Grand Lake Farmers Market

I went to the Grand Lake Farmers Market today and was amazed by all the beautiful colors. Here are some pictures:

Home of Chicken and Waffles - Oakland

I was wandering around downtown Oakland today and ended up at Jack London Square around lunchtime. The picture at left is the Cheemah Mother of the Spirit-Fire monument.

On my way to a BBQ joint, I passed by Home of Chicken & Waffles. As many of my faithful readers know, I'm a sucker for fried chicken, especially when served with waffles.

I ordered Angie's Delight which is the chicken breast with waffle and a side of grits. The chicken was juicy but fairly bland. The waffle was crispy outside and soft inside although it was pretty thin. The grits hit the spot after my chilly morning of walking.

The server was nice and attentive and the food arrived quickly.

This place was a franchise of Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. I've got to say it has nothing on the original - the flavor of Roscoe's chicken alone is waaay better. However, you can't find Roscoe's in Northern California anymore so this is the next best thing.

Of course, dining experiences that requires a moist towelette at the end of the meal is good in my book.

Prime Spot - Oakland

I went out for steak tonight to a little hole in the wall place on Grand Avenue, up from Lake Merritt. It is next to a nail salon that was incredibly busy at 6:30 on a Saturday night.

It is not much to look at and you would never have pegged it for a steakhouse, in fact you'd think it was actually a Chinese restaurant. I hesitated at the door because the place was empty of customers and all the staff were sitting at the bar. However, the East Bay Express had good things to say about it, so I took a chance.

The menu is all about the meat. My dining companion had had a half slab of ribs at an earlier visit but both of us were in the mood for beef.

I ordered the Rib Eye and it came out beautifully rare. There was a lot of fat around the meat but that just made it tender and delicious. The garlic mashed potatoes were excellent and I did eat one of the broccoli florets.

My business partner's husband had the NY Strip. His meat was cooked to his specification - just pink all the way through - and just what he had been dreaming about. He also had a salad with his but, you know my saying about salads: "Salad isn't food, it is what food eats!"

The waiter warned us at the outset about them losing their liquor license but the meal was still excellent without wine. The prices are also very reasonable, making this a terrific alternative to those high end steak houses where you pay for the rarefied atmosphere.

After dinner, we walked down to Walden Books and spent a lovely time just browsing the new and used books. All and all, it was a great evening.