MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Oakland, CA

Oakland, CA — Fire Chief Reginald Freeman is proud to announce that the Oakland Fire Department has been formally approved as an ISO CLASS 1 organization, following a thorough evaluation by the Public Protection Classification Insurance Services Office.

ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers – including the largest ones – use PPC information as part of their decision-making when deciding which businesses to write, coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

“I am immensely proud of our members -- their resiliency, perseverance, professionalism, and dedication to the job is second to none,” said Fire Chief Reginald Freeman. “It is not an easy feat to earn an ISO CLASS 1 designation, and it’s even harder to maintain that status. We still have a lot of work to do to shore up opportunities to sustain success; however, we will do so by continuing to listen and learn from one another so that we remain ready to respond to the evolving needs of the community we’re honored to serve.”

By classifying communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, nationwide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. Furthermore, by securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities, like Oakland, that continue to improve their firefighting services.

“This is a significant milestone which OFD and the entire city can be proud of and celebrate,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. “This new top rating is a reflection of Oakland’s commitment to keeping residents and businesses safe, and I applaud the Fire Department on this important accomplishment.”

Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum criteria. By classifying communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire-protection services.

Currently, out of roughly 40,000 fire departments nationwide, there are 411 that hold an ISO CLASS 1 rating. Specifically, here in California, out of a total of 900 participating fire departments, only 42 have an ISO CLASS 1 rating. Key factors that contributed to the new rating were improved training, record keeping, and consistent testing of hydrants.

Michael Hunt

510-289-9822 cell

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A new bar and lounge alights on top of the new Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel later this spring, bringing with it a menu of local craft beer, wine, and signature cocktails from beverage and operations director Gabriel Bryant. Called High 5ive, the East Bay sky lounge will also offer a menu of “approachable American food” from executive chef Nelson Ramirez, per an email from a representative. And if you’re not particularly enthused about the idea of new hotel bar, just remember how rare it is to find a rooftop perch from which you can enjoy a good cocktail in the Bay Area: High 5ive promises an outdoor terrace with sweeping views of Uptown Oakland and the bay beyond.

A sample menu teases signature cocktails like the Tony Bennett, a smoked Manhattan; the Beautiful Ones, an aviation-style gin cocktail with a striking purple hue thanks to crème de violette and a blueberry shrub; and the spicy Solar Flare, a blood orange tequila cocktail powered by chili-infused agave and a habanero tincture. Cocktails will be served in vintage glassware that’s both “chic, understated, and photo-worthy,” a representative promises. The rest of the beverage menu encompasses draft beers — with a focus on Bay Area–made selections from names such as Almanac, Fort Point, East Brother, and Federation — and a tight list of wines by the glass.

On the food side, a list of small plates spans the usual suspects. There’s a meat and cheese board and a trio of dips (hummus, olive tapenade, and baba ganoush), as well as artichoke and spinach dip and a couple of flatbreads. On the more exhilarating end of the spectrum, look for peri peri chicken thigh skewers and carnitas tacos on corn tortillas.

By the way, the bar’s name has a bit of Bay Area history tied in. Stick with us here: per a spokesperson, the first high five happened in 1977, during a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros. Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker hit a home run and as he crossed home plate, Glenn Burke triumphantly lifted his hands in the air — Baker, not knowing what to do, slapped it. Burke, who was openly gay, was later traded to the A’s, where he became an icon in the gay community. He also brought his famous high five with him, and in San Francisco’s Castro district, the high five became “a defiant symbol of gay pride.”

As far as the space, it’ll be modern with sleek, low seats and a touch of greenery via hanging plants. Bold colored seating will add texture to the room — from chartreuse velvet armchairs and bar stools to natural leather banquettes and lounge seating upholstered in aubergine velvet and green. But the big draw will certainly be the outdoor terrace, which will be decked out with fire pits and lounge seating. Located at 437 25th Street in Oakland, High 5ive is expected to open in February or March.

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Nearly two years after Horn Barbecue’s Matt Horn announced his plans to open a second restaurant inspired by the great chicken shacks of the American South, the celebrated West Oakland chef and pitmaster is about to unveil his birds.

Kowbird opens Jan. 14 at 1733 Peralta St., about half a mile from Horn Barbecue, with a menu that includes four generously-sized fried chicken sandwiches, chicken with a puffed buckwheat waffle, wings and fries, chef-driven sides and desserts. The casual, diner-style restaurant, located in the former Pretty Lady digs, will be open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and until 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Much of the former diner’s retro vibe has been preserved, from the U-shaped 1940s countertop to the glass case filled with key lime and sweet potato pies. A few modern touches, like the pixelated murals depicting black farmers in the South, an homage to Horn’s roots, decorate the walls.

Speaking on Wednesday to a small group of food writers, Horn explained that the Peralta Street location has special meaning for him. He held his early pop-ups showcasing his Cali take on Central Texas-style brisket just a stone’s throw away.

“There’s so much history here in the community with this space that we wanted to pay tribute to that with a lot of the design elements and just create a really unique spot to be able to demonstrate our love of food,” Horn said.

Like several other Kowbird employees, chef Adam Lawrence lives in the neighborhood. He spoke about how important it was to have a thriving eatery back at the corner of 18th and Peralta. “I’ve spent almost my whole life in this neighborhood, so it’s really great for me to be able to feed people here,” Lawrence said.

Not surprisingly, the Hot Bird, a fried chicken sandwich topped with dried chiles and sweet pickles and served on a potato bun dusted with fermented chili, is already emerging as a menu standout. The other fried chicken sandwiches are the Original Southern Bird, served with pickles and a zingy “bird sauce”; the Honey Bird, finished with pickled mustard seed-honey sauce and the Early Bird, which comes topped with Southern-style gravy and a fried egg. Sandwiches are $12 each.

Kowbird offers five sides ($5 each), including a smoky fried cabbage with country bacon and an impossibly fresh chicory slaw with pumpkin seed vinaigrette and perfectly carved wheels of blood orange. Also look for steak fries, fried gizzards, and mac and cheese made with gouda, havarti and provolone cheeses and dusted with dehydrated chicken skins.

Vegans, you belong here, too. Horn’s Not A Bird ($12) is a well-seasoned fried oyster mushroom topped with cucumbers, bean “aioli” and carrot slaw, served on the same sizable potato bun. Beverages on tap include root beer and cream soda. Our favorite drink was a mix of Kowbird’s housemade sweet tea and lemonade.

Matt Horn rose to national fame for his smoked meat pop-ups, which led to the opening of Horn Barbecue in October 2020 and numerous accolades. In 2021, Horn was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America. His third restaurant, a burger joint called Matty’s Old Fashioned, is slated to open this year. Horn’s first cookbook, “Horn Barbecue: Recipes And Techniques From A Master of The Art of Barbecue,” is due this spring. For more info, visit www.kowbird.com.

CHAOS occurred in downtown Oakland on January 19, 2022, after a possible pipe bomb was discovered.

Authorities were seen in the downtown area near city hall conducting an investigation into the threat.

Is there a bomb threat in Oakland, California?

On January 19, the Oakland Police Department revealed that Clay Street between 11th and 14th Streets was closed due to a "possible incendiary device."

The Alameda County Sheriff bomb squad was also on the scene but additional details remain unclear.

"We are working with our local and federal partners to keep the scene safe while we work the problem," the ACSO Bomb Squad tweeted.

KTVU's Henry K. Lee then reported that a man was caught "acting suspiciously," on video, adding that the bomb is potentially a pipe bomb, though that has yet to be confirmed.

"It’s got a lot of characteristics that are concerning to us," Alameda County Sheriff's Lt. Ray Kelly said during a press conference.

“We have one role here as the bomb squad and that is to render this safe in the best way possible using the best techniques."

The FBI was also brought in to help with the investigation.

What do bombs look like?

Bombs can be detonated in a number of ways, they can also be concealed in the most minimalistic packaging.

Because most bombs are homemade and can look like anything, the LAPD warns that if you get a suspicious package, you should call 911 immediately.

Officers will then respond as well as a bomb squad unit who will render it safe or dangerous.

The LAPD website states, "Approximately 22 percent involved live devices that had to be rendered safe, live devices that have already functioned, live military ordnance, or other illegal explosive devices."

What happens at buildings that have been evacuated?

Typically in the event of a threat, buildings will often be evacuated so that those inside can get out of harm's way.

Depending on the situation, authorities will then go in and do a sweep of the building to ensure that it is safe to go back in.

In the event of a bomb threat, the bomb squad unit will often set a perimeter and authorities will get civilians behind that line as they investigate the potential bomb.

A COVID outbreak has forced an Oakland homeless shelter to close temporarily, leaving some people with nowhere to go as the omicron variant continues to buffet the region’s unhoused community.

St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County reported 19 guests sleeping at the West Oakland shelter tested positive late last week. Nine staff members also caught the virus. The shelter has been closed since last Saturday, and won’t reopen until Monday, said Executive Director Blase Bova.

The outbreak comes as a massive surge in cases, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant, is impacting everything from the Bay Area’s schools to police. Homeless shelters also have been hit hard. More than half of the 88 residents at the Division Circle Navigation Center in San Francisco were recently infected, and another 17 residents and nine staffers tested positive at San Francisco’s MSC-South Center. At least three more shelters in Santa Clara County have reported outbreaks.

The virus’ rapid spread through homeless shelters has prompted some experts to question whether dorm-style shelters, where large numbers of people eat and sleep together in close quarters, are safe in the age of COVID. But Bova says her staff has enforced strict safety protocols to protect residents. Before now, the shelter had seen just one COVID case throughout the course of the pandemic.

“I disagree that congregate shelters aren’t safe enough to operate even in a pandemic,” Bova said, “but I will admit that omicron burst our bubble and pierced our defenses.”

Representatives from Alameda County and the city of Oakland did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

St. Vincent de Paul has a capacity for 45 guests per night — down from 100 before the pandemic — and also provides free meals and a community center. The facility reported a few positive COVID tests at the beginning of January, and quickly closed its doors to new arrivals in an attempt to protect the 38 existing shelter guests who tested negative.

County medical workers performed additional tests the following week and reported 24 COVID cases, Blase said. The shelter immediately shut down to protect its guests — it also faced a staffing shortage, as some employees had to quarantine and others were too nervous to return to work. Of the guests who tested positive, 14 were sent to quarantine in hotels run by Alameda County, Blase said. A handful of guests who tested positive declined the hotel rooms, she said.

Guests who tested negative for the virus ended up with nowhere to go. Shelter capacity already is limited in Alameda County.

”Unfortunately, they were just given a blanket and told we can’t open yet you’ll have to come back and stay with us when we re-open,” Blase said.

Though there’s a huge need for shelter, Blase worries outbreaks may continue when St. Vincent de Paul re-opens on Monday. The defenses that got the organization safely through nearly two years of the pandemic — social distancing, mask-wearing and serving to-go meals instead of allowing people to eat together in the dining room — aren’t adequate defenses against Omicron.

Though vaccination rates are much lower in homeless communities than in the general public, nearly all of St. Vincent de Paul’s regular shelter guests are vaccinated, Blase said.

“I’m still a little nervous that we’re reopening Monday instead of a week or two from Monday,” she said. “But we’ll do what we have to do and we’ll keep as safe as we can and we may get more cases.”