Category Archives: My favorite things…

Zoolights! & Willy Wonka

My girlfriend and I took her 6 year old to Zoolights the other night… I’d been reading lots about it and people really seem to love this holiday light display and show. It consistently gets ranked in local editors’ picks for holiday to-do’s and gets 4 stars on Yelp. As someone who’s never even been to the Oakland Zoo (and I hear it’s quite lovely for the small zoo that it is), I was pretty excited to see this show too. And for the most part, I’d say it didn’t disappoint… just check out these lights!

oakland zoo, zoolights entrance

oakland zoo, zoolights

oakland zoo, zoolights, tunnel of light

oakland zoo, zoolights giraffes

From an artistic standpoint, these animal representations are pretty darned impressive. And the kids love ’em! If you have young children, or the maturity of a kindergartner yourself, you should definitely check this out.

Though not free, it’s for a good cause as all proceeds go towards The Oakland Zoo, a non-profit organization that depends on your support. A regional treasure for over 80 years, the Oakland Zoo’s mission is to inspire respect for and stewardship of the natural world while providing a quality visitor experience. The Zoo is open daily 10:00am – 4:00pm. And the Zoolights holiday shows run evenings through January 4th…

5:30pm – 9:00pm (Monday – Thursday)
5:30pm – 9:30pm (Friday – Sunday)

*Note that Zoo animal residents will be nestled all snug in their beds, with visions of fresh fish and steak, dancing in their heads.

And just in case you were worried, you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in the electric spectacle, because PG&E has collaborated with the Oakland Zoo to make the lighting display extremely energy efficient through the use of LEDs (which use about 1/10th of the electricity of regular xmas lights).

Shown below is the Holiday Light Show Safari that’s set up in the zoo’s meadow. It’s a light show sychronized to a musical/theatrical soundtrack, and if I were to be totally honest (which I am), I would have to say that this was somewhat disappointing, at least for grown-ups. The lights were great, but the medley soundtrack was an awful disjointed mismash of stuff that might appeal to the sensibilities of a 2 year old, but frankly, was just plain bad. It could have been way cooler. Sorry.

Pretty blue tree.

You still with me? I hope so, ’cause we’re just getting to the really cool stuff. Below is the entrance to Candyland, which is where the carnival rides are: merry-go-round-where-you-can-ride-a-tiger, airplane spinny rides, little racecars, and of course, the launching point for the mini-steam train, the Snowball Express.

This is the view of the bay from our train ride… and yes, you have to pay extra for this. But aren’t you used to the whoosh of cash flowing through your hands these days? And remember, it’s for a good cause. This, truly, was my favorite part of the night. Do ride the train, but do dress warm!

oakland zoo train, view from train ride

The ultimate experience was travelling through the tunnel of light… it totally reminded me of that scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory…the psychedelic boat trip…

“there’s no earthly way of knowing
which direction we are going
there’s no knowing where we’re rowing
or which way the river’s flowing…”

Watch it here. It’s AWESOME.

tunnel of light, oakland zoolights train

Which reminds me: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this Friday night 8pm (doors at 7), at the aptly named Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Part of their wonderful classic movie series… pay five bucks to see a great work of art, in a great work of art, with pre-film entertainment to boot. This is one of the best deals in town. I love the Paramount. More on it during Art Deco Days…

Grandma’s Ginger Molasses Cookies

So I’ve been feeling a little Grinchy these last couple of days… I even watched A Charlie Brown Christmas for some inspiration…

It’s one of my favorite holiday specials, and really, what’s not to like?! From the killer Vince Guaraldi Trio jazz soundtrack, to the humor that’s still hilarious decades later (“Christmas is run by a big eastern syndicate you know”), to the larger message of consumerism vs. spirituality that also holds true in today’s modern shopping society.

Charlie Brown goes to see Lucy for some psychiatric advice… her suggestion: “you need REAL involvement.” Involvement.  Sounds like a pretty good antidote to me.  Easy to be glum sitting on the sidelines, watching the frenzy from afar.  But harder to maintain, with hot fragrant cookies fresh from the oven, that you helped create.

So in the interest of putting my Grinchy self back in a box, here is Grandma Sherman’s Ginger Molasses Cookie recipe.  She called them “Million Dollar Gingersnaps,” but I prefer to bake them chewy, so no snap for this girl.

  • 1/2 c margarine
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c molasses (unsulfured)
  • 2 c sifted flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground ginger

Cream margarine and sugar until light.  Beat in egg and molasses.  Mix dry ingredients together and add to batter gradually.  Beat well.  (Dough will be soft).  Cover and chill in fridge, ideally overnight.

That’s it for the pre-baking part.  It’s pretty easy, but there are a few noteworthy points:

1) Do not be tempted to substitute butter for margarine.  Believe me, I believe butter makes everything better, but not these cookies.  You will lose the crisp/chewy consistency.

2) Make sure to sift the flour before measuring.  Crucial for correct consistency.

3) Follow instructions and add dry ingredients gradually for smooth soft dough (I forgot this and look how lumpy my dough turned out.  Hopefully the finished product will not suffer too terribly.)

4) Dough must be thoroughly chilled before baking, otherwise you can’t roll it into balls. Don’t try to bake immediately… you’ve gotta be a little patient.

cookie recipe, margarine and sugar

Now for the baking part…

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Lightly grease cookie sheet
  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls
  • Roll balls in sugar (I added this touch!)
  • Place balls approximately 3 inches apart on cookie sheet (they will flatten & spread while cooking)
  • Bake 8-10 minutes (start with a few testers to get desired crispness or chewiness)
  • Allow cookies to remain on cookie sheet 2-3 minutes before removing to cooling rack (immediate removal results in smushed cookies)

cookie dough on cookie sheet

cookies on cookie sheet

cookies on cooling rack

cookies to share

So not really “art,” I know. But kinda artful. And definitely delicious.

Mmmm… Mama’s

I said it was deserving of its own post, so here it is: Mama’s Royal Cafe!

outside Mama's Royal Cafe

Located on the border of the Temescal and Piedmont neighborhood’s in Oakland at Broadway and 40th, Mama’s is an Oakland institution. They opened their doors over 35 years ago in this same spot and have been going strong ever since.

I went Saturday morning after a brief discussion with a friend who lives close by:

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” I said. “There are already folks lining up outside.”

He said, “Well maybe we should go somewhere else…”

And I replied, “I want my Mama’s!!!“

End of discussion. And so we walked, and we waited, and as I’ve said before, it’s always worth it!

mama's royal cafe art

The thing that makes Mama’s unique is their combo of vintage eclectic decor with today’s fancy farm-fresh local produce. You’re in this classic diner-feeling establishment, eating Niman Ranch meats, Petaluma eggs, Acme bread (which is out of this world… when they ask you what kind of toast you want, the correct answer is “Acme”), and amazing seasonal fruits and veggies, typically featured in their specials of the day.

I had one of their specials on this visit: a roasted fennel frittata with carmelized onions, parmesan cheese and a few other yummy ingredients. Served with perfect potatoes crispy-cooked  (it amazes me how many breakfast places have mediocre potatoes), and that incredible Acme toast. I made my way through my entire platter of food and was munching on my last piece of toast when my friend said, “That bread is the best!” I only had three bites left, slathered in butter and jam, but I offered it to him. I was already over-stuffed, and in general, am working on being a better sharer. He was grateful.

One of my favorite Summer Specials is their fresh fruit crepes. They only serve this when the most amazing berries, mangoes, nectarines, and kiwis are available, all tucked into delectable crepes with a créme fraîche sauce to die for. If you’re like me – you have a hard time deciding between sweet and savory and are always trying to talk your friends into getting both and splitting them – this is a great one to get. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait about 8 months before it’s available again. It’s worth the wait!

The restaurant has 3 rooms… the main entrance leads you into the sign-up area, coffee station, counter seating, and small tables near the window. Next over is a narrow room filled with wooden bench booths… this is a cool spot if you want a little privacy. Each booth has possesses one of these quaint little jukeboxes (unfortunately now inoperable) which back in the day, played two songs for a nickel… “the equivalent of two complete records!”

mama's royal cafe, mixmaster vintage advertisement

vintage aprons at mama's royal cafe

The farthest room is the largest… ideal for bigger groups and great people watching.

The entire restaurant is filled with quirky art… vintage aprons and teacups galore, boomer era advertising (I love the Mixmaster poster above – “it even polishes silverware!”), Poodle with a Mohawk, and of course, the wonderful napkin art.

oaktownart_20091116_06

Every spring, Mama’s hosts their annual Napkin Art Contest with real cash prizes… this is no joke! Top napkin takes four hundred smackerooos, second and third get $200 and $100 respectively, plus more complimentary breakfasts and kids prizes too. Only requirement is that a paper napkin must be used. 2010 entries due March 31st… prizes distributed April 15th. You can see original winning entries displayed at the restaurant, and photos of winners in Mama’s online photo gallery. This stuff is amazing!

sign at mama's royal cafe

Mountain View Cemetery…

One of my favorite things to do, and an appropriately spooky outing for this Halloween, is to visit Mountain View Cemetery at the end of Piedmont Avenue. It’s a gorgeous piece of prime Oakland real estate, nestled against and stretching into the hills with stunning views of the entire Bay Area… nevermind that it’s full of dead people.

Because it’s also chock full of incredible art & architecture, not to mention a ton of local history.  It’s here that you can read about the Merritts (former mayor of Oakland Samuel Merritt, after whom Lake Merritt was named) and the Crockers (railroad builder Charles Crocker, namesake to Crocker Highlands) and a slew of other politicians, philanthropists, shipmasters, and businesspersons who helped shape this city.

The cemetery comprises over 220 acres containing, chapels, columbariums, crematoriums, mausoleums, and traditional graves, all amidst a breathtaking park-like setting that frequently draws hikers, bikers, a picnickers alike.  It always makes me smile to see a family stretched out, enjoying an afternoon lunch in the midst of the graves.

Founded in 1863, the park was designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, known as the father of American landscape design, and designer of many urban parks including Central Park in New York City. Part of what makes Mountain View unique from other cemeteries is this park-like design, which grew out of his integrated “vision of man and nature and their relationship to each other.”

Mountain View Cemetery Statues

Mountain View Cemetery Sculpture

There are fantastic examples of sculptural work in stone, concrete, and metal. I love this bronze angel…

Bronze Angel

Mountain View Cemetery

Bronze Sculpture

These next two crypts are from “Millionaires’ Row”… The one on the right is the Crocker crypt – I like to call it the giant penis. I’m sure he didn’t have a complex… um, right.

Millionaires' Row

Mountain View Cemetery Sphynx

Mountain View Cemetery

Mountain View Cemetery Lambs

Lots of angels…

Mountain View Cemetery Angels

Mountain View Cemetery Angel

Gravestones at Sunset

Mountain View Cemetery

Below is the view of San Francisco from the top…

View of San Francisco

The cemetery is open to the public everyday during daylight hours. Run by a nonsectarian, non-profit association, free docent tours are available the second and fourth Saturdays of each month starting at 10am.