MONTCLARION: Jan 3, 2017
Montclair can seem like a small town wrapped in a big city. Here’s a little story to illustrate: It was just before Christmas, when shoppers were scurrying to get through their checklists. Reader Conrad Bassett was scurrying too. He’d just been to his bank and was checking a transaction online — when what to his wondering eyes should appear but nine unauthorized charges. Continue reading
Chef Candice Caris and co-owner Caroline Conner pose with the regal, handmade front door of Duchess restaurant in Rockridge, which recently opened for business. (Courtesy of Duchess Oakland)
EASTBAYTIMES.COM: December 29, 2016
In the dimly lit days of winter, we look to make human connections. Rockridge strikes me as a good place to do this. College Avenue has a harmonic energy. Shop owners feed off the pulse of folks eager to support homegrown business. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: December 23, 2016
It’s never too late for the adventure of a lifetime. Just ask longtime Montclarions and octogenarians Paul Slakey and JP Jones. Together, they hiked the completed part of the San Francisco Bay Trail. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: December 23, 2016
The 12 days of Christmas have nothing on Kay Loughman.The North Hills birder posts monthly listings of plants and animals — including calling birds — on her website at http://www.NHWildlife.net. Continue reading
EASTBAYTIMES.COM: December 9, 2016
Who says you can’t go home? That adage (more recently, the refrain to a Bon Jovi duet) is just wrong. There’s no place like home when it comes to emotional exploration. With the benefit of hindsight and a dusting of memories, “home” can be a dream vacation, as I recently discovered on a weekend getaway to the Conejo Valley. Continue reading
Bruce Paton, the “beer chef,” is the executive chef for Eve’s Waterfront, in the iconic, renovated site of the former Rusty Scupper in Oakland. (Courtesy of Eve’s Waterfront)
MONTCLARION: December 2, 2016
In a neighborhood known for its waterfront dining, a newcomer is making waves.Eve’s Waterfront Restaurant at 15 Embarcadero West has been steadily growing its fan base since its early fall opening. And let’s face it. What’s not to like about food prepared by a noted Bay Area chef in an iconic building perched over the estuary? (It was the Rusty Scupper for almost 30 years and then owned for a time by former Oakland Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett). Continue reading
Montclair Lions Club member Bill Scramstad, right, is shown collecting eggs from young collectors during the Montclair Lions Club annual Easter egg hunt on April 12, 2009. Longtime Safeway managers Scramstad and John Lake recently retired after each working for Safeway for 41 years. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff archives)
MONTCLARION: November 25, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving! If your life is anything like mine, you’ve got a full tummy and a full house. But as sluggish as you may feel, you’ve got a job to do today, so you might as well get to it. Continue reading
EASTBAYTIMES.COM: November 25, 2016
Our Bay Area fog is intoxicating, especially with a splash of rum. In fact, celebrated San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen would have loved the free “Fog Lifter” cocktail they serve at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. Continue reading
Award-winning Gather restaurant in Berkeley specializes in Northern California food, innovative craft cocktails and West Coast wines. Gather is headed by Executive Chef Charis Wahl. (Courtesy of Gather restaurant)
MONTCLARION: November 18, 2016
They call this place Gather, and gather we did on a mild moonlit night four days after Trump won the presidency. The Berkeley restaurant at 2200 Oxford St. was buzzing and the foursome next to us was digesting the results of the vote as they supped on small plates of steamed mussels and white sea Continue reading
The Book Tree, 6121 La Salle Ave., in Montclair Village, hosts acclaimed chef Linda Carucci, left, in conversation with food trend expert Kara Nielsen at 7 p.m. Nov. 10. Carucci recently published the second edition of her popular “Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks.” She is featured here with Book Tree owner David Hartsough. (Courtesy of Barbara Hardacre)
MONTCLARION: Nov 4, 2016
Growing old in Montclair can be hazardous to your health. In the wake of yet another accident involving a car into a storefront, (a 96-year-old man mistook the gas pedal for the brake) I’ve come to the conclusion that driving around here must be hell for the elderly. Can you imagine navigating the traffic, the hills, the bicyclists and the winding roads? Continue reading
