Business

Oakland’s New ‘Roasted And Raw’ Restaurant Offers Delectable Healthy Delights

Those with salivating vegan appetites can email R&R@roastedraw2021@gmail.com or call ahead with orders to 415-658-5609. Roasted and Raw is open Thursday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for take-out orders and curbside pick-up only, due to current safety and health conditions.

Published

4 years ago

September 24, 2021

Isabelle Price

Chef Imani Greer at his restaurant near Jack London Square. Photo Credit: Imani Greer

Chef Imani Greer, a culinary entrepreneur, has created quite a stir — and menu — for the Bay Area’s vegan-loving community with the opening of his new Roasted and Raw (R&R) restaurant near Oakland’s Jack London Square.

Neighboring Bed, Bath & Beyond and across from Cost-Plus World Market at 550 2nd St., R&R offers clean, rustic and robust flavors in its vegan cuisine, and is already giving notable competition to some of Oakland’s best vegan-based restaurants.

Greer pondered on how he could make good, healthy food for customers without them focusing on the fact that it’s vegan, and he encourages people to make healthy choices including adding much more plant-based ingredients in foods on a daily basis.

“We sometimes get caught up in titles, positions, and using buzz words rather than actually focusing on being healthy,” said Greer. “If calling yourself vegan to hold you accountable to be healthy, then by all means, go vegan. For me, it’s not so much of a philosophy but a lifestyle change, that’s important.”

R&R’s most popular dish is its chiro empanadas by far, according to Greer, and black bean burgers come in as a close second, as well as the chipotle peppers and spices. “Thirty to 40% of our business is foods that are Latino-inspired which makes our Taco Tuesdays a popular event,” noted Greer.

“All of our dishes and bowls are healthy and flavorful whether they are plant-based or not. It is our goal to provide perfect food and perfect service.”

Eating processed foods, fried foods and heavy meats on a daily, meal-to-meal basis is a choice that can impact your health. “I encourage people to look for foods that will help improve your body and lifestyle, and to incorporate it pretty aggressively.”

Greer also pointed out how eating and dietary habits handed down by elders can be re-examined in light of nutrition and modern medicine. “We, as a people, need to look back at our culture in terms of what is good and not good for us. We are prone to high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity, and in the past, we haven’t always had the opportunity to concentrate on eating healthy. In the beginning, our ancestors did because they farmed their own food and it was always fresh, from sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, greens, cabbage, and other foods from the earth.”

“We have to look at the way we process food today, and look at where it comes from, and how it’s made, and the amount we eat,” said Greer. “Meat, for instance, wasn’t meant to be served in 12 or 24 ounces, and your stomach can only process four ounces or less of protein during a daily meal. And when you go to other countries and cultures, it’s like; you don’t sit down and have a T-bone steak added to the other things on your plate. You can only do that in America.”

Greer already has plans for future expansion. “On average, it takes about three to five years to expand from a pop-up concept to brick-and-mortar,” said Greer. “My No. 1 goal is to expand this business. We are fast-fracking and look to grow our restaurant within a year from now. By 2022, we hope to open up in the Uptown area. Our goal is to stay in Oakland, offering Oakland healthy plant-based bowls, along with burgers, empanadas, pastas made from scratch that we can be proud of.”

Isabelle Price

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

3 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.