Not too many people are paying attention, but major changes may be in the offing for our Grand Lake neighborhood. One recommendation is to permit new structures up to 60 or even 90 feet tall in the area bordered by Grand, Mandana, Lakeshore and Lake Park. Would you like to rezone Grand to CN-1 as a means of banning new nail shops or alternatively, roll back the clock to the wild and wooly 1970's when a topless bar graced Grand Avenue where Urban Furniture is now located? Okay, so forget the latter, but do give some thought to attending a Town Hall sponsored by Grand Lake Neighbors to be held on December 9 beginning at 7:00 PM in Barnett Hall, adjacent to Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church. This will be a rare opportunity for community members to influence the shape of future development in our own neighborhood. For more information (including maps and reports from the Planning Department), visit the www.grandlakeneighbors.org home page. Merchant News Biggest news on the merchant front was the long-anticipated, Grand Opening of Brian Hill's Taste of Joy Restaurant at 3909 Grand Avenue. My wife and I have been there twice since their opening for dinner early in November and have been really pleased with the quality of the food, the size of the portions and the moderate prices. On our second visit, I ordered the fried chicken wings which were crispy on the outside and incredibly succulent inside. This was quite possibly the best fried chicken I've had since I was a kid and that covers far more years than I'd care to admit. While this space is much, much larger than the one on Lakeshore and boasts a classy decor (and a doorman to match), it remains a warm, friendly family-run operation. Just breaking news: Effective today, Taste of Joy opens for lunch at 11:30. Just down the street, The Grand Tavern continues to garner wonderful reviews plus lots of free publicity. The most recent being the Barfly column in the Oakland Tribune. Down Grand still further, I talked to someone working at what used to be DiBartolo's Restaurant. Word is that "sometime after Thanksgiving", it will (as promised) reopen as Pizzaiolo or more appropriately, perhaps--Son of Pizzaiolo since they have not yet settled on the actual name. The wood-fired oven is already operational and the menu will be similar to the original, but not identical. I was assured that emphasis would still be on fresh, locally grown, quality ingredients. Around the corner on Lake Park, owner Ashley Young told me that Gelato Firenze would be closed for the entire month of December. Then miracle of miracles, she offered a taste of her newest concoction--Soy Chocolate. It was so rich and the flavor so intense, before asking for seconds, I checked with my spiritual adviser to make sure I wasn't committing some unpardonable sin. When they open Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM, I'll be picking up a couple of pints of gelato and/or sorbet as my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. The Soy Chocolate is high on my want list, but I'll also be looking for something to complement the pumpkin pie or pear torte. FYI: Sign on the door says all pints will be priced at $5 on Sunday, November 29. Rose Garden T-Shirt Fundraiser On Saturday, December 5, the Friends of the Oakland Rose Garden will have a fundraising booth at the Farmers Market offering their Deadheaders T-shirts which are tie-dyed by volunteers and reminiscent of the 60's--only better! Booth will most likely be somewhere in the Plaza. All proceeds will be used to fund various Rose garden projects. For more information about the Deadheaders program and volunteer workdays, visit their website at http://www.friendsofoaklandrose.org. Farmers Market News In the October 8th Newsletter, I confessed that biking with Easy Riders was taking precedence over the Grand Lake Farmers Market. With the onset of colder weather, I'm still riding on Saturdays, but Splash Pad Park is my only destination. As proof positive, I've posted just over 20 new photos on my Flickr account. Three of those are my personal favorites. The first is a photo of a Buddha's Hand Citron from Blossom Bluff Orchards. The second photo captures some of the colors and textures in the fresh salsa mix Javier was offering in his Ledesma Family Farms booth. Not surprisingly, my hands-down favorite is this photo of my 3 year-old Grand-daughter. During past visits, it's been sometimes difficult to get my younger son and his family up and out to the market, but times change. Sami headed straight for the jump houses. Ben, who has developed a taste for salumi, made a beeline for the Fabrique Delices booth. Cheryl, who has just enrolled in a chef's school, pretty much wanted to see everything. Like me, she was thoroughly enamored with the Oyster Mushrooms that BTTRventures is growing in recycled coffee grounds. Unlike me, she managed to get an excellent photo despite the poor lighting. Later that day, I fixed Sami a bowl of sliced fruit purchased at the market and, as an afterthought, added a small handful of dried, pitted sour cherries I always purchase from Eddie from EGB Farms. When she finished the first batch, she asked for more. After the third such request, I pointed out that the 8 oz bags are $6 or $12 per pound and insisted she show more restraint than I myself, typically exhibit. With a little help from "Gramps", the bag was quickly history. When I returned for a new supply the following Saturday, Eddie told me the pitted cherries are pollinators and once dried, they are far superior to the Bings. FYI: To make an 8 ounce bag of dried cherries, start with 10 to 12 pounds off the tree. If you're one of Phat Matt's barbecue devotees, you've probably been disappointed by his absence from the Farmers Market the last two weekends. If so, take heart as he and his crew should be back just after Thanksgiving. They took a couple of weeks off in order to coordinate opening their own restaurant at 3415 Telegraph Avenue next to Neldam's Bakery allowing you the opportunity to get your Phat Matt's BBQ fix another five days a week. Everyone connected to the Farmers Market is really pleased and excited on their behalf--particularly since Matt and Charlene are Oakland residents, really fine people and have a great product. It is also a point of pride for the market itself since one of the market's goals is to serve as a small business incubator. Phat Matt's now joins Souley Vegan as a locally-based, independent business that built its initial following at the Grand Lake Market and later expanded to a brick and mortars location. We're hoping that Matt (unlike Souley Vegan) finds the time and resources to continue gracing us with his presence on Saturdays. The Saturday before last, I had a long conversation with Doug Stonebreaker, one of three partners who own Prather Ranch Meat Co. Much to my surprise, I learned that they are actually based here in Oakland on Coliseum Way and that most of their employees are Oakland residents. I also discovered that they have a special order program that allows one to place orders for delivery at the Grand Lake Farmers Market. Turkeys, hams and prime rib are all available for Christmas. That same morning, Yank (who works with Nessia to keep the market running smoothly) told me that the Marin Farmers Markets Association had received a grant that will facilitate recycling and composting at each of their markets. The Grand Lake Market typically has up to 100 vendors and on a good day, maybe 5000 patrons. The quantities of both recyclables and organic matter suitable for composting are substantial. If you know of (or are affiliated with) an organization or agency that might be interested, please look for Yank or Nessia in the Farmers Market information booth or phone them at 800 897-FARM. Other Farmers Market news in brief: Brent's Christmas Tree Lot should be up and running just after Thanksgiving. This will be their 31st year in Splash Pad Park.
$5,000 Heroes Award I'm indebted to Jim Ratliff for the following message: The Trust for Public Land and KTVU television station (channel 2) have launched "Cox Conserves Heroes" to "honor the Bay Area's unsung environmental heroes and inspire neighborhood conservation." It's a competition, and the winner's chosen neighborhood organization will receive $5,000. You get to vote to help decide the winner. Two great Lake Merritt area heroes and projects have made it into the top 5 finalists (out of the entire Bay Area!): Barbara Newcombe, on behalf of the Cleveland Cascade Park. Dawn Hawk, on behalf of Bella Vista Park. Each of these heroes found a park that was pretty dismal and depressing and led a movement that resulted in an exciting, community-enriching renaissance. Both projects would be thrilled to have $5,000 to further improve their parks! Voting goes through December 7. To watch videos for each project and cast your vote, go to the "Cox Conserves Heroes" web site. That Oakland has two projects out of only five finalists is a little double-edged: This makes it VERY IMPORTANT that as many people as possible hear about this competition and vote! Please FORWARD THIS WIDELY to all your neighborhood lists and friends in Oakland or that care about Oakland! Hoop. There it is. With basketball courts in virtually every Oakland school and recreation yard, playing "hoops" is old hat. Playing with (or more accurately, exercising with) hoops is an entirely different matter. Mary Ellen Navas and Bob Archibald (old friends from our Splash Pad fountain fundraising days) turned me on to a free hula hoop class that starts at 8:30 on Sunday mornings on the northern edge of Lake Merritt just above the Pergola and Colonnades. It's organized by Sharon Garrett, a fitness professional and creator of a program she calls "Hoop. There it is" . Sharon started this program as her way of giving back to the community. Feel free to drop in as they typically have extra hoops to share with newcomers. Splash Pad Newsletter Subscriptions If you have friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers who may be interested in today's newsletter, please send them this link: http://www.splashpad.org/mostrecent.html. If they choose to do so, they can then subscribe by sending an email to info@splashpad.org. |