Block Party

Piedmontapalooza

Take in the Southern Tip of the Strip

    Piedmont Avenue is home to one of Oakland’s most bustling retail areas. Home goods, upscale eateries, gourmet boutiques and a veritable cornucopia of spas line the avenue. Here, a sampling of the goods available at the southern tip of the strip.

WHERE TO EAT

Bay Wolf Restaurant
    This Piedmont Avenue favorite harks back to the dawn of California cuisine more than 30 years ago. Behind espaliered eucalyptus out front, the enclosed, heated patio is a wonderful spot to enjoy Bay Wolf’s Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Separated from the street by opaque glass, it’s the best of being outdoors with the added bonus of extra privacy. And the chic interior is as nice, featuring dark wood and art-studded walls. Although dinners are a bit pricey, lunch is a relative bargain. The menu changes monthly; check the Web site for updates.
    3853 Piedmont Ave., (510) 655-6004, www.baywolf.com, lunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.–Fri. and dinner 5:30 till late daily.

JoJo Country French Cooking
    If you’re in the mood for Provencal-style cuisine, try this clean-and-stylish spot just up the road from Bay Wolf. JoJo’s founders put their experiences at Chez Panisse, Oliveto, and Zuni Café to good use, with a savory, streamlined menu divided into three categories: starters, entrees and desserts. Each section contains about six tasty choices, including such delicacies as homemade pâté de campagne, Provencal seafood stew and chocolate soufflé cake. The wine list is wonderfully extensive, and the cozy ambiance means you’ll be sure to feel at home.
    3859 Piedmont Ave., (510) 985-3003, jojorestaurant.com, 5:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. Tue.–Thu. and 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat.

WHERE TO SHOP

Make My Day
Just a hop and skip from Nathan & Co. lies this upscale, Asian- and African-inspired home-furnishings store. Displayed under subdued lighting are everything from bigger furniture pieces such as couches to small but elegant accessories such as lotus-shaped tea candleholders. The boutique also carries a wide array of one-of-a-kind art, including large blown-glass art vases (in the $200 range), colorful beaded mosaics by Nigerian artist Yinka Adeyemi, wooden tabletop sculptures and more.
    3850 Piedmont Ave., (510) 601-0608, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Tue.–Thu. and Sat., 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sun.

Nathan & Co.
This cozy, charming shop carries a heady slogan: “Deliciously modern home furnishings and gifts.” And delicious and modern it is, with a whole realm of tschotkes, stationery and baby gifts nestled between its chocolate brown and robin’s-egg blue walls. Fun notecards; locally made, brightly patterned kitchen towels; and glittery art by Oakland artist Nicole Harris are side-by-side with groovy baby items like leather bibs ($34) with cut-out bright caterpillars, dragonflies, birdies, flowers and VW bugs (the leather doesn’t stain—simply wipe it off!); pee pee teepees for making little boy diaper changes so much more pleasant for mom and dad; and a “bucket of burpies”—three handmade burp cloths, patterned with flowers, cars and more, from Zebi Baby that come in a plastic bucket.
    3820 Piedmont Ave., (510) 428-9638, 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Thu.,10:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Fri., 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat. and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun.

WHERE TO PLAY

Sun Salutations at Piedmont Yoga Studio
At 21 years old, Piedmont Yoga Studio is one of the most well-known in the country. Not only is the studio home to famed teacher Rodney Yee’s occasional public classes, it also offers more than 60 classes each week, in multiple styles including Hatha yoga, prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, yoga for teens, Pilates mat classes, and yoga for people with disabilities. Check out the Web site for special events, including yoga storytime for toddlers and workshops focusing on back health.
    3966 Piedmont Ave., (510) 652-3336, www.piedmontyoga.com, open daily, check Web site for class and workshop times and dates.

A Couple’s Massage at Meditrina World Healing Spa
This two-year-old spa calls itself a “culturally inspired healing center” and boasts soothing, Zen-infused treatment rooms in which patrons can experience such delights as shiatsu, deep-tissue and maternity massage; stone therapy; grape seed or seaweed body treatments; and a whole slew of facials. Try to snag the Lotus Room, where an amazing 13-head stand-up shower awaits. Or treat that special someone (and yourself!) to a couple’s massage in the Sweetgrass Room, which features a Japanese soaking tub and heated massage tables. And the spa even offers lunchtime express treatments aimed to get you in and out in record time ($65).
    3923 Piedmont Ave., (510) 601-7111, www.meditrinaspa.com, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Wed.–Sat. and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun.