Oaklanders: Send back your ballots and vote YES YES YES!

Yes, it’s yet another election—but this time it’s one that actually matters! The July special election is a mail-back election, which means you need to watch the mail for your ballot and send it back right away—don’t make the mistake of losing it under a pile of junk and then finding it in August when it’s too late! (Okay, maybe that’s just our house….)

Ballots were mailed out to all registered voters in the city on Monday, June 22nd. IMPORTANT: If you haven’t received your ballot by the first week in July or if you’ve moved since the last election and haven’t changed your address yet, call the Registrar of Voters to have them send a new ballot or make other arrangements so that you can vote!

You can also still register to vote in this election if you’re new to Oakland, but you need to do it by Monday, July 6, 2009.

Alameda County Registrar of Voters
1225 Fallon Street, G-1
Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 272-6933

Here’s a run-down of what you’re voting for, with my personal endorsements (which, if you don’t feel like reading all of this, are YES ON EVERYTHING!):

Measure C: Vote YES
What is it? This measure is an increase in the Oakland Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax). It would increase the current 11 percent tax by 3 percent (to make the new TOT 14 percent). This brings Oakland’s tax in line with the tax in surrounding communities. The tax revenue would be dedicated to the Oakland Zoo, Oakland Museum, Chabot Space & Science Center, cultural arts programs and festivals, and the Oakland Convention and Visitor Bureau.

Why yes? Oakland’s hotel tax is currently lower than those of nearby cities, so we have some wiggle room. (For reference, San Francisco’s is 14 percent, while Emeryville and Berkeley both have TOTs of 12 percent.) So I don’t foresee huge competition issues in terms of filling our hotel rooms; many travelers won’t even notice the difference. More importantly, the institutions and programs that the tax increase will support help make our city a better place to visit and to live, so my view is that the additional revenue will help the tourism industry overall. There’s also no opposition to this (even the hotel industry is on board!) so it’s pretty non-controversial.

Other supporters include: Oakland Rising (Coalition of Ella Baker Center, Just Cause Oakland, Urban Habitat, EBASE, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Oakland ACORN); Bay Area Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; Oakland Zoo; Oakland Museum of California; League of Women Voters of Oakland

Measure D: Vote YES
What is it? This measure would change the Kids First 2 measure (Measure OO) that Oakland voters approved last November. It is sometimes referred to as the “Measure OO compromise.”  It would reduce the amount of money going to the Kids First programs from 2.5% of the total budget to 3% of the General Purpose Fund, and add a review every 12 years.

Why yes? Because Measure OO was possibly the worst measure ever and desperately needs to be fixed! This fix isn’t great, but it will help. (I’d still like to see a full repeal that would identify an alternate funding source for these programs so we wouldn’t be robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak, but this was a Council compromise after much ado, and may be the best—and only—chance we’ll get to fix Measure OO before it takes effect.) Basically, it changes how the Kids First set-aside is calculated to relieve some of the pressure the original measure put on Oakland’s budget (and heaven knows our budget needs some help right now!) It also adds a program review process, which was a key element missing from Measure OO. You can read more about my issues with the original Measure OO here.

Other supporters include: Oakland Rising (Coalition of Ella Baker Center, Just Cause Oakland, Urban Habitat, EBASE, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Oakland ACORN); Bay Area Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; League of Women Voters of Oakland

Measure F: Vote YES
What is it? Measure F would establish a new business tax rate for “cannabis businesses” (medical marijuana). These businesses are currently charged at the general tax rate ($1.20 per $1,000 of gross receipts). The new tax rate for these businesses would be $18 per $1,000 of gross receipts.

Why yes? Well, broadly this is a good thing because it’s increased revenue for Oakland and is supported by both the medical marijuana industry and the police, who are the two major players here. (In fact, there’s no opposition to this measure that I know of.) But I also think Measure F is important because it’s a first step in recognizing the role the medical marijuana industry plays in our local economy—and acknowledging that there are associated costs and helping to cover them.

Other supporters include: Oakland Rising (Coalition of Ella Baker Center, Just Cause Oakland, Urban Habitat, EBASE, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Oakland ACORN); Bay Area Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; League of Women Voters of Oakland

Measure H: Vote YES
What is it? This measure would change Oakland’s Real Property Transfer Tax to clarify that businesses should pay the transfer tax (0.75% of the sales tax) when they transfer real property due to changes in ownership or control of the corporation (such as mergers and acquisitions).

Why yes? This isn’t a new tax; it just clarifies our existing tax so that residents and smaller businesses aren’t the only ones required to pay the transfer tax for change of ownership. This is particularly important right now because a number of large corporations are in the midst of mergers and acquisitions, so making this policy crystal clear will ensure that the City doesn’t lose out on any much-needed transfer tax revenue.

Other supporters include: Oakland Rising (Coalition of Ella Baker Center, Just Cause Oakland, Urban Habitat, EBASE, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Oakland ACORN); Bay Area Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; League of Women Voters of Oakland

*Note that not all of the area political organizations had issued positions on the ballot measures when I put this together; I’ll try to update this if I hear of other endorsements.

If good fences make good neighbors…

….what does that say about bad fences?

Okay, so this isn’t exactly a bad fence. It actually looks fine in these photos. In real life, unfortunately, it’s not quite the construction quality I was hoping for…somewhat Home Depot-esque, with staples instead of nails, really rough wood, etc. Which would be fine if it had come with a Home Depot-esque price tag, but sadly it didn’t. (In fairness, a lot of the cost was probably for the demolition of the failing concrete retaining wall and construction of a new wooden wall to support the fence, and not for the fence itself. But still, I’m a little grouchy about it.) On the upside, the posts themselves seem pretty solid, so even if the boards do fall down ten years from now, it shouldn’t be as big a deal to replace it as it was this time around. (We learned that the vast majority of fence builders don’t do retaining walls, and the vast majority of retaining wall builders don’t do fences. After calling over two dozen people, we ended up with about six who were interested in bidding on this project, and one never even sent the estimate after checking it out. So much for the down economy…)

However, the fence is DONE, which is a very, very exciting thing!

New fence (ignore the dog crate, which needs to be moved!)

Another view

Also, it’s very, very pink. I know it will weather to something more normal looking, but I was caught a bit off guard by this. I can’t tell if it’s been treated with something or what. Lesson learned. If we do this again, the specs will specify the grade of wood to be used. (We just said “redwood” for this one, but it looks nothing like the grades of redwood that I’ve worked with on our other garden projects, so I presume it must be some cheaper variety.) Of course, if worse comes to worst and it weathers oddly, we can always just paint it to match the rest of the fencing, which is currently painted with a pale green milk paint of some sort. (The idea was that over time we’ll replace the other fences too and eventually the yard will be all natural redwood, but who knows!)

We still have a few decisions to make. For starters, we share the fence on that side with two different parcels; the new fence was just for the section that borders the apartment building behind us, where the old retaining wall was collapsing. We still have two panels of fence that seem pretty stable, though they also drop down significantly into our other neighbors’ backyard. To complicate matters, they have a second fence and a shed behind ours, so replacing it is likely to be complex and costly. Initially I thought maybe we could have the guys who did this fence take off the boards of the other fence and match them, but now I’m iffy on that plan. Alternatively, we can just put a lattice top on it to make it look vaguely similar—but then there’s the weird redwood-green color conflict.

Fence transition line

You can see the height difference pretty clearly in this photo—the old fence was around four-and-a-half feet tall, while the new one is theoretically six plus the lattice (I haven’t actually measured it). It would be nice for them to look a bit more consistent, but maybe not $2K nice. My current thought is that maybe we should just mount a large redwood trellis to the green fence, grow some vines, and be done with it. The other factor is that the space in front of the green fence is slated for some bamboo, since that’s the view out of our bedroom window where we pretty much look right into the glaring security lights of the apartment building behind us. So maybe it doesn’t really matter what the fence looks like behind the bamboo, as long as it’s functional.

Anyway. The good news is that this project is now officially off the list, which means we’re done with all of the big ticket items that were on the to-do list when we moved in (rewiring, earthquake retrofit, and retaining wall) and can finally start saving up for the kitchen—woohoo!

2009 House Resolutions Check-in: June

We’re just about halfway through 2009, so I figured it was a good time for a resolutions check-in.

Here’s the original list: My New Year’s House Resolutions

…and here’s where we are today:

1. BETTER WINDOW INSULATION.
I have the bronze weatherstripping, but have yet to install it, so….partly done? Also got a great book, Working Windows, from our local bookstore after reading a stellar recommendation of it—it pretty much covers the weatherstripping (and everything else about wooden windows) from start to finish, so assuming I can master the art of removing and replacing the stops, I should be good.

2. DROUGHT-TOLERANT LANDSCAPING.
Yard is (mostly) de-grassed and ready for paths, woohoo! Everything else is mulched in for the year, ten cubic yards of wood chips later….so let’s call it sixty percent done.

3. PRODUCTIVE VEGETABLE BED.
Lookin’ good so far! Summer veggies are all in as of last month. Leaf lettuce and arugula coming out our ears, and (knock on wood) even the tomatoes and squash look happy so far….

4. NEW POWER STRIPS.
Done!

5. CLOTHES LINE.
Picked out—I think we’re getting this one since D. wants one that spins—but not yet actually ordered, since I keep balking on the price (but also had issues with the crappiness of the $50 version that Ace sells….) Does that count?

6. NO MORE LEAKY TUB.
So, so close….tiled and everything! Just waiting on the fix we need to install the new fixtures, which will complete the picture (and actually fix the leak, which in the end turned out to be in the tub spout).

7. RAIN BARREL.
Have the barrels, but haven’t set them up yet. Halfway there?

8. RETAINING WALL & FENCE.
Supposedly this will be done tomorrow! (Currently we have no fence at all, although oddly, and fortunately, the Labradane seems to be oblivious to this.) Probably the most exciting development on the list so far. We’ll see if it’s still exciting once the new fence is actually up… (In the end, the company who manages the building we share this fence with chose the contractor. Somewhat against my better judgment, I didn’t pursue getting photos of their work or anything, as I was too exhausted by the year+ it took to work this whole thing out, and figured some fence was better than no fence. But for the insane amount of money it’s costing, I hope we like it….) We did not, sadly, get to use reclaimed wood on this. Luckily the fences on the other two sides of the yard don’t involve retaining walls or significant demolition work, so we should be able to tackle those ourselves when we finally get around to doing them—should be a lot easier to manage.

9. DISHWASHER.
Umm. Yeah, not so much….but hey, there are still six months to go!

Dine About Oakland: Café Noir

Last weekend, we had a chance to visit the newly-opened Café Noir (on Auto Row at Webster) at long last. We’ve been watching and waiting for this place to open for as long as we’ve lived in the neighborhood, and had been getting pretty nervous in recent months when the renovations looked done but nothing seemed to be happening. Finally, though, this little café on Auto Row next to Mua opened its doors last month with a limited menu of coffee, pizza, and crêpes. We took our next free weekend morning to go for a walk and try it out.

First, the food. We were there for breakfast, so we passed on the pizza and opted for crêpes and coffee instead. The menu is pretty tiny right now; our options were a ham and cheese savory crêpe, several sweet crêpes (lemon, Nutella, blueberry, and/or sugar), or a croissant. On the coffee front, we could choose from the typical espresso drinks, but they don’t currently offer “real” coffee, which was a bit of a disappointment for D., who generally prefers drip. But the latte and macchiato, made with Ritual espresso beans, were great, so it worked out. (On a side note, though, I’d still prefer to see Blue Bottle beans here, since they roast here in Oakland—but I know both have their fans!)

The crêpes (we chose blueberry and Nutella-blueberry) were good, though I’d have preferred a wider range of choices. A non-meat savory option would be a good place to start, and it would also be nice to have a bigger assortment of pastries to choose from. (In fairness, I think this place currently opens at 11 am—though that’s a guess, since frustratingly no hours were posted—so it’s not trying to play the breakfast game. But they might be wise to test the waters on that, since there aren’t too many spots to get morning coffee and pastries in the stretch between downtown and Piedmont. In fact, I’d be really psyched if they’d strike up a deal with La Farine, which is getting ready to open its third Oakland location on Piedmont Avenue, to get French pastries for the morning rush.)

Some of the pizza we didn't get to try (from the Cafe Noir website)

The pizza options are similarly limited, but I’m actually okay with that, provided there’s at least one solid veggie option each day. (Arizmendi gets by on just a single option, after all—but the key is to make sure it’s a strong one.) The menu is intermittently posted on the Café Noir blog, so hopefully once things get going, they’ll update this more regularly. We’d certainly check this site to decide whether to head over for lunch on weekend afternoons. We didn’t try the pizza, and neither did anyone else who was there at the time, so we didn’t get to catch a glimpse of it. But at some point we’ll make a repeat visit to see how it is, since the atmosphere was lovely (and since they’re in the process of getting a liquor license, and it’s hard to beat good pizza and local brews on a summer afternoon!)

And then there’s the space. The interior is very nicely done (as well it should be, after years of renovation!), though on this visit we had the Labradane in tow so we opted for an outside table. (There weren’t any set up when we arrived, but the owner, who was very friendly and accommodating in general, was quick to bring one out for us.) The main problem with the space was simply that it was empty. One other couple was having breakfast at the counter when we arrived, and the guy from the bike store down the street swung by for a coffee, but otherwise, it was just one big empty space crying out for people. I have a feeling that if and when this place gets its groove going, the vibe will change completely—it looks like the kind of space that should be buzzing with conversation and motion.

Cafe Noir interior (from the website)

I can’t help but think that Café Noir is a little ahead of its time (which is pretty ironic given the three years it took to finally open!) We sat out on the Webster Street plaza that doubles as a parking lot and car showroom, so cars periodically drove right past our table, bumping over the stones and sidewalks. And, of course, that’s exactly what they designed this plaza for, so it’s hard to complain. The Avis Rent-A-Car garage entrance is just two doors down and a dumpster and grease bin sit a few yards away. The funny thing, though, is that it’s not hard to envision this plaza post-Auto Row, when a few planters might carve out a separate patio area, people will sit and look out on Broadway as they drink a morning latte or an afternoon beer, and the only traffic will be the bikes headed to and from the bike shop or people en route to the martial arts/yoga studio that now sits in the middle of the block. For now, though, these are the pioneers.

Walking back home, I took note of the many changes in the works on this stretch of Auto Row: Bay Bridge Chrysler, which is slated to close and currently shares space (and another beautiful plaza) with Z Café and Bar; the empty Kia dealer; the parking lot on 27th that’s temporarily housing Audi of Oakland’s stock but has a giant “for lease” sign up (and a really cool abandoned diner at the back of the lot). Just up the street are a mish-mash of businesses: a newish art gallery (which sadly seems to be closed, at least for right now), auto repair shops that have been here for decades, a brand-new children’s gymnastics studio that took the plunge and moved down here from a posher Piedmont Avenue space. And, of course, dozens of empty storefronts that once housed auto dealers, repair shops, and other related businesses. The whole corridor is oozing with potential (some of which, hopefully, will be better articulated by the Broadway/Valdez District Specific Plan process that recently launched). It just can’t quite figure itself out.

Anyway, while we weren’t blown away by our first visit, we’ll certainly be back to see where Café Noir takes this thing. (Plus, the value of good espresso in the neighborhood shouldn’t be underestimated!) If they can hang in there while Auto Row sorts itself out (and until Kaiser opens its new hospital a few blocks up the street), they may be onto a great thing.

Grade: B+
Price: $

Porch planning

One of the things we’ve been pretty lazy about over the past couple of years is actually doing anything about our front porch. We sit out there occasionally, but it desperately needs a bench or some chairs or something going on out there. (I got a tiny bit organized earlier this spring and put a few plants out, but now it looks even barer than it did before!) Some new neighbors recently moved in across the street, and the first thing they did was put out porch chairs, which got me motivated to finally push this project a bit.

So: porch furniture. D.’s preference is for a bench, and for the past year or so I’ve been watching Craigslist and eBay and the local salvage yards for a suitable bench that isn’t too long (four feet long and a couple feet deep seems to be the perfect size, since the entire porch is a little over six feet long, and there’s just under two feet between the back wall and the door jamb) and ideally doesn’t block too much of the window, but still has a back. Finding all this in one bench has proven to be a bit tricky (okay, that’s an understatement!) so this weekend I finally started looking at buying something new.

Here’s the space:

Porch steps

The Labradane, lounging on the porch

...and the space we have to work with

What seems like the best thing to do with this space? I’ve toyed with both the bench D. wants and with the concept of two small chairs that could go at either edge of the window with a low table in between to avoid blocking the window itself; either way it’s not symmetrical because, well, the window isn’t centered over the porch to start with. There’s also a little side ledge that’s visible at the edge of the photos that’s quite nice for sitting and reading—but when you’re sitting there, you’re completely invisible from the street, and I also like the idea of being able to sit on the front porch and engage with (and be able to see!) the neighborhood, too.

So, I’m stuck. If I could get a clear vision of what belongs in this space, I’d be up for getting something custom made—doing that with our planters out back turned out to be an extremely good decision spacewise (and wasn’t much costlier in the end, either). But to do that, I need to be able to picture this hypothetical porch furniture….augh!

Ideas, anyone?

June is bustin’ out all over!

So, I’ve been pretty lazy about posting anything about our garden over the past couple of months, but it’s going gangbusters at this point.

Ripe loquats, strawberries, and cherries: Not enough cherries to do much but snack on them, but this year we made some loquat jam (since I’m still at a loss as to what one is supposed to do with loquats, beyond just eating them fresh….last year we made loquat-infused vodka). The rest of the spring fruit is also well on its way to ripeness, so we’re excited to have Santa Rosa plums, blueberries, and several varieties of pluots later this month.

Loquats

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes! We planted several different kinds this year since last year’s plants did so abysmally—the idea was to experiment with different types and locations in the yard. So far, though, all of them seem to be flowering and setting fruit like crazy, so we may be drowning in tomatoes soon!

This year, we’re growing:

• Taxi, an early determinate yellow tomato that is supposed to do well in containers;
• Paul Robeson, a Russian determinate black heirloom that’s supposed to be especially good for both containers and the mild Bay Area;
• Carmello, a French indeterminate red heirloom purported to be prolific;
• Glacier, an early indeterminate [well, sold to us as a determinate, but has clearly shown itself to be otherwise!] red heirloom;
• Yellow brandywine, an indeterminate heirloom that produces large yellow beekfsteak tomatoes; and
• A mystery cherry tomato variety from a Forage Oakland gathering.

All but the cherry tomato and the Taxi plant came from Kassenhoff Growers, an Oakland-based grower that sells at both of our local farmer’s markets. We had good luck with a couple of their plants last year, so this year pretty much the entire garden (or at least what I didn’t grow from seed) came from there.

New tomato box

We’re growing tomatoes in both the beautiful new tomato box (for the indeterminate varieties, since it’s deep enough to accommodate their root systems) and in a small bed along the side of our patio that has a concrete bottom, and thus seemed most suitable for determinate types. (Interestingly, though, one of the tomatoes we planted was supposed to be determinate but has now outgrown just about every plant in the garden and is sprawling over itself—and is heavy with tomatoes, so clearly the depth of the bed wasn’t as a big an issue as we thought it would be!)

Squash, cucumbers, and eggplant. We’ve also got both summer and winter squash going strong. The only issue they’ve had this year has been that they’re easily double the size of last year’s plants, and are taking over their 18″ x 18″ garden squares and overshadowing the eggplant, which just can’t seem to get enough sun to grow. Next year I need to come up with a better plan for that.

Zucchini plants

We harvested our first funky-looking zucchini last week. The green ones are the creatively-named Dark Green zucchini, while the striped variety is Cocozelle. Both are having some blossom-end rot issues, so I’m trying to get that sorted out—but otherwise they’re tasty! (We made zucchini pancakes with these, complete with herbs from the herb garden and one of the last spring onions still growing from last winter.)

Zukes!

Greens. The lettuce bed is also growing like crazy, though we’ve been doing a terrible job keeping up with it since we keep getting fresh greens in our CSA box. Once we do finally eat through this, though, my new plan is to try some decorative edible greens in that bed, since the last edition of Sunset had some interesting ideas on how to grow greens a little more aesthetically than these (which look like gangly plants about to bolt—but are still a huge improvement over the arugula that used to be in this bed, which had bolted and had progressed from “bitter” to “inedible”!)

Lettuce bed

Asparagus! This little guy is one of two asparagus plants that a friend gave us last fall; I thought they’d died since they vanished for several months, but both have suddenly started sending up stalks and feathers. Asparagus takes a while, so we still have a few years before we can harvest it—but exciting nonetheless!

Baby asparagus

Everything else is truckin’ along, looking pretty good so far this year. We harvested a few of last winter’s baby carrots today, and will eat the last of the peas for dinner since I had to pull the plants to put in some pickling cucumbers this morning. The basil seedlings finally got big enough to transplant, so they’re settling into the herb garden too. The first powdery mildew of the season showed up on one of the squash plants this week, though, and the whiteflies are multiplying in spite of our best efforts to keep them off the plants. So we’ll see how things go—but off to a good start.

If it’s June, it must be time for OUTDOOR MOVIES!

….and they’re starting this week! Both Temescal Street Cinema and Jack London Square’s Waterfront Flicks begin this Thursday, and continue on Thursdays evenings throughout the summer. The meet time for JLS is 7:30 and 8 pm for Temescal, though both movie series officially begin “when it gets dark.” (Which is good, because last year the Oakland Museum tried to do a 7:30 outdoor movie and failed miserably when the glare of the sun made it impossible to see….lesson learned!) Also, Oakbook is running Oakland trivia before the JLS movies, complete with prizes, and the local restaurants there are apparently offering specials and picnic options.

UPDATE, 6/24/09: The Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate is also doing a “Fourth Friday” outdoor movie series this summer; their movies cost $5. Gates open at 6 pm and the movies begin at sundown (around 8:30 pm).

Thursday, June 11:	Jaws (Jack London Square East Lawn) Speaking in Tongues (49th & Telegraph, Temescal)
Thursday, June 18:	Bay Area Icons (49th & Telegraph, Temescal)
Thursday, June 25:	Hook (Jack London Square East Lawn) Welcome to Nollywood (49th & Telegraph, Temescal)
Friday, June 26:	Welcome to Nollywood (Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate)
Thursday, July 2:	Drylongso (49th & Telegraph, Temescal)
Thursday, July 9:	Dead Calm (Jack London Square East Lawn) 19 Arrests and No Convictions (49th & Telegraph, Temescal)
Thursday, July 16:	Migrations (49th & Telegraph, Temescal)
Thursday, July 23:	It Came From Beneath the Sea (Jack London Square East Lawn)
Friday, July 24:	The Secret Garden (Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate)
Thursday, August 6:	Big Fish (Jack London Square East Lawn)
Thursday, August 20:	Splash (Jack London Square East Lawn)
Friday, August 28:	A Little Princess (Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate)
Friday, September 25:	Finding Neverland (Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate)

Dine About Oakland: Picán

Picán, one of the newest additions to the Uptown foodie scene, has been ridiculously hyped since it opened, so of course we had to go check it out. The only problem is that it’s apparently been discovered, and you have to make reservations waaaaay in advance to have a prayer of a chance of getting a table. We finally lucked out last month, though, when we were headed to TV on the Radio in the gloriously beautiful (but sadly still in need of a better sound guy!) new Fox. (D. is still resisting Ozumo, which he thinks “looks like a yuppie scene” based on a few bike-bys during happy hour. Yuppies hanging out in DTO?? Bring it, I say!)

So anyway—Picán. The theme here is Southern, though it’s got a bit of a California twist and has definitely been taken up a notch (or two, or ten) over your standard Southern comfort food joint. There’s a huge selection of drinks, too, with an emphasis on bourbons, so even D. was inspired to forego a beer for a cocktail (at least for round one!) The setting is lovely; we sat near the food counter where orders were being called out so waitstaff were constantly coming and going, but they had set up the tables in such a way that it was completely unobtrusive. (It was actually even fun, since we got to ogle all of the plates as they sat under the warmer waiting to be shuttled to the tables!)

We’d heard rumors about a dress code (which is pretty much unheard of in these parts, even at the most upscale of East Bay dining spots!) but decided to risk it with nice-ish jeans and t-shirts, since we were headed to a show afterwards; while we were a bit underdressed compared to the general crowd, no one blinked or said a word about it, so I think that rumor’s been exaggerated. Which is good, given the proximity to all the Uptown music venues.

And the meal? AMAZING. Honestly, for once the hype is right on the button. Service was perfect; food was excellent; we could hear one another but not to a fault. It is an expensive place, but prices still seemed appropriate for what we got. As we neared the end of our meal, I observed that it was probably the best meal we’d had in a long time. D.’s biggest issue? He just doesn’t like Southern food quite as much as Mexican, which we’d had in a fabulous Tamarindo meal not long before.

Here’s what we had:

Honey buttered cornbread: Complimentary, and soooo tasty!

Picán Magnolia salad with cornbread croutons, toasted pecans and balsamic honey dressing: Simple, but good. The dressing was a bit thick for D.’s taste, but I was a fan. The one thing the menu might benefit from is a few more salad options to balance all the heavy Southern goodness—there were only three options for salad the night we were there, and one involved a heavyish dressing while a second included fried okra. We’ll give the cucumber salad a spin next time since it sounded light, but it included feta, so we thought it might be overkill on the dairy front with the chedder fritter and mac ‘n’ cheese on the way. One bonus: after I ordered and our waiter asked if D. wanted a salad as well, he noted that he’d be having some of mine. When the salad showed up, it had been beautifully split and plated on two plates. There are a few places around town that make a point of doing this when they hear you’re splitting a dish—Wood Tavern in particular has always impressed me with the practice—but I’m always so pleased by it, since it makes sharing a dish just a little classier.

Buttermilk southern fried chicken with smoked gouda mac ‘n’ cheese: The chicken, which our waiter explained is marinated in buttermilk and other spices for three days beforehand, was pretty much perfect, though neither of us was a huge fan of the smokiness of the mac ‘n’ cheese. (The consistency and other flavors were excellent, though, so if you like the slightly smoky aftertaste, you’ll be all good.) We skipped the tableside truffled honey service that you can get with this dish, though D. was tempted to ask if it would come in a little locked box à la the French Laundry…. (Okay, the truffle box there didn’t actually have a key, but it really should have with all the hoopla around it!)

We had a fried chicken-themed month and had Farmer Brown’s version of this dish with a friend just a week later and Ben and Nick’s wannabe-Bakesale Betty sandwich a few days after that (plus I’ve had enough Bakesale Betty sandwiches to be able to taste it in my dreams). D. and I agreed that the Picán chicken takes the cake—although at $23 (versus Farmer Brown’s $17 dish, Ben and Nick’s $12 sandwich, and Bakesale Betty’s $8 bargain), it’s priced accordingly. We’re also long overdue for a visit to West Oakland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen, which purportedly serves a stellar fried chicken too, so one of these days we’ll see how theirs compares.

Bourbon & molasses lacquered duck, collard greens with chiles and garlic, and white cheddar fritter: This dish was off the beaten path for us—we’re not usually duck people—but the bourbon-molasses combo was so intriguing that we decided to take a chance. Probably the best dish—and best decision—of the night. D. proclaimed the fritter that comes alongside it (I think the waiter said it was grits-based, but not sure on that) the prime piece of the entire meal—soft and warm on the inside with just enough crunch. The duck is served medium-rare, and was tender with a bit of sweetness and kick.

Grilled asparagus with sea salt: Simple but well done. I tend to resist vegetables-as-sides, mostly because they’re often similar to sides I make for dinner at home and tend to come at a hefty price, but D. is a fan, and made a compelling case for more green things this time. And it was good, so I guess I should shut up about it….

Lemon chess pie: The dessert menu has a lot of Southern classics (banana pudding, pecan tart, moon pies, root beer floats, and more) but we went for the one vaguely light-sounding item, which was a special that night. It’s been years since I’ve had lemon chess pie, which is basically a simple custard pie infused with lemon juice and lemon zest. This one seemed to measure up, but the whole dish was just a bit heavier than in my childhood memories of it, and we were already stuffed, so we probably should have just skipped dessert….but I wanted to see how it was, since who knows when we’ll get back there. Lesson learned: swap out an appetizer for one of the entrées if I really want to end the night with pie!

We also tasted several things off the cocktails menu:

• Kentucky Crusta (Makers Mark Bourbon; Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur; fresh lemon juice; rock candy syrup; served in a sugar crusted glass): A little sweet for my taste, but the bourbon was excellent.
• Sazerac (Rye Whiskey; sugar cube; bitters): D. tried this one out, and dubbed it solid but not a true Sazerac in his book since it was missing the absinthe swirl—a little strange since they do have absinthe on the menu in a couple of other drinks. Ah, well.
• Picán Pale Ale: Yes, a house pale ale! After quizzing the waiter on exactly where this beer came from (it’s brewed locally by Oakland-based Brothers Brewing Company), D. tried it out—pretty good!

So, yeah. A pretty terrific meal overall. The only downside is that it is a bit pricey—we spent just over $100 for two before tax and tip with two drinks apiece, but splitting a salad and a dessert—so we’re not likely to be regulars here. But if you have a special occasion coming up, head to Picán. It’s exciting to have such a solid anchor for the Uptown restaurant scene—but don’t forget to make your reservations long in advance (at least a month for Friday and Saturday nights, it seems!)

Grade: A
Price: $$$-$$$$

The Midwest comes to the Parkway’s rescue! (Maybe…)

If you’ve been following the saga of the Parkway Theater, you’ve probably heard the news: an Indiana-based theater group has expressed interest in possibly investing in the Parkway and reopening it as their first theater on the West Coast. Motion Picture Heritage currently runs a group of historic theaters in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and got involved with the Parkway’s story through once (and future?) program director Will “the Thrill” Viharo, who was the link between the group and the Parkway’s owners. Details are all still up in the air, no deal is in place yet, and there are still some huge lingering issues like the massive renovations the Parkway needs. But still, it’s exciting news for all of us who are missing the Parkway Speakeasy (and mourning the recent loss of the Cerrito, the Parkway’s sister theater, which is also in search of an knight in shining armor).

There isn’t too much concrete information available right now, so rather than fuel all the supposition, I’ll just say—if you’d like to hear more about Motion Picture Heritage and weigh in on the future of the Parkway, make sure you get to this weekend’s community meeting!

When: THIS Sunday, May 31st, 3 pm to 5 pm
Where: Rooz Cafe, 1918 Park Boulevard
Why: Learn what the future may hold for the Parkway, and provide your own ideas and input.

From the organizers:

“We will bring the lowdown on the recent investor activity regarding the Parkway Theater. You will bring your diverse and rich experience, and a passion for movies, food, and drink. Together, we will construct our collective vision for the new Parkway.

The visioning process has already been done at previous I Like The Parkway meetings and through the spare time of various volunteers. This go-’round, we’ll be working off of those initial efforts to distill the community’s true desires for their beloved Parkway into a nice, digestible package for potential investors. The results of these discussions, along with our survey, will be part of the toolset that we will present to the investors that will help guide them in their processes, and ultimately will help us determine if we as a community should endorse them (we hope so!). Come join us!”

Can’t make it to the meeting? You can still offer your ideas through the group’s web survey.

Saving local libraries

Most Oaklanders are well aware of the budget crisis that is forcing the city to make a number of drastic cuts to service across the community. (Sadly, this story isn’t unique to Oakland—communities across the state and the country are struggling to find funding for the arts, recreation, parks, and other services.)

But I found this particular approach to saving an Oakland branch library—one of the two near us—particularly compelling. The friends of Lakeview Library, which is currently slated to be shuttered five days a week, are trying to save the library through a storytelling campaign. (Get the full info on the proposed library closures here.) Anyway, so Lakeview’s advocates asked community members young and old to write about or draw (electronically or otherwise—they’re accepting hard copies of stories and drawings at the library itself) the library’s impact on their lives.

I’m a sucker for storytelling, and especially for storytelling as a form of community organizing and empowerment, so this caught my eye right away.

Here’s how the organizers frame their project:

“Lakeview Library is desperately scrambling to stay alive. The city wants to cut its services in half, open only three days a week, even though Lakeview’s patronage exceeds that of four libraries which are used far less. Our neighborhood uses Lakeview: more than a third of the April petition’s signatures were collected at Lakeview.

We’re collecting and consolidating our community’s voices, and have launched Lakeview Library’s Blog. This blog will collect library stories and e-mails to city officials and use them to demonstrate that our neighborhood wants and needs our
library.

Tell Us Your Your Library Story!

Why is the library is important to you? Use your own story and add a personal flavor to our community’s entreaties. Did you meet the love of your life there? Get coached for your citizenship exams? Learn to knit or play chess? Discover a new genre of book or music? Send you and your kids home every week with a new batch of bedtime stories? Tell your story!

Tell your story…

• ELECTRONICALLY: Tell us your library stories as a comment to the blog.
• ON PAPER: For those who prefer crayon, ink, photographs, there’s a printable PDF. Just drop the completed form in Lakeview’s drop slot.

There’s no dedicated email address for Lakeview Library’s Friends group…yet.  Until we get one, please take a moment to paste your emails, letters or faxes to our mayor and council into the comments section. (You can print your letter or email and drop it at Lakeview if you prefer.) Thanks!”

Will it work? Who knows. The budget situation is so dire this year that it’s hard to see where any savings might come from to fill the gaps for situations like this. But at a minimum, this will document the importance of the branch libraries even in our 21st century world so that their services can be restored as soon as funding becomes available again…hopefully at some point in the not too distant future. One can hope, at least!

Other ways to support Oakland’s libraries

• Join Friends of the Oakland Public Library or shop at their bookstore in Old Oakland (you can even buy books from them on Amazon!)
• Visit Save the Libraries, a web space for all of the branch libraries, which is also running a lower key story campaign.
• Attend one of the upcoming budget meetings on Thursday, May 28 or Monday, June 1 (see the link above for full details).
• Write to your elected officials—City Council reps and beyond—to let them know which libraries you use, when, and why. Do it soon, though—the revised budget will be before Council next month.