Disability Rights Advocate Calls Out Drake’s Dealership and More A.M. Intel

Drake’s Dealership criticized for inaccessibility

Sunday Parker, an Oakland resident and advocate for people with disabilities, wrote on Twitter about her frustrating experience at Drake’s Dealership this week. Parker’s Twitter, @sundaytakesbart, typically offers her perspective as a BART commuter with a wheelchair: She can usually be seen tweeting out pictures of soiled elevators, tagging the transit agency for all to see.

“Oakland — here's what happened when I tried to go to a restaurant (opened 26 years post ADA) on the 4th of July in a wheelchair,” Parker tweeted on Tuesday. “1. Entered through a locked side door that had to be opened especially for me. No signage, naturally. 2. All tables sat on a layer of concrete gravel with barely 2 feet of clearance between. 3. Waitress tried to seat me at a table with a heavy long bench that couldn't be moved out of the way for my wheelchair.”

“We make every attempt to accommodate every guest the best we can, including taking ADA compliance very seriously,” a Drake’s representative says. The business has reached out to Parker privately regarding the matter.

Navi Kitchen’s Indian pizza dinners start July 15

Juhu Beach Club chef Preeti Mistry’s new Emeryville restaurant Navi Kitchen opened this spring to further showcase her innovative Indian-Californian cooking. So far it’s been brekkie, coffee, and chai in the morning and salads and sandwiches at lunch. But starting Saturday, July 15th, Navi will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday, adding dinner that will feature Mistry’s take on Indian pizza, a fusion specialty whose origins might be traced to San Francisco’s Zante Pizza and Indian Food. Mistry’s more Neapolitan-style varieties include leelu potato with funugreek pesto and pepper and kheema kale with lamb and beef tomato sauce, red onion, and lacinato kale. The whole menu is here.

New chef takes the reins at Media Noche

Cuban-inspired fast-casual restaurant Media Noche, opened this spring, has a new chef in Oakland native Casey Rebecca Nunes. Previously of Jax Brewhouse in New Orleans, The Boardroom in North Beach, and a Master Chef Season 6 Top 100 finalist, Nunes joins Media Noche co-owners Madelyn Markoe and Jessie Barker. She’ll add her own touches to the menu of bowls and cubanos previously developed with opening chef Juan Martinez (Tres, Matador) and consulting chef Telmo Faria (Uma Casa, Tacolicious).

Mourad introduces rosé and oyster happy hour

Mourad Lahlou’s upscale Moroccan restaurant has a new happy hour menu from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. $3 chef’s choice oysters are available, and highlighting the undeniable drink of the moment, Mourad will offer rosés from around the world priced at $10 a glass or $40 a bottle. For those who prefer a little sparkle, Billecart-Salmon Rosé is $30 a glass and $120 a bottle.

The hypocrisy of “Instagram food”

No one is immune from the allure of Instagrammable food, either by spending a few extra minutes taking photos while the dish gets cold, or just ogling the work of others. Finally, here comes the backlash against food made to be photographed and shared rather than eaten by real people. According to an essay for Eater National, that’s for at least two reasons. “As far as I can tell, it’s nearly impossible be popular in the world of Instagram food maximalism if you actually look like a person who eats the things you post,” proclaims writer Amanda Mull, “otherwise, your probably fat hand might appear in (and ruin?) a photo of an ice cream cone held out in front of a brick wall.” Instead of being made for consumption, “over-the-top, intensely trend-driven, and visually arresting, Instagram food is almost always something to be obtained, rather than cooked or created.” Her diagnosis: “In a world where women have long ago learned the social consequences of consuming things just because they taste good, tasting good becomes a secondary concern. From brands and influencers looking to profit, the result is a dictation: Eat with your eyes, not with your mouths. This food is made for it.”