People of all ages come to the farmers’ market to get their fresh produce for the week ahead. Photo by Jesse Pagulayan
BERKELEY, Calif.—Of the many stands set up at the weekly downtown farmers’ market, one that stands out is Enrico Bariani’s.
Bariani, who is originally from Italy, sells olive oil and cosmetic products, and has been setting his tent up at the farmers’ market since the 1990’s.
He came to the United States with his family in 1989, and it was difficult for him to get a job because of immigration issues. His unemployment inspired Bariani to begin selling olive oil, made from olives grown on his family’s farm. “We decided to sell the oil that we made because it was more than we could use,” Bariani said.
In addition to selling olive oil the Bariani’s sell organic honey, which comes in different flavors, such as wildflower. Photo by Jesse Pagulayan
The business started out small, and they only produced four gallons of olive oil their first year. However, as time went on and they gained more experience, they began to produce more oil each year. Now, they sell many different sizes of olive oil, and they sell cosmetic products made with their olive oil.
They have other products, too: “We also have beehives on our farm so we also have organic honey,” he said.
He and other vendors have been coming regularly and numerous customers frequent the market each week, too. Nancy Newman, a local shopper, said she has been buying produce from the farmers’ market for years. She said she sees friends while doing her shopping and enjoys crossing paths with people she knows.
With more than 500 customers a day and a menu that changes depending on what’s freshest, Chez Panisse proves to be on the cutting edge of farm-to-table dining.
BERKELEY, Calif. — When entering Chez Panisse, one is instantly transported to a cozy, European atmosphere. The homey restaurant opened its doors in 1971 when Alice Waters and friends decided to bring the French ideals of fine dining to what later became the “gourmet ghetto” of Berkeley. Jennifer Sherman, general manager, spoke admirably about Waters (who was not at the interview), advocating for her mindset: “She felt the United States had lost the tradition of actually talking at dinner,” she said, when she first opened its doors years ago.
A kitchen employee rolls pasta for the restaurant at 10:30 on a recent weekday morning. There are approximately 10 sheets of pasta made daily. Photo by Ainsley Bustos
Back then, the tables covered in red- checked tablecloths and assorted flea market chairs, and for $6.75 per person, diners could order a three-course meal that included wine. Today a four-course meal at Chez Panisse costs approximately $100 per person — not including wine.
A recent menu indicated the wide variety at the restaurant: wild herb and cured ham agnolotti in yellow tomato consommé; halibut with black truffles; quail with grapes, carrots and polenta; Flavor King plum galette with fennel flower ice cream, to name a few.
Preparation is essential
The idea behind Chez Panisse is farm-to-table, gourmet food. The menu revolves around what is fresh at the market that week. The downstairs dining has a price-fixed menu, and at the upstairs cafe, restaurant goers can order a la carte.
The freshest produce in California included peaches, cucumbers and strawberries, when the Teen Observer staff toured and talked to the staff. Sherman described the early weeks of the month as “luxurious” because of the abundance of produce.
Pastry chefs sort through berries to find the ripest and prettiest ones to set aside for ice cream toppings, and the remaining ones will be used to create the ice cream and in sauces. Photo by Ainsley Bustos
Pastry chefs spent the morning sorting raspberries to pick the best ones to use on the ice cream.
“We spend a lot of time sorting fruit,” said one of the pastry chefs. All berries are picked and used within one or two days. There is also a room devoted to making pasta and washing lettuce.
Chez Panisse is celebrating its 44th anniversary on Aug. 28 with live music and a special dinner.
The patio of Chez Panisse showcases reclaimed redwood paneling. Photo by Jesse Pagulayan
BERKELEY, Calif. — In this bustling college town is the world-famous Chez Panisse, which will celebrate its 44th anniversary later this month.
The restaurant is known for fresh, local produce and its menus hat change daily to reflect that.
Teen Observers staff got a preview of a typical day recently on a tour with General Manager Jennifer Sherman, who describes their preparation time as a constant effort to create a “dinner party” atmosphere.
Founder Alice Waters and friends opened the restaurant in 1971 after she returned from a trip to France, and said she felt that Americans had lost the art of talking with each other over dinner.
The various French film posters at Chez Panisse reflect Alice Waters’ fondness for the country that inspires her culinary career. Photo by Jesse Pagulayan
In addition to her unique idea of only making dishes based on fresh produce brought in that day, it is “classic Alice” to “look at things as an opportunity instead of an obstacle,” Sherman said, noting that the reason diners can see through from the front of the house to the back of the house is because of a fire 30 years ago that destroyed the wall separating them.
Sherman said Waters’ response on seeing the damage was, “Isn’t that wonderful, I can see all the way to the kitchen!”
While waiting to write the daily menus until chefs know what’s freshest “makes for a lot of extra work, it’s really worth it,” said Sherman. From the wildflower arrangements to the grilled quail, from the posters to the reclaimed redwood porch, Sherman said, “It’s really important to Alice that when you come to a place, you have a sense of things being made by hand.”
Pastry chefs scrutinize fruits, which is used within a day or two of being picked. They looked closely and picked through raspberries, blackberries and strawberries on a recent weekday and decided what to use in desserts. The less-than-perfect pieces would be puréed or used in sauces.
The meat is brought in daily. Photo by Jesse Pagulayan
Whether an employee is washing lettuce or setting up the bar or making an ice cream crepe with peaches, Sherman said they look for staffers who are “hardworking and reliable with an interest in food and wine.” They also want people who have other passions and interests outside the kitchen, she added.
She said “everyone’s opinion matters” at the restaurant, where they strive to create a collaborative work environment.
One of Waters’ and the restaurant’s greatest accomplishments, Sherman said, has been the connection that developed over the years between farmers and ranchers, and between those who are growing the food and those in the kitchen turning that food into three-course meals.
“All of her passions are about food, but it’s really about connecting people,” she said.
Mother and daughter at the farmers’ market take home flowers. Photo by Sophie Ramos
BERKELEY, Calif. —The Berkeley Farmers’ Market has been a hotspot for organic foods, coffee, live music and flowers. The market has about 65 vendors, each stand different from the other.
Beet Generation
Wendy Siguenza, a local vendor for the organic juice company Beet Generation recently spent her first Saturday at the Berkeley Farmer’s market behind her stand at one end of the Center Street event that mixes food, entertainment and ecology education.
“Everything is organic There is no sugar or water added and nothing sits longer than an hour,” she said of the juices she makes to order.
She has worked at Beet Generation for four years and wasn’t involved with organic foods before the company. Now, she said, “It’s healthy; it’s what I feed my daughter.”
Wendy Siguenza of Beet Generation. Photo by Tiffany Li
Red Bay Coffee
Freshly brewed and new to Oakland’s coffee scene, Red Bay Coffee Roasters set up shop at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market with bold roasts and bold messages. The brewery roasts coffee from beans that derive from Africa, Asia and Brazil.
Red Bay employees said they stand for fair wages and treatment for all employees. Harrison Seuga, a driver for Red Bay, felt so moved by what this company stood for that he quit his previous job to work for the brewery. He said, “…they had a social mission and they did personal research to support small businesses.” Red Bay offers paid work training and positions to ex-convicts as a way to re-introduce them to society.
Malika Rubin-davis, Jess Clarinas and Harrison Seuga of Red Bay Coffee. Photo by Tiffany Li
Blue Heron Farms
Blue Heron Farms is among one of the more well-known stands at this market. Employees bring organic fresh fruits and vegetables to sell each week. Kelly Brown and Sorai Fox, both managers of the floral section, said they do not use pesticides to grow these flowers.
Brown said the main reason people think they are allergic to flowers is because of the pollen they emit, but it is actually the pesticides that stay on these flowers after being picked. She said, “Flowers don’t produce pollen after being cut, so when people try our flowers they come back for more because they don’t get allergies.”
Blue Heron strongly supports the notion that flowers play an important role in daily life rather than just a beautiful addition to an area’s decor. There is more of an importance to flowers than meets the eye. Fox said, “Without flowers, there are no pollinators.”
Sorai Fox and Kelly Brown of Blue Heron Farms. Photo by Sophie Ramos
BERKELEY, Calif. — Jennifer Sherman, general manager of Chez Panisse, gave the Teen Observer staff insight into the restaurant’s life, where the menus change daily in both the fixed-price restaurant and the more informal cafe, where diners can order a la carte.
It’s early on a Monday morning, and at 1517 Shattuck Ave here, not from the University of California, Berkeley, campus, employees at Chez Panisse are beginning their fresh food preparations before the lunch crowd arrives.
The exterior of Chez Panisse features handmade work and was redone after a fire in 2013. Photo by Hannah Kinson
Sherman said when Alice Waters and friends opened the restaurant in 1971, she wanted to create a place where customers could feel as if they were visiting a friend for a dinner party. Waters’ travels to France on an exchange program in college, provided the inspiration. She fell in love with the practice of shopping locally and daily, preparing meals that were based on what was freshest that day, and lingering over long conversations.
Today, she and the staff go to markets but the food also comes to them from local ranchers and farmers. Meat arrived when we did, at 10 a.m., from a local farm; fruits were carefully picked through for the best in freshness and appearance for desserts that would be started that morning, too. Pasta was being made in the back; lettuce was being washed.
The oven fires in the open kitchens both upstairs and downstairs were lit for pizza baking as well as squid, roast and other items. And before any of these staffers came to work, a group arrived at 6 a.m. to start the day by taking inventory.
Sherman, who still thinks of herself first and foremost as a cook, said the restaurant is “a wonderful place to work because there are a lot of opinions, and everyone’s opinion matters.”
A chef prepares sheets of pasta before all the lunch guests arrive. Photo by Hannah KinsonPreparation in both the dining room. Photo by Hannah Kinson
The restaurant and Waters, who is now vice president of Slow Food International, have gained fame for their use of local and organic produce.
“We only buy from farmers we know,” Sherman said, noting that Waters has forged connections between farmers and ranchers and the restaurant — and along the way, she helped to change grocery stores as well.
Sherman said that while today shoppers take for granted that many stores have fresh fruit and vegetables on display, it wasn’t always that way. She said Waters used to push stores nearby to carry certain items in season and told managers if they stocked them, she’d buy them.
The restaurant will celebrate its 44th year on Aug. 28 with a special menu and live music.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Marcus Semien grew up in the Bay Area as a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan. Today, he is the starting shortstop for the Oakland A’s, and he couldn’t be any happier.
Semien grew up in El Cerrito, California, and attended high school in Berkeley. He played many sports throughout his childhood, but decided to focus on baseball in college, where he played at the University of California, Berkeley. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2013, but was never given a starting role with the team.
“Playing in Chicago, I wasn’t getting a lot of attention because I was just a rookie and I was playing behind [starting shortstop] Alexei Ramirez,” Semien said in a recent interview.
After the completion of the 2014 season, Semien was shipped to the Oakland A’s, who didn’t have an established shortstop. He took full advantage of this opportunity and won the starting job in the area that he grew up and watched games as a child.
Playing in the Bay Area has its perks and drawbacks, but Semien is just happy for the opportunity to play the game he loves.
“It’s been different. .. whenever you’re going through a lot of ups and downs, it’s hard times, it’s good to have the support there around you. I feel blessed to be in that situation.”
And
Marcus Semien is shown here conducting an interview with reporters from the Teen Observer before Thursday’s game vs. Houston.
“Make sure you work hard … You don’t want to have any regrets,” Semien said, when asked about advice he would give to aspiring professional athletes. “Work hard, grind through the tough times because it’s always going to make you a better person, and in my case, a better player.”
While the A’s have played well below their expectations this year, Semien is quietly putting together a solid rookie season.
“It’s tough because during spring we played so well,” he said. “We expected big things.”
Semien understands that going into his second full season next year, expectations for himself are naturally going to increase.
“Right now, where I’m at, defensively, continuing to get better, making a routine play at shortstop or wherever position I’m at. At the plate, just being a more consistent hitter. … getting those RBIs, scoring runs and doing those things that help us win.”
BERKELEY, Calif. — It’s 10 o’ clock on a Monday morning and a delivery man is walking with freshly butchered lambs on each shoulder, heading toward the freezer. Chefs in their crisp, white uniforms are prepping for the hectic day ahead, each with their own specific job. Some are preparing meat; others are hand-picking the best raspberries out of the multiple trays in front of them; others are making pasta and washing lettuce. Upstairs, waiters and baristas are setting up tables, polishing the silverware with a sense of urgency while they quietly chat about their weekend.
One of the pastry chefs picks out the best, fresh raspberries to use for desserts. Photo by Ashley Drake
“Alice [Waters] really wanted you to feel like you were entering her home,” the general manager, Jennifer Sherman, said as she walked through the kitchen, talking about the founder. “The feeling of things being handmade is very important to her.”
It all started when Alice Waters traveled to France. She was moved by the food, the daily shopping for what was freshest, the way it tasted and the traditional way of eating and having long dinner conversations. She and friends openedChez Panisse in 1971 and added a more informal cafe in 1981, which offers an a la carte menu.
A central idea to Chez Panisse is using only fresh produce, preferably organic. Fruits and vegetables are picked two days before they are used and are always local and in-season. Meat is delivered fresh each morning, and pasta is made from scratch each day.
“We have a great appreciation for agriculture. Beyond bringing people together, supporting the farmers is our next greatest focus,” said Sherman.
The open-kitchen concept of Chez Panisse’s dining room. Photo by Ashley Drake
Waters has been a leader in the movement to eat local and in-season and is now vice president of Slow Food International.
“The wonderful thing about Chez Panisse is that it’s so collaborative, there’s a lot of people coming together under Alice’s idea,” said Sherman.
Teen Observer staffers interview Marcus Semien of the Oakland A’s. Photo by Haley Schikner
OAKLAND, Calif. — What went through Oakland A’s shortstop Marcus Semien’s mind in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles last Tuesday when he hit that home run?
“Before that at-bat they walked a guy to get to me… gave me a little bit of extra fire to do more,” Semien said in a recent pre-game interview with the staff of the Teen Observer at the Coliseum before an A’s- Astros game on Aug. 6.
“Every time I go up to the plate I want to do something to help the team win,” he said.
Billy Butler hitting a leadoff double and scoring off Jed Lawrie’s triple in addition to Eric Sogard being intentionally walked to first base motivated Semien to hit a home run to take the 5-0 lead against the Orioles.
Other thoughts from the 24-year-old, who reflected on growing up in the Bay Area:
On advice for young athletes, Semien said: “Make sure you work hard and whatever you’re working on and doing, make sure you give it everything you’ve got.Just work hard and grind through tough times because it’s always going to make you a better person, and in my case, a better player.”
When asked about his room for improvement, Semien mentioned getting better defensively; his error rate has been the subject of numerous stories. “The Oakland A’s have given me a great opportunity here. I’ve had some struggles and they’ve done what they can to work with me. … I’m starting to get comfortable here.”
On what it was like for him to play to for the Oakland Athletics after being a Giants fan during his childhood: Semien said: “Honestly, I’m happy wherever I’m at. I grew up going to a lot of Giants game. My grandmother took me to most of those games.”
Semien talked about facing the Houston Astros that night; the Astros had a 60-49 record leading up to Thursday’s game and were first in the AL Western Division. “We just want to make the adjustments we’ve got to make from the previous years against them. … And just focus on today. You can’t look back on yesterday…… set a focus on competing today,” he said.
BERKELEY, Calif – The weekly Berkeley’s farmers’ markets, headed by the nonprofit organization for eco-education, The Ecology Center, bring together all different aspects of the Berkeley community.
Growers brought vegetable and fruit stands to showcase the August produce on Saturday. Customers visit the Ecology Center’s markets every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to pick the best of the fresh produce for their weekly meals. Photo by Victoria Edwards
Organic, raw sauerkraut and vegan, chocolate ice-cream pop up among the many new innovative foods at the weekly Berkeley Farmers’ Market. But some stands are rich in history and tradition.
Artie Flores works at Kashiwase Farms, run by a third-generation Japanese-American family in Winton, California.
It is headed by Steven Kashiwase, who inherited the farm from his father in 1976. Originally, the farm grew basic fruits and nuts that were destined for canning and processing. However, he made the choice to slowly convert the farm into one that grew non-processed, organic fruits.
It was officially certified organic in 1983 by The California Certified Organic Farmers foundation. Kashiwase Farms’ most popular fruits are its vast varieties of Asian pears and peaches.
Flores doesn’t have a favorite. “The white varieties are sweeter. The yellows are a balance of sweet and tartness, but that’s what gives it the flavor,” he said.
Why do he and Kashiwase sell their peaches here every Saturday?
“Berkeley is nicknamed Berserkly, and for good reason,” said Flores. “Berkeley has the notoriety of being an eccentric community. It’s zany. I like that zaniness.”
Along with Flores, hundreds of people are attracted to the zany, colorful vibe the Berkeley farmers’ markets offer, including recent Berkeley journalism graduate and aspiring filmmaker, Mike Milano. “I come to take in sights, sounds, smells, feelings. All things important to write about,” said Milano.
Although he just graduated, Milano has been able to work with HBO and Netflix in Los Angeles and planned to film the presidential debate hosted in Cleveland recently. He premiered his own 27-minute short film, “The Blue Wall,” here in Berkeley on May 15th. “It’s a story about fear and violence in America,” said Milano “I am using that film as a pilot and trailer for a larger project in Cleveland to be shot over the coming year.”
Many shoppers also come to the markets every week for the live music, played by artists such as Lindell Reeves. After playing with groups like The Dell and The Spaniards, Reeves prefers playing independently at the market. “I don’t have to worry about the man,” said Reeves. Photo by Victoria Edwards
Even after constant traveling, what is it that keeps this rising star coming back to the farmers’ market? “They have great coffee,” said Milano.
For Dante Kaleo, an ecology center youth assistant and Berkeley City College student, the draw is people.
“We just make each other laugh. It’s like a little family,” said Kaleo. After previously working a fast-food job, Kaleo knows the value of a positive, family-like feel, as well as being passionate about the work you pursue, he said. Kaleo learned more about the Ecology Center and the work it does to educate people on how to live healthier, happier lives by being proactive about their diet and environment. He then joined the Ecology Center team in 2011, working with the Youth Department.
Now, his jobs vary from training groups of teens to supporting the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice stands, which are low-cost community produce stands, to educating middle- and high-school students about the effects of climate change.
“I get a paycheck, but I feel like I’m giving back to my community. This is my community,” he said.
One of the many signs in Berkeley reminding people to conserve water. Photo by Ashley Wong
BERKELEY, Calif. — With the weather in some parts of California at a record high this summer and water conservation measures still in effect, many people are noticing changes to the scenery and are taking a bigger part in saving water.
For the recent updates on the water shortage, click here.
Takiyah Franklin from North Oakland, California, says she is becoming more mindful of her water management by filling up her sink with water to use for multiple chores around the house. And whenever she can, Franklin says she will reuse her water to conserve it for others. She also pays sharp attention when there is any sound of running water around her.
Student Justin Luke from Vancouver, Washington, says he is not directly affected by the shortage of water because his water is included in his rent. Luke said it is the “right choice” that there are water restrictions because people who are actually in need of the water for their businesses should be able to use what is essential to them.
Lisa Scott, visiting from Hawaii, is staying with her family near Berkeley. “Usually I take a shower every day,” she says while talking about her life back home, “but now it’s every two days or so”. Scott does not enjoy showering here because she feels there is a limit to how long her shower can be.
New York resident Marlena Gittlemen is staying with her friends in California and noticing what their water habits are. They reuse their water and recycle it for personal hygiene and chores around the house. She arrived to sunny California late last Thursday night, and after only one day, could already recognize the effects of the water conservation. At first, Gittlemen thought that the drought seemed scary, but is now learning more and says “I’m sort of preparing.”
