Bali High
Jaunty, brightly hued Balinese umbrellas with their fringes fluttering in the wind, line the entrance to Ring of Fire Imports. Inside, majestic seated Buddhas and a panoply of Hindu gods and goddesses, including a herd of Ganesh (the elephant god), convey a sense of serenity. The massive busts and statues, weighing up to 2,000 pounds, could serve as striking garden centerpieces. They are artfully carved from indigenous limestone and volcanic rock, using only hammer and chisel.
Store owners Ni Ketut Trima, who is Balinese, and her American husband Jerry Alcorn, return to Bali annually to acquire more art pieces from this land of artisans. Alcorn was drawn to Bali after graduating from U.C. Berkeley with a master’s degree in painting. On his second visit, he met Trima, whose family makes the champaka oil that fills the store with an exotic floral scent.
Other items at Ring of Fire include carved teakwood from Java and petrified wood from Borneo, traditional women’s artwork such as ikat weaving and a tower of delicately painted baskets used for temple offerings. Large stone vessels are embellished with ornate rococo curves that can be turned into fountains, lotus ponds or birdbaths. “We want to spread awareness of these art forms that are continuing an ancient art in a contemporary time,” Alcorn says.
Ring of Fire Imports, 1732 University Ave., Berkeley, (510) 666-9481; www.ringoffire.berkeley.blogspot.com.
______________
Fête Accompli
Have something to celebrate? You can find everything you need at the newest member of the Sweet Dreams family. It’s a Party! is nestled next to Sweet Dreams Candy Store and up the block from Sweet Dreams Toy Store on College Avenue. It fills the niche as “a one-stop shop for cards, gifts, party favors and decorations,” says store buyer Barbara Lillich, “but it’s not just for children.” It’s a Party! does stock supplies for the perfect princess or pirate party including a wide array of party favors, such as mini-paint sets, compass rings and a “surprise ball” with tiny toy prizes hidden inside yards of youth crepe paper. But it also caters to grown-ups (who are still in touch with their inner child) with classic gags like a squirting nickel or snake-in-a-nut can and grown-up action figures of Van Gogh with before-and-after heads or an obsessive-compulsive doll that comes with its own surgical mask and moist towelette.
Also featured are favorites like Ugly Dolls, LittleMissMatched Socks, and Peace Frog, Berkeley and Oakland T-shirts. Still stumped for a gift? How about something we could all use more of—a sweet, stuffed brain cell?
It’s a Party!, 2903 College Ave., Berkeley, (510) 549-9177.
______________
Fashion for Fido
Does your greyhound gaze into the closet and sigh? Trot over to family-run Glamour Paws in Montclair Village for the latest terrier togs—a pink fleece-lined vest, a leopard-print harness or even a leather Harley jacket. If your spaniel is a sports fanatic, you can find Raiders, A’s and 49ers gear. T-shirts come in sizes S to XXX with sayings from “Oakland Dawg” to “Been there, Chewed that.”
Co-owner Hassim Robinson explains that Glamour Paws also offers a complete doggy spa. “Customers appreciate the fact that our grooming services are by appointment only—that way their pets can be in and out and don’t have to sit here all day,” he explains. Products used in the spa are also for sale, plus doggy toothbrushes, eye pads and a “Dog Smog Remedy” for unpleasant odors emanating from either end.
When your husky gets hungry, treat him to doggy cookies shaped like daisies, ladybugs or bones iced with carob. A small “Kitty Corner” offers treats for Tabby such as fish-and-chips biscuits, Kitty Kaviar and catnip toys. Also available: custom-made dog beds by Crypton in a range of easy-to-clean fabrics to match your living room decor, stylish airline-approved carriers, retractable paisley leashes, Swarovski crystal charms and a pile of pet toys to chew, cuddle or throw.
Glamour Paws, 2052 Mountain Blvd., Oakland, (510) 338-0144; www.glamourpaws.net.
______________
Paella Paradise
If you go loco for tapas and paella, you need travel no farther than The Spanish Table in Berkeley. Store manager Caty Salas calls the shop “Spanish cooking headquarters.” Customers—both food professionals and home cooks—come for the wide array of ingredients and tools including a large collection of cazuelas (terra cotta cookware). Salas says the shop is known for its unmatched selection of paella pans that can hold one to 200 servings.
The helpful staff will happily describe their dozen different olive oils, including one that the King of Spain gives for gifts (Nuñez de Prado in its distinctive yellow can); aged vinegar; olives stuffed with pimentos, lemons or anchovies; and special rice that absorbs the unique flavors of paella. Find an ocean of Spanish canned mariscos (seafood) including octopus, sardines, scallops, squid, mussels and pole-caught tuna and in the refrigerated section: serrano ham, chorizo, paleta iberico, anchovies, salted cod, Manchego and other cheeses. Assorted foodstuffs include smoked paprika, Marcona almonds, Blanxart chocolate and sweets made with figs, dates or quince.
The Spanish Table displays ceramic dishes in bold colors and patterns and a large collection of cookbooks, travel guides and Spanish children’s books. Don’t miss the regional wines section in the rear. Wine buyer Kevin Hogan, who focuses exclusively on Spain, Portugal, Chile and Argentina, says, “We stock wines you won’t find elsewhere.”
The Spanish Table, 1814 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, (510) 548-1383; www.spanishtable.com.
