Summer 2024
On the Burger Beat with the Moveable Feast
Story and photos by Meredith Pakier I LOVE A GOOD BURGER, and with a mind to wrap my hands around the East Bay’s best, I assembled a crew of discerning friends to help me put a bunch to the test. Paper-thin patty lovers will fall hard for The Burger Shop food truck’s halal smashburgers…
Read MoreEditor’s Mixing Bowl
since the thing perhaps is to eat flowers and not to be afraid —e.e.cummings “Our culture ferments fear,” says my morning walking partner as we skirt around the spiky blackberry brambles reaching out from the wild growth of a front-yard food garden kept by a neighbor who always welcomes us in to graze.…
Read MoreMohka House
Yemen’s most gracious cultural ambassador to Oakland Story and photos by Yolanda Romo Mohka House owner Hamza Ghalib steps behind the bar during rush hour to make his specialty, a Mohka House Latte. You may know mocha as a chocolate-flavored coffee drink, but did you know that the name comes from Mohka, the old…
Read MoreSnack Parade
Story and Illustration by Bri James Can’t decide between pizza and poke? Koobideh or karaage? With a choose-your-own-adventure at these East Bay food halls, there’s no need. In our house, we call this sort of eating—where you get to share a little of a lot—a snack parade. So, grab a few of your favorite people…
Read MoreWhat’s In Season? Squash and Squash Blossoms!
By Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge The flower stalls at the farmers’ markets offer many beautiful bunches and bouquets, but I’m interested in another type of blossom found a little further down the aisle. The edible flowers of squash plants, better known as squash blossoms, come in stunning oranges and yellows, and…
Read MoreA Landscape of the Imagination
Creativity blooms on the Mills Community Farm By Rachel Trachten | Watercolor by Karen Fiene | Photos by Zach Pine Julia Dashe has an expansive vision for the 2.5 acres she manages on the grounds of Oakland’s Mills College (which merged with Northeastern University in 2022). “Farms are landscapes of the imagination,” says…
Read MoreBasil, Cress, Mint, & Dill
Sama Mansouri dreams up an Iranian sabzi garden at Reyhan Herb Farm By Anna Mindess A vibrant bouquet of locally grown parsley, mint, dill, and green and purple basil holds a secret: The seeds for these herbs came all the way from Iran. The grower, Sama Mansouri, 26, started farming only last year,…
Read MoreBeautiful Bites
On a quest for summertime edible flowers? Flowerland delivers! By Claire Bradley | Photos by Clara Rice Flowerland owner Carly Dennett (center) and Nala the dog join managers Sunny Johnson (left) and Billie Dennett (right) for a pineapple-sage mojito break (recipe here). The shop’s marquee message gets renewed when inspiration strikes. Morgan Smith is…
Read MorePineapple Sage Mojito
By Claire Bradley | Photo by Clara Rice Editor’s note: After writer Claire Bradley visited Flowerland nursery in Albany, California, for her Summer 2024 story on edible flowers, she created this recipe to show how to use some of the flowers in a cocktail. When it came time to photograph for the story, Bradley…
Read MoreGuide to Good Eats Summer 2024
Alameda Dragon Rouge Waterfront Vietnamese eatery offers exciting, inventive, delicious, locally sourced cuisine and a lively bar scene with a wide selection of spirits. Newly renovated, and available for private parties up to 120 people! 2337 Blanding Ave | 510. 521.1800 | dragonrougebythebay.com Mosley’s Café Join us in the Grand Marina for a peaceful…
Read MoreA Ligurian Summer Repast
By Francine Spiering | Photography by Raymond Franssen My first crisp slice of farinata came flaming hot straight from a wood oven. The baker slathered it rapidly with a seductively aromatic Genovese pesto and handed it over. This was on the Ligurian coast in northwestern Italy many moons ago, and as is often…
Read MoreThe Summer Table: A community of local makers hosted by Mosley’s Café
Follow the numbers to summer fun on the water in Alameda’s Grand Marina! 1. Relax by the water at Mosley’s Cafe, your haven in Alameda’s Grand Marina. Enjoy a delicious breakfast, brunch, or lunch with beautiful waterfront views. Start your day right with our freshly baked pastries and focaccia, all made in-house daily. Complement your…
Read More