Best of Rockridge - Oakland, CA

We’re starting off with a bang – Zachary’s pizza of Oakland.

The “stuffed” pizza will blow your mind – here’s what’s up:

“Different from a traditional “deep dish” pizza or calzone, stuffed pizza is unique.

We begin this luscious creation with a bottom layer of dough inside a two inch deep pan.

A hearty helping of cheese topped with ingredients of your choice are added next.

Then another thin layer of dough covers the ingredients, and our zesty tomato sauce tops the pie!

As the pizza cooks, the top layer of dough will melt into the cheese, and the result is a delicious pie that you will enjoy!"

Magical. But this place is ALWAYS packed. I don’t know if this has anything to do with it, but Zachary’s is employee owned, meaning that each and every employee has a tangible stake in the business, and even on their busiest, most insane evenings, every staff member is super friendly and human.

Maybe because they know they’re making dough on every beautiful pie.

Moving south down College Ave., Trader Joe’s is right next to Zachary’s.

The significance of this is . . . : I can walk to Trader Joe’s to do my grocery shopping! I think this would bump up standard of living points by at least 20 in anyone’s book.

Heck yeah.

Vintage chandeliers? Check. Hardy and modern Chilewich placemats? Check. Beautiful dinnerware with various creatures printed all over it? Yup, that too.

Ahhhh, Maison D’etre. Everything you carry is just out of my price range. But you make window shopping ever so fun.

I guess I would have to admit a hipster fail for loving this place . . . it’s less hipster and, as the French name suggests, more bourgeiose.

Is the name of this place “Water” or “Pearl”? Frankly, my darling, I don’t give a damn. The fact that it gets in several varieties of fresh oysters daily, and serves my favorite kind of Absinthe, makes me a care-free kind of girl.

Make sure Brian is around to recommend oysters and give you all the information you need – he’s great. Jason also knows how to pour a stiff drink.

Ridiculously random movies from the 50’s through the 70’s play on the two screens above the bar while surf movies are projected out the front windows onto the sidewalk outside.

Thank you, Water (Pearl?), for indulging my oyster obsession and taking $50 off my hands every other week.

Yes, the above brightly-lit martini glass actually hangs above the entrance to Ye Old Hut Publik House, and blinks its message of happiness and good times to all those on College Ave.

There is nowhere else in the East Bay where you can stroll in and find yourself in a pinball match with an actual (no posers here) biker, or in a billiard brawl with a drunken 55 yr. old housewife showing too much cleavage.

Ye Old Hut also features the best and sauciest female bartenders around. Best tip well and make friends from the beginning – you will be rewarded.

Vintage shopper’s paradise! Accessible accessories (purses, belts, sunglasses, decorated hair clips) and racks of statement pieces that will add personality to your wardrobe.

The only let-down is the shoe selection – they are well-worn and not exciting. But for everything else, they have become my go-to clothing shop!

Fast Eddie’s wins, hands down, for the weirdest convenience store on the planet. A modified drive-in, you can stroll right up and feel like roller girl is going to skate over with your six-pack and Pepto. The place always looks like it’s been shut down because of the black bars over EVERYTHING in the front of the building, but don’t be daunted – inside over-priced wine, a huge selection of ice cream, and DVD rentals await you.

A Cote is consistently one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area.

The food is right on, the wine list is awesomely well-rounded (Malbecs, French, and solid Italian wines abound), and the beer & bourbon selection ain’t bad either.

The ambiance is just my style: dark, cavernous, romantic, and cozy. The bartenders are kooky yet classy.

It also remains a restaurant that I can afford, which endears it to me for all time.

Get your yoga on at this small but beautiful space. The classes offered are awesome and varied – from Anusara to Tantric Flow to Power Vinyasa. My favorite teachers are Melanie, Sean, and Keith who also teaches at Laughing Lotus.

Best touch? The lit candles glowing from small platforms all over the brick wall.

It has also become one of my favorite places to shop for organic clothing – they carry great lines like Eco-ganik and Earth&Sky, as well as American Vintage. The jewelry is awesome, too.

Again, a fantastic restaurant right down the street. This is probably my favorite Thai – ever. And super affordable. It’s so good and light and convenient that we’ve had to limit our visits there. . . though now that I think about it, I can’t think of why we would do that . . .

Where everybody knows your name.

Blue Bottle. It’s like crack – only better and more expensive.