An Insider’s View of Vallejo
The Moveable Feast
By Meredith Pakier | Photos by Stacy Ventura
Left: Artists Micah Hammac and Kristin Young show their work at TreeBed Design, their shop in Vallejo where they also show work by other local artists. In the center are Young’s ceramic sardine chopstick props. Right: At Anchor Pantry, owner Jessica Brooks stocks high-end dried pasta, tinned fish, bread, chocolate, and other small-batch, hard-to-find goods.
The Saturday farmers’ market on Georgia Street was in full swing the morning I met up with Jana Wener—a seasoned food industry pro and impassioned champion of her beloved town of Vallejo—for a guided tour around V-Town’s essential food and drink spots.
Handmade ceramics meet quality coffee at TreeBed Design, a neighborhood hangout where potters Micah Hammac and Kristin Young can brew you a cup as you peruse works by a range of local artists. 409 Virginia St
Just around the corner at Anchor Pantry, owner Jessica Brooks stocks high-end dried pasta, tinned fish, bread, chocolate, and other small-batch, hard-to-find goods in an airy space that features huge reproductions of old photos depicting Vallejo’s former maritime/military community. 620 Marin St
Provisions chef Robin Crossman with the restaurant’s Chicken and Waffles in front of artist David Benzler’s newly painted mural
After working up an appetite, we meandered to Provisions, a California cuisine–driven restaurant that specializes in scratch-made sausages, pastries, and other fare. The chicken and waffles called my name, and the salty-sweet heap did not disappoint. 300 Virginia St
Heading over to Mare Island, we drank in a dose of history along with sweeping views of the bay. Along the docks in front of Coal Shed Brewing, kids rode bikes around colossal metal artworks like Sonny Behan’s “Abhaya” (pictured above) that sit as if guarding the tall ships and tugboats. The West Coast’s oldest naval base is also, surprisingly, home to nearly 200 species of trees from around the world. In the mid-19th century, Navy commanders encouraged visiting ship captains to bring trees from their voyages to the likes of Peru and Australia back to Mare Island. Today, you can view these living treasures via the Alden Park Tree Tour.
Left: The Quarters coffee shop on Mare Island is tucked inside a beautifully preserved historic officers’ building. Right: Colossal metal artworks like Sonny Behan’s “Abhaya” dominate Mare Island’s picturesque waterfront.
Also in Mare Island is The Quarters, a coffee shop tucked inside a beautifully preserved historic officers’ building. Guests typed away on laptops or caught up with friends in numerous rooms amid displays of local goods like beekeeper Valerie Evans’s Goldrush Bay Area Honey. People who brought their dogs were enjoying their coffee out on the sprawling grassy grounds. 1015 Walnut Ave
When you visit Vallejo, keep your nose to the ground for Stinky’s Cheese Shop, slated to officially open downtown this summer. Owners and longtime cheese professionals Erin and Bj Hanson were kind enough to give me a behind-the-scenes look at their plans to serve up artisan cheese for take-away or enjoying on the spot along with charcuterie, wine, and other bites. If you visit stinkyscheeseshop.com and sign up for their newsletter, you’ll get word on the opening. In the meantime, you can meet the Stinky’s crew and get your own cheesy preview at Vallejo’s Art Walk, the second Friday of each month. 336 Georgia St ♦
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. Stacy Ventura has worked as a freelance photographer with Edible East Bay for 15 years. When not shooting, she can be found camping at the beach or in the mountains. stacyventura.com
