Food & Drink Artisans
Bently Heritage Estate Distillery
Taste, Tradition, and Technology Bently Heritage Estate Distillery takes the farm to the flask By Barbara Twitchell | Photos by Asa Gilmore Once simply a sleepy little hamlet in the Carson Valley east of the Sierra, Minden, Nevada, was long known for two structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places: The old Minden…
Read MoreNew Products from Renewal Mill
Claire Schlemme collects okara from the Hodo Soy waste stream and turns it into baking flour. Photos courtesy of Renewal Mill and Alice Medrich. Oakland’s Renewal Mill spins out new upcycled foods By Rachel Trachten The process of upcycling works its magic in two ways: first, it makes use of something that would otherwise…
Read MoreOsCo: an Unconventional Distillery
Of Makers and Spirits How an artists’ block in Oakland inspired the creation of OsCo, an unconventional distillery By Kathryn Campo Bowen | Photos by Clara Rice Early March In a time before quarantine and masks and social distancing, Michael Pierce offered to show me around the block. “Let’s walk next door,”…
Read MoreMonifa Dayo and Sur Place
From Food Service to Food Justice, Monifa Dayo Makes It Work Story and photos by Annelies Zijderveld Monifa Dayo is not new to pivoting. In 2016, the chef realized she had grown weary of the steep physical demands and endless manual labor of commercial restaurant work. Stepping away, she opened Sur Place, a…
Read MoreBryant Terry’s New Book
Oakland-based food justice activist, Bryant Terry, reflects on bringing the vegetable kingdom to life in his new cookbook. Tune Up the Vegetable Band And get ready to play with Bryant Terry’s Vegetable Kingdom Book review by Annelies Zijderveld Purchase this book Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes By Bryant Terry Ten Speed Press, February…
Read MoreEast Bay Bakeries
6 East Bay Bakeries that Rise to the Top Chopping, sautéeing, and roasting are easy, but when it comes to baking pastries, breads, and cakes, I’m happy to leave it to the professionals. That leaves more time to roam the East Bay discovering the sweets. Here’s a sample of my favorites from widely…
Read MoreCrafting Pupusas
At Classic Cars West, Popoca’s current outdoor pop-up space, Anthony Salguero forms masa for the pupusa, fills it, and then shapes the stuffed pupusa before placing it on the comal, which is positioned on a wood-fired grill. Don’t Call it Humble Anthony Salguero of Oakland’s Popoca shares his exacting method for crafting El Salvador’s famed culinary…
Read MoreThe Art of Roberto Gastelumendi
A World Brought Together in Wood Story and photos by Jessica Cook Left: Roberto likes to support community efforts such as by creating this bench for the nonprofit Cal Sailing Club at the Berkeley Marina. If you know Roberto Gastelumendi, you know there is a salsa tune in his head. It escapes…
Read MoreFinger Food in Four Cultures
Farmhouse Kitchen’s Lao Table engages the eyes as well as the hands. Eat with the Hands for Practical, Intimate, Sensuous Meals By Anna Mindess | Photos by Cynthia Matzger Amod Chopra, owner of Vik’s Chaat in Berkeley, washes his hands and sits down with some guests. His divided metal tray, called a thali, holds…
Read MoreA Magic Launchpad at Emeryville Public Market
By Alix Wall | Photos by Rachel Stanich The story of how a Cambodian immigrant took her food business from pop up to food-court kiosk to a brick-and-mortar spot named one of America’s best restaurants within a few years has made food entrepreneurs with big dreams take notice. The journey is that of Nite…
Read More