Holiday Survival Tip #1

Need a pre-party drink but afraid to go to any old pub for the fear of running into those few annoying douches you went to high school with who will want to know all about what you're up to these days? (Drinking, bitch.) 

Have an aviation and a couple $1 oysters at Cafe Rouge. That maraschino cherry at the bottom of the glass made me smile all night. Rouge is too classy for the recent college grads (I'm talking Mad Men classy), so unless you regularly kick it on 4th street you won't have to watch the door in paranoia. Their burger and fries are top notch, so fill up here before heading to another spiced holiday ham.

Merry Christmukah!

Got the travel bug?
Cafe Rouge Oyster hours are Tuesday-Thursday 5:30- close, and Friday and Saturday 12:30 pm- close.

Teach a Man to Fish...

and he'll eat for the rest of his life. Give a girl a tasty five course meal and... she'll love you forever. Or at least blog about you. Last week I had the pleasure of dining at St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda for The Kitchen of Champions' Guest Chef Series. Kitchen of Champions is a culinary training and job placement program that supports St. Vincent de Paul's free dining room by serving 1,000 hot meals a day to Oakland's homeless and hungry. The program is a complete menu: Job training and placement, a side of safety net services, accompanied by some delicious food. 

The culinary students, who commit to 12 weeks of culinary training, life skills training, and case management, get hands on experience as they prepare meals under a master chef. On nights like tonight, they prepared a five course meal alongside Jacob Alioto, Chef of Luka's Taproom as a fundraiser for the program. It's a chance for over 100 supporters to enjoy a fancy meal and an opportunity for the students to work with professional chefs like Alioto and last year's guest chef, Matt Colgan of A Cote (check out Oakland North's story).

     (Peep Chef Alioto in the glasses)

As far as fundraisers go, this was a hit in my book (and my book counts because I do fundraising, oh-kay). I met a board member, a food journalist, a volunteer from UC Berkeley, and a local artist who all loved talking food. At my table I overheard a "damn, I could curl up with these shortribs" (wait, I said that) and a "I've never had crem brule before!" (you know that wasn't me) and one of the best compliments a chef could receive after serving a five course meal, "I feel satisfied, but not uncomfortably full. I feel perfect."

The program also includes job placement services, so that students find fair wage employment and get support retaining their jobs. Over 70% of graduates have gained employment after completing the program, and the staff is building partnerships with local restaurants (hint, hint my restaurant-owning friends). Glasses raised to the students, because kitchen work is a grind, and big ups to the staff, because putting together a program like this ain't no piece of cake either.

Got the travel bug?
Check out the champions here: St Vincent De Paul or the Kitchen of Champions Blog. 

Local Yokel Holiday Shopping Guide

It's estimated that for every dollar you spend, twice as much will be reinvested in the community by a local store than a national store.1 It's also estimated that Bay folks are so damn cocky we think we live in the coolest place in the world and we love us some Bay-related things. It's also estimated that the Bay is home to some of the most creative, stylish, and planet-positive entrepreneurs around. No footnote for the last two. Lesson of all these estimations? Buy Bay, give Bay, you'll make many a Bay people happy. Because this holiday season... who gives a fuck about the rest of this country?
Ready, go!

The City

• 12/4: Chillin Productions Annual Holiday Show is paradise for the indie designer lover.
• 12/4: 3rd St Holiday Sale with over a dozen of my favorite SFMade companies.
• 12/9: Get your SFMade gift bag at their holiday mixer 
• 12/10: La Cocina Gift Fair is gonna be delicious. Period.
• 12/4 & 12/11: Market SF, see previous post.
• 12/11 & 12/12: KPFA Crafts & Music Fair for the Berkeley moms.

East Bay

• 12/3: First Friday in Oakland could inspire you to buy some art.
• 12/4: The Find at Jack London Square looks coo', never been.
• 12/11, 12, 18, 19, 23, 24: Telegraph Holiday Street Fair. Helloooo high school. 
• 12/11: Temescal Holiday Stroll- that's my hood! woot woot!
• Get Online @ http://www.shopoakland.com/

Know of a cool holiday shopping event? Holla at yo girl... let's make it a collective list.