The Voice of East Bay Living

Former chefs at the Tribune Tavern in downtown Oakland, Joe Schnell and Tracey Belock, have now opened Chowhaus . The mission of Chowhaus is to provide a family-friendly community gathering place and delicious Traditional American fare. Check it out –

Zut restaurant located at 1820 4th  St. in Berkeley in the center of the bustling fourth Street shops is a delightful place to relax and enjoy a good meal. It's combination of local organic produce and creative chefs produce menus that are really extraordinary. 

This wonderful outdoor market serving both the Rockridge and Temescal neighborhoods of Oakland is incredibly popular with all age groups. Located in the parking lot adjacent to the Oakland DMV and next to Frog Park,the market hosts a variety of produce as well as fresh food stands.It is open every Sunday from 9am-1pm.

A great local meat market is Ver Brugge Meat-Fish Poultry locate in the Rockridge neighborhood at 6321 College Ave. in Oakland. The fantastic butcher has been around for decades and reflects a dying breed of independent butchers with knowledge and experience of their craft. The meats are fresh and they carry a wide variety of lamb, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, etc. You will be delighted with what you find there.

In case you missed the article in the Chronicle about great shops on Piedmont Avenue here is the list for your holiday shopping... 1. Best for Craft Classes - Rare Bird - 3883 Piedmont Ave. - Home decor  and garden. 2. Best for Namaste Patio  – Waterlilies Garden and Home  - 3935 Piedmont Ave. - bird feeders, chimes and fountains. 3. Best for Moroccan Flair  - Sahara Moroccan Home Decor  - 3953,Piedmont Ave. - rugs,glasses,silver tea trays and much more. 4.  Best for Glam Furnishings - Milberry's Home  - 160 41st.- once A Spanish style home ,then an Oakland Public Library,this interesting store hosts a variety of home decor items. 5. Best for Hostess gifts - Nathan and Co.  - 4025 Piedmont Ave. - candles, tea towels, mixing bowls. 6. Best for Unusual Furniture Fines  - Found on Piedmont - 4125 Piedmont Ave. -full of curios in all sizes and shapes- 1909 embalming table,1800 French Provincial table and much more. 7. Best for...

To stimulate shopping in the commercial districts in Oakland during the holidays ,the city of Oakland is offering free metered parking every Saturday between Thanksgiving and New Year's day.The city will also provide up to two hours free parking at four city owned garages. Finally at long last, BART arrives at the Oakland Airport.The project began in 2010 and cost $484 million. It will officially open on Saturday, November 22. The Oakland airport BART station is located just across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim and a short walk from Terminal 2. The trains will run every 5 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day. They will go to downtown San Francisco, downtown Oakland, downtown Berkeley, and Walnut Creek.

What's happening with our San Francisco neighbors? The San Francisco market continues with very strong levels of sales for properties over $2 million. The rate of increase is staying much stronger than expected, with a 27.8% yearly increase in median single family home prices during the second quarter of 2014. Nationwide, ultra-luxury prices continue to soar. In the top ten category, the most expensive listing was a mansion in Bel Air Canyon which sold for $125 million dollars .... and at #10 was the Crespi Estate in Dallas which sold for $88 million dollars. On the international luxury market, a recent sale of a London townhouse for $200 million dollars got some attention and movie star Catherine Deneuve's French chateau which sold for nearly $6 million was a popular item. Locally or Globally, the real estate market is marching on an upward trend and this makes all of us happy. Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

Hopscotch Restaurant  is one of the latest and greatest, upscale diners in bustling Uptown Oakland. The staff is gracious and food is unpretentious. I give it a triple thumbs up!

Check out  A16 , one of College Ave. -Rockridge latest additions. The site was formally Hudsons/Girabaldis and has retained the wonderful long bar and huge open space that we have all loved for so many years.  The new restaurant is vibrant with Southern Italy  cuisine, a huge Italian   wine list , fabulous authentic Italian dishes and adorable waiters that bend over backwards to make you  feel welcome-- I give it a triple thumbs up!

All of us like the feeling of community and going to one of the many farmer's markets in the East Bay is a wonderful opportunity to experience connection-Everyone is out and about, families, children in strollers, dogs,(parked in valet dog parking), balloons , musicians , local political causes and more. The best feature is the fresh food-mounds of fresh organic fruits, vegetables , pastries, cheeses, fish, nuts,coffee,tea-you name it and you will find it. Farmer's Markets have sprouted up in many of our neighborhoods , Montclair , Temescal , Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, and various Berkeley locations, to name a few. To get specific market locations and schedules, go to http://www.urbanvillageonline.com/ . I personally love the views at the Jack London Square Market right next to the water with boats and yachts sailing past. My favorite local market is Temescal -it is a manageable size,the fresh produce and food stands are fabulous and the ambianc...