Thursday, July 10, 2025
The Upper West Side’s Power Couple took to the air this morning. We flew to the Bay Area for a weekend with the second generation in lieu of time together in Israel, leaving from JFK Terminal 4. Given my low expectations for traversing airline terminals, I was almost a bit disappointed that gate B33 was only about 2/3 of the way to Staten Island.
Our flight was incident-free and allowed me to see several episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” that I missed originally. The couple to the left of my aisle seat never got up while I was seated, leaving me undisturbed. All the paperwork for our rental car was done in advance, so we were out of the airport fairly quickly. If you know the geography, however, getting across the Bay to the Oakland-Berkeley area requires going through downtown San Francisco for an elapsed time of about an hour. Still, we were comfortably settled in our hotel with ample time to get ready for dinner with our brood.
Allison and Will, the locals, made reservations at Acre Kitchen & Bar, 5655 College Avenue, Oakland. I was wrong to guess that it was named for the Israeli seaport on the Mediterranean a/k/a Akko. Israeli-born Irit thought the same. Instead, Acre calls itself California Rustic for which there is no independent definition. The food deserved a better label, in fact, superlatives might apply.
I had some of the two shared Summer Watermelon Salads on the table, with cucumber, feta, mint oil, Marcona almonds ($17), very refreshing. Then, I had one of the eight 12” pizzas on the menu, lamb merguez (sausage), Fresno chile, walnuts, pistachio muhammara (nut and red pepper dip), feta ($27). I asked for it spicy and I got it spicy. It was excellent, but far more than even one glutton could handle. Bring a friend who’ll eat treyf.
I managed to squeeze in affogato for dessert ($11). They used soft serve ice cream instead of gelato and it went very well with the espresso poured over it.
Friday, July 11, 2025
Madam and I strolled around and went to lunch at the Public Market, 5959 Shellmound* Street, Emeryville, a food court with a dozen active vendors and about a half dozen empty stalls in a formerly industrial space. I got my food at Nabi Q, Korean BBQ Grilled Chicken, a bento box of chicken with short rib, including rice, chapchae (glass noodles), broccoli, carrots, kimchi and three pot stickers ($25.50), a lot to eat.
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Someone identified as “social media influencer and former gymnast Olivia Dunne” made news of a sort by being rejected by a co-op board from purchasing a New York apartment once owned by Babe Ruth. “I was gonna pay with cash, like I wanted this apartment bad. Like it got to the point where the realtor was so confident,” she said. I cannot confirm that several board members were adults.
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The six of us were back together for dinner in a very interesting venue. The Saap Avenue (sic), 4395 Piedmont Avenue, Oaland, is a Laotian restaurant, probably the first that I have ever visited. Generally, I found it a combination of Vietnamese and Thai cuisines with a little extra spice. A large bar is at the center of the room and tables are arrayed in a U-shape against three walls, decorated with bright murals.
The table shared two orders of crispy roti (South Asian pancakes) with yellow curry ($12). The Oakland Heartthrob and I split an order of six Spicy Basil Wings in a spicy, sweet basil sauce ($14). I then had Panang Crispy Duck Curry, strips of crispy duck breast in panang curry sauce (curry paste, peanuts and coconut milk) with red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli and fried Thai "Holy Basil" (a plant from the mint family alleged to have medicinal properties) ($30).
Other folks had Vegetarian Crispy Egg Rolls ($12 for four pieces); yellow curry with chicken ($26); yellow curry with vegetables ($22); Kamoo, slow-braised pork leg with broccoli, mustard greens, spiced garlic lime sauce ($24). While the National Geographic says that Laos is one of the poorest countries on Earth, you wouldn't know it from these prices.
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* The Oakland Heartthrob informed me that the Emeryville Shellmound was once a massive archeological site, a sacred burial ground of the Ohlone people (Native Americans dwelling along the Northern California coast), combining human remains and food waste, including shellfish.
Saturday, July 12, 2025
In downtown Berkeley this afternoon, I stopped in the Gadani Waffle Cafe, 139 Berkeley Square, noted for its ice cream. It's a very small place, hard to linger inside with five stools, three high, two low and a small bench. Additionally, there were a couple of tables outside. I had two very large scoops for $7.95, cookies and cream and cardamom pistachio, loaded with whole pistachios. This served for lunch.
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The fabulous mother-daughter team that I have attached myself to both had major birthdays in June, the basis for our elaborately planned and historically thwarted trip to Israel. Tonight, America's Loveliest Nephrologist held her own party, attended by her local friends and her visiting relatives. The food and drink were first-rate. My only complaint was that in spite of the abundant presence of physicians, there were no neurologists or orthopedists.
Sunday, July 13, 2025
The natural order has reasserted itself. Our departing flight from San Francisco was delayed one hour and the boarding gate was the next to last one terminal over. We were back home just after midnight.
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Memo to Left Coasters: This was a very short trip. Prepare yourselves for a two-week stay early next year.
Monday, July 14, 2025
Last week, I expressed my opposition to the phrase Globalize the Intifada, at base a slogan for violence and mayhem. There is an alternative: Localize the Intifada. Direct energy and passion to improving first what’s accessible and then have your successes fuel your expansion. Broad based revolutions have classically eaten their children, rarely leaving most people better off. Clean up your block, your neighborhood, your city before throwing yourself at the nation-state. In spite of the punishing restrictions Israel often placed on Gaza, there was ample time and resources to elevate the population rather than dig tunnels for their militants.
On the other hand, Trump has been eager to unleash our military against destructive forces, real or imaginary while a campaign of terror and violence is being conducted in plain sight by crazed Jewish settlers on the West Bank. Arab fields, homes and lives are attacked even as the forces of law and order stand back. If the IDF cannot stop the anarchy, send in the Marines.
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We know that rents locally always go up and we usually think at the neighborhood level, Flatbush, Upper West Side, Astoria. A new study, however, adds another reference point -- subway stop. https://share.google/
Even among car owners, mass transit is the wisest option for getting around and about much of the city. Going to work most often means a subway ride. Situating yourself near a subway station is good strategy, but usually at a price. As gentrification marches on, subway lines replace Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett in pointing new directions.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
A group of German computer scientists, thankfully writing in English, studied vocabulary changes in more than 15 million biomedical abstracts published from 2010 to 2024, a period when large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT emerged.
Based on the increasing prevalence of certain words, they concluded that “at least 13.5% of 2024 abstracts were processed with LLMs,” an effect “on scientific writing [that] is truly unprecedented.” Among the hundreds of telltale words were delves, crucial, potential, necessity, pinpoints, versatility and harness. LLMs supposedly use them more frequently than “human” writers. Not found on the list were Ivanka, huge, Melania and bigly.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Stony Brook Steve and I went out to lunch at Shanghai Dumplings Fusion, 158 West 72nd Street, the new joint which still has a sign in front announcing a Soft Opening. That seems to be keeping most people away. We soldiered on, however. I had thin, cigar-shaped Tiger Prawn Rolls ($8.95 for 3), a paltry serving, and popcorn chicken ($8.95), an ample portion, lacking crispness. On the other hand, it was 87° and humid outside.
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We have a new theme song.
The Upper West Side’s Power Couple takes off tomorrow for another long weekend, this time to Toronto. You’ll hear about it next time.
If i have a column from Alan it must be shabbat. Very confusing.
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