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Eureka Burger: Flavorhood Berkeley

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 4 Berkeley , , , , , Permalink 0
Eureka Burger: Flavorhood Berkeley

There were unintended consequences of the cultural revolution. Growing up in Berkeley and Oakland in the 60s and 70s  meant coming of age in  the eye of the storm of the country's civil disobedience. We felt special. Our generation was to be the enlightened one, free of the prejudices and narrow mindedness of our parents and grandparents.  We thought we were riding the wave of something big. In retrospect maybe not, but the time was heady. I'm grateful for the legacy of an open mind, but haven't forgotten the underbelly of the revolt.  There were a lot of drugs easily available (and ...

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Trueburger

Monday, September 23, 2013 0 Broakland, Dinner, Lunch, Oakland , , , , , Permalink 0
Trueburger

“Have you found my husband’s body yet?” my grandmother practiced saying in Spanish on her third day alone in the desert. She was in a VW bus in Baja. When it broke down my grandfather rode off on the 90cc Honda dirt bike across the sand dunes to look for help. At the time she was practicing her morbid Spanish, he was waiting for auto parts on the laid back schedule of a small Mexican town. The note he’d written and given to a crop duster to drop to her had (predictably) not made it into her hands. They were adventurous people ...

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Wood Tavern

Friday, June 28, 2013 1 Dinner, Lunch, Oakland , , , Permalink 0
Wood Tavern

In 1980, I had breakfast almost every day with the Moonies. I was a high school dropout with a 10 speed bicycle, a couple of pairs of jeans, and no prospects. I’d roll to College Ave every morning for my croissant and latte at the Aladdin restaurant, which everyone knew was run by Moonies. I resisted invitations from the (unpaid, we later learned) glassy eyed servers to come for dinner and indoctrination. I was only there because they had an espresso machine. Tres hip in those days. My job at the nearby gourmet sandwich shop (Curds and Whey, for the OG ...

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Flora

Friday, May 24, 2013 0 Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Oakland , , , , , , , Permalink 0
Flora

On my 21st birthday, my passenger a 300 pound studded dog collar wearing fellow named "Clutch," I rode my motorcycle into the Kingfish Pub. By "into" I mean we rode through the bar and came to a stop next to the shuffleboard. The bartenders were angry...not about the stunt, but about the fact they had been serving me for two years already. Their irritation surprised me. I thought I was grown. I'd graduated from drinking Coors light to Guinness and had started having something called a "latte" with my morning croissant. It was 1982. I was working on shedding my juvenile ...

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Doc’s of the Bay/Art Murmur

Thursday, May 9, 2013 0 Dinner, Lunch, Oakland , , , , , Permalink 0
Doc’s of the Bay/Art Murmur

I love going to Art Murmur (it happens every first Friday of the month in downtown Oakland starting at 6:00). I love the vibe, the art, running into friends, and the food. My favorite truck is often there: Doc's of the Bay. They make hamburgers. Ok, I guess they also make chicken sandwiches and black bean burgers and fries and fried green beans. But. The burgers! I always get the Doc's classic with bacon and green chiles. SO good. I am very happy that Doc's comes to SF during the day on Fridays sometimes so I can get my ...

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Wayfare Tavern

Thursday, May 2, 2013 0 Lunch, San Francisco , , , Permalink 0
Wayfare Tavern

When I was a kid, I was constantly killing off my parents. Well, not killing them maybe, but definitely disappearing them in my mind. It's not that they were terrible parents (they weren't). It was just that I really wanted to be an orphan. I was a voracious reader and I loved books about orphans (The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, Jane Eyre, The Jungle Book). Something about coming from no family and finding the exact life you were meant to live (the common theme) was so appealing to a lonely only child like me. Anyway, astute readers will notice and ...

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Tribune Tavern

Friday, April 12, 2013 0 Dinner, Oakland , , , , Permalink 0
Tribune Tavern

Eat Oakland checked out the Tribune Tavern last night, the newest downtown spot to get your food and drink on. This is another new spot by Chris Pastena of Chop Bar (see Lungomare in Jack London) and Temoor Noor of Grand Tavern. Chop Bar and Grand Tavern are favorites of Eat Oakland so we thought we'd check it out. A little bird told us there are also some Daniel Patterson alums in the bloodline. First the positives: It is a stunning space. It's everything we think a downtown spot should be: big windows, an large curved bar that invites you to ...

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Albany Taproom/Grazzy Burger

Friday, March 29, 2013 0 Albany, Lunch , , , , , Permalink 0
Albany Taproom/Grazzy Burger

The Albany Taproom is a nice casual addition to the great watering holes on the San Pablo Albany/El Cerrito corridor (others are Club Mallard, Hotsy Totsy, Elevation 66 and, if you care more about getting your swerve on than having high quality beer or mixologist cocktails, the Melodee.) They have a great selection of beer on tap for the beertologist. I know, look it up, there is no good word for the beer knowledgeable. Of which I am no longer one, but it is fun to belly up to a bar where they are excited about what they are selling ...

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