food courts can be a great place to get cheap eats, and many of the spots have awesome ethnic food.
Emeryville Public Market has food of practically every ethnicity you can imagine- every configuarion of asian and pan-asian, middle eastern, american, european countries including greece, germany, and italy.
my fave two spots at this food court are:
Wazwan - an indian place with great chaat- samosas with killer cilantro chutney (my fave kind!), and masala dosa.
and Kashmir (i think that's the name), right across the aisle from Wazwan. they serve afghani food. their spinach bulani rocks. i was a little sad that they felt the need to change the name of their food from afghani to persian after 9-11 (perhaps they experienced a boneheaded decline in sales?), but the food remains as good as ever.
another food court worth mentioning is in berkeley, just east off the telegraph haze on durant. there are several places in the court, but i like the pho place. i am a creature of habit, and tend to get the seafood egg noodle soup there, which is great. fresh cilantro leaves really add a freshness to this wonderful soup, which is just as good in the summer as it is on rainy days when you need some warmth.
If you haven't seen The Bright River yet, do yourself a favor & go THIS WEDNESDAY, April 13th to the last show. This theatrical production (which combines music, theater, traditional jewish storytelling, beatboxing, and more) has been wildly successful for a reason. It's brilliant.
I'm not a big theater person. I usually see live music & spoken word and less theater and dance. I was thrilled by the story, the presentation & the level of talent gracing the stage.
You can still see the last show (for a while) at The Oakland Metro (201 Broadway @ 2nd, Jack London Square), 8 PM, this Wednesday, April 13th. $12 general admission.
There is a fabulous movement afoot in South Berkeley!
It's called The Ashby Arts District, and its a cooperative effort spearheaded by Epic Arts (which serves as its fulcrum). The partnership includes La Peña Cultural Center, The Shotgun Players, Epic Arts Studios, The Black Repertory Group, Nomad Café, Northern California Land Trust and the Triptych Gallery. This district is unique in that it has been organized by artists and arts organizations from the grassroots up, and is now supported by the local business community, neighborhood associations, and was officially recognized by the Berkeley Mayor's office in the summer of 2003.
The recent emergence of this affiliation of arts venues in the South Berkeley/North Oakland neighborhoods surrounding Ashby BART station has finally given a name to an area long known for its proliferation of artists, writers, musicians, dancers, actors and other performers, as well as residents who appreciate community-based arts.
Through collaborative events and programs, the District’s members are working to bridge gaps between neighboring organizations, increase public awareness of the arts, and unify the communities they serve. Undertakings include:
* Publishing a monthly arts calendar that reflects events and performances throughout the Ashby Arts District
* Compiling and sharing a database of nearly one thousand local artists, musicians and other performers in order to allow broad saturation of favorite acts within the district
* Working with city officials to move new arts organizations into the area.
* Planning our first annual street festival for the summer of 2005, during which a section of the Arts District will be shut down to celebrate the 30th anniversary of La Peña and the Northern California Land Trust.
* Partnering with local businesses, organizations, and community groups to expand the reach of and base of support for the arts as an integrated part of community
* Continuing to develop public art projects such as the 2003 Ashby/MLK mural project that involve local residents as designers and architects of thier own creative environment.
The main goal is the continued development of the Ashby Arts District and the creation of a better world through art, one thriving community at a time.
Hey everybody! Beast Blog got a Best of the East Bay commendation from The East Bay Express! While at The Parkway, i picked up a copy and was surprised & delighted to see our "award"!
Yay!
The Crucible, Oakland's educational metal foundry, is having it's 6th Annual Student Art Show and Open House on Saturday April 9 and Sunday April 10.
“Julia Morgan: The Paris Years” with Ph.D. candidate Karen McNeill at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 at the Julia Morgan designed Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Cost is $15.
The Chronicle features an article on a new mural on Piedmont and 41st, remembering the Key Trains.
On of the first Beast Blog posts also celebrates the Key System.