A new year and an opportunity to set new goals. Here are my three goals for 2016. Hope it inspires you.
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Last Meal of 2015 - Our Top Picks for Oakland
With so many choices how can one decide where to have the last meal of 2015? Here are our Top Four Picks plus a place to cap off the night with live music and a cocktail or two.
- Calavera - Calavera is hosting La Cena de Los Danzantes de la Luna, The Last Feast of Tonalli in the year of the Aztec Blood Moon, from 5 pm - 11 pm on 12/31. The special menu includes smoked oysters, bone marrow butter poached Maine lobster tacos and so much more.
- alaMar - alaMar is offering a prix fixe three course dinner for only $45 plus a $9 cocktail special. And starting at 9 pm the place is going to turn into a party with live DJ, party favors and more.
- Boot & Shoe and Penrose - Enjoy your last pizza of the year at the always delicious Boot & Shoe Service and then head across the street to Penrose for their NYE party with live music from the Zongo Junction. Tickets are required for Penrose. Your ticket gets you one drink ticket and unlimited passed snacks. Click here to buy your tickets for Penrose.
- Camino - Camino is also offering a fixed menu for $110 that inlcudes Wood oven-roased rib eyes, oysters, truffles, champagne…and more.
Wherever you choose to celebrate we hope you have an amazing time. Stay safe and we’ll see you in the new year!
Cheers,
Raquel
Owner of See.Eat.Love.
Instagram Photo Contest
Starting on 12/28 every time you post a picture on Instagram of your favorite restaurant dish with the hashtag #OaklandEats you increase your chances of winning a $100 gift card that you can use during Oakland Restaurant week which begins on 1/14. Easy peasy. Instagram photo contest fun for all. Can’t wait to see all the awesome food.
Gifts for the Food Obsessed
Sautéed Beet Greens over Orecchiette
Sautéed Beet Greens over Orecchiette
Earlier this summer I planted a variety of fall/winter veggies including beets. After months of TLC and constant patrolling so the pesky squirrels wouldn’t get my crop I was able to harvest my first batch of veggies including a handful of beets. The beets, as I had dreamed, were delicious slow roasted, then tossed in a citrus vinaigrette laid over greens, blue cheese and Marcona almonds, finished off with a light drizzle of good local honey and a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt. Always a light sprinkling of Maldon sea salt. But the real stars were the beet greens. Beet greens are often overlooked but when prepared well can be absolutely delicious. Here is how I prepared them. Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think. Provecho!!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 3 strips of thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, diced
- Beet greens from 4 beets, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup + more for plating of Paremseano Reggiano
- 1/2 lb Orecchiette
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for your pasta. Don’t forget to add salt to your water.
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While the pot is coming to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook all the way through. Remove bacon and reserve in a bowl to add back later.
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By now water should be boiling; add pasta and cook per directions on the box. While that cooks, add onion to pan; cook until translucent, about five minutes. Add garlic; cook for one minute. Add beet-green stems and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add beet-green leaves and 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper.
- Drain pasta reserving a little bit of the pasta water.
- Toss bacon back into the pan with beet greens and add drained pasta.
- Add about ladle-full of pasta water to the pan and the 1/4 cup of parmeseano reggiano.
- Toss until all the pasta is coated. Pasta should have a sheen.
- Serve hot and sprinkle more parmeseano reggiano to taste.
Thanksgiving Wine Guide
I believe that a meal is not a meal if it is not accompanied by a good wine. And this year I 
wanted to make a little extra effort in selecting a few key wines that I’d showcase on my dinner table this Thanksgiving. To get a little help in the matter I went down to my neighborhood wine shop and bar, Ordinaire Wine, to get some professional help in choosing the perfect wines to complement my Thanksgiving dinner. Below is a list of the wines I chose based on my good man Ethan’s recommendations:
2011 Céline & Laurent Tripoz Fleur d’Aligoté
To get the party started I chose a little bubbly to accompany the appetizers. The reason is simple: Champagne and other sparkling wines—Cava, Prosecco, Moscato d’Asti, included—are not just great party wines, they’re also the most versatile wines for pairing with food. I went with the 2011 Céline & Laurent Tripoz Fleur d’Aligoté. Very dry, bright, and refined. A great wine to start a night with.
2006 Nikolaihof Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein
I love Rieslings. A lot of people hear Riesling and think “sweet” wines not ideal for food pairings. Well, I’m here to contradict this belief and advocate for Rieslings. Austrian Rieslings, such as the one I chose, are dry, structured wines with stony, pure, shimmering mineral flavors that dominate the palate, yet are never heavy or out of balance. The particular Riesling I chose, the 2006 Nikolaihof Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein, is rich and fleshy, juicy and complex, with a nutlike quality, perfect to compliment the main feast.
2012 Julien Altaber Sextant Maranges
For those who prefer a juicy, red wine with their meal, I went with a magnum bottle of the 2012 Julien Altaber Sextant Maranges. This beautiful Pinot Noir is from a plot of land that the producer recently bought in the newest of the Burgundy appellations - Maranges. This lies just outside Saint Aubin and exhibits very good terroir which is why the area has been elevated to AOC status.
I highly recommend you visit Ordinaire Wine to get Ethan, Bradford or any of the other knowledgeable and friendly staff to help you pick something perfect for your meal.
And since we’re talking about wine…don’t forget to join us 12/6 and 12/13 as we drink and eat our way through the Urban Wine Trail. A portion of the sales will go to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Click here to buy your tickets.
Happy Thanksgiving friends!
About Raquel Navarro and See.Eat.Love
Raquel Navarro is the founder of See.Eat.Love. a food tour company that offers food lovers intimate culinary strolls through Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods. Raquel and her team of knowledgeable ambassadors – many with culinary training, cooking experience, or food writing backgrounds – take guests on gourmet adventures to get a look behind-the-scenes into the best of Oakland’s acclaimed food communities, where they will discover delicious edible treasures one bite or sip at a time.
Ordinaire Wine Bar Hosts a Pop-Up Bistro
Grand Lake’s Ordinaire Wine Bar
As I am sure you can tell, I like to eat good food. Which is why I was as giddy as a six year old girl when on my morning coffee run I noticed a sign on Ordinaire Wine Bar’s window advertising a special dinner menu featuring such delicacies as chicken pâté, and terrine and slow cooked lamb. Oh my!!
For two nights only, February 6th and 7th, Oridnaire Wine Bar will become Bistro Ordinaire featuring chef Chris Kronner (KronnerBurger) and offer a beautifully curated dinner menu alongside their ample selection of wines.
For the full menu and for their Bistro hours please click here
We’ll see you there. Happy Eating!
About See.Eat.Love.
See.Eat.Love. is a food tour company created by Oakland resident and lover of all things food and drink, Raquel Navarro. Raquel and her team of ambassadors offer food lovers intimate culinary strolls through Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods. Explorations take place in neighborhoods where small business owners, artisans, purveyors and restaurant chefs share their personal food stories and their passion for local, unique and delicious eats. And, of course, along with learning about each area’s culinary and cultural background, guests are treated to signature tastes unique to Oakland.
Paris Popup Coming to Oakland
Paris Popup’s creators Harry Cummins and Laura Vidal
Oakland, we are in for a real treat. Paris Popup is teaming up with Charlie Hallowell at Penrose and Austin Holey and James Henry from Bones Restaurant in Paris to prepare a set tasting menu with an emphasis on local produce and exciting, bold wine-pairings.
This awesome popup will only be around for two days, February 11th - 12th. So don’t miss it!
Paris Popup’s Menu at Penrose
The wine selection will be curated by an array of wine-loving individuals:
Evan Lewandowski (Ruth Lewandowski Wines)
Laura Vidal (Paris Popup)
Rajat Parr (Domaine de la Côte)
With the participation of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
To secure a seat, please email Carly at [email protected]
To learn more about Paris Popup click here
Happy eating!
About See.Eat.Love.
See.Eat.Love. is a food tour company that offers food lovers intimate culinary strolls through Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods. Explorations take place in neighborhoods where small business owners, artisans, purveyors and restaurant chefs share their personal food stories and their passion for local, unique and delicious eats. And, of course, along with learning about each area’s culinary and cultural background, guests are treated to signature tastes unique to Oakland.
Local Gifts For Foodies
Hi folks! We are so excited about the local finds we have found for our foodie friends that we had to share. Below is a list of our favorite gifts we’re going to be giving this holiday season.
McFlynn Flameware
handmade cookware
If they’re good enough for the legendary Alice Waters from Chez Panisse, they are good enough for us. Created by ceramicist, Travis McFlynn, McFlynn Flameware and Ceramics have been gracing tables at Chez Panisse for years and this year we’re giving the cooking aficionados in our life one of their own. McFlynn’s one of a kind cookware withstand an open flame and are able to go directly to the table. Use them on a grill, oven, electric range, campfire or wherever!!
Sugar Knife’s “The Brittle Banger” Gift Box
http://cart.sugarknife.com/product/brittle-sampler-pack
Sugar Knife Brittle Gift Box
For those with a sweet tooth, we are giving them this amazing gift set of six 2 oz bags of “boozy” brittle. Each is uniquely made with a different libation such as Makers Mark, Rogue Double Chocolate Stout and Bulleit Bourbon.
Oaktown Spice Shop’s Gift Boxes
https://squareup.com/market/oaktown-spice-shop
Bakers Box
Located just around the corner from our home, we love the variety of spice options at Oaktown Spice Shop. They specialize in fresh high-quality herbs and spices and hand-mixed blends. They have a gift box for everyone on your list. From Homemade Tonic Water Mixes to the Bakers Box or the Lake Merritt BBQ Box, you’re sure to find something for someone special on your list.
See.Eat.Love. Gift Certificate
For the adventurers in search of new restaurants, wineries, bars and breweries to explore in Oakland, we recommend one of our gift certificates. Each month we highlight a different neighborhood and go the extra mile to include stops that are off of the beaten path.
Happy eating!
About See.Eat.Love.
See.Eat.Love. is a food tour company that offers food lovers intimate culinary strolls through Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods. Explorations take place in neighborhoods where small business owners, artisans, purveyors and restaurant chefs share their personal food stories and their passion for local, unique and delicious eats. And, of course, along with learning about each area’s culinary and cultural background, guests are treated to signature tastes unique to Oakland.
Charlie Hallowell’s ‘Penrose’ Finally Here
For months, we’ve all been anxiously awaiting the opening of chef-restauranteur Charlie Hallowell’s (Pizzaiolo/Boot & Shoe Service) new restaurant. And I’m happy to inform everyone that the much anticipated opening is finally here.
Located only a block from my home and directly across Charlie’s ‘Boot and Shoe Service’, Penrose will officially open it’s doors this Friday.
The menu will be divided into four sections - meat, fish, vegetables and bread. Nearly everything will be served raw or cooked on a grill.
That means there will be raw dishes like lamb tartare, beef carpaccio, oysters from both coasts, and “sashimi-esque” crudo. On the grilled side, think flatbreads (instead of Hallowell’s signature pizzas), or a bone-in rib eye with chimichurri.
In addition to the 60-seat dining room, there will be a 20-seat bar offering cocktails from Pizzaiolo’s Cate Whalen.
So belly up and get ready to eat. I, for one, can’t wait.
Happy Eating!
About See.Eat.Love.
See.Eat.Love. is a food tour company that offers food lovers intimate culinary strolls through Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods. Explorations take place in neighborhoods where small business owners, artisans, purveyors and restaurant chefs share their personal food stories and their passion for local, unique and delicious eats. And, of course, along with learning about each area’s culinary and cultural background, guests are treated to signature tastes unique to Oakland.