The Moveable Feast Rambles Down San Pablo Avenue
The Moveable Feast Rambles Down San Pablo Avenue
Story and photos by Meredith Pakier
From left: Middle East Market, Casa Latina, El Manantial
From Crockett to City Center Oakland, San Pablo Avenue is dense with spots for delicious food and drink. Here’s my tour of the avenue’s Berkeley belly.
Middle East Market is my stop for Persian and Arab staples like barberries, saffron, Palestinian za’atar, and Iraqi amba. Their deli offers Persian classics like the herb-laden ghormeh sabzi—succulent lamb shank with a dilly fava bean rice—made fresh to order. 2054 San Pablo Ave
Casa Latina is a reliable stop for delicious Mexican fare like chile rellenos and pozole. The conchas from their bakery case have irresistibly plush interiors. I’ll warm them up at home and enjoy with a cup of coffee. 1805 San Pablo Ave
Parked outside a smog check station, El Manantial taco truck serves ultra-filling veggie tacos so loaded with pinto beans, rice, and toppings that the tortillas are barely visible underneath. 2959 San Pablo Ave
From left: Sistory Thai Kitchen, Acme Bread, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
Tokyo Fish Market (Photo courtesy of the market)
Tokyo Fish Market is a beloved neighborhood mainstay for Japanese ingredients and fresh fish. Depending on the season, you’ll find anything from sushi grade tuna to sea urchin. Don’t miss the detached “gift shop,” which is really a Japanese kitchenware store. 1220 San Pablo Ave
Pop across the street to Sistory Thai Kitchen for Northern and Southern Thai noodles and curries, plus signature dishes like their lobster ravioli in tom kha broth. I’m partial to the whole fried branzino dressed in a zippy lime dressing and piled high with cashews and scallions over a mess of greens. 1233 San Pablo Ave
Acme Bread’s devoted fans never complain about waiting in line outside the thumb-sized bakery for their fix of naturally leavened sourdoughs and baguettes. Few will leave without a cookie, pastry, or fluffy cheddar chive biscuit to eat on the way home. 1601 San Pablo Ave
Right next door to Acme is Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, the retail shop for the pioneering French and Italian importer that started championing small artisan, minimal intervention winemakers before it was cool. Stop in to seek out a seminal Beaujolais vigneron or discover a new favorite from Sardinia. 1605 San Pablo Ave
From left: Bar Sardine, The Spanish Table, Far Leaves Tea
If it’s time for a glass, sidle over to laid-back Bar Sardine, Bartavelle Cafe’s evening alter ego. Sip on natural wine while nibbling tinned versions of the bar’s namesake. 1621 San Pablo Ave
Speaking of tinned fish, The Spanish Table—a grocer and cookware shop—has an entire wall of it, most of it from the Iberian Peninsula, which for centuries has exported the anchovies most revered by discerning food professionals. I’ll load my shopping basket with olives, cheeses, and vermouths and always save time for browsing the handmade ceramics. 1814 San Pablo Ave
Offering a quiet oasis on a busy street, Far Leaves Tea boasts an extensive selection from across continental Asia to Taiwan and Japan. Its cozy digs and tatami mats are perfect for catching up with a friend or relaxing with a good book over a pot of hōjicha. 2626 San Pablo Ave. ♦
Meredith Pakier’s column, The Moveable Feast, covers a wide range of food and beverage spots around Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Peruse the whole set of stories here.
When Meredith Pakier is not writing as part of the Market Hall Foods marketing and communications team, she’s hiking with her dog, Nico, and dreaming about starting a garden.
