La Penca Azul - 1440 Park Street Alameda CA 94501 (510) 769-9110

October 14, 2012 – Today, we had planned to go to Ark Chinese Restaurant, but they were unexpectedly closed. Since we were in the mood for Mexican food, we went to La Penca Azul or for our purposes (since we are supposed to go in alphabetical order) Azul, La Penca. We love the food at La Penca Azul, so we will probably be back when we get to the “Ls.”

Since our last post, we got an “unofficial” sponsor! Our friend Betsey Meyer of Dragonfly Environmental Advisors sent Greta and Vera some funding for our project. Thanks Betsey!! [If you ever need environmental advice, please contact Betsey meyer.betsey “at” gmail.com.]

We have been to La Penca Azul many times and have always enjoyed it! They have an extensive menu and a famous margarita bar.

Here’s what we had:

• Whole fried fish – Greta says, “I liked the fish! I particularly like to eat the eyeballs. It was a little dry, so I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.” Kevin (G&V's dad) says, “The fish was cooked really well. It was very moist and came with a nice garlic butter sauce. I should have asked for some lemons, because I only had some limes which were not very juicy.” Vera says, “Usually, I like the eyeball, but this one didn’t agree with me.”
• Cheese enchilada – Vera says, “I love it and I give it a billion out of five stars. I really liked the cheese and my dad had to cut it because it was really big.”
• Chicken mole enchilada – Jen (G&V's mom) says, “It was good. It was a little light on the mole, so we asked for some extra mole (which they gladly gave us). I would say that the mole tends more on the cinnamon-y side than on the chocolate-y side. And it was very good.” Greta says, “I think that the chicken mole tasted good, but it tasted a little bit too much like a gingerbread cookie.”
• Street tacos – Fred (G&V's uncle) and Linnea (G&V's cousin) had el pastor (marinated pork) and fish tacos, which they liked very much (and order all the time).
• Carne asada taco dinner – Ruth says, “This is the only thing I ever order because it is great!”
• Margaritas – Ruth and Jen had the top shelf margaritas (which are consistently good – 5+ out of 5). Fred says that the tequila is very smooth. Greta and Vera had the sugar cane stalks that come with them.

Takeout Container Report – In Alameda, we have a Styrofoam ban for takeout packaging at restaurants (yay!). Restaurants in Alameda typically provide recyclable plastic or compostable paper as a substitute.

http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/Go-Green/Styrofoam-Ban

However, we recommend that you bring your own containers when dining out. Jen says, “I like to bring my own Tupperware-type container, especially to Mexican restaurants where they serve generous portions. That way I can order what I like, create no waste, and have a nice lunch the next day.” Here is a link to a true Zero Waste family. They may be a bit over-the-top, but we can all do our part.

http://www.zerowastehome.blogspot.com 

Compost Report—We knew that Jessica (Miss Alameda) has been working to get La Penca Azul on the compost program. They are always really busy and it is hard to track down the manager. We checked out the back alley before we came in and saw that they are doing a lot of recycling, but no composting yet. We gave them a Miss Alameda Says “Compost!” brochure and will check back in with Jessica about the status.

Next time you visit La Penca Azul have the wonderful margaritas and street tacos and ask them if they are composting.

Angel Fish Japanese Cuisine - 883 C-2 Island Drive (Harbor Bay Landing Shopping Center) Alameda, CA 94502 (510) 749-0460

October 6, 2012 – We skipped last week because Greta and Vera were up in Yosemite. [Yosemite Village had recycling and composting, by the way.] Today we covered the “angels.” Greta and Vera went with their Girl Scout troop to Angel Island and saw the Blue Angels (because it was Fleet Week). Then we all ended up at Angel Fish on Bay Farm Island. It was an angelic day.

Angel Fish is in the Harbor Bay Landing Shopping Center. It is an upscale Japanese restaurant and it is very popular with a line of people out the door. We made a reservation for eight (but then only six of us showed up). They were happy to give the extra seats away. Some of us had been to Angel Fish before and really liked it. They have a good happy hour on weeknights (with appetizer specials). The restaurant is decorated with cool retro Japanese decor, including a beautiful embroidered kimono.

Here’s what we had:

• Cucumber Roll – Vera says “it was awesome and I give it a hundred and ten out of five stars.”
• Raiders Roll – This roll came with yellow fin tuna and black caviar on top and eel and avocado on the inside. Greta says, “I liked the black caviar and tuna (5 out of 5 stars)”
• Tuna Salad – We ordered the large salad and it came with lots of lettuce, tuna, roe and cheese.  
• Seared Tuna – Mmmmm…this was one of our favorite things. 12 pieces of tuna came on top of a salad. They were peppery on the outside and rare on the inside. Greta says, “I would give it 5 out of 5 stars because it is “flubbery” and it had fish eggs on top and a lime in the middle.”'

• Lobster Tempura – Greta says, “This was really yummy in my tummy (5 out of 5 stars).” It was light and delicious and not greasy.
• Baked Eggplant with Miso – Some of us were suspicious of this dish, because it looked like goo. However, it was delicious. Greta says, “It tasted like apple pie.” Vera says, “the eggplant came with five strawberry slices and Fred ate one and Greta ate two and I ate two because five was an odd number.”



After Trying Eggplant



Before Trying Eggplant

• Fried Calamari Legs – This dish did not get high marks on Yelp, but we liked it. Greta says, “It was hard to chew, but I liked the flavor (4 out of 5 stars).” Vera says, “They were really curly at the end of their feet and I liked the crunchy part.”
• Miso Soup and Rice – Greta says, “I loved the rice. I think it was good because it didn’t stick to my clothes. I liked the soup because they had noodles in it. I’d give it 5 out of 5 stars.”

• Saba Shioyaki – Uncle Fred ordered this. It is grilled mackerel marinated with sake, salt & ginger. Greta tried it and said it was “flobbery.”

Compost Report—Angel Fish is a tenant in the Harbor Bay Landing Shopping Center. We talked to Crystal Amos, the awesome commercial recycling coordinator at ACI and she told us that the shopping center does not currently have compost service. However, she thought it would be a good idea to approach all of the restaurants together, including La Penca Azul, La Val’s Pizza, Harbor View Chinese Restaurant, and Subway (!). Angel Fish was very busy when we visited, but we gave them a Miss Alameda Says “Compost!” brochure. We will keep you updated!

Angkor Grill Cambodian Bistro - 1319 Park Street Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 522-8899

September 22, 2012 – Today six of us biked over to Park Street to visit Angkor Grill Cambodian Bistro. We were so psyched to see the Miss Alameda Says “Compost!” certificate at the front desk! We asked Ricky, the proprietor, how the recycling and compost program was going and he said it was great. They are recycling all of their cardboard and cans and bottles and participating in the food scrap program. Yay!

We had been to Angkor Grill before and knew that the food would be awesome plus we know Kayla, one of the wait staff (although we didn’t see her - we came at 11:30 and her shift started at 5:30). We had:

• Chicken Salad – which was complimentary because we visited on “Park Street Customer Appreciation Day.” Greta and Vera give it “5 out of 5 stars because it was amazing: juicy pieces of chicken, shredded cabbage and carrots with a sweet and sour dressing.”
• Marinated BBQ Chicken – Vera says, “I give it a 10 out of 5. I liked the BBQ taste and it wasn’t too spicy.”
• Tofu with Crispy Green Beans + Scallops and Shrimp with Asparagus – both really amazing dishes. The sauce is similar on both, red, rich and wonderful with house-made chili sauce.
• Smoky Eggplant – with pork and shrimp. The meat eaters in our group thought it was very good.
• Garlic Noodles – We ordered it without meat. Vera says, “I loved the garlic noodles. I would give it a 100 out of 5 stars. I like the type of noodles that they have (egg noodles).”
• Coconut Rice – Greta says, “I loved the coconut rice. It was nice and warm and I loved the flavor. I would give it a 5 out of 5 stars.”
• Brown Rice – Greta says, “ I loved the brown rice because I loved the taste. I would give it a 5 out of 5 stars.”

Compost Report—Angkor Grill is recycling and composting really well. We were happy to thank them for diverting 71 tons of waste from landfill annually and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 5 tons per year through recycling and composting.

Please visit Angkor Grill, have some really amazing Cambodian food, and say, “hi” to Ricky and Kayla and thank them for recycling and composting!

Angela’s Bistro and Bar - 2301 Central Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 522-5822

September 15, 2012 - Today we planned to visit Angel Fish, a sushi restaurant on Bay Farm. So after Coastal Cleanup, five us of headed over to check it out. But, unfortunately, they were closed for lunch, so we went to the next restaurant on our list which was Angela’s Bistro and Bar. Some of us had been to Angela’s when it was over at Marina Village, but that was before Greta and Vera were born, so we were really looking forward to checking it out. Angela’s had been featured on the MASC restaurant crawl, so we figured that they already composted (more on that later).

Angela’s is a bright and beautiful restaurant next to the Alameda Theater. They specialize in fancy drinks and fresh California-style cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. Here’s what we had:

Greta – I had a salmon BLT with salad on the side and mango lemonade. I would give it five out of five stars because it was amazing and the bread was soft, delicious and fresh. I love the taste of the mango lemonade and I love that the salmon BLT tastes like a perfect lunch that I would want to have anytime, any day, anywhere. I wasn’t crazy about the salad dressing (which was creamy and kind of coconut-flavored), but other people at my table liked it.

Vera—I had a chicken salad (which was grilled chicken on top of salad) and I give it 100 out of five stars. It had very good bread and the server brought special dipping sauce (oil and vinegar) in addition to the chutney.

Jean (G&V’s grandmother) – Instead of a main course, I ordered a starter, duck strudel. Succulent pieces of duck were embedded in wild rice with pecans and surrounded by a crispy crust on a fruity coulis. It was sufficient for lunch especially when accompanied by Greta’s salad. I would give both the strudel and the salad five stars.

Jen (G&V’s mom)—I had the cold beef sandwich and house bean soup. They were excellent. The sandwich came with a cup of soup and I accidentally ordered another bowl. But I shared it around and everyone loved it. The sandwich had delicious rare beef (but I could have gone for more horseradish). All three adults had the Emerald Garden specialty cocktail. It was minty and delicious with a hint of cucumber and grapefruit.

Ruth – I had the house salad and polenta which was soft and luscious. The polenta was served with ratatouille (red pepper, eggplant, and zucchini).

 Dessert—We shared crème brulée and chocolate mousse. Vera—I loved the chocolate mousse because they included a ball of vanilla mousse (ed.-actually whipped cream). It had chocolate sauce and was a very generous portion. Greta—I think the cream brulée was a five out of five stars. I absolutely loved the taste of it. It was my first one. I already love custard and always wanted to try crème brulée. And I loved the strawberries and crunchy topping. Angela’s serves its crème brulée cold, so keep that in mind if you are a crème brulée aficionado

Compost report—Angela’s was one of the first restaurants on the MASC program. But when we asked about how they were doing, they said that they were recycling well, but not composting. The bartender told us that he composted at home and that he would be interested in helping them compost at the restaurant. We gave him the MASC brochure and he said that he would talk to Chef Saboor Zafari about starting up the compost program again. We will ask Jessica to follow up and make sure that they have all of the training and bins that they need.

When you visit Angela’s, have the wonderful drinks and food and find out if they are back on the composting program!

Compost update (October 6th, 2012)—Jessica met up with Saboor and they are coming back on the compost program (!). She will re-train the kitchen staff and bring them some internal containers next week. Please stop by and thank them for composting!

 

Alameda Grill - 1520 Park Street, Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 523-1700

Alameda Grill is next to Alameda Bicycle. It is a small shop with outside tables. We visited on September 8, 2012 and we had:

• Make your own Burger – This was really good (four out of five stars), but messy. Linnea’s (G&V’s cousin) burger dripped on her pants. She ordered sautéed mushrooms and avocado on top, so it tended to fall apart. She said, “don’t go here on a first date.”
• Korean BBQ Chicken Plate – Greta said it was very delicious. She gives it five stars out of five stars because it was juicy and she liked the texture. She liked the rice the best. Vera gave it seven stars out of five stars. She liked the chicken the best. There were sautéed onions on top (which the girls took off) and a green lettuce salad on the side.
• Salmon Burger – Greta said that the salmon burger was very delicious and filling, but slightly cool (she would have liked it a bit warmer). Vera liked the salmon. It was her favorite part of the burger. We also had onion rings and fries (which were okay).

We would recommend Alameda Grill as a good, casual take-out place (since there’s not much seating). It looks like it is popular among the bicycle crowd.

Compost report: Alameda Grill did not have compost, but they did have recycling. We looked at their small trash area and they had two gray carts for trash and one blue cart for recycling. So, if they traded a gray cart for the green cart, they would be able to compost! All of the wrappers and napkins are compostable at Alameda Grill. If you order “for here” they give you a reusable basket. If they had composting, the only thing to throw away would be the forks and knives. We asked them if they were interested in composting, but the servers didn’t know. So, we gave them our new Miss Alameda Says “Compost!” brochure and asked them to give it to their manager. We think it would be really easy for them to compost and save money on their trash bill.

Next time you are at Alameda Grill, try the rice plate and ask them if they compost!

A-Town Pizza - 2327 Blanding Avenue Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 522-7575

A-Town Pizza is at the beginning of the list of restaurants in the Alameda phone book. So, that’s the first one we visited. We have had A-Town Pizza before and loved it. They also have great kabobs. On September 1^st, 2012, we called in and ordered three large pizzas (one cheese, one sausage, and one half veggie and half Hawaiian). We were having it for a birthday party.

Greta says – I like that the pizza is thick and juicy and tastes delicious. I like that the crust is not hard and burnt and is thick and puffy. I tried the Hawaiian and it was great.

Vera says – I like it because it has really good cheese pizza. It also has good toppings (but I didn’t try them this time).

Ruth – Love the food. We have ordered from them a lot, both for pickup and delivery. When we visited today, we asked them if they recycle and compost. They do recycle all of their cans and bottles. One of their employees recycles them. But they do not have compost service. They are in the Park Street Landing Shopping Center and share dumpsters with the rest of the businesses in that strip. They experience a lot of illegal dumping at that location. We told them about Miss Alameda Says “Compost!” and they said they would talk to the manager about it. We will refer them to Miss Alameda. For our next restaurant visit, we plan to bring a brochure that describes the program.

Please go to A-Town Pizza and order the cheese pizza and kabobs. You will love it. Also encourage them to compost!

Update 9-15-12: We visited A-Town Pizza and gave them one of our new brochures.

Alameda Restaurant & Compost Blog

Our goal is to visit every restaurant in Alameda, try the food, and ask about composting. We plan to visit a new restaurant every week. We will start with the A-Town Pizza and finish with Zen.

This blog is by:

Greta – Greta is nine and likes swimming, acting and jiujitsu. She has been in ten plays.

Vera – Vera is five and likes swimming, acting and dancing. She has performed in two recitals.

Ruth – Ruth is an aunt of Greta and Vera and likes recycling and composting. She knows Miss Alameda. Actually, we all know Miss Alameda (more on that later).

We all love great food. Here is our story. Jessica Robinson is Miss Alameda. She ran for Miss California USA in 2011 on the platform of reducing global warming through recycling and composting. She has a program called “Miss Alameda Says Compost!” She has recruited 50 restaurants in Alameda to recycle and compost, reducing over 700 metric tons of green house gas emissions.

Greta and Vera have lived in Alameda their whole lives and Ruth has lived in Alameda for over 25 years. We have been to many restaurants, but we always go to the same ones. Our favorites are Juanita’s, Ramiro & Sons, and Yojimbo. But there are so many restaurants that we’ve never been to and now we want to try them all (and help Miss Alameda get them all to compost).