Sunday, April 26, 2009

Preview Party Notes

We are looking forward to seeing all of you at the Friends and Family PREVIEW party. We want to stress that this is a PREVIEW party…the place is far from finished…you can read more about why at our blog: www.farleyseast.blogspot.com. It may seem strange to throw a party when there are exposed walls and unfinished countertops, but that is just the way we want it. We want you, our community, to see the coffee house in-progress and participate in its creation. We will have a sampling of the Panini we will be serving and we are feverishly working to get the brewers up and running so you can enjoy what Farley’s is all about….great coffee.

In addition to showing off Farley’s East, the other objective of the evening is to expose you to the hip, happening and up-and-coming neighborhoods of Oakland. To this end, if you are planning on staying in Oakland for dinner, please make a reservation…the place will be packed due to Oakland Art Murmur, http://www.oaklandartmurmur.com, which will be going on all evening.


To help you make a selection, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite restaurants.


Thanks again for coming and showing your support!

 

UPTOWN

Flora

1900 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 286-0100

Opened by the Dona Tomas duo, they also blazed the trail in the Uptown district. They are right across the street from the newly renovated FOX Theater. Be sure to get reservations – they are always packed.

Franklin Wine Bar

Sister restaurant to Lukas. Good locally grown dishes and a robust wine menu. Just around the corner from Farley’s and if the weather is nice, you can sit outside on their patio and enjoy the scene.

Lukas Taproom and Lounge

2221 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 451-4677

Lukas was a pioneer in the Uptown district. They serve upscale “bar” food with killer fries and burgers along with dishes that you would find in more formal restaurant. There is also a pool table in back to give it a tavern feel.

Ozumo – Uptown

2251 Broadway Ave (between 23rd St & Grand Ave) Oakland, CA (510) 286-9866

Sister restaurant to Ozumo in downtown SF. Some complain that the plates are small, but the atmosphere and the quality of the food makes up for it. Make reservations

Pican

2295 Broadway (between 23rd St & Grand Ave) Oakland, CA 94612

Yet another establishment who is part of the Oakland Uptown revival. Pican just opened in April and has been packed every weekend. They serve “upscale” southern food with cosmopolitan twist. They also have a swanky lounge if you just want to have a drink.

OLD TOWN

B Restaurant

499 9th St. (between Broadway & Washington St) Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 251-8770

Great atmosphere and good food. Sit outside if the weather is nice.

Levende East

827 Washington St (between 8th St & 9th St) Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 835-5585

Yet another SF establishment that has migrated east. It’s a very hip restaurant with a lounge feel. They have got plenty of outdoor seating and it would be good choice if the weather is nice

Le Cheval

1007 Clay St (between 10th St & 11th St) Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 763-8495

An Oakland classic…the best Vietnamese food you’ll find in the Bay Area.

Tamarindo

468 8th St Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 444-1944

Delicious Mexican small plates. The owner of this restaurant is a partner in the hip night club ERA that is going in next to Farley’s.

LAKE MERRITT & GLENVIEW

Camino

3917 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610 (510) 547-5035

New hotspot from Chez Paniz prodigy. Good local faire and specialty cocktails.

Marzano

4214 Park Boulevard
Oakland, California 94602 510.531.4500

Sister restaurant to Garabaldi’s on College. It just opened this winter in the Glenveiw district and it’s a huge hit. They don’t take reservations but the will serve you wine outside while you wait.

Bellanico

4238 Park Blvd 
Oakland, CA 94602 (510) 336-1180

Traditional Italian trattoria that aims to serve delicious California-Italian fare at reasonable prices. It’s the sister restaurant to Aperto which is a neighbor to Farley’s In SF.

Zaa’s Trattoria

552 Grand Ave. (Lake Merritt) Oakland, CA 94610 (510) 839-9124

If you are bringing the kids, this is your best choice. They have great pizzas, pasta and Italian favorites. Next door is a wine bar if you are looking for a lighter fare and a flight of interesting wines.

NORTH OAKLAND

Citron

5484 College Ave., Oakland CA 94618

French, Mediterranean, California. Since its inception by Chef/ Owner Christopher Rossi, Citron has established itself as an Oakland landmark catering to those who want the freshest ingredients possible prepared in tantalizing fashion.

Doña Tomás

5004 Telegraph Ave., Oakland CA; Tel. 510.450.0522

Mexican. Oakland's premier Mexican eatery, Dona Tomas does everything classy, from the food to the cocktails.

Oliveto

5655 College Ave. Oakland, CA 94618

Northern Italian. Oliveto offers regional favorites and some interesting specialties in the Northern Italian tradition. Menu selections change dramatically with the seasons.

Pizzaiolo

5008 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609 Tel: (510) 652-4888

Opened by a former Chez Panisse chef. Food is simple, locally grown faire with Italian influence. It also has a great bar with specialty cocktails. Always busy, so make a reservation.

 

Friday, April 24, 2009

Preview Party Renamed

Oh, I forgot to mention that the preview party next Friday has been officially renamed as a pre-preview party. This is an opportunity for you to experience Farley's East in its naked state. Definitely a work in progress....we will be issuing hardhats at the door.

Hope you can make and be ready to contribute your creative talents as we'll look for your ideas on artists, musicians, magazines and the like.

AMMR, PG&E, Sheet Rock, Interviews...What a Week

Wow, as I look back on the week, I wonder how it all happened. The building inspection revealed that steps are all 1/2" too short due to how they are supposed to be measured (for the record, it's nose-to-nose as opposed to riser-to-nose). Anyhow, we were going to have to rip them all out and move a steel beam, BUT we very fortunately granted an AMMR (alternative means and methods request) allowing us to provide 2" wide contrasting tape on the front of each stair. You won't be able to miss it!

The electrical situation reared its ugly head again. The city electrical inspectors took issue with the service load and condition of equipment PG&E has in place. Thus, PG&E is going to do a whole new round of calculations and site inspections. This will keep things interesting. If it turns out PG&E service is inadequate, come visit us at our opening next year....However, there will be a temporary solution so we're only strongly concerned, as opposed to freaked-out.

Moving on, electrical be dammed, the sheet rock went up today. Yes, all of it in one day! I have an office with walls, there's a bathroom, no holes in the ceiling and no holes in odd spots on the other walls. It really looks like a different space. If we could only hire the sheet rockers to do all the work, the project would have been completed two months ago.

Interviews: we began interviewing this week as well and met some really good folks. If you know anyone looking for employment, email us for an application.

Happy news about the sheet rock and the interviews, so a nice way to start the weekend!


PS. We're doing a mosaic right outside the front entrance. So, even when you're looking down, you'll have reason to smile upon entering Farley's East.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Thanks to OBDC Small Business Finance

We would be remiss in not mentioning the source of our business loan. OBDC Small Business Finance has worked with us to secure a loan through the City of Oakland and that is not an easy task with the current economy. We thank them for their efforts.

In addition, they are a great group of people who love Oakland as much as we do!

Check them out: www.obdc.com

Monday, April 13, 2009

Preview Party Invitation

We are happy to announce and invite you, the reader, to a preview party on May 1 at 6pm. We won't be done with construction but we want to give you a preview of the coffee house and expose you to Oakland's Art Murmur (www.oaklandartmurmur.com).

There will be food and drink for your enjoyment. Please feel free tell your local friends, we'd love to meet them!

We're very excited to share our new venture with all of you and hope that you will join us to celebrate!

Chris & Amy

Monday, April 6, 2009

Stay Updated With Us on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter: FarleysEast

Open Call for Artists

We will be featuring a rotating Artist of the Month at Farley's East and will soon be looking for talented artists interested in having a show. You would be required to have a one month show with reception on the first Friday of the month to coincide with Oakland Art Murmur. Preference will be given to Oakland residents but all interested artists are welcome to submit an application.

Email for further information and an application.

Contact Chris -at- FarleysCoffee -dot- com