Beast Blog

Truly Mediterranean now The Mediterranean

18 months ago, I wrote about Truly Mediterranean, my favorite SF shawarma joint, opening a branch in Berkeley. About 6 weeks ago, Truly Med turned into The Mediterranean.

It has pretty much the same menu, though there have definitely been changes in the recipes.

My old standby, the lamb shawarma, was much saucier than back in the Truly Med days. It was almost like eating a stew in a lavash, whereas Truly Med was simply about seasonings. That said, it was still quite good, and definitely filling.

One to Watch: Urban Commons

We got an email from a Beaster with a relevant weblog:

Hey Beast Bloggers!

I'm a fan of your blog and I've recently started my own site on Urban
Development/City planning issues. I'm based in Oakland and plan to touch
on East Bay related topics regularly. I'm trying to get people to visit
and contribute to the site in order to start a real dialog on these
important issues. Is there anyway to get a mention on your site? I'm sure
your readers would enjoy it.

Thanks!

Sincerely,

jesse

http://urbancommons.org/

The site is still pretty new, but already has a couple of Beast-related posts. Good luck, Jesse!

Temescal Street Fair - Saturday June 18th

This weekend offers up the Temescal Street Fair (Poster PDF), a celebration of North Oakland. Food, performances, art, and more. I'll be there with my camera.

Oakland's Newest Restaurant Sensation: Pizzaiolo

KQED's Bay Area Bites blog gives the low-down on PIzzaiolo, the yupscale pizzeria started by an ex Chez Panisse chef.

UC Berkeley Conservatory Archaeology

The Berkeley Daily Planet offers up an article on the archaeology work unearthing the remains of a conservatory that once graced UC Berkeley.

As it happens, I was at the site and took a bunch of pictures a couple days ago.

If you wanna learn some local history, stop by and say Hi. It's right off the Memorial Glade.

Cafe Baguette -- Good Mediterranean near Campus

On the recommendation of a Beast Blog reader, a bunch of us headed to Cafe Baguette (2510 Channing, just off of Telegraph Ave., in Berkeley) last night for a Mediterranean meal. Here is what she wrote in:

Basically, it's this tiny place that opened up a coupla weeks ago, called Cafe Baguette, on 2510 Channing (just south of campus). It's all-organic, and the food is *amazing,* not to mention dirt cheap. I think the owners must be a Tunisian family, because they have a bunch of Tunisian stuff on the menu (including lamb couscous and veggie stews), but they also have your traditional falafel and shawarma,
which kick the butts of those at Truly Med and Bongo Burger. I've been looking forever for a place that does this stuff at a price that I (as a student) can handle, and that meets my standards (my parents are Middle Eastern). And oh my God, this so fits the bill; I've eatern there four times in the past week, since I discovered it.

Anyway, so I highly recommend you check it out. I almost feel obliged to go advertise for them everywhere, since they haven't been getting many customers since they opened, and I would die if they went out of business so soon after opening, since they're so damn good. God forbid another independent-run place shuts down to be replaced by another Subway.

Pretty much everyone ended up with a Mediterranean platter. I got lamb. Others got chicken. The lamb one looked like this:

Though less blurry. The lamb people were much happier than the chicken people. The lamb tasted... lamby. Meaty. Juicy. And spicy. It was quite good. As was the hummus. The baba ghanoush was the most eggplant-y I'd ever had (it's up to you to determine if that's a good thing or not). The falafel were the only disappointment -- dry and kind of chewy.

Artist's Reception - June 10 - 21 Grand

It looks like 21 Grand has moved again (and still nowhere on Grand). Friday (tomorrow!) night is the reception for a new exhibit, Games We Play, featuring sculpture by Andrew Phares and Shalene Valenzuela.

The details:

Friday, June 10, 7-10pm
Artists' Reception for Games We Play
Sculpture by Andrew Phares & Shalene Valenzuela
Exhibition runs through July 3. For gallery hours, visit 21 Grand
21 Grand is located at 416 25th St. (at Broadway)
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 444-7263

I'll be there.

Berkeley Cybersalon - Citizen Journalism - June 19

From the official announcement:

BERKELEY CYBERSALON
6-8 p.m., Sunday, June 19, 2005
Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St., Berkeley
“Got News? Citizen Journalism with Dan
Gillmor, Becky O’Malley, and Peter Merholz (and Craig Newmark in the
Wings)”

Technology is making it easier for grassroots journalism to
take root. Craig Newmark, the father of online community classifieds,
recently planted the seeds of this new movement, and Dan Gillmor gave
up his tech column at the San Jose Mercury to start his own
interactive-journalism venture, www.Bayosphere.com. In print, publisher/editor Becky
O’Malley speaks to the spirit of the local community with The
Berkeley Daily Planet. And the father of “blog,” Peter Merholz
founded the Beast Blog [Ed--you're here!], a group blog
that covers everything of note in the East Bay. With organic
publications like these, who needs the artificially flavored New York
Times?

Come discuss the future of journalism with us. We’re joining
with Kevin Werbach, host of Supernova, an emerging technology event
starting June 2 in S.F., for a traditional pre-Supernova dinner at 6
p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 7 p.m.

Werbach is offering Cybersalonistas a $300 discount for the two-day conference; or $500
off on the full three-day conference – just mention Berkeley
Cybersalon when/if you register at www.supernova2005.com.

Dinner is $20, and if you plan to come, RSVP to whoisylvia AT aol.com so we
can order food (Vietnamese, with lots of vegetarian alternatives for
those grassroots types) and drinks.

We know it’s Father’s Day, so bring your dad(s).

This is an event for everyone interested in the
future of journalism.

Directions:
Via gas-guzzling vehicle:
From Oakland or the Bay Bridge, take Hwy 80 and exit at University, make a
quick RIGHT under the freeway and onto the frontage road, and turn RIGHT at the 4RENT sign onto Cedar St.
Continue straight two miles past Shattuck and park.
From the Richmond
Bridge, take Hwy 80 and exit LEFT at Gilman, turn RIGHT on San Pablo
for a few blocks, and LEFT on Cedar St. 1.5 miles past Shattuck, and
park.

Via “natural” mode, i.e, foot/bicycle/Segway:
From downtown Berkeley BART, go north on Shattuck, and east on Cedar St. This is an easy and
safe 15-minute walk.

Posted by peterme at 08:18 AM | Comments (2)

Heinold's First and Last Chance

The Bay Area Bites Blog posted about Oakland's most historic bar: Heinold's First and Last Chance, found in Jack London Square. Is there any other Beast drinking or eating establishment that's operated since before 1900? Since before 1920? Fenton's Creamery is the only one that comes to mind.

Celebrate the Ashby Arts District - June 12

This came in the inbox:

Sunday, June 12th 1-6pm

7 venues in the South Berkeley/North Oakland Area will be opening up to the public with live performances and food to celebrate the rapidly developing Ashby Arts District (AAD).

What is the Ashby Arts District?  It is a partnership between seven non-profit organizations and performance venues in the South Berkeley/North Oakland/Lorin District area including La Peña Cultural Center, Epic Arts, The Shotgun Players at The Ashby Stage, The Black Repertory Group, Nomad Café, Northern California Land Trust and the Triptych Gallery.  

We are working together to increase awareness of the arts in our neighborhood and to unify the communities we serve.  Thriving arts organizations will bring more people to our area for shopping and dining.  Come out and support your local non profits.

Drop by any one of the above on Sunday, June 12th to join in the festivities.  

SF's >Mexican Party Bus will be cruising around the district from venue to venue all day.

So hop on the bus and come party with us!

Posted by peterme at 11:52 PM | Comments (21)

Sweet Adeline... (bah-bah-bah!)

(to the tune of "Sweet Caroline")

Sweet Adeline is a new bakery on Adeline, just south of Alcatraz.

It's baked goods are delightful.

It's been written up in the Chronicle, and Chowhound loves it, too.

Me, I like it not just for the sweet treats, but because it provides one of the few comfortable neighborhood hangouts in that part of South Berkeley.