I finally made it to Novel Brewing in North Oakland. Really great beers … I was impressed!
I love all their decor and their cute book beer tasters.
My fav was the Black Rye IPA and the New England Style IPA… SO delish!
It is dog-friendly and a great neighborhood spot.
This past weekend I had a couple friends visit, last minute, in the middle of the week… which can be the best kind of visits… the best places are way less crowded on a Thursday!
The weather had been rainy all week but we were lucky to have sunny skies over us on the day they were visiting.
First Stop… Beauty’s Bagels! Yes, it is a bit hipstery ( whatever that means…) but it isgenuinelyy delicious and one of my favorite places in Oakland for breakfreast.
I always take people here who are visiting and they always love it. I love the Veggie bagel but this particular day I tried the fried chicken and let me tell you… it was some of the best friend chicken I have ever had.
After fueling up, we headed to Tenessee Valley for a hike! This is a leisure hike that you can make more challenging or longer as you see fit for you and your group.
Always layer!
Next stop! One of my ALL TIME fav mexican restaurants I have ever been to, The Sausalito Taco Shop. The crema, the micheladas, the seafood… yes PLEASE!
After lunch, it was time for some beer! We headed back across the Richmond Bridge for one of my fav breweries ( are you sensing a theme? Of course I would take my friends to do my favorite things! ), Fieldwork in Berkeley.
I am NEVER disappointed here and I always take home a crowler, growler or apparel! … I just love it!
Next stop, Rare Barrel… If you LOVE Sours…where have you been??? Get to The Rare Barrel. The server asked if we were on Spring Break… We took it as a compliment… life should be one long spring break!
After heading home to clean up we hit my neighborhood brewery, Temescal.
Love the beer garden here… dreaming of Summer already!
SO glad that these two came and visited me! It allowed me to visit my favorite places with two of the funniest people I know!
Come back anytime!
We then headed to one of my fav Korean spots, Bowl’d BBQ. 
After that, we hit one last brewery, Woods in Uptown Oakland. Love the fire pit vibes they set up!
Additionally, if you want to dance on a Thursday night, head to Era Art Bar… always a fun time!
And… there you have it! A few of my favorite things… in the BAY!
My fav mocha…. and I am not even a mocha person, but the mocha at Blue Bottle is made with tcho and is ohhh so good. Pair it with a waffle and you have a decadently sweet breakfast.
My love affair with Firebrand continues. Not just a bakery – they serve up amazing breakfast and lunch fare… They also recently started serving beer and wine in the evenings. Need to check it out soon. 
Another place I love every time I go but I just don’t go enough is Drake’s Dealership. Went here for lunch and may have had a little too much to drink, but the beers were SO good. 
If you love German food head to Gaumenkitzel in Berkeley. This is my second time there and I LOVED it both times. Great for vegetarians and meat lovers alike with an extensive beer and wine menu. 
Branching out from the East Bay for this last one! The Jug Shop on Polk in the City has an AMAZING selection of beer, liquor, and wine. They also put on wonderful tastings. My friend and I went there for a sour tasting and we were blown away by how extensive and delicious it was. As you can see I went home with quite a bit!! 
Enjoy!
Last week, when we had a few days of sun, my friend and I walked to Super Juiced for a late afternoon treat.
They are located in Old Oakland, in the back of a courtyard. They have homemade nut milks, acai bowls, smoothies, juices and other snacks.
and that decor… so cute!
Looking forward to coming here a lot more this summer! Cheers. 
Here are a few of my favorite things from this past week! 
SO lucky that I get to view this every day as I workout! Wake up an hour early to live an hour more!
What is better on a Monday night than copious amounts of Gin…?! LOL
With a friend visiting from out of town you tend to get out a little more and this is how I found myself enjoying Gin cocktails this past Monday at Whitechapel on Polk in SF. I am through and through a beer girl but I happened to pick two cocktails that were surprisingly great!
Lunch at Firebrand… SO GOOD. I want to live in this Bakery, so delectable. 
Planning a SLO trip with my bestie! Filled with the very best things… blading, hikes, camping, breweries! YAY
Forbidden Island Tiki Bar in Alameda is always a fun spot! All about that Monkey Pod drink.
One of the most amazing Mochas in all the land… at Blue Bottle Cafe. Go and enjoy!
My all time fav backyard hike… not literally backyard but 10 minutes from my house. It is an amazing challenge with bay views and it never gets old to me! 
Always trying to have no/less screen time once I get home from work… tried my hand at some watercolor painting and had a blast! I won’t be quitting my day job any time soon but its fun to try my hand at different hobbies!
Near my office in Oakland is a fun little spot called MUA. We had mussels and fries which I was a bit scared to try as I had never had them before but I was pleasantly surprised it was really good. In addition to the mussels and fries we had a green bean sandwich .. sounds strange but it was delectable. Their beer selection on tap was soso but I was pleasantly surprised with their bottled beer selection. The cream stout I had was delicious and maybe a tad too much for a lunchtime drink ;).
While waiting at Plow we walked around for some exercise and look at this cute bench we found halfway up the hill. I imagine it comes in handy when walking up the hill with groceries in hand.
Do I have too many favorite places… probably. Plow is famed for being one of the best brunches in the city and I have to agree. The ‘Plow’ breakfast is to die for. If only I could eat this everyday. Actually scratch that.. it would be problematic. 
Pumpkin Carving. YAY. I love Mickey sitting in the window.
Had a chance to go to Hollow over the weekend when I was out with Mickey on a walk and it was so delicious. I can’t wait to go back.
A batch of Pumpkin Brownies to take the sting out of Monday.
Starting on my Halloween Costume. I love this time of year.
I have been excited to try Trueburger for quite sometime now. After hearing a lot of amazing reviews from friends I was stoked to try it and when the opportunity arose this past Saturday I was excited maybe a little too excited.
True Burger is basic. My favorite thing was probably their pickles.
I appreciate that this is a local restaurant and I want to support that… but if I am being real I would much rather go to In-N-Out. Sorrrrry.
If I go here again – I would not get a burger, fries and shake – it was too much for this old gal.
Also, something to note: if you are a veggie this may not the best place to go ( it depend on what you are looking for, of course) ; their veg option is a deep fried, cheese stuffed portobello mushroom.
I do like that they share a patio with a coffee shop/ bar next door. It was nice to sit outside and away from the booming crowd inside. This place was PACKED on a Saturday night with what seemed to be local neighborhood families.
If you live nearby you should try it, but don’t get your hopes up like I did. It was not the best burger I ever ate but the service was friendly and I could see myself coming back here again to give it another shot.
