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Steak ’n Egg: an amiable atmosphere

Clauton Kum talks about his experience at the diner. Photo by Meagan Pruitt

WASHINGTON — Osman and Joe’s Steak ’n Egg Kitchen, a 24-hour staple of the Tenleytown neighborhood, is where Clauton Kum has spent the last three years learning to cook.

“It’s fun to have a staff that works with you,” Kum said. “We goof around with each other all the time, making jokes. It makes the night go faster.”

The 24-hour restaurant features outdoor seating, which looks out on Wisconsin Avenue, and is surrounded with a white picket fence. Eight white tables that can seat about 50 people fill this patio, and if this and the 12 seats at the counter inside aren’t enough, employees make more, said Kum.

The rising sophomore at the University of Maryland came to the United States in 2005 from Cameroon seeking a better education. Osman Barrie and Joe Vamboi, the store’s owners, who befriended Kum’s family, gave him the opportunity to work for their business when he was a sophomore in high school in Silver Spring, Maryland. Through the job, he learned how to cook, working on weekends during the school year and now more hours in the summer months .

Steak 'n Eggs exterior
The patio outside of the diner provides shaded seating. Photo by Meagan Pruitt

Staffers often juggle more than one task— cooking, working the cash register, waiting tables. And Kum’s favorite part of the work is interacting with customers, especially with local college students who frequently come after a night on the town.

“This is the place at the late hour when you’re trying to sober up,” he said. The college crowd energizes the place, adding an entertaining atmosphere filled with spontaneous rap performances and comedic conversations, he added.

The counter, reminiscent of a classic diner, is just inches away from the kitchen, where the staff labors over hot grills. Kum and his fellow staff members work fast; on a recent weekday morning there was a steady stream of people both coming and going.

Kum and other employees are always chatting with customers, laughing with them and trying to make them feel comfortable.

Customers at Steak 'n Eggs
The diner fills up in the morning for breakfast. Photo by Meagan Pruitt

At 10:30 a.m. on a recent weekday, the Jost family, visiting from Indianapolis, arrived after reading a review on Yelp, and ordered biscuits and country fried steak with gravy. Chris Jost described his meal as “great,” while his wife, Candace, said her French toast was “delicious” and daughter Elizabeth pronounced her funnel cakes “the bomb.”

Kum served their table, then dashed back to the kitchen to keep cooking. One of his favorite dishes — and a customer favorite — is the Tennessee Scramble, which features ham, bacon and sausage, and is served with biscuits and gravy.  He said, “the omelettes are a little of a struggle,” but in his time behind the counter, he has now mastered the egg-and-cheese sandwich and pancakes.

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Washington Framers’ Workroom: a 34-year legacy

WASHINGTON– She has met Jane Fonda, worked on commission from the White House and has been entrusted with the care and safety of priceless works of art by famous artists such as Marc Chagall and Rembrandt. Who is she? Not a celebrity, but instead the friendly owner of Washington Framers’ Workroom, a mainstay of the Tenleytown community for more than 30 years.

Gana Browning has been working at the shop since its opening in July 1981. Browning said three friends from Philadelphia, who owned and operated framing stores there, approached another one of her close friends, who recently left a job in the Carter administration, about starting a framing store in the Washington area. The interior design and construction was all done by Thomas Morris, who continues to work, and as the original owners and friends retired or passed away, Browning became the sole proprietor.

Browning said that since the Tenleytown-AU Metro station opened in 1984, development in the neighborhood has been slow but steady. Although interest in building high-rises and large construction projects exists, the neighborhood association has made a strong effort to slow development.

But through all this change, Browning says that “the community has supported us.” Although four other framing stores have since opened in Tenleytown, the competition is friendly. “We support each other,” said Browning.

One special service that Washington Framer’s Workroom provides is a do-it-yourself framing service. “Customers feel like they can accomplish something,” said Browning. With a wide variety of materials for the customers to use, from the Wizard computerized mat cutter that cuts a multitude of shapes to the 250 moldings of wood and metal, the possibilities are endless.

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Map by Laris Karklis, reprinted with permission

With a staff of eight, we have a “much bigger staff than most frame shops,” Browning said. Each employee has the ability to do every responsibility, from operating the cash register to working with the Wizard and the touch-up counter.

The frame shop itself evokes a familiar feeling of home, with the walls covered in personal art, and wicker chairs in the front with houseplants as accents. Personal wall art is displayed up and down the walls of the frame shop. “Almost every single one of [our employees] are artists,” says Browning.

There are six certified Master Picture Framers within the business, which makes them the only frame shop on the East Coast with this specialized training, she said. She herself is a former master, but had to cut back because of arthritis.

Throughout the years, Browning said that she has framed unusual items. A customer came in with “a bun from the head of somebody’s mother and we made a shadowbox,” a display box for items too large to put in a traditional picture frame, Browning recalled. “Nobody wanted to touch it.” Other oddities include Turkish daggers and a gun in a shadowbox on display in the shop.

And the famous customers? Browning smiled and began vividly describing what Jane Fonda looked like the day she walked into their small store: 4-inch heels, skinny jeans, perfect hair. “Her daughter, Vanessa Vadim, went to American University,” said Browning.

The shop frequently has customers of political significance, as well as visitors in newscasting professions, including James G. Watt and Arch Campbell.

Despite these famous customers, most of Browning’s business comes from the community. “We’ve had two or three generations of repeat customers,” Browning said. With the store’s 34th anniversary coming up next month, Washington Framers’ Workroom is poised to be a staple of the neighborhood for years to come.

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A community fixture: the Tenley-Friendship neighborhood library

Magazine section
Librarian Megan McNitt shows off the collection of magazines. Photo by Giovanna Scirrotto

WASHINGTON — In the cosmopolitan age of the Internet and smartphones, the printed word has seemingly been suffering an agonizingly slow death — as devices for reading such as e-books are becoming ever more popular, libraries have had a hard time of it. But in the neighborhood of Tenleytown, this is simply not the the case. “The library is really engaged in the community,” says Karen Blackman-Mills, the library’s branch manager. “We host a lot of community focus groups.”

The Tenleytown library has actually become an enormous fixture in the community during an era where most libraries’ usage has plummeted. The library is a hugely popular study destination for college students, who enjoy the usage of the study rooms and the 20 powerful computers arrayed around the library. Local families also come for the children’s read-alongs every day. In fact, the Tenleytown library has such popular children’s events that there are tickets to reserve spots. The library sees “easily 100 or more upstairs every day,” whether they are looking for a quiet study space, or simply perusing the library’s literary collection of thousands of books, Blackman-Mills said.

Karen Blackman-Mills shows off one of the summer reading programs. Photo by Giovanna Scirrotto.
Karen Blackman-Mills holds one of the summer reading programs for children. Photo by Giovanna Scirrotto.

It is these local families who comprise the majority of the library’s business. Children’s books are the most circulated, and the library’s staff tries to develop a love for reading and knowledge in the children of the community.

The library’s status as a community fixture is not new. The two story building on Wisconsin and Albemarle, originally constructed in the 1960s, underwent extensive renovations in 2011 to become more technologically advanced and environmentally friendly, a controversial move at the time. Features added include a green roof, solar panels and a reduction in water for sewage by 49 percent. These innovations, among many others, make the library 27 percent more energy efficient than a comparable building.

The  $16 million renovations, while expensive, had a dual purpose: representing the community’s liberal values, which include an interest in protecting the environment, and saving money in the long term, she said.

“If you can save $1 million in utilities a year…it’s amazing,” says Megan McNitt, one of the adult librarians. Additionally, the library felt pressured by the community to renovate due to problems presented by aging materials at the nearby Cleveland Park library. “People become very attached to their neighborhood library…a lot of people even come from other towns,” says McNitt.

The ultra-popular children's literacy program in session. Photo by Giovanna Scirotto
Strollers line the wall while the popular children’s reading program is in session. Photo by Giovanna Scirrotto

Indeed, while the library is a fixture for the Tenleytown community, it remains a public space, open for anyone’s use. People from nearby towns in Virginia and Maryland often come to the library, and enjoy the same level of access as anyone from Tenleytown; they are even able to get library cards. When checking out books, the current policy is that they have no late fees for children’s books, and coming soon library-goers will not be required to pay for any books they lose.

Whatever else the future may hold, McNitt believes that the Tenleytown library will only continue to have an immensely positive impact on its community. She is also confident that the library will remain successful in the face of competition from e-readers, and she will “expect the unexpected,” she said.

 

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Middle C strikes a chord with Tenleytown

Sales Associate Elizabeth Ennis says the store’s pet, Mozart, is a favorite among children. Photos by Danielle Nahabedian

WASHINGTON — “If they want to be a rock star, we have someone who does that,” Elizabeth Ennis says of the clientele of Middle C Music Corporation.

Nestled in the heart of Tenleytown and tucked behind a patch of trees lies Middle C, owned and operated by Myrna Sislen and a cast of friendly characters.

Among these is aspiring costume designer and American University alum Elizabeth Ennis. A sales associate of almost five years, Ennis shared the impact this store has on the community and beyond. Middle C is a thriving, independently owned business that capitalizes on its convenient location in Tenleytown and the exclusivity of their trade, she said. 

The store hosts music lessons run by a variety of teachers who appeal to aspiring musicians from 3 to 80. Ennis estimates that about 40 percent of the students are adults, who study a myriad of instruments ranging from piano and guitar to the harmonica and the ukulele. Beyond the appeal of lessons, the store allows local musicians to sell their work and offers special discounts to piano teachers.

This store has proved itself essential to the community.

“Myrna always says, ‘We wouldn’t be here if the community didn’t want us to be here,’” Ennis said.

This especially rang true when a local Best Buy wanted to have a music section, which could potentially put Middle C out of business. The community rallied around Middle C to maintain their musical presence in the area. “The community fought to protect the store,” Ennis said. Consequently, Best Buy does not carry music in its store in Tenleytown.

Middle C also has made its mark outside the United States through its work with the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay. In this culturally and economically deprived country, this organization creates instruments out of trash and provides them to underprivileged children. Middle C donated 40 factory-made instruments to the program to allow the children the opportunity to work with professional-grade instruments. The orchestra recently visited Tenleytown and attended a reception held by the store.

The Top 100 Award is displayed proudly near the register.

Middle C was recently named one of the Top 100 music stores by the National Association of Music Merchants. The shop received an award for its special event with the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay. The award is displayed proudly near the register of the store.

The store even has its own mascot, a cockapoodle named Mozart, who is popular with all the children. Ennis said, “It’s more than just a store.”

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Oakland fans are No. 1

From left to right: Chris Woodcoff, Logan Anderson, Connor Koresky, Conor Thompson, Dee Delarosa, Jessica Park, Pamela Balmath, Mindy Lee, Thine Aang, Photo by Brache James
Fans party before a recent Saturday game: from left: Chris Woodcoff, Logan Anderson, Connor Koresky, Conor Thompson, Dee Delarosa, Jessica Park, Pamela Balmath, Mindy Lee, Thine Aang. Photo by Brache James

OAKLAND, Calif. —The Oakland A’s still sit on top of the American League West standing, and no one is more ecstatic than their fans. Many were camped out in the parking lot way before the game started on a recent Saturday when they took on the Tampa Bay Rays.

“The thrill of being under the lights, the crowd cheering, and the excitement for your team…nothing beats that,” Shanna Ratliff said. “That’s why we come out for the games.”

Also outside the Oakland Coliseum were members of the Kona Club, having a staff outing before the game. What did they think of the possibility of building a new stadium?

“Just put in some new bleachers or something,” Conor Thompson said. “I would rather the Raiders leave.”

“As far as commerce, Oakland needs the team,” Dee Delarosa added.

“It’s about the colors, not the players.” Thompson said about his dedication to the team. “So the stadium is not the best. No slides, no Build-a-Bear, no sushi … you come to watch baseball.”

Pamela Balmath said supporting the team — and being a part of their continued success — is good for the entire city. “It’s a sense of pride,” she said. “Especially for the people who have been with us for a long time.”

 

 

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Build Pizzeria recovers from fire

BERKELEY, Calif. — BUILD Pizzeria at the corner of Shattuck and Bancroft streets has been a well-received hot spot since opening 15 months ago. The restaurant that offers a sophisticated, modern twist on  pizza was forced to shut down for a week after a small kitchen fire broke out on July 26.

General Manager Jonaten Martinez said no one was hurt, but all the appliances had to be replaced. “The fire broke out about 1:30 a.m.on Saturday night and was a result of procedures being improperly followed,” he said, informing us that an employee left a plastic rack on the stove that then caught on fire.

One of the managers was in the office doing paperwork when suddenly the sprinkler system went off. “We later saw him on the cameras running out from the office through all the smoke that had filled the back,” said Martinez. The pizzeria was cleared by the health department and reopened on Friday, Aug. 1. “There was a really great crowd for the re-opening,” said Martinez.

BUILD offers specialty pizzas from the menu but customers can also build their own: They can choose from among two types of crust, six sauces, seven cheeses and 42 toppings.

 

Photo by Jennifer Moffat
Photo by Jennifer Moffat

The owners imported wood-fired pizza ovens from Italy that reach 750 degrees and cook the pizzas in three to five minutes. In addition, they offer soups and pastas — which can also be built or customized.

The menu was formulated by the original head chef, who is no longer with the company, and owners Lisa Holt and David Shapiro, who also designed the interior. Lisa Holt’s background in five star hotel interior design is apparent once walking through the doors. Martinez said, “We try to bring Berkeley into the restaurant,” which features wall-size prints of black-and-white photos from People’s Park in the 1960s.

Sous chef Jonathan Popenuck reaches out to local vendors himself to try and acquire the freshest vegetables possible. “The owners told us that the priority is always freshness, never cost,” he said. BUILD continues to experiment with different ways to draw in the crowds, including offering “Cal Night” where students with IDs can access a special menu at discounted prices. The restaurant also hosts fundraisers for the university. A great deal of growth and success is sure to come for this Berkeley gem.

Other stories about BUILD:

• Proud of location

• Reopening

• Options

•  Upscale efforts

• More seasonal fare

• A look at the high-end ovens

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Beyond fruits, veggies at the farmers’ market

Busy crowd observing the tents at the farmer's market Photo by Brache James
Crowds wander among the more than 60 vendors at the farmers’ market. Photo by Brache James

BERKELEY, Calif. — This city has many exciting places to explore, and one of its most treasured is the weekly Farmers’ Market, held on Saturdays at the corner of Milivia and Center streets and in other locations during the week.

Think this is just about fresh veggies and fruit? True to Berkeley’s unique style, there’s so much more. One of the market’s most popular tents is Three Twins Ice Cream. Simon and Maxine Gottlieb greet visitors and sell on Saturdays. “My son actually started Three Twins,” Gottlieb said. “He made ice cream in the morning, sold it in the afternoon and did the books in the evening.”

Eventually, his son hired a catering staffer and recruited his dad to help him deliver the ice cream, and the business took off. The local supermarket took four pints first, and then after the success there, the tiny crew opened up a factory. In 2010, though, money became tight and they had to cut back. They found investors and continued to pursue their dreams. “Now we can be found in all Whole Foods across the country, 65 Safeways, nine or 10 Costcos, all over the East and West Coast, and overseas,” Gottlieb said.

And the name? “I have twin boys, and one of them married twins,” he said. “It’s very interesting, but creative.”

Alan Lipton enjoying his work Photo by Brache James
Alan Lipton performs at the farmers’ market. Photo by Brache James

Not everyone at the market is a vendor.  Alan Lipton provides the shoppers with what he describes as “original acoustic progressive rock.”

“It is my art,” he said. He visits the farmers’ market two to three Saturdays a month, but can also be found at other areas for open mic nights. He found his passion for music after realizing he was happiest “singing a song, not punching the clock.”

“I tend to be a storyteller,” Lipton said, after being asked the inspiration behind his song lyrics. “I can write or sing about a political element with a surrealist approach,” he said.

Lipton expresses himself on many different platforms. He’s a “fictioneer,” scriptwriter and content developer. He also works with [mostly] the acoustic guitar, bass guitar, baglama (a present from his daughter’s trip to Greece) and a mountain dulcimer.

Not only is the farmers’ market home to performers like Lipton, but it is also one of the best places to sell food such as beef and dairy, sellers said. Katie Coffman with True Grass Farms  said people in Berkeley appreciate their organic, 100 percent, grass-fed beef. True Grass Farms recently won the Environmental Stewardship Award for its region for the care of the cows they butcher.

Every day, the cows are moved to a new pasture so that they won’t eat around their own feces. Their beef is 100 percent grass fed and finished. This means that the cows eat grass from the time they are calves to the time the die.

Another company benefiting from the farmers’ market is Saint Benoit Creamery. The owner, Benoit de Korsak, began the company at a farmers’ market in San Francisco 10 years ago. Zoe Wadkins, representative of the creamery, said loyal customers have been coming to them for yogurt, milk and cheese ever since.

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Alameda food bank aims to serve

OAKLAND, Calif. — Many people struggle for food every day in Alameda County and many of those are ineligible for federal aid, such as food stamps. Tiffany Kang, communications coordinator of the Alameda County Community Food Bank, said, “Many people simply buy what is the cheapest,” because they are unable to afford more expensive, though healthier, foods such as fruits and vegetables. That’s where the food bank comes in. The nonprofit organization is a hub and food distribution center for 240 agencies, including the Salvation Army and soup kitchens, its partners in the combating hunger.

Kang’s job includes writing material for the website and brochures, overseeing social media and working with reporters. She said the part of her job she enjoys the most is getting out of the office and meeting with clients, “just standing in line and talking to people who are actually getting food from us.”

She said, “We treat all clients equally, no questions asked.” Food insecurity, she said, comes in many forms, whether it means not having breakfast or not being able to afford apples. “If you’re in line, you’re hungry,” she said.

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Student volunteers package carrots on a recent weekday; more than 13,000 volunteer annually. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

On a recent weekday volunteers sorted and bagged 1, 700 pounds of carrots and 8,241 pounds of pears for a total of 9,941 pounds of produce. “This is like saying we were able to create the equivalent of 8,251 meals for individuals and families in Alameda County in a couple of hours yesterday morning,” said Sheila Burks, the volunteer coordinator.

Throughout the year the food bank distributes food in many ways, not only through its partner agencies but also through its new mobile pantry.

Most of their clients are children, and Kang said, “The food bank donates to a lot of elementary schools,” and hopes to expand to middle schools. Other agencies that get food from the community food bank are soup kitchens, rehabilitationcenters, the Salvation Army and churches.

Are there people who line up who don’t really need food? Kang said, “Out of 20 people in line, if one person who really needed food is fed, we’re doing our job right.”

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Steel and String: dynamic duo at the market

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MJ Lee and Kevin Kihara take a break after a morning of performing at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market.

Typically customers at a farmers’ market are grasping for their favorite organic produce. The fruits and vegetables excite the sense of smell and sight, but rarely does anything at the market capture the sense of sound like the musical duo of Steel and String. The unique, shield-like instrument and melodic violin create a harmonious blend of sound.

The combination of the rare Hang instrument and classical violin contribute to the couple’s distinct musical style. Comprised of Kevin Kihara and MJ Lee, Steel and String has been together since Spring 2014 and have been performing as street entertainers at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market for three weeks.

Hang instrumentalist and vocalist Kihara has been playing the unusual instrument for one and a half years. He describes the instrument as the “evolution of the steel drum.” It was invented by Swiss company PanArt in 2001 and 100 to 200 were produced annually. Today, however, production has ceased, which contributes to the Hang’s rarity.

Singer-songwriter and violinist Lee has been playing been playing violin since she was 4 years old. She plays both independently and collaboratively with other artists in the San Francisco area, according to her website,

Referring to the creation of Steel and String, Lee said, “I saw him playing and was impressed with his skills an musicality, so I asked him whether he might be open to playing with a violinist. The rest is history!”

Lee describes the duo’s style as a type of “free-flowing improvisation.” This makes every performance special to those who view their performances. She emphasizes that it is “quality over quantity in terms of audience.” Although massive crowds may not form, to hear feedback from those who do view the duo’s performances makes performing so rewarding for the pair. They are looking to expand their venues where they can play to include schools, restaurants, outdoor festivals and others.

Lee said, “This is a new and exciting venture for us both, and we’re excited to see where it goes!”

 

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Tiffany Kang: tackling nutrition, one story at a time

Tiffany Kang talks to a group of volunteers on a recent weekday. More than 13,000 people volunteer annually. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins
Tiffany Kang talks to a group of volunteers on a recent weekday. More than 13,000 people volunteer annually. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Alameda County Community Food Bank provides many hungry people in the county with wholesome food through the work of staff members such as Communications Coordinator Tiffany Kang. She and the rest of the 80-member staff, and thousands of volunteers, provide for those who may not otherwise be able to put food on the table.

Kang’s duties at the food bank revolve around journalism, social media and press correspondence. She manages the food bank website, writing articles on a multitude of topics and upcoming events, and handles the organization’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Other tasks include “pitching to journalists so that they will cover our events, writing and sending media alerts and press releases to make broadcast TV and radio stations aware of our happenings and cause, … [and] helping our partners,” referring to local businesses trying to increase their exposure by partnering with the food bank.

But for Kang, “The most fun part of my job is going out and reporting with a camera … meeting with clients, … [and] talking with people.”

When Kang meets with people and hears their stories, she places particular importance on “preserving the integrity of their voices.” She emphasizes the ramifications of poverty and obesity on the health of people, particularly children, who comprise 50 percent of their clients.

Kang said that those in poverty are more inclined to consume cheaper, though unhealthy, foods to make ends meet. She said the consumption of unhealthy foods is prevalent in elementary school-age kids. So the food bank does provides groceries and meals to students during the summer as well as the school year through some of the 240 agencies they work with, including churches, soup kitchens and the Salvation Army. Kang acknowledges that during summer, “There is almost no guarantee they will get the nutrition they would during the school year.” That is why programs such as the food bank’s new Mobile Pantry and its children’s backpacking program, which allows children easier access to food throughout the year, are important to Kang.

Her desire to help others also feeds her love of storytelling. She aspires to tell her story and that of other people because she is “convicting with, convicted by words.” And part of that involves “preserving the integrity of their voices.” But for her, it is more than just that. “I’ve always been a writer… and I wanted to use my words meaningfully. I wanted to tell true stories,” she said.