Beast Blog

Piedmont Ave Loves Free Wi-Fi

Rooz Cafe isn't the only spot with free wireless internet... Beast Blog reader Mike S just wrote in to say that Cato's Ale House is offering the 802.11b goodness as well.

mmmmm.... beer and wireless. A delightful combination!

Rooz Cafe -- Free Wifi, Decent Coffee, Salads, etc.

It turns out that whatever kind soul was blessing Gaylord's Cafe on Piedmont with free Wi-fi no longer does so. Laptop-loving Oaklanders fear not, for free connectivity (does "connect" mean the same when it's not physical?) can be found at Rooz Cafe, on Piedmont, a bit beyond 41st.

City CarShare on Piedmont Ave

From their latest newsletter:

PIEDMONT AVE IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR A POD

Oakland's newest pod opens next Friday, July 25, 2003, in the Piedmont Avenue neighborhood of North Oakland! The pod is located in the City of Oakland parking lot at Piedmont Avenue and 41st Street. It is right in the middle of Piedmont Ave's Commercial District, with easy access to AC Transit service and ample bicycle parking nearby. And yes, the rumors are true . . . this pod will feature a brand new Honda Civic hybrid vehicle, just like the one at the Tenderloin pod in San Francisco. If you have not had a chance to check out hybrid vehicles before, now is the time!

City CarShare's sincere thanks once again go out to the Oakland City Council and Public Works Agency for working with us to expand the program in Oakland. Onwards to bigger and better car-sharing in the Bay Area!

Ice Cream In The Beast

The long-awaited re-opening of Fenton's Creamery spurs this post. See, ice cream is one of my core food groups. When I lived in San Francisco, I would make lengthy detours to get to Mitchell's.

In the Beast, I have two favorites. Tucker's Supercreamed Ice Cream in Alameda is on par with the Mitchell's experience. Both offer that classic ice cream store experience, an excellent variety of flavors (including tropical favorites), and reasonable prices.

Mondo Gelato in downtown Berkeley avails customers of a remarkable selection of 'artisan' gelatos. Lines go out the door with people waiting for standbys such as chocolate and strawberry, and house specialties like straciatella. Two nights ago I had a combination of vanilla gelato and strawberry sorbetto, both of which were to die for. This stuff ain't cheap, but it's worth it. It's also funny to realize that it originated in Vancouver, and the third store is in Beijing.

Now, with Fenton's back open, I'm curious -- I never ate there before its fire shut it down for years. I drove by on Saturday night, and the place was hideously mobbed -- the line stretched a good 40 people or so into the parking lot. Friends have tried the new Fenton's, and said that it was good, but it's also become remarkably over-priced. $8 sundaes is the norm. One suspects they're either still trying to recoup fire damage losses, or they simply think that being in Yuppie Ground Zero means a 50% extra mark-up. I would think such a strategy would ding them in the long run.

I do need to try Tango Gelato on Fruitvale in Oakland. They seem to be a community fixture.

Oh, and I spit on Cold Stone Creamery, newly situated on Shattuck. That gimmicky overpriced chain garbage offends my sight.

You got favorite frozen treats? Add them to the comments area.

Free WiFi - Gaylord's

Though not an official Wi-Fi hot spot, I always had good luck getting a connection when sitting at Gaylord's.