In my endless quest for a leaner, sleeker physique, Your West Coast Oenophile twice cycled from San Francisco to Muir Beach over the recent seven day span. Nice to reconnect with the Pacific Ocean. Nice to know my legs still have enough endurance at my particular age to make the climb over the slope of Mt. Tamalpais to the flat stretch of shoreline at the foot of Muir Woods. Nice to have a healthy tan, once again, in places the sun doesn’t ordinarily shine…
Back in the 1960s, Aunt Bee would likely have put the kibosh on alcoholbeingserved at an afternoon gathering, but in these modern times, Sostevinobile was pleased to find dedicated sustainable wine producer Bouchaine supplying the libationsAgain, the chilled 2008 Rosé of Syrah was a perfect “grab a few rays on the sun deck” refresher. The 2006 Chardonnay was also quite welcome outside, while the 2006 Pinot Noir seemed to blend nicely with the ambience of the living room. If I had to offer a criticism of this trio, however, it was that none of them truly stood out, seeming rather competent than enticing. In an odd sort of symmetry, this spec house, too, seemed a tad ordinarily, despite all its environmental bells and whistles. Given its setting, sharing a lot with a more dominant front house, it seemed to lack the kind of easy, airy spaciousness that one usually associates with a green environment. Still, I applaud the motivation and efforts of both winemaker and builder alike.
Anyway, when Sunday rolled around, I felt entitled to a day of leisure. I locked up my 14-speed Trek road bike and headed over the Bay Bridge to Mayberry on the Bay, the quaint little hamlet also known as Alameda Island. Even though it is no more than a stone’s throw from Oakland, Alameda can feel worlds apart, an oasis of by-gone times where people left their doors unlocked and knew all their neighbors. Alameda’s terrain is uncommonly flat, compared with the rest of the towns encircling the Bay, and its prevalent architecture appealing yet without even a hint of modernity.
I worked on the island for a year, following the 1989 earthquake, a rather challenging commute while the Cypress Freeway remained felled. Nowadays, the roadways leading from the Bay Bridge have all been restored, while the Alameda Naval air Station has been decommissioned, two factors that have dramatically changed the landscape here. Both Rosenblum Cellars and St. George Spirits now operate out of the former Navy base, while newcomer Rock Wall’s facilities has recently opened nearby. But what drew me over on Sunday was an eclectic gathering billed as EcoLuxe: Lifestyles of the Green and Fabulous.
A modern, state-of-the-art, sustainable building would probably contrast rather jarringly amid the stately and dilapidated Queen Anne Victorians that dot the residential part of Alameda. The new home EcoLuxe was featuring was actually set on the back corner of a subdivided lot, barely visible from the street, not unlike the carriage houses one finds at some of the grander mansions here in San Francisco. I found myself circling the block two or three times before I realized I was actually at the correct address. Upon arriving, I was effusively greeted by Jerusha Stewart, hostess for this event and self-promoting proprietress of The Last Single Girl in the World.
I am told that Jerusha puts on events—extravaganzas, actually—populated by some of the most beautiful women in the Bay Area. Soon, I may have to find out. This event, however, was more of a low-key affair.
A nice affair, actually. There was a very nice photo exhibit in the garage area. Success the Smart Way offered an array of green cleaning products, along with a raffle for a basket of goodies. Out back, the team from Garden Fare showcased the diverse edible garden they had planted around the perimeter of the patio, offering some of the largest (pomelo-sized!) onions known to mankind. All in all (as I’m sure fans of the old Andy Griffith Show would concur), Aunt Bee would have approved,
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Upstairs, noted vegan soul food chef and cookbook author Bryant Terry prepared an organic gazpacho from heirloom tomatoes. Though I am not one to relish the constraints of vegan cooking (no mozzarella?), I have to admit this cold soup was quite refreshing on a warm summer afternoon. Of course, the house itself was quite temperate, having been designed with meticulous attention to green details, including a 2.45kW Rated Solar Energy System, High Efficiency (92%) Heating with heat recovery ventilation, and passive design for natural lighting and ventilation. Architect Sinan Sabuncuoglu employed a host of recycled materials in his building, with liberal use of bamboo and cork flooring, reclaimed Caeserstone countertops and durable Trex decking material forged from reclaimed wood and plastic. In vogue everywhere beyond the expanse of greater Mt. Pilot, highly-efficient recycled cotton denim furnished non-toxic insulation throughout the house.
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Back in the 1960s, Aunt Bee would likely have put the kibosh on alcoholbeingserved at an afternoon gathering, but in these modern times, Sostevinobile was pleased to find dedicated sustainable wine producer Bouchaine supplying the libationsAgain, the chilled 2008 Rosé of Syrah was a perfect “grab a few rays on the sun deck” refresher. The 2006 Chardonnay was also quite welcome outside, while the 2006 Pinot Noir seemed to blend nicely with the ambience of the living room. If I had to offer a criticism of this trio, however, it was that none of them truly stood out, seeming rather competent than enticing. In an odd sort of symmetry, this spec house, too, seemed a tad ordinarily, despite all its environmental bells and whistles. Given its setting, sharing a lot with a more dominant front house, it seemed to lack the kind of easy, airy spaciousness that one usually associates with a green environment. Still, I applaud the motivation and efforts of both winemaker and builder alike.
Hostess Jerusha announced that this party was her swan song, for the time being, as she was relocating to sweltering Phoenix sometime this week. I bade my farewells and zigzagged my way across Oakland to inspect the much-heralded Camino, a veritable temple for the farm-to-table movement. Even Camino’s æsthetic, with a complete absence of common spirit brands and a wealth house-made ingredients derived from seasonal produce and herbs. And, of course, to my eternal consternation, every single wine of Camino’s list is imported!
I know I ought to be grateful that such contradictions are providing the niche upon which Sostevinobile is founded, but I felt compelled to express my incredulity. I treated myself to a cocktail made with brandy and vermouth, infused with the house-made bitters and tapped out a few note on my iPhone before heading around the corner for the debut of Lake Chalet.
The folks from San Francisco’s Beach Chalet, a venerable institution they have modernized as a brewpub since its fall into disrepair in the late 1980s, have taken on the remodel of this facility on Oakland’s Lake Merritt. There’s still a few finishing touches that remain, but when all is complete, the three sections of this enormous waterfront complex will hold over 400 seats! the place is beautiful, of course, even spectacular, with its sweeping vistas over the water and dominant position along what is arguably Oakland’s most beautiful landmark. I just don’t see how they can make a go of it.
Driving to the Lake Chalet is a challenge. One-way streets make accessing the restaurant a somewhat arduous proposition, often requiring a loop around several blocks in search of parking. A water approach is a whole other story. Unlike waterfront bars one finds in Berkeley or Tiburon or even along San Francisco’s Embarcadero, the Lake Chalet sits atop an artificial lake that offers no ingress from the San Francisco Bay for any kind of sail or motor boat. Nautical enthusiasts can only dock alongside the restaurant if they are launching from somewhere along Lake Merritt. Filling even a major fraction of the seats here on a regular basis will be an enormous challenge (as a comparison, the recently-closed Pres a Vi in The Presidio also offered an unparalleled setting, a well-respected parent operation, ingress from both San Francisco and Marin, yet never came close to filling their 325 seats during their barely two years of operations).
My visit to the Lake Chalet was brief; my urge to cross the bridge back to the West Bay quickly overcame me. I’ll return someday soon, to be sure. After all, with another birthday on the horizon, I need to come up with a place the Gingko Girl can take me.
Excellent article!
Excellent article!