East Bay Magazine March-April 2025

THE MAGAZINE OF OAKLAND, BERKELEY AND THE WORLD THAT REVOLVES AROUND US

HO M E L I V ING SE CTI O N

March/April 2025

TIFFANY AUSTIN CONNECTS MUSIC, ARTS AND LAW

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EDITOR Samantha Campos

CREATIVE SERVICES PRODUCTION MANAGER

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THE MAGAZINE OF OAKLAND, BERKELEY AND THE WORLD THAT REVOLVES AROUND US

CONTRIBUTORS Nico Bianchi Jeffrey Edalatpour Lou Fancher Sydney Fishman Andrew Gilbert David R. Newman

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Lisa Santos

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Jackie Mujica

Danielle McCoy Ben Grambergu Mercedes Murolo Lynda Rael Sharon Zuberbier

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

CEO/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

SENIOR DESIGNER

Elena Razgonov

EDITORIAL DESIGNER Phaedra Strecher Heinen

Dan Pulcrano

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Woman’s

Work ’Tis the season for getting a spring in our step

T

he daffodils are usually the first to arrive in my backyard.

After a very cold and rainy winter, I’m delighted by the sudden appearance of their delicate white petals and bright orange center—the closest thing to a sun I’ve seen in days at this point—along with the hopeful signifier that spring is on the way.

It’s also Women’s History Month, which this year carries the theme “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.” According to the National Women’s History Alliance, this theme celebrates the influence of “women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership.”

How appropriate then to feature local powerhouse vocalist, organizer and educator Tiffany Austin on our cover. In this month’s

issue, we speak with Austin about how her law background informs her advocacy for artists, her inspiring musical career as an acclaimed vocalist, her Wyldflwr Arts hub in Oakland and the many projects she leads.

Speaking of artists, we also showcase how Creative Growth Art Center has provided a gallery and a studio space in Uptown Oakland since 1974 for people with disabilities to advance their artistic endeavors. This month continues an exhibition curated by the center’s Black artists’ group, titled “Soul Food,” to honor Black History Month.

Speaking of food, in these pages we heed the call of Sirene, a new seafood and fried chicken restaurant that recently opened on Grand Avenue in Oakland.

Restaurateur Paul Einbund and chef Gavin Schmidt are the duo behind highly popular

Nico Bianchi is an East Bay native who’s been published in the NCGA Magazine, McKellar Magazine and subtletees. com.

Lou Fancher has been published in Diablo Magazine, Oakland Tribune, InDance, San Francisco Classical Voice, SF Weekly, WIRED.com and elsewhere.

Jeffrey Edalatpour writes about arts, food and culture for SF Weekly, Metro Silicon Valley, East Bay Express and KQED Arts.

neighborhood gem The Morris in San Francisco. Expect nightly craveable dishes.

When it comes to neighborhood gems in the East Bay, Donkey & Goat deserves accolades for pioneering natural winemaking in Berkeley’s Gilman District.

Founder Jared Brandt also supported multiple other winemakers to set up shop in the area. We traverse his unconventional enological path in this issue.

Lastly, to round out these beginningof-spring vibes, we talk with two local architects who provide vital information on making our homes more fire-resilient without skimping on aesthetics. And we gain interior inspiration from Pantone’s Color of the Year, “Mocha Mousse,” because although the vernal equinox is near, chocolate is year-round.

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PHOTO BY SAMANTHA CAMPOS

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MOCHA MOOD We warm our spirits and our homes with inspiration à la Pantone.

David R. Newman is a regular contributor to Tri-City Voice and Milpitas Beat, and has been featured on CraftBeer.com.

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FACE OFF A ceramic sculpture

by Creative Growth artist Larry Randolph is on display in the center’s ‘Soul Food’ exhibit through Saturday, April 19.

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Empowered

Arts

Creative Growth opens ‘Soul Food’ exhibit created

by Black artists in Oakland

BY Sydney Fishman

‘SOUL FOOD’ Creative Growth artist John Martin created a ceramic platter of food.

t 355 24th St. in Oakland, the Creative Growth Art Center sits in a rustic brick building—a converted auto repair shop—just minutes from the renowned Fox Theater.

While many theaters and music venues in this corner of the Town are considered must-visit tourist destinations, Creative Growth is more modest and unassuming, yet remains a catalyst in the East Bay’s evolving art scene.

The backbone of Creative Growth’s success is its growing community of adults and teenagers with developmental disabilities who have a deep curiosity

about making art. Since 1974, it has maintained both a gallery and a studio space for people with disabilities to advance their artistic endeavors in a safe, inclusive and creative environment. The space currently houses works from about 140 artists who create in various mediums, including printmaking, ceramics, digital media, painting and drawing.

Creative Growth is a nonprofit organization, and all profits from the gallery’s art sales go directly to the artists and the organization’s operations and materials. Creative Growth’s artwork has been collected by art institutions statewide and nationally, including

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PHOTOS BY RIP FLORENCE

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SFMOMA, the Smithsonian, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the American Folk Art Museum and the Museum of Everything. Collection de l’Art Brut, a museum in Switzerland, has also purchased art from the Oakland gallery.

In a one-of-a-kind exhibition that opened on Valentine’s Day and runs through April 19, Creative Growth celebrates its artists with a special group show produced and curated by the center’s Black artists’ group, which consists of 15 to 20 artists working in various mediums. The exhibition, titled “Soul Food,” was created by the group to honor Black History Month and the Black artists at Creative Growth.

“It explores the themes of culture, storytelling and their shared experience.

It also highlights the voices and contributions of Black artists within Creative Growth,” said Nadia Ghani, the gallery director. “One exciting piece of the exhibition is there’s a community quilt that was created just for it. Each artist designed a 10-by-10 panel on fabric that has been sewn together and is a main anchor point of the exhibition.”

Ghani, who has worked at the gallery for nearly three years, has seen firsthand how community and art

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‘It’s been important to us to be able to find opportunities to include artists’ voices directly in the gallery and in the programming.’

NADIA GHANI Gallery Director

UPTOWN OAKLAND Since 1974, Creative Growth has maintained both a gallery and a studio for people with disabilities to advance their artistic endeavors in an inclusive environment.

« combine in the efforts leading up to

this group show.

For “Soul Food,” the Black artists’ group and a couple of staff members held numerous meetings since November to curate a theme that represents the work that the group produced during their time at Creative Growth, incorporating both new and older pieces.

“I believe this is the first exhibition that is being artist-led and run in the gallery,” Ghani noted. “It’s been important to us to be able to find opportunities to include artists’ voices directly in the gallery and in the programming.”

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She added that a year ago, the studio created “affinity groups” to help build micro-communities within the center’s group of artists.

“It was groups that identified with autism, or deaf artists, and the Black artists’ group was very vocal and active about wanting to have a gallery exhibition,” Ghani said. “It was their enthusiasm and advocacy that paved the way. That’s what is beautiful about Creative Growth; we try to empower the artists’ voices and their professional development, and this will help them progress in their career as artists.”

Gallery staff helped guide the way, but the exhibition was created by the artists and for the artists.

“The gallery team asked the group what their vision was, and how we can make this happen,” Ghani said.

“Through looking at the artwork by the community, it was clear to see the themes that came across.”

The Black artists’ group met, brainstormed and researched different ways to present their work in an exhibit setting, and even made a field trip to the African American Museum and Library in downtown Oakland, to observe the

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ARTISTS AT WORK About 140 artists at Creative Growth create in various mediums, including printmaking, ceramics, digital media, painting and drawing.

«

made this incredible football helmet, mouth guard and football dedicated to the Raiders. It’s a really great shoutout to, RIP, our local sports teams.”

Creative Growth is the oldest space of its kind serving artists of all ages with developmental disabilities, refining its mission for the last 50 years. Artists registered with the studio program spend anywhere from three to five days at the center, with studio time split between morning and afternoon sessions. The studio is divided into various mediums, including painting, sculpture, rug-making, printmaking, ceramics, digital media and fashion.

The Creative Growth program also provides trips to museums and galleries.

Artists will graduate from the program with a working portfolio and can sell their artwork in the gallery and elsewhere.

Creative Growth mainly serves individuals with disabilities who are registered with the Regional Center of the East Bay, a nonprofit organization in partnership with the California Department of Developmental Services.

The center helps people and their families coordinate and plan services for these communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The studio is closed to the public for

legal reasons, but the gallery space is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm for visitors to come see the artists’ work.

A post-opening event for “Soul Food” will be held on March 7 and will feature live music. The event is a collaboration between Living Jazz, a local music program that provides workshops for young musicians in the Bay Area, and Creative Growth. The night is free to the public and will run from 6 to 8pm, with members eligible for a special viewing from 5 to 6pm. All ages are welcome, and the event will be ADA accessible.

To donate or become a member of Creative Growth, visit creativegrowth. org/get-involved.

“I am just so excited about artists being so directly involved with an exhibition,” Ghani said. “As the gallery department, having the artists more involved in the Oakland gallery is the trajectory we want to be on. I am excited that this is the first of many steps to help the artists be more involved, and have the agency in a space that’s important to them.”

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Gallery open Wed-Sat, 10am-4pm.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE GROWTH

library’s gallery space and get ideas for the “Soul Food” exhibition.

“They went to the library’s exhibition space to gain inspiration,” Ghani said.

“I believe that’s where one of our artists, Tanisha Warren, got the idea to bring her handmade dolls to our show, because they had dolls on display at that library. Tanisha also borrowed Black history books from there to bring to our exhibition, so people can look through them and see some of the inspiration for our artists.”

The members of the Black artists’ group specialize in a diverse array of art forms, including abstraction, portraits, pop culture and works inspired by the natural world. One of the most prominent themes in the exhibition is food—dishes the artists love or feel nostalgic for.

“Food is a huge part of their work,” Ghani added. “We have an artist who makes amazing ceramic donuts, cookies, cupcakes and other things like that.”

In “Soul Food,” Bay Area history and passion run deep. Ghani excitedly explained that one of the artists, Joe Spears, made several pieces dedicated to his favorite sports team that left the East Bay. “Spears loves sports teams, especially Bay Area sports teams,” Ghani said. “He

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The

Voice Raising the bar with jazz star Tiffany Austin

BY Andrew Gilbert

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INSPIRATION GRAVITATION Tiffany Austin is founder of the Oakland art space Wyldflowr Arts, which has quickly become an essential hub for several overlapping musical communities.

e W

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIFFANY AUSTIN

hen Tiffany Austin arrived in the Bay Area in 2009, she’d decided to put music on the back burner. After about five years supporting herself in Japan singing pop and soul, she was ready to pursue a different path via a scholarship to UC Berkeley School of Law. While the Los Angeles native wasn’t closing the door on the arts (“I went to law school with an eye to be an advocate for artists,” she said), she seemed set to trade the bar for a career singing in bars.

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SOULFUL VOCALIST Tiffany Austin is also a highly effective organizer and educator with an array of projects and pursuits.

« Since graduating from Berkeley Law

in 2012, Austin has indeed become an advocate for artists. But instead of putting down the microphone, she’s become one of the Bay Area’s most potent cultural advocates by raising her voice. More than one of jazz’s most soulful vocalists, she’s become a highly effective organizer and educator with an array of projects and pursuits spanning the entire region.

Beyond serving as music director, composer and arranger for the Healdsburg Freedom Jazz Choir, she’s turned Albany’s Juneteenth Festival into the East Bay’s flagship celebration of the holiday (with co-director Kenya Moses).

She also launched Art & Song, a monthly concert series at the Abrams Claghorn Gallery in Albany. Presenting some of the Bay Area’s finest singers in an intimate duo context, the program is slated to start up again in the spring.

But her most visible undertaking is the Oakland art space Wyldflowr Arts, which

has quickly become an essential hub for several overlapping musical communities, classical Indian musicians, experimental jazz improvisers and singer/songwriters.

All this is amidst a regular rotation of gigs performing her own music at leading San Francisco venues like Keys Jazz Bistro, Mr. Tipple’s and the SFJAZZ Center.

“For me, half of it is inspiration and the other half is gravitation,” Austin said during a recent phone conversation from her studio near Lake Merritt. “I’m always looking for ways to synthesize the skills I have and grow them. The overarching idea is to connect people and make them feel and think and empathize. That’s what all my projects have in common.”

No collaborator has enjoyed a closer view of Austin’s evolution from law student to mover and shaker than Marcus Shelby, the San Francisco bassist, composer and bandleader with an even more expansive bailiwick of responsibilities. He first met Austin in

Tokyo in 2009 when he was working with the Grammy Award-winning R&B star Ledisi during her stint as featured vocalist with the Basie Orchestra.

Austin was back in Japan for a vacation after starting law school and was invited to an after-show jam session by some friends in the Basie band. Duly impressed by her performance, Shelby exchanged contact info with her, and they connected stateside.

He was in the midst of a long-running monthly residency at the Union Square eatery Café Claude, and she became a regular on the gig. Before long, he was calling her for dates with his quintet and orchestra, “and she became a reliable and astute collaborator,” he said.

When Shelby took over as the Healdsburg Jazz Festival’s artistic director in 2020, he promoted Austin as the music director of the choir. But it’s her willingness to take creative leaps that has made her an invaluable ally.

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STAR POWER Her 2015 debut, ‘Nothing But Soul,’ catapulted Austin into national prominence with a glowing review on public radio’s ‘Fresh Air.’

« Commissioned in 2021 to write an

opera by Opera Parallèle, he composed Harriet’s Spirit working with librettist Roma Olvera. He brought in Austin as the lead vocalist to create the role of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

“She was amazing,” he said. “What she’s doing now, she’s not only a very inspirational artist. She’s become an important organizer. I love seeing her build her own world and projects. I’ve been here going on 29 years and worked with a lot of people. She’s the one I’ve collaborated with the most.”

Born and raised in south Los Angeles, Austin grew up in a house filled with music. Her parents listened to soul and pop masters like Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, while her Louisiana Creole grandmother introduced her to jazz. She credits her grandmother for “teaching me what soul was about,” Austin said. “She had a great sense of herself, and didn’t let anyone make her feel less than herself. When I sing the blues or jazz, I draw on that Grandmama place.”

After graduating from the Los Angeles High School of the Arts, she went on to major in creative writing at Cal State Northridge. During the year she spent studying in the U.K., Austin started sitting in at jazz sessions around London. After graduating in 2004, she set out for Tokyo

with the plan that she’d look for work as a singer and spend a year in Japan. A flood of work came her way, and Austin ended up staying through 2009. During her first grueling year of law school, she turned to music as a source of balance and sanity.

Working with Shelby, she quickly started making a name for herself. A series of prestigious gigs and residencies introduced her as the most exciting new voice in the region. She got a major vote of confidence when the Mission District’s Red Poppy Art House, an essential talent incubator for the past decade, selected her for a yearlong residency in 2014.

She took the opportunity to develop her Creole Project, which focuses on recasting songs associated with Creole accordionist Amede Ardoin, who made groundbreaking recordings with the great Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee in the 1920s. Austin found her way to Ardoin by starting with her love of the Harlem Renaissance, and working outward to explore other regions where African American culture flowered in the 1920s.

Working with tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley on a program of songs associated with Hoagy Carmichael led to her 2015 debut, Nothing But Soul, the album that catapulted her into national prominence with a glowing review on public radio’s Fresh Air. She followed up

with 2018’s Unbroken, a soul-powered meditation on African American culture’s extraordinary resilience, produced by Grammy Award-winning jazz champion Richard Seidel.

Throughout her various pursuits and projects, Austin always had her antenna out for a place of her own, an opportunity she seized when she connected with saxophonist Nora Free, who’d converted a West Oakland storefront into a cozy, living room-like salon, Wyldflowr Arts.

“The arc had always been a brick and mortar,” Austin said. “Nora and I were on the same page right from the start.

We want a space where people can come and commune, not only over music, but over the arts in general. Nora and I are both versed in jazz and soul music, but we’ve hosted rock and hip-hop groups.

The RootStock Arts residency is a perfect example of what we want to do.”

Programmed by percussionist Sameer Gupta, RootStock has presented a series of classical Indian artists at Wyldflowr.

A mover and shaker himself who spearheaded the influential Brooklyn Raga Massive collective before he moved back to the East Bay in 2023, Gupta’s been impressed by Austin’s “intense interest in building different communities,” he said.

“She takes her work seriously, and she wants to put it at a higher level,” said Gupta. “I think her vision is shaped by her history of studying law. A lot of people in the arts want to leave things in a gray area that doesn’t work out for artists. She wants to hash out the details.”

Austin is just getting started. She and Free are looking to expand youth programming, including a jam session for young musicians. Workshops on basic web design and tax preparation for artists are also in the works.

“We’re in expansion mode,” Austin said. “We’re seeking funding, trying to figure out ways where everybody feels welcome. I always think about leveraging.

Eventually I want a whole arts center.”

For more info about Tiffany Austin, visit tiffanyaustin.com. For info about Wyldflowr Arts, 809 37th St., Oakland; wyldflowrarts.com.

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Sirene Arr OPEN KITCHEN Restaurateur Paul Einbund and chef Gavin Schmidt want Sirene to be the kind of restaurant where they’d want to eat the food they craved, not once in a blue moon, but every night.

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The team behind The Morris opens their second venture together on Grand Avenue

rrives E

BY Jeffrey Edalatpour

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PHOTOS BY CAT FENNELL

mbroidery on Paul Einbund’s baseball cap reads “chartreuse” in yellowygreen letters. It serves a dual purpose, announcing his profession as a sommelier and his upcoming travel itinerary. The restaurateur behind The Morris in San Francisco is about to embark on a trip to France to restock his wine cellars.

All morning, he’s been meeting with people who are involved with the launch of Sirene in Oakland, his second restaurant with chef Gavin Schmidt. Between meetings, Einbund greets every guest who walks in the front door with a welcoming hello. His hospitable manners are second nature. Einbund’s public performance as a host is in service to his business, but it doesn’t come across as forced or disingenuous.

Weekdays, Sirene operates as a cafe with an espresso bar. Elaine Lau, the former pastry chef at Sunday Bakeshop, is making a small cross-section of the laminated baked goods that customers used to wait in long lines to try. Lau’s croissants are crisp, buttery treats. She’s also making desserts for the dinner menu, including a chocolate layer cake.

When I dropped by for a morning coffee and a conversation with Einbund, Schmidt took a short break from the kitchen to join us. Once Sirene finds its sea legs, the chef said they’ll be starting an in-house bread program using the woodfire oven.

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SEAFOOD TOWER The kitchen at Sirene will largely focus on seafood.

« Charlie Hallowell installed it during his reign at Boot & Shoe Service, which used to operate in the space. The oven is still a beautiful showpiece visible at the back of the dining room.

Following Hallowell’s tenure, the proprietors of Sister, Boot’s successor, carried on baking pizzas, until that restaurant closed in early 2024. During its initial opening phase, Sirene isn’t going to be using the oven for pizza—although Einbund believes Schmidt will eventually embrace the idea.

“Gavin feels strongly that you can get pizza everywhere in Oakland,” Einbund said. “I’m working on that. If we make The Morris-style pizza, that would be amazing.”

Unlike a conventional oven, Schmidt explained, the temperature of a woodfire oven can get up to 800 degrees. “Things like cabbage get a nice char on the outside, but it’s still tender on the inside,” he said.

“So it’s not just baking; it’s incorporating those good, more rustic, smoky flavors.”

Einbund then added a qualifier to the idea of a Sirene bread program: “We want to go slow and make sure what we’re doing is good before we just start doing everything.” Everything will also include a full-service brunch on the weekend.

As Einbund and Schmidt start their new venture together, the kitchen will focus on seafood and feature fried chicken, a combination of dishes that seldom appears on the same menu.

“We eat so much seafood, we wanted to create a program that would focus on local products,” Einbund explained. “But different from The Morris, we’re not limiting ourselves exclusively to local.

We’ll occasionally go beyond [the Bay Area] because there’s so much amazing seafood around the world.”

Like Zuni Café’s signature roast chicken dish, Schmidt perfected a smoked duck entreé ($80 half, $160 whole) at The Morris. On occasion, he’d serve fried chicken there as a special. “But I’ve been wanting to do something where we can

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GRAND AVE. Weekdays, Sirene operates as a cafe with an espresso bar featuring baked goods

by Elaine Lau.

showcase it,” the chef said. “I love all the fun, bright flavors of crudo and shellfish.

But at the end of a meal, I tend to want something richer and hardier to go with the lighter fare.” Sirene’s fried chicken also has add-ons such as caviar and an octopus kimchi sauce, which are nods to a “surf and turf” theme.

Schmidt, an East Bay resident, had been wanting to open a restaurant near his home for ages. When Sister closed, the chef asked Einbund to take a look at the empty space. “The karma just felt so good,” Einbund recalled. He believes that having an established beverage program at The Morris to pull from is an advantage for Sirene. “We’ve got this huge library, our own wine shop,” he said. What doesn’t sell at one restaurant can move, in either direction, across the bay.

Although it took several years of planning before the two opened The Morris—Einbund claims it was nine years and Schmidt said it was closer to six—they both believe the time lag contributed to its success. They spent those years synchronizing their palates.

“Years of Gavin coming over to my place and cooking food, and me opening up bottles of wine,” Einbund said.

“Him, understanding my wine cellar; me, understanding how he likes to cook. We’ve got one of those cherished relationships where we can communicate non-verbally.”

They wanted The Morris, and now

THE MORRIS Chef Gavin Schmidt lives in the East Bay.

by extension Sirene, to be the kind of restaurant where they’d want to eat the food they craved, not once in a blue moon, but every night. But Einbund acknowledges that, “you can have the greatest meal, or wine, or coffee of your life served to you by a jerk, and you’ll have no interest in going back there.”

Einbund’s ambitions are old school.

With Schmidt’s cooking served alongside his impressive wine list, he wants customers and first-time diners to return to become regulars. To that end, he’s a true believer in a paraphrased maxim by the East Coast restaurateur Danny Meyer: Service is a monologue; hospitality is a dialogue.

Sirene, open Wed to Sun 8am–2pm and 5–9:30pm, 3308 Grand Ave., Oakland.

IG: @sirene_oak.

SURF AND TURF Sirene’s fried chicken also has add-ons such as caviar and an octopus kimchi sauce.

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Pet Nat Pioneer

Donkey & Goat leads natural winemaking in the Gilman District

BY Nico Bianchi

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GILMAN GODFATHER After training in France, Donkey & Goat founder Jared Brandt supported multiple other winemakers to set up shop in Berkeley.

T

location that the quality of the wine falls to second behind an overall tasting experience. Berkeley is an up and coming hallmark of Bay Area winemaking that exceeds the need for fluff and exorbitance.

The Gilman District, as well as boasting industrial capacity, is home to a plethora of talented natural winemakers. Donkey & Goat is home to its first.

After leaving the tech industry in 2002, founder Jared Brandt decided to take a crack at winemaking through an internship with famed French natural winemaker Eric Texier in the Rhône Valley. Brandt’s neighbor in

France had a donkey trained to eat the weeds along the center of the vineyard rows without eating any of the grape leaves, the donkey discouraged by the cayenne pepper sprinkled on the leaves. Ultimately, the donkey got lonely, and so a goat was brought in as a companion. The idea stuck.

Upon his return in the early 2000s and following implementation of the natural winemaking processes he learned overseas, Brandt became known as a godfather figure in the East Bay, supporting multiple other winemakers to set up shop in Berkeley, including

»

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PHOTOS BY CALEB BONIFAY

he cacophony of noise coming from the readymix concrete plant across the street from Donkey & Goat’s campus doesn’t necessarily suggest that quality wine is being made anywhere nearby. Isn’t a normal California wine experience supposed to include extravagant scenery, modern art sculptures and patios overlooking millions of dollars worth of real estate?

Yet, the wine world can get so caught up in the lavishness of its own physical

FROM INK TO DRINK The barrel room is an attachment to the original building once used as the Flint Ink factory from 1906 to 1978.

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HOUSE CULTURE Winemaker Connor Bachman, a UC Davis graduate, solely lets the ambient yeasts that reside in the barrel room impact the wine.

« Hammerling, Broc Cellars and Tessier.

WINERY MASCOT Hobbes the dog has a Donkey & Goat wine named after him—a merlot, cabernet sauvignon blend that screams with vibrancy and shine.

Brandt has been in the natural winemaking world long enough that he was one of the first in America to learn how to make pet nat, of all things, through an email from another French winemaker. Pétillant naturel is a sparkling wine that’s made of partially fermented grapes, allowing the remaining sugars in those grapes to finish the process in bottle. No one had done it before; therefore, Donkey & Goat was the first to commercially release pet nat in the United States. The genesis of this wine has deeply benefited from the natural wine boom in recent years.

To make a wine that one yearns to make is a refreshing principle. It’s difficult, especially amidst an economic downturn in the wine industry, to replace the likelihood of profit with a sauvignon blanc made in stainless steel for the trial and error of a skin ferment roussanne from an open top wood vat. But experimentation is the name of the game at Donkey & Goat.

Pinot meunier, a variety commonly reserved as one of the three blending grapes in traditional Champagne, is made as a single varietal dry red. It’s

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DOMMEN VINEYARD Pinot meunier, one of the three blending grapes in traditional Champagne, is made here as a single varietal dry red.

like a perfectly balanced berry pie in liquid form. The common theme among almost every wine at Donkey & Goat is the simplicity and intentionality in the winemaking process, as well as the wine’s ability to convert those not interested in trying anything new. Natural wine isn’t a new concept, but the execution has gotten significantly better.

They currently make 15 different wines, and they’ve trimmed down production.

Two to three years ago, it was 26. “People don’t make a lot of money in the wine business, so why don’t you make what you want to make?” Brandt says as he pours a taste of a white blend consisting of roussanne, gruner veltliner, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

Donkey & Goat makes so many wines, in fact, that Hobbes the wine dog has one named after him. It’s a merlot, cabernet sauvignon blend that screams with vibrancy and shine. Even their most “stereotypical” California wine is unique to their palates. Hobbes is a great dog, so no wonder it’s a great wine.

We walked into the barrel room, an attachment to the original building once used as the Flint Ink factory from 1906 to 1978. Remnants of its past life are still

TRIAL AND ERROR Experimentation is the name of the game at Donkey & Goat.

visible in soot stains on the walls. It was completely abandoned when Brandt came along in 2009. A warehouse that was once full of graffiti, needles and shin-high weeds is now filled with barrels awaiting winemaker Connor Bachman’s watchful eye.

Bachman, a UC Davis graduate, solely lets the ambient yeasts that reside in the building itself impact the wine. It’s known as “house culture” and makes for a more natural, low intervention style that caters to a Berkeley clientele desiring a product sans chemical manipulation.

Brandt has found his wines on the shelves of numerous local wine bars and merchants who share a similar worldview.

There are many of those who are tired of settling for wines with added citric acid, cheap oak chips and even food coloring. A “do nothing” approach in the vinification process is much better than doing too much. Donkey & Goat delivers on that simplicity. As a bonus, sustainability and quality come along for the ride.

Due to a dry climate and the natural bay air conditioning, “This location is extremely suitable for winemaking,” Bachman explains. With a majority of their offerings being of single vineyard

designations, an intentional decision that translates directly to the overall quality of the wine, Bachman and his crew will drive a truck and trailer all over Northern California to source their fruit.

“We’re two hours from everywhere,” Bachman says. Brandt and Bachman have personal relationships with vineyard owners from all across Napa, Sonoma, Monterey County and even parts of Lodi influenced by the Mokelumne River. Their relationships with these vineyard managers are their lifeblood and have fostered Donkey & Goat into a developed and respected brand.

Favorites to Try: “Triple Lindy” White Blend ($36) Stone Crusher, Fenaughty Vineyard Skin Ferment Roussanne ($42) Dommen Vineyard Pinot Meunier ($38) “Hobbes” Merlot + Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

Donkey & Goat Winery, ​​1340 Fifth St., Berkeley, 510.868.9174; donkeyandgoat.com. Tasting room and wine shop is open Mon-Fri, 12-4pm (by appointment only); Thu-Fri 4-8pm; Sat-Sun 1-7pm.

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SOLE SURVIVOR Fire resistance measures saved this house in Lahaina, Hawaii, when the entire neighborhood around it tragically burned down.

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Fireproofing Homes How to protect new and existing houses from wildfires without compromising aesthetics

BY Lou Fancher

R

»

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMATO ARCHITECTURE

BUILDING RESILIENCY Amato architects recently completed a duplex with fireresistant features in Emeryville.

ecent images from Los Angeles and in 2023 from Lahaina, Hawaii, of homes left untouched and intact while surrounding houses were entirely destroyed by wildfires are dramatic and compelling. How did one home survive in a neighborhood otherwise completely decimated by the flames and ferocious winds of two of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in the last two years? And how does a homeowner make a new or existing house more fire-resilient?

Interviews with two Bay Area architects, research and resources from experts provide vital information for anyone seeking answers.

Rebecca Amato, founder and principal architect at Amato Architecture, includes in her portfolio more than 600 homes in the Bay Area and beyond.

Amato specializes in creating beautiful, functional spaces and structures designed with attention to a home’s location, environmental impact and sustainability, and the use of exterior and interior non-toxic, cost-effective materials.

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SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Michael Kovac is the architect of the Sycamore House that survived the Palisades Fire.

«

disaster coverage, financial considerations make it essential to scrutinize—and possibly upgrade—elements in renovation and new home projects.

“I designed a house in Lahaina that survived the fires there while everything else around it burned,” says Amato. “The survival of that structure was a result of the materials we specified, which I think is a critical component to approving plans for new construction in L.A. as well as the Bay Area.”

The modern home, located on the south end of Lahaina, had a 5-foot defensible space surrounding the exterior, metal roof, stucco and Nichiha siding (a cement board siding made to look like wood), all-aluminum windows, and other fire-protective features such as no eaves or entry points where embers could get inside. It stood next to a traditional house Amato had renovated several years before for the same owner that kept its historical plantation style and included wood shingles.

“The fire came up and burnt that house and everything in its path before stopping at the new home,” says Amato. “Neighbors beyond it have thanked me, saying their homes survived because the newer home stopped the fire.”

Building and remodeling with fireresiliency in mind is not only essential; it’s community supportive.

“The more resistant your home is, the more you’ll be helping the entire block,” Amato says. “In homes in the East Bay hills, renovations are dictated by what’s already in the house. But things like affordable, durable concrete slab flooring can be installed and stained wonderful colors. I used steel railings in my home and interior walls. And cabinets can be made with chemical-free materials.”

Other actions homeowners can take include having no wood fencing or gates close to the house; enclosing the underside of roofs with cement board siding or stucco; installing fire-rated, tempered glass doors and aluminum-clad

»

PHOTO COURTESY OF ECOBUILD ARCHITECT

Ecobuild Architect founder and principal Courtney Miller brought more than 30 years of experience in the field to the practice he re-established in 2017.

The firm has won numerous awards and nationwide recognition with innovative residential and commercial solutions for projects that emphasize zero-net energy building and green features such as water reuse, healthy indoor air quality, fire resiliency and more.

Both architects in separate conversations say their practices seek creative designs that do not compromise the aesthetics and livability of a home or the safety of its occupants. Especially as more people live in what is known as the Wildland Urban Interface or WUI (pronounced woo-eee), where homes and forests are adjacent or in close proximity, the need for fire-resistant materials and state-of-the-art building and landscape practices is increasing.

With insurance companies canceling or raising rates for fire, flood and other natural

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FLAME ZONE PROTECTION ​​ Sycamore House uses glazing with the low-e coating on the outer tempered pane, giving it more capacity to reflect away infrared heat.

« windows; building wooden decks with

these, the big bad wolf is less likely to blow your house down,” he continues.

Eliminating attached wood fencing and mulch is the simplest step to creating the defensible space a home requires.

“Landscape architects know that within a home’s three defense zones, fire-resistant materials throughout the zones are a must,” Miller says. “Emberproof mesh on all vents and roof crawl spaces are essential. There’s nothing wrong with complex roofs, but they tend to collect debris that can catch fire. As long as they use class-A asphalt shingles, that’s the only option renovators have.

New construction, you can go straight to concrete and tiles.”

The Pacific Palisades home of Michael Kovac and Karina Maher survived the recent wildfire due to many of these features, according to Miller.

“It had commercial glass glazing, fireresistant design features and materials, and an automatic sprinkler system that deployed a fire retardant,” Miller says.

“Locally, it’s something people in the Oakland Hills are going to have to start thinking about.”

Amato and Miller say California’s Chapter 7A building code is stringent and applies to new homes built after 2008. This doesn’t prevent homeowners renovating or building new homes from jumping to above-code levels for insulation materials; high-rated, glazed

SUGGESTED RESOURCES: amatoarchitecture.com ecobuild.com wildfireprepared.org osfm.fire.ca.gov fire.ca.gov

PHOTO COURTESY OF ECOBUILD ARCHITECT

thick lumber treated with fire-resistance stains; and more. Amato recommends visiting wildfireprepared.org, which offers a free, online course for homeowners.

“They also partner with insurance companies like State Farm, Farmers, Allied and others that work with people who’ve completed the course to lower their rates,” says Amato.

Miller recommends homeowners and residential architects and builders consult lists and information published by local fire departments and state agencies about WUI products and building codes. CAL Fire also has up-to-date information about preparing homes for survival during wildfires. Among the wide range of materials Miller uses for projects are exterior cladding that’s fire-resilient stucco or fiber cement siding.

“We have fires now in California with high, horizontal winds that just blast the side of the house,” says Miller. “More stringent exterior cladding like the metal shutters used in Australia; rock wall, 2-inch insulation that gives a thermal break behind the cladding; intumescent exterior paint over wood siding; and metal, clay or concrete tile roofs as opposed to asphalt, glass fiber shingles.”

“Those are fire-resistant, but you have to have the highest rated. The others are better because they can stand up to what we’re seeing: more intense, longer fires. With all of

windows; exterior decks and patios; fire-resistant interior materials; and fireresilient designs.

“I absolutely think those metal shutters are going to become standard and are coming to California, because the windows are the most vulnerable part,” Miller says.

“Those shutters that close vertically or horizontally are the best method. They deploy automatically or manually, and there are elegant solutions that keep them hidden under the roof line and don’t make the home look like a bunker.”

High-end and highly rated features naturally bring the conversations with both architects to cost. They work diligently with clients renovating or building new homes to find a balance, staying abreast of the newest materials and practices to offer flexible, but safe and long-lasting, solutions.

“To be cost-effective, you want to use high-quality materials that last a lifetime and repurpose things like old growth redwood boards that are fire-resistant,” says Miller.

“In the East Bay, not all areas are in highrisk wildfire zones. Even if building zones don’t require it, people are upping their home’s resistance with added sprinkler systems, tempered windows and non-toxic, environmentally protective materials.

“You can lose it all in one fire, and real estate in the Bay Area—it’s most people’s largest asset,” Miller continues.

“To renovate and build conscientiously is an investment that will pay off. With insurance companies dropping people and costs escalating, the onus is now on the homeowner and the community to save money and protect their homes.”

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DELICIOUS DESIGNS This year’s Mocha Mousse suggests chocolate, cocoa and coffee.

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Calming and

Natural

Pantone’s 2025 color of the year is Mocha Mousse

BY David R. Newman

E

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PANTONE

very year for the past 25 years, Pantone has announced their Color of the Year. Last year it was Peach Fuzz. The year before that was Viva Magenta. For 2025 they have chosen Mocha Mousse.

It’s a choice with global implications, as designers throughout the world look to Pantone to set the mood for the coming year.

Elley Chang, president of Pantone, says, “Each year the color experts at the Pantone Color Institute (PCI) analyze global events, societal shifts and cultural dynamics to uncover the emotions and needs that are shaping our world. The Color of the Year is a reflection of the moment we’re living in.”

If that’s the case, then we’re in for quite a delicious year.

»

COLOR THERAPY According to Pantone Color Institute vice president Laurie Pressman, Mocha Mousse brings feelings of contentment, inner peace and balance.

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UNIQUELY BALANCED Mocha Mousse can provide a neutral palette that allows bright accents to pop.

Uniquely Balanced: Mocha Mousse nestles

in, offsetting the vibrancy of this uniquely balanced, multi-colored and somewhat exotic grouping of tones both warm and cool.

Deliciousness: Tastefully tempting Mocha

Mousse combines with other delicious hues in a delectable palette inspired by mouth-watering confections.

Subtle Contrasts: Sophisticated brown

hues coalesce with nuanced contrasts of blue and gray for a classic and compatible statement.

« “PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse

is a delectable brown that nurtures us with its suggestion of chocolate, cocoa and coffee,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of PCI. “It is a color that brings feelings of contentment, inspiring a positive state of inner peace, calm and balance.”

If this is whetting one’s appetite, here are some home design suggestions incorporating this yummy hue, courtesy of Joybird, a Pantone partner specializing in custom, handcrafted furniture: Put It in Neutral: One may treat Mocha Mousse as a foundational earth tone, by beginning with larger pieces like a sofa or sectional in this calming color.

These pieces provide a neutral canvas, allowing one to layer in bold accents or complementary tones.

Start Small With Accents: If one prefers understated touches, Mocha Mousse shines in smaller accents like pillows, ottomans or even dining chair upholstery.

Its warmth pairs beautifully with soft neutrals, muted greens and creams, creating a harmonious palette that soothes the senses.

Additionally, the hue’s earthy sophistication works well with metallic finishes—think brass table lamps or gold-framed mirrors—to add a touch of glam. Readers on a budget may choose to refresh existing furniture with

customizable pillows, bringing a cozy midcentury charm to elevate any room.

Make a Statement With Seating: One may introduce a bold conversation starter with an iconic chair in an oversized design and cozy curves. For smaller spaces, a swivel chair offers the same sophisticated charm in a more compact size.

Subtle Touches: Readers who prefer an understated pop of color may try an ottoman to add layers of depth and texture to rooms. One of the best aspects of Mocha Mousse is its ability to adapt to various styles, from modern minimalism to rustic charm.

To help homeowners, Pantone has created five unique color palettes that feature Mocha Mousse, each conveying its own distinctive feeling and mood. Below are the descriptions as posted on the Pantone website: Relaxed Elegance: One may revel in their own special moments. Imbued with a sensorial richness, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse inspires us to curate experiences that boost personal comfort and wellness. From sweet treats to nature walks, the indulgence of simple pleasures can also be gifted and shared with others.

Floral Pathways: A cornucopia of suggestively scented floral tones, blended with a soft mocha and a shaded willow green, leads us down a cobblestone path.

Whether one is looking to create a comfy corner, redo an entire room or completely revamp a whole house, Pantone’s Mocha Mousse is sure to provide some chocolate inspiration.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of PCI, says, “Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, PANTONE 171230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence. Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspiration and luxe.”

We often take color for granted, but Pantone reminds us that our moods are constantly affected by the world of colors around us.

“Color is the most important powerful communication tool,” says Pressman. “It is the first thing we see and the first thing we connect to. It is a visual language we all understand, one whose message crosses genders, generations and geographies.

“Learning more about the unique meanings of particular colors,” Pressman continues, “gives voice to help us to be a more expressive, closely connected society, one that provides people with a more holistic understanding of their peers and communities alike. As a globally recognized visual language, color can say what words cannot.”

Bring on the dessert.

For more information and inspiration: pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2025.

Joybird; 2000 Chestnut St., San Francisco; 415.960-6750; joybird.com.

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DANGER!

CLIMATE CHANGER Garbage is a manufactured product, created when otherwise recoverable resources are mixed and mashed together. Most rooms in every building in the whole country have a basket where this manufacturing begins. Discarded resources are put in one by one, then dumped into a larger bin, and then into a truck with a more modern body based on this one. A hydraulic piston smashes everything together. The objective is to pack in more cargo before the truck has to be driven to where it can dump onto the land, to be covered in a “sanitary“ way. Liquids leach out and make their way into the planet's NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day from February 12, 2002, colored the methane in the Earth's atmosphere green, and an animation showed how it spins to the poles. NASA said, “Methane (CH4) is second only to carbon dioxide (CO2) in creating a warming greenhouse effect …. The largest abundance released by the US … is created when anaerobic bacteria break down carbon-based garbage in landfills.” [Emphasis added.]

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water — eventually. These “sanitary” methods of filling the land (hence “sanitary landfills”) also provide for anaerobic decomposition of organic materials – which makes methane.

Landfills are the largest human-created source of methane. In the short term methane is 80-100 times more powerful than carbon dioxide to warm the planet.

Making garbage changes the climate!

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