A random roundup of music, restaurants and stores I've enjoyed recently...
Music
- You Could Have It So Much Better, Franz Ferdinand. OK, it's never going to be like hearing "Take Me Out" for the first time again, but it's a really, really good album. There's even a couple of slower songs (including a love song to the lead singer's girlfriend) that I really like.
- KCRW Sounds Electico. KCRW must be the public radio station
that all others envy. They have Le Show, and they have
Morning Becomes Eclectic.
This is a compilation of performances from the latter by musicians like
Mano Chao and Thievery Corporation, as well as a bunch of other
performers I wasn't familiar with but think I'll have to check out now.
Good stuff.
- "Caleb Meyer" by Gillian Welch. I saw her perform this
song at
the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival last weekend. Amazing (and
disturbing!) song.
Restaurants
- Clay Pot, San Pablo near Solano, Albany. Interesting food
including chicken and chestnut clay pot, cucumber garlic salad and the
best shao lum bao I've had.
- Old Place Seafood Teahouse, 391 Grand Avenue, Oakland. Not old, but very good. The dim sum is fresh and varied, the service is really friendly (they always tell us it's nice to see us again, whether they really remember us or not) and the prices are dirt cheap. And it's right near the Grand Lake Theater, and consequently not that far from us. This is my current favorite place to get dim sum.
Stores
Well, just one...
Rockridge
Home,
College Avenue (near Forest), Oakland, CA. I kept walking by this
place, and especially the last month or so, I've been very intrigued by
what I saw in the window. I finally got to go it. It is the
reincarnation of the late lamented Integrand Design shop in Santa Cruz
- that is, lots of very stylish and well-designed items, from furniture
to housewares to bath products.
