restaurant – five-one-oh

Art, Anti-Fracking & Asian Food

February 10, 2015March 3, 2015 five-one-oh2 Comments

Density, diversity, and being part of a larger urban context enlivens Oakland and other Bay Area Cities and makes them exciting places to live and visit. Saturday, Jan and I skipped the Grand Lake Farmers Market and chose to walk around the lake, enjoy an exhibit at the museum, and pick up some take-out Asian food for dinner. So what? Even ordinary activities can be extraordinary in a vibrant city.

It was raining on and off, and I decided I didn’t really need to bring my camera along. Great idea. There’s never anything interesting going on in Oakland. Remind me to always bring a camera, or a phone, or something with which to shoot a bloody photo.

Anti-Fracking Demonstration
We were about five minutes into the walk when we noticed thousands of demonstrators heading in our direction. Before we could read their banners, Jan remembered that an anti-fracking march was scheduled for Saturday. I know you know what hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is, but I can’t resist describing it: Frackers drill deep into the earth to inject a huge amount of fluid at high enough pressure to fracture subterranean rocks and release oil or natural gas for our consumption. Even without all the facts, does that sound like a good idea? I don’t think so.

The protest was held in Oakland because Governor Jerry Brown makes his home here and the point of the march was to beseech him to change his policies on fracking. My hypothesis is the demonstration was also held in Oakland because this town is known for being sympathetic to environmental causes and for being able to draw from nearby communities who feel the same. Energized communities have personality.

Oakland Museum of California
After converging with the crowd at the southern end of the lake, we headed further south to the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) to check out the exhibit: Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California. Now, I’m one of those oafs who doesn’t like spending more than an hour or so at a time in a museum – but I really like that first hour. That’s one of the reasons a museum membership works for me. We support our local museum and get to stop in whenever we want.

Fertile Ground features the California collections of both SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and OMCA. The exhibit guides us through four creative communities active in Northern California from the 1930s to the present:

The San Francisco New Deal Muralists lead by Diego Rivera (1930s)
Postwar at the California School of Fine Arts (1940s-50s)
The New Art Department at UC Davis (1960s-1970s)
The Mission Scene (1990s-Today)

It was a stunning and educational hour. The art is rich with diversity and the high-quality venue makes sense in a an urban location that draws users from around the Bay.

Lin Jia Asian Kitchen
After leaving the museum, we completed our lake loop and ended up on Lakeshore Avenue at Lin Jia Asian Kitchen. You might think it would make sense to call in our order before we arrive at the restaurant, (even though you know I didn’t bring my phone with me – if I did, I could have taken some photos) but that would deprive us of the opportunity to watch the chefs prepare our meal. We like to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen, order a couple of Tsingtaos when we order the food, and watch the woks in action. We appreciate the high-quality, organic, and sustainable ingredients as well as the excellent preparation. In his review, Michael Bauer describes the experience as, “telling the story of one family’s move from Asia to America.” We’re sure glad they’re here. We’re sure glad we’re here.

As an urban designer, I want to make better places, but some places are lively without help from designers. They evolve into vibrant places with the help of their culturally rich communities. Any thoughts on what makes a great place to live?

Sources:

All of the Anti-Fracking Demonstration photos: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Anti-fracking-demonstrators-march-through-Oakland-6068760.php

The Fertile Ground Exhibit photo and background info: http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/fertile-ground-art-and-community-california

The Lin Jia photo and review: http://www.sfgate.com/restaurants/diningout/article/Lin-Jia-Asian-Kitchen-family-s-compelling-journey-2327034.php

The Vibe is Still Groovy at the Trident, Sausalito

January 27, 2015February 25, 2015 five-one-ohLeave a comment

During the 1960s and 70s, you could have bumped into Janis Joplin, enjoyed an impromptu concert by Bob Dylan, or had Robin Williams bus your table at a natural foods restaurant in Sausalito: the Trident. The Kingston Trio [1] bought a bar on the waterfront and opened the Trident Restaurant and music venue in 1960. The owners hired local artisans to create the curvy wooden booths and paint the psychedelic ceiling.

The hippie subculture had found a home.

Some of the stories about the Trident include lovely, scantily dressed, and creative waitresses serving ramos gin fizzes to the likes of Joan Baez, Stephen Stills, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Groucho Marx, Clint Eastwood, and the Smothers Brothers. A scene from Woody Allen’s, Play it Again Sam was filmed at the restaurant. Janis Joplin had her own table. Vince Guaraldi recorded his live album, In Person, at the Trident. Robin Williams was a busboy. David Crosby dubbed the Trident, “Ground zero for sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll!”

We read Michael Bauer’s review of the recently reopened Trident in Sausalito and knew we wanted to go and get our 60s/70s vibe on. If you’re going, read Michael Bauer’s review to find out what’s worth eating. The woodwork has been restored as well as the ceiling and wall artwork. It’s cool. We appreciated the fact that the reopened Trident features local, organic and sustainably-produced ingredients but most of all, we wanted to commune with Trident’s ghosts and gaze across the San Francisco Bay. We weren’t disappointed.

Do you have any memories of the Trident? Studio 54? No? Then just tell me about the time you tie-dyed a t-shirt at summer camp or drank the kool-aid. I want to know.

1. The Kingston Trio were a hugely popular folk music group in the late 50s and early 60s. My parents listened to their albums.

Sources:

Home

http://www.thetridentrestaurant.com/

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/vince-guaraldi/

Plank

January 6, 2015January 23, 2016 five-one-oh2 Comments

Jack London Square once had a Barnes & Noble bookstore for an anchor. As of October, the new tenant is Plank. Plank features fun. A cacophony of noisy, frolicking, frivolous fun.

Jan and I were walking along the Bay Trail* at Jack London Square when we saw the new venue and decided to have a look and a beer, perhaps even a snack. We were excited when we first heard about Plank: a bar and restaurant with bowling, bocce, billiards, and an arcade.

On the inside, pins were crashing and lights were flashing. It was roaring; it was raucous; it was 3 in the afternoon. Plank is the place to go if you want your kids to have a good time while you have a cocktail…at 3 in the afternoon.

We decided to go outdoors to the beer garden. It really is a great place for bocce: it’s well designed and the menu has a bunch of local beers on tap. We sat down at the bar. The outdoor heaters were keeping the place cozy and we were pretty excited about our beer selections.

That’s when we noticed we were having some trouble getting the bartenders to make eye contact with us. We sat and waited, and watched a group of twenty-somethings saunter up next to us and immediately receive one of the bartenders’ attention. They asked for shots of rye and there was rye. Another bartender became involved in a very friendly, lengthy, conversation. Not with us, but still. Eventually, we gave up and left.

Plank will probably be an outstanding anchor for Jack London Square. It’s lively and attractive. It’s a place to enjoy with your kids or your friends. It’s not competing with Amazon. Maybe the staff was changing shifts or many had called in sick on Sunday and the service will be better at a different time or on a different day. We’ve heard the food is excellent for a bowling alley. We’ll give it another chance. Maybe we’ll bring the kids along and their twenty-something good looks might earn us a beer.

On Sunday, we were glad we still had the Bay Trail to look forward to. It was lovely.

Have you tried Plank? Do you think women of a certain age are invisible? What about that Bay Trail?

* The Bay Trail is a path conceived to eventually circle San Francisco Bay. It is also one of my favorite ideas (it wasn’t MY idea – the idea is just a favorite of mine).

Puttin’ On the Ritz

November 11, 2014February 25, 2015 five-one-oh2 Comments

After a spectacular day on the coast, we decided to stop at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay to enjoy the sunset and a cocktail. Upon arrival, we paid $10 for valet parking, the only option, and headed directly for the ocean terrace by the fire pits. We had Manhattans that cost an astounding $17.50. Each. And they were worth it – not because they were particularly special but because of the view. Let’s talk about the view.

The squashes at the resort entrance were one seasonal touch that fit with the locale

The Ritz Carlton is everything I don’t like and yet, I liked it. It’s a bit of Scotland on the California coast…because we need California to be Scotland? No. So, the resort features Scottish architecture? No. The hotel is an imposing, shingle style, turreted affair that’s supposed to “evoke the magnificence of 19th century seaside lodges”. Northeastern seaside lodges. The Hamptons come to mind. Okay, it’s a magnificent northeastern style seaside lodge set within a pair of Scottish golf courses with staff walking around in plaid knickers. The Ritz Carlton is not an example of regional design.

Why did I like it? I’ve spent a lot of time on the California coast and the beautiful view from the cliffs overlooking the ocean is never diminished. It can be foggy (and it probably will be), it can be windy, it can smell like the brussels sprouts growing on the bluffs, the beaches can be littered with brown seaweed covered in sand flies, and it is still the most breathtaking place I’ve ever been. The California coast is like a beautiful girl, hair tangled, barefoot in sandy jeans and a faded sweatshirt. The view from the Ritz Carlton ocean terrace on a clear day was like seeing her in a green velvet gown and high heels. It’s not the way I want the coast to be but I can’t help feeling glad I saw her that way.

After shaking off the sticker shock of the cocktails, we sallied forth to Navio, the restaurant at the resort, with a plan NOT to eat barely acceptable food at very expensive prices. The dining room is lovely and we were given a table at the window. We ordered conservatively, (two women can get away with significantly less food than a traditional couple) and ate a perfectly acceptable dinner for under $100. The service was good. The food was good. Nothing was memorable but the view. After we got back to Oaktown, I checked out Michael Bauer’s 2013 review and can say I think Navio has improved since his meal, but I won’t deny that the restaurant is not a good value.

The Ritz Carlton made me feel sorry for people who think the coastal experience is something they can buy. Without a deeper relationship with the shoreline, the Ritz Carlton is nothing but a fancy, out of place resort. Next time, we might still stop in for a cocktail at the Ritz, but afterwards we’ll head up Highway 1 to our favorite Half Moon Bay taqueria for dinner.

Big Sur Roadhouse

October 8, 2014February 25, 2015 five-one-ohLeave a comment

One way we live where we are is to travel local. We spent the weekend with the kids in Big Sur, about 150 miles from most of the five-one-oh area code.

Sunday, we tried a new restaurant: Big Sur Roadhouse. The food was delicious and the design will bring us back. It is the perfect cozy place on a foggy Big Sur evening.

The Roadhouse serves beer and wine only and we discovered a lovely French fermented cider, Clos Normand. The restaurant served it in wine glasses from a champagne bucket: very festive. Big Sur Roadhous-Firepit