A Lenten season tradition is being revived by the good cooks of the Knights of Columbus at St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church at 3351 Contra Loma. Blvd.

Bring your appetite for six weeks of Friday fish fry running from February 24th thru March 30th. Eat in at the parish hall or drive thru the lot and be served from 4:30 -7:00 p.m. Enjoy two pieces of cod fish deep fried in beer batter, thin golden french fries, secret recipe sweet cole slaw and a drink for twelve dollars.

It’s a meal you won’t soon forget, with all proceeds going towards construction of an Educational Center. Two dollar discount coupons available for opening night. For more information call Walter Ruehlig at 756-7628.

A volunteer free medical clinic in Pittsburg will celebrate its first anniversary Feb. 9, having served more than 700 uninsured patients in its very successful first year.

The RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul opened on Feb. 9, 2011. The clinic is a joint effort by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Contra Costa County and 10 Rotary Clubs in the county. It is open each Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at 2210 Gladstone Dr., Pittsburg. Volunteer doctors and nurses are the heart of the clinic.

The clinic serves a wide range of uninsured people in the community. Three-fourths of the patients live in Pittsburg or Antioch; most of the rest live in Oakley, Brentwood or Bay Point.

Many of the patients are middle-aged, most underemployed or recently unemployed. Two-thirds come to the clinic for acute illnesses, with upper respiratory infections the biggest single illness treated. More than a third of the patients have diabetes or hypertension.

Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) hosted a foreclosure prevention seminar at the Antioch Community Center to provide an opportunity for Contra Costa County homeowners to hear from professionals specializing in loan modifications, legal procedures, and tax liability.

Nearly 300 Contra Costa residents attended the event and received valuable information to avoid foreclosure.

“The number of people that came out on a Saturday afternoon demonstrates how widespread the problem is,” said DeSaulnier. “Too many Contra Costa homeowners are losing their homes through no fault of their own and are desperately fighting to keep them. They need as much help as they can get. I am hopeful that the information they received today will help them preserve the American dream of home ownership.”

Last year, about one for every 95 Contra Costa home owners received a notice of default on their home loan. Nearly 6,000 Contra Costa homes are in foreclosure. In Eastern Contra Costa County alone there are nearly 2,500 homes in foreclosure – one of the highest rates in the nation.

The following people participated in the seminar:
· Senator Mark DeSaulnier, Chair, Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
· Diane Richardson, Director, “Keep Your Home California”, a program of the California Housing Finance Agency
· Jan Lynne Owen, Commissioner, California Department of Corporations
· Maeve Elise Brown, Executive Director, Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
· U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved counselors
· Staff from the Franchise Tax Board
· Representatives of Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Chase will also be available to provide additional information and resources.

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) represents the Seventh Senate District, which includes most of Contra Costa County, including Antioch.

Please join the Friends of Music series at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church at 3351 Contra Loma Blvd. at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 18th. This one hour concert celebrates Valentine’s Day, and showcases famous operatic love songs from Giancarlo Menotti’s “The Telephone.”

Dawn Farry, soprano, and Paul Cheak, bartione, will perform with Don Pearson at piano and organ. There is plenty of free parking and a champagne and dessert reception follows. No tickets sold but a free will offering will be taken.

For further information on the Series or to be put on a mailing list contact Walter at (925) 756-7628 or walter.ruehlig@gmail.com.

If you’re looking for some place to enjoy the Super Bowl between those two East Coast teams that most people in Antioch don’t really care about, then Schooner’s has just the party for you. Hang out with your friends, watch the commercials and even the Half-Time show with Madonna.

Always great on-site brewed, award-winning beer, plus great food to enjoy while watching the game on four TV’s. Game time is 3:30 p.m. so get there early for the best seats.

Schooner’s Grill & Brewery is located at 4250 Lone Tree Way in Antioch, near the Deer Valley Theaters. For reservations call 776-1800.

See their ad on the right side of this page and in the February issue of the Antioch Herald for more events this month! For more information visit www.SchoonersBrewery.com.

Once again, Humphrey’s on the Delta will be hosting it’s annual Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 5. Enjoy great food and drinks, including $2 chicken fajita tacos throughout the game, plus contests and prizes.

Kick-off is at 3:20 p.m., so get there early for a good seat to watch the game on one of four TV’s including the big screen.  Bring the family and enjoy the best part – the commercials (since the Niners didn’t make it).

Humphrey’s is located at 1 Marina Plaza, at the foot of L Street in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown. For reservations call 778-5800 and for more information visit www.HumphreysontheDelta.com

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, D&D Jewelers, one of Antioch’s oldest fine jewelry stores, is offering 60% off gold and diamonds and up to 40% off on watches, including 25% off on Citizen brand.

Stop in and visit them and see their wide selection of fine diamonds, rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches and more.

They’re located at 2001 West 10^th Street at the corner of Verne Roberts Circle inside the Community Trust Credit Union building. Or call them at 706-8842. They’re open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5. Be sure to see their ad on the right side of the page and click on it to visit their Facebook page.

By Harry Stoll

The anomalous Dad’s Café – in a corporate neighborhood of plastic fast food vendors – is next to the Safeway gas station on the east side of Deer Valley Road, off of Hillcrest. This spacious, nicely furnished place, has well-spaced tables, brass hooks for your coat, TVs on the walls, a wide veranda and big windows on two sides.

The food is made there, made now, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. The morning choices (windows facing the sun) vary from biscuits and gravy to Eggs Benedict with house-made Hollandaise, or an omelet any way you want it. Not your style? Get eggs any style.

For lunch: burgers, melts, roast turkey sans and several more. Or enjoy authentic Mexican food from chef Armando Palacios.

Every day, you can get French onion soup for $3.59 a cup or $5.59 a bowl, and a special soup every day. And always, appetizers all ways. Dad’s Quesadilla is $7.49 por ejemplo.

For dinner how about Yankee pot roast? A T-bone, a New York steak, or seafood? All there. All prepared right and served by a server who is attentive but not hovering. Amy Lee Hubey is among them. It’s her first server job and she’s been there a year (about when it opened). Good owners retain their workers.

Entrée prices range from $10 to $17. Beer and wine is available and beer is a bargain during happy hour. Parking is plentiful and free.

About what drives Dad’s: Dad Ahmed Mobdy was born in Port Said, Egypt. Mother Mitsumi in Osaka, Japan. At a culinary class at San Francisco City College in the 1980s it was Far East meets Mid-East. He is husky with a large personality. She is diminutive and her eyes smile. When at work she never appears to sit down. One of their two daughters, Nariman Mobdy, is a manager.

Dad’s Café opens at 8 a.m. (7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday) and closes at 9 p.m. It’s located at 3421 Deer Valley Road in Antioch. The phone number is (925) 777-0791 and the website is www.dadscafeantioch.com. See their ad on the right side of this page and in the February issue of the Herald.