Summer 2025
Editors Mixing Bowl
Freak out and then freak back in. Does that sound like something cartoonist Lynda Barry would say? Well, she did, and we spied the message on a clever piece of stitchery that Berkeley artist Mariska Miller (@mariska_sketchandstitch) had on display in her little free library–style front yard exhibition space, the Little Yellow Art Box. Miller…
Read MoreWild Rose Ice Cream
Recipe and photo by Alexandra Hudson This cardamom-kissed ice cream is infused with the petals and buds of our local wild rose, Rosa californica, a perennial shrub that blooms May into June throughout the Bay Area. While most bushes are solitary and should be harvested with a moderate hand, some are woven more…
Read MoreBecky’s Bazargan
From the story A World of Gardening Traditions at the Hayward Community Garden
Read MoreA Table for Everyone
Story, recipes, and photos by Shahla Rashid Food is at the heart of Summer’s celebrations, but for families like mine, where life-threatening food allergies are a daily reality, menu planning for barbecues, picnics, and potlucks isn’t just about what tastes good—it’s about what’s safe. A decade ago, my now-teenage daughter was diagnosed with multiple…
Read MoreGolden Beet Cocktail
From French Flair with a Modern Twist
Read MoreFrench Flair with a Modern Twist
Alameda’s Moxie Steak House serves up memorable flavors with a warm welcome By Cheryl Angelina Koehler | Photos by Scott Peterson “Moxie” is a good descriptor for Donna Meadows, the spunky executive chef of Moxie Steak House, which opened at 1640 Park Street in Alameda last summer. A native of Richmond, California, Meadows…
Read MoreA Steaming Pot of Wild Mussels
Foraging at minus tide on the Sonoma Coast Story and photos by Cheryl Angelina Koehler A minus tide is a low tide that falls below the average low-water mark. It’s an ideal time to explore the ocean shoreline, and we’re here on the Sonoma Coast climbing over rocks encrusted with seaweeds, limpets,…
Read MoreMussels, Two Ways
Recipes by Francine Spiering | Photo by Raymond Franssen Mussels are fun to eat. Eat one and use its empty shell as a pincer to pick out the rest. The half shell can even be used as a little spoon to scoop up that delicious mussel broth. Oh, and whatever you do:…
Read MoreA World of Gardening Traditions at the Hayward Community Garden
By Rachel Trachten | Photos by Zach Pine Gustavo Fuentes wasn’t keen on the snails eating his lettuce and spinach, so he built a clever vertical planter from wooden pallets to keep the seedlings off the ground. His wife, Felicita Salinas, says they both learned to grow food while growing up in El…
Read MoreIsland to Island
The Moveable Feast Story and photos by Meredith Pakier Bay Area Caribbean dining options may seem few and far between when compared to offerings in cities like New York or Miami. But what’s lacking in numbers is made up for in spirit with a strong community of chefs passionate about showcasing the diverse cuisines…
Read MoreGuide to Good Eats & Sleeps Summer 2025
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, Alameda 510. 521.1800 | dragonrougebythebay.com Mosley’s Café Join us in the Grand Marina for a peaceful…
Read MoreIn Season: Stone Fruits & Salad Greens
By Barbara Kobsar | Illustrations by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge It’s stone fruit season, and excitement is high at our local farmers’ markets and u-pick farms for all those luscious cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and plums. To get the best tree-ripened fruits, many stone fruit lovers head to Brentwood, where more than 60 farms offer some…
Read MoreFlavor to Chatter About
Masala Gossip’s Indian simmer sauces spice it up By Anna Mindess Daughter Suhaani, 12, joined her mom at the 2024 Bizerkeley Vegan Fest. “She is a big help,” says Gadi. “Even if she doesn’t feel like it, I make her come and see how mom is working hard. Talking to people has really…
Read MoreDistilling the Delta
Sabbatical Distillery and Victoria Island Farms By Gabrielle Myers On a just-beginning-to-warm spring afternoon, we were in the San Joaquin Delta less than 60 miles east of Oakland on a 7,000-acre island fed by rich streams and rivers flowing down from the Sierra Nevada. With a system of levees, irrigation canals, and pumps,…
Read MoreBlueberry Bounty
The only thing better than a May or June morning spent blueberry picking might be a bowl of fresh blueberries on your kitchen table, eaten at any time of day with your fingers or with a spoon. If you have never gone picking, there’s an opportunity less than an hour east of Oakland on…
Read MorePreserved Moves to Rockridge
By Rachel Trachten It’s quite a 10th anniversary gift for Preserved owner Elizabeth Vecchiarelli: a new location for her popular culinary shop focused on food preservation and fermentation. As this magazine was heading for press, Preserved was on the verge of opening its new site, a coveted storefront at 5540 College Avenue in Rockridge.…
Read MoreBay Area Culinary Historians
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to re-eat it” is the slogan for the Bay Area Culinary Historians (BACH), a new(ish) dues-free club that gathers around shared interests in culinary history of the Bay Area and beyond. “We’ve put together some truly amazing, shouldn’t-be-missed events for the rest of this year,”…
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