrade to the real maple syrup.)  I absolutely love the upscale diner decor with mounted photography of Oakland.  Brown Sugar Kitchen is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday - Sunday.  Check out Brown Sugar Kitchen online, brownsugarkitchen.com.

Saturday, St. George Spirits in Alameda had their bi-annual open house.  Here fans of fine spirits were able to learn how this boutique distillery handcrafts their small batches of the best Eau de Vie, Hangar One fruit infused vodka, absinthe, whiskey and more.  With live music, snacks and bartenders everywhere mixing up fresh liquid concoctions, this was the best party along the Bay.  Visit St. George Spirits online, St.GeorgeSpirits.com.

Folks hang out in front of St. George Spirits and enjoy the sun and the Bay view.

Sunday afternoon, I visited Linda Joseph's gorgeous Crocker Highland home for a casual art show featuring the work of  Oakland artist Jess Wainer.  Jess's medium is glass, clay and watercolors.  I really love that Jess embraces vivid color!  Splashes of color really make a wall pop.  Jess's work ranges in price, but I was able to score a handle blown glass paper weight and a set of beetle notecards for $60. Check out Jess online at www.jesswainer.com.

Mid-Century Signs in Oakland and Berkeley

Preserve the old!  I love these vintage mid-century signs in Oakland and Berkeley, a quick reminder of yesteryear.  Signs that have withstood the rain, earthquakes, wind, and decades of life in the Bay Area.

Sweets With A Smile, Get It In Oakland

The other day I finally stopped by Sweet Adeline Bake Shop in North Oakland.  I heard that this place was the neighborhood hang-out with excellent pastries made in true East Bay style - handcrafted with all natural ingredients.  I was greeted with a smile by Samuel and enjoyed a fantastic cheddar cheese and scallion scone!  I have to go back for the chocolate chip cookies made with three types of chocolate. (I hear this is their best seller.)  At Sweet Adeline's you can order coffee, grab lunch and use their free wifi.  This is exacting what Oakland needs, local businesses with friendly service and quality goods.  Check Sweet Adeline Bake Shop out online at sweetadelinebakeshop.com or at the corner of Adeline and 63rd Street in North Oakland.

West Oakland Edible Garden

Artists Jo and Leah used their creativity and vision to create an urban oasis in their West Oakland home.  When I showed them their home four years ago they saw past the cigarette stained walls and 70's wood paneling and put an offer in.  The first thing they did was refinished the hardwood floors, re-plastered the walls and installed a working bathroom.  Later they created an edible garden in the backyard complete with raised garden beds, tomatoes, corn, strawberries, an apple tree grafted with four varieties of apples and peas. When a friend was about to rid their garden of a pluot tree, they rescued the tree and reap the benefits with annual bowls of sweet fruit.  In between the fruits, vegetables and herbs are poppies and other flowers.  In Jo's spare time you will see him re-seeding poppies and nurturing his plants.

Pluots a few weeks away from being ripe.

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Dopo For Dinner

Last week I took my friend Karlya out for a belated birthday dinner; we made plans for dinner at 6 at Odesso on the corner of Piedmont Ave. and Pleasant Valley.  Odesso just received a great review in the Chronicle so we were both excited to sample the famed house-cured meats and Italian flavors.  Odesso was too loud for a conversation, so we strolled the two blocks down to Dopo.  (Dopo and Odesso are sister restaurants.)   I have patronized Dopo several times for lunch and I have a weakness for the beef and arugula sandwich with garlic aioli. As soon as we walked up to Dopo's doorway, we were warmly greeted by Graham, (a family friend of the owners) and were escorted to a small wooden table perfect for an evening of chit chat and catch up.  We decided to try a multitude of small plates, a roasted beet and fennel salad, a crudo of swordfish with fresh pesto on a fried slice of lemon, a ragu of sausage with toasted walnut crostini and a seared scallop.  Every bite was delicious and I was overjoyed by the service that night.  From Graham who graced our table to check in, to the bus-person with the huge grin, we felt well taken care of.  This type of old fashion service is what many businesses lack.  When dining out is a luxury, satisfying service and food is a must.  I am happy to plug Dopo as a place to go for dinner in Oakland.

There Are Artists Among Us

Scott Courtnay- Smith is an Oakland based artist who I have featured on The Oakland Berkeley Journal.  Being that Pro Arts East Bay Open Studio 2009 starts June 6th, I asked Scott to give me his list of must see artists.   For information on ProArt, click here. Thanks Scott!

1.Idan Levin Jingletown (JABC) 2889 Ford Street, #41 Oakland, CA 94601 (415)505-8154 vantage@idanlevin.comwww.idanlevin.com Address for Exhibit Only June 6-7, June 13-14 Photography

Levin's photographs capture a secret urban environment that is around us everyday but goes mostly unnoticed.  This is in part because he works at night when most of us are inside, and also because of the vantage points from which he shoots he shoots .   His dreamily mysterious images contain an aspect of the clandestine nature of graffiti art-- without the defacement issue.  A former soldier trained in reconnaissance, Levin reminds me of a hunter turned nature photographer that I once met while camping-- "This is how I shoot my trophies now", he explained, holding aloft his telephoto rig.

2.James Lovekin Swarm Studios 560 2nd Street, Studio 2 Oakland, CA 94607 (510)847-0530 jameslovekin@gmail.comwww.jameslovekin.com June 6-7, June 13-14 Mixed Media

James expresses his unique world view with paintings and collage that are at the same time visually stunning, thought provoking, and sometimes humorous.  He works in collage and paint-- often combining the two.  His sense of color is very distinct . Recently he made the switch from acrylic to oil, and the results are exciting, to say the least.

3. Lorrie Fink 3298 Lakeshore Avenue Oakland, CA 94610 (510)326-1990 lorrie@lorriefink.comwww.lorriefink.com Saturday June 6, Sunday June 7 Painting

Gorgeous, visceral and semi- abstract, Lorrie's recent work is loosely based on her observations of tide pools.  A beautiful sense of color and form permeates her rich paintings in oil, alkyd and wax.

4. Janine Miller Janine Miller-Fritz "Nimby" 8410 Amelia Street Oakland, CA 94621 j.millerfritz@yahoo.comwww.appliedkineticarts.com Mechanical/Electrical

Industrial. Please see NimbySpace.org for details on event highlights on the evening of June 6th. Saturday June 6, Sunday June 7 Mixed Media Sculpture

I am including this pick because, if you haven't been to NIMBY, now is your chance to have your idea of art stretched out a little-- or a lot, depending on what you've already experienced.  You won't be bored, I guarantee.  And it's possible that you might have a religious experience.

In parting, I want to say that jpegs are no substitute for viewing live art, and so encourage everyone to get out and see as much as they can.  -  Scott Courtnay-Smith

Where is this in Oakland?

Do you know where this is in Oakland?  This is the site of the Grand Lake Theatre in the early 1900's.  (Before construction!)

Born To Be Cool - Mid Century Modern Home In Oakland

1949 -  Joe Louis retired from boxing, Miles Davis released the Birth Of The Cool album, The Lone Ranger premiered on television and 4138 Coolidge Avenue was built in the Lincoln Heights district of Oakland. The California Zephyr launched its  inaugural run and Oaklanders ate dinner at the Grotto in Jack London Square.  The World War II was over and America was optimistic! Join me to celebrate this cool mid century modern home.  Buy a piece of classic Americana.  More photos atwww.4138CoolidgeAve.com.

Oakland Oozing With Possibilities

When I was 16 years old I worked at Emporium-Capwell's in Downtown Oakland.  This department store was on Broadway in what is now Sears.  As I was growing up I remember Oakland and its thriving retail business.  We had I. Magnin's,  Joseph Magnin's, Liberty House, Little Daisy and more.

These businesses are gone, but the beautiful buildings remain.  I yearn for healthy downtown.  I would love Oakland to model after Pasadena, California.  Their shops, department stores and restaurants are on a main street, not in a mall.

Look at the buildings, you can't deny Oakland's beauty.