East Bay Express

Fire Shuts Down Genny's BBQ

Luke Tsai — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:50:00 -0700

Sad news out of East Oakland, via Chowhound: Genny’s BBQ (6637 Bancroft Ave.), reviewed favorably in The Express just two weeks ago, has been shut down due to a kitchen fire.

Chef Virginia Roberson, a first-time business owner, told me the fire took place last Friday morning. A chimney flue attached to one of the restaurant’s smokers caught on fire while she was in the kitchen cooking.…

Friday Must Reads: FEMA Moves to Chop Down 82,000 Trees in Berkeley and Oakland Hills; Lead Ammunition Ban Clears Assembly

Robert Gammon — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:02:45 -0700

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. Officials from FEMA are moving forward with a controversial plan to chop down more than 80,000 trees in the Berkeley and Oakland hills — 22,000 in Berkeley and 60,000 in Oakland — as a fire safety measure, according to the California Progress Report.…

Weekender: This Weekend's Top Five Events

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:00 -0700

Excited about the end of your work week but stumped as to what summery fun to channel that excitement into? Here are five beee-autiful options, all happening this weekend at an East Bay venue near you!

Oakland Greek Festival
Greece may not be faring too well on the economic front, but that's not stopping the annual Oakland Greek Festival, now in its 41st year.…

Introducing the Inaugural EBX Book Club

Ellen Cushing — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:53:35 -0700

This is probably a TERRIBLE thing for a books writer to say, but I sort of hate lit readings. I've been to a handful of really, really good ones, but by and large, they're pretty static events: Most of the time, the audience hasn't read the book, so they can't really engage with it, which means it's incumbent on the author to bring the interesting, which is hard when you're standing in a roomful of strangers.…

Meet Legalization Nation at INTCHE in Burlingame This Saturday

David Downs — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:10:00 -0700

You know who could use some medical marijuana education? The San Francisco peninsula, where it's seemingly nothing but dispensary bans from the San Francisco border to San Jose.…

Thursday Must Reads: Bay Area Housing Market Remains Red Hot; Oakland Council Shelves Plan to Audit the City Auditor

Robert Gammon — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:01:00 -0700

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. The Bay Area housing market remained red hot in April, as the median home sales price soared to $510,000 — its highest point in five years and a 30.8 jump over the same month a year ago, the Chron$ reports.…

Your Teen's Marijuana Counselor Might Be A Convicted Pedophile or Thief — Nobody Checks

David Downs — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:42:00 -0700

California forces thousands of teens convicted of minor marijuana offenses into "drug rehabilitation", but who are the drug counselors?

Sometimes pedophiles and thieves, according to a California State Senate investigation showing a deplorable lack of oversight of the drug rehab industry.

"California does not require a criminal background check for drug and alcohol counselors, nor does it ask applicants to report their criminal histories, according to the report, which found that at least 23 sex offenders have been permitted to work as counselors since 2005," the L.A. Times reports.…

Mid-Week Menu: Commissar, Bourbon and Beef, and Chop Bar’s First Pig Roast of the Season

Luke Tsai — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:00:00 -0700

Welcome to the Mid-Week Menu, our weekly roundup of East Bay food news.

1) Inside Scoop reports that Berkeley’s zoning board has approved plans for a multi-use complex in the former Cody’s Books space (2454-64 Telegraph Ave.) called Mad Monk Center for Anachronistic Media. The project is the brainchild of Rasputin Music founder Ken Sarachan, and will include a performance space; a store selling books, records, and tapes; a flower shop; and a full-service restaurant known as Commissar, which will serve mostly-vegetarian “upscale peasant’s and worker’s food.” According to Inside Scoop, the restaurant component will be run by Craig Becker of Berkeley’s Caffe Mediterraneum and Scott Cameron of Oakland’s Guest Chef.

Berkeleyside Nosh has more of Sarachan’s comments from the zoning board meeting, including this gem of a quote: “We’re not gonna have gangster rappers.…

Wednesday Must Reads: Assembly Speaker Perez Rewarded Big Fundraisers; Brown’s Budget Boosts Spending for Schools, But Nothing Else

Robert Gammon — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. Speaker John A. Perez rewarded politicians who raised the most funds to help elect more Democrats last year with prime jobs in the Assembly, the Center for Investigative Reporting reports.…

Midnight's Children

Kelly Vance — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Present at the birth. by Kelly Vance Midnight's Children attempts no less than to relay the story of modern India through the eyes of Saleem Sinai (English actor Satya Bhabha), who was born at the moment of that country's independence in 1947. It's a brave undertaking, epic yet easily digestible, and filled with vivid characters and astounding sights, thanks no doubt to Salman Rushdie, who adapted his own novel for director Deepa Mehta.…

One-Night Stands

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Repertory film listings for May 16-22, 2013. Thursday, May 16 41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers (120 min., 2010).…

Dress Up

Dan Savage — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Plus butt plugs, porn mags, and DSGs. by Dan Savage I have a mentally disabled cousin who I haven't figured out how to help. He's lived for more than forty years in the same nursing home in a small, conservative town.…

From Redwood Grove to BFD

Kathleen Richards — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Our staff recommends the best summer festivals in the Bay Area and beyond. by Kathleen Richards, Ellen Cushing, Whitney Phaneuf, Azeen Ghorayshi and Lenika Cruz Redwood Grove Summer Concert Series Sometimes we locals take for granted the fact that we live in such a picturesque area, but really, HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS PLACE IS? One place to soak it all in is the UC Botanical Garden (200 Centennial Dr., Berkeley), whose redwood grove — a small sliver of Muir Woods in the Berkeley Hills — is home to a tiny, two-hundred-seat, all-wooden amphitheater.…

The Best Chinese Restaurant in Oakland That You've Never Heard Of

Luke Tsai — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

At Ben's Restaurant, typical Chinese takeout dishes are prepared with a lighter touch. They're also a bargain. by Luke Tsai Ben's Restaurant is probably the best Chinese restaurant in Oakland that you've never heard of. Maybe you haven't heard of it because its location, in the Jack London produce market district, several blocks away from Chinatown, isn't the first place you'd think of looking for good Chinese food.…

Why 'Blonde Ambition' Lacks Ambition

Alex Bigman — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Jenny Sharaf attempts to open feminist dialogue through an exhibition that ruptures mainstream portrayals of blondeness. by Alex Bigman Jenny Sharaf's exhibition Blonde Ambition begins with the premise that contemporary feminist practice is mired. The Oakland-based artist sees her peers fighting for many of the same values as feminists of the 1960s and 1970s, but without the benefit of their second-wave forebears' highly politicized environment.…

Three Awesome Bike Day Trips in the Bay Area

Laura Fettig — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Wanna ride? Here are three options for all-day bike rides. by Laura Fettig It's no secret that the Bay Area is heaven for cyclists. But you don't have to be an expert — or spend hundreds of dollars on gear — to enjoy a leisurely, scenic ride.…

This Summer, Read Local

Azeen Ghorayshi — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Check out these books from your own backyard. by Azeen Ghorayshi and Ellen Cushing What defines "summer reading?" Is it the lightness of its prose, the sunniness of its subject matter, or just the simple fact that it's a relatively lightweight paperback able to be schlepped around on any number of picnics?…

Live Review: A-1 Spits His Moralistic, Hedonistic Gospel

Lenika Cruz — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The up-and-coming San Francisco rapper brings a mostly seamless flow to his first headlining Oakland gig at The New Parish. by Lenika Cruz It seems that a critical element of a rapper's success comes from being able to create and project an authentic persona: There's gravitas (say, GZA), levity (Das Racist), love of ganja (Snoop Dogg/Lion) or purple drank (Gucci Mane), and a general obsession with opulence (most rappers). San Francisco rapper A-1 (né Adam Traore) made it clear during his Friday night set at The New Parish that he, for one, was equally invested in two personas: The street-corner ecclesiastic bearing sermons about life, and the glib twenty-something artist who likes his girls and his weed, preferably together.…

Deerhunter

Lenika Cruz — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Monomania by Lenika Cruz While it's never shyed away from raucous noise rock, Deerhunter knows how to artfully subdue the chaos. The band's fantastic 2008 album Microcastle strove for and achieved a melodic unkemptness that managed to remain accessible — a spoonful of pop to help the experimentation, both loud and soft, go down.…

Outdoor Dining Guide

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Where to get your grub on, under the sun. This list is as comprehensive as possible, but there are undoubtedly some restaurants and cafes that we've missed. Please send updates to Editor@EastBayExpress.com, or via postal mail to Outdoor Dining, c/o Ellen Cushing, East Bay Express, 620 3rd St., Oakland, CA 94607.…

The Warriors' Future Looks Bright

Mark C. Anderson — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The team has signed many of the young stars that have fueled this season's playoff run to long-term contracts. by Mark C. Anderson With their upstart season on the line, the Warriors desperately needed a bucket. Golden State was down two games to one in Sunday's playoff game in Oakland, and was in danger of handing the San Antonio Spurs a virtually insurmountable 3-1 lead.…

Oakland Officials Withhold Air Pollution Plan

Charlie Mintz — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Regulators for county, regional, and state agencies say the city and the developer of the Oakland Army Base have yet to reveal plans for how they will control toxic emissions. by Charlie Mintz The California Transportation Commission approved $176 million in funding last week for the redevelopment of the old Oakland Army Base — a potentially $1 billion project intended to reinvigorate the city and the nation's fifth busiest seaport. Local hiring and contracting requirements also mean the port's expansion will provide economic benefits for the residents of West Oakland.…

The Orange Peels

Mark Keresman — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Sun Moon by Mark Keresman Formed in the Bay Area in the mid-Nineties, The Orange Peels are still at it, bless them, keeping the torch of power pop burning brightly. Emerging from the Allen Clapp & His Orchestra configuration, the Peels' approach spans decades of thoughtfully constructed, vocal harmony-laced pop perfection: Sixties' Beatles and Beach Boys; the bittersweet crunch of Big Star and Badfinger, with hints of Supertramp's prog-pop, in the Seventies; and The Posies in the Nineties.…

What's Your Local Summer Beer?

Ellen Cushing — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The Bay Area is churning out so many great beers, it's hard to know where to start. We've got your back. by Ellen Cushing

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Reclaiming the 99-Cent Menu at Lena's Soul Food Cafe

Luke Tsai — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Plus, a mac 'n' cheese pop-up, Mad Monk Center and Commissar, and more. by Luke Tsai In this post-Fast Food Nation, post-Super Size Me world, the very idea of the Dollar Menu is anathema in certain circles. Good food takes time and costs money, the thinking goes, and it seems criminal for corporate bigwigs to fatten their pocketbooks by selling highly processed, sugar-laden junk food to the young and the poor.…