Category — uptown

Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the Art Murmur’s Saturday Stroll, a quieter gallery hop in the sleepy weekend afternoon. But First Friday’s noise and bustle are fun too, as the warm summer will draw increasing numbers to Telegraph from Uptown to 25th.

A new boutique called the Oakland Surf Club has opened at 337 14th St near Webster, stocking clothing, accessories and sundries for men and women, in addition to surfboards, skate decks, and magazines. T-shirts, shorts and 70s-inspired sneakers make up most of the offerings, along with jewelry and clutches for women and a selection of sunscreen for men.

Dr. Shabubu, who covered Uptown in taped-up tirades from its emergence as a dispensary district in the early 2000s until about 2006, has passed away. The DTO learned of his passing from a poorly xeroxed flyer.

For breaking DTO news, fan us on Facebook! Have a happy First Friday!

It’s the end of June, marking the waning of the earth’s daylight cycle and the end of the first half of the year. In California, it’s also the time that many legislative acts come into effect – none more controversially this year than the foie gras ban. In what folks are calling #foiemaggedon, restaurants and delicatessens are forbidden from selling the traditional European delicacy, starting Sunday.

Fortunately, you can find your foie fix in Uptown at new San Pablo Ave spot Hopscotch as well as Flora, though be warned – foie gras sales have risen so much in the last few months that restaurants are running out at a rapid clip. There are also a few restaurants serving foie some BART stops away, for the truly desperate.

Speaking of running out, tomorrow night is the deadline to vote for your favorite downtown establishment in the East Bay Express’ Best Of the East Bay awards.

And in the spirit of a new season and, for some, a chance to start over, here is all the news you missed while I neglected to post here. But don’t worry, your friendly neighborhood chronicler is back!

Summer Events

• Wednesday noontime concert schedule for City Center (13th off Broadway).
• OaklandNorth rounds up free and cheap summertime activities throughout the city, including several DTO.

Food News

• EaterSF tells the whole story of what happened at Hibiscus.
• Plum is no longer serving its late-night menu, boo.
• Donut Savant on Broadway, referenced here recently, gets a review from the Express.
• The lovely Afghan hole-in-the-wall at 14th and Webster also gets the EBX treatment.

Retail and Business Happenings

• The SF Business Times reports that Oakland’s historic office buildings are attracting technology companies.
• Girls Inc hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at their new Uptown HQ for Alameda County.
• As of this week there is a new store at the Pop Up Hood, woman’s clothing boutique McMullen (831 Broadway).

Enjoy your pre-Independence Day weekend! I’ll see you while dodging vegan protesters in Uptown.