6 Things Making Us Happy About Living in the East Bay Right Now

 

Here's our roundup of the people, places, reads, and eats that are making us happy about living in the East Bay right now.

 

East Bay Cooks

James Beard Award-winning food writer Carolyn Jung pays delicious tribute to our region’s leading restaurants and chefs with her new cookbook “East Bay Cooks: Signature Recipes from the Best Restaurants, Bars and Bakeries" from Figure 1 Publishing.

When interviewed about her collection, Carolyn told Diablo Magazine that “I think the great thing about the East Bay is its incredible diversity, and I wanted that represented in this book in order to do justice to all the communities it encompasses. No matter what food you have a craving for or want to discover for the first time, it has a toehold here.”

Tempting recipes include oxtail risotto with mushrooms from East End in Alameda, lamb larb from Belcampo Meat Co. in Oakland, aloo gobi tacos from Curry Up Now (locations in Alameda, Oakland, and San Ramon) and campfire kulfi from Componere Fine Catering in Emeryville.

Want more recipes from famous Bay Area chefs? Check out our blog post with recipe links for mouthwatering celebrity dishes.

 

Côte West

 

Sipping old-world wines in a bright modern setting at Oakland’s Embarcadero Cove… What’s not to love?

Head winemaker and co-founder Bret Hogan sources grapes from California vineyards on the north coast, with noteworthy results.

From the Côte West website: “We seek out special vineyard sites and use minimal intervention in the winery to highlight the unique characteristics of our sources. The result is Old World-style yet undeniably Californian wines.”

At weekend urban wine tastings, you can sip six different Côte West wines for $15. And, because this winery is run by the parents of two young children, expect a family friendly vibe and even the occasional kids art class. The tasting room is located at 2102 Dennison St., Suite A, Oakland.

Côte West is just one stop on Oakland's urban wine trail. Read our blog post about all the East Bay tasting rooms.

 

“Unbelievable” on Netflix

Berkeley-based journalist T. Christian Miller co-wrote the original Pulitzer-Prize winning article that is the basis for the powerful Netflix miniseries "Unbelievable," about a teen who reports and then recants her reported rape under police pressure. The series follows the investigation that ultimately reveals the truth.

The “Unbelievable” creative team also includes East Bayers and novelists Ayelet Waldman and husband Michael Chabon.

"Unbelievable" doesn't make for easy watching, but it is an important and engrossing series.

 

Tiny houses

 

You may have noticed the busy buzz of saws and pounding hammers on Brush Street between 22nd and 21st in Oakland. Volunteers with Youth Spirit Artworks, an interfaith art and job training program for homeless and low-income youth, have been donning hardhats and helping build a “Tiny House Village” for young adults ages 18-25.

We are so inspired by this innovative community project designed by local youth leaders!

Each economical 8 x 10-foot unit will include a loft bed, windows, skylight, storage, electricity, and furnishings. Residents will share the village's communal kitchen, bathrooms, living and art spaces. The target open date is July 1, 2020.

There are plenty of opportunities to help build or donate to this Habitat For Humanity-style project. Sign up here.

 

Talk Berkeley To Me

Check out the Berkeleyside Podcast episode “Are You a Deeker?,” which sets out to decode the uniquely inventive vocabulary of our local teenagers.

Berkeley High students and Rafael Casal, one of the writers behind the film “Blindspotting,” are among the slang experts who discuss how street lingo reflects our area’s diversity and cultural influences.

 

Grazing goats

We can’t help smiling when we see urban herds of goats hungrily munching away on the vegetation that blankets the East Bay hills.

These adorable lawnmowers are an increasingly popular fire prevention tool, creating firebreaks between open space and homes. Did you know a goat can chow down on 10 pounds of pastureland per day? We welcome that kind of gusto for grass!

Also, goats are a sustainable resource that is much better for the environment than dousing fields with chemical weed killers.

Read this Oakland Magazine feature to learn more about our favorite firefighting billies and nannies.

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What is making you happy about living in the East Bay? Share with us in the comments section or by email at [email protected].