Steak Search 1 – The Alley
Once a Texan, you’re always a Texan.
Earlier last week I exchanged a few words with my friend about our food logging endeavour, and I got reminded of steak. (Yes, Sarah, you’re responsible ;-)). I thought it was gone. That evil desire of eating an innocent cow who just a few days ago was wandering the meadow with dreamy eyes. It has resurfaced. Granted I recently enjoy the occasional meatballs from Ikea, a Whopper at the Burger King on San Pablo, and various Top Dog‘s sausages, I haven’t had a chunky slab of steak for months. Now that’s serious. When I’m in Houston, we go to Potatoe Patch almost every other week. When I’m in College Station, I can always rely on Sodolak’s for a hearty fill. Where can I go in Berkeley?
Yelp reveals a gargantuan list of six “steak” locations in the area (for comparison, Humble (TX) has twelve, and Humble is half the area of Berkeley). So starting today I will eat at and blog about every steak house East of the Bay, alphabetically. First stop: The Alley.
It’s the shadiest little hole in the wall I’ve ever been to. The inside is dark and frumpy like the sluggish voice of old black men at the bar counter sharing stories about job and children. The walls are blackish wooden planks, covered in thousands of staples and business cards, like a flaky fish deep fried with scales on and forgotten until it turns ivory with mildew dots. How do they say it, this place got character.
Whatever, I just want my steak. The Alley Special comes with a small bundle of iceberg lettuce, a slice of cucumber, and one cherry tomato. The typical salad of guilt that always comes with cheap steaks and dressed in crocodile’s tears of vinaigrette. For 11.75 we get a 12 oz slab, some half cooked vegetable, garlic bread, and a baked potato.
We ask for no sour cream on our potato, but I’m not sure if that was necessary, as the potato comes simple and spare. No cheese, no chives, no bacon bits, two butter packets still wrapped and melting on the hot steak. We are also given one skimpy knife and one fork each, the knife blade is narrow like a snake’s tongue.
We slice and chew, industriously. This is steak that you can make into mattresses, springy and resilient, and taste like hard work. The steak juice flavors well the half cooked onion, broccoli, and carrots. The garlic bread feels hasty. The bare baked potato fits stupendously beautiful with butter and generous shakings of salt, as it should. Its burnt skin, soaked with steak juice, is something I’ve learned to eat and enjoy, but this time it easily peels off to reveal the tastiest part of a perfect baked potato: the dry, hard shell between the skin and the moist flesh. It’s like pie crust without gooey sugar mess.
So that’s it. The Alley lives true to its name: a dark hangout that only accepts cash in exchange for a recharge reeking of grill smoke, cigarette smoke, beer, old men’s stories, and our backstreet side.
Address: The Alley
3325 Grand Avenue (between Elwood and Lake Park)
Oakland, CA 94610
(510) 444-8505
(parking on the street)
Next on Steak Search: Buckhorn Grill (Emeryville)
Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
1Thanks for another informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal way? I’ve a project that I am just now working on, and I have been on the look out for such information.
2you might have an incredible weblog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my weblog?
3I absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content for you? I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write in relation to here. Again, awesome web site!
4Really clean website , regards for this post.
5You have brought up a very great points, appreciate it for the post.
6Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to send you an e-mail. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it expand over time.
7You are a very smart individual!
8Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you actually realize what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked. Please additionally consult with my web site =). We can have a link change agreement among us!
9I like what you guys are up too. Such intelligent work and reporting! Carry on the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my web site :).
10Thanks for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research about this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such fantastic information being shared freely out there.
11I visited a lot of website but I conceive this one has got something extra in it in it
12I was very happy to seek out this web-site.I wished to thanks to your time for this wonderful read!! I positively having fun with every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you weblog post.
13Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch because I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!
14Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
15Valuable information. Lucky me I found your web site by accident, and I am shocked why this accident didn’t happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
16You can certainly see your skills within the paintings you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. All the time go after your heart. “Every man serves a useful purpose A miser, for example, makes a wonderful ancestor.” by Laurence J. Peter.
17Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.
18After examine a number of of the blog posts in your web site now, and I really like your means of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website listing and will probably be checking again soon. Pls check out my website online as properly and let me know what you think.
19I got what you intend,saved to my bookmarks, very decent web site.
20Keep working ,great job!
21Wohh precisely what I was looking for, appreciate it for posting.
22I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself? Plz reply back as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know wheere u got this from. thanks
23I went over this website and I conceive you have a lot of superb info , bookmarked (:.
24I believe this website has some real excellent info for everyone :D.
25You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I in finding this topic to be actually something that I think I would by no means understand. It sort of feels too complicated and very broad for me. I am taking a look ahead on your subsequent put up, I’ll attempt to get the dangle of it!
26Its great as your other posts : D, appreciate it for putting up. “Say not, ‘I have found the truth,’ but rather, ‘I have found a truth.'” by Kahlil Gibran.
27Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
28Simply wanna comment on few general things, The website style and design is perfect, the articles is rattling great. “The stars are constantly shining, but often we do not see them until the dark hours.” by Earl Riney.
29I dugg some of you post as I thought they were handy very helpful
30My brother suggested I may like this website. He was entirely right. This submit actually made my day. You can not believe just how a lot time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
31Magnificent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too excellent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you are saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it smart. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is really a wonderful site.
32Great web site. A lot of useful info here. I’m sending it to a few pals ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks in your effort!
33I am just writing to make you be aware of what a brilliant experience my child encountered checking the blog. She discovered several things, including how it is like to have an amazing helping mindset to have the mediocre ones effortlessly grasp various grueling subject matter. You truly did more than our own expectations. Thanks for churning out the useful, trustworthy, revealing and even easy tips about the topic to Evelyn.
34I love your writing style genuinely enjoying this site.
35I’m now not sure the place you’re getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or figuring out more. Thank you for wonderful info I used to be searching for this info for my mission.
36We absolutely love your blog and find almost all of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content for yourself? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write concerning here. Again, awesome blog!
37Some genuinely interesting points you have written.Assisted me a lot, just what I was looking for :D.
38Thanks for your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author.I will make certain to bookmark your blog and may come back later on. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great job, have a nice holiday weekend!
39Good write-up, I’m regular visitor of one’s blog, maintain up the excellent operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
40What i don’t realize is if truth be told how you’re now not actually a lot more neatly-preferred than you might be right now. You’re so intelligent. You realize therefore considerably in terms of this matter, produced me for my part imagine it from numerous numerous angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be interested unless it’s something to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs nice. All the time take care of it up!
41Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is fantastic blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.
42A large percentage of of what you articulate happens to be astonishingly appropriate and it makes me ponder why I hadn’t looked at this with this light previously. Your piece really did turn the light on for me personally as far as this topic goes. Nevertheless at this time there is actually 1 position I am not really too comfy with so while I attempt to reconcile that with the core idea of the issue, permit me see just what the rest of the visitors have to point out.Very well done.
43of course like your web-site but you need to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to inform the truth on the other hand I’ll certainly come again again.
44I just couldn’t leave your web site before suggesting that I really enjoyed the usual info a person supply on your guests? Is going to be back regularly in order to inspect new posts
45You made some fine points there. I did a search on the theme and found a good number of folks will consent with your blog.
46I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So i’m glad to show that I’ve a very excellent uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I so much surely will make certain to don’t fail to remember this website and provides it a glance regularly.
47I just couldn’t depart your website prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard information a person provide for your visitors? Is gonna be back often to check up on new posts
48You actually make it appear so easy along with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually one thing that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very large for me. I am looking forward to your subsequent submit, I will try to get the hold of it!
49Thank you for another magnificent article. Where else could anybody get that kind of information in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information.
50