oakland burger club goes to the north bay

Super service, super value and super fun.  Hello everyone.  First of all I totally botched it posting the Christmas burger at Luka’s Tap Room, if I can even find the score sheet still I will post a blog ASAP.  Saturday April 19^th marked one of the Oakland Burger Club founders day of birth and what better way to celebrate then with a Bday burger.  Not only did we get one Bday burger, we all decided it would be a two-burger birthday bash!

Oona and Win

Our first stop of the burger tour brought us out to the North Bay to Mill Valley.  The joint we chose was Super Duper burger on Miller Ave. The modern/retro, drive through diner has charm both new and old, with sunshades in the parking lot, great sunny out door seating, rad mid 90’s jams (TLC, EnVogue), retro style signage and fonts and the clean/modern architecture made the visit feel spacious and welcoming. Though the street can get busy at times the outdoor seating is definitely a plus, as it’s great for families stopping in for lunch or cyclists rolling up for a bite.

Right off the bat the service behind the counter had a awesome family vibe and excellent upbeat service from the cashiers taking orders all the way back to the cooks flippin’ patties in the kitchen, everyone just looked liked they were having fun!  Helpful service with a smile;) When asked what was in the veggie burger they simply pulled out the recipe! The menu is simple, ingredients are local and packaging is all compostable.

The Burger:

Okay let’s get down to the meat. “Fast food burgers slow food value,” is there motto.  All beef is 100% Niman Ranch grass fed beef, cheese is from Petaluma served on a nice crunchy/soft artisianal roll.  These days the degree of doneness is serious business for burger joints.  Super Duper had a perfect medium-rare and medium color and juiciness.  The patty was seasoned nicely, nothing fancy.  All topping produce was nice and fresh no wilting lettuce or mealy tomato.  You can get jalapenos, grilled onions at the base price of $5 for a 4oz. patty or $7 for two patties!!!!  That’s just rad.  For a locally sourced burger that’s incredible.  It's wrapped up neatly in paper even one of our members two year old could hold it without it falling apart.  Honoree vegetarian clubber, Juff(Jess) said it was the best veggie burger she has had yet for burger club.  The vegi-burger, served with hummus is actually pretty delicious. 

The Sides:

My favorite thing about this place is the homemade pickles, wow just amazing, I can’t believe they are free!  The every pickle is crisp and spicy right out of the jar.  The garlic fries topped with shredded aged cheddar are so mouthwatering, under all the cheese and garlic the hand cut fries stayed crispy and golden to the last fry.  The kicker is the hand dipped chocolate, vanilla softserve cone. Made from Strauss Family Creamery.  The adult cone involves a five swirl serve or the kids sized three swirl cone which by the way is “Ok for adult’s.” I appreciate the option from the kids’ menu.

The Ratings:

	Ambiance	Value	Toppings	Sides	Taste 1-60	Score
Hannah	6	9	9	8	54	86
Win	7	9	8	8	52	84
Molly	6	9	7	7	45	74
Sarah	8	8	7	8	42	73
Enrique	8	10	7	9	56	90
				Total Average		81.4

Robison gettin' at it.

It was a great day for the Oakland Burger Clubbers.  Brunch burger, day spent at Bolinas playing Kubb and hanging on the beach with family and friends.  I even got a bite on my fishing pole.  Look out for the second post for the day for the burger review at Marin Sun Farms.

As ever,

E

scolari's...oakland burger club hits the spot

Nestled on the island of Alameda, nest to Lucky 13, Scolari's offers an array of burgers, dogs, pizza and such. The menu is huge and the restaurant is tiny. I can honestly say that any place that only takes three people and the line is out the door is my kinda place. The sassy service is kind enough to serve any order to you next door at the bar and the cook on the grill are friendly and funny.

Scolari's was recommended to the Oakland Burger Club by many sources, the meeting was initiated with full verve. The menu is extensive, well at least the specials menu is, the main menu is simple enough, but take your time reading over everything or research before you head over.
Everyone who ordered the special burger was ecstatic and glowed with satisfaction, unfortunately for myself and two others who ordered the regular cheese burger were hit with a slight musky taste in the meat? The bun was excellent, the baby lettuce crisp and the tomatoes perfect, but something was just off with my burger.

Highlights off the sides was the buffalo fries, christ almighty they were delicious! The regular fries were crispy and delicious too.

Although my burger seemed off I definitely will return for some other tasty bites. The experience was most enjoyable.

For the full review please check out the oaklandburgerclub on tumblr.

geta sushi

If your hankering for some Japanese food or sushi, Piedmont Ave. has my favorite spot for inexpensive Japanese deliciousness. This tiny restaurant is the size of three cubicles, but is full of charm, warm and detectible bites for a wonderful dining experience. It fills up quick so show early or be ready to wait for table. The servers are sweet and as show have some talent drawing homemade signs. They also have a fancier version up the street called B-dama, which serves up more traditional dishes, plus awesome skewers from the grill. Either way you want to spend your night grubbing Japanese you won't go wrong. Some of my faves are: ton katsu, sahimi salad(lunch only,) tempura udon, saba.

king cage

Ever been to a bicycle show? If not definitely check out NAHBS(North American Hand Built Bicycle Show). This year I was lucky enough that they decided to have it in Sacto. I was able set my eyes upon some of the most beautifully designed and hand crafted bikes ever.
Although i didn't pick up a new bike, i did find the rad handmade toe cages from a guy who makes them called "King Cage" check em out they're really sweet, light and a nice accent to a commuter or fixie. He also has some sweet water bottle cages online.
I will post some pics of the show soon.

burger club "Sparky's Giant Burger" "Chop Bar"

So the yet to be named burger club of Oakland CA had two more excursions to find some meat. The first of these outing brought us to the Oakland Hills a nice location for summer eating. Spark's includes a nice heated patio and fast friendly service. This shack has the charm of a small, well shack but is very well kept inside. The overall flavor of the burger was okay, like Vals the meat is unseasoned but with added topping and condimenta the club gave this establishment a "C". I will post scores of individuals and our rating card soon.

The second meat up spot, was "Chop Bar," nestle deep in Jack London Square, we went for fancy on this one and the value for the burger is still debatable. But the overall score was our highest yet a whopping "B+.". The combination of decor and ambiance was great. The kicker for me was the seasoned beef with the exquiste execution of the medium well cooked meat. Every bite juicy and flavorful, served on a kaiser roll, with a bloody burger doesn't quite hold up with all that delicious juice. Nevertheless the best burger the club has encountered yet. At 12$ base model it had better be good.

Some other notes. We added a new member to the group and can't wait for our next burger.

burger club of oakland

Recently my friend Hanna Strange introduced an idea for a few of our friends to start a burger club. Eating at various burger joints in the bay area and rating them. Tonight was our first crack at developing our club. Tasks of the evening included an agenda of rating systems, categories, name and of course eating.

I had a simple "baby" burger, a 1/3 lb of beef with cheddar cheese, tomato, grilled onions and onion rings , pickles, lettuce served between a french roll.

Vals is a historic burger diner tucked away in the east bay in the heart of Castro Valley. It is a bit of a trek but the ambience is nice. Full of east bay history Vals has been making burgers since the fifties. I heart this place. If you havent been there venture out! It will be worth it.
As for our overall rating you'll have stay tuned and look out for the burger clubs blogs for ratings and dining tips.

brunch on bikes

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!

brunch on bikes

Come out this Sunday for brunch on bikes down at POPUPHOOD. My CoffeeBike and the El Taco bike will br out front of the shop Marion and Rose 11:30-2:00pm. I will even be serving up my first decaf roast for all who wanted the non buzz.

Sunday January 29th on 9th and Broadway 11:30-2:00pm in front of Marion and Rose. Come
Eat, come shop!

new additions

This year has started very productive in the studio. I was contacted by a friend, who opened a lovely shop called Mariom Rose down in the POPUPHOOD, to carry some work and be one of their vendors. Hopefully this will keep me very busy this year as well as make a little dough. I recently make a silk screening station out of my old drafting table and transformed my dads old steamer trunk for a desk. The studio is all cleaned up and organized ready for working.

crab feast

Crab is probably my numer one crustacean. Win Walker graciously hosted a wonderful crab bake last night, a rad idea that can be economical and fun for dinner and friends. 99 RANCH has these tasty ocean floor dwellers for $6 a pound, try and get em at the height of the season, i have picked some up as low as $3 a pound. Nevertheless if everyone pitches in a makes a side dish your well in your way for a good night od crab. The dinner was accompanied with a homemade "bakesale betty slaw," bread, baked potatoes and a slew of dipping sauces. As i was very prepared for a evening of crab carnage i brought my own sheller, appron and face towel, but i loved everyones enthusiasm with some DIY shell tools such as, a garlic press and of course forks. After dinner we were delighted with a awesome slide show of wedding pictures and of course a round of WIi bowling.
Hurry and get them crab before the season ends!

bahn mi picinic

You gotta love the french influence combined with vietnamese ingredients. My latest food creation, the bahn mi sandwich. Broken down into three parts this ingenious combination of slaw, meat (tofu in this case) resting between a crunchy baguette.
Jullienne carrots, dichon and zuccini.
In a sauce pan boil a ration of 2 : 1 water and distilled vinegar and sugar to taste. Let cool and add the slaw and set aside for a 30 minutes. In a pan i sauteed tofu with a black bean chili sauce and fresh ginger garlic and sweet onions. Cut the baguette to desired length. Mayo is optional. Lay thinly sliced cucumber on bottom slice of bread. Next lay a generous amount of the tofu or meat. Top the tofu with the slaw and top ot off with fresh cilantro and enjoy!
My mom gave us a new picinic basket we packled the sandwiches and some soup in. With the dogs and the basket we headed out to Briones Regional Park for a nice picinic and hike with our pups.
With leftover slaw I did my own mixing of cultures and made a pulled por bahn mi for my Monday work lunch, this is a highly recommended mix.
Check out the pictures and Merry Christmas!

popuphood recap

POPUPHOOD was so RAD! Thanks to everyone who came out to support local makers and new business owners. The new shops are truly amazing. Keep your ears open as the CoffeeBike and El Taco Bike are planning a popup brunch soon. The Chrome Van came out and was slinging shoes for $25. I also met a 63 year old cyclist who regullarly tours to Denver on his bike, he looks like hes 25. I ran out of both roasts and got some really good reveiws and interest about roasting at home. I think I actually inspired some people. Anyway if you live in or around Oaklnd, go downtown and check out the new shops on 9th and Webster. I heart OAKLAND! Oh and Jean Chuan even stopped by for a cup and a photo op haha!

popuphood

It was about two years ago when I was invited to the "Super popup shop". Now it's a whole pop up hood! I was honored to be invited by the coolest bike shop in the Bay Area. Sam and Mackay asked me to bring the CoffeeBike for the grand opening of their new shop. I didn't realize how big this was going to be, for me and all of Oakland. Click or copy and paste on this link for a really inspiring documentary for Fridays happenings. http://vimeo.com/m/33187820
Come by Friday night and support local business and the coffee bike.

shroom hunting

last year i was fortunate to get some foraging for mushrooms at a friends cabin in South Lake Tahoe. He has been foraging near his cabin for a few years now and was able share some experience and knowledge of some of these delectable micro organisms.

we were able to find some king bollets and some oysters, and some more psychedelic mushrooms .
The king was amazing in the morning, we cleaned em up and and cooked them with some eggs and cheese. The oysters I brought home and made a nice mushroom sandwich.

MEGA MEGA MEGA

Southern Exposure's Annual Art Auction 2011 MEGA MEGA MEGA
I was honored to have been asked back to participate on SOEX's auction planning committee once again. The gallery is so fun and is run by a charming bunch of ladies. This year I had the the task of topping my E.T. photo booth. So due to the theme this year I chose to build a money grab air booth. It was really fun to figure out the engineering of such a project. Despite its DIY look I think it was a complete success. It was rad seeing people of all ages participate in the booth. We had some wonderful prizes to win in the booth donated to SOEX from the Academy of Sciences, Delfina and we even gave away some lottery scratchers.

The art was simply amazing and generated some awesome energy during the live auction. Some of my favorites are in the video above. Kelsey Nicholson, Nathan Lynch, Jason Jagel, Amy Casey, Gina Tuzzi. Check out more at SOEX.org for more info and check out their flickr for more photos of the event.

If you know anyone who needs a air booth for their next event, party or fundraiser please contact me at thrownaked@hotmail.com. I believe renting one from anywhere else will run $500 to $1000 I will give a sweet deal!

success mouth watering pork

thanks for everyone coming to help eat all that pork. the skin was crispy and salty, the meat delicious and juicy. And yes cooked through. we uncovered the pig around 6pm, leaving it cooked for around 8 hours.

the meat was tender enough to pull apart with our hands. taking apart an animal with your bare hands was satisfying and nostalgic. along with a can of bud-light all i need was a bottle of whiskey to finish it off.

a great question was raised during the feast. what is with the fruit in the bigs mouth?

upon further research i haven't found a conclusive answer. the first was something about letting intestinal gases release while it's cook, another that it was just aesthetic. but my favorite was an explanation of how with out the fruit the pig's mouth looked as if it were giving a grimace instead of a smile.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOU!

pig roast oakland style

it has been awhile since iv'e roasted a pig. but thanks to Sou's birthday the chance has risin yet again. i grew up roasting pigs and goats in cucamonga ca my father and uncles butchered the animals in our backyard. stepping into Sou's east oakland home i was reminded of all the fun it was growing up hella asian.

it's also rad to see Sou's little nephew getting in the mixed and being exposed to the carnage of cooking whole animals.

how does one roast a pig? fairly simple.

1. get friends to dig a big hole

2. get a pig 80lbs will cost about 100$ or so

3. banana leaves

4. bamboo shoots

5. lava rocks or river rock

6. hardwood and charcoal. walnut is best for the meat

7. pre heat rocks

8.stuff rocks into pig

9. cover pig with leaves and wrap with chicken wire

10. set pig on coals

11. cover pigs with wet burlap sacs or wet sheets

12. cover with dirt.

13. drink beers and wait

Sou went to an A's day game. And i moved a couch and made a two pizzas.

stay tuned for photos of the finished product!

sipping session SOEX

Thank you SOEX, Hannah Strange and Jess Strange. The show was amazing everyone really made some amazing hooch. The Coffee Bike sold out of coffee! Thanks for supporting me and my roasting.

I was really happy to provide the non-alcoholic drink for the evening and help warm up people coming in from the rain. I met some really amazing people with some great stories.

Can't wait for this years auction!

sipping session group show at SOEX

Heading over the other side of the bay for a show at SOEX gallery in the mission.

Come and enjoy a evening with some of the bay area's finest beverage artists including me.

http://soex.org/Event/299.html

surf and turf

due to the recent finding of high cholestrol, I decided to make a low fat surf and turf bbq.
first layer: coals, soaked alder chunks (super longs purchase), two bricks (deflect heat), soaked corn. While the your food, marinating and such, soak your chunks and corn.


below i positioned the coals on one side to heat and smoke the chicken thighs hotter, while the red snapper smokes slower, since it will cook faster. and the corn gets some of the juices from the dripping seasoning of the fish. once everything was position i closed the top and let it smoke. the bottom air vents, all the way open and the top vent closed and away from the direct heat.