The company listed on the transfer of license at the Trio Bistro is Abland Co. Inc. I screwed up bc I meant to write here that anyone who wanted to comment about the transfer had to contact the Dept. of Alcohol Beverage Control, 3927 Lennane Dr. #100, Sacramento, 95834 by  July 19. I’m a little late (duh!) but I figured I would list the address in any case. Do we know anything about Abland Co. Inc?

War on Wheels as San Francisco and Richmond meet at Fort Mason
Richmond Wrecking Belles vs. San Francisco ShEvil Dead on Saturday, August 9, at Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the battle starts at 8:00 p.m. Event is 21+ with ID for entry and to purchase alcohol. Tickets are $15 in advance, $17 at the door. This event is expected to sell out, so buy your tickets today at www.bayareaderbygirls.com.

Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food Restaurant is now open in Berkeley. Founder Amanda West launched the quick-service restaurant for customers who want a convenient, tasty, nutritious meal. The menu includes grilled natural meat burgers, chicken sandwiches, 100% vegan veggie burgers, freshly made salads, baked fries, raw organic apple “fries” with a honey yogurt dipping sauce, cookies, freshly-made sodas (sweetened with natural agave nectar and stevia) and flavored milks.
“Our concept is designed to reach both the In-N-Out Burger devotee and the Whole Foods shopper,” West said.
Amanda’s is located at 2122 Shattuck Avenue (near Center Street) across from the BART station in downtown Berkeley. Prices range from $1.75 for a freshly made soda to $3.75 for a burger, with a $6.75 combo deal. Hours are 11:00 am to 9:00 pm seven days a week. For more information visit www.amandas.com or call (510) 548-2122.

Here is a video shot to accompany the Night Owl story about De Lauer’s.
As for this weekend, tonight begins the 14th annual Brainwash drive, bike and walk-in movie festival at the Mandela Village Arts Center, 1357 5th St. (the groovy shack behind the West Oakland BART station). The movies are short, the start time is 9 p.m. and admission costs $9. Fo mo info visit www.brainwash.com.
Over at the EastSide Arts Alliance tonight a film slected by Oakland Sin Fronteras starts 7 p.m. The event is free. I missed a whole bunch of cool events at the center including Hip-hop karoake Wednesday  and Holla Back open mic series on Thursdays.  
Heads up: Next Friday is First Friday, which means Art Murmur and the Oakland Museum’s monthly culture extravaganza including a screening of Paperback Dreams, the story of two local bookstores-Cody’s and Kepler’s-and their struggle to survive. Timely, you think?

The Musical Opening Cafe on Bancroft in Berkeley serves tapas until 6 pm Monday through Friday, maybe until 8 pm after the UCB semester starts. It looks lovely but I haven’t had a chance to test it out.

A High-Falutin Affair for the Bay Area Derby Girls, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday Aug. 8 at the Levende Lounge, 1710 Mission St.  Cocktail Attire Required
Extremely special guest DJ from the Big Apple
Please RSVP to attend
(While I’m glad they’re still rolling, notice the fete is in SF along with their new venue — the Fort Mason Center. Is there no room in Oakland, the league’s birthplace?)

It was just a misunderstanding. DeLauer’s Super Newsstand will remain a 24-hour business, at least for now despite reports by yours truly and other reporters that the new business plan called for shutting down at midnight.  The new owners are throwing around ideas like Dock Ellis pitched so nothing is set in stone as yet. Changes have been made to the downtown newspaper mecca, including fresh coffee and tea offerings as well as magazine racks plump with stock. The pink Financial Times is there to greet incomers like a rosy beacon of daily journalism (the color is rosy; the news is not so good). Around the corner, 14th Street is still evolving. Awaken Cafe’s art and performance space in the old Golden Bull bar (414 14th St) won’t be open until the end of 2008 although the to-go cafe portion has been operating for a while. Exhale Salon and Body Spa went into to the storefront next to the Joyce Gordon Gallery but what will occupy the space on the corner of 14th and Franklin is still a mystery. I thought Jesso’s was supposed to open in that block but there was no sign of the restaurant from where I was standing.

Check out this site http://www.yumtacos.com/  for a map and info about a petition to save Sacramento’s taco trucks.

I’m trying to do a bit more coverage of boxing, which the Trib (and most papers) don’t carry much of unless it’s a big one. I’ve written a few features about women’s boxing but fans have complained about the lack of regular fight news.  So, I’d like to hear more about local fights and fighters. Anyway, the next hot fight coming up is Saturday when Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito do battle in Las Vegas. The bets are divided about which one of the top-ranking welterweights will end standing, but one prediction I heard today was whoever goes down it will be in Round 10.  
And here’s an announcement sent by Bay Area’s Ana Julaton: On Aug. 21 at the Tachi Palace Casino and Hotel in Lemoore, California: Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton (4-1-1) will be fighting knockout specialist Donna “The Nature Girl” Biggers (19-16-1) in an 8 round battle for the W.B.C. International SuperBantamweight title. See footage of her last fight  against Mexican-American Salina Jordan.
I just watched my first live MMA fight Friday, “Summer Showdown,” because three guys trained by my trainer Casey Hall at King’s Gym were on the card. In that spirit, another MMA fight night is coming up Aug. 2: Battleground. The headline fight is between Drew Fickett (34-5-0) and Antonio McKee (21-3-2). Looks like Fickett is a UFC champ while McKee is from the rival IFL camp. So the fight could be double-deep. Doors open 6 p.m. at the Fort Mason Center. Tickets available at www.going.com/scionbattleground.

Someone blew out the flame on Dorsey’s Locker “Blue Candle” happy hour and spoken word special the club used to host twice monthly. The party’s over, at least for now.
But the “80s Party” is still on at Sweet’s Ballroom, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. August 22. Admission is $30 but the winner of the $500 best dressed contest could chip in. 21+ only.  Too $hort is listed on flyers as a “special invited guest.” 
It’s Havanisimo every Saturday at La Taza de Cafe beginning with dinner served beginning 5 p.m and son Cubano featuring Cubanacan at 7 p.m.  Dance lessons are at 9:30 p.m. A DJ takes over at 10 p.m. 
The next day groove over to the Air Lounge for Jamboree Sundays, a chilled out drumming and drinks jam. The music is supposed to be salsa, merengue, soca, reggae and world beat.  And later — 7 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. –  to Soul Sundays at Arsimona.  (Thank you! Dancing on Sunday night!)