The Voice of East Bay Living

Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails- one of top ten restaurants in the East Bay picked by Open table 2017 Tucked away in the South Shore Mall of Alameda, this Italian restaurant is like stepping into a fine dining restaurant of New York City - Awesome food and friendly waiters, this place is worth knowing about...

“Cooking with Love gives food for the soul” Great cooking class at Kitchen on Fire in Berkeley.  Check out their website for weekly schedule of events.

One of the great hot spots near Lake Merritt is a Penrose Restaurant, located at 3311 Grand Ave., across the street from the Grand Lake Theater. This middle Eastern /California cuisine food delight features many unusual dishes, all prepared with a true gourmet flavor. I have eaten there twice with week - definitely a high five on this one! For more information, email Sheila at ssabine@grubbco.com

Wilfried Eisinger is creating art through his cooking, in his own back yard. Wilfried (Will) Eisinger is passionate about music and food. Through Josephine.com, he is able to share his love of food with his neighbors. Are you tired of cooking meals? No time to buy groceries? Want to meet your neighbors? Josephine.com is the solution for you. This is a online platform that features chefs in your own neighborhood, cooking in their own homes. Here is how it works: Create an account with Josephine.com Choose a meal. Go pick it up at the chef's home and meet your neighbors who are doing the same thing. My preferred chef is Wilfried Eisinger, a very gifted French chef.  Read more about Will https://www.josephine.com/cooks/will To place an order directly, email Will at eisinger@me.com Bon Appétit! For more information, please contact Sheila Sabine ssabine@grubbco.com

After a brief retreat - Grand Fare at 3265 Grand Ave. near Lake Merritt is open once again and better than ever - Offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner - tasty menu with a Parisian atmosphere - for sure a five thumbs up review. 

Exploring life outside my front door, I recently stepped into the elegance of Lyon, France- a city that has rivaled Paris for centuries both in terms of its culture and culinary skills. Why not visit Lyon?

After being up for twenty four hours and not knowing if it was day or night, I pulled myself together with red lipstick, a splash of chanel # 5 and piled into the family Volkswagen for dinner in the country. Chez Roger is one of those special restaurants  à la compagne that scarcely  exist anymore. In the old days, every village had a small restaurant,family run with simple recipes, tasty plates, and reasonable prices. Sadly, many those restaurants have been replaced with McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and other fast food (a term that has been added to the French vocabulary) chains. The owner of Chez Roger, Roger, took time to be with us and is excited that his newly opened restaurant will prosper.  I wish him,Bonne chance- please no McDonald's in our lovely French countryside.

Grand Fare Market on Grand Avenue in Oakland Oakland's latest gourmet compound – alfresco dining – a delicious variety of food stalls to please the most discriminating gourmet taste buds. Interested in learning more about the Grand Avenue neighborhood? Email me at ssabine@grubbco.com

L'Ardoise French Bistro  (151 Noe St.San Francisco)  - the perfect place for a rainy night, holding hands with your loved one and sipping champagne. Chef Clement began his studies at age 15 in the French Alps with further studies in the Pyrenees, Bordeaux, and Paris. You will be delighted with the food, service and ambiance - the next best alternative to being in France. For more posts on the Bay Area  food  scene.

Homestead - one of my favorite East Bay Restaurant. I continue to give five out of five stars – Sabine rating - to Homestead Restaurant at 4029 Piedmont Avenue. This exceptionally fine restaurant offers high-quality seasoned food – an exhibition kitchen including a wood-fired hearth, home-made butter and farm to table ingredients .The owners, Fred and Elizabeth Sassen, are seasoned and highly trained young chefs. They love what they do and their delicious menu is consistently creative and satisfying. For more posts on the Bay Area food scene.

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 –

Parlour Restaurant , from the owners of 355, is one of the latest in fine dining in Uptown Oakland.The food is fresh and with creative preparation.The service is fantastic,relaxed and friendly.This restaurant expresses the spirit of the Oakland revival scene- authentic,artsy and a lot of fun. For sure, a big thumbs up!!

Brown Sugar Kitchen at 2534 Mandela Parkway is definitely worth the long wait. This soul food outpost is a community gathering spot, a place to fill the belly, and the beating heart of West Oakland.  It's Owner, Tanya Holland, is becoming more and more famous for her down home delicious food that will please the most discerning foodie. 

Do you feel like an escape during these warm fall days? Here are two great suggestions: Alameda is about 20 minutes from most points in the East Bay.  Take Park Blvd straight to the end and you will run into the Elsie Roemer bird sanctuary and salt marsh .  This is one of the few salt marshes that has been preserved in the Bay Area-it provides a critical habitat to a number of endangered birds and plants.  You can walk along the beach then go across the street for a delicious Japanese meal at the Sushi House .  Finally South Shore shopping mall awaits you with a huge number of retail stores.  Another delightful spot by the water is Guaymas Restaurant situated right on the water in  Tiburon . Dining on the patio, You can watch the boats sail in and out and there is a lovely view across the bay of the San Francisco skyline.  Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ...

A great local getaway is Fourth Street in Berkeley, considered the most upscale shopping district in Berkeley. It has an affluent, eclectic, cafe-society vibe with a sophisticated bohemian flair. Stores feature many hand made items. One of my favorite places is a shop called the Gardener which was established in 1984. Their motto is that it carries beautiful and useful objects for both home and garden. You can find stylish tables made from recycled wood, fresh smelling soaps, sophisticated table settings and fresh plants that change with each season. After shopping there, stop off next door to Zut restaurant, an elegant and casual setting with  a fantastic menu-serving both lunch and dinner.  Visit GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

If you want to go to a great movie theater 10 minutes from the East Bay-- a hop,skip and a jump through the tunnel... try the Orinda Movie Theater .  This adorable Art Deco theater has been completely restored to it's original grandeur. And if you want a delicious meal before the movie, try Siam Orchid  - quiet, wonderful, and moderately priced Thai food. 

This week's restaurant pick is Homestead located at 4029 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland. Its main chefs are a husband and wife team, Elizabeth and Fred Sassen  who drew their inspiration from Elizabeth's grandparents,who were original homestead pioneers.  You will sample house churned butter, homemade cheeses  and a variety of charcutierie.  The centerpiece of the restaurant is a custom designed wood-burning hearth, where seasonal vegetables and large hunks of meat are roasted to create a most appetizing meal. I have gone back to this great place four times. My  new home away from home.  Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at  ssabine @grubbco.com 

Blue Bottle is part of the Third Wave Coffee movement which treats coffee as an artisanal food commodity like wine, with a huge emphasis on planting, harvesting, meticulously roasting, and then brewing in elaborate glass containers imported from Japan. In addition to their selection of coffees, there are other treats such as the Parisian-inspired Soft Brew Au-Lait, the Cascara Fizz, the Shakerato, Belgian waffles and delicious pastries. The new Blue Bottle Coffee shop, located in the historic W.C. Morris Building at 4270 Broadway, is worth a visit. The physical location is uplifting -  a former auto showroom with huge glass windows, twenty feet ceilings and original tile is tastefully decorated, spacious, with sophisticated flower arrangements. This is the largest Blue Bottle Café on the West Coast - another wonderful new Oakland treat- Your coffee experience will definitely be elevated. Visit GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine @grubbco.com   ...

Another wonderful restaurant on the Oakland scene is Cosecha , Spanish for harvest, a total gem nestled in the old Swan's Market in Uptown Oakland at  9th and Washington.  Owner and chef, Dominica Rice is a gifted and creative chef with a rich background of experience including Eccolo and Chez Panisse.  She prides herself in preparing authentic Mexican food from honorable local food  sources. The dishes are simple yet elegant, served with a lot of love - a must  try, thumbs up for this one. 

After a gondola ride or leisurely walk around Lake Merritt, you might enjoy one of the many restaurants located in the Bellevue Staten neighborhood. Boot and Shoe Service Penrose Side Bar Kitchen 388 Room 389 True Burger Lake Chalet Pican Ozumo Plum Mua Lukas Taproom Prepared by: Sheila Sabine 510.326.5055 ssabine@grubbco.com