Hammer Time will ensue at the 10th Annual Oakland Art and Soul Festival

The Buzz: News About Oakland and Jack London Square:

The Best of the East Bay presented by East Bay Express…The East Bay Express’s annual party to celebrate the Best of the East Bay will be held on Friday, August 6^th from 5:00 until 11:00 pm alongside the Jack London Square waterfront.  Check out the best food, music and arts that this side of the Bay has to offer just steps outside your front door.  The party is free to all and will feature twelve great bands on the main stage in addition to the Blues Pavilion featuring some of the best East Bay blues performers.  For more information about the local restaurant vendors taking part or the scheduled Dance Battle, visit http://www.eastbayexpress.com/eLerts/archives/2010/06/07/announcing-the-express2010-best-of-the-east-bay-party.

Keeping it Local at the Oakland Artisans Marketplace…Check out the latest artworks and handicrafts produced by gifted local artists at the Oakland Artisans Marketplace on Saturdays and Sundays throughout August at Jack London Square.  Every week, talented local craftsmen and artists debut their latest work along the waterfront so stop by and check out the work of some amazing local talents waiting to be discovered by you.  To learn more about the marketplace, contact the marketplace organizer, the Redevelopment Agency’s Cultural Arts & Marketing Office at 510-238-2103.

Shaking It Under the Stars (or Fog)…The rhythmically gifted folks at Linden Dance Studios continue their Friday evening free, outdoors dancing lessons at the Pavilion Stage at Broadway and Water Street.  Each week, the dance lessons begin at 8:30 pm and the dance party begins at 9:15 pm.  On August 13, loosen your hips and come down to Jack London Square to learn the Samba.  Next up on Friday, August 20^th is the Argentine Tango, followed by an evening of Salsa on August 27^th.  For more information, visit http://www.lindendance.com/JLSinfo2010.html.

The 10^th Annual Oakland Art and Soul Festival…Over two days in August, the Art and Soul Festival brings some of your favorite artists together for what is widely acclaimed as the East Bay’s premiere music and cultural festival.  Celebrating music, art, food and dance, the Art and Soul Festival will feed your mind, body and spirit.  The Art and Soul Festival runs from noon until 6:00 pm on Saturday, the 21^st and Sunday, the 22^nd at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.  Tickets and additional information are available online at http://www.artandsouloakland.com.

Has it been a year already?…Local favorite Bocanova restaurant celebrates its one year anniversary on Tuesday, August 31^st with a fundraiser to benefit the Oakland Fund for the Arts from 6:00 until 9:00 pm.  The event will be held at 55 Webster Street and will feature a silent auction and a wide selection of Executive Chef Rick Hackett’s favorite Bocanova delicacies.  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to feast on your Bocanova favorites while supporting the Oakland Fund for the Arts’ mission of providing funding for hands-on arts education programs in the under-served Oakland public schools.  For reservations or additional information about the event, please visit www.OaklandFundfortheArts.org.

The 4th of July, Apple Pie, and Baseball.  Nothing says America, and summer, than the enjoyment of these three things.  Luckily we here at the Ellington have not one, but two ballparks in close proximity to enjoy this classic game.  Whether you’re all about the A’s, Giants, or could care less as long as you’re outside in the sun with a beer and hotdog in hand, here’s a guide to enjoying baseball in the Bay Area.

Oakland Coliseum

Oakland Athletics

How to get there from the Ellington: Either walk or take the new Broadway Shuttle to the 12 St. BART station to the Coliseum station.  Walk across the promenade and you’re there!

Upcoming home games: August 2-4 vs. Kansas City, 6-8 vs. Texas, 16-18 vs Toronto, 19-22 vs. Tampa Bay

Upcoming promotions: Aug. 4 vs. Kansas City – Root Beer Floats, Aug. 6 vs. Texas – Fireworks from the Field, Aug. 8 vs. Texas – Kid’s Backpack, Aug. 22 Atleticos T-shirt, Tuesdays – Free Parking, Wednesday – $2 tickets, $1 hotdogs

Food of Choice: Burrito Bowl, Coliseum Chili Cheese Dog

Tickets

AT&T Park

San Francisco Giants

How to get there from the Ellington: Walk down to the Oakland Ferry, enjoy a ride on the bay, and get dropped off at the ballpark curbside!

Upcoming home games: July 26-29 vs. Flordia, July 30-Aug. 1 vs. those bums Los Angeles, Aug. 9-12 vs. Chicago, Aug 13-15 vs. San Diego

Upcoming promotions: July 30 vs. Los Angeles – Beat LA Beach Towel, Aug. 1 vs. Los Angeles – Trading Card Day, Aug. 13 vs. San Diego – Virgin America Night (Fans receive 2-for-1 Flight Vouchers), Aug. 14 vs. San Diego – Bruce Bochy Bobblehead

Food of Choice: Cha-Cha Bowl, Bayside Bratwurst

Tickets

Attention all winos and foodies, the 5th Annual Urban Wine Experience is going down next weekend in Jack London Square!

Taking place at the Jack London Pavilion (formerly Barnes and Noble), nineteen wineries will be paired with outstanding local restaurants. Attendees can sample upwards of 60 wines and gourmet bites to match.  Plus, live music will be playing.  At the end of the day attendees will take home their signature wine glass.

For tickets and more information about the event organizer, The East Bay Vintner’s Alliance, click here.

Playing this Thursday: Star Trek

The sun is out, big screen is up, and it’s time to get out the blanket and lawn chairs for Waterfront Flicks.  This Thursday night at 7:30pm, and for future dates throughout the summer, free outdoor movies are played on the Market Lawn of Jack London Square.  In addition to movie viewing, thematic contests are held before the flick and give attendees the chance to score some great prizes.  See below for the full schedule of movies and activities.

• July 22 – Star Trek the future begins
  Think you’re a true Trekkie? Come test your Star Trek trivia knowledge and win great prizes from Jack London Square.
• August 12 – Monsters vs. Aliens
  Join us for face painting and fun! Kids will love parading around the square dolled up as their favorite monster or alien, and all of the kids will receive a prize for marching in our parade.
• August 26 – Quantum of Solace
  Shaken, not stirred! Join your fellow secret agents at one of the chic bars in Jack London Square for a martini or two before the movie. And be sure to brush up on your James Bond trivia—a DVD prize pack from Jack London Square will be awarded to the sharpest double agent!
• September 9 – Dreamgirls
  Let your inner diva out with a Dreamgirls-inspired Motown karaoke contest. Prizes will be awarded to the most sensational act.
• September 23 – Land of the Lost
  Everyone knows that the T-rex is the King of the Dinosaurs, but can you identify a Hypsilophodon or a Mantellisaurus? Test your dino knowledge with a fun trivia challenge with prizes for the best paleontologist.
• October 13 – Fame
  Think you’ve got what it takes? Come “audition” and show off your skills. Oakland has talent and we want to see it! Prizes will be given to the most talented Oaklander.
• October 28 – Twilight
  Whether you’re on Team Jacob or Team Edward, don your best vampire costume and start Halloween early! The best Twilight contest will be handsomely rewarded.

Up this week is Star Trek: The Future Begins.  The most knowledgeable Trekkies have the opportunity to take home some prizes answering trivia before showtime.

For a little preview, here’s the trailer.  Should be a great night!

Jack Johnson will be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley in October. Will you?

Nothing says summer time like live music.  We’re pretty lucky to have a myriad of great venues here in the Bay Area, and specifically two close to home in the East Bay: The Greek Theater in Berkeley and The Fox Theater in Oakland.

Check out the great lineups coming into town below.

Nestled amongst the trees on the campus of UC Berkeley, the The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre is an awesome outdoor venue.   This summer will bring performers like Phish, Nora Jones, Train, Jack Johnson, and Maroon 5 into town.

Click here for a concert calendar and to purchase tickets.

Oakland’s own Fox Theater was recently restored and is a prominent landmark in Oakland’s Uptown district, playing host this summer to amazing artists like MGMT, Silversun Pickups, Natalie Merchant, Bob Dylan, and Lady Antebellum.  Be sure to grab a drink at The Den, a swanky new lounge next door before or after the show.

Full lineup and tickets here.

Enjoy your summer and enjoy the shows!  Here’s a little performance at the Greek Theater from Berkeley’s own, Counting Crows.

This room is very well done, but is it the big winner?

Over the past month, the Ellington has called out to its residents asking how they went about accessorizing their fantastic new abodes.  Here are our finalists for a $1000 Crate and Barrel gift certificate to the winner for best design and $500 gift certificate to the runner-up:

Laura and Matt’s vivacious dinette vignette

Cheryl’s dramatic high seating table for two

Michelle and Sean’s candlelit cocktail lounge

Jeff and Erik’s poolside patio place

Nicole and Ed’s vibrant living lookout over the Bay

There were many great submissions from Ellington residents, but these five did an especially exceptional job with their interior design.  Stay tuned to see a professional photo shoot of each condo!

The Buzz: News About Oakland and Jack London Square:

Hot Stuff…If you’re feeling patriotic, or just want to celebrate summer Jack London Square will be hosting a daytime Fourth of July celebration on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., complete with a petting zoo, farmers’ and artisan markets, live music and more…see details at www.jacklondonsquare.com/events.html

Truck-o-licious … The New York Times is showering attention on our fair city . . . first up is Oakland’s Fruitvale District, where the NYT opines,  “the taco is king,” thanks to more flexible rules on where mobile food trucks are allowed to operate. . .according to the Times, “Fruitvale has become the destination for aficionados of Mexican food.” . . . also, head over to International Boulevard, where street vendors offer tamales and bagged slices of mango, coconut,  and watermelon … visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/us/27bcintel.html for the whole enchilada

Jack London Square Gets A Seat at the Table (metaphorically speaking) … the Times follows up with a second article in a recent Sunday Travel section featuring Oakland, where “Innovation Is On the Menu” … highlighting the Square’s own Boconova as well as a few other East Bay gems: Commis, Camino, Adesso and Boot and Shoe Service (yes, it’s a pizzeria)  . . . Jack London Square “has been reborn” says the old grey lady

Drink Please . . . San Francisco Chronicle readers perusing a recent Sunday edition learned what many folks living in JLS already know: there is wine in these here parts …good wine. “Winemakers Pouring into New Hot Spot” says the SF daily. Taking advantage of the warehouses in the area, vintners are opening tasting rooms and furthering reinforcing the fact that Oakland is a solid part of the region’s food and wine movement. Visit http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/20/MNFA1E071E.DTL for a list of tasting rooms.

Happy Summer!

Starting July 6, Jack London Square will be an even more compelling choice to come grab lunch thanks to Lunchtime Live.  From Noon-2pm Tuesday and Fridays in July and August, live tunes will play by the bay!  What better time to meet for lunch at one of the many great restaurants of the Square?!

Obviously Ellington residents have the luxury of a two block walk to JLS, but even those farther out are in luck!  The “B”, or Broadway Shuttle (yes, that Broadway Shuttle) will be up and running come July, so even those as far out as 22nd and Broadway can get down to JLS easily.

Did I mention both the concerts and Shuttle rides are free?!

Enjoy Lunchtime Live from picturesque JLS!

Psst…even our friends in the Big Apple are in on Oakland’s little secret.

The New York Times recently reported on the major influx of gourmet restaurants in Oakland.  Who better to lead-off the piece than a Jack London Square favorite: Bocanova.

Read for yourself and let me know where to make your next dinner reservation.  You certainly won’t go wrong with any of those choices!

In Oakland, Innovation Is on the Menu

By DAVID FARLEY

Published: June 18, 2010

BOCANOVA, a new industrial-chic restaurant on Jack London Square in Oakland, Calif., has all the characteristics of a sophisticated urban restaurant: banquette seating, wooden tables, irregularly shaped Edison light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and a stained-glass bar in the middle of the spacious dining room. The most significant detail about Bocanova’s location, however, is what’s no longer there: just a few years ago, this same space was an Old Spaghetti Factory.

Jack London Square has been reborn. The area on Oakland’s inner harbor was developed in the ’70s, and the city had hoped that the waterfront space would have a quirky, independent appeal. But chain restaurants soon moved in, and both local residents and tourists largely stayed away.

However, changes are afoot. The chain restaurants are largely gone, after their leases were not renewed in an effort by developers to reinvent the square (a plan approved by the city). In came a cast of big-name chefs — as well as a new six-floor, 72,000-square-foot farmers’ market scheduled to open later this year.

In fact, the effort to refashion Jack London Square reflects a larger trend. Unlike San Francisco, its sister city across the bay, Oakland hasn’t been known for its innovative menus. But in the last few years, a number of noteworthy restaurants have opened, some led by chefs who have fled San Francisco’s high rents, and a few of whom put in time at the legendary Chez Panisse in neighboring Berkeley. Michelin raised the stakes when it awarded a star to an Oakland newcomer, Commis. But, as a recent survey of its Oakland brethren showed, Commis is not alone.

COMMIS

The talented chef James Syhabout, who has logged time in acclaimed international kitchens like the Fat Duck, outside London, and El Bulli, plays with textures and flavors in a masterly and deeply satisfying way.

Commis has the feel of an almost-secret experiment in progress. The name of the restaurant, which means “apprentice chef” in the parlance of French kitchens, is nowhere to be found on the floor-to-ceiling windowed facade. Inside, splitting a spare 30-seat dining room and surrounded by a counter and stools, is the open kitchen, where Mr. Syhabout and his sous chefs quietly go about their work.

During a recent visit, I sampled the $59 three-course dinner (a six-course dinner at the six-seat counter overlooking the kitchen is $95). An amuse-bouche set a tellingly ambitious tone for what was to come: a hard-boiled egg yolk in a shallow, foamy onion soup, with a supporting cast of minced chives and steel-cut oats. Hiding underneath, a layer of smoked date purée added a stratum of sweetness to the savory.

Likewise, a subtle confit of Atlantic cod, with the texture of soft tofu, was bolstered by a puddle of creamy, semisweet brown rice and almond milk. The only near-miss: the corned pork jowl salad. The pork itself was almost revelatory — nuggets of smoky meat with the consistency of scallop — but the pairing of chicory was texturally dull.

Service was friendly — almost chummy — but professional; all my questions about the menu were expertly answered. That seems to reflect the overall philosophy of Commis: a friendly neighborhood bistro that can double as a destination restaurant.

Commis, 3859 Piedmont Avenue; (510) 653-3902; commisrestaurant.com. Dinner for two, without drinks or tip, is about $120.

BOCANOVA

One of the first restaurants to land in the new Jack London Square last September, it is run by the chef Rick Hackett, one of those Chez Panisse alumni. Unlike MarketBar, Mr. Hackett’s Mediterranean restaurant in the recently revamped ferry building in San Francisco, Bocanova looks south. The menu, it turns out, was inspired by a family meal — the restaurant staff dinner shared before service — at MarketBar. A couple of staff members made dishes from their South American homelands; Mr. Hackett was impressed and Bocanova was born.

The long menu divides the tapas-sized dishes into sections based on kitchen provenance: the pantry, the raw bar, the fryer, the stoves, the ovens, the grill, the rotisserie. I ordered a glass of Argentine malbec from the mostly South American wine list and dug into the first plate that landed on my table: deviled eggs (one of the most popular dishes on the menu, according to my waiter) stacked high with Dungeness crab and topped with chipotle aioli, giving it a refreshing yet mildly spicy kick. Scallops from the Sea of Cortez followed, perfectly seared, wading in a shallow pool of rich, brown Brazilian curry. The sweet potato and chipotle gratin arrived last, offering a blend of subtle sweetness and bold smokiness.

Bocanova, 55 Webster Street; (510) 444-1233; bocanova.com. Dinner for two, without drinks or tip, is about $80.

CAMINO

Another former Chez Panisse chef is also doing his part to reinvent Oakland as a dining destination. Russell Moore, who spent 21 years at the venerable Berkeley restaurant, was the produce buyer for much of his tenure. This is a chef who knows how to shop — a talent he shows off at his new restaurant, Camino, in an old furniture warehouse in the Grand Lake neighborhood.

To view the rest of the article, click here.

The dance floor will be set down every Friday night again this summer, as Jack London Square continues with its Dancing Under the Stars series!

Each week a style of dance will be taught by the pros of Linden St. Dance Studio.  Lessons begin at 8:30pm, with the dance party starting at 9:15pm (to show off all the new moves you just picked up).

On the schedule for tonight: Swing!  So bust out the zoot suit and get ready to dance!

Speaking of zoot suits, this little diddy is sure to get you in the mood.  Have fun on the dance floor all summer long!

Speaking of Zoot Suits, here’s a little diddy to get you all in the mood.  See you on the dance floor!