If you know me in real life and/or read my other blog, you know I’m currently injured. After 5 days of bed rest, I was determined to finally GET OUTSIDE today so with a growling tummy and $20 in my wallet, I ventured out the door and down the street…
I’m lucky to live near the Temescal district of Oakland, California, otherwise know as the Gourmet Ghetto (click here to read a Wall Street Journal article, “A New Gourmet Ghetto”) . While it isn’t the nicest area of Oakland, it is definitely one of the tastiest!
It was 10am when I started my walk so my first stop was Arbor Cafe on Telegraph for a small cup of french pressed goodness. There are just a few coffee shops in Oakland I know of that do french pressed coffee- Bica in Rockridge is one and Remedy, also on Telegraph, now unfortunately closed). Arbor brews Bicycle Coffee, a small-batch roaster here in Oakland. It has a great vibe, friendly people, WiFi, lots of seating and I noticed today, draft beer! Mentioned this to the cashier and she said their happy hour is 4-6pm every day- great to know! (Arbor is cash only though, so you gotta be prepared!)
And on down Telegraph I walked, stopping to take photos of all the mosaic garbage cans (pictured at the very top) lining the streets and neat graffiti along the way…
I knew exactly what I wanted next, so I wrapped my hands around my coffee trying to keep it nice and warm until I got there…
Took a right on 49th and arrived at the most tasty Doughnut Dolly! Dolly is known for her cream-filled-to-order doughnuts and after waiting in a somewhat long line, I stepped up and ordered one sour cherry jam original (covered with granulated sugar, the other option being powdered) doughnut.
Gourmet doughnuts seem to be taking over where cupcakes are leaving off but I gotta say, there’s just not too much you can do with a doughnut! I like Dolly’s but am also a big fan of Pepple’s and Donut Savant. All 3 are different, all are delicious and I can’t really tell you if I have a favorite! Guess I gotta keep on trying them… you know, for research… yeah…
Took a right on Claremont for my next stop, the Temescal Farmer’s Market!
Feeling full but wanting to spend my remaining $14 on more tasty treats, I went right over to the Donna’s Tamales and looked over the menu for what felt like forever, so hard to choose just one! Seems like Donna’s is at every farmer’s market here in the East Bay, so I have had almost every flavor. Love, love, LOVE them! Donna’s is also carried in local supermarkets like Andronico’s, Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl but there’s nothing like one that’s hot and fresh-steamed. I ordered the butternut squash as it is one of favorite combinations and looked for a beverage to go along with it…
Usually when I come to this farmer’s market, I get a fruit and veggie juice from Beet Generation but they weren’t there today! I was disappointed but I was looking around for something else super healthy to quench my thirst, the Living Apothecary menu caught my eye:
I tried about 6 different samples, a few of which I wanted to spit out as they were super funky but then settled on a bottle of the flavor I found very mild with a kick, the Red Raspberry Leaf Ginger. I didn’t dare to try any of the vegan milks but the #4 really intrigues me… next time!
I stopped at one of my usual stops for one of my usual needs: the Feel Good Bakery table for a fresh sourdough baguette. All of their breads are fantastic and I would have added a few cheese & seed sticks and a couple cinnamon buns in the mix but I promised myself to stick to my budget today!
As I walked through the produce stall, I was taken by the sheer beauty of these amazing organic cherry tomatoes! I figured slicing my baguette and dipping it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar would be perfection with some of these fresh little guys on the side but they were $2.50 a basket and I only had $2.00 left. I walked up to the front and promised to come back next weekend and buy more to make up for the $0.50 but the lady was so nice, she said, “No problem!” with a big smile. I happily thanked her and toting my bag of Temescal treasures, I walked back home enjoying the beautiful day and more mosaic garbage cans.
Have you explored the sundry food choices here in Temescal? What are your favorites?
The VeganBurger Blogger 
Sounds like such a lovely day!!! It was beautiful outside – glad you are feeling a bit better 🙂
Love it, you make it all look so enticing and interesting. Makes me realize that Oakland is a pretty cool place!