Helloooooo Bay Area!  How is your week going so far?  I hope you are having a fantastic Wednesday and that it just keeps getting better as we barrel down towards the weekend.  Love, love, love the YaY! Area this weekend because it is going down in the history books!  I hope I see you at some of the events this weekend, come up and say hi!   

This week I am profiling up and coming chef Charleen Caabay who is currently in the process of opening up her Filipino Comfort Food restaurant.  Read about her love of cooking and what she has up her chef sleeve for the soon to be opened Kainbigan Restaurant.

Miz Chris [MC]:  How long have you lived in the Bay?

Charleen Caabay [CC]:  I've lived in the Bay for 20 years now. My family moved here from the east coast, I was born in New Jersey. When we moved to California we resided in Vallejo, a city known to have a large population of Filipinos just like Daly City. I then lived in several other bay area cities prior, but now I currently reside in Oakland, CA.

[MC]:  When did you know your passion was for cooking?

[CC]:  I have always loved cooking since I was a teen. I grew up with a long line of family members that always knew how to throw down a mean feast. My passion became clear to me while I was working corporate jobs and constantly getting laid off. During my down time, I would always cook for family, friends and friends of friends. Many would constantly request Filipino food, because it was not readily accessible to them. I developed a bigger drive, a bigger love, and a motivation to want to always cook for people all the time.  I always say where there is good food there is good company and I find that to almost always be true.  Food brings people together from all walks of life.

[MC]:  When did you start cooking for other people?

[CC]:  Cooking for others has always been second nature to me. It is part of my culture.  If you walk into a Filipino household, the most likely first question will be "Are you hungry?" "Eat first!" "What do you want to eat?"  So I grew up with my family cooking for our guests and that was passed down to me and now I cook for my guests.  It is truly a passion for me.

[MC]:  What inspires you about Filipino food? and why do you think the East Bay needs a restaurant like yours?

[CC]:  Filipino food is a large part of my culture as a 2nd generation Filipino American.  I can already sense that we are losing our Filipino culture of food in America. More and more I see staples of the Filipino menu being historically lost through the generation.

Filipinos are the 2nd largest Asian population in the U.S. and yet finding Filipino food on a menu in its traditional form is scarce. As diverse and cultured the East Bay is, Filipino food needs to be on the food map here. I want Kainbigan to be able to deliver that to my family, my friends, my customers and my city and the surrounding areas. I want to be able to share my culture and my love of cooking through food.

[MC]:  How long has Kainbigan been in existence?

[CC]:  I starting Kainbigan in 2007 but didn't really hit my stride until 2009 when I started catering for different events and venues throughout the Bay Area.  And I have cooked everywhere!  From the street corners at First Fridays in Oakland to various venues from San Francisco down to San Jose.  Recently I did a weekly pop-up restaurant in Oakland that did very well and what really got me moving on finding my own space. 

[MC]:  What can people expect on the Kainbigan menu when you open?

[CC]:  You can expect traditional Filipino cuisine favorites, like adobo (braised meat or vegetable in a soy based sauce), lumpia - everyone's favorite (eggrolls), pancit (rice, or canton stir-fry noodles with variety of toppings), soups, salads, and a few others I don't want to let out of the bag... just yet!

[MC]:  When will you be opened? 

[CC]:  If all goes well I am hoping before the summer. It's been quite an adventure so far, getting everything up to code, following the health department regulations, and doing anything I can to be a step ahead of the game.  Opening a restaurant is intense and I have learned so much on this journey.  Sometimes it is incredibly scary to be so far out on a limb reaching for my dream.  But most times it is just exhilarating. 

[MC]:  Tell me a little about your recent fundraising efforts and how can people help?

[CC]:  Up until now I have been self-funded and helped along by a few very close friends and family who I am forever grateful to for believing in me.  However, opening up a restaurant is not only time intensive but expensive!  I need help to make my dream a reality.  With that in mind I have created an Indiegogo Campaign in hopes to reach out to the greater community to help fund and support Kainbigan Restaurant. It's about a month long campaign and about only 2 weeks left. It would be AWESOME if you can share my link with your family, friends, or donate as little as $5 up to $5,000. Truly, every little bit counts!   

I have a vision of a place where people can get really tasty Filipino food for really good prices.  A place where I know their name and they know mine.  A place where everyone can gather and know they are going to be greeted with a smile and maybe a sample of whatever new dish I am trying to perfect while they wait for their order.  I want Kainbigan to be that place that when you think about you makes you feel warm and hungry inside.  Let's eat, my friends!

 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

HITS ON HITS ON HITS
THE NIGHT LIGHT
311 Broaday, Oakland
9 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Welcome one and all to a night of extravaganza! Hits on Hits on Hits is The Night Lights new weekly with resident DJ Lady Ra from one of Oakland's premiere queer parties Hella Gay.

Like the lady once said, Sometimes you've got to be a b*tch to get things done.

"This party is dedicated to the hit's Lady Ra grew up on. Each artist Lady Ra will be featuring has stood the test of time. Through decades of failing economies and flaky fans, these Icons still make us move and groove.  Lady Ra promises to slay every b*tch on the dance floor and create waves doing it! Catagory is! Madonna!"

OAKLAND BIKEWAYS CAMPAIGN TRANSFORM 436 14th Street, Suite 600, Oakland
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
FREE

Join us and our friends at Walk Oakland Bike Oakland for our Oakland Bikeways Campaign Workshop #2, where the real work of the campaign begins and where your volunteer help is most needed.

Snacks and drinks provided. Bike parking inside building.

This is our 2nd organizing meeting this year and tonight the real work begins. At tonght's meeting, you will get to review the design plans for new bikeways on Telegraph Ave, Park Blvd and 14th St.

These are the first draft of creative, new bike lane designs that are based on your input, as envisioned by our team of volunteer landscape architects from Cal
continue to help us develop our strategy for winning community support for these new bikeways.  

 THURSDAY, MARCH 21

ULTRAWAVE
Somar Bar
1727 Telegraph, Oakland
9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Suggested Donation: $5-10

Join Ultrawave, SomaR Bar and Haiti Emergency Relief Fund as we raise money to assist Bay Area youth in visiting Haiti this summer in solidarity and support of Haiti's ongoing efforts to rebuild and maintain independence.....

☆☆☆☆ V L T R Δ W Δ V Ξ ☆☆☆☆

Global Ghetto Music from every hood and every movement spun by DJs FUZE (Digital Underground) x SAKE ONE (Local 1200) x WILLIE MAZE (Trill Team 6)

Every Thursday at SomaR Bar | Voted Best Party of 2012 by the East Bay Express | One of the best weekly dance parties in the Bay Area!!

Free All Night | Suggested Donation: $5-10 to support Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, specifically to assist in travel costs for Mission High School (SF) youth who plan to travel to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti this summer to learn from and support Haiti's democratic movement to rebuild and grow.

No one denied entry due to lack of funds

PEACHES
3089 16th Street, SF
10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
FREE

Peaches: Groove Suite- every Third Thursday featuring 90's Hip Hop, Classics, Reggae and Future Beats

PEACHES:
Where SF's premier lady DJs spin party-rockin Hip Hop & bartenders pour top shelf drink specials every Thursday at locals' "Hip Hop Hub" Skylark! Featuring Umami & ThatGirl, Heading towards FOUR years strong in the heart of the MISSION ♥.

Drink Specials: $10 for a shot of Remy + a pint of Stella/$7 Peach Ciroc Cocktail/ $9 Skinny Pina Coladas/ $9 for a Don Julio shot & Corona

 FRIDAY, MARCH 22

THE BRIDGE:  LADIES 1ST EDITION
THE DEN INSIDE THE FOX THEATER
1807 Telegraph, Oakland
9 p.m. to 2 a.m.  

Special shout out to everyone who attended the last installment of THE BRIDGE it was completely insane! This party continues to grow and get better because of you the COMMUNITY we appreciate your continued support!

This month we have the ladies representing on the 1's and 2's as we continue to celebrate Women's HERstory Month!

Femme Fatale Selectas:

DJ Val G (Bum Squad DJs)
Pam the Funkstress (The Coup/B.A.S.S/KSOL)
LadyRyan (OFaSho/Juke Joint)

Master Blaster DJ Sake One on the tables elevating you higher!

Traffic Control provided by Social Life and Aima the Dreamer!

Celebrating the BIRTHDAYS of Lady LUST & Akirah Bradley!

For bottle/booth and party information and other inquiries, please contact us at thebridge41510@gmail.com

FREE B4 11pm w/rsvp thebridge41510@gmail.com
21+W/ID

Dresscode: FRESH - no ballcaps please.

Every Fourth Friday we bring you beautiful people, an elevated atmosphere, and music beyond the every day radio hits. World class DJs, a community artisan market and superb local mobile kitchens. #TheBridge41510 

 SATURDAY, MARCH 23

BLACK STAR
THE FOX THEATER
1807 Telegraph, Oakland
8:00 p.m.
Purchase tix here  

BLACK STAR will perform at Oakland's beautiful Fox Theater on Saturday, March 23rd! BLACK STAR is composed of Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

*The presale password is DUENDE


Listen to BLACK STAR:
https://soundcloud.com/blackstar

Watch BLACK STAR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx5aVI2zsFE

About BLACK STAR:
Black Star arose from the underground movement of the late 1990s. They released one album Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star in 1998. The album rose to critical acclaim and is praised as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of our time. Black Star has continued to help shape underground alternative hip-hop and bring it further into the mainstream eye. Both have gone on to greater commercial and critical success in separate solo careers. All though they have only released one album, throughout the years Black Star has stayed active. Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey (Formally Mos Def) have appeared on each others albums and various other tracks together.

MOMMY IS COMING  THE NEW PARKWAY THEATER

474 24th St., Oakland
9:00 p.m.
Purchase tix here  

Set in the international creative melting pot Berlin, this raunchy romantic comedy of errors confronts the last lesbian taboo: Mommy. A take on screwball romantic comedies and porn topped off w/Dunye's ingenious form of storytelling.

A Q & A with the director, cast member Jiz Lee, music supervisor Rob Fatal and editor Aarin Burch will follow the screening.

FREE URBAN CYCLING 101 ROAD CLASS Downtown Oakland
Meet at Lake Merrit BART
10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
FREE
 

Join us for this fun and enlightening half-day, on-your-bike session for adults and teens in Downtown Oakland right next to Lake Merritt BART. Get a free set of lights just for showing up! We will also have a mechanic on hand at the beginning of class in case your bike needs a little love before we get rolling.

(Please note: Attending one of our "Day 1" Urban Cycling 101: Classroom Workshops is normally a prerequisite to taking a Road Class. However, if you can not make one of our classroom sessions and still want to sign up for a road class please contact our Education Coordinator Robert at robert@ebbc.org for an alternate arrangement).

Have you ever had someone pull up next to you in their car just to scold you for doing something on your bike that is specifically not illegal or unsafe? What if you could just whip out a certificate suitable for framing to indicate that you are an officially-approved and accredited Safe Cyclist, knowledgeable of your rights and responsibilities as a road user? Wouldn't that be awesome? Well we can provide you with such a certificate, and all you have to do is show up for one of the fun, enlightening and FREE Urban Cycling 101: Road Classes that we have scheduled this spring throughout the East Bay!

At this comprehensive, 5.5-hour session we will get on our bikes with League of American Bicyclist-certified instructors to practice and learn valuable handling and crash avoidance maneuvers in a controlled atmosphere. These include ways to safely ride over gravel and train tracks, quickly avoid potholes or other obstacles in your path, and make a complete stop in as little distance as possible. We then head out onto the streets for a group ride, using some of these concepts in a real world environment. At the end of class each participant will be given a free set of Planet Bike lights and, yes, a certificate that you may feel free to laminate and carry with you on your daily commute, in the event that such proof is ever necessitated.

 SUNDAY, MARCH 24

HEELS ON WHEELS
EL RIO
3158 Mission, SF
9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Cost: $5-$15

Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow is a queer performance art cabaret of radical extravagance and thought-provoking glamour. Our fearless performers rampage across the femme-inine spectrum serving up poetic theatre, hilarious performance art, and rocknroll you can sink your heels into! This is their fourth annual tour!

Find out more at: www.heelsonwheelsroadshow.com or www.facebook.com/heelsonwheelsroadshow

FEATURING: The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins [SF] + Celeste Chan + Nomy Lamm + MORE TBA!!

$UPPORT HOW!
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/heels-on-wheels-keep-the-glitter-sparkling?c=home

**Accessibility Info**
From the El Rio website:
"Our entrance and most of the club is wheelchair accessible, including the back deck but not the yard. Our bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible and do not have grab bars (and would not be accessible without assistance). We do not have a parking lot."
This is not a scent-free event.