Summer 2026

Slow Down at Berkeley’s Forest Tea Bar By Jordan Novet | Photos by Nora Roth   Behind a sleek black counter at 2628 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, Eunice Lam scoops up a bright-green powder and sifts it into ceramic bowls. She ladles in hot water from a tall urn and whisks the liquid until tiny…

By Rachel Trachten | Photo by Zach Pine   “I Love the Weirdos and the Rarities, and it’s why we chose the name that we did: to embrace the curiosities that we find amongst the plants we grow,” says Colleen Wheeler, co-owner of Curious Flora Nursery. “We’re dedicated to bringing back those oddities that are…

  The artichoke With a tender heart Dressed up like a warrior, Standing at attention, it built A small helmet Under its scales It remained Unshakeable… —from Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to an Artichoke”   My daily walking companion was kindly indulging me in yet another round of Edible East Bay editorial ruminations when our route…

  From the sketchbook of Cathy Raingarden: @cathyraingarden and cathyraingarden.com. Alameda Alameda Marketplace “We’re beyond thrilled to welcome celebrated, woman-owned Bake Sum,” says the Alameda Marketplace team. The bakery has just joined the Beanery, Greens & Grains, Sushi King, East End, and Tahina Fresh Mediterranean for a host of delicious dining options. 1650 Park St,…

Bolita Masa Opens a Café By Jordan Novet  |  Photos by Nora Roth       Emmanuel Galvan melts disks of dark chocolate in a double boiler and stirs some into a glass of coconut milk for a ganache he’s testing for mocha and hot chocolate. It’s February 2026, and he’s deep into his work…

New Tri-Valley Conservancy Program Preserves the Region’s Viticultural Future By Mary Orlin     Near the Altamont Hills in Eastern Livermore Valley, you’ll find Thatcher Bay Vineyards, where owner and grape grower Scott Burkhart planted merlot and cabernet sauvignon in 1991. Earlier this year as Burkhart, an engineer by trade, walked his 16-acre vineyard, he…

Cafe Ohlone and Wahpepah’s Kitchen Creators Expand their Purviews Story and photos by Anna Mindess   During the past decade, two unique, Native-run restaurants have sprung up in the East Bay: Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino’s Cafe Ohlone and Crystal Wahpepah’s Wahpepah’s Kitchen. These entrepreneurs made groundbreaking achievements as they created public venues to highlight…

Story and photos by Camille Morgenstern There is no shortage of news about the wine industry’s demise, but in the East Bay, a different narrative has been taking shape since the end of the pandemic. What began as a wave of small neighborhood wine bars anchored in the natural-wine movement has expanded into a diverse…

Urban Tilth grows food and opportunity in Richmond Story and photos by Madelyn Markoe     After leaving the restaurant industry at the end of 2022, I began volunteering with 18 Reasons, a Bay Area nonprofit focused on empowering community through creativity and skills-building in the kitchen. One of the many free community programs they…