Editor's Note: A warm welcome (that matches our unseasonal weather) to all our new subscribers with an especially warm welcome to Dixie Jordan for helping spread the word via The Piedmont Patch.

Grand Lake Merchant News

When it comes to this month's merchant news for Lakeshore and Lake Park, Pamela Drake has done all the heavy lifting with this comprehensive merchant update that she recently posted on Oakland Local.

I can, however, add a few significant details and several photos. The best of the latter is probably this photo of the newly installed neon sign in front of Flipside. Friday afternoon, I talked to the owner (Abe Ajlouny) and he said they're hoping to open the doors by the end of next week but I'm still doubtful since there's quite a bit of work to do including installation of the new front windows that will open and close to take advantage of Oakland's Mediterranean climate.

The Flipside menu is much like that of its sister restaurant, Urbun Burger on Valencia Street in San Francisco but with one exception: their Mission Heat with grilled onions and chili peppers has been renamed "Lakeshore Heat". As in SF, the burgers will be half-pounders with Niman Ranch beef ground daily on site and with fries included. In addition to beef, you'll be able to order Diestel turkey, Gardenburgers or portabella mushrooms.

Across the street, the manager of the Ergo Sleep Systems shop in Berkeley says they hope to open in the space next to Silver Lining within a couple of weeks. The bedding will be supplied by the previous tenant (Sleep and Beyond) and they'll also offer organic mattresses and possibly some bed frames. I actually called them only after seeing the "Help Wanted" sign in the window. I asked if they needed a product demonstrator since I had a well-deserved reputation for sleeping on the job--but, alas the answer was "no". What they are looking for is a part-time sales associate. If you know anyone who might be interested, have them email "info@ergosleepsystems.com".

Just a few doors down, I popped into Top Dog to take this photo of Charles Granich manning the grill. Using recycled cardboard and lots of glue, Charles created the two papier-mache tip jars you probably noticed on the countertop. Here's a photo gallery of dozens of other pieces he's created. Look particularly for the six-foot tall totem pole/tiki goddess. It's a gem!

One quick note regarding the ground floor office space at the corner of Lakeshore and Longridge, Donna Hankins and Associates have returned to their former location and continue to offer full accounting and management advisory services.

Around the corner on Lake Park, I was really pleased last Saturday afternoon to see a big lunch-time crowd at Caña's new parlor and took this picture--which shows off the interior far better than the image I posted last month. Just in case you're curious, remodeling this space took approximately a year and a half. This photo of Yusuf experimenting with finishes for the newly-exposed brick wall was taken in July of 2010. Having gutted and rebuilt our kitchen and downstairs bathroom a few years back, I can readily empathize with Yusuf and Daniel's plight--but it was a job well done and well worth doing.

Things are hopping on Grand Avenue with a mix of new openings, improvements and a windfall of press coverage. This is due in part to the theory that I keep expounding. Namely, that positive developments are contagious and none more so than the opening of Monkey Forest Road. In addition, with Lakeshore and Lake Park full, potential tenants and owners are increasingly looking to Grand where there are vacancies; where rents are considerably lower and where the potential is enormous.

Let's begin with the businesses on Grand that have opened in just the past month. Topping that list is Red Crow Yoga which moved into the 3234 Grand space that was vacated by Next Level Training when Dr. Pigott moved up to 3354--a space he shares with Emerson Personal Training. Andy Matinog is the owner and lead instructor in the Shadow Yoga technique offered at Red Crow. When I stopped by early Friday morning, they were not yet open and I had to settle for a photo of Red Crow's front door.

Also on our list of new neighbors is Grand Lake Dental which opened December 28 in a totally revamped space next to Cycle Sports. Dr. Won-Joo Lee has been practicing dentistry for eighteen years--most recently in a shared office in downtown and before that, working as an Assistant Professor in a dental program in South Korea. Dr. Lee did a fabulous job remodeling her new Grand Avenue office but, when I stopped by on Friday, she was feeling a bit camera shy and declined to be included in a photo of the reception area. I also took this photo of the exterior.

In order to introduce herself to her new Grand Lake neighbors, Dr. Lee is offering a special package through the end of June that will include cleaning, consultation, exam and unlimited x-rays and during this period, she is also offering a reduced price for teeth-whitening services. Please call for more details.

Just a few more doors up the street at 3602 Grand, Kristin Thompson just celebrated the Grand Opening of imBRACE Boutique. Kristin describes her inventory as the "hottest urban contemporary fashions for men and women from 18-35. She is a student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and has prior experience in sales at H & M and the Gap. Please stop by and give her a big, Grand Avenue welcome.

Touring Grand Avenue on Friday, I was also delighted to see a number of improvements underway. At Classic Cuts (3233 Grand), carpenters were at work rebuilding the front window frame which was disintegrating. I understood them to say that the facade will be repainted as well.

Across the street at Grand Bakery, owner Bob Jaffe had someone taking measurements for a new sign on the facade. The blade sign is going to be rebuilt as well. Hopefully, I'll have photos of the completed work by next month.

I actually mentioned last month that Kenda Burke had landscaped a major portion of the front yard at Awaken Chiropractic but didn't have photographic evidence. I'm hereby rectifying that oversight with this photo.

As I mentioned above, Grand Avenue basked in a windfall of positive press this past month. Camino struck gold with an in depth article by Emily Thelin in the Art of Eating. Russell had to love the review but likely had some reservations about the way Thelin described him:

Tall and lean, with spiked dark hair, Moore looks much younger than his 47 years--more skateboarder than grandma.

Temoor Noor at Grand Tavern had to be equally pleased with this article in the East Bay Express.

The pièce de résistance, however, came in the form of one of Angela Woodall's columns in the Tribune. In answer to a rhetorical question about how to spend a day in Oakland, she rattled off a number of essential stops and then headed for her own, current Lake Merritt stomping grounds.

Easy and Heart and Dagger were mentioned as were thirteen businesses on our stretch of Grand including my favorite two newbies--Monkey Forest Road and Rebooty. The latter is, by the way, hosting a jazz trio on Thursday night. Check out our calendar for more details.

Farmers Market

Like Grand Avenue, the Grand Lake Market has just welcomed some new merchants. H & H Fresh Fish is based in Santa Cruz and features sustainable seafood--most of which they purchase from local fishermen and then process. Owners Hans Haveman & Heidi Rhodes do, however, have two fishing boats of their own and during the course of the season will directly supply a minimum of 25% of the fish sold at the market in order to comply with AIM's market requirements.

Saturday morning, I took this photo of their booth and then inquired about what was then on ice. I was told that five or six items had been caught locally but was cautioned that those went fast. In a couple of weeks Hans and Heidi will be back from vacation and one or both should be at the Grand Lake to introduce themselves. Later in the season, we should expect to find locally caught salmon, halibut, sea bass and more.

The other new vendor, Achadinha Cheese Co. fills a big void at the market as the only supplier of goat cheese. I took this photo of their booth last week. If you didn't see it this week or last, check the perimeter of the market near the Vesta flatbread truck or ask at the market's information booth. Market manager, Chris Blackburn is looking to rearrange booths so he can group all the cheese makers together to facilitate comparative shopping AND tasting.

Technically speaking, Napoleon Alexander isn't a new vendor as he pointed out that he's sold at the Grand Lake Market a couple of times previously. I just hadn't noticed. This past week, I did and after introducing myself, took this photo of Napoleon with some of his hand-crafted fine leather handbags arrayed on the shelfs behind him. Napoleon says he and his wife have been making bags for some fifteen years.

Starting next week, the market management will have an ATM in the info booth as a courtesy to market customers. The $3 service fee will help to fund AIM programs and offset expenses.

The Splash Pad Farmers Market Advisory Committee meets Wednesday, February 22 at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church beginning at 7:00 p.m. The agenda should include an Agricultural Institute of Marin proposal for restoring the decomposed granite walkways and very likely, a discussion of the decision to terminate the membership of several vendors (including Ahhh Massage).

If you have any questions or wish to suggest additional agenda items, please direct your email to SPFMAC Chairman, Jerry Barclay at jerryandcaryn@gmail.com.

Farmers Market Entertainment for February and March includes the following:

February 4: KC Jiang

February 11: Clang'n and Bang'n + JIMBO TROUT

February 18: FRED MCCARTY

February 25: Anderson-Gram

March 3: PRAIRIE ROSE BAND

March 10: Drew James

March 17: Suzanne Holland

March 24: ADRIAN WEST TRIO

March 31: STEVEN GARY + DAVID GANS

Events Calendar

February 2 from 6-9:00 p.m. Music by the Easter Brawler Jazz Trio + tasty treats at Rebooty. Here's a link to their invitation.

February 22 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The Splash Pad Farmers Market Advisory Committee meets at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church.

March 24-25. The Third Annual Oakland Running Festival

March 31. Free Lakeshore Avenue Plant Exchange.

Odd and Ends

This is old news by now but just in case you've been living in a vacuum, the New York Times travel section published an article on January 8 listing the "45 Places to go in 2012".

Oakland's #4 ranking elicited derisive jeers from points immediately west of us--but ask all those new folks moving into our neighborhoods and you'll find that at least 75% are refugees from San Francisco who are astounded by our weather; neighbor's neighborliness; and compared to the Big City, the availability of parking.

If you'd like to comment on any of the above news, please do so on the Grand Lake Neighbors website

If you have friends or neighbors who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, please forward this link: www.splashpad.org/mostrecent.html and invite them to subscribe by sending an email to info@splashpad.org.