Fall Harvest 2014

Can Berkeley take the fizz out of Big Soda? By Rachel Trachten • Illustration by Nikki Goddard This November, Berkeley voters can stand tall against Big Soda. The City Council has unanimously approved a ballot measure that would impose a one-cent-per-ounce tax on the distributors of sodas and other sugary, low-nutrition beverages like energy drinks,…

We like to feature a different artist on our cover each season, but Celia Wedding had the perfect image for us twice in a row, so we couldn’t pass them up. “I live up against some green space in the Oakland hills,” says Wedding. “The turkeys march past my window on a regular basis. Once…

By Gary Handman                   xxxxx  

by Barbara Kobsar • Illustration by Margo Rivera-Weiss Choosing produce harvested at its peak is your sure bet for flavor and freshness. August Watch out as the melons start to roll in from California’s interior valley. Like squashes and cucumbers, melons are members of the huge Cucurbitaceae family. They are easily crossbred to meet the…

Will a Hike in the Minimum Wage Lift Up Workers or Bring Down Restaurants? By Sarah Henry • Photos by Stacy Ventura Michael LeBlanc wants to lift up Oakland as much as anyone. LeBlanc is the owner of Picán, an anchor restaurant opened in 2009 that’s helping fuel a dining boom in Uptown. He’s also…

 By Jessica Prentice Jessica Prentice, Maggie Gosselin, and Sarah Klein created the Local Foods Wheel to help us all enjoy the freshest, tastiest, and most ecologically sound food choices month by month. Here are seven of Jessica’s seasonal favorites. You can learn more about the Local Foods Wheel and the group’s other ventures at localfoodswheel.com.…

Working on our fall issue always gets me a little disoriented. It’s lazy midsummer vacation time, but here we are creating coverage for a soon-to-be-busy fall season with its harvests and holiday preparations… oh, and an election. The drought and election were on my mind as I was talking to Aldo Assali of A.P. Farming,…

Local currency opens new doors for entrepreneurs by Rachel Trachten • photos by Gabriella Gamboa Berkeley architect Michael Robbins needed a website to launch his new business, but found himself short on cash. At such a time, many businesspeople might apply to a bank for a loan, but instead, Robbins turned to Bay Bucks, a…

A Visit to Livermore Valley Wine Country By Christy White • Photos by Annie Tillis • Map by Nikki Goddard A few years ago when I was dating a guy from Pleasanton, my Oakland and Berkeley friends often asked dubiously “Pleasanton?” as they glanced at each other in alarm. “You could never live in Pleasanton.”…

Kassenhoff Growers takes root at Oakland landmark By Cheryl Angelina Koehler • Photos by Andrew Ellis In May, when Kassenhoff Growers invited a group of devoted customers to a debut plant sale at their new West Oakland digs, owners Helen Krayenhoff and Peggy Kass weren’t quite prepared for the frenzy that would ensue over Krayenhoff’s…

Bryant Terry dishes up food with heat and heart — and music for good measure By Sarah Henry Bryant Terry is literally a poster child for Oakland: You can find him alongside the likes of chef Tanya Holland and urban farmer Novella Carpenter as part of a campaign celebrating this city’s diverse residents designed by…

Underdog Wine Bar at Concannon Vineyards Story and Photos by Deborah Grossman The Restaurant at the Wente Vineyards event center is the alpha dog of winery dining in Livermore Valley with its half-acre organic garden and 25-year history of white-tablecloth cuisine. But Underdog Wine Bar at Concannon Vineyards has established its own fan base for…

Maker of delicious dishes, no caveats attached By Sarah Henry • Photos by Erin Scott Here’s what you need to know about Erin Scott up front. She loves eating, cooking, and photographing food. Period. Sure, she has this pesky (okay, more than pesky) problem called celiac disease, a chronic digestive disorder that can damage the small…

A good choice for the sustainability pilgrim’s Thanksgiving By Erik “Daemon” Ferry Illustration by Celia Wedding For those who have what it takes to get ’em, there’s a flavorsome, healthful, thoroughly organic, and environmentally appropriate source of harvest-season poultry running amok in the East Bay hills. We are of course talking wild turkeys. Introduced as…