 Eat Well: Oakland Restaurants
Eating well is a way of life in Oakland, where the restaurant scene is booming with new places and new flavors. Joining Flora Uptown, Pican features tastes of the South and Ozumo brings the East Bay its renowned Japanese cuisine. At Lake Merritt, the NY Times has praised the food and ambiance at Camino. Nearby, former chef/owners of Zax and Zax Tavern have opened a new hotspot called Sidebar. House-made salumi and pate are on the menu at Adesso on Piedmont Ave. Try the tapas at Barlata on Telegraph. For more dining ideas, visit www.oaklandcvb.com. |
 Beers & Brewing: Pints Aplenty
Beer lovers, rejoice! Oakland once had more than 40 breweries in town and today the spirit of artisan production lives on with a heady selection of brews on tap and in bottles all around town. Located in Old Oakland, The Trappist specializes in Belgian beers but offers some 15 beers on tap and more than 140 specialty beers by the bottle. Just around the corner, the Pacific Coast Brewing Co offers 24 beers on tap - of which four to 10 are brands of theirs such as Gray Whale Ale and Orca Porter. On Piedmont Avenue, Cato's Ale House offers live music and more than a dozen brews. Look for Linden Street Brewery's Common Lager on beer lists around town. Discover more options in the Dining and Nightlife section at www.oaklandcvb.com. |
 Soaring Sequoias: Indoors and Out
California's biggest stars aren't in Hollywood. The Oakland Museum of California goes deep into the forest primeval to reveal the spectacular beauty of the Giant Sequoia, found nowhere on earth but California's Sierra Nevada. Future of Sequoias: Sustaining Parklands in the 21st Century (Feb 7-Aug 23, 2009) features photographs by Jeff Jones and prose by retired National Park Interpretative Ranger William C. Tweed. After the exhibit, jump in the car and head for the hills to Redwood Regional Park to stroll among a stately forest of 150-foot coast redwoods. |
 Special Stays: Packages
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 25 Things to Do for Under $25
It's easy to have a lot of fun in Oakland for a little money. Children's Fairyland offers rides and entertainment, all for the nostaglic price of $7 a ticket. Make new friends at the Oakland Zoo, which has 440 native and exotic animals and wildly low prices. Treat your sweetie (and yourself) at Bakesale Betty's. Catch a classic movie at the Paramount Theatre - and enjoy a Wurlitzer organ performance - for only $5. For more ideas, visit www.oaklandcvb.com. |
