Food & Drink Artisans
Indigenous Food at Café Ohlone
First Flavors of the East Bay Café Ohlone Offers Indigenous Foods for All to Share By Anna Mindess | Photos by Cynthia Matzger Vincent Medina’s ancestors have long gathered shellfish, salt, and pickleweed in the salt marsh along this east shore stretch of their homeland on the San Francisco Bay. Louis Trevino (left) holds sprigs…
Read MoreChicken Curry Day
By Prerna Singh My brother: He is Mummy’s favorite kid. She never admits to it and always gives me that what-on-earth-are-you-talking-about look every time I say this to her, but I know. He is the gentler of us two (at least on the outside), doesn’t leave any trail of his crimes, and he…
Read MoreGood Food Awards
Kudos to Local Food Crafters Chicken Liver Mousse by Picnic in Albany If you’re on the hunt for outstanding new foods and flavors and you value responsible business practices, you’ll want to sample the products honored with a 2019 Good Food Award. This annual national contest rewards producers in 16 categories, ranging from…
Read MoreMap of Favorite Fish Tacos of the East Bay
Benchmark Pizzeria Opens in Oakland
Melissa Swanson, Jennifer Moffitt, and Peter Swanson take charge of Benchmark’s new restaurant on the corner of Washington and Ninth in Old Oakland. A Pizza Nerd Makes His Mark Peter Swanson’s Benchmark Pizzeria spawns a second location By Alix Wall | Photos by Kala Minko Peter Swanson is a self-described pizza nerd. Through seven years…
Read MoreTop Cap Mushrooms
It all started with a shiitake mushroom fascination. At the time, Morgan Proctor and Greg Olson both had administrative positions in urban offices and were living in a small space in Oakland with no outdoor area for plants. Given their shared interests in nature, nutrition, and gardening, and after being wait-listed at a community garden,…
Read MoreCésar Turns Twenty
Hail César Twenty Years in the Heart of the Gourmet Ghetto By James Mellgren | Photos by Cherie Azzopardi César, the popular Berkeley tapas bar, turned 20 years old this year. In human years, that isn’t old enough for César to order one of its own cocktails, but it’s a significant milestone nevertheless in the…
Read MoreAnaviv’s Table Opens in Richmond
Arnon Oren at the entrance to his catering kitchen, now moonlighting as Anaviv’s Table. Richmond Flowers at Anaviv’s Table This new dining spot offers elegant food in a surprising setting By Alix Wall Photos by Stacy Ventura Most guests at this dinner party didn’t previously know each other, yet the conversation flows with the…
Read MoreA Sharp Couple
Bernal Cutlery and Clove & Hoof By Kristina Sepetys | Photos by Scott Peterson Bernal Cutlery, the beloved San Francisco culinary knife shop, has opened an outpost in Oakland right next door to Clove & Hoof Butchery and Restaurant. The location isn’t accidental. Josh Donald, owner of Bernal Cutlery and author of Sharp: The Definitive…
Read MoreHooked on Cult Crackers
Crunchy, Seedy, and a Little Bit Cult-y Swedish cracker culture comes to Berkeley Story and photos by Anna Mindess As a kid growing up in Malmö, Sweden, Birgitta Durell took knäckebröd (crispbread) for granted. These mostly rye-based crackers are eaten there daily, paired with everything from pickled herring to lingonberry jam. Many Swedes still make…
Read More