Montclair Food

Farmers Market Is An Art Exhibit

When shopping for veggies, have you ever taken a minute to admire their sheer beauty?

One Berkeley native, Kimbar, casts an artistic eye and likes to create veggie still-lifes.  She visits the Montclair Farmers’ Market regularly, and just added several winter images to her art exhibit.

Let’s start with some freshly-harvested brussel sprouts.  Even if you are a sprout hater, the range of natural green-blue colors, shapes and sizes are oddly compelling.

Brussel Sprouts

Next we see a cornucopia of veggies, which rivals the old masters.  I wonder if Kimbar captured what the vendors presented or set the stage herself.

Veggie Art

The last work is a radishes bouquet.  If you look carefully, you will see these radishes are a close-up of the veggie cornucopia.  They look so nice in their natural and root-filled state.

Radishes

There’s just something about these winter seasonals which are irresistible – whether you love to eat ’em or simply hate ’em.  This should snap us out of the storm doldrums, right?

Postscript:  Hardly anyone made it to the Farmer’s Market this weekend, except for the vendors who faithfully showed up with their goods.  The weather and holiday weekend conspired to keep the place empty.

Metro Cafe & Bar, A Seismic Shift For Village

Forgive the earthquake metaphor, but we’re really excited the Metro Cafe & Bar has taken up residence in Montclair Village.  What an nice upgrade from predecessor Royal Ground, complete with real cafe food, coffee, wine and wi-fi.

Most importantly, the Metro sports nice, long hours:  6am-9pm weekdays and 7am-8pm weekends.  The place is located at 2058 Mountain Blvd, right in the center of the Village (map).

Cafe Metro Opens

There are good breakfast options until 11am, especially if you want to grab something beyond the baked goods typically in coffee shops.  I can attest to very friendly service today, as they accepted my bagel and lox order a few minutes past the cut-off time.  Other menu items include oatmeal, yogurt, fruit and an egg sandwich.

I’ll have to return for lunch or dinner soon, since the mediterranean, nicoise, salmon and chinese chicken salads all sound quite good to me.  While there are several hot and cold veggie sandwiches, the hot ham and gruyere catches my eye as well.

We hope the Metro turns into another third-place for the Village, as a real alternative to Peet’s or Crogan’s.  Have you tried ’em yet?

Fast Food Vanishes In The Hills

Did you ever think about the lack of fast food outlets in the hills?  As you head up, the fast food outlets disappear from view.  When you drop down to the slants and flats, they return in full force and other options become scarce.

The Montclair District has a few convenience stores and no fast food chains at all.  You have to head down Broadway, to reach the closest Wendy’s.  You can also find Sparky’s Giant Burgers, near Lincoln Square.  Otherwise you are out of luck.

Take a look at this map prepared by the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) last year.  It shows the quantity of fast food and convenience stores per 1,000 residents.   The highest concentrations,  in dark brown, are clearly located in the inner cities as well as UC Berkeley.

Oakland Fast Food Density

Our lack of fast food outlets should be a blessing.  Health officials in our county and state have studied the correlations between the presence of junk food and poor health.  If there are more outlets per capita, then there are statistically higher rates of obesity and diabetes among residents.

Last April, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy released a study showing 20% higher rates of obesity and 23% higher diabetes in places with RFEIs above 5.0 versus below 3.0.  RFEI, which stands for retail food environment index, calculates the ratio between junk food outlets and grocery stores/produce vendors.

The evidence is irrefutable, and the state-level study says that bad RFEIs cause equally bad health outcomes – whether these outlets are located in high or low income places.  We are what we eat, and if the junk food isn’t available then we don’t fall prey to it.

Throughout Oakland, the way to fix things isn’t to literally shut down all the fast food places but to add better options into the mix.  When we hear about farmers’ markets getting set up or a new grocery store opening, that’s cause for celebration.

More info: The Alameda County Public Health Department conducted a thorough study about health and social inequities, including Food Access & Liquor Stores.  The California Center for Public Health Advocacy released their Designed For Disease study, including policy brief, county ranks and methodology links.

Thornhill Eats Too

Did you know there are FIVE places to nosh or pick up food on Thornhill Drive?  As you pass by, it’s easy to blink and miss what’s sitting in this small commercial section of town.

There’s enough to sustain Thornhill neighbors, who don’t have to drive “all the way” into the Village for a quick breakfast, coffee, lunch, dinner or bottle of soda.  Here’s the official scoop on what you can consume in Montclair’s northern reaches.

Viva Voce Cafe

* Italian: Viva Voce Cafe – 5761 Thornhill, 510-339-0990 – Yelp

Order some terrific soups, pizza, pasta and more.  It’s a very nice and cozy spot for dinner, even for special occasions. Viva Voce has been open a few years, and really should be a destination spot for all Montclarions.

* Thai: Thai Bai – 5736 Thornhill, 510-339-8030 – Yelp

Pick up your homemade thai dinner.  Of course, all the favorites you crave are available, and there are specials daily.  Try the ginger-type dishes for a change.  The place has been around for years, serving up healthy and quick fare.

* Coffee: Thornhill Coffee House – 5772 Thornhill, 510-339-8187 – Yelp

Make the daily run for good eats, coffee and friends.  It’s a comfy “third place” to hang out, filled with parents who dropped their kids off (at school) and other regulars.  Owner Thyda always makes you feel loved, offering a taste of this or that.

* Pizza: MG’s Pizza – 5736 Thornhill Dr, 510-339-1300 – Yelp

The newest spot on Thornhill, which entered the pizza wars.  They offer traditional rather than designer pies, and  should keep tinkering with the recipes a bit more.  Most importantly, they deliver pizzas to your doorstep.

* Junk: 7-Eleven – 5741 Thornhill, 510-339-9123 – Yelp

Trust the chain, sometimes.  We’re pretty happy that essentials are nearby, day and night.  There’s no need to traipse to the markets, when cravings strike.  They actually stock some decent stuff like nuts, pasta and um, Ben & Jerry’s.

TGIF At The Farmstead

Did you see this news?  The Oakland scene is usually defined by other places, but Montclair’s been declared “in the mix” by Oakland Magazine – and that’s a long time coming.

In the December issue delivered today, reporter Derek Richardson says “the sidewalks tend to roll up with the twilight”  in Montclair Village.  However he says there’s a Friday night buzz now at  Farmstead.

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines (map) invites locals to its TGIF wine tasting party on Fridays, from 6pm-8pm.  Since it’s only $3 per flight, you can’t go wrong.  They e-mail folks about what wines will be available and encourage everyone – in a pretty low-key way – to stop by for tastings.

Owner Jeff Diamond says “it’s become something of a social scene.”  Typically some 30-40 folks show up after work to greet the weekend, and the numbers are growing.

Diamond opened this Montclair shop last May, after perfecting his first and ongoing Alameda shop for many years.  Since then, he has encouraged Montclarions to try wine and artisan cheeses without any intimidation.  He offers tastings as well as organizes dinners.

Between this new Friday night buzz and our well-regarded Jazz and Wine Festival, we are slowly gaining a vino-related reputation around here.