C’era Una Volta - 1332 Park Street in Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 769-4828

February 16, 2013 – Today we went to C’era Una Volta (which means “once upon a time” in Italian), an authentic Tuscan restaurant in Redwood Square (next to the post office). C’era Una Volta is featured in Miss Alameda’s “Recycle Woman” movie, so we knew that they were good at recycling and composting. They also have great food.

We had:

• Bread with olive oil and mustard – When Jen (V&G’s mom) was in Florence, the local bakery called this “Scacciata.” In this country, we mostly call it “Focaccia.” Anyway, it was really good and we all liked it.

• Caprese Californiana - a tower of fresh mozzarella, tomato & avocado. Yum!

• Pizzetta - chewy cheese pizza from the kid’s menu. Vera says, “The crust was very thin (like pastry). I like it because it was very cheesy.”

• Penne ai Funghi  - penne pasta in a robust shiitake mushroom cream sauce. Linnea says, “It was very excellent. I give it five out of five stars. The mushrooms were really good.”

• Risotto ai Funghi  - a savory rice dish with shiitake mushrooms. Greta says, “I really enjoyed the food because it tastes very delicious. The Shitake mushrooms were very soft like a pillow.” Linnea says, “The sauce is very creamy and balanced out the strong flavor of the mushrooms.”

• Petti di Pollo alla Milanese - chicken breast, breaded and pan sautéed, finished with lemon & capers. The chicken was moist and crispy and tasted a bit like schnitzel. Fred pointed out that Milan is in northern Italy not to far from German-influenced areas.

Compost Report – We asked our server about how the compost program was going and she said that it was going great. They have all the bins and training that they need and she was surprised about how easy it is to recycle and compost. We met the proprietor when we went on the MASC Crawl (kind of like a pub crawl Jessica sponsored last year) and we knew that she supported the MASC program. C’era Una Volta was also instrumental in getting recycling and composting service for all of Redwood Square (since they share collection service). So, next time you visit C’era Una Volta tell them how much you appreciate their environmental leadership (and have some really good Tuscan food)!

Elephant Bar Restaurant - 5601 Bay St Emeryville, CA 94608 - (510) 601-1001

February 9, 2013 – Today we are guest blogging outside of Alameda because we needed to go to Emeryville. Greta turns 10 tomorrow, so she got to get her ears pierced! We went to Claire’s at the Bay Street Mall in Emeryville and afterwards we went to Elephant Bar.

 

After Earpiercing



Before Earpiercing



 



Elephant Bar is a chain restaurant mostly based in California. It has a safari theme and a Pan Asian menu. Bay Street was an early adopter on the compost program, so we were interested in checking out their compost situation. We had six in our party – and only room for five in the car – so Fred biked from Alameda to Emeryville.

In Front of the Elephant at Elephant Bar

We had:

• Parmesan-Encrusted Green Beans
• Quick-Seared Ahi Tuna – Greta says, “The ahi tuna tastes wonderful and every bite was sweet and juicy. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.”
• Quick-Fried Soy-Ginger Calamari – Greta says, “The calamari was nice and soft which is good because I just got my braces tightened.”

• Three Cheese Macaroni – Greta says, “The three-cheese macaroni was good, but there was a type of cheese in it that wasn’t exactly my favorite. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.”

• Kona BBQ Combo Platter – Fred says, “It was good, especially the ribs – 4 out of 5 stars.”
• Citrus Side Salad – Refreshing and delicious (some of us ordered it without gorgonzola).
• Caesar Side Salad – A fine example of Caesar salad.
• Jr. Explorer Chicken Crispers – Vera says, “The chicken was very crispy and it came with apples – 20 out of 5 stars.”

By the way, the bunny's name is Eggy

• Ice cream sundae – Vera got a sundae with her kid’s meal and Greta got one on the house with a candle because it is her birthday tomorrow. Vera says, “The sundae had a cherry on top and cream on top. Inside was vanilla ice cream with a little crispy cup. 10 out of 5 stars.”

Bicycle Report – Fred says, “It takes 45 minutes to bike from Alameda to Emeryville and it is a nice pleasant ride along Mandela Parkway. The only part that is bad is going through the horrible Posey tube which is crowded, smelly, loud and dangerous. And I had to squeeze my way past three kids who were spitting on passing cars. Emeryville has great biking. It has great bike boulevards and bikes routes, but you can’t get anywhere because of the freeway and the train tracks. I had to carry my bike up two flights of stairs to get over the railroad track.”

Compost Report – We asked the maître d' whether the restaurant recycles and composts. He didn’t know so he called for the manager. It was the manager’s second day on the job and he knew that they recycle, but wasn’t sure about composting. So we had to do our own investigation. After lunch, we went around back to the recycling area and saw that they had a big compactor for trash, a dumpster for recycling and a dumpster for food scraps. Yay! We looked inside and there were food scraps and a few plastic oil bottles. We think we might need to contact Miss Emeryville to retrain the restaurant staff. Actually, we don’t know if Miss Emeryville has recycling and composting in her platform. So we will just call Peter (who we know on the Emeryville City staff).

Food scrap bin in Emeryville

Central Vegetarian Cuisine – 1613 Park Street, Alameda, CA 94501 – (510) 522-3745

February 3, 2013 – Central Vegetarian Cuisine serves all types of Asian-style vegetarian and vegan dishes. The food is very fresh and light and expertly prepared. Greta says, “I like Central Vegetarian Cuisine, not only because I am a vegetarian, but because it tastes good and I don’t always have to make excuses for not eating meat.” We visited on Superbowl Sunday, so we didn’t have too much competition for tables. The restaurant is very good at making faux meats.

Here is what is substituted for the animals:

Chicken/Beef: soy protein, wheat gluten, starch

Lamb: root of shitake mushroom

Shrimp: yam and yam flour

Shrimp (breaded): soy protein, wheat gluten, corn starch, flour

Salmon/Fish: soy, wheat, starch seaweed

Bean curd fish: bean curd, seaweed

We were originally a bit apprehensive, but left the restaurant very impressed.

We had:

• Pot stickers – Greta says, “The pot stickers have an exquisite taste.” They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Instead of pork, there was ground tofu and seasonings. Very delicious.

• Won ton soup – Very fresh and delicious with a basil-flavored broth. Lots of vegetables, and very good won tons. Vera says, “It was very good. I liked the broth.”

Sesame eggplant tofu

• Sesame eggplant tofu – Greta and Vera were a little suspicious of the eggplant. But they tried it and found it to be good. Others in our party loved it.

  

  Before trying eggplant

  

  

  After trying eggplant

  

Before trying eggplant

After trying eggplant

  

• Vegetables in black bean sauce – Fred says, “Nice and fresh, light tasting, didn’t coat your palate like lard.”

• Cashew nuts with vegetarian shrimp – Jen says, “I loved this dish and the faux meat was extremely convincing. The sauce was deliciously sweet and full of some great vegetables.”

Vegetarian shrimp

Vegetables in black bean sauce

    

• White rice and brown rice - Vera says, “I really liked the white rice and Thai Iced Tea.”
• Thai iced tea and Vietnamese iced coffee – You can order the vegan or non-vegan. We ordered the non-vegan and they were delicious.
• Coconut juice – Greta says, “The coconut juice came in a real young coconut so you can also have the coconut meat from the inside. It was good. 5 out of 5.”

• Banana wontons and carrot cake – We were treated to some vegan desserts. Vera says, “I really liked the dessert at the end because it was free.”

Compost Report – Central Vegetarian Cuisine is on the MASC program and recycles and composts. We told them that we were friends of Jessica’s and asked if they needed any more training or equipment. Our waiter told us that everything was going very well. They have reduced their trash volumes (and reduced costs) and it just takes a little extra effort to keep materials separated.

So, please go to Central Vegetarian Cuisine and try the delicious, fresh vegetarian and vegan dishes. You will really like it. And don’t forget to thank them for composting!

Calafia Taqueria – 1445 Webster St Alameda, CA 94501 – (510) 522-2996

March 10, 2013 -- UPDATE! Calafia Taqueria has streamlined its recycling and composting program and added reusable containers for salsa for customers that eat in. Yay! Jen, Kev, Greta & Vera visited recently and found out that the staff are now bussing the tables and recycling and composting (instead of relying on the customers to sort properly). Customers that eat in can use reusable metal containers instead of disposable plastic. Thank you Calafia Taqueria!!

January 19, 2013 – We have always loved Calafia Taqueria. Although we call it “Shae’s Taqueria” because it’s near where Linnea’s childhood friend Shae used to live (before she moved to Portland). When we are in the mood for burritos we will either go here or to Ramiro & Sons across town. Today we went early because it was Mavericks and the girls had to hit the beach.

We had:

§  Veggie burrito – Pintos, rice, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and tomatoes. Jen says, “I always get the veggie burrito here, chock full of stuff and worth the price. I am not sure if the tortilla is homemade, but it tastes just like it – nice and flaky.”

§  Chile relleño – You can always judge a Mexican restaurant by its chile relleño and Calafia does a great job. The chile is roasted and the sauce is yummy.

§  Bean, cheese & rice burritos – Greta says, “I think they are very good. Just that they were really easy to collapse (so you need a plate).” Vera says, “It was awesome and had a lot of cheese in it.”



We liked the brown paper napkins instead of bleached white



Yummy and cheesy




§  Salsa bar – We love the salsa bar – all kinds of salsas, vegetables (marinated carrots, radishes), limes – we would really like it if they had reusable containers for salsa (like the metal ones at Viva Mexico). Maybe we can scope that out for them.

Compost Report – We love it that Calafia Taqueria is an early adopter on the compost program. They recycle and compost in the back of the house AND they have their customers recycle and compost in the front of the house. If you eat in and bus your own dishes, be sure to put only compostables (food and paper napkins) in the compost bins, recycle your cans and bottles, and place everything else (dishes, cups, plastic tubs, aluminum foil, cutlery) in the gray bus trays. Folks tend to throw trash in the compost, so we might need to help Calafia with better, more explicit signage

Help Calafia sort! Compost goes in the bottom, bottles and cans in the recycling bin,
and everything else in the bus tub.

We love Calafia and you will too. Please go there and enjoy the fine Mexican food and thank them for composting!

Introducing Recycle Woman to the World!

After a year of promoting my platform as Miss Alameda and the launch of my M.A.S.C (Miss Alameda Says Compost!) program, I came to realize how many people were really confused about basic recycling and composting programs here in the Bay Area. People would tell me that they don’t recycle because they are confused, or that they recycle the bare minimum, soda cans and/or plastic bottles for the CRV. Once I would mention composting, as in separating food waste from the landfill, I would notice people’s eyes glaze over as if shutting down further information. Most people I talked to assumed when I spoke of composting at home meant having a worm farm in their back yard. Don’t get me wrong, worm farms are great, but most people are not at that level and simple recycling is a challenge. I realized that getting food waste out of the landfill and increasing resource recovery was more of a challenge than I initially thought. As a result I decided to incorporate my talents and passion as an actress into promoting and bringing awareness to the basics of recycling and composting curb side programs, a mini spin-off of the M.A.S.C program. With support from StopWaste.org, the Altamont Education Advisory Board in Livermore, Northern California Recycling Association, Alameda County Industries, the City of Alameda and Mayor Marie Gilmore, my former acting mentor Donald Lacy and my amazing cast and crew, I was able to star and produce my first movie, “Recycle Woman.” With a $10,000 budget from grants and only three days to film, “Recycle Woman,” to me is a miracle in itself. For the first time since its “green carpet” release in November 25th, 2011 and open screenings in 2012, I am excited to release my short film, “Recycle Woman.” For more information about the “green carpet” events, press coverage on “Recycle Woman” and more go to: http://www.recyclewomanthemovie.com/

Recycle Woman from Jessica Jane Robinson on Vimeo.

Burma Superstar - 1345 Park Street, Alameda, CA 94501 - (510) 522-6200

January 5, 2013 – You already know if you have been to Burma Superstar or have seen the line that forms down Park Street, that their food is amazing. But did you also know that they are superstar recyclers and composters? Yay!

We visited at 11 a.m. on a Saturday in order to get a long table for our party of…nine. This week, we brought along guest bloggers Edday and Pepe (the grandparents). Pepe was born during the great depression and is not big on going out to eat. He will only go to Juanita’s (where he knows everyone by name) and India Palace (for takeout only). But he is really into recycling and composting, so we knew he would like Burma Superstar.

Pepe and Edday

We had:

• Tea leaf salad and mango salad – Both were wonderful, but the tea leaf salad is a show-stopper. The server mixed it at the table and everyone loved it. Pepe said, “The salads are really interesting, so delicious!”  Greta says, “It was incredible, so, so good! Probably one of the best salads I have ever had.” Kevin said, “You could have a nice, light vegetarian meal with just the salads.” But we didn’t b/c we ordered more! 




Platha and Dip





Tea leaf salad

 

• Platha and Dip (described as a multi layered bread served with a coconut chicken curry sauce) – We got three orders for the nine of us and ate every bit. Linnea says, “This is the best thing ever.” Fred loved the curry. We order this every time we come.
• Sesame beef – This is Linnea’s favorite dish. Linnea says, “It was very crispy with a good, tangy sauce.” Vera particularly liked the orange garnishes.

 

Sesame beef



Peashoots



• Sesame tofu – For the vegetarians in our party. Greta says, “The tofu was incredible. I had 12 pieces of it, because it tasted so good.”
• Eggplant with shrimp – Edday ordered the eggplant (which she typically does when she joins us for the restaurant blog). She also had eggplant when she came with us to Angelfish and Asena. Edday says, “They were all good in their own way. This one was very tender, well-cooked with a yummy sauce.” Fred says, “It is the best eggplant I ever had!”
• Peashoots - Fresh greens stir fried with wine and garlic. Very good texture. Greta says, “I liked the sauce. It was very delicious.”
• Rice – We tried each of the rice dishes - coconut rice, brown rice, jasmine rice and Tan Poi  which is basmati rice cooked with cardamom, cinnamon, raisins, and topped with fried onions. Vera says, “It was very good and I only tried the jasmine rice.” Greta says, “I loved the coconut rice, it was tropical and sweet, and I loved it very much.”

Compost Report – Kevin invited our server, Louie to come over and tell us all about the recycling and compost program. He said that the owner was really supportive of sustainability initiatives and they take recycling and composting very seriously. Their goal is to reduce landfilling to the minimum, so they have recycling and compost collection twice per week! We thanked them for all of their efforts and gave them a MASC brochure in case they needed any additional training or containers.



Greta, Louie and Vera



We didn't have many left-overs, but we did remember to bring out Tupperware



So, please go to Burma Superstar! You will love the food! You will love all that they are doing to support the environment! But plan to go early to avoid the lines, as they are super-popular. 

Bluefin Sushi Thai – 3211 Encinal Ave, Suite. A - Alameda CA 94501 – (510) 522-1269

December 28, 2012 -- Bluefin Sushi Thai is a relatively new east end restaurant (opened in 2012). It is located in the former Burger Orchard space next to the Encinal Market. The service was very attentive. The atmosphere was very pleasant (the girls liked the way they folded the napkins). The food was a little unusual combining both Japanese and Thai cuisines, but it was prepared artfully and tasted delicious. This is a good place to go with a group that includes folks that don’t like Thai food, since they can get traditional chicken teriyaki or something else less spicy.

Our party of six had:

• Fried tofu (appetizer) - The girls loved it; very crispy and delicious. It was served with a tangy sauce.

• Bento Box #1 with chicken teriyaki - This was Linnea’s dish. “It was…interesting,” she said. “I liked the sashimi and teriyaki, but the sushi was unusual in that it had edamame beans in it!”
• Bento Box #5 vegetarian - Greta’s box had tofu pockets (rice balls wrapped in sweet tofu), broccoli and carrots over rice, and vegetable rolls. Greta enjoyed the “flavorful and juicy” bento box very much (giving it four stars out of five), although she didn’t eat the vegetable roll because she doesn’t like avocado.

• Alameda roll - Vera ordered this roll, which was spicy crab wrapped with cucumber. Not knowing how spicy this roll would be, Vera was caught off-guard. But, she enjoyed the orange served alongside with a paper umbrella.
• Garlic noodles - This unique Thai dish was described as “very good but not normal,” by Vera (who is used to Chinese garlic noodles).

• Chicken teriyaki - Elizabeth ordered this dish which had generous portions and included many fresh vegetables.
• Panang curry and Mango curry – Both of the Thai dishes were excellent. We really enjoyed them (and suspect that the owner/chef is a Thai food specialist).

We ordered extra rice and finished off most of the dishes, except for the garlic noodles and spicy sushi and needed a to-go container. Since Bluefin Sushi Thai is a new restaurant, they are probably not aware that  Alameda has a Styrofoam ban.

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

Ruth gave Greta and Vera special collapsible Tupperware for Christmas to bring along for leftovers when doing our restaurant blogging. But we forgot them on this outing (doh!) and had to get the take-out packaging (which came in Styrofoam). We will let Maria in Public Works know that Bluefin needs to be notified of the Styrofoam ban.

We accidentally got Styrofoam!

We forgot to bring our Tupperware for leftovers!

 Compost report – We spoke with a server and asked her if the restaurant had organics collection. She did not think they had that service, but was interested because she was familiar with some of the restaurants in Oakland that have organics collection. We gave her a MASC brochure and she said that she would give it to the owner. We checked around back at the Encinal Market and saw that they have an organics dumpster (so it should be easy for Bluefin to start composting!).

So, we recommend that you take a trip to the east end of Alameda and check out Bluefin Sushi Thai. Have some wonderful Thai food and ask them if they are composting.