East Bay Livin'

East Bay Livin' is moving

2005-08-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

The East Bay Livin' blog has moved. Here's a link (http://blogs.contracostatimes.com/east_bay_living/) to its new home. Unfortunately, none of your comments survived the move, so please feel free to re-post your comments.

Low carb livin'

2005-08-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

I admit I jumped on the Atkins bandwagon last year. I ate protein burgers at In 'N Out, held the fries. But it didn't last too long, since I love eating breads and rice and pasta and chocolate and french fries.

Fast forward to this afternoon, when I made a trip to the Castus Low Carb Superstore in San Ramon, for a story about Atkins Nutritional Inc., the company founded by Atkins Revolution guru Dr. Robert C. Atkins., and how it has filed for bankruptcy. Was this a sign that the low carb diet's 15 minutes of fame has finally ended?

It isn't, according to Kevin Carpenter and Leland Turner, owners of Castus in San Ramon, part of a chain that also includes stores in Pittsburg (also owned by them), Fremont and San Jose. Here's the story.

So anyhoo, I'd never really been in a low carb store before. And it sold a lot of stuff that I didn't expect you could eat if you were on the Atkins diet: donuts, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, pancake mixes, mocha cappuccino mixes, Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, enchiladas, sugar-free chocolate and more. The store is small and not jam packed, and the popular stuff sells out quickly so some of the shelves were a little sparse. All in all, the store carries nearly 1,000 items, including Atkins products like its shakes and protein bars and its books, prominently displayed. Carpenter and Turner also have a soft serve machine; they make one flavor of ice cream a day packed with protein supliments. (I had a sample of huckleberry and it tasted pretty good). They also sell some of this stuff online at Sugarfreeguys.com.

Of course, you do pay a premium for low carb, sugar-free stuff; it's certainly not as cheap as the high-carb, transfat-filled, sugary, fatty alternative. And it's up to you to judge if it works. (I think this is when Dr. Phil would interject and say it's all about moderation).

As a sample, here's what I bought and the prices:

Aramana Cheddar Cheeseburger Pasta: a Lo-Carb meal mix. Soy pasta and cheese sauce mix. Like Hamburger Helper. 6.6 oz. Cost: $6.99

Carbquick Complete Biscuit and Baking Mix: Like Bisquick, but without all the carbs. You can use it to make pancakes, waffles, muffins, pot pies, etc. One of their top sellers. 1 lb. Cost: $7.99

Aloe Splash Orange Mango: No calories, no carbs orange-mango flavored drink. Sweetened with Splenda. 20 fl oz. Another popular seller, and I think that Turner said they're one of the few (or only) stores in Northern California that sell it. I can't say I'm a fan, though. I didn't like the taste, which seemed artificial. Cost: $1.79

Atkins chocolate chip granola bar: Only 3 grams of net carbs. It tastes pretty good, but I prefer Luna bars. Cost: $2.79.

Carb Slim mint chookie crunch bites: My favorite flavor is mint chocolate and this box won hands down as the yummiest thing I purchased. Sweetened with Splenda, so it's sugar free. Zero carbs. 1.5 oz. 114 calories, 87 total fat calories. Kind of like a box of mint chocolate-flavored Whoppers. I shared them with some friends during rehearsal and they liked it, too (either that, or they were just being nice). Cost: $2.99

Chicago-style deep dish personal pizza: I ate this for lunch and ripped off the label so I confess I don't have the details. But it is exactly as described, and tastes really good (not too much cheese, which I like, and barely, if any, sauce). I don't know if it really qualifies as deep-dish, but it's certainly a good cheese and sausage pizza, considering it's low carb. The pizza, though, is small, about the size of a large cookie. Cost: $4.99

Atkins Endulge chocolate mint patties: I haven't tried them yet (saving them for tomorrow). Three cups; they look like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but smaller and mint flavored. 1.2 oz. Like the Atkins granola bars, I'm pretty sure I've seen these at the supermarket and places like GNC. Cost: $1.99

Miss Saigon, Part 3

2005-07-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

(UPDATED)

Don't worry, this isn't going to become the Miss Saigon blog. It just happens that it's taken up most of my time this week.

One of the numbers we've been working on is "Morning of the Dragon," which I have to admit I didn't fully appreciate when I saw it on Broadway. Now I do. It's challenging because the rhythm keeps changing and there are so many moving parts, which must be performed with military precision, and we have to sing and dance at the same time (pretty much my first time; in opera, we tend to "stand and bark") and the music (in three different parts) doesn't always match the cheoreography. The piece comes after the war has ended and the U.S. Marines have left. We all wear head-to-toe black (I think -- or it might be a military costume) and I get to dance with a ribbon and then re-enter carrying a gun. Whoo-hoo!

Our choreographer, James DuBeq, is from Miss Saigon's national tour, so much of the staging and cheoreography is the same. The actors who plays Chris (the American G.I. who falls in love with Kim) and the Engineer (the pimp) have also performed with the national tour and we met them for the first time today.

We also have a new director. Grant Rosen was hired to direct the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream, and was replaced today by Daren A.C. Carollo, who directed Contra Costa Civic Theatre's Jekyll and Hyde, which I discussed here (you need to scroll down).

We haven't seen the set yet, but it sounds incredible. It comes to us from Southern California, where Fullerton Civic Light Opera recently produced it (you can see pictures of it here). It features a helicopter (blades and all, we're told) that actually flies across the stage and lands, as well as a pink Cadillac for one of the show's over-the-top final numbers. I am not sure how all of this will fit inside the Regional Center for the Arts, but the production crew is working hard to make sure it does!

Eulogy for my neighbor's cat

2005-07-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

My neighbor's cat died this morning. He was hit by a car.

My husband found him in the road as he was walking to work.

I am crying as I write this. I probably sound nuts, but you have to understand that we thought of this cat as one of our own. His name was Sinatra, a blue-eyed Siamese, and we had known him since he was a cute little kitten who hung out in our apartment complex. He was the friendliest, sweetest cat, and always greeted us and wound his body through our legs, and flopped over to let us pet him. A few times he even met our tabby, Hello, our indoor, only-child cat who doesn't like other cats but was okay with Sinatra. Sinatra's only vice was he tended to spray everything, including, when he followed us home one day, our front door. He was clearly an adventurous cat who loved to be outdoors and around people (I am pretty sure we were not the only ones who doted on him).

I was the one who told our neighbors. It is the hardest conversation I have ever had. My husband and I didn't know them, but we had heard them calling for Sinatra before and they had a bowl of water outside their front door. I rang their doorbell, and caught them as they were getting ready for work. The woman bowled over in tears, while her husband ran outside to make sure I was talking about their cat.

I stammered an explanation of how my husband had found Sinatra this morning, and how we knew it was Sinatra because we had just played with him last night, and that I was very sorry. And then, because I didn't know what else to do, and because they obviously wanted to be alone, I went home. And hugged my cat.

I Scream for Ice Cream

2005-07-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

This crazy hot weather has had me craving ice cream all the time.

Last night I indulged in mint chocolate cookie ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup, whip cream and a cherry, at the Old San Francisco Creamery Co. in downtown Walnut Creek. The ice cream was incredibly rich, and I could not finish the entire thing (believe me, I tried), even though I had only ordered one scoop (it was a very large one scoop). At the table next to us, a group of teenagers had ordered the "Kitchen Sink," which is a massive piece of ice cream art. It really does live up to "everything but the kitchen sink." They all pulled out their cell phones to take a photo of it, with one of them even video taping it to get the full picture. It cost about $25 and could probably feed a dozen people (although the menu said about six).

The Old San Francisco Creamery is a cute little establishment, a nice place for a date, to cap off a movie or dinner or show. The restaurant (it also serves dinner and lunch) looks like an old-fashioned soda fountain, complete with soda fountain jerks in their paper hats and aprons. Not surprisingly, the place was bustling last night and there was a line outside at the take-out window.

If I had to rate all the ice cream shops in the Walnut Creek area, though, I'd have to say my favorite is still Gelateria Naia. Ben and Jerry's in Concord comes in second. The Old San Francisco Creamery and Ghirardelli (in Walnut Creek's Broadway Plaza) come next, but for both, you have to be really, really hungry and be up for eating something really, really rich.

I'm not a big fan of Maggie Moo's (also in downtown Walnut Creek) or Cold Stone Creamery, although Cold Stone does make good ice cream cakes (and the manager at the one in Walnut Creek on Ygnacio Valley Road is very nice and came through for me when I had a last minute ice cream cake request). And Baskin-Robbins is dependable, although I wasn't treated very well the last time I was in there (the manager there barked at me when I tried to buy an ice cream cake, so I left in a huff).

Oh! I forgot about Dairy Queen (one in Sunvalley Mall and one in Concord on Clayton Rd.) Of all places, I stopped there in Maui after I saw a man come out with a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. I had what he had, and it was fabulously yummy. I haven't been to Dairy Queen here, though.

One place I haven't tried but is on my list since a friend told me about it is Bombay Ice Cream, newly opened in Pleasanton. It features flavors like rose, chai (Indian tea), fig, chiku (tropical fruit), cashew raisin and Bedam Kesar Pista (almond/saffron/pistachio). If anyone has a chance to check it out, please let me know how it is!

UPDATED: I forgot to mention Fentons Creamery & Restaurant, another favorite in Oakland, and which also serves huge portions. I like Loard's Ice Cream and Candies, too. Where else? Please keep the suggestions coming!

Miss Saigon, Part 2

2005-07-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am just getting to know the Miss Saigon cast (about 40 of us), but already I've been hearing the same thing over and over again: Most of us have wanted to be in this show for a long, long time and are so excited just to be in it, never mind that we play a small part (though I do wish I could have just one solo line). One guy I chatted with described this week's rehearsals as a surreal experience, as we sing the songs that we've heard so many times on CD.

The Bay Area has only seen Miss Saigon twice: when the national tour came to San Francisco several years ago and when the American Musical Theatre of San Jose performed it three years ago. This is the East Bay's first production, so it's a huge opportunity for us, and for Asian American performers.

Miss Saigon, Part 1

2005-07-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Miss Saigon rehearsals began yesterday. It's the start of what I expect to be an intense, exciting few months. From now until September, we will be in back-to-back rehearsals, in the evenings from Monday through Thursday, and most Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Then for the entire month of September, it's back-to-back performances, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (and sometimes two shows on Saturday).

The rehearsals move quickly. For the first two weeks, we are concentrating on learning and honing the music, and then we move on to staging and choreographing it. By the end of last night, we had tackled and memorized one huge, three-part ensemble piece ("The Morning of the Dragon," for those who are familiar with the musical. As the director, Grant Rosen, joked, it's more like "the morning and the afternoon and the evening of the dragon" since it's so long and elaborate). The expectation is that by the end of two weeks, we'll know all the music by heart and be able to concentrate on adding movement.

This is probably my favorite part of the process (besides performing it of course): singing it, hearing how it sounds with everyone else and imagining how it will look on stage. It's only been one night, but it's already beginning to jell, so stay tuned (ha, ha).

Harry Potter Parties On

2005-07-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

I checked out a Harry Potter launch party at Borders in Pleasant Hill Friday night. I arrived about 15 minutes before midnight and, by then, the bookstore was a zoo -- at least a hundred people milling about. One had dyed his hair orange, wore a green sweater with a G painted on (that's G for Gryffindor, the house that Harry Potter and his friends belong to) and was carrying a broom; another young boy looked just like Harry Potter, with the same black framed glasses, a black robe and a very authentic-looking red and orange scarf.

In terms of an actual party, however, there was none, and I was sorely disappointed. Where were the costume contests? The Harry Potter games? A Harry Potter reading? A dramatic unveiling of the new book? The only activity the bookstore had was a hat making corner in the children's section, where you could staple together purple construction paper and turn it into a wizard's hat. Yawn. I was told that the Harry Potter release parties two years ago were much more festive; the one I attended was more about just getting the book into the hands of eager Harry Potter fans.

To keep chaos down, the bookstore handed out numbered tickets -- it went up to at least 300 just for those who had pre-ordered. Then it seemed to skip to about 1700 for those who had not ordered in advance. It wasn't until 1:30 am that my friend's number was called -- no. 1825.

Harry Potter Mania

2005-07-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to read "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," the sixth in the series by J.K. Rowling. I was a little skeptical at first about all the hype, but then I picked up the first book during a long, 10-hour airplane ride, and I pretty much devoured it before the plane touched down.

Anyways, I've spent the past few days surfing the Internet for anything and everything Harry Potter. Here's a story in today's paper about what I found, like online wizarding schools and pages upon pages devoted to the budding romance between Ron and Hermione.

I'm also thinking about attending a Harry Potter release party. I've never been, but I heard so much about it that now I'm really curious. Just what happens at these parties? ;)

To find one close to you, check out this site. You can search by zipcode -- there are quite a few at East Bay book stores. And here's a Times story about East Bay libraries throwing Harry Potter parties, another Times story earlier this week about fans who have grown up with Harry Potter and a Times list of local Harry Potter events. Yes, some of us here are Harry Potter crazy.

I didn't have an opportunity to mention this in my story, but I even heard about a summer school class completely devoted to Harry Potter. It's called Hogwarts Haven at JL Stanford Middle School in Palo Alto. Now there's a summer school class I'd be interested in taking.

Will Taste Food for Money

2005-07-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

I gave my two cents on a test product this evening for the National Food Laboratory in Dublin.

Because I signed a confidentiality agreement, I can't give details on what I tried out. But here's how it works:

A few years ago I signed up on a whim to be a taste tester on the laboratory's Web site. Since then I've gotten a call about once every several months.

Each time, the laboratory asks me a series of questions and if I pass that part (I haven't always), I am asked to come in to the laboratory's Dublin office.

That was tonight. After filling out some paper work (my age demographic, my buying habits), a woman in a white lab coat escorted me into a small, narrow room. I sat down in a partitioned cubicle, in front of something like a roll top desk or a metal bread box. This connected to another room with the researchers. It opened up and inside was a tray, a survey, the sample, and a cup of water and a saltine cracker to cleanse my palette. Once I was done trying the first product, I put it back inside, closed the lid and flipped a switch to alert the researcher I was finished. Then the researcher re-filled the tray with another sample and sent it through the metal bread box.

The entire process took about 15 to 20 minutes, and I was rewarded with $15 in cash. Clearly, I'm not going to get rich being a taste tester, but it's sort of fun if you have the time. You never know what you could be trying and how you could make a little difference in how a product ends up.

Flaming Sausages (a coffee shop review)

2005-07-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Lusa Coffee, recommended by a reader, is a small coffee shop in downtown Walnut Creek with a Portugese flair.

I checked it out with a few friends over the weekend and made sure to try its "Linguica a Bombeiro." I beleive the translation is Fireman's Sausage, but I like to think of it as Sausage on Fire. To prepare this, the coffee shop owner sets the sausage link (which he imports from Portugal) on a special dish, douses it and lights it on fire. This isn't done at your table, but I watched him cook it at the front counter. Here's a photo of it, courtesy of another blog. Check out the flames shooting up a foot high from the sausage. He then cuts it up and stuffs it between two pieces of bread and serves it as a sandwich. The sandwich itself is plain -- no mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, etc. -- so it's all about the sausage, which is pretty juicy. I've never been to Portugal, but I like to think I got a taste of it that afternoon.

My sandwich cost about $7 to $8. (Note that the prices and menu selections on the Web page are somewhat outdated.) Lusa Coffee also has a large selection of coffees, teas and beverages -- my friend enjoyed her chai tea latte. And if you have a laptop with a wireless connection, it also offers free WiFi.

Aloha from Maui

2005-07-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am still in withdrawal after enjoying a quick trip to Maui last week with my husband. We stayed in Kaanapali, on the West side of the island, home to many, many hotels, condominiums and golf courses and growing (for better or worse). We spent one morning snorkeling at Black Rock -- a first for me. I discovered that I can go snorkeling even though I wear contacts, as long as I sunction the goggles tightly onto my face. We barely swam a couple of yards before we started seeing schools of beautiful, colorful fish, just like in Finding Nemo (the movie by Emeryville's Pixar). Other people there also saw sea turtles, but we missed them.

Through a group called Hike Maui, we also went on a half-day hike to a waterfall, but the water was so cold only the guide dove in for a swim (a few us did sit under the waterfall). The trip let us see the less developed parts of Maui, and, along the way, we wound along the coast on a narrow, windy road. We stopped on a shack boasting "the world's best banana bread" (it was yummy, just as it promised) and saw a small geyser spouting water. For the hike, we donned weird-looking shoes that looked like a cross between hooves and the Teenage Ninja Turtles -- the dark green boots came up past our ankles like a pair of socks and it had a soft sole that gave us better traction for wading through riverbeds (and meant that we could feel every rock, root and dirt under our feet). The downside: despite lathering on anti-bug cream, I still came home from the hike with about a dozen mosquito bites.

On our last night there, we went to a luau at the Hyatt. If you plan on going, I recommend planning early, something we didn't do. We tried to get tickets to the Old Lahaina Luau, but were told it was booked until August/September. Same with Warren and Annabell's Magic Maui Show, which came recommended by a friend. Not that we were dead set on seeing either of them. But considering the expense -- count on spending as much as $70 to $90 per person (the luaus include alcohal, an all-you-can-eat dinner and the show) -- we were sort of surprised by the demand. Still, the luau felt like a fitting end to our trip, complete with hula dancers and a fire dancer. Aloha!

Getting the 511/BART strike

2005-07-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

I've read a lot about how commuters should check 511 if there is a BART strike tomorrow. But it's little help if you live in Contra Costa County.

For now, 511 does not cover Hwy 24. So if you're making the trek from, say, Pleasant Hill to San Francisco, you won't be able to calculate your driving time, nor will you hear about any accidents or hold ups on that part of the freeway. Same goes if you travel on Hwy 4 or stretches of I-580 (in the Dublin, Livermore, Castro Valley area). So if you live in Contra Costa County and take BART to San Francisco, and want to get the 511 tomorrow, too bad.

My suggestion: stay home.

Here's a link to a map of what 511 covers. The site says it will have complete coverage of Bay Area freeways by the end of the year.

Happy Fourth of July

2005-07-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

It seemed like the entire town of Moraga showed up for the fireworks last night at the Moraga Commons (pretty much the one and only park in town. It's a small town). We parked up the road and arrived just as the fireworks began. My favorites were the ones that zig zagged and didn't seem to know where they were going.

Earlier in the day, I also helped out at the Martinez Chamber of Commerce's Fourth of July celebration, which was sponsored by the Times. Maybe because it was late in the day, and very hot, and everyone was tired and sweaty, but it did not look like much fun. The band sounded pretty good. But there were only a handful of booths, which began shutting down at 6 pm, which meant that if you wanted to stick around for the fireworks, you had a couple of hours to kill. For the kids, they had some bouncy stuff and a water squirting game (which looked very refreshing), but those also started deflating by 6 pm, so several families had to be refunded their money. By the end of the day, it seemed like the volunteers didn't want to be there and weren't super friendly and everyone, including me, just wanted to go home. Which I did, thankfully.

Pig racing, curly fries and the Alameda County Fair

2005-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

I saw the cutest little piggies race around a track when I went to the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton a few years ago. They were about the size of a cat, each wearing a numbered bib and they shot out of the gate and ran around the small, dirt track until one of them won. I briefly stopped eating meat after seeing them -- they were just so adorable -- and to this day I mainly eat fake bacon, made of soy.

Going to the county fair feels like a throw back to a life and era that I was never part of, something I only read about in books like "Charlotte's Web" -- 4H clubs, barnyard animals and hogs greased with hair products, vaseline or something to make them shiny and presentable. My friends and I went last year (my second time), and it felt silly, but fun. We pigged out on curly fries and nachos and we rode the carousel, went down a big, inflatable slide and hopped on the roller coaster, which is scary not because it's fast, but because it looks flimsy and you know it easily breaks down into small pieces so it can be trucked around the country and you can't help but wonder if it'll collapse just as you chug to the top.

If you go -- it opens Friday and runs until July 10 -- I recommend ordering tickets and a pack of carnival ride tickets in advance, since it saves you a few bucks (remember that most rides require four or five tickets each). Check out the schedule. Diana DeGarmo of American Idol fame, Raven-Symone from the Disney Channel (and the little girl from the Cosby Show) and Carrot Top are among the scheduled performers -- woohoo!

Opera in the Park

2005-06-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Pack your picnic basket and head to Cedar Mountain Winery in Livermore or Civic Park in Walnut Creek on Sunday (June 26) for Opera in the Park.

This is your chance to listen to some of opera's (and maybe some of Broadway's) greatest hits and enjoy the warm weather. The soloists are talented, up and coming singers; several of them have gone on to amazing careers with the San Francisco Opera and elsewhere. One poster child from Festival Opera is David Miller, who went on to star in Baz Luhrmann's (he of Moulin Rounge fame) production of "La Boheme" and is now a member of Il Divo, the quartet created by American Idol's Simon Cowell that's a bit like the Backstreet Boys meets Josh Groban (the underlying message there being that they're all easy on the eyes and have voices that will make you swoon). Before starring in music videos, Miller appeared in Festival Opera's Don Pasquale and Lucia di Lammermoor. So you never know who you might be listening to who might become the next big star.

I've sung with both choruses, though not this year, in Opera in the Park. But you can count on hearing some favorites and preview the upcoming shows. Even if you're not an opera fan, this is fun. It's not a snooze fest. Just bring something comfortable to sit on and a nice bottle of wine.

The details:

Festival Opera's "Opera in the Park"
Sunday, June 26
6 PM
Civic Park, Walnut Creek
Cost: Free

Livermore Valley Opera's "Opera in the Vineyard"
Sunday, June 26
5 PM to 8 PM
Cedar Mountain Winery
7000 Tesla Road, Livermore
Cost: $25

Best Burmese in the East Bay

2005-06-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

I had a late, quiet dinner at Nan Yang in Rockridge (College Ave. and Claremont Ave. in Oakland) the other night. It's a popular, longtime (since the 1980s) Burmese restaurant, with a Chinese, Indian and Thai influence. I really, really enjoy their noodles. I'm not sure how to describe it. They're not too oily, or greasy, or overcooked, but cooked just right. We ordered chicken curry noodle, prawns and noodles and a side of chili rice. The restaurant has a clearn, modern, minimalist look that still reflects the restaurant's Asian heritage. The prices are reasonable, about $10 to $15 per entree and their service incredibly fast.

I have to confess, though. The restaurant has been named "Best Burmese in the East Bay," and I'd agree, but I can't think of any other Burmese restaurants on this side of the Bay, though there are many in San Francisco. Any takers?

Cheesecake Factory in Jack London Square?

2005-06-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

It makes me sad that Jack London Square in Oakland still struggles to be a lively East Bay hotspot, even with tenants like Yoshi's, a jazz house and Japanese restaurant. Right at the water's edge, the location is beautiful, has treasures such as Jack London's cabin and makes for a nice place to take a romantic stroll.

So I was disappointed when I discovered that the Old Spaghetti Factory, El Torrito and TGI Friday's had shut down last year. Retailer A Taste of Asia also closed last month and Olga's Russian Gifts is moving to Las Vegas. Each time I'm there, Jack London Square doesn't have that exciting, bustling atmosphere.

On the plus side, Jack London Square is making progress on transforming the area into the waterfront attraction that its residents and developers have dreamed about. Trendy apartments and lofts have been added to the neighborhood. It's brought back its Farmer's Market on Wednesdays.

I spoke briefly with Jack London Square Partners' Jim Falaschi and Rhonda Hirata yesterday about plans for the neighborhood.

Rumor has it that the Cheesecake Factory is slated to move into Jack London Square. It isn't totally unfounded: a representative for Jack London Square did approach the popular restaurant chain. But Falaschi said there is not a "working deal" as of yet. "We certainly would like to have them here," he said. But "there's no paper moving back and forth."

Count me in as someone who'd love to see the Cheesecake Factory move in. Right now the only ones are in San Francisco and the South Bay, a long haul and then you have to wait another hour or more before you're seated.

The Old Spaghetti Factory and El Torrito moved out of Jack London Square because of a seismic retrofit project, which will take about nine months, Falaschi said. Meanwhile, two potential tenants have been negotiating to take over the space formerly occupied by TGI Friday's, which left after its lease expired. Jack London Square Partners is also moving ahead with its plan to create a Harvest Hall, similar to San Francisco's Ferry Building, though that it is still a few years out. In the meantime, you can check out Yoshi's, Hahn's Hibachi, Scott's Seafood and Jack's Bistro, which is expanding its outdoor dining.

Your chance to be the next Survivor

2005-06-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

In today's Times: Try out to be on the next Survivor. CBS is holding auditions at the Ellis Brooks Auto Center in San Francisco from from 10 am to 2 pm. Several contestants and even a winner (Vecepia Towery from Survivor: Marquesas) have come from the Bay Area, so now it's your turn!

Last year, just for fun, I went to the casting call for Donald Trump's "The Apprentice." We got there at 6 am or so and the line of wannabe apprentices already wrapped around the block. Several hours later, a group of about 10 of us sat around a table and a casting director asked us about business ethics and to identify the most intimidating person in our group, the friendliest, that sort of thing. It was up to you to jump in, speak up and stand out. Some seemed to wait for the right opportunity to say something, and then never got the chance. And this after driving (or flying) hours to be there! Others babbled and made no sense. The "interview" only lasted about 10 minutes. Unless they asked you to stay behind afterwards, you didn't have much of a chance to make it to the next round of auditions. Two guys from my group were asked to stick around, but sadly, in the end no one from my group made it onto the show.

Home decorating deals

2005-06-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

If you are decorating your home and looking for some good deals, you might want to try Home Depot's Expo Design Center in Concord. It's shutting down -- part of an apparent effort to consolidate its Bay Area stores -- so everything is at least 15 percent off and as much as 75 percent off. The Concord store closes officially in early August. We bought a nice chandelier to replace the ugly, faux gold 1980s-style monstrosity in our dining room.

Buyer beware, however: You can't return or exchange anything. We checked our chandelier before buying it, but still didn't catch that it was missing a small part. Luckily, we had our old chandelier standing by, which had the same part, so we used it as a substitute.

Pampered Pooches and Kitties

2005-06-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Times has an amusing front page story today about how Contra Costa County firefighters now have equipment to help rescue your pet in case of a fire.

I'm sure some of my friends think I'm nuts, but I consider my cat, a fabulous fat orange tabby named Hello, part of the familiy. So it's reassuring to know that if a disaster were to strike, he has a chance at survival.

I spoil my cat to no end. And I know I'm not alone. How else can you explain all the boutique pet stores that have sprung up in the East Bay? Whiskers opened in Walnut Creek in the Ygnacio Valley Shopping Center less than a year ago. There's also Molly's Pup-Purr-EE in Danville, Nitro Dog in Lafayette, Redhound in Rockridge and City Dogs in Pleasant Hill.

I've shopped at all of them, and their stuff can be expensive, but they also carry cute toys, organic treats and other fun products you can't find at Petsmart or Petco (where I also shop).

This weekend, I also found another place to buy presents for my cat: Ross, an off-price Pleasanton-based retailer, better known for discount clothing and housewares. They've been carrying more and more pet paraphernalia, like pet beds and pet dishes and even designer pet carriers. Yesterday I purchased a new cat bed shaped like a tent. It's made of warm, fuzzy material and is best for winter, when he can burrow in it like a blanket, which is probably why I was able to buy it for under $20 (as opposed to much more elsewhere). My cat, who sniffed it and then ignored it for the rest of the day, will thank me in November.

Hidden Restaurant Gems in Walnut Creek

2005-06-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

I had dinner this week at two terrific restaurants. They're out of the way in Walnut Creek, but worth a visit if you're looking for something good and fairly inexpensive.

Nama Sushi & Teriyaki, on Sunnyvale Ave. (across the street from Beverages & More) serves fresh and creative sushi and your typical Japanese fare like chicken teriyaki and miso soup, without outrageous prices. I enjoy the Philadelphia rolls and Rock n Rolls, but that's because I'm partial to cream cheese (in the Philadelphia rolls) and eel (in the Rock n Roll).

If you like chicken tikka masala curry, like I do, then I also recommend Saroor Indian Cuisine on North Main St. (near Office Max). It is sort of hidden on the industrial side of North Main Street, but the trip is worthwhile since their portions are large and generous (plus you get rice or nan with each entree) and their dishes are savory and yummy. We had a coupon (from the mail), so our order for two entrees (chicken tikka masala curry and chana masala/chick peas) was only $12.

Best Boba

2005-06-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

My friend, who sometimes drinks four bobas a week, has reviewed her favorite boba spots. Check it out here. She's based in the South Bay, but her picks include: Tapioca Express, which has a cafe in Newark and Union City; Quickly, which has a storefront in Berkeley and Sweetheart Cafe, which is in Berkeley and Oakland. For addresses and more reviews, check out Pearl Tea Review.

Please chime in with your favorite picks!

Store Wars

2005-06-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan by any means (I've only seen the most recent Star Wars movie, but not the first two), but I couldn't help but giggle when I watched the Star Wars spoof "Store Wars." It turns out it was filmed right here in the East Bay, at the El Cerrito Natural Grocery Co. on San Pablo Ave. (Check out my story here.)

Free Range Graphics, which has a small office in San Francisco (and is expected to expand soon), produced the five minute video clip, and Louis Fox, the co-founder, created the puppets and supplied most of the voices, including my favorite, Chewbroccoli.

Free wireless Internet access

2005-06-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Bay Area has 1,372 public hotspots, or places where you can connect to the Internet wirelessly, according to an Intel survey released today. (See my story here).

In many cases, you have to pay a fee, but some locations offer the service for free for their customers. It's pretty convenient and easy to do. I've used my laptop (which had the proper equipment built in) to check e-mail and file stories from places like Borders and Starbucks and have not had any problems, except for getting hooked on Mocha Frappuccinos.

Here are a couple of sites that have a running directory of hot spots:

Intel's Hotspot Finder

WiFi Free Spot

CNET's Hot Zone

If you're curious about how to set up your laptop and get the proper equipment (if your laptop does not have it built in, you will need to purchase a WiFi card -- they're pretty cheap these days), check out: How WiFi Works.

A few notes on what I've heard about WiFi in the Bay Area: WCWiFi has hooked up the downtown Walnut Creek area (near Tomatina, Tokyo Lobby, etc.) as a hotspot. There's a free one month period, then it's going to cost you. Emeryville is also considering offering free WiFi throughout town. And there's a movement by wireless geeks to set up a network of wireless hot spots throughout the Bay Area.

The Perfect Wedding Dress, the Hunt Continues

2005-06-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

I helped my friend try on wedding dresses Saturday afternoon at Cherished in Walnut Creek. It's a consignment bridal store, so most of the dresses there are used, though there are also some new gowns purchased from bridal stores unloading inventory.

The woman who owns the store is picky about the dresses she accepts. She rejected a gown I brought in -- it was unworn (a long story -- don't worry, I still got married, but now I have more than one dress taking up room in my closet), but with an off-the-shoulder cut that she said was unpopular and wouldn't sell. Plus, it was not a designer wedding dress.

The store focuses on couture and namebrand gowns: Vera Wang, Amsale, Carmela Sutera, Lazaro, Monique Lhuillier, designers whose names become familiar as you thumb through wedding magazine after wedding magazine. Since many of the dresses have been worn, they're priced at about half off, so the most expensives dresses my friend tried on were in the $1,000 price range as opposed to $3,000 or more. Some of the dresses my friend tried on were a steal: $400 for a beautiful, simple, sheath Pronovias gown that pooled at her feet. A few were as low as $200 and $300.

You have trade-offs, though. I noticed that the beading on one of the dresses appeared loose, as though it had not just been worn but tried on too times. And if it's not your size, and it can't be altered to fit you, then too bad. Since they're not ordered (like a traditional bridal store) and new dresses come in at no set schedule, there generally isn't another one available of the exact same style in the right size. You also pretty much have to buy it right then and there, because you can't hold it for a few weeks or months at a time (although you can put a deposit down to hold the dress and make incremental payments. If you change your mind and find something better, you can switch and apply your money to the new dress). Alterations (such as shortening the length of the dress) can also add as much as a few hundred dollars to the cost, although you have to factor that into a new dress, too.

My friend found several gowns she liked, but since her wedding isn't until next year, we opted to return another time and try our luck again.

Beer and freebies at Beckett's

2005-06-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

Went to Beckett's Irish Pub in downtown Berkeley Friday night for a TGIF drink. I was carded not once, but twice. I guess it was my Hello Kitty bracelet.

Smirnoff happened to be there promoting its watermelon vodka and trying to convince us to order Smirnoff stuff instead of beer for our next round (didn't happen). Two women made the rounds with free shots (7Up and watermelon vodka), a glowy pen, a compact that lit up, T-shirts and coupons. I love freebies!

We capped the night at Durant Food Court (a favorite hangout when we were students at Cal since it's open late) and got boba (a strawberry smoothie with tapioca pearls) at the Sweetheart Cafe, which a friend swears is the best in the Bay Area.

Bubbling for Boba

2005-06-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Boba, also known as bubble tea, tapioca and pearl milk tea, is a popular drink that has made its way from Taiwan to the United States. You drink it with a big fat straw, which lets you suck up the chewy tapioca balls at the bottom.

You can find boba here in the East Bay. Check out Bobafind.com, which lets you search by zip code, or Pearl Tea Review, a directory of Bay Area tea houses and their ratings. Pearl Tea Review has a more complete listing, at least for the East Bay, but Bobafind.com helps you find boba wherever you go in the United States.

Dan Laidman, a reporter for the Times, wrote about boba coming to the 'burbs a few months ago. His article featured:

Bubble & Crepe
1300 Contra Costa Blvd., Suite 20, Pleasant Hill
925-685-1066

Green Tea Cafe
1639 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek
925-280-5588

Cafe Tapioca
7160 Regional St., Dublin
925-479-0968

Drink and be merry: Art and Wine Festival in Walnut Creek

2005-06-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

Yet another art festival, this time at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek this weekend. Having served beer at this event in the past, I can tell you that you can sample a lot of local wine and beer here. Even if you don't drink, though, there is still the usual suspects of live music, junk food and arts and crafts. Do I sound like a broken record? Come on, it's summer. Time to be stupid outside.

Dim Sum in the East Bay

2005-05-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Tin's Tea House Lounge on Mt. Diablo near downtown Walnut Creek is always packed on the weekends, but it's not the only restaurant in the East Bay that offers dim sum.

(Dim sum, by the way, is a Chinese breakfast/lunch/brunch/mid-day meal, made up of small plates, like tapas or a bunch of appetizers. Dishes include dumplings, spring rolls, steamed buns, etc. Traditionally, they're served by the staff pushing carts around the tables. You order by pointing at what you want).

Several other Chinese restaurants in Concord, San Ramon and Pleasanton, just to name a few that I know of. And of course, there's always Oakland Chinatown.

Yesterday, my family and I ate at Chang Luong on 1089 Oak Grove, near Monument Blvd. in Concord. We gorged on dumplings, shrimp rice noodle rolls, tofu and several other small plates. The restaurant is not as Americanized as Tin's Tea House, but you can get the same popular dishes. Best of all, we arrived at 11:30 am and didn't have to wait for a table.

In addition, you can also check out Tri-Valley Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Pleasanton, across the street from Stoneridge Mall, and Chef Chan in the Crow Canyon Shopping Center in San Ramon.

Rock climbing in Mt. Diablo

2005-05-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, technically, we scrambled around the sandstone formations more than rock climbed at Rock City in Mt. Diablo.

Located near the parking and BBQ area in Rock City inside Mt. Diablo State Park, the sandstones form small caves and large rocks that you can climb into and onto. They're well worn with footholds and easy to navigate, although I did occasionally worry about taking tumble down Mt. Diablo. Not to worry: plenty of elementary school aged children scaled the rocks beside me with no fear whatsoever.

If you're a true rock climber, I believe there are bigger and better rocks nearby that you can climb, but I was pretty happy just to conquer the little ones.

(Btw, the ants there look like they've been taking steroids and I think they or some other bugs bit me. I came back yesterday afternoon with six bug bites, even though I liberally applied bug spray before leaving home.)

My husband and I also drove up to the Mt. Diablo summit, 3,849 feet above sea level, where the view was clear and beautiful. Someone was even parachute gliding! It took us a good 20 to 25 minutes to get from the entrance (which costs $6 to enter) to the top (where there is of course a gift shop).

More Memorial Day activities

2005-05-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff going on in the East Bay for the Memorial Day weekend:

In the East County, you can enjoy a blues festival, Memorial Day service and a tour of the Black Diamond mines.

In San Ramon, there's the Art and Wind Festival (as reported in a previous post).

In Walnut Creek, you can see a free (donations accepted) Memorial Day-inspired dance performance by Moving Arts Dance.

The newly expanded Rapids Water Slide at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area reopens for the summer this weekend in Pleasanton.

For all of you with cute little tots, you can take your kids to the Kidfest in Concord.

Check out our comprehensive summer calendar in Time Out.

Night life at the Paragon and Kingman's Lucky Lounge

2005-05-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Janet Adamy, a former Contra Costa Times business reporter now at the Wall Street Journal, returned to her East Bay stomping grounds for the long weekend.

I caught up with her and a small group of friends Friday night at the Paragon in Berkeley's Claremont Resort & Spa.

I've heard this bar and cafe called a meat market, and it was certainly crowded with beautiful, well-dressed late 20s to early 40s-somethings. The city lights in the distance also made for a spectacular view.

If you go for drinks and would like to turn it into dinner -- as we wanted to -- I suggest making reservations early. We were told we'd have to wait for two hours. When a group of four having dinner at an eight-person table said we could join them, the staff refused to let us sit down, telling us that they were going to seat a couple there who had made reservations. Of course, they never did.

We ended up grabbing a table outside on the patio, near a heat lamp. The service was mixed: the staff accomodated us moving around and kept our tab going. But several times it felt like they had forgotten our order. Then again, you go to the Paragon to see and be seen, not necessarily for the food and service.

Afterward, we headed to Kingman's Lucky Lounge on 3332 Grand Ave. in Oakland, where we snagged a couch and a few more drinks. The atmosphere there is relaxed and comfortable, with decently priced cocktails and a DJ spinning some good tunes.

Bloody cute pajamas and wine

2005-05-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Daily Candy is an e-mail newsletter and Web site that focuses on hip happenings in big cities like San Francisco, New York and London. It doesn't usually venture beyond San Francisco, but it did this week: You can now find trendy loungewear by Alice & Astrid, previously only available in the U.K., at Supple in Berkeley, between Hopkins and Sacramento Streets. You can also pick up a good, eclectic bottle of wine at Vintage Berkeley on Vine and Shattuck Streets.

Behind the scenes of my audition

2005-05-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

I tried out for Diablo Light Opera Company's upcoming production of Miss Saigon a few weekends ago.

If you've ever seen American Idol, that's how an audition often works. The director, producer, choreographer and others sit behind a table (or, in a theater, they sit in the audience) taking notes. You stand in the middle of the room/stage and sing your song. They don't give you instant feedback, however. No Simon Cowell here telling you that you. are. THE. worst. singer. ever.

My audition piece came from the musical "Jekyll and Hyde," which turned out to be a very, very popular choice. The guy before me sang "I Need to Know" from Jekyll and Hyde, the guy after me sang "This is the Moment" from Jekyll and Hyde and the girl after me sang the very same song I had chosen, "Someone Like You" from Jekyll and Hyde.

They also asked us to sing up and down a scale to test our vocal range, and then a few of us learned a dance routine, which... was not my strong suit.

A few days later, they posted a list of callbacks on the Web and on a telephone answering machine (you knew they had announced the callbacks because it was like dialing into a radio station to win U2 concert tickets). I was called back to be in the ensemble and had to learn a portion of a song, to be performed that weekend at another round of auditions.

Anyhoo, to speed this story up, I was cast in the ensemble of Miss Saigon. I've wanted to be in this show since seeing it as a teenager more than a decade ago, so I'm thrilled (ok, ok, so like everyone else, I've fantasized about playing the lead role, Kim. I won't beat a dead horse by writing about how there just aren't that many roles for Asian American actors/singers. You might be cast in a non-race-specific part or untraditionally cast, but how many times have you seen a black, Asian or Latino girl as one of the daughters in Fiddler on the Roof? Or as Guinevere in Camelot? And don't get me started about the few parts meant for Asian Americans often going to non-Asian actors). The show opens in September at the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts and runs the entire month.

How to find cheap gas in the East Bay

2005-05-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Slashdot today: a Web site that uses Google's mapping features to help you find the cheapest gas station near you. It shows you the gas station, the price and pinpoints its location on a map (you can also see the location via satellite image, though I'm not sure how this will help you).

The information is provided by Google and Gas Buddy. I've been on Gas Buddy before, but this is a lot better. Now you can see where the station is located, map it and get directions. You can also see which gas stations are nearby and how much they charge. * So far, though, I haven't been able to get it to give me directions to my selected gas station, so I guess there are still some kinks to work out. *

By the way, the cheapest station in the East Bay, as of Monday afternoon, was in Martinez for $2.23 per gallon for regular unleaded.

On being Asian American in Hollywood

2005-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

John Cho, who played Harold in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, spoke at the AAJA San Francisco Bay Area chapter's 20th Anniversary and Asian American Heritage Month Gala on Sunday.

Cho, a UC Berkeley graduate who got his first big break with Berkeley Repertory, gave an interesting talk on what it's like to be an Asian American actor in Hollywood, the decisions he makes in accepting certain roles and how Asian Americans are portrayed in popular culture.

He recently appeared in Fox's medical drama House as the patient of the week with a mysterious ailment. I didn't see this episode, but I heard about it from a friend who was disturbed by it. Cho played an Asian American accountant with a penchant for -- how do I put this nicely for a family friendly newspaper? -- rough sex. The role obviously did not portray Asian Americans in a very flattering light.

Cho argued that not all Asian American roles should have to be flattering, and that he accepted the part because it gave him an opportunity to play an *interesting* character.

Asian Americans are hardly visible on television and in movies, so when do they appear, there's a constant fear that they'll be portrayed as foreigners with accents or as the stereotypical kung fu fighter (who of course doesn't speak English). But Cho pointed out that the other extreme is that, in compensation, this fear will lead to only bland, nicey-nice Asian American characters, and really, what good is that? Asian American actors need meaty, multi-dimensional roles just like anybody else. That said, I do find it annoying when I only see Asian Americans in bit roles like doctors and scientists, as if those were the only characters that they could authentically play. I mean, there are Asian American desperate housewives, CIA operatives and reporters (!) out there.

Cho did put his foot down on how the parents in the episode would be portrayed: without accents and without a refererence to the family's village, since that's a common and lazy way for Hollywood writers to signify that a character is Asian (as Cho pointed out, isn't that obvious enough?).

This is just a snippet of his talk, but all in all, a lot of food for thought.

Tuning into podcasting

2005-05-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

I got hooked on podcasting while researching for my story on Godcasting, which appeared Sunday in the Times' Business and Technology section.

Think of podcasts as listening to the radio, only through the Internet and downloaded onto your laptop, iPod or MP3 player. Even though the concept is relatively new, there are already tons of entertaining podcasts out there, including Godcasts, the religious and spiritual podcasts, as well as talk shows, news, '80s music, etc.

I found a few Godcasters right here in the Bay Area:

RevTim, produced by Pastor Tim Hohm of Central Assembly in El Sobrante.
Outchurched, produced by Dan Tripp of San Jose and Ryan King of San Francisco.
Commuter Zen and Dharma Talks by Michael McAlister, who leads Infinite Smile in Lafayette and Walnut Creek. You can also read a separate story on him in the Contra Costa Sun.

To look for more podcasts, check out Podcast Alley, Podcasting News or iPodder.

Night life in the East Bay

2005-05-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

There's night life in the East Bay? Omigod.

Seriously, though, check out Times staff writer Jessica Yadegaran's new Night Column, which today features the newly-opened Groove Lounge and Nightclub in downtown Walnut Creek. I haven't been yet, but clearly the East Bay is trying to become a cooler part of the Bay Area, not just a sleepy suburb for desperate housewives.

Commuter hell

2005-05-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know how people regularly commute from the East Bay to Silicon Valley. Yesterday, I drove to Mountain View for a Google media event (see my story here). It took a full two hours (the rain didn't help), including 40 minutes just getting through the short stretch from Walnut Creek to Danville.

It would have helped if I had a second passenger in my car so I could cut through the carpool lane. I know there are casual carpools that go into San Francisco, but is there an equivalent for people going to Silicon Valley? Or do I need to buy a life-sized doll for these occasions?

On a separate note, it is always amazing to see all the growth in the Tri-Valley as I drive down Interstate 680. I used to work out of the Times' Pleasanton office (also known as the Valley Times office) a few years ago, and I remember when the land by the Bernal exit were just grassy fields. Now they've covered with rows and rows of new homes. A few months ago, I made a trip to Dublin and turned into a shopping center, knowing that the business I was visiting was nearby. I circled around, but couldn't find the business. Then I realized I had turned into the wrong shopping center. This shopping center was completely new -- it hadn't been there the last time I'd been in Dublin.

Asians are cool: Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

2005-05-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't be a good Asian American girl if I didn't point out that May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

This is the one time of the year that we're recognized! We exist! I'm half kidding of course.

Anyhoo, there is lots to do this month to celebreate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

In a shameless act of self-promotion, as co-president of the Asian American Journalists Association's San Francisco Bay Area chapter, I'm helping organize our 20th Anniversary and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Gala. It's on Sunday at Yank Sing in San Francisco's Rincon Center, with special guests John Cho, the actor from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and Stuart Gaffney, a filmmaker and same-sex marriage rights activist. The Contra Costa Times and Knight Ridder, the Times' parent company, are among the sponsors.

That's not the only party going on, of course (although it will be the best!). Most of the events I'm aware of are in San Francisco, but I'll make sure to post any East Bay stuff once I hear about them (there MUST be something going on out here!).

This Sunday: the Asian Heritage Street Fair in San Francisco's Japantown. Anime (Japanese animation, like Sailor Moon and Pokemon but better), cooking demonstrations, musical and dance performances and of course lots and lots of food.
BART is helping celebrate this month and next with special discounts, including two for one admission to the Asian Art Museum, half off tickets to the San Francisco Opera in June and July and discounted tickets to the Oakland A's. You can also get discounted tea, Hawaiian appetizers, Japanese desserts and tapoica milk tea (also known as boba and bubble tea).
You can see a series of art, film, theater and musical exhibitions through the 8th Annual United States of Asian America Festival at the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center in San Francisco.

UPDATE: Here's something in the East Bay:

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Oakland's Chinatown (easily accessible via BART or, if you drive, a big, pretty inexpensive parking garage underneath the building) is holding several Asian Pacific American Heritage Month events, including a performance by the Chitresh Das Dance Company on Saturday.

Go Fly a Kite: Memorial Day Weekend Art and Wind Festival

2005-05-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

Here's something for you to do if you're sticking around the East Bay for Memorial Day weekend.

It's another relaxing, outdoor, family friendly event: the San Ramon Art and Wind Festival, with lots and lots of arts and crafts booths, junk food and kite making and flying (I guess that's why it's called the Art and WIND festival) at the San Ramon Central Park on Alcosta Blvd. It also includes a hot air balloon launch on Monday at around 6 a.m.

Scott Marshall, who writes about the goings on in the San Ramon region for the Contra Costa Times, reports that San Ramon has seen a big surge in cultural programs.

This includes: Saturday Afternoon Live at the Community Center, with poetry slammers and other performers, and Artescape Studios, a shared artists workspace and gallery founded by five artists.

More ways to get half-priced show tickets!

2005-05-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine at work told me another way to get cheap theater tickets!

It is incredibly simple and I've just signed up. The Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts Web site lets you sign up for free to its VIP e-mail list. The e-mails give you instructions on how to get your half-priced tickets, by either calling the box office and mentioning the special deal, or printing out the e-mail and showing it at the box office. My friend reports that she's "half-priced" her way through three or four musicals, including DLOC's West Side Story, and that her seats have always been good.

My theater bias

2005-05-16T01:10:00.000-07:00

Before I go any further with this blog, I need to disclose a key bias.

If you have ever wondered why I am so interested in dance classes and local theater, it's because that's something I do in my offtime -- when I'm not writing (or blogging) for the Contra Costa Times. I've sung in Walnut Creek's Festival Opera Chorus for a few years, appearing, for instance, in its production last year of Romeo and Juliet. I don't have time to do a whole lot, but I do take voice lessons (with Victoria Rapanan; I will be in a recital on Saturday -- please come!) and I occasionally audition for shows in the East Bay.

That means that for some of the shows I've seen and blogged about (in particular, West Side Story and Jekyll and Hyde) I've either met and/or worked with some of the performers and directors. I believe this informs my views of the Bay Area's theater community (I'm going to appreciate the chorus a whole lot more than most people, for one), but it also means that I'm coming at it from a very different point of view than your typical critic or season ticket holder. Naturally, I've been leaving the official reviews to the Times' theater critic, Pat Craig, though I can't help but add my two cents here and there.

I said in a previous post that the East Bay has a thriving theater community and it's true. I get to see it and (sometimes) experience it first hand, and it's something I hope to share more of through this blog about East Bay livin'.

Jekyll and Hyde

2005-05-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

I dragged my husband to see Contra Costa Civic Theatre's Jekyll and Hyde over the weekend. I liked it; my husband, yet to be converted into a musical theater or opera fan, did not.

I thought Contra Costa Civic Theatre did a good job of converting the show to the small stage (the theater in El Cerrito seats maybe 100 at my estimate). They were creative with the staging -- in several instances, the performers were in the aisles, and practically in your lap if you were in the front row. In one spooky scene, the chorus quietly lined up in the back and started singing their part while the action continued on stage.

The trouble that Jekyll and Hyde has is that the material is dark, deep and difficult to translate into a musical (this is not your fun, light-hearted Guys and Dolls or Music Man). It didn't get great reviews when it debuted in the 1990s. And I still can't fathom David Hasselhoff (yes, the star of Baywatch and Knight Rider) playing the lead role (see proof here and here and here), which he did a few years ago on Broadway. For me, it's one of those cases in which I love the music much more than the show itself.

That said, Contra Costa Civic Theatre's rendition of Jekyll and Hyde was pretty good. And in a nice community theater touch (per tradition, I think), the spry, 83-year-old co-founder of the theater appeared on stage at the end of the show (you didn't even notice him until he turned around since he was in costume in the last scence) and spoke briefly, and the cast came out to greet the audience.

Art on the Main

2005-05-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Contra Costa Times is a sponsor for this weekend's Art on the Main in downtown Walnut Creek. And I'm not promoting it just because the newspaper is part of it, but because it really is a nice, relaxing, family-friendly opportunity to stroll through the booths, eat some junk food and see performances by local music groups. As a teenager, I performed in it once (I was part of a young performer's group), so that's my ulterior motive for mentioning it in my blog.

UPDATE: I stopped by Art on the Main on Sunday and bought a few things (I'd rather support our local artists rather than some generic retailer, wouldn't you?). This included a small wall hanging made out of leather (it looks better than it sounds) by Fremont-based LeatherArt and a hand-made glass vase by San Leandro's Serendipity Studio.

Art on the Main was exactly how you'd imagine it: the smell of kettle korn and corn dogs, music blaring, lots of booths filled with everything from oil paintings to hand-made soap to pottery to jewelry.

For the Shopaholics and Fashionistas of the East Bay

2005-05-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

Lucky Magazine has introduced a new feature in its back pages: localized shopping tips filled with cool, unique stuff you can get right here in the Bay Area and Northern California.

The magazine seems to be doing this as a recurring feature (they've been doing this for the past few issues). You can also find localized shopping tips (including a weekly newsletter and what's on sale at Northern California stores) on its web site.

Most of the featured stores are in San Francisco, but there are some good finds in the East Bay, too.

This month, that includes:

* Round Designs jewelry ("hammered cuffs, battered disc earings and pink-rock chain necklaces") made by Oakland-based Lila Marshall, which can be found at Maribel at 3251 Lakeshore Ave. in Oakland.

* Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Fair, a flea market open on the first Sunday of each month. Admission is between $5 to $15.

* Berkeley Flea Market, a flea market held every Saturday and Sunday at the Ashby BART station.

In the past, Lucky Magazine has also singled out Hush and Samantha Lee in downtown Walnut Creek. On its Web site, its favorite stores include Bella Vita and Dish on College Ave. in Oakland.

This is a pretty cool feature for the magazine to introduce, since often times I've picked up Lucky, saw something I liked, only to discover that I can't get the item here!

A walk along the Alameda beach

2005-05-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

My friend from Minneapolis is land locked (lakes don't count), so his other request during his trip here was to touch the Pacific Ocean.

In the past, I've taken him to Monterey, Ocean Beach in San Francisco and the Marin Headlands, where we hiked to a waterfall and toured the Point Bonita Lighthouse.

We didn't have much time this time around, so we took a short drive to the Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda.

A lot of people there were taking advantage of the windy day and flying kites, windsurfing and kite boarding, which looked like fun. My friend and I took it all in as we walked along the beach and took pictures. The Alameda beach may not be as impressive as some of the other beaches in Northern California, but with the San Francisco skyline and the pier in the background, and all the kites in the sky, it made for a pretty picture.

To get to the beach: Take the Webster Street Tube from Oakland to Alameda, turn left on Central Ave. and right on Eighth Street. You'll see Washington Park, which is right next to the beach. There is ample parking on the street and in the lots.

P.S. This is also where my husband and I took some of our engagement photographs. Because it would have taken too long to drive into San Francisco (we also took pictures at UC Berkeley, where we met), we opted for beach shots in Alameda. We just wanted the ambiance of the beach, so this was perfect.

Eating our way through the Bay Area

2005-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

One of my visiting friend's request was to eat some good food, especially Asian food, which of course we have here in great abundance.

We grabbed a quick lunch on our first afternoon in Oakland Chinatown, where we pretty much wandered around until we found a hole in the wall that caught our eye.

Last night, before his flight back to Minneapolis, we had dinner at Le Cheval, a French-Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland. It was really, really crowded since it was Mother's Day (there was free cake!), and I made a mental note that next time we will call ahead for reservations.

Another evening, we had some really good pasta and tiramisu at Massimo's in Fremont.

We also chowed down on gelato at Gelateria Naia in Berkeley (formerly known as Mondo Gelato on Shattuck Ave., near the Berkeley BART station), which now also has a storefront in downtown Walnut Creek. They have many, many flavors to mix and match, including my favorites, orange chocolate and dark chocolate.

I took him to downtown Walnut Creek for breakfast one morning at Crepes A Go Go. He also had dinner one night in downtown Walnut Creek with another friend at Breads of India.

In San Francisco, we grabbed lunch at Flipper's in Hayes Valley, a burger joint, and dessert at Citizen Cake. He and a different friend also took a stroll through the Ferry Building and had a burger at Taylor's Refresher.

One thing we didn't have time to do: dim sum. So that will be on the list for his next visit.

Half priced tickets, Part 2/West Side Story

2005-05-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to see Diablo Light Opera Company's West Side Story, which closes today (The Times reviewed it here).

I purchased two tickets just a few days before through Goldstar Events, paying only about $15 per ticket (price of ticket, plus a service charge. Regular price through Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts was about $30). I picked them up at the box office that evening, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the seats were pretty good! I thought we'd be in the balcony or in the very last row of the orchestra section, but we found ourselves about 10 rows from the stage, seated together, as promised. We were on the side, near the aisle, but we had a good view of almost everything. It probably helped that we saw the show on a Thursday evening, so it wasn't as crowded as a weekend performance.

This isn't the only way to get discounted theater tickets, but it has proved (so far at least) to be the most painless. In the past, I've also gotten rush tickets, where you line up at the box office the day of the show, and, about 10 minutes before the show starts, you buy the leftover tickets for about half off. This is a hit or miss process, because you don't know how many tickets will be available that night, and how many other people will be there competing for the same tickets (it's first come, first served).

Once, my friend and I got very lucky. We were hoping to see DLOC's Ragtime, and we were waiting inside the box office to buy the rush tickets. It wasn't looking too good, since the show was very popular, and a small crowd had gathered to get those discounted seats. But a very nice woman had extra season tickets, saw us and, instead of returning them to the box office (where I think she would have gotten some money back), gave them to us! It was an extremely generous gesture (and the show was really good -- probably the best I've seen yet). So thank you mysterious nice woman, wherever you are.

But I've digressed. My two cents on West Side Story (the last performance is about 30 minutes from the time I write this, so a lot of good this will do): beautiful musical, sometimes difficult to understand the dialogue, lots of fabulous dancing and acrobatics.

Hiking Mt. Diablo... and getting lost

2005-05-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

So I decided to take my visiting friend for a short, leisurely hike around Mt. Diablo. I told him I had picked an easy route, which I'd found under "ten short pleasant walks" off the Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association web site. (The Times also has a once a month feature in its Time Out section called "Take a Hike.")

We headed to Castle Rock, off Oak Grove in Walnut Creek. The entrance, near North Gate High School and several horse stables, is clearly marked and easy to find, and you can pick up a map near the gate.

My friend and I did pretty well for a while, chatting (and not paying much attention) as we made our way along a flat, well-worn path dotted with poppies and other wildflowers. Then we hit a fork, and another fork... We asked for directions, with a woman on horse back telling us that if we took a right, we'd go up a hill, which she liked to use so that her horse could get exercise, and that if we'd go left, the path would continue to be relatively level... or maybe it was the other way around... Another couple examined their guide book and made a few suggestions... We reached another fork and, I said, we need to go right to circle back to the car, and my friend said, we need to go left... And we thought, well, as long we don't go up the path clearly marked "very steep" on the map, we'd be okay.

Oops.

Our hike turned out to be a little more strenuous than we'd planned, but the view was gorgeous. We climbed to the top of a hill and saw all the homes and buildings nestled in the valley in the distance. We were surrounded by blue skies and green hills and trees positioned postcard-perfect. This wasn't a view my friend can get at home in Minneapolis, making me appreciate it all the more. Sometimes it's just better if you don't know where you're heading. Or if you don't know how to read a map or trail signs.

Playing tour guide

2005-05-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from Minneapolis is visiting the Bay Area this week, so I've been playing tour guide.

This isn't his first time here, so he's already seen many of the highlights: Berkeley, Monterey (including Pebble Beach and the Monterey Bay Aquarium), Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Chinatown, Lombard Street, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the night tour of Alcatraz, which I highly recommend.

But we managed to find new things to do, which I will highlight in separate blogs. And of course, now that his trip is wrapping up, we've come up with ideas for cool things to do the next time he's in town, like horse back riding or going to Napa for a ride in a hot air balloon.

How to make a T-shirt and a few bucks

2005-04-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

I have a story in today's paper about a San Leandro dotcom called CafePress.com.

The Web site lets you design your own T-shirt and other tchotchkes and then sell them online. You make the design, upload it on the Web site, and then coerce your friends, parents, grandparents, etc. to buy it. CafePress.com takes care of manufacturing the item, billing the customer and handling customer service issues. You can also just make something for yourself and friends.

Some of the stuff that has come out of CafePress.com: Save Martha (Stewart), Save Toby (the rabbit that is going to be slaughtered and eaten for dinner unless its owner raises $50,000 -- see SaveToby.com) and lots of pets and politics stuff (the two most popular categories).

A side note on Save Toby. Two college students, according to this MSNBC story, are claiming that they will cook the cute wittle bunny rabbit if they do not raise $50,000 by June 30. It isn't clear if it's some sort of cruel joke or if they're serious, but the site has certainly attracted a ton of attention. As of Friday afternoon, they have supposedly raised more than $28,000, according to the Web site. Among the items you can purchase to help Save Toby (not that I am advocating this, though the bunny is quite adorable): a cookbook with rabbit recipes and any number of T-shirts, sweat shirts, and pillows with the "Save Toby" logo.

What happens in Vegas... gets reported in my blog

2005-04-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed an indulgent weekend in Las Vegas with two girlfriends, splurging on a trip to the Hard Rock hotel's spa, shopping at the outlet stores and seeing the ABBA musical Mamma Mia! at Mandalay Bay.

While there, we discovered the trick to getting into nightclubs and shows for free at the hotels: 1) Be a high roller or 2) barring that, be female.

We were definitely not high rollers. We spent $20 on roulette and pocket change at the slot machines. But we were a small gaggle of girls, and this helped us get into Light, the hip nightclub at the Bellagio, where a crowd had gathered around midnight Saturday and the only guests getting past the velvet rope were women, and to see the burlesque show Forty Deuce at Mandalay Bay (featured on a Bravo reality TV show). The only drawback: at both places, we had no where to sit since both had a drink minimum (at least a bottle of wine or champagne), which would have cost us several hundred dollars.

My friend, who has written a more thorough review of our weekend on her blog, showed us how to get into a nightclub for free: promoters and hotel/casino manager-types often hand out free/discount passes, and, if you don't see these people, go into some trendy urban stores (we went into Neighborhoodies at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino's Desert Passage shops), where they have passes sitting at the counter. Our passes (some could only be used on Sunday and Thursday/weekdays) included: Luxor's Ra, Treasure Island's Tangerine Lounge and Nightclub, Ice, the Hard Rock's Body English and Bellagio's Light.

I am hoping to write a piece on this for our travel section, so please stay tuned.

Lookie loo at environmentally friendly homes

2005-04-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

I won't be in town for this, but for $10, you can take a look at 30 environmentally friendly homes in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties on Sunday, May 1. The Green Home tour is organized by the Green Resource Center in Berkeley, and it also includes several workshops and a fair to help you learn how to remodel and/or build your home to be earth-friendly.

National Dance Week: more free dance classes

2005-04-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

So I am sure you are all pooped out from hearing about free dance classes, but I thought I should mention, before the week is over, that it is National Dance Week.

That means that studios throughout the Bay Area are offering free dance classes and performances this week. In the East Bay today (Thursday), this includes Asian American dance performances in Oakland (in association with Mills College), belly dancing in Berkeley with Berkeley Moving Arts and something called the Somatics Series, which involves "rolling, spiraling, springing, and falling" at the Temescal Arts Center in Oakland.

For more information (including the schedule for the rest of the week), check out the Bay Area National Dance Week Web page and get hopping!

Asparagus pizza! Yummy!

2005-04-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I had dinner at Pizza Antica in Lafayette on Friday (see our official review here), with four of us sharing a large pizza topped with asparagus, tarragon, lemon and parmesan and a small pizza with pear, garlic and cream cheese. I loved the thin "artisan" crust and the exotic toppings. Very yummy!
My favorite place for pizza, however, still goes to the Cheeseboard in Berkeley. Thin, fluffy crust and delicious combinations of toppings. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Don't Dress for Dinner

2005-04-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed seeing the Role Players Ensemble Theatre's production of Don't Dress for Dinner in Danville last Thursday (see the paper's review here), but couldn't help but notice that my friend and I looked to be the youngest members of the audience. By far. We were also the only minorities.

It might have just been that it was a Thursday night. My friend and I were being cash-sensitive: we had special Thursday night two for one tickets.

Or it might have been that the play, a comedy of errors about a philandering couple, just doesn't appeal to young audiences. And wasn't intended to. Though the play didn't have anything overtly sexual or scandalous in it, the play's subject matter is clearly geared for adults. Those who have been around the marriage block probably appreciated the jokes the most.

I thought the play was fun and well-acted. The actors were talented and I could find little fault in the production itself. Overall, I had a great time. But I am sort of torn about whether or not I'd recommend it to other 20 and 30 somethings: Would you want to take your date to see it? Or have a night out with your girlfriends and metrosexual male friends? Maybe if you're a theater junkie, like me. Maybe not if you're just looking for something fun to do.

So I am looking for more shows daring to reach that elusive 18-35 year old audience. And shows that reflect the region's increasinly diverse community. The East Bay has a rich, vibrant performing arts community, and I am sure they are out there, so please send me your suggestions.

Never pay full price for theater tickets again

2005-04-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

A friend recommended a great site to find out about local events and get discounted tickets: Goldstar Events.

When I signed up a few days ago, it offered free tickets (with a $5.50 service charge) for select dates to Diablo Light Opera Company's West Side Story (see our review here), but in the few minutes it took for me to check how many I had to get, they slipped through my fingers!

But as of Saturday, it is still offering discounted tickets for West Side Story, at about half the regular price. (The Goldstar Events price for Thursday, May 5 is about $15, regular price is $26). Other shows listed (with discounted tickets) include The People's Temple at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (see our review here and a story about the premiere here) and Blood Relative at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley. It also has listings for comedy shows, jazz, classical, among others.

The Web site is free, but you do have to give up your e-mail address. You enter up to three zipcodes and it shows you what's playing in your neighborhood (I signed up for the East Bay, San Francisco and San Jose). You can also take a peak at events in other regions such as Las Vegas.

An important caveat: you don't have control of your seat selection, but if you buy a pair of tickets, you will be seated together.

Calling all budding East Bay inventors!

2005-04-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the movie Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, you'll remember how Romy and Michelle pretend to have invented the Post-it note in a desperate attempt to impress their old classmates.

Now it's your chance to be the real inventor of the next Post-it.

Staples, the office supply store, is offering a contest for the next new how-come-I-didn't-think-of-that-first office product. The winner receives a $25,000 award and royalties and nine finalists receive a $5,000 prize.

Staples generously mailed me a box today with a press release and some of last year's winners.

Last year's grand prize winner was Todd Basche of Los Altos, a former Apple Inc. executive who created the Wordlock, a combination lock that uses letters instead of numbers. The concept is pretty simple: it is probably easier to remember a set of five letters (like MATCH or BRAIN) than several random numbers. I tried it out and it is pretty easy to use, although sometimes the letters are difficult to turn.

Three other finalists also had their entries turned into "exclusive" Staples products: TackDots, mini bulletin boards dreamed up by Neil Grimwood of Venice, Calif; Rubber Bandits, labeling bands invented by Adrian Chernoff of Royal Oak, Mich.; and the Handy Strap Stapler, a small stapler invented by Nancy Garner of North Carolina (not yet available).

For more information, check out Staples Invention Quest. Competition will probably be tough: last year, Staples received 8,300 entries. But I am sure that the East Bay is home to many, many, many creative thinkers. If a Walnut Creek guy can build a set of speakers for his MP3 player out of tin Altoids containers, then there must be someone out there who can do the same for office supplies. Deadline is June 1, so get cracking!

An Asian American musical

2005-04-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

I know this blog is about the East Bay, but here's an example of how there are some things you have to go elsewhere to find.

My weekend in the South Bay ended with dinner at the House of Siam in San Jose and the musical "Making Tracks" at the San Jose Repertory.

It is so exciting, as an Asian American, to see a show about Asian Americans, written and conceived by Asian Americans and starring Asian Americans. Despite our best efforts, there is still a widespread stereotype that Asian Americans are shy, bookish and math and science geeks. They only play the piano, violin or cello. They don't speak English (this one is my favorite, being a journalist). And they're not American.

So not true.

That's why I was thrilled to see the all-Asian American cast of "Making Tracks" sing and dance and act. The musical, making its California premiere, follows several generations of an Asian American family, starting from the late 1800s, when the Chinese came to the United States to help build the transcontinental railroad. It marks many of the milestones in Asian American history, most of which are left out of U.S. textbooks (at least mine. Hopefully this is changing). And here's an East Bay link: two of the characters meet and fall in love as students at UC Berkeley.

The Perfect Wedding Dress

2005-04-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

I took a road trip to the South Bay over the weekend to help one of my oldest and closest friends shop for her wedding dress.

The East Bay has a number of bridal shops, including Clarissa Bridal in Walnut Creek, Gesinee's Bridal in Concord, Bride and Joy in San Leandro, A Capriccio Bridal in Livermore and Cherished, a bridal consignment store in Walnut Creek. (For a more comprehensive list, go to The Knot). Personally, I tried Clarissa Bridal and A Capriccio Bridal (I got married a year ago) and had a pretty good experience.

But there is something about Trudy's Brides in Campbell that makes you feel like The Bride (and worth the hour long drive).

It's hard to pin down. It might be the customer service; the assistants know how to select the "perfect" dress for you to try on and then add the right accessories, from the petticoat to the tiara, to transform the gown from beautiful to wow. Or it might be how the store is set up so that each bride-to-be has her own space, complete with pedestal and three-way mirror, to model her dress.

The only drawback is that, unlike some of the other bridal stores I've visited, Trudy's has a policy against taking photographs. This makes it hard to remember and compare how each dress looked, and to decide if you like the dress later on as much as when you're wrapped up in the moment at the store.

In any case, it didn't matter yet for my friend since she is just getting started. She tried on about six dresses in an hour. The other bridesmaid and I lounged on a couch, and then my friend came out and we oohed and aahed over each dress. She fell in love with two of them, but I think the plan is to keep shopping around until she finds The Dress. We will try a few places in the East Bay, so stay tuned...

More dancing

2005-04-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

Another week, another free dancing class. Our instructor this time was 16-year-old Jamal, who taught us a hip hop routine set to music from the movie "You've Got Served."

Next week the class changes to "NIA," or Neuromuscular Integrative Action, which is described as "a blend of dance arts, martial arts and healing arts." Sounds different and intriguing!

Free is always good

2005-04-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

A 49ers cheerleader recently recommended this place to my friend: the Rhythm Room in Lafayette. It's a small dance studio with funky decor like disco balls and Christmas lights, and my friend and I had a chance to check it out last Friday.

The Rhythm Room offers a free dance class on most Fridays. Free is always a good thing! You have to register, but that's pretty much it, and you even get a free dance card to attend a regular class. Classes include the traditional, like ballet and jazz, as well as bellydancing, hip hop and showgirls (according to the class description, this class is generally for ages 18 and over and "props may include chairs, boas, shirts or scarves." I haven't been yet, but I picture the students mimicking Catherine Zeta-Jones in "Chicago.")

The Free Friday classes are generally taught by guest choreographers and students getting their start in teaching. Our instructor was Nicole, a 21-year-old student who taught us a hip hop routine set to a Black Eyed Peas song. She broke down the moves so that it was pretty easy for us to catch on (thank goodness), and by the end of the one-hour class we were all thrusting our hips as if we were in a music video (well, sort of).

Bore-aga no more

2005-04-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Moraga, I was convinced there was nothing to do in Bore-aga, or for that matter, much of the East Bay. Funny how I'm back now, making my home in Walnut Creek, and starting a blog about living in the East Bay. Places to hang out. Shows to see. Hip restaurants, coffee shops and stores to check out. It probably helps that I now have my own car.

Sure, sometimes you've just got to San Francisco, but some of what makes the city so awesome -- like its trendy restaurants -- has crossed over here. Take Park Chow, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. A little more than a year ago, Chow Lafayette opened in Lafayette's La Fiesta Square. I've had brunch there a few times and loved it. I also tried to grab a bite to eat there Friday night with some friends, but we were told that it would be at least a 45 minute wait. Our stomachs couldn't hold out that long, so we headed somewhere else instead.

Have you been somewhere cool in the East Bay lately? Please send me your suggestions!