EAST BAY INSOMNIAC

JULIANNA THE PSYCHIC 

San Pablo Ave @ Solano, Albany • 558-6900

OPEN UNTIL: 1AM (”Walk-ins welcome!”)

PARKING: street

NOTE: I need to get a picture of the real sign. It’s above a nail shop I think. All I could really find on her was a “flagged-for-removal” posting on Craigslist in which the cached page mentioned a “gift from God” and an “85%-90% reading accuracy.” I wonder how she measures it?

STOGIE’S SMOKE SHOP & HOOKAH HUT

3288 Pierce St., Albany (inside the Pacific East Mall) • 558-1510

FEATURES:

• hookah rentals & bar
• billiards room
• big screen TV
• Middle-Eastern and hip-hop music
• complete headshop: bongs, pipes, papers, etc. available ’til 1AM! (see picture below)
• domestic & imported cigars and cigarettes (smoking allowed)

From their website: A hookah is a Middle Eastern water pipe fueled by a variety of fruit flavored molasses. There are no chemicals or drugs added, and what’s more, the water filters out all but 1% of the nicotine normally inhaled from an entire pack of cigarettes. Voted “Mellowest Smoke Shop of 2005” by The East Bay Express.

AVAILABLE FLAVORS: apple, apricot, banana, bubblegum, cherry, grape, jasmine, lemon, licorice, mango, melon, mint, orange, peach, rose, and strawberry, as well as our own “exotic house blends”

PRICES:

• $10/person Sunday - Thursday (includes hookah rental, DJ and pool)
• $15/person Friday - Saturday (includes hookah rental, DJ and pool)
• just hookah rental:  $10.00 minimum for 1-2 smokers, and $5.00 for each additional smoker after that; cover charge is waived
• just pool tables:  $10.00/hour; cover charge is waived

OPEN UNTIL: 1AM (Thurs-Sat) • 9PM (Sun-Wed)

PARKING: lot

THE EBI REVIEW:

Without sounding politically incorrect, Asians know how to get down after dark. Witness the Koryo strip-mall where one can partake of sushi, BBQ, computers and karaoke past 2AM. I thought that was pretty spectacular until one day I strayed beyond the Pearl Tea and Engrish stationery of the Pacific East Mall to the corridors that went from Hello Kitty to Hello Kind Bud. OK, minor exaggeration. There’s no cannabis co-op at the P.E.M. (yet), but if you’re a card-carrying member (or not), you can get all your smoking supplies at Stogie’s Smoke Shop.

I’ve been looking for something just like this place. Stogie’s is the epitomy of East Bay Insomniac, really. I’m holding it in that high a regard. Those Yelp reviewers can be a bit harsh, and I’ll address their allegations shortly. But honestly, not even on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley can you buy a bong (er, tobacco water pipe) at 1AM. Even non-smokers have got to appreciate that.

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SPATS RESTAURANT & SALOON

1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley • 841-7225

SERVING:

• pasta (see menu)
• chicken (see menu)
• seafood (see menu)
• sandwiches (see menu)
• award-winning cocktails (see menu)

OPEN: until 2AM (Fri-Sat) • 1AM (Sun-Thurs)

PARKING: street

REVIEWS:

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MEL’S DINER

2240 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley • 540-6351

SERVING:

• milkshakes
• burgers
• grill cheese sandwiches
• turkey BLTs
• diner dinners

OPEN: 1AM (Fri-Sat) • 12AM (Sun-Thurs)

PARKING: downtown street

REVIEWS:

TAIWAN RESTAURANT

2071 University Ave, Berkeley • 845-1456

SERVING:

• noodles
• chicken
• beef
• seafood

OPEN: until 1AM (Fri-Sat) • 12AM (Sun-Thurs)

PARKING: street

REVIEWS: