The Joy Of Oakland

The Joy of Oakland is like the Joy of Sex - so many ways to discover excitement and pleasure where you least expect it.

Okay, so that maybe that's a little much - at least I got your attention though! But, seriously, there is a lot to discover and enjoy here, as a friend of mine learned recently.

An old journalism buddy visiting from London was used to the delights of Berkeley and San Francisco on previous trips. But this time he learned there is much more to the Bay area than just San Francisco.

In downtown Oakland he discovered the joy of Pican's fabulous Tennessee whiskey margarita; on Shoreline Drive in Alameda, he devoured a parade of sushi and sake at the Sushi House, and his first baseball game EVER, watching the A's in a come from behind victory at the Coliseum.

I've talked about Pican before, and the grilled scallops and alligator fritto mist worked well with the pan roasted catfish. Oakland, you rock!

Afterwards, we drove up Fish Ranch Road to take in those epic views from Grizzly Peak Boulevard down across Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda, the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges and the SF skyline.

It's so easy from this side of the bay to disabuse people's notions about what they expect to find in the East Bay.

The clincher was a glorious Sunday afternoon at the O.Co Coliseum. Right from the start, the tailgate BBQ aromas carried us into the ballpark, and in the hot sun, fresh lemonade just hit the spot. Let the A's fall behind to add some drama, claw back a couple of runs on stolen bases, and cap it off with a Cespedes thunderbolt homer.

Just another sampling of the Joy of Oakland. I love this town.