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Having Lunch with Your Dog? Try these hidden gems in Oakland.
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Having Lunch with Your Dog? Try these hidden gems in Oakland.

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Having Lunch with Your Dog? Try these hidden gems in Oakland.

Must Love Dogs

These two neighborhood favorites are dog-friendly and both are Italian with different twists – Italian Colors in the Montclair district and Ballanico Restaurant and Wine Bar in the Glenview district of Oakland.

Italian Colors

Owners Alan Carlson and Steve Montgomery started Italian Colors 23 years ago and many of their staff have been with them a very long time. They say they are always undergoing a culinary evolution so their menu changes frequently, but I seem to always be able to have my favorite dishes. Lots of creative salads (best Kale salad last summer), house-made pasta, excellent fish and a wonderful daily specials menu. Sometimes it is just perfect to sit at their supper bar and enjoy an appetizer with a glass of wine.

A soothing waterfall makes the patio an easy place to have lunch with your best friend. If you ask, they will bring your dog a bowl of water.

Italian Colors is located just a bit outside Montclair Village at 2220 Mountain Blvd. in a small shopping mall. 510-482-8094

Bellanico Restaurant & Wine Bar

It’s fun to have lunch at Bellanico and chat with the owner Elizabeth Frumusa, or E, as she is called. She will always introduce you to a new wine as you ponder the menu. All their pasta is house-made and their unique sauces are scrumptious. I love the ravioli.

Take a look at their Facebook page and you will certainly want to take your appetite to this wonderful Italian restaurant.

KQED’s Check, Please! reviewed Bellanico Restaurant & Wine Bar at 4238 Park Boulevard (at Wellington Street). Check it out. Your dog will be glad you did. 510-336-1180

By Mary Lou Thiercof|2016-10-01T15:45:20-07:00September 29th, 2016|Tags: dog friendly restaurants, Glenview, Montclair, Oakland|0 Comments

Montclair Sidewalk Art & Crafts Fest is Back!

Discover an abundance of handcrafted artisan treasures at the Montclair Sidewalk Fine Arts & Crafts Fall Fest!

In its 22nd year, the Montclair Sidewalk Fine Arts and Crafts Fall Fest returns to Oakland Sat. Sept. 24 from 10am to 6pm and Sun., Sept. 25 from 10am to 5pm. Presented by the Montclair Village Association, more than 70 artisans “pop-up” on Mountain Boulevard along the sidewalks of Montclair Village this weekend displaying their handcrafted works, including garments, sculptures, photography, watercolor and oil paintings, jewelry, ceramics and more.

“We love bringing this event to Montclair,” says Dana Hale-Mounier, director of Pacific Fine Arts Festivals. “The Village is charming and the merchants and visitors are wonderful to work with. This type of event is a great change of pace compared to many street festivals. Our artists line the sidewalks at the curbs, keeping the streets open. There are just artists and crafters in the event, so as an event-goer it is easy to focus on the work and the artist. Come and spend an enjoyable few hours in a favorite town browsing handcrafted treasures and getting to know their creators!”

Enjoy the fall weather, have some lunch in Montclair and get some early holiday shopping done while you learn about the artists’ process and passion and find that perfect art piece as a gift for a friend, yourself, home or office. It’s a free art-filled weekend in Montclair district of Oakland, supporting makers of handcrafted goods!

By Mary Lou Thiercof|2016-09-29T22:10:11-07:00September 23rd, 2016|Tags: Montclair Arts & Crafts, Oakland, s|0 Comments

Jack London’s White Fang Hails New Farmers Market!

Fresh fruit and veggies galore! Jack London Square presents its new Sunday Farmers Market throughout Jack London Square operated by CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture). You may already know CUESA, as they have operated the world-renowned Ferry Plaza Farmers Market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco for 23 years and are ready to launch the new Jack London Square Market.

Every Sunday (until Dec. 4, 2016) , CUESA’s Jack London Farmers Market will fill the waterfront with a crew of farmers and sellers offering fruit, vegetables, specialty foods, flowers and more. Free cooking demos, culinary educations classes and other events will be offered.

Building on their mission to cultivate a healthy food system, they endeavor to bring healthy, affordable, and sustainable food and educational programs to Oakland. With many of their staff, chefs and supporters based in the East Bay, CUESA is committed to keeping Jack London Square Farmers Market by and for Oakland.

“Oakland has a rich and vibrant food scene that rivals San Francisco in many ways. We are invested in listening and learning from the community about their needs in the coming months,” comments CUESA Executive Director Marcy Coburn.

You can also buy your own vegetable plants at a great price from Terra Viridis Nursery. Tomato plants were only $2.

As an add-on, with Sunset Magazine’s new HQ in JLS at 55 Harrison, it seems that some potential collaboration and gardening expertise will seed itself in the new Farmers Market.

So, on Sundays you can picnic on the grass by the waterfront with goodies from the Farmers Market or indulge in lunch at the many excellent waterfront restaurants like Bocanova, Forge, and Lungamare.

Photos provided by CUESA and Oakland on the Bay.

By Mary Lou Thiercof|2016-05-31T11:42:27-07:00May 11th, 2016|Tags: Farmers Market, Oaklan|0 Comments