Business
I took a deep breath, slipped off my robe, stepped into the salty water, and closed the door behind me. I lay down and tried to be still. I closed my eyes. The sensation that I was surrounded by nothingness took over and I started to slip away.
For months, some Oakland residents and policy makers have seethed about what they consider an unfair interest rate swap between the city and the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Last Thursday, three people from Oakland flew across the country to attend Goldman Sachs’ annual shareholders’ meeting and see what CEO Lloyd Blankfein had to say about the deal.
Bittersweet settles into its new location in downtown Oakland, as the café becomes one of the new businesses to enter the revitalized area of the East Bay.
“A Mediterranean diet in a bar” is what two Oakland doctors were aiming for when they created the CHORI-bar, a nutrition bar designed to fight the effects of poor eating habits by delivering needed nutrients to the body and targeting early indicators of disease.
For one of the first-time candidates running for public office, the first-ever Oakland Caucus on Thursday night seemed undoubtedly formal. Richard Raya is running for the District 1 council seat, which includes North Oakland, in November, and while his campaigning to this point has involved a lot of community meetings and house parties, this event featured most of the candidates for local political seats in full-on campaign mode as they mingled with voters.
On Wednesday evening, the Fox Theater was filled with people excitedly discussing the night’s festivities. Inside, hors d’oeuvres and small burgers provided by local company Prather Ranch Meat were served with complimentary beer and wine. Hip-hop music could be heard playing in the background. However, the night was not about seeing a play or concert; it was dedicated to helping local businesses grow in Oakland.
Sal Bednarz, the owner of Actual Cafe, will be opening a new food joint slated to open next fall at the intersection of San Pablo and Alcatraz called Victory Burgers serving, you guessed it, hamburgers.
A year has passed since the Oakland airport lifted its travel ban to Havana. It’s now been three years since the administration of President Barack Obama issued a waiver easing economic sanctions and travel by Cuban artists. The importation of their music, brought to a near standstill in this country under former President George W. Bush’s foreign policy, shows signs of revival.
Two local businesses—Linden Street Brewery and Chop Bar—came together in Oakland Sunday for their annual pig roast celebration, held on the third Sunday of every month between April and September. Dynamic, an Oakland based band, performed throughout the evening. The four pigs they roasted came from Langley Farm in Petaluma, about 50 miles north of Oakland. Chefs at Chop Bar received the hogs two days before the roast, putting them in big white coolers while brining then for two days…