The Laurel in Oakland

My neighborhood isn't a place I'd tell you to visit on purpose for a food crawl, but I love it anyway. A decade ago, when decent coffee was harder to find in the rest of America than it is today, I developed a list of three products which must be available to make a neighborhood suit me: 1) good extra virgin cold pressed olive oil 2) good coffee and
3) an independent bookstore. Since then I have substituted organic fresh produce for item one. THe Laurel District as of September 15 2001 now has all three (Laurel Bookstore opened then). In my opinion, if these three items exist in a neighborhood, everything else I need for happiness will be present.

My local produce markets can't rival the Berkeley Bowl or Monterey Market, but they do carry a wide range of fresh produce at decent prices, with the usual selection of specialty items. When I need black sesame seeds, or tahini, or basmati rice, or bulgur, or persimmons, etc. etc., I can get them without getting into the car.

About 10 blocks from my house is the Food Mill, a funky old natural foods store which I adore. I get my bulk staples there (fresh made peanut butter and almond butter, organic maple syrup, honey, nuts, beans grains and pulses, etc. etc. - bring your own jar for a discount). They also make house brand bar cookies that are clumsy looking, brown and squished in the package but absolutely terrific. I like the "super ginger" cookies the best, but the oatmeal raisin or the chocolate chip bars are good, too. Some of my most sophisticated friends have become hooked on these whole grain cookies at my suggestion. The Food Mill was founded in the 1930s and is still going strong. You can also get whatever vitamins you could possibly want there, as well as plenty of advice from the house nutritional supplement expert.

The local Chinese restaurant closest to me serves very good food (Fountain Garden on MacArthur). I am no expert and not all that adventurous so don't go there on my recommendation if you are a big connoisseur. But the Chinese folk in the neighborhood fill this place every day, lunch and dinner, so it can't be bad. I really like their potstickers, and have enjoyed their seafood soup.

World Grounds Cafe makes decent panini sandwiches and a vegan tamale pie that's tasty even if you're not a vegan. You can hang around writing Great Poetry for hours and nobody will bother you. They stay open until 9 pm so if you forgot to buy ground coffee you have time to get some after dinner.

Full House Cafe across Macarthur from World Grounds (and the KFC) is a breakfast and lunch place run by a culinary school graduate that serves "designer diner" food. They make fresh sage biscuits and coffee cake every day. I like their red flannel hash and poached eggs. They often have Great American specials on the menu like Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, or chorizo and eggs, or New mexican green chile stew. This cafe is definitely worth a special trip to the neighborhood if you live in the East Bay and want a good breakfast or lunch, but be prepared to wait on the weekends.

In sum, I can walk (pushing the double stroller) to almost anything I need for a fabulous quality of life. It's not as well groomed as The Rockridge, as precious as the Gourmet Ghetto, or as trendy as The Temescal. In fact, on some days the boulevard looks like a slum. But there's plenty of good food and a great new bookstore. If you want to find this neighborhood, take 580 East to 35th Avenue or 580 West to High Street and go to MacArthur Boulevard. The Food Mill is north of 35th Avenue, between Laurel and Maple on MacArthur. World Grounds and Full House Cafes are on 3 blocks south of 35th on MacArthur at Brown Avenue. The produce market on 35th and MacArthur is the best but House of Produce between 38th and 39th isn't bad. Laurel Bookstore is across from Albertson's and the Bank of America, at 39th and Macarthur. Fountain Garden restaurant is between Brown and 38th Avenues.

You can also take 13 South from Berkeley (much prettier drive), exit at Redwood Road and go down to MacArthur from there (REdwood becomes 35th at about Monterey Avenue)

If you see a six foot tall female pushing a six foot long double stroller, say hello.

Leila