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News • Canada • 2011-07-07

Food and drinks events

Oakland Al Fresco

Oakland's many outdoor dining options are hot spots in the summer months. In Jack London Square, sit along the waterfront at Bocanova and enjoy the Pan-American bites such as crab deviled eggs and fried Shishito peppers, or head to Kincaid's for some fresh Calamari, seasonal oysters or french dip sliders. Near Lake Merritt, dine on the back patio of the Grand Tavern - enjoy a mid-day brunch of Huevos Rancheros paired with a Bloody Mary, or dine at dinner for the Eggplant Cannelloni or Niman Ranch Burger. Down the road, lounge under the umbrellas at Lake Chalet along Lake Merritt and taste the delicious beer battered fish & chips or the whole roasted cracked crab. In Old Oakland, sit out on the sidewalk at B Restaurant as you enjoy the brick oven pizzetas and fresh made pasta, or dine across the street at Levende East and Cafe 817. For more al fresco options in Oakland, visit visitoakland.org/foodanddrink.

Savor Exotic Ice Cream Scoops

July is National Ice Cream Month, a perfect time to enjoy the many options to cool down on a hot day in Oakland. Be adventurous and try Scream Sorbet's Lime Mint, Tangelo and Lemon Lavender, or taste Tara's Organic flavors such as Plum Ginger, Spiced Pumpkin and Rosemary Pear. Nieves Cinco de Mayo in the Fruitvale Public Market has a refreshing assortment of authentic flavors including Corn (yes, Corn!), Rose Petal and Guava. Also in Fruitvale, try Flavor Brigade's shaved ice treats, with flavors such as Blue Raspberry, Watermelon and Root Beer. You can now get your snowball fix via taco truck with Skylite Snowballs, a traveling business serving shaved ice flavors such as Four Barrel Coffee, Jasmine Tea and Vanilla Bean. If you're feeling extra adventurous, try some Marshmallow Cream on top of your snowball. Of course, if you're in the mood for a good ol' fashioned sundae, there's always Fenton's Creamery on Piedmont Avenue. Guests to Fenton's can take an Arctic Tour to learn about the ice cream production and the history of the creamery. For more ice cream treats, see visitoakland.org/foodanddrink.

Uptown Bars Hit the Spot

Uptown is growing up fast, and there are several watering holes to choose from on your visit. Try Somar's sleek setting, a narrow space with a rockin' dance floor at the back, with choice DJs at the helm and friendly bartenders. The house cocktail menu includes the popular Somar Fizz and the Uptown Sour. Looking for a place to celebrate? Mimosa Champagne Lounge off Broadway is the place to go. The shimmering decor - a combination of mirror mobiles and flickering tea lights - makes for the ideal festive atmosphere. Choose from the mixed drink list of champagne-based cocktails. Fairly new to the bar scene is Bar Dogwood, an intimate social space serving specialty cocktails and cured meats and cheeses to satisfy a late-night craving. For more happening bars in Uptown, visit visitoakland.org.

Numi Tea's Aged Earl Grey Kebab

It may not sound like something you'd be able to create at home, but Numi's Earl Grey Kebab is an easy recipe to follow. This creative summer recipe is one of many from the local teahouse to enjoy. If you're in town, stop by the Numi Tea Garden and Tasting Room, open for visitors.

Ingredients:

- 4 tea bags of Numi Aged

Earl Grey

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 1 Tbsp. of local honey

- Sea Salt and Pepper

- 1 pound of grass fed beef

or organic chicken cut

into kebab chunks

- 1 medium red onion

- 1 red or yellow bell pepper

- 1 green pepper

Directions:

Preparation Time - 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Steep 4 tea bags of Aged Earl Grey in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Squeeze and remove tea bags. Stir in lemon, honey, salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature. Pour tea infusion over meat and marinade for 1 hour. Assemble the shish kebab skewers by alternating meat and vegetables. Cook or barbecue in oven, turning skewers while basting with the remaining liquid from marinade.

In This Issue

Oakland Al Fresco

Exotic Ice Cream

Uptown Bars Heat Up

Numi Tea's Earl Grey Kebabs

Culinary Events

Calendar of Events

Check out the latest festivals, markets and culinary happenings at Visit Oakland's Calendar of Events.

Best of the Best

Classic dining establishments are the latest restaurants to be featured in our dining reviews. Read all of the Best of the Best reviews here.

Join Us on Twitter

Looking for the latest information on Oakland food, wine and visitor information?

Neighborhood Maps

The

Visit Oakland - Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau interactive

Neighborhood Maps let you explore the streets, helping find cafes and restaurants near other businesses.

Oakland Recipes

Find inspiration for dinner tonight at Visit Oakland's Recipes section. You'll find favorites from local restaurants, cafes and bars.

New Arrivals

Hawker Fare (Uptown) - 2300 Webster Street

Berlyn's Eatery (Fruitvale) - 132 International Blvd.

Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (Uptown) - 1805 Telegraph Ave.

Toast Wine Lounge (Rockridge) - 5900 College Ave.

Coming Soon

8 Bar - Oakland Airport (Airport)

Cosecha Cafe (Old Oakland)

Updog bar - Telegraph Ave. (Uptown)

Umami Burger (TBD)

Culinary Events

4th Annual Beach Party Open House - July 9; JC Cellars

Bay Area BBQ Championship - July 16; Oakland Coliseum

East Bay Food Fight - July 23; Jack London Square

Kitchen Chemistry - July 23; Chabot Space & Science Center

Urban Wine Experience - August 6; Jack London Square

Eat Real Festival - September 23 - 25; Jack London Square

ONGOING:

Tuesdays:

Free "cuppings" at 2 p.m. - Blue Bottle Coffee

First Wednesday of the Month: Wine Wednesdays - JC Cellars

Fridays: Old Oakland Farmers Market - Old Oakland

Friday & Saturday Evenings: Dinner, a Movie and the Universe - Chabot & Science Center

Saturdays: Grand Lake Farmers Market - Grand and Lake Park Avenues

Sundays: Montclair Famers Market- La Salle at Moraga Avenues

Sundays:Temescal Farmers Market- 5300 Claremont

Sundays: Jack London Square Market - Broadway and Embarcadero

Have an Oakland Culinary event to share? Email us here to have it submitted to the www.visitoakland.org calendar.

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