signs: Chowhaus

Asign so new, the restaurant it's for probably won't open for a couple of weeks. Chowhaus is moving in to the space formerly occupied by Montclair Bistro. The people behind it are Tracey Belock and Joe Schnell; Belock was formerly at Tribune Tavern downtown and the now-closed Disco Volante. Read more about their plans on What the Fork at the East Bay Express. Yes, based on that article they're behind schedule. But the latest rumor I heard from some folks in the village was that it should be open in a couple of weeks.

Western Railway Museum

Other than occasionally crossing the border into Emeryville, Berkeley, or Alameda, I don't leave Oakland very often, but Saturday K joined me for a trip to Suisun City. The trip is less surprising when you learn that some Oakland history was involved, with a day at the Western Railway Museum.

The day was a great two-fer, with not just Oakland railroad history, but a ride on an historic train with wildflower viewing and wine tasting. After some lunch (they've got some lovely areas for picnicking) we explored the museum. The visitors center includes some displays, a gift shop, and the F. M. Smith Memorial Library. But outside is where the real fun is, with two car barns, a restoration workshop and grounds full of historic railroad equipment.

Railroads (along with earthquakes and freeways) have been a big part of shaping Oakland's history. The first transcontinental railroad was a joint project between the Western Pacific, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific, and had its terminus in Oakland. This led to countless people settling in Oakland, like C. L. Dellums who left Texas and came to Oakland and worked as a Pullman Porter. F. M. "Borax" Smith and his realty partner bought up small streetcar lines and built the Key System, the first unified transit system in the East Bay. The Sacramento Northern Railway was an electric interurban railroad that ran from Oakland to Sacramento to Chico.

There are other pieces of California railroad history at the museum, like the Richmond Shipyard Railway, a special train the U.S. Maritime Commission hired the Key System to run to transport shipyard workers during WWII, some old SF Muni cars, and railroad cars designed to carry different fruits and vegetables from the farms of California. Some in Oakland might remember the Southern Pacific's electric interurban railroad, the East Bay Electric Lines, with its distinctive red cars and round front windows. We were shown around one of the car barns by historian and author Paul Trimble, who literally wrote the book on the Sacramento Northern Railway and co-authored Ferries on San Francisco Bay. Both are subjects dear to me, because my grandfather worked as a machinist for the Sacramento Northern in their repair shops at 40th and Shafter, and my great-grandfather worked on one of the Southern Pacific ferryboats that traveled between Oakland and San Francisco.

Our visit finished with a ride on a trained pulled by the historic Comet of the Sacramento Northern Railway (shown above crossing Lake Temescal). They do regular rides through the day, but during April, they do a special wine tasting and wildflower viewing trip. In addition to a souvenir glass from the museum, we tasted 4 local wines, were served tasty h'ordeuvres and learned some about local history. I think even the folks who were less interested in railroad history enjoyed the trip.

All in all, a visit to the Western Railway Museum is highly recommended for Oakland history buffs, railfans and wine lovers.

Lots more pictures from the museum:

signs: Juhu Beach Club

Not an awesome sign, but some great food. Plus a bonus night shot of the exterior.

food: Juhu Beach Club

Tuesday K and I celebrated my birthday with dinner at Juhu Beach Club. The small restaurant is decorated in cheery pinks and oranges, and while it's a bit loud when crowded (like most restaurants these days), K and I didn't find it overwhelming.

In short, we liked everything we tried, but we especially loved the asparagus nest with a soft-cooked duck egg, and the Manchurian cauliflower. Hat tip to Christina Mitchell of East Bay Dish for recommending the cauliflower. It's clearly a popular dish, because we saw a lot of it moving out from the kitchen.

And shout-out to Oakland artists Bruce and Sue Mark of marksearch.org, the creative force behind Walking the Invisible City - the 10,000 Steps program, which placed numerous markers about Oakland's historic parks downtown. Sue is also creating the Klinknerville.org website, which looks at the people and history of what is now the Golden Gate District.

Saturday Art Stroll

If you've gone to a First Friday and felt overwhelmed, you're not alone. What started as the monthly Art Murmur to get people interested in art and the growing art scene in Oakland rapidly grew to include a street festival, food trucks, and other happenings. In the words of Yogi Berra, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

If you want the art but not the crowds, there are some options. Every Saturday, many of the same galleries and art spaces take part in the Saturday Art Stroll. It's a chance to see the art, talk to people in the galleries, and take in things at a slower pace. Once a month on the third Saturday, they also lead special tours.

This past Saturday the Saturday Stroll art tour started at Warehouse 416 with a powerul exhibit from the Foster Youth Museum. Then it was over to Creative Growth Art Center, which serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, and provides a professional studio environment. Creative Growth also includes a gallery space where the work is shown, and a small store where some of the art is available for purchase. Steve Oriolo, who runs the wood studio and the Saturday youth program, kindly stuck around and showed the large group the space and then answered questions.

Our final stop was the Rock Paper Scissors Collective, one of the original founders of the Art Murmur. RPS works to foster creativity and collaboration through free and low-cost art classes. It's all volunteer run, and in need of some financial help, so considering volunteering or donating to help keep it running.