You should try: Southie

Same owners as it's next door neighbor, wood tavern. Southie is a hot sandwich shop with good salad options. They have a small selection of beer and wine on tap. (Yes wine is on tap too.)With the tiniest open kitchen all I could see is a broiler and a few electric cook tops, yet all thier dishes are executed well.  The menu changes of course. Sometimes they have Dungeness crab or steak and Brie. I actually like thier pork belly sandwich. It's a good thick slab of pork belly fried and marinated in cumin. Reminds me of lechon.  Service is good. 

Southie

6311 College Ave 

Oakland, CA 94618

Neighborhood: Elmwood 

Rituals

These are things I do to help me feel grounded.

Bar method 3x week:
Kind of crazy that I've been doing my bar method class pretty consistently for the past 6 months. 3x week. I didn't do so well, on the losing weight part, but sometimes I do feel lighter. I have a better awareness of my waist/abs. My lower back rarely bothers me anymore. Plus I feel some new muscles. And my buttocks does a look a little lifted as we say. You want an ass. Not a "th-ass." That's when your ass and thighs look like 1 thing. My posture is better. And for a good hr about 3x a week, I'm breathing well, standing straight. I'm surprised how something like breathing right is coming automatically during some of my movements. I used to have to be very aware of it. Breathing better is definitely something I need to work on and I am working on.

Jumping in my pool:
It's summer time too, so sometimes I jump in my swimming pool. It's deep. It reminds me of being back home, living in an island, where finding water to swim in is a lot easier. I like doing laps. And I always take the time to just float on the deep end on stare at the trees and just think or try to think of nothing. Sometimes looking for answers.

Grabbing Nourishing food:
The weekends for me means farmers market. I like grabbing mango rose lassis at the oakland grand ave farmers market. Flowers sometimes. And then even some wildfennel and orange salame from boccolone. And fresh fruit of course, usually strawberries, blueberries, and some kind of pitted fruit like peaches, plums, or apricots. Eggs. Kale. I think I always have Kale and cilantro in my refrigerator. Lately I've been getting into keffir water too. I've been drinking the lemon cayenne Kevita water. I just grab it from Safeway. I also like keeping my freezer stocked with chicken breast for my salads and salad greens for that too.

Hiking
Getting lost in nature. Looking at trees. Getting some sunlight. Seeing the ocean. Getting away from the craziness that our week day jobs entails. Sometimes thinking about nothing other than trying to get one foot in front of the other is a good thing.

This weekend: kylan will be an adult soon

This weekend has been quite eventful. I'm supposed to be preparing for something but I'm procrastinating by blogging. But my nephew just graduated from high school. He grew up w me. He was in my sister's belly when I was only 10. By 11 he popped out. And then my sister went off to college and it was just us 2 kids at home. Sometimes it tormented me when his toys littered his room. But having him around was the best thing ever. I'm the youngest, so he is the closet thing I've had to a little brother. He's taught me a lot and I'm sure he'll be teaching me more. I'm so scared. He chose the same city I went to San Diego. And is going to a school that was in my last 2 choices when it came to decision time. In the end, I chose another school, but used to wonder what it would be like if I had gone to the other school. But no doubt, he'll be in a good school, with good people, and still in California. And near some of my best friends. I'll have an excuse to visit. Cheers to boba, pizza, donuts, and a Katrina rozelle chocolate hazelnut cake. 

You should stop by Temescal Alley

Temescal alley. 2 little alleys with cute shops, donuts, and coffee. There's a shop to buy succulents, aromatherapy stuff, vintage jewelry, a men's shop, a leather good shop, and even a barber shop. 

You should try: Ramen shop

Have you had ramen made with wholesome seasonal ingredients. Made by chefs who came from chez panisse? If not, you must head to Ramen Shop. The menu changes every night. There will probably always be a broth with pork of course and then a vegetarian option as well. Often times the pork will have seafood in it too. Other times there is miso, or a ground pork ramen. Great cocktail menu, including the best mulled wine I've had around the holidays. They also have a great appetizer menu. So I'm terms of ramen, Ramen shop has spoiled me. Going to an regular ramen shop, I'm scared of MSG laden soup or questionable kitchen prep. Also I love thier polka dot bowls. Open for dinner only. ZThey only take reservations for large parties. Sometimes the wait can be 2 hrs. Most of the time I've gotten lucky and get seated way before their estimated time. 

You should try: Miss Ollie's

Miss Olies is located in downtown Oakland, located in area with a lot of good food. My first visit there was for lunch.  I got there right when they opened, which I recommend, because for lunch, a line forms and fried chicken is not something that shows up fast. Service is cafe style for lunch.  For dinner, it is completely sit down service. Place is bright with interesting art. Service is good. Hot sauce is the best, being that it's habanero. Also.. They only have fried chicken on certain days for lunch. Everyday for dinner. Closed on Sundays!

Words do not express how every component of this dish was good. Those bean covered rice might have even been my favorite part. Chicken is stuffed and then fried. This thing will fill you up!

Dinner time, meals are more family style, although you do have that option for lunch too. 

Memorial Day Weekend: Alamere Falls

Other coworker invited me to go hiking. She told me "local and by her place" so I was imagining some tiny hill to climb and views of the Bay. Um no. Turns out our other coworkers had Alamere Falls in mind which is somewhere in Marin. Hike is about 4 miles roundtrip, so it took us 4 hrs. It was mostly flat too, except for the cliff you have to climb down to, to get to the beach and waterfalls. I wish I had brought my swimwear for sure. No hat. No water. No hiking boots. No sunglasses. No hiking pants. Good thing my coworker told me to wear longsleeves for poison oak. No sunblock. Yeah! I got tan! Oh, one my coworkers is into botony, so I was nice watching her munch of wild strawberries, miners lettuce, and other stuff. I had some too, but cannot trust myself to identifying wild plants on my own. When will my next hike be? I always wanted to see a waterfall, fall into the ocean. Cross that off my bucket list.