Comment Archives: stories: Food & Drink
Re: “A Lonely Voyage at Sea Salt”
9/23/11
After the last two editions of EBX, it’s become clear the Mr. Birdsall has too much on his plate. His article on food trucks rambled, lacking the driving clarity that normally bolsters the full-length cover pieces. This week, his three contributions were weaker than usual.
Morning Becomes Informal begins with two whole paragraphs (and much of what follows) reliving Birdsall’s hung-over escapades back in the day. If we wanted self-adulating drinking stories, we’d eavesdrop on Cal students on a Sunday afternoon. Trust me, we don’t, anymore than we can help it.
A Lonely Voyage at Sea Salt almost reads like an entry in a therapist prescribed personal diary. It consisted mostly of Birdsall’s feelings: “neglect,” “deserted,” “invisible.” He then contradicts himself in assessing the staff mood, criticizing an unsubstantiated sense that they were only there because they “needed the paycheck” and then, puzzlingly, that “the cooks joked around” with each other. Which is it, dispirited culinary lumpen, or a crew engaged in playful banter? By the time he gets to the food, which all receives praise, we have to wonder if he was paying more attention to the body language of the busboys than to what was on his fork.
Finally, Whole Paycheck Goes Well reveals just how much Birdsall is overreaching. A third of the article is a bold font, sarcastic, somewhat extraneous excerpt—a formatting tactic one would expect of Fox News, not EBX. Next, his failure to locate the new, expanded coffee bar (located opposite the Wellness Center he is purportedly reviewing), his miscount of the total number of Wellness Clubs (four, not three), and his skepticism about the 10% member discount (which covers the entire produce department, salad bar, and much of the bulk section) makes it clear that he probably did not even visit the store at all. In fact, his first sentence (“From the day it opened in 2007, Whole Foods’ Oakland store has done a bit of struggling to find itself.”) is a backhanded compliment, belying the company’s efforts to respond to the needs of local shoppers, and would have made an interesting point of comparison to the edition’s cover story on Peet’s. That piece was journalism; Birdsall’s read like a tweet.
What Mr. Birdsall must understand if he is to develop his considerable talent is that great food critics, like Sam Sifton, do not place themselves at the center of their review. Personal anecdotes should be used to color the outline sketched of a restaurant’s atmosphere, service, and food, not to convince the reader of how cool the author is, regardless of how fastidiously he studies urbandictionary.com. John Birdsall has a knack for wordplay that flirts with the makings of a significant reviewer, if only he could stop giving himself rave reviews.
Owen Andrews, Adams Point, Oakland
Re: “Luca Cucina Italiana and Other Global Eats in Add-U”
Anneli's review of Luca is spot-on. Fancy, it's not, and the service is ok, but the meatballs are delicious and everything else it quite good. It's a good value and a welcome addition to the neighborhood (which I will not be calling Add-U).
Re: “A Lonely Voyage at Sea Salt”
FYI, there are a slew of "certified nutritional counselors" in the Bay Area who call themselves nutritionists. They paid a school for classes and received a certificate. The State does not "certify" nutritionists. Ask for credentials, and if they don't have a Masters, be skepitical.
Re: “A Lonely Voyage at Sea Salt”
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Re: “Reform Bagelism”
I'm with you buddy00. I love House of Bagels (which Marin Bagel Co is now part of). And you can get them know at Cafe Zoe on College Avenue.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
Taking a longer view, Dogwood is a really welcome replacement for the two previous establishments at that corner: a disheveled and wackily-run cheap auto insurance place with a broken window, and before that a wig store. As a former longterm tenant of an upstairs space in the building, I applaud the refurbishment and the reactivation of the corner, and hope it thrives.
Re: “B-Dama: Down-Home Izakaya”
I found the article quite edifying despite the previous commentor's desire to stick to the commonly vapid restaurant review conventions. It is appropriate, in some cases, to ground a restaurant's offerings in the the cultural milieu from whence it comes. As for patience and stamina I find it quite easy to spend several hours over a meal if I enjoy the company. When an old friend comes to town it is not unusual to spend a leisurely evening catching up over a meal; it is lovely reminiscing over past events while lightly nibbling and sipping delicious dainties. But perhaps I am a minority on this issue.
Re: “B-Dama: Down-Home Izakaya”
Mr. Birdsall should stick to business and write a restaurant review. This article is a headache to read. Too much clutter, too much inside baseball, too presumptuous, too much about him and his whatever.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
My girlfriend and I went to Dogwood after a fantabulous dinner at Flora. It was recommended by a friend from SF who discovered it about a month ago. We had a great and met the owner, as well as some locals and made friends. We vowed to each other to go back frequently. I agree that Oakland's artist scene is complimented with Dogwood. Ellen's review is way off and pretty much angst filled hipster drivel. Hypastrophe is way off the mark too- Oh brother! Looks like Dogwood has lots of fans- I can't wait to go back and meet them over a sidecar.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
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Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
I like the place. And it's actually cheap if you don't order sugary mixed drinks off the cocktail menu.
They don't mark up their top shelf liquor too much if you drink it neat (like you should if you aren't a sissy). And they've got some pretty exotic and hard to find stuff. High West Double Rye. Saffron infused gin. That stuff sells for 9 or 10 most places and at Dogwood it's 7.
The charcuterie isn't cheap and it isn't a meal, but it's meant to be savored, cause it's really freakin good stuff. 15 is a bit steep, but it's not an every day place unless you're rich or recklessly spending.
I do get Ellen's point about it being a little too perfectly adorned, but hey, some of us like taxidermy, un-trued wood slab counter tops, and exposed brick. My main beef with the place is that it gets too crowded at happy hour.
But seriously, the haters are taking this all entirely too seriously. Ellen's reviews are less fine dining and drinking guides and much more just an excuse for the express to allow some free form riffing. If the chron food writers took a dump on your favorite bar, that would be another thing. This EBX review is not the kind of thing that people are going to think of as taste-making.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
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Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
Hypastrophe, you comments would probably be better served stuffed and mounted next to the pheasants hanging on the wall.
Hyperbole aside, the point of the comments against the initial review are... that the bar rocks; it is exactly the type of place the forward thinking residents of downtown Oakland need and want; and that a community rag like the Express (although supposedly trying to uphold a sense of journalistic truth) should actually be more interested in promoting a vibrant and positive vibe for the people who live and want to be there. Unfortunately when a journalist writes something the masses disagree with he (or she, for this matter) understands they must sometimes have to sleep within the filth they created.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
Perhaps this article is a bit sardonic in tone, but it remains terribly well written, at least devoid of glaring logical fallacies, which is more than can be said for gp's scathing comment and subsequent review. I'm sorry to dissect this as if I were explaining basic english to a child but it seems necessary: Firstly, the term "a breath of fresh air" is used to describe a contrast between two things, in your context, where you literally said "Bar Dogwood is a breath of fresh air in downtown Oakland which is populated by the biggest artist community in the bay area and is experiencing and urban revival" you are implying that "Bar Dogwood" is a relief or an escape from the artist community and urban revival. I don't think this is what you meant to do. Secondly, to offer that somewhere is "bohemian" and then support that with how great their martinis are, it just doesnt really work. Especially when they've already been established as a bit pricy. Thirdly, the "touches of elegance" from what I've ascertained do not sound the least bit "simple". Fourthly, "The drinks, the bartenders and the ambiance is all Oakland" is in stark contrast with your opening claim that this place is "a breath of fresh air". Lastly, if you were attempting to establish the atmosphere as unpretentious by name-dropping some of the most pretentious venues in Oakland, well, at least there you succeeded. This was just a cursory review of the most glaring writing problems riddled within those 5 sentences (talk about convoluted writing!), there were many more, but I am trying to keep this terse. My point is, adherence to the formal constructs of the English language may not be your thing, but it certainly is Cushing's,and you'd do well to recognize the swag of a real boss before you write such a scathing meta-review.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
Great bar, terrible review. Sorry Ellen. Try again? Maybe this time take a closer look at the art on the walls instead of just dismissing it as "apparently random." Also "earnest?" I think not. "Out of place?" It is not Bar Dogwood that is out of place - it is you. Sorry.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
A hipster rebelling against a hip establishment. C'mon, that's lesson one of how-to-be-a-hipster: denial.
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
great great review, so spot on! definitely puts places like dogwood in the context of other things like it without detracting from what's really great about it (ie coziness, good food, good drinks). thanks ellen, i wish more reviews were fun to read and honest like this at the same time!
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
gp! you are so right on!! I represent an older demographic here! And I have to say it was comfortable, tasty, and really a breath of fresh air!! As for the fingerprints of an interior designer all over the place I happen to have it on good authority that the proprietor herself, Ms. Filipello, designed and sourced all of the details herself! She shows imagination and wit!
I found the review excessively snobbish and trying too hard to be cool!!
Rock on Bar Dogwood!
Re: “Bar Dogwood and the Importance of Being Earnest”
I would like the person who posted the first comment to be the new review critic for the East Bay Express. Very spot on sir or madame...
Re: “Boot and Shoe Service and Paisan Begin Breakfast Service”
9/23/11
After the last two editions of EBX, it’s become clear the Mr. Birdsall has too much on his plate. His article on food trucks rambled, lacking the driving clarity that normally bolsters the full-length cover pieces. This week, his three contributions were weaker than usual.
Morning Becomes Informal begins with two whole paragraphs (and much of what follows) reliving Birdsall’s hung-over escapades back in the day. If we wanted self-adulating drinking stories, we’d eavesdrop on Cal students on a Sunday afternoon. Trust me, we don’t, anymore than we can help it.
A Lonely Voyage at Sea Salt almost reads like an entry in a therapist prescribed personal diary. It consisted mostly of Birdsall’s feelings: “neglect,” “deserted,” “invisible.” He then contradicts himself in assessing the staff mood, criticizing an unsubstantiated sense that they were only there because they “needed the paycheck” and then, puzzlingly, that “the cooks joked around” with each other. Which is it, dispirited culinary lumpen, or a crew engaged in playful banter? By the time he gets to the food, which all receives praise, we have to wonder if he was paying more attention to the body language of the busboys than to what was on his fork.
Finally, Whole Paycheck Goes Well reveals just how much Birdsall is overreaching. A third of the article is a bold font, sarcastic, somewhat extraneous excerpt—a formatting tactic one would expect of Fox News, not EBX. Next, his failure to locate the new, expanded coffee bar (located opposite the Wellness Center he is purportedly reviewing), his miscount of the total number of Wellness Clubs (four, not three), and his skepticism about the 10% member discount (which covers the entire produce department, salad bar, and much of the bulk section) makes it clear that he probably did not even visit the store at all. In fact, his first sentence (“From the day it opened in 2007, Whole Foods’ Oakland store has done a bit of struggling to find itself.”) is a backhanded compliment, belying the company’s efforts to respond to the needs of local shoppers, and would have made an interesting point of comparison to the edition’s cover story on Peet’s. That piece was journalism; Birdsall’s read like a tweet.
What Mr. Birdsall must understand if he is to develop his considerable talent is that great food critics, like Sam Sifton, do not place themselves at the center of their review. Personal anecdotes should be used to color the outline sketched of a restaurant’s atmosphere, service, and food, not to convince the reader of how cool the author is, regardless of how fastidiously he studies urbandictionary.com. John Birdsall has a knack for wordplay that flirts with the makings of a significant reviewer, if only he could stop giving himself rave reviews.
Owen Andrews, Adams Point, Oakland