OK, I'm back to posting. Might as well start with an easy topic.

What, you haven't been to Luka's yet? It's all the rave. I had a guy stop me in the elevator yesterday to tell me that he and his companions on a camping trip last weekend talked about Luka's for over an hour. I wouldn't go that far, but still....

The Oakland Tribune has a glowing review, not surprisingly since Luka's is now the cornerstone of the uptown revival:

WITH THE CURRENT drive to turn downtown Oakland into a thriving, exciting urban destination, Luka's Taproom and Lounge is perfectly situated to be the center of a vibrant dining and nightlife scene.

And here I thought it was all about the beer. Mmm, Delirium Tremens.

A more, shall we say, objective review should come from the Contra Costa Times, yet they make a mess in their pants:

What a refreshing idea: A restaurant devoted, not to its reputation or some culinary philosophy, but to the idea of making you feel good.

Yep, 5 out of 5 forks. The Tribune rating doesn't show up on the web, but I think it was 4 1/2 out of 5. The SF Chronicle review was 2 1/2 stars, but you have to be pretty high-falutin' to get 3 stars so that's an excellent rating. They also said the atmosphere was da bomb.

And speaking of atmosphere, while I don't have a prescription myself, I do like the scents wafting in the air near Luka's since one of the biggest medical marijuana clubs is just down the street. Luka's: gateway to Oaksterdam!

Congrats to Rick and Maria. Rick basically lives there, but is looking a LOT less stressed lately as things are running more smoothly. And if you're looking for a good time to visit, why not Maria's 35th birthday party on 5/5/5?!? Maybe you'll get that hunky bartender Samuel Lemons... and throw the guy a few bucks, will you? Those hot young female bartenders are running circles around the guy, tip-wise, and he needs money to feed the monkey.