The newly-opened Berkeley Bowl West, sister of the original produce mecca, just celebrated its three month anniversary by getting a fatty rebate check from PG&E for $167,029. We wonder how they decided on the 29 dollars.

Its rebate-receiving ceremony took place Friday, Sept. 3, and was attended by PG&E reps, Sun Light & Power President Gary Gerber and our beloved mayor, Tom Bates. According to In Berkeley, Thursday morning’s little blackout took place in preparation for the ceremony “to remind citizens of just how important electricity is to our daily lives.” Somehow we doubt the city would shut down the Asian Ghetto and Yogurt Park in honor of the Bowl, no offense.

The 636 solar panels placed atop of the new Berkeley Bowl are expected to produce 149,633 kilowatts of electricity per year. As if we needed another reason to frequent the beloved Bowl.

Image Source: JasonUnbound under Creative Commons
Berkeley Bowl West, Solar Power, and a Huge Rebate Check [triplepundit]

Ah, a classic tale of westward expansion.  Once there was a grocery store. Nay, it wasn’t merely a grocery store. It was a veritable produce orgy. It was an Eden of obscure comestibles, packed side by side into aisles upon upon aisles of deliciousness.  It seemed to be a foodie’s paradise on Earth–and all right here in Berkeley on Oregon Street.

But this promise land–this bastion of food purity, this oasis of organic in a world rapidly transforming into a desert of Safeways and Albertson’s–soon became a battle ground. The parking lot was a Prius jousting arena, the once-peaceful aisles harbored fugitives of the increasingly strict fruit-groping law and Slow Food proponents were all too quick to turn their carts on one another. Things had to change.

And so a plan was born. In the tradition of all great empires, Berkeley Bowl has conquered more land and–after fending off the attacks of neighboring citizens–will be opening a second location a bit west of San Pablo Avenue on June 4. It will be called “Berkeley Bowl West.” Upon hearing the news of their imminent journey, kumquats and Easter Egg radishes rejoiced with cries of  “Westward, ho!” as organic haricots verts do-si-do’d with pomelos in anticipation. And all was, again, right in the world.

Image Source: nautical2k under Creative Commons
Berkeley Bowl West Opening June 4th Despite Neighbors’ Protest [SFist]

Next time you feel up your fruit at Berkeley Bowl, think twice before going to second base with your cherry tomato.

Raphael Breines was nabbed in the Berkeley Bowl parking lot — a.k.a. “Berkeley Brawl” for its infamous tales of Bowl-shopper brutes and automobile savagery — by premise security. He was apparently caught taste-testing in the apricot section on Berkeley Bowl security cameras. The man couldn’t doggone choose between two breeds of apricots, and now must face the consequences: banned from the Bowl for life.

He isn’t the only one facing excommunication from produce heaven, either. John Glionna of the LA Times wrote a colorful article depicting atrocities more notable than sticky hands and sticky fingers committed amongst Berkeley Bowl shoppers. Owner Glenn Yasuda promptly banned Glionna yesterday, within a day of the newspaper running Glionna’s column. We suppose Freedom of the Press has its limits.

At least they’re fair. Glionna writes,

Store manager Larry Evans says the policy is a fair response to doctors, lawyers and college professors who help themselves to bags of cookies, nuts and vitamins, stick their fingers in pies and guzzle from bottles of sake, assuming the rules don’t apply to them.

“There’s a sense of entitlement to this town,” Evans said. “People think, ‘If I want to do it, I’ll do it, just try and stop me.’”

Eerie. Where does that phrase sound familiar? On Sproul Plaza during the Free Speech Movement? At the war zone in front of the Berkeley U.S. Marine recruiting office? From a crazed bum urinating on a church alleyway? Dumpster Muffin?

Of course, “try and stop me” is just a theoretical quote. We are a professional environment at the Clog would much rather deal with legit sources and from-your-mouth quotes. Here’s one: In describing his early morning wholesale market ventures and his pride for top-quality produce, Yasuda claims that “Before you buy anything, you have to smell it, taste it.”

Sorry Breines, guess such a privilege isn’t open to everyone.

Image Source: estro under Creative Commons
At Berkeley Bowl, the nuts are off the shelf [LA Times]

Some swear by Trader Joe’s, but if you’re in the market for fresh fruits and veggies, TJ’s ain’t got nothin’ on the Bowl. Always swamped, always hustling with other food lovers, a visit to Berkeley Bowl could be your newest Sunday ritual.

Besides the produce (which probably takes up as much space as a regular TJ’s), the market also has a selection of freshly baked Semifreddi’s bread and cheap wine at the checkout. No two-buck Chuck, but we managed to pick up a four-dollar Romanian beauty.

Location: 2020 Oregon Street, accessible by F bus
Price: Best deal on produce.
Notes: Definitely do not go hungry!

Image Source: Pete Boyd under Creative Commons
Berkeley Bowl Marketplace [Website]
Earlier: Brazil Cafe for a Sunny Day

The Daily Cal and Inside Bay Area News reported on two fires that caused significant damage to two structures Wednesday.

The first fire occurred at 920 Heinz Avenue, which happens to be an old abandoned warehouse and the future site of a new Berkeley Bowl. This fire happened sometime in the afternoon.

While we don’t know why there was a fire there, there had been opposition to the new Berkeley Bowl. Or maybe it was just a way to start the construction project early.

The second fire hit closer to the Cal campus, as a three-alarm fire engulfed a house on College Avenue. College Avenue itself was closed for eight hours while firefighters battled the blaze. Just think about what traffic was like. Traffic sucks already on College, but to have it closed off for eight hours?

This is kind of a tragic story. The woman who owns the house was almost finished with her 18-year renovation plan, according to the Daily Cal. All that hard work … wasted!

But all this talk of fires and all of this heat just makes us want to eat some ice cream. Well, yeah, we did that already.

Image source: Skyler Reid, Daily Cal
Two Berkeley fires cause severe damage [Inside Bay Area]
Fire Engulfs House on College [Daily Cal]