Love Your (East Bay) Neighbor

Today, Kimster and I had a little adventure. We drove over to Oakland to visit our friend Ann and her adorable daughter, Lulu, in their charming Temescal/Rockridge neighborhood. Cute houses, yards, trees...Such a nice place to stroll through, en route to brunch. And oh, that brunch!
Had Kimster and I not pre-fueled at Ritual, we could have caffeinated at Remedy, which serves Ritual coffee in a cool vintage-furniture-laden space. But we did have a seriously yummy meal across the street at Aunt Mary's Cafe. Not too long of a wait, and the food - all as local and sustainable as possible - arrived quickly. My scramble was perfectly cooked and full of roasted tomatoes and Swiss chard, then dusted with Asiago. Of the many sides, I chose fresh fruit and wheat bread, which was thickly sliced and seemed homemade. Spread with blueberry preserves from a jar on the table, that toast was the answer to my carb-lovin' prayers. Ann and Kimster also were quite happy with their Southern Bubble and Squeak; the name alone makes me love Aunt Mary and her tattooed crew.
Down the street is the awe-inspiring Temescal Farmers' Market. Huge, with all sorts of produce, food stalls and even Blue Bottle coffee. Kimster and I bought a gingery limeade to share, and walked back to Ann's so Miss Lulu could nap. She even gave us each a sweet kiss goodbye. Oakland hospitality is a beautiful thing.

Zeroing In

Kimster and I tried a newish place on Folsom: Zero Zero (named for the type of flour they use). This is a snazzy little joint with comfy booths, a nice long bar on the left, and decent acoustics (not to mention some sultry Mazzy Star playing in the restroom). We tried four things, all getting way better than a zero rating: first, halibut crudo with tiny shavings of fried shallot and a splash of olive oil: so good but soooooo tiny! Four itty bitty pieces was kind of a tease. Next, an amazing salad of organic beets, ruby cubes mixed with farro, pistachio and sweet-sour saba. Then, a refreshing watermelon salad with feta and mint, so beautiful it almost shimmered on the plate. Finally, the Filetti pizza: perfectly blistered crust, melted mozzarella di bufala, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves. They will cut it in four or six slices, which is a nice option. Full as we were, we declined the choose-it-yourself soft-serve ice cream with toppings, but it's a cute idea. Aside from the teensy first course, I have zero complaints.

Oaktown Soul

The Lovely Elise and I intended to go to Encuentro for dinner. We got there, though, and the place was closed for 'vacation', which we suspect means went-to-burning-man, judging by the dates and all. We were sorely disappointed, yes. But nearby is Souley Vegan, so it wasn't a total washout.
Elise loves this place, and I can see why. It's funky, friendly, and has some good food at reasonable prices. We shared the Everything Plate, which had big pieces of chickeny-looking Southern Fried Tofu, barbecued tofu (loved the sauce), collards, sweet yams, black-eyed peas, mac and cheese (I think they used ziti for their pasta), cornbread, beans and rice and fried okra. We also tried peach cobbler for dessert, but it was a bit canned for my taste, especially in stone fruit season.
Not far away is the Layover, a cool bar with some specialty cocktails on a chalkboard, a comfy couch in back and, later, a DJ. My cucumber and gin drink was ever-so-refreshing and nicely kissed with lime. The early-20's dude who tried to flirt with me was not kissed but got a friendly good-bye when we left for the BART train.

Orange You Sweet

My friend Patrick mans the booth for Tomatero Farm at the new Mission Farmers' Market (Bartlett, between 21st/22nd). He made an amazing tomato table yesterday, all colors, shapes and sizes. I had a hard time choosing, but choose I did, because when heirloom season is here, you are foolish to not indulge.
I love the green zebras. And those dark red ones with green patches. But yesterday I had to buy a basket of the crazy-sweet orange cherry tomatoes. Is it their orange color that makes them so candylike? No idea. But I am popping them like happy pills.

A Gay Old Time

The Castro: a good place to people-watch, not always a foodie destination. However, there are some new places that merit a visit. Namely: Blackbird, a cool little bar that has absolutely delicious cocktails for a mere $8. The Charming Susan and I enjoyed a Negroni (her) and a Dutch Courage (me), the latter a fruity combo of bols genever, maple syrup, lemon and lime juices, frothed-up egg whites and bitters. Dear Lord! Tasting almost like pineapple, this drink had just the right sweetness and left a nice boozy after-breath. I also fancied our wee window table (see: people-watching) and the fossil-like surface of said table. The place gets loud, but the drinks are worth it.
Next, the Charming One and I traipsed up the street to Starbelly. My cohort had thoughtfully called ahead to reserve us a two-top, which is a good thing to do; the place can get crowded. We shared the Starbelly salad, lettuces with tiny cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and a puckery vinaigrette, and a Greekish salad of heirloom tomato, Japanese cucumber, olives and raw milk feta. As an entree, we ordered a pleasantly chewy margherita pizza; Susan's half was adorned with their house bacon. It was a perfect way to pass a Tuesday night: pizza and booze, Castro-style. Oh: if you're gay and male, you might find the waiters kind of tasty as well.

My Boogaloo Conversion

Friends, I once hated Boogaloo's. And for good reason. At one time, the food was not so good. In fact, I had a pancake experience that left me so ill that I vowed not to return.
And I didn't. Until, like, 8 years later.
Guess what?? They are soooo much better! Sure, the wait can be longish, but it's doable, and you have Ritual right across the street to fix your coffee jones. Sit down, order, and quick as a bunny, food arrives. I tried the Nicky's polenta, a huge vegan plate with truly satisfying corn mush (crispy outside, softy inside), black beans, ranchero sauce, pickled cabbage and a generous mound of sauteed veggies. JP enjoyed his scrambies, hash browns, sausage and biscuit. We also shared a lemon cornmeal pancake, and the bad memory was wiped away. This flapjack rocked!
So yeah, I shall now be joining the parade of tired hipsters on Sunday. Boo hoo. And if you're looking for me, I'm the one not wearing oversize sunglasses, skinny jeans and flats.

Osha Nosh-a

Lunch bargains: great, sometimes, but it can be an iffy prospect. I can definitely recommend Osha's, though. For $10.95, you get a cup of very good soup (Tom Yum), choice of appetizer (I had fresh spring rolls, which were funny little tubes, long rather than fat, with a nice sweetish dipping sauce), and entree (mine was tofu with veggies in garlic sauce). Oh and a big mound of jasmine rice. The restaurant's pretty and not too crowded; service is quite good. And my veggie stir fry was no boring mix; the chunks of bright orange kabocha squash made me oh-so-happy. Healthy, filling, and you may have leftovers. Leftover Thai food: better by far than waiting for hours at a street food fest. Just my two cents.