fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Five new Peninsula restaurants to try right now
By: Elena Kadvany
Tags: Bay Area, Restaurant, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Foodies

Asian Street Eatery, Sunnyvale

Asian Street Eatery opened on El Camino Real in Sunnyvale last week with a massive menu inspired by China and Southeast Asia’s “legendary” street food stalls. Normally a menu this large — including dim sum, baos, mantou, customizable banh mi sandwiches, noodle soups, braised meats and build-your-own stir fries — would be a red flag, but the food here is well worth exploring.

Asian Street Eatery’s squid ink lobster dumplings. (Photo by Elena Kadvany)

The restaurant comes from the same owners of Ginger Cafe in Sunnyvale, Fu Kee in San Jose, and Rice + Noodles Asian Kitchen in Campbell. You’re greeted by large, touch-screen kiosks on which you place your order — no need to come within 6 feet of a human — and can get it to-go or eat on a large outdoor patio.

Do try the squid ink dumplings, filled with sweet, oceanic lobster and corn encased in a dumpling skin shaped like a shell you’d find on the beach. And don’t miss the zhua bing, a massive Chinese pancake wrapped around lettuce, a Chinese donut, pickled carrots and radishes, cucumbers, cilantro and your choice of protein (the grilled pork was rich and delicious).

1146 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale; 408–930–4798 // asianstreeteatery.com. Open for takeout and outdoor dining from Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Starting in October, hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Redwood City was dethroned as a world flower capital; now one mural pays tribute
By: Danny Acosta
Tags: Bay Area, Japanese Culture, American History, Flowers, Artist

Talavera-Ballón standing in front of his completed mural—”Desafiando la Marea”—at Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco. (Image via Claudio Talavera-Ballón’s website)

What was your reaction when you heard you were selected for this mural?

When I was selected for this mural, it was something I could not believe. It was unbelievable, an unbelievable contribution of labor, the biggest thing I’ve done in my whole life to date … This was a growing experience in every sense of the word.

What in your artistic background do you reflect on that brought you to this moment?

I was the kind of artist who was less interested in what transpires in classrooms than the act of painting itself as the essential course study. Painting was always a game. I never took it seriously. When I finished college, I took graphic design in an era where computers weren’t there … so you learned it all manually.

It was oil — infinite ways to paint. I was enchanted with oil. They presented oil painting to me and it became my drug. It was as if I was addicted to the drug from the first moment I tried it, struck my brush with oil.

…That’s when I crashed into the real world. There was an immense wall that crashes the dreams of every university student that you’re changing the world. I came out with all the ideas of being a gigantic presence with significant followers, which is the wall that stifles growth. It didn’t give me liberty. It gave me nothing. That was a type of life, what was there to do? Continue with publicity, or with painting?

In that time, destiny struck. I encountered a very famous painter in Peru [Luis Palao Berastai]. We met, talked and he invited me to study with him in the southeastern city of Peru, Cusco. I left home, 13–14 hours from Arequipa to an Indigenous area: a beautiful, picturesque place to do nothing but paint.

If I was awake, I’d paint; if I was asleep, I’d dream of painting; I’d wake up and paint. It was a long time to live a cheap life, and after two or three months when the money would run out, I’d go back, sell art or make designs, and then go back to where he was in Cusco.

Even though it was modest, it was like having a fortune, tranquility painting for months on end.
Get that gourd! It’s the 650’s guide to pumpkin patches on the coast
By: Sahale Greenwood
Tags: Bay Area, San Francisco, California, Travel Tips, Silicon Valley

Lemos Farm

Got Kids? Lemos Farm offers more entertainment for your children (especially young kids) than any other patch in Half Moon Bay.

This smaller, more manicured pumpkin patch has a lot for your little ones: the haunted house will not leave your children screaming in the night and the hay maze rises only three feet, making it impossible to lose your child. The old-timey buildings, accessories and music make this little patch a great escape from all your current troubles in 2020.

Old-timey charm and activities at Lemo’s Farm (photo by Sahale Greenwood)

Of course, they’re also the only pumpkin patches in the area that charges for admission. The price for children’s entry with all attractions included (haunted house, pony rides, bouncy castle, balloon shaping, face painting, petting zoo, racing cars, hay maze and train rides) is $25. Without pony rides, children’s tickets are $20. Adult tickets are $10.

The site is equipped with many sanitizing stations, masks are required and most importantly, the farm is controlling how many visitors can be on the site at once by pre-selling their tickets online and capping the number of tickets sold for both the morning and afternoon slots. (Another small but important detail is Lemos has the cleanest bathrooms of any patch!)

If this sounds like the right place for you and your young ones, hop online and reserve tickets as spots are filling up.

Lemos Farm // 12320 San Mateo Rd, Half Moon Bay; 650.726.2342
The Restaurant Week Interviews: 7 questions for Chef Manuel Martinez of La Viga Seafood
By: Sarah Klearman
Tags: Bay Area, Restaurant Business, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Foodies

Chef Manuel Martinez of La Viga Culinary Inc. (Photo by Rob Watkins)

For readers who might not be familiar, tell me a little bit about you and your restaurants.

I’ve been in the industry for the last 25 years, working as a cook, an assistant chef and then as a chef. After that, I began opening restaurants for other people, and then opening places for myself. The last nine years I’ve spent working for myself.

I’m currently operating three restaurants that I own here on the Peninsula — two in Redwood City and one in Palo Alto. I’m a chef by trade, but I’m also the mind behind everything here. Each restaurant has their own chef, so they do the kitchen operations, and I oversee them.

Tell me about the year behind us — what’s been the trajectory of your restaurants?

The last year has been a rough year. It’s nothing like I’ve seen before. I was in the industry during the housing market (crash), worse than the dot-com boom, and this has been worse than those. I’ve been through a lot, but never a pandemic before. La Viga has been open nine years, LV MAR will turn eight this year. It’s been a year since we opened San Agus.

Officially we have opened and closed the restaurants a couple of times, the first time being back in March of 2020, and then again in mid-December. I’ve opened and closed LV Mar at least four times, because we experienced some COVID cases there, and the first thing we did was close and make sure everybody was safe. Ultimately, we were shut down twice, but we closed on our own another two times during the pandemic.
Why Richmond’s Miller Knox Regional Shoreline is one of The Bay Area’s most underrated parks (Photo Essay)
By: Abraham Woodliff
Tags: Bay Area, Photography, San Francisco, Photo Essay, Richmond

*ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

Skyline

The Bay Area has a multitude of beautiful places to explore, but none seem to garner as little attention as Richmond’s Miller Knox Regional Shoreline. The park is tucked away on the southwestern edge of the city, just below the stop-and-go traffic of I-580. While on a mission to enjoy Fleet Week without being drowned in the usual crowd of spectators, I found this gem of a public space that combines the natural beauty of coastal California with the industrial beauty of the East Bay’s urban core.

Ferry Point

As our car made it to the other side of the Ferry Point tunnel, the first thing that I said was “Holy shit, this is Richmond?” The media image of Richmond as an ugly, industrial dot of blight on the Bay Area and the preconceived notions that had distorted my view of the city as a result of such coverage were immediately shattered as the calm bay breeze blew through my hair and the light of the sun shimmered beautifully on the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay.

Juxtapose

Beach side

Crack in the earth

I was compelled to walk through the park, attempting to take it all in, suddenly, the Blue Angels became of less importance. Every piece of this place felt alive. The dilapidated structures with direct view of the San Francisco skyline that are scattered around the area can make you feel like you’re traversing through a painting. None of it seemed real. Juxtaposition defined the experience. Two eras, two worldviews colliding. One shiny and new, the other crumbling and old; directly facing each other, as if in a sort of perpetual standoff.

Ramblers

Rust

Window View

Miller Knox wasn’t always a park, long before the East Bay Regional Park District was granted the acreage from the City of Richmond, this piece of land served as part of a vital train corridor, connecting the West Coast with the East. What is now Miller Knox Park was the western terminus of the Santa Fe Railway. Cargo or passengers that were San Francisco bound would then take a ferry at the adjacent Ferry Point.

Santa Fe

Division

Everywhere you look, there’s history. Not far from Miller Knox is the Rosie The Riveter WWII Home Front Museum that showcases Richmond’s importance during the war effort and how WWII shaped the future of Richmond as it was transformed from a small, rural community to an urbanized, industrial powerhouse.

Friends

Sunshine

Many still associate Richmond with crime and blight, but there is much more to this small, industrial city than meets the eye. It’s important to never judge a book by its cover. Even the most tattered and torn have a story, and can possess positive qualities that are easy to miss upon first glance. Richmond’s natural beauty and rich culture are a testament to this fact and Miller Knox is truly a great first chapter.
Get up close with Año Nuevo’s elephant seals in all of their blubbery, bewhiskered glory
By: Johanna Hickle
Tags: Bay Area, Wildlife, California, Animals, Nature

In the animal kingdom, the seal family won’t be winning any prizes in the glamour category. You’ll understand this if you’ve ever watched one galumphing across the sand, head bobbing vigorously as it hefts along its bulky body. It also doesn’t help that they make sounds similar to a sick dog. And among its flippered brethren, nothing beats the pound for pound fugliness of the male Northern elephant seal. They’re like grey Jabba the Huts or 5,000-pound blubber slugs with big, bulbous noses called proboscises (why they share that term with the delicate hummingbird, we’ll never understand).

Each January, hundreds of visitors flock to Año Nuevo State Park to gawk at these funky creatures en masse for a fundraiser called Seal Adventures. The event (which supports educational and interpretive programs at the park and others along the San Mateo coastline) gives visitors unlimited access to four miles of trails and viewing areas along the dunes.

Regular docent-guided tours are offered daily (December through March), but the fundraiser is ideal for those who prefer to take their own time rather than move at the pace of a group — or who wish to skip the commentary to commune with nature one on one. It’s a huge draw for nature photographers who heft in spindly tripods and cameras with lengthy zoom lenses. Docents direct foot traffic to keep everyone safe, donning bright red shirts that stand in sharp contrast to the beige sand.
San Francisco Could Soon Reopen as Infection Rate Falls
By: Clara Hogan
Tags: Bay Area, San Francisco, Coronavirus

Welcome news for our city’s small businesses (and the rest of us): San Francisco Mayor London Breed gave a hint today that the city could reopen soon if the Covid-19 infection rate continues at its current rate or declines.

The Bay Area has been in a second shelter-in-place for more than a month, since December 16, with no end in sight. The order was originally set to lift on January 7 but then was indefinitely extended due to continued dismal ICU capacity rates. Given the struggles small businesses have already faced this year, this news was hard to grapple with for many local business owners and workers.

Thankfully, it appears things could be looking up. The Bay Area can emerge from its state-ordered shutdown once the regional ICU rate is projected to hit at least 15% capacity within a four-week period. The current rate is 6.6% (up from its lowest point at 0.6% just a week ago), and with the infection rate back under 1%, that should lead us to a 15% or greater ICU rate soon if we all keep doing our part in slowing the spread.

In other news, San Francisco also opened its first of three planned mass vaccination sites today. This site is on City College of San Francisco’s main campus on Ocean Avenue in the Oceanview, Merced Heights, Ingleside neighborhood and is in partnership with UCSF Health. It will start at 500 doses a day with the goal of eventually issuing 10,000 vaccinations per day.

Two additional mass vaccination sites will be set up at the Moscone Center in SoMa and the SF Market in the Bayview. This is all part of the city’s plan to vaccinate every resident by June 30.

“Large vaccination sites like this one at City College are going to be critical for getting people vaccinated quickly and safely, and getting our City on the road to recovery,” Breed said in a press release, saying also that “San Francisco has a plan and we are ready to distribute 10,000 doses per day once we have enough vaccine. To fully deliver this plan, we need more vaccine and we will continue to do everything we can to be ready when our supply of vaccine does increase.”

These are promising pieces of news we love to see, capping off an already hopeful week. Enjoy your weekend at home, Bay Area, while we continue to wait.
Need a book? Here are 12 great titles on Bay Area history worth reading now
By: The Six Fifty Staff
Tags: Bay Area, Book Recommendations, American History, Books, Authors

(Book cover via Amazon)

Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic by Jason Turbow

In the early 1970s, the Oakland Athletics fielded what is arguably one of the greatest dynasties in the history of Major League Baseball, winning three consecutive World Series titles from 1972–1974.

Better yet, the team was populated by a roster of shaggy-haired weirdos who embodied the California lifestyle while posting numbers that would eventually land them in the Hall of Fame. You know—sports icons like Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue and Rollie Fingers.

Jason Turbow’s recent account goes deep inside that oddball locker room and explores the team dynamics from one of the Bay’s key historic sports runs, documenting all the colorful personalities and the many zany interactions that ensued (like when owner Charlie Finley tried to change Vida Blue’s first name to “True” …just for marketing purposes).

…Bombastic is a fun and engaging slice of baseball history even if you’re not a diehard fan of the green and gold.

(Image via Amazon)

Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend by James S. Hirsch

Don’t worry Giants fans, we weren’t gonna leave you hanging after that last one. Yes, we know…3 in 5 years is no small thing (it’s great…seriously). But rather than point you at a tome celebrating the Torture Ball era, we’re going to steer you towards the bio of the Say-Hey Kid. Why? Because he was quite probably the very the best of all time.

James S. Hirsch’s in-depth biography of the iconic legend conveys all the details of Willie’s era-spanning trajectory, from the Negro Leagues to the Polo Grounds to a new age of baseball expanding to the West Coast. Simply put—Mays was an unparalleled talent as well as a beam of bright positive energy in the world.

And that basket catch….
Building A Cannabis Brand For The People
By: Rob Fajardo
Tags: Bay Area, Cannabis Medical, Cannabis

When you think of the Bay Area, you should always think Backpack Boyz cannabis.

They have a ‘mob-like’ influence on Bay area cannabis culture due to their high-profile buds, quality flower, and community support. Building a brand that is supported by the people is the secret hack to longevity in 2020 and beyond. With more brands now, more than ever, customer loyalty is what separates good and great.

Not many have built a brand for the people in the way like Backpack Boyz. Having stayed true to their grassroots nature, Backpack Boyz remains as one of the top cannabis brands across the United States.

The Backpack Boyz “Gotti”, a cross between the classic Gelato #41 and Billy Kimber OG, is a puffy bright green bud flush with trichomes that has a strong citrus dominated nose. The Backpack Boyz are expert cultivators and that means that each of their signature buds are top shelf.

Quality and consistency is how you build brand loyalty and that is exactly why Backpack Boyz has stood the test of time being able to adapt to new laws and regulations cannabis becomes legalized throughout the United States. The core team is passionate about their craft and it shows the in the care that they provide to each new strain.

Gotti is the perfect night-time smoke that will relax your muscles as you unwind after a long day.

Some of their other signature strains like Black Cherry Gelato, Italian Ice, and Number 33 aka. “Scottie Pippen” are staple strains that every cannabis connoisseur should experience.

It’s no surprise that Backpack Boyz continues to release new strains because of their passionate team who has been dedicated over the last decade.

If you are thinking about creating a brand, make sure that you have your people in mind. By prioritizing your people you will create longevity for yourself and your brand. You can never underestimate loyalty and if you are consistent in your delivery then your customers will always have your back in the good times and bad, no matter what.
Weird and Wonderful Dispatches From My Former Bart Commute
By: Cindy Lundin Mesaros
Tags: Bay Area, San Francisco, Bart, Humor, Transportation

September 2016

I got dropped off at the station with plenty of time to catch my train to SFO. When I went to check Facebook, my fingers did a mad scramble through the dark cavernous recesses of my bag. Nothing. Where is my phone? I left it on the kitchen counter. Damn. Must have my husband bring it to me.

A woman walked by.

“Excuse me, can I borrow your phone?”

She gave a dirty look and kept walking. Note to self: Revise approach. I see a second woman. “Excuse me, I left my phone at home, would you mind texting my husband to bring it here?”

This approach works. Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if my husband and this random woman meet-cute this way and get together?

No, actually, that’s not funny. I need to focus.

Train arrives. Random woman departs. How do I know if hubby got that text? I’m not even sure I gave her the right number. What’s his number again?

I look around for a plan B. Pay phone! Bingo! I scrounge up a bunch of dimes from the bottom of my purse. Ew, this phone is gross. Must remember antibacterial stuff.

He answers! He’s on his way! He says, “But I texted back.” Uh, not to me, you didn’t. To her. We will discuss that later!
Craft cocktails without pretension? Bar Zola says they have the recipe.
By: Zack Fernandes
Tags: Bay Area, Alcohol, San Francisco, Bartending, Cocktails

Months after delays brought about by construction permit challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic, Bar Zola, the bar companion to French restaurant Zola, is now open on Bryant St in Palo Alto. Bar Zola features a beverage program which aims to fill a void of craft cocktail bars in Palo Alto. “We’re gonna be the best cocktail bar on the Peninsula,” owner Guillaume Bienaime said.

Opening a bar connected to a well-established restaurant like Zola can be a complex affair, requiring chefs and bar managers to figure out the role cocktails will play as part of the dining experience and how their flavors might support the food menu. Bienaime threw this complexity out of the window when he decided that the mission of Bar Zola would be simple: “I’ve always thought there’s nowhere for you to drink a cocktail in Palo Alto. And so that’s our first goal, to just create a place to drink cocktails.”

Duncan Harrison, Bar Zola’s bar manager, had stints working at District in San Jose, Town in San Carlos and Trick Dog in San Francisco before joining the opening team at Bar Zola. (Photo by Magali Gauthier)

Though both Zola and Bar Zola share a food menu, a kitchen and an owner, the bar feels like a distinct entity. When Duncan Harrison first began working with Bienaime in the early days of the bar’s construction, he proposed a concept cocktail list to complement the restaurant’s classically French bistro dishes. Harrison imagined serving cocktails that felt as French as Zola’s beef bourguignon, featuring mostly French spirits, aperitifs and herbs like tarragon. When Bienaime (who was born in France) first considered the proposal, he thought about his own dual French and Californian identities and suggested that Harrison not limit himself only to French flavors and ingredients.

Returning to the drawing board, Harrison took inspiration from “Meehan’s Bartender Manual,” a comprehensive treatise on how to conceptualize, build and run a bar penned by craft cocktail pioneer Jim Meehan. Adopting Meehan’s strategy of making the bar’s concept fit the neighborhood rather than the other way around, Harrison decided on an intentionally curated menu for the bar’s opening to gauge the response of his customers.

“Bars are supposed to be something that come in to make the neighborhood better, not change it,” Harrison said, adding that his plan was to remain flexible to the tastes of the local community. “If we need more vodka drinks on the menu, we’re going to do it,” he said.

Though Harrison estimates that the opening cocktail menu will only be about half of its eventual length, Bar Zola has still tried to offer something for everybody, or as he puts it—a cocktail menu that is, “unpretentious, fun to drink and complex enough to satisfy just about anybody.” The end result is an assortment of cocktails across five categories: sparkling, citrusy and refreshing, stirred and boozy, low-proof and no-proof (mixed drinks containing no alcohol).
Movies, murals & marine life: 32 things to do to on the Peninsula for Memorial Day Weekend
By: The Six Fifty Staff
Tags: Bay Area, San Francisco, California, Silicon Valley, Memorial Day

Take a hike

It’s a great year to find some open space for Memorial Day, and the Peninsula certainly has a lot to offer. High on our list these days is the Russian Ridge Preserve up on Skyline. Meadows full of wildflowers, stunning vistas and winding trails are all quickly accessible from the main parking lot (which is located near the Page Mill /Alpine Road intersection). You can hike far or just take a simple loop; plus, the area is full of raptors, lizards and other critters for the kids to scout.

We’re also inclined to point you towards some other great hike potential in the region, such as the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve and Montara Mountain (which is challenging in spots, but the coastal views are worth it). Also, consider the Sweeney Ridge Trail, which is located just off of 280 in San Bruno and leads to the Bay Area Discovery Site, where Spain’s Captain Juan Gaspar de Portola and his crew — accompanied by members of the local Aramai tribe — first “discovered” the San Francisco Bay in 1769, according to the National Park Service.

Visitors view the inhabitants of tide pool this past spring at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. (Photo by Adam Pardee)

Finally, it wouldn’t be a list of 650 things to do without mentioning one of our perennial faves—Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Yes, the tide pool wonderland is open again and there are some great negative low tides (read as: peak tide pooling conditions) in the a.m. hours throughout the weekend. And, as we always suggest, don’t forget to hike the bluffs overlooking the beach…which are simply stunning.
Real Tonkotsu Ramen is Tough to Find. Ramen Hiroshi Has It in the East Bay
By: Thomas Smith
Tags: Bay Area, East Bay, Food And Drink

Most people think of ramen as a staple food of college students and those on an extreme budget. The soup evokes memories of blocks of barely-edible noodles reconstituted in boiling water — flavored with a tiny pack of unknown seasonings.

Real ramen, though, is totally different than the freeze-dried, prepackaged stuff you might remember from your college days. (It’s a creamy, flavorful Japanese soup, full of fresh vegetables, mushrooms, meats, soy, and other tasty and non-dehydrated ingredients.)

One of the best places to get real ramen in the East Bay is Ramen Hiroshi. With locations in downtown Walnut Creek and a new location at City Center Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, Ramen Hiroshi serves up real-deal Japanese ramen soup… as well as a variety of other Japanese specialty dishes.

Visitors to Ramen Hiroshi can choose from a variety of ramen soup options.

My favorite is the Hiroshi Tonkotsu, the chain’s signature dish. Real tonkotsu ramen like Ramen Hiroshi’s is made by boiling pork bones in water for hours, or even up to a full day. The bones’ marrow and pork fat combine to give the broth an almost creamy mouthfeel which has just a hint of fat but isn’t oily. It’s very hard to find places that do tonkotsu right, and Ramen Hiroshi is one of them.

The restaurant’s default is to serve their Hiroshi Tonkotsu with thin noodles, but I usually opt to switch those out for the more traditional wide ramen noodles. The soup also includes Berkshire pork belly slices, a soft-boiled egg, and traditional accompaniments like lotus root and pickled red ginger.

Ramen Hiroshi also serves Shoyu ramen, a ramen soup with a soy-based broth. The broth is intensely flavored, and so extremely umami-forward that it also tastes smoky. A milder soup popular with kids is the Shio ramen, which is made with sea salt broth instead of soy or pork bone broth and has a much lighter flavor.

If you like spicy ramen and want to opt for something that’s actually creamy rather than just having a creamy mouthfeel, try the Tantanmen ramen, which has a creamy sesame broth and plenty of spice. Ramen Hiroshi provides the option to create your own custom ramen soup, too, opting to add whatever broth and ingredients you want.
The world’s best ice skates are made in…San Carlos? Behind the scenes at Harlick Skates.
By: Sinead Chang
Tags: Bay Area, Sports, Ice Skating, Olympics, Small Business

Rolling ahead

To some, shelter-in-place orders and ice skating rink closures meant picking up new hobbies, such as roller skating. While Harlick is widely known as an ice skating boot manufacturer, they have always made roller skates. Whether it’s nostalgia or simply quarantine boredom, Kuhn has seen a recent increase in roller skate orders. “Even though they’re not making up a majority of our current production, you can still sense the energy in the room and it’s neat to see that,” he said. “What we lost in ice skate sales we made up for with roller skates.”

Keon Saghari, or NeonKeon, is known online for her viral roller skating videos featuring mesmerizing choreography and eye-catching curly hair. Saghari learned about Harlick through Candice Heiden, a professional roller skater and coach that she had been training with. Saghari always assumed that Harlick boots were meant for professional and competitive skaters, not an outdoor dance skater like herself. But, through training with Heiden and speaking to Jason through Instagram, Saghari soon decided that it was time for her to invest in a pair of Harlick boots. (For pricing, the Harlick Skates website states that stock boots start at $800 for adult sizing, with custom boots beginning at $1195.)

Instagram roller skating celeb NeonKeon (Keon Saghari). (Image via NeonKeon Instagram)

“I’m realizing now that the boot is accessible to a wider range of skating than just competitive skating because of its customization.” Saghari said. “I think more and more now we’re going to see non-competitive skaters wearing their boots.” The high price tag means that Harlick roller skates may be out of reach for beginning skaters, but Jason added that they’re meeting plenty of new customers that have fallen in love with the sport and are now looking for a boot upgrade.

Ice skaters also jumped on the roller skating craze for a different reason: a way to train when many rinks were closed or inaccessible. Boitano started skating with a pair of Harlick boots fitted with special inline skate wheels — called Pic Skates — that mimic the feeling of ice skating. “I’ve always had a passion for roller skating,” Boitano said. “I really like the fact that the Pic Skates get me outdoors.”

Beyond roller skates, the pandemic has also given Harlick the opportunity to introduce virtual fittings and a brand new website. In the past Harlick has reached its customers through appearances at figure skating competitions, offering attendees an in-person fitting. The cancellation of competitions meant it was the perfect opportunity for Harlick to invest in its website instead. Now, customers can be fitted for a pair of skates from the comfort of their home. “It’s a neat way to access skaters, and then guide them through the measuring process on a personal level,” Kuhn said. “Had the pandemic not happened, maybe we wouldn’t have felt that pressure or been as creative.”
Andreessen Horowitz backed firm, Labelbox, appears to threaten Federal Court to pre-seed upstart Diffgram.
By: Anthony Sarkis
Tags: Startup, Bay Area, Tech, News, Investing

On April 23 I posted this article on the best data annotation for machine learning. Their response?

They sent an inflammatory letter from their law firm, that implies the threat of legal action under the Lanham Act, which is Federal Court.

“I caution you that knowingly making false statements of this sort can give rise to liability for defamation and for violations of section 43(a) of the Lanham Act. Given the seriousness…” —Labelbox law firm from letter

To us — Diffgram. A self funded, pre-seed startup. So why are they doing it? What threat could our small team be?

Well I think the high level reason is pretty simple — Diffgram is better software and it’s open source.

Labelbox often mentions their backers — so I’ll repeat it here: B Capital Group, Andreessen Horowitz, Gradient Ventures, Kleiner Perkins.

Now I know these are reputable firms and I am hopefully that they have no knowledge of this letter. To the leaders at those firms, I’m more then happy to discuss this, further adjust the article, and come to a mature fair solution — you already have my email. Ok back to what happened.

Diffgram’s Recent Growth

Example of increase in Diffgram star history — one metric among many.

Diffgram recently went open source, as a result Diffgram has seen over a ~8x increase in github activity and over ~3x new user signups and ~4x enterprise sales requests on diffgram.com.

This is really just the start — we recently published some big updates to the user interface and have more coming!

We are working hard to help students, teachers, and businesses of all sizes leverage AI through better and open annotation tooling. I believe everyone should have access to this technology which is why we made it open source.

Detailed breakdown and their crazy out of scope letter

Here is a detailed breakdown of each item they alleged was inaccurate. It’s pretty boring but I wanted to take the time to make sure I was being accurate within the scope of the article. Their upset letter is reproduced in full at the bottom of that same document.

One example

I had originally said “Labelbox is one of the lowest glassdoor rated companies.” (Clearly referring to companies in this competitive set).

Upon further research, Labelbox is the lowest glassdoor rated company in the competitive set (of companies that have ratings). I have updated the article to be more accurately reflect this.

Clearly saying “one of the lowest” was too generous. While I say this slightly tongue-in-cheek I think the point is clear: Despite their claims, some of the statements were actually in their favor more then the bare facts.
This 120-Year-Old Lightbulb in Livermore Is Still Burning Strong
By: Thomas Smith
Tags: Bay Area, Lightbulbs, San Francisco, History

To see one of the most remarkable objects in the Bay Area, drop by Fire Station #6 in Livermore — and knock on the front door. (Actually, these are Covid-19 times, so probably best to call ahead). A weary fireman will answer, and if things are quiet and the hour is reasonable, he’ll let you in.

Aside from the normal giant red trucks and array of neatly-coiled hoses you’d find in any firehouse, what makes Fire Station #6 special? A lightbulb. Specifically, the Centennial Lightbulb, which has been burning since 1901, making it the longest burning bulb in history.

This strange, small bulb is in the Guinness Book of World Records, has been recognized by Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and has received declarations from the President of the United States, Congress, various senators, the California state assembly, and more. Former President George W Bush said that the bulb is “an enduring symbol of the American spirit of invention” and the California Senate called the bulb’s firehouse home a “historical shrine.”

The Centennial Bulb was originally installed in 1901 at a firehouse on L street. It was moved several times over the course of the city’s history, often accompanied by a full parade and police escort. The bulb runs on standard 110-volt power but is connected to a special power supply to keep it running even if there’s a power outage. It’s gone off a few times — most recently in 2013 — but save for these short outages, the bulb has burned continuously for 120 years.

I visited the Centennial Bulb in May of 2019. The bulb itself hangs from the high ceilings of the firehouse, giving off a gentle glow. It originally burned at 60 watts — about the same as a modern lightbulb — but faded to around 4 watts over time. It looks a bit like the hanging globe lights which have become popular during the pandemic, or the exposed filament lights you might find in a hipster coffee shop. The bulb is accompanied by a small historical exhibit on its installation, life and local history.

Why has the bulb burned for so long?

The bulb was made by the Shelby Electric Company. It has a carbon filament and a hand-blown glass enclosure. The main theory as to why it has burned so long is that the bulb was extremely high quality when it was initially made. That sets it in contrast to the incandescent bulbs of today, which usually burn out in a few years.

The bulb has burned through two World Wars, the entirety of the 1918 flu pandemic, the Great Depression, the Summer of Love, the birth of the Internet, and much else. During a year that has felt tumultuous and unpredictable, it’s comforting to know that the Centennial Bulb has been there with us the whole time, quietly burning.

// Firehouse Six is located at 4550 East Ave., Livermore, California. You can try to drop by, or call (925) 454–2361 to ask about a visit. If you can’t make it to Livermore or the firehouse is too busy to accommodate your visit, you can always see the Centennial Bulb online, via its dedicated bulb cam.
Cooking in the Nut House: Palo Alto native and self-taught chef reopens dive bar’s kitchen
By: Elena Kadvany
Tags: Bay Area, Restaurant, Chefs, Silicon Valley, Foodies

Darius Johnson grew up in Palo Alto’s Ventura neighborhood, practically down the street from Antonio’s Nut House on California Avenue.

The longtime dive bar reopened on Monday after a months-long pandemic-forced closure, with Johnson leading the kitchen. Taqueria Azteca, which for three decades had served Nut House patrons, closed permanently due to the coronavirus.

Darius Johnson in the kitchen at Antonio’s Nut House in Palo Alto. (Photo via Darius Johnson’s Instagram)

Johnson, a self-taught chef, is now serving chicken wings, lumpia, tacos, burgers and other bar fare out of the Nut House. Alcohol can only be served with food under current local public health mandates. Socially distanced tables have been set up in the parking lot adjacent to the bar for outdoor dining, and bright yellow peanuts have been spray-painted in front of the entrance to remind people to stand 6 feet apart while in line.

The menu is a reflection of Johnson’s deep ties to Palo Alto. There’s handmade meat- and vegetable-filled lumpia because one of his best friends growing up was Filipino. He named his burger, which comes with pickles and remoulade he makes himself, after Michael Meyer, a local woodworker whose son he went to Ohlone Elementary School with.

Johnson, a Gunn High School graduate, got the gig at the Nut House through another hometown friend: Palo Alto native Lars Smith, co-owner of State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria in Los Altos. Smith was in talks with the Nut House owners to take over the kitchen but realized he didn’t have the time or staff to make it happen, he said, so he suggested they tap Johnson instead. Smith also grew up in the Ventura neighborhood and has known Johnson since he was about 5 years old. Johnson helped Smith open State of Mind in 2018.

Smith said they’re talking about teaming up for future burger or pizza pop-ups at the Nut House.

Johnson said he always loved cooking. As a teenager, he’d barbecue for his friends. His first cooking job was as a line cook at The Fish Market in Palo Alto.
Why Daly City is your time portal to 1860s London. Step into the story at the Dickens Fair.
By: Johanna Hickle
Tags: Bay Area, Theatre, San Francisco, Cosplay, Silicon Valley

Meeting Charles Dickens

Let’s start at the heart of things. At the center of this little universe is the famed author himself. The fair’s Charles Dickens — a gentleman with a thick bottlebrush mustache, grizzled beard and red flowers tucked into his lapel — can be found performing sections of A Christmas Carol throughout the day. If you join him at a vintage parlor at the Greenman Inn, he’ll regale you with tales of the jolly Mr. Fezziwig, the heartwarming Tiny Tim and, of course, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge — all of whom might just walk past the window as he describes them.

Dickens in action (Image via Dickens Fair website)

As he spins the classic tale with expressive hands and a passionate voice, he activates it in a way a classroom never could. Robert Young, the actor behind the role, has studied transcripts of the famed author’s speeches and eyewitness accounts of his public appearances to pinpoint those mannerisms. Also in the name of research, he’s tracked down places in England the writer used to frequent: his home in Portsmouth, the residence of his dear friend Lord Cobham, the Leather Bottle pub where he presented readings. Young has stood in Dickens’ library and sat in one of his favorite chairs.

In this regard, Young has a thorough understanding of his subject. He can tell you of Dickens’ difficult childhood (of his days in an unregulated, rat-infested blacking warehouse during his father’s imprisonment). He can speak of the years Dickens enjoyed rock star status (at one point, some of the writer’s lady fans followed him down the street with scissors in hopes of obtaining a piece of his coat). And he can discuss Dickens’ influence on the world around him (like how his incompetent judge in Oliver Twist held such an uncanny resemblance to a real magistrate that it cost the man his position at court). After channeling Dickens for 30 years, you could say he’s a bit of an expert.

“He’s an engaging enough and interesting enough creature that it’s kept me in the role this long!” Young asserts. His eagerness toward the historical figure and his works is contagious. His audience leans in to catch every word.
Meet the founders of Nirvana Soul: Jeronica and Be’Anka.
By: Sydney Welch
Tags: Bay Area, Coffe, Culture, Art, Blackownedbusiness

Meet the founders of Nirvana Soul: Jeronica and Be’Anka. They’re sisters, bffs, and co-founders. Since they were little girls, coffee has held a special, calming place in their hearts. For as long as they can remember, they have dreamed of creating a space that feeds our souls and makes people happy in their community.

In the short-term, out-of-home consumption is decreasing significantly as a growing number of countries are adopting a full or partial lockdown. Offices, coffee shops and restaurants remain closed in order to reduce the spread of the virus. On the other hand, retail- and supermarket-level data suggest that panic buying and stockpiling has led to increased consumer demand in some countries. However, this is unlikely to have a sustained effect on consumption. Following an initial spike in demand, there will be proportionally less demand in the coming weeks and months as consumers draw down stocks kept at home. A more profound effect on global coffee demand can be expected as the result of a global recession triggered by the direct and indirect effects of the covid-19 pandemic. Reduced household incomes could translate into lower demand for coffee in volume terms. In addition, price-sensitive consumers may substitute higher-value coffee by lower-value blends or brands. However, the income flexiblity of coffee demand is likely to be low, especially in high-income countries and traditional markets with high per-capita consumption rates.
Holiday Season Goings-On — $0$. By Tug Brice
By: Anna Almstead
Tags: Giving, Bay Area, Christmas, Oakland, Nonprofit

By Tug Brice

So it has been a busy holiday season here at $O$. We have been so busy we forgot to keep the blog updated! Sorry about that.

Things have been busy for us both personally and professionally. We had a lady get in touch with us in Columbia, SC who needed presents for her kids. She was barely making ends meet and decided to reach out to us to see if we would help make this Christmas bright for her children. We got some toys together and were able to deliver them so that her kids didn’t have to go without presents under their tree on Christmas Day.

Also on Christmas Day, our ever generous co-founder Alan went out and spend the day at a soup kitchen in Oakland. He helped them serve food and handed out 30 $O$ cards as he spoke with the people there at the shelter. We heard back from quite a few of those folks and were able to help some of them with things that they needed.

In other news, I have applied to grad school. I already have a Master’s degree, but it was always the plan for me to go back and get my doctorate. Things here at $O$ are finally at a point where I can do that. I wasn’t planning on going in 2020, but NYU’s application deadline wasn’t until January 20th, so I got everything together and sent it in. If I get in, I will be doing my dissertation on the work we are doing here at $O$.

We would love to hear some of your holiday stories. Please write us at info@s0s.app or contact us via text at 6822–4357–63. Cheers!
Meet Silicon Valley’s own Willy Wonka…and his chocolate-making robot!!
By: Elena Kadvany
Tags: Bay Area, Inventions, Silicon Valley, Technews, Chocolate

Only in Silicon Valley does a longtime tech startup founder find a second career in a chocolate-making robot.

Nate Saal studied molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University after graduating from Palo Alto High School in 1990. After returning to Palo Alto, he quickly shifted from science to the internet, founding what he says was the first web-based software updating service in 1996. He went on to start more technology companies and later worked for CNET and Cisco.

The first iteration of CocoTerra’s chocolate-making robot. (Photo by Magali Gauthier)

But these days, he’s immersed in chocolate — specifically, chocolate made by a countertop device that he created called CocoTerra. The sleek white device, which looks like a large, futuristic coffee maker, uses algorithms, hardware and a smartphone app to transform cocoa nibs, milk powder, cocoa powder and sugar into chocolate in about two hours.

Saal has high hopes for the machine, which has yet to be released. In the age of automation, where robots are making pizza and ramen and delivering our food, he sees CocoTerra as doing something different: using technology to deepen rather than disrupt people’s connection to how their food is made.

“We’re not trying to slap technology for technology’s sake on top of that to abstract it away, to take creativity away,” he said. “We’re trying to actually create a whole new category of people who can now make chocolate.”

While Saal’s professional career has focused on technology, he has always filled his weekends with homegrown food experiments, like keeping bees and growing grapes and olives to make wine and olive oil from scratch. He’s fascinated by the “deep science” of these activities.

Making chocolate, however, was not in his repertoire. It wasn’t until he took his brother-in-law, who works in the coffee business, to a chocolate tasting several years ago, and a conversation about the similarities between the two industries got him thinking. His brother hypothesized that home coffee machines have allowed more people to understand and appreciate coffee in a way that chocolate hasn’t experienced. People did make chocolate at home, but it was a lengthy process that required having several expensive appliances, he found.
Community Spotlight: Ryan Ko
By: Techequity Collaborative
Tags: Bay Area, Tech, Community Spotlight, Tech For Good, Techequity

Tech workers from across the Bay Area have joined TechEquity’s network and are giving their time, skills, and financial support to make their communities more equitable. We’re proud of our growing community full of smart, passionate, engaged citizens and we want to show them off!

Ryan Ko

Meet Ryan

I’m a Bay Area native from Fremont. A software engineer by training, I work as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where I advise governments, foundations, and companies on topics ranging from IT to organizational strategy. I moonlight as a progressive activist. With the little spare time I have, I play basketball, poker, and chess, as well as root for Bay Area sports teams.

What is your professional passion these days?

My professional passion is helping governments more responsibly deliver services to its citizens. Lately, I’ve been focusing on the large IT systems that drive health and human services such as Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF — working with my clients to ensure cost-effectiveness and quality of service delivery.

What does it mean to you to be a responsible citizen while working in tech?

Technology is responsible for so many wonderful advances in society — but each successive technological advance has significant implications (e.g., the impact of automation on employment, something I’ve spent a fair amount of time researching). As part of the tech community, I feel that awareness and understanding of these implications, from income inequality to digital privacy, is critically important. I try to stay abreast of these issues and pitch in where I can.

How has TechEquity impacted civic participation?

TechEquity is showing the first signs of a truly grassroots movement, led by rank-and-file members of the tech community. I can’t wait to see what the organization and team accomplishes next.

Why is it important for the tech community to become more civically engaged?

If we don’t — Silicon Valley will have some serious black marks marring its otherwise brilliant history. Simple as that.