Here are a couple quick picks from my post Christmas hike in the woods in Montclair. Who knew there were graffiti elves in the forest?
I’ve been taking some vacation time over the holidays… hoping to get back on my game in the New Year… postings will likely be sporadic till then.
Ahhh… the good life. Happy holidays y’all!
So coffee is the new buzz in the East Bay… have you seen the cover story in this week’s East Bay Express: Surfing Coffee’s “Third Wave” by Luke Tsai? It focuses on the profusion of new coffee connoisseurs setting up shop in the East Bay… Local 123, Sub Rosa, Remedy, and Awaken Café. To date I’ve been to Sub Rosa (fantastic tiny shop with gorgeous expresso drinks, located next door to Manifesto bike shop and 1234 Go Records on 40th Street) and the Remedy coffee cart serving Ritual Coffee on Telegraph near 44th, run by Todd Spitzer (I went before the cafe was open…it’s open now and is getting rave reviews on Yelp). More on these in future posts…
But today I went to a great spot, sadly not mentioned in the article… Farley’s East.
I’ve been a big fan of the original Farley‘s since back in the 90’s when I worked full time on Potrero Hill in San Francisco. Farley’s had fantastic coffee and espresso drinks, an incredible magazine rack featuring unusual art and culture rags, rotating art exhibits, and wonderful eats including just about the best banana bread I’ve ever had. It was my daily morning ritual. Luckily, they’ve maintained the quality and the vibe in their East Bay transplant.
They’ve got the same great magazine selection, rotating art each month, wonderful food and drinks (today I had a brie/pear/cranberry/walnut panini on the most incredible bread… yum!), and a real spirit of community involvement (their motto is “community in a cup“). They feature a different non-profit each month… this month highlighting the good works of Oaklandish, including a fundraiser held for them in early December.
Please check them out… you won’t be sorry.
Only 1 week left (phew)… For those of you who didn’t make it out last weekend due to lousy weather, overindulgence, or more pressing engagements, there are a few more artisan oriented shopping events this weekend, if you still need to pick up some last minute unique and special gifts. And if you’re not interested in shopping, scroll down (after photo) for other noteworthy events…
Shop Oakland Artisan Marketplace, featuring fine and craft artwork by local and regional artists
http://www.oaklandculturalarts.org/main/oaklandartisanmarketplace.htm
Smokey’s Tangle Art Gallery has turned itself into a mall this December. Get your photo taken with Santa, make a holiday card, test out the chair massager, and listen to demented christmas music all in our heartwarming mall-like atmosphere.
http://www.smokeystangle.com/
The 2nd Annual Exhibition of works by SF designer Lil Tuffy continues with over 225 limited edition screenprinted rock posters for Bay Area, National and European shows. As always, ready-made frames will be available…remember your music and art loving friends this holiday season! http://KuhlFrames.com/
Original ready-t0-hang art, and hand-crafted items such as jewelry, clothing, housewares, and more… http://WeArtSpace.com/
A curated pop-up shop exhibition including small work installations, limited edition prints, art books, art t’s by Oaklandish, jewelry and much more.
http://www.swarmgallery.com/gallery/exhibitions/Shop_Show.htm
Original ready-t0-hang art, and hand-crafted items such as jewelry, clothing, housewares, and more… http://WeArtSpace.com/
A curated pop-up shop exhibition including small work installations, limited edition prints, art books, art t’s by Oaklandish, jewelry and much more.
http://www.swarmgallery.com/gallery/exhibitions/Shop_Show.htm
Mountain View Cemetery Holiday Circle of Lights
For those of you ahead of the game and actually ready to kick back and enjoy that vacation you’ve been waiting for for months, here are some interesting local oaktown holiday and non-holiday events to check out… have fun!
Mentioned in yesterday’s post too… part of the Paramount’s classic movie series. Tickets are $5 and include pre-film entertainment. Doors at 7pm… movie starts at 8pm. paramounttheatre.com
CRITIC’S Choice: East Bay Express… Frank Moore, world-known shaman performance artist, will conduct improvised passions of musicians, actors, dancers, and audience members in a laboratory setting to create altered realities of fusion beyond taboos… Temescal Art Center at 8pm. http://www.eroplay.com/events.html
Experience the wonders and classic beauty of the holidays at Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate. Walk back in time through our beautifully decorated mansion, enjoy live holiday music, have breakfast with Father Christmas, find the perfect gift in our Holiday Shops, activities for the kids, and much more! (11am – 5pm) http://www.dunsmuir.org/calendar_holiday09.html
Due to popular demand, Novella Carpenter is having another farm tour!
When: Sunday, December 20, 11am-2pm
What: Signed copies of Farm City, Goat Town t-shirts, fried green tomatoes, and hot chocolate made with goat milk for sale. Goat snuggling and tours free.
Where: Ghosttown Farm, 665 28th Street, at Martin Luther King
http://novellacarpenter.com/
Celebrating 10 years of Home for the Holidays CHARLIE HUNTER With Very Special Guest Doug Wamble… saw this show Saturday night… Awesome.
When: Sunday, December 20, 2pm matinee and 7pm shows
http://www.yoshis.com/oakland/jazzclub/artist/show/954
Charles Dickens’ classic gets the full Broadway treatment by the Broadway team of Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Little Mermaid,”), Lynn Ahrens (“Ragtime,” “Seussical”) and Mike Okrent (“Crazy For You,” “Me and My Girl.”) This spectacular musical retains its emotional power and pure joy, thanks to the marvelously-told story, and the score with beautiful melodies and emotional lyrics.
http://curtaincallperformingarts.net/tickets_-_a_christmas_carol
The Oakland Ballet Company presents Carlos Carvajal’s Nutcracker accompanied by the Oakland East Bay Symphony, performing the beautiful Tchaikovsky score.
This beloved holiday tradition has a spectacular growing tree, a spirited party, battle scenes, and a trip through the snow forest and the land of the sweets. The San Francisco Chronicle describes Carvajal’s Nutcracker as a “time-tested production, featuring glittering costumes and a live orchestra.”
TICKETS: $15-$50 with student and senior discounts through www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Or better yet, avoid the butt-load of convenience charges that Ticketmaster applies by going directly down to Paramount Theatre (Box Office on 21st street – if you bring a non-perishable food item for the Alameda County Food bank, you get at additional 20% off your tickets – not a bad deal!), 2025 Broadway 510-465-6400, paramounttheatre.com http://www.oaklandballet.org/
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