100 Issues for 100 Days :#13

#13 Real Food

Today I went to the Eat Real festival at Jack London Square in Oakland. Initially, I wasn't even sure if I would go. My friend Ashely had invited me to volunteer at the festival and since I knew that I couldn't commit to that, I decided not to make any plans. But this morning, I knew I wanted to check it out and I'm so glad I did.

The idea behind the festival is to showcase affordable and good for you street food as well as staging cooking demonstrations and contests. All the food plates were under $5 and there were also plenty of free samples. I spent under $20 and I was there from 2 p.m until 9 pm. The majority of my money was spent on beer but I still managed to have plenty of free samples by spending time with the brewers and learning about the different types of beer and how to make them.

I tried some raw milk and learned about the benefits of it. I also tried some delicious plums and great jams and olive oils. I got to watch two sets of butchers go head to head and break down an entire quarter of beef. And the best thing about it (other than all the free beer) was that I got to see where my food started out and where it ended up. Everything was fresh (and delicious) and most importantly, I knew where it came from and even got to meet the people who farmed it.

It was nice to know that the food i ate didn't have to be expensive to be good. The one plate of food that I purchased cost $5 and it was a plate of collard greens and ribs with a sample of catfish. I was completely full the whole day and buzzed for about 90% of it. I don't know if these Eat Real festivals will continue throughout the nation but they should. We've moved so far away from our farms to our tables that we don't know what's good for us and what's bad. It was nice to reconnect but what was even nicer was to be full and not break the bank.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #7

#7: The Cleaner

Yesterday was the last day of my Master Cleanse. For six straight days, I consumed a 1.75 L mixture of water, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. As I told my friend Shannon, it was motivated by two main reasons: I've been drinking a lot since I was out of town & I was trying to push back buying groceries for as long as possible. Eventually, it became a battle of wills that lasted until I ran out of maple syrup.

The first few days were hard. I fast-forwarded through food commercials and until I started chewing gum, not having something in my mouth was the hardest part. On Day 3, I started to adjust to the hunger but not chewing on something had taken it's toll and I did cheat a bit. I was hanging out with some co-workers and I ended up having a few garlic fries and a piece of zucchini. I don't know if that resulted in the sluggishness I felt on Day 4 but that day in particular was the hardest. After work and an evening meeting, I came home and crashed around 9:30. The next morning when I did my Salt Water Flush (SWF), I could feel it all throughout my body. I felt cold and wrung out but once i was finished, Day 5 was full of energy. Days 5 & 6 were the best of the process. I felt energized and even went out again, this time to see my friend's band, The Get Back at Pier 23 in SF. And although I cringed a bit when the waitress described the menu to the table next to me, I stuck to my guns and didn't even have a drink. Yesterday, I went shopping in anticipation of the end of the cleanse and walked through the farmer's market without trying one free sample. I also managed to do two loads of laundry and unpack some boxes (yes, I still have boxes even though I've lived here 3 years).

Basically, if I decide to do the Master Cleanse again, I'd make sure to get plenty of rest, stock up on gum or mints and use at least 2 1/2 tablespoons of sea salt when flushing. If you're considering this, know that the SWF is a bit gross and takes awhile to finish. You basically poop liquid but if you get it all out, you feel energized after. A co-worker, who does this regularly, asked me what I learned from doing this and I'll tell you what I told him: I learned that I'm hungry! I really like food and eating and I'm going to use this as a way to reset the clock a bit. Ease back into eating and drinking well. But I'll never forsake food, it's just too delicious.

Uncharted Territory

So I'm back (a day late and more than a dollar short) but here's my report on the "Places in the Bay that have kept me from slitting my wrists during my first summer away from NY". That's a wordy title, how about My Best of the Bay:

Let's start in San Francisco. SF for me is all about food, drinks and shopping. One of my favorite places to eat (because it was right across the street from my job) is Circa in the Marina. They have a wonderful happy hour that includes $5 appetizers. My favorite is the calamari. And their chef, Erik King was on the latest season of Top Chef. There's also Silver Cloud for kareoke and the Bus Stop up on Union for old-fashioned bar feel.

SF has no shortage of shopping districts but I particularly like making the hike up Fillmore. You never know what bargains you might find at the Marc Jacobs store. There's smaller boutiques like Heidi Says and it's sister Heidi Say Shoes and frankly it's just a nice walk. Hayes Valley has a similar feel and some of my favorite shops like Flight 001 and Isotope, the comic book lounge. The people there are always helpful and they have a great comic selection.

Finally, there's The Mission. I enjoy eating in the Mission because there are a million and one tacquerias. But more important than that are some of the bars and restaurants like Cha Cha Cha, which has great tapas (and another Haight Street location if the first is crowded). The Mission to me is like the Village. You have to wander a bit and find the gems.

Now on to the East Bay: There's the conventional Emeryville which has everything you need in one convenient place; IKEA, H&M, Sephora, Borders, etc. But there are also some nice surprises like Teacake (try the pink velvet cupcakes!) and EQ3 which is one of my favorite furniture shops.

Then there's Lakeshore the best place to walk around on a Sunday. There's the new Trader Joe's, Arizmendi Bakery and my favorite consignment shop, Maribel. The Grand Lake Theater is a good place to catch a movie with free popcorn Monday-Thursday and the cheapest matinee around at $6.50. But if you're over 21 and want to catch a movie the best place is the Parkway theater. Giant couches, an impressive menu and food delivered to you while you watch your favorite films.

Finally, Downtown Oakland is filled with hot spots. Luka's is the best place to get a burger and fries, listen to music and have a great cocktail especially every Friday night. Oasis (135 12th street) is hot on Saturday nights. Don't let the entrance fool you. Head out back where there's a huge dance floor and outdoor patio. During the day check out Mignonne and Drift for a range of housewares and casual chic clothes, respectively. Probably the best restaurant if you want to splurge a bit on a fabulous meal is B. I love the lemon tart dessert. And my absolute favorite is Air Lounge. Every Wednesday night head out early (around 8 pm) to their spoken word-open mic where you'll hear a range of voices. Stay after for a great hip-hop dance party and head over to the bar and have a jolly rancher. But not too many.

These are the places I've come to enjoy out here in the Bay. And I'm glad. Each one makes me miss home a little bit less.

[Shananigans] in the City

This is my first summer spent away from NYC since I was about 10. When I was young my mom would send me down South to be with my great-grandparents but I always got to spend some part of the summer at home. And to me, nothing is better than New York in the summertime. Some people complain about the humidity, the over-powering scent of heat and people but still I love it. So I thought I'd post,
The Places I'd Be If I Was In NY:

1. The Meatpacking District
Pop Burger (58-60 Ninth Avenue) is one of my favorite after/between club spots. Since it's a club and a burger stand in one you can listen to music while you eat or go inside and have a drink. There's also APT (419 W 13th St.). It's set up like someone's (very swank) apartment and it's a great place to meet for pre-outing drinks.

2. Broadway-SoHo/Union Square
I spent many a summer walking from Canal St. to Union Square via Broadway. There's so much to see and it's perfect for shopping. Some of my favorite stops along the way are Pearl River Mart (477 Broadway) as well as big retailers such as Armani Exchange, H&M and Zara's. You can veer off at Prince St. for high-end retailers like Chanel and Barney's Co-op. And don't forget the hundreds of street sellers along the way. There's also movies at the Angelika (18 West Houston). Right before you hit Union Square there's Forbidden Planet (840 Broadway) the comic book shop. And once you reach the park, there's a farmer's market that's great to wander around.

3. 5th Avenue
5th Ave. is one of those places I came to appreciate after I worked there. Plus with the tourists crowding up 42nd street, it's much better to walk east. I love the lower level of Rockefeller Center with its restaurants like Cucina & Co. Also if you walk towards the park you'll pass all the famous NY landmarks like Tiffany's and at the very end is the amazing 5th Avenue-Apple Store, which is an architectural marvel on the edge of Central Park.

4. The Village
What can I say about the Village? There's something new every time I go. I like to start at the W4th stop on the A/B/C/D trains and walk from there. Basically, take your time and just wander. I enjoy Harry's Burritos (76 West 3rd) and also Negril (70 West 3rd) for after work/pre-party drinks. And the IFC Film Center has interesting films and special events like the Buffy Sing-Along.

5. Brooklyn
Brooklyn is where I'm from so I'm pretty biased when I say it's the best place in NY ... but it's still true. Some of my favorite places to visit are the Cobble Hill Cinema (265 Court Street) and Prospect Park (450 Flatbush Avenue). There's the ever-classic Coney Island (last stop on the D, Q, N, or F trains). Coney Island has everything: The original Nathan's, rides, nightly fireworks and enough hot dogs, burgers and cotton candy to make anyone sickly happy.

Those are pretty much the places you can find me during a New York summer. I also have to mention the Water Taxi Beach (Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave. stop on the 7 train), which is the best place to go and watch the sunset over the city.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about the wonderful places that I've found out here in the Bay Area that have made my first summer away from NY bearable.