InBerkeley

When I read the ecstatic review of Emilia’s Pizzeria on Slice, I thought I should take a look, if only to stop salivating at the description of “undeniably great pizza”. The review and Emilia’s own website say the pizzeria is coming soon. That may be true, but at lunchtime today its opening didn’t seem particularly imminent.

Emilia’s is on Shattuck, near the corner with Ashby, which is a slightly forlorn retail area. The space is as small as can be: there are only two three-seat tables. But founder Keith Freilich has the right pedigree. He worked at Charlie Hallowell’s non pareil Pizzaiolo on Telegraph in Oakland and at San Francisco’s Flour & Water before coming to Berkeley to open his own place.

Slice’s preview has tons of detail. I’m looking forward to Emilia’s opening.

Food, restaurants

Two researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, are among 10 recipients being recognized for their environmental achievements with the 15th annual Heinz Awards, announced today by the Heinz Family Foundation.

Ashok Gadgil, UC Berkeley professor of civil and environmental engineering and faculty senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Kirk Smith, UC Berkeley professor of environmental health sciences, will each receive $100,000 for the strides they have made toward a more sustainable and cleaner environment.

Gadgil, 58, who also holds a position as deputy director in Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division, was recognized for his work as a researcher, inventor and humanitarian. The foundation cited Gadgil’s efforts to understand airflow and pollutant transport in buildings, which helps to reduce health risks, improve energy efficiency and enhance the quality of life in developing countries.

Smith, 62, was recognized for his research exposing the relationships among air pollution, household fuel use, climate and health. The foundation noted that he was the first to recognize and quantify the magnitude of the pollution exposure resulting from cooking indoors with solid fuels, such as wood and other biomass. About half of the world’s population uses such fuels daily, and the health impacts – ranging from pneumonia, tuberculosis, cataracts and chronic lung diseases – are disproportionately felt by the poorest women and children in developing countries.

On Oct. 28, each recipient will receive a $100,000 unrestricted award along with a medallion at a private ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Additional information about Teresa Heinz, the Heinz Family Foundation and each of the recipients is available online at www.heinzawards.net.

(Photos by Peg Skorpinski.)

Environment, People, UC Berkeley

Billie Jo Armstrong, lead vocalist for Green Day — the band that put in years of hard graft  playing Berkeley venues such as Gilman before hitting the big time — is putting his custom-designed home up for sale at the end of the month. The price? A cool $4.85 million.

The 5-bedroom, 7,000 sq ft home in upper Rockridge is a vision of good taste and restrained elegance (above) — although there are some tell-tale signs it was inhabited by a rock star with a sense of mischief.

Read my story, on SFGate, here.

[Photo: www.homesbyheidi.com]

Architecture, Celebrity Billie Jo Armstrong, Green Day

Jennifer English used to write the wonderful Walking Berkeley. The blog reached its natural conclusion when English completed the mission she had set out to achieve: walk every street in the city chronicling her experiences in words and photos along the way.

The good news is that English has launched a new blog. Car-Free Outdoors focuses on car-free outdoor adventures in the San Francisco Bay Area. English says she will start with hikes and hopes to add camping/backpacking and cycling trips in future.

Her inaugural post is on a Marin Headlands and Sausalito stairways hike (above). English — who is also on Twitter at @carfreeoutdoors — says she hopes to update weekly with new content, but the schedule will vary, “depending on work and other commitments” (ah yes, we know all about those).

[Photo: carfreeoutdoors.wordpress.com]

Blogs, Hyperlocal, Nature Bay Area blogs, Berkeley bloggers