Food
Eighteen years ago, Doria Robinson, a third generation Richmond native, was studying Buddhism philosophy, and Tibetan language and culture in a monastery in Dharamsala, India. She was as far away from her hometown as she could be. Now she’s back in Richmond, helping residents gain access to healthy food and urban gardens.
This fall, Richmond residents will vote whether or not to place a penny-per-ounce tax on soft drinks. This past winter, the city council voted to put the measure on the November ballot, along with a proposal to use the funds the tax would raise to help pay for health programs. But the proposed soda tax has stirred debates in the city about health, poverty and race.
Hundreds of people crowded into the Craneway Pavilion for the third annual Chocolate and Beer Festival on Saturday afternoon. Attendees sampled sweets from a variety of local chocolatiers—including North Oakland’s Bittersweet, Emeryville’s Coco Delice and Richmond’s Galaxy Desserts—and the over-21 crowd sipped sample-sized beers from nine different breweries. Live music from Emperor’s Jazz, Beam and 21st Century set the mood throughout the festival. Saturday’s event marked the premier of “Rosie’s Shipyard Ale,” a pale ale created in honor of Rosie…
Caspers Famous Hot Dogs has been a Richmond staple for more than 40 years. City councilman Corky Booze set up his election campaign headquarters there in 2010; many regulars call it home. For a glimpse into the favorite hot dog stand of Richmond, click on the short video above.
The Iron Triangle has long been known for its crime rate, but now it is working on a new reputation: A more fit and healthy neighborhood.
Snickers bars at the county hospital? No more. Nor will you be able to find them at the city’s community centers. The city’s Recreation Department — following the lead of Contra Costa County’s health department — has replaced all the vending machines in its community centers with new, energy-efficient ones holding snacks and drinks that have lower calorie counts and no artificial trans-fats. Between this month and last, the county has done the same with healthier foods in the vending…
Sugar-sweetened drinks and street violence have contributed to a rise in childhood obesity across low-income areas of Contra Costa County, according to county health officials who worked closely on a statewide study released Wednesday.
At Richmond’s first food policy council meeting Tuesday night at City Hall, Urban Tilth Executive Director Doria Robinson instructed the carefully chosen participants to catalog the city’s most pressing food-related problems. The session started off quickly. As the participants introduced themselves, they cited their biggest concerns while Robinson took notes on a dry-erase board in front of the group. “We are trying to make a list, to really get a sense of the scope of all different issues that are…
Hotel Mac Restaurant and Bar is celebrating 100 years of business, since its original opening in 1911. First built to serve Standard Oil workers in the early twentieth century, Hotel Mac, then called the Colonial Hotel, was a supreme dining establishment. After a mid-century decline and a fire that destroyed the building in 1971, the restaurant was rebuilt by current owners Bill Burnett and Griff Brazil in 1978. Now restored to its original splendor, Hotel Mac hosts a typically professional…