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Magnolia Street Wine Lounge and Kitchen Thrives on San Pablo Avenue

“This is my third year in the restaurant business,” said Leilani, but I’ve been cooking since I was a little girl. “My cooking career began at an early age with the help of my two grandmothers; a Chinese immigrant and a Southern housekeeper…both of whom were amazing cooks. I learned from both sides.”

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Leilani Baugh, executive chef and owner of Roux & Vine Catering and the Magnolia Street Wine Lounge and Kitchen. Photo courtesy of Chef Leilani Baugh

Strolling down Oakland’s San Pablo avenue near the California Hotel, you’ll come across a storefront that has emblazoned on its plywood-covered windows the images of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Oscar Grant, among others. Their likenesses are depicted in bright, vibrant colors, painted by an inspired artist whose artwork commands that their legacies live on.

To Executive Chef Leilani Baugh, owner of Roux and Vine and the Magnolia Street Wine Lounge and Kitchen, the artwork identifies her place of business where she immerses herself, creating culinary delights for her dedicated customers every weekend…at a brisk pace. Leilani named the restaurant after the street where she grew up in West Oakland.

“This is my third year in the restaurant business,” said Leilani, but I’ve been cooking since I was a little girl. “My cooking career began at an early age with the help of my two grandmothers; a Chinese immigrant and a Southern housekeeper…both of whom were amazing cooks. I learned from both sides.”

“My Chinese grandmother made home-style choices of food, while my Black grandmother cooked and baked for her church where she was in charge of all the meals during church events.  It’s been ingrained in my earliest memories, standing at the sink with either grandmother washing greens or washing banana leaves in the bathtub. Although they prepared meals differently, I learned to take both of those worlds and swish them together.”

“And that became my style of cooking today, where I’ve fused those cooking lessons and created what I call ‘Casian,’ to make really, really good soulful food.  As an example, one of my customers’ favorite dishes would be garlic noodles and ginger crab with Cajon prawns on top or braised oxtails over rice or grits…a culinary representation of both my grandmothers.”

“In most restaurants you have to cook what sells and you can’t get too creative, especially during this pandemic.  But I love to try and get people to eat new things. I like to create dishes that blend cultures.”

“I try to prepare meals that satisfy my client’s palate, and I build my menus on their satisfaction,” noted Leilani. “Popular dishes like oxtail hash and peach cobbler waffles with honey-drizzled chicken, or turkey and honey garlic wings with exquisite dressings, keeps my customer coming back for more. I like to offer items that are both tantalizing and exciting to eat.”

In addition to the restaurant, Leilani also operates her blossoming catering service Roux & Vine for small and large groups. “We have been catering since 2013,” said Baugh. “It’s personal, in that we will work with you to create a menu that fits your taste, budget and style.”

Roux & Vine offers exquisite food, expert coordination and gracious service with the commitment to use locally sourced produce and the freshest ingredients in their dishes. Roux and Vine is now one of the most sought after catering companies in the Bay Area with a client list that now includes Palo Alto Medical, Alta Bates Hospital, Cal Berkeley, Clover and Impossible Foods.

Chef Leilani noted that the success of her businesses is solely based on the support and honesty of her customers. “I love my customers because they’re really honest,” said Leilani. “I love how they are very supportive and love how they are critical without being hurtful.”

“My customers’ ages range from millennials to 80-year-olds and they’ve all been so supportive.  They want to see me succeed and see the restaurant succeed.  It’s just amazing the outpour of love and support I’ve received and it’s the only way we would have been able to stay open during all of last year.”

The San Pablo restaurant is currently open on weekends for outside pickup and delivery.  After state restrictions are lifted for indoor dining, customers will once again be able to enjoy the ambience of the restaurant and listen to live music. “We’re working in partnership with the Oakland Conservatory of Music for future entertainment,” said Leilani. And we also are working on a lineup of various musicians to perform when we open our doors again.”

“I want everybody to know that small businesses and restaurants, especially Oakland-based, really appreciate your support. We still need you to go out and shop local and eat local. We appreciate every order and every single person who walks ups to our door and places their order.”

In addition to being a restaurateur and caterer, fans of Leilani can soon add author to her title when she releases her soon-to-be published book, “From My Grandmas’ Kitchen”.

For more information on the restaurant and catering service, visit their website at www.chefleilani.com. Follow on Instagram (@thechefleilani) and Facebook (@magnoliastreetwinelounge) to view the menus for the week and call or text 510.205.8540 to place orders. Doordash and Grubhub deliveries are available.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 13 – 19, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 13 – 19, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of March 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 6 – 12, 2024

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Who are the Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Candidates’ Top Campaign Contributors?

Below, we’ve listed each candidate’s 10 highest campaign contributors. For Miley, two of his top campaign donors also bought their own advertisements to support him and/or oppose Esteen through independent expenditures. Such expenditures, though separate from campaign donations, are also public record, and we listed them. Additionally, the National Organization of Realtors has spent about $70,500 on their own independent expenditures to support Miley.

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Jennifer Esteen. (Campaign photo) and Supervisor Nate Miley. (Official photo).
Jennifer Esteen. (Campaign photo) and Supervisor Nate Miley. (Official photo).

By Zack Haber

Nate Miley, who has served on Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors since 2000, is running for reelection to the District 4 supervisor seat.

Jennifer Esteen, a nurse and activist, is seeking to unseat him and become one of the five members of the powerful board that sets the county’s budget, governs its unincorporated areas, and oversees the sheriff, Alameda Health System, and mental health system.

District 4 includes most of East Oakland’s hills and flatlands beyond Fruitvale, part of Pleasanton and unincorporated areas south of San Leandro like Ashland and Castro Valley.

Voting is open and will remain open until March 5.

In California, campaign donations of $100 or more are public record. The records show that Miley has received about $550,000 in total campaign donations since he won the previous District 4 election in March 2020. Esteen has raised about $255,000 in total campaign donations since she started collecting them last July. All figures are accurate through Feb. 20.

While Miley has raised more money, Esteen has received donations from more sources. Miley received donations of $100 or more from 439 different sources. Esteen received such donations from 507 different sources.

Below, we’ve listed each candidate’s 10 highest campaign contributors. For Miley, two of his top campaign donors also bought their own advertisements to support him and/or oppose Esteen through independent expenditures. Such expenditures, though separate from campaign donations, are also public record, and we listed them. Additionally, the National Organization of Realtors has spent about $70,500 on their own independent expenditures to support Miley.

Nate Miley’s top campaign contributors:

The California Apartment Association, a trade group representing landlords and investors in California’s rental housing business, has spent about $129,500 supporting Miley’s election bid through about $59,500 in ads against Esteen$55,000 in ads supporting Miley, and $15,000 in campaign donations.

The independent expenditure committee Preserve Agriculture in Alameda County has spent about $46,025 supporting Miley through about $27,200 in their own ads, and $18,825 in donations to his campaign. Preserve Agriculture has supported reelection efforts for former Alameda County DA Nancy O’Malley, and Sheriff Greg Ahern, a republican. It’s received funding from ChevronPG&E, and a the California Apartment Association.

Organizations associated with the Laborers’ International Union of North America, or LiUNA, have donated about $35,000 in total. Construction and General Laborers Local 304, a local chapter of the union representing which represents over 4,000 workers, donated $20,000.

Laborers Pacific Southwest Regional Organizing Coalition, which represents 70,000 LiUNA members in Arizona, California, Hawaii and New Mexico, donated $15,000.

William ‘Bill’ Crotinger and the East Oakland-based company Argent Materials have donated $26,000. Crotinger is the president and founder of Argent, a concrete and asphalt recycling yard. Argent’s website says it is an eco-friendly company that diverts materials from landfills. In 2018, Argent paid the EPA $27,000 under a settlement for committing Clean Water Act violations.

Michael Morgan of Hayward, owner of We Are Hemp, a marijuana dispensary in Ashland, has donated $21,500.

Alameda County District 1 Supervisor David Haubert has donated $21,250 from his 2024 reelection campaign. He’s running unopposed for the District 1 seat.

SEIU 1021which represents over 60,000 workers in local governments, non-profit agencies, healthcare programs, and schools in Northern California, has donated $20,000.

UA Local 342, which represents around 4,000 pipe trades industry workers in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, donated $20,000.

The union representing the county’s deputy sheriffs, Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Alameda County, has donated $17,000.

Becton Healthcare Resources and its managers have donated $14,625. Becton’s mission statement says it provides “behavioral health management services to organizations and groups that serve the serious and persistent mentally ill population.”

Jennifer Esteen’s top campaign contributors:

Mary Quinn Delaney of Piedmont, founder of Akonadi Foundation, has donated $20,000. Akonadi Foundation gives grants to nonprofit organizations, especially focusing on racial justice organizing,

Bridget Galli of Castro Valley has donated $7,000. Galli is a yoga instructor and a co-owner of Castro Valley Yoga.

Rachel Gelman of Oakland has donated $5,000. Gelman is an activist who has vowed to redistribute her inherited wealth to working class, Indigenous and Black communities.

California Worker Families Party has donated $5,000. The organization’s website describes itself as a “grassroots party for the multiracial working class.”

David Stern of Albany has donated $5,000. Stern is a retired UC Berkeley Professor of Education.

Oakland Rising Committee—a collaborative of racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations—has donated about $3,050.

Fredeke Von Bothmer-Goodyear, an unemployed resident of San Francisco, has donated $2,600.

Robert Britton of Castro Valley has donated $2,500. Britton is retired and worked in the labor movement for decades.

Progressive Era PAC has donated about $2,400. Its mission statement says it “exists to elect governing majorities of leaders in California committed to building a progressive era for people of color.”

East Bay Stonewall Democrats Club has donated $2,250. The club was founded in 1982 to give voice to the East Bay LGBTQIA+ communities.

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