KQED Food is your home for stories about all of the Bay Area’s vibrant food cultures: the taco truck, omakase counter, grocery co-op and driveway pupusa stand. Our news stories, essays, shows and features document the food scene’s latest trends and changemakers—and help guide you to your next delicious meal.
Latest Stories
San Francisco Supervisor Takes a Page From Big Grocer’s Playbook to Lower Food Prices
A New Takeout Window in Oakland Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches Until 2 a.m.
A Rollicking Vietnamese Sidewalk Cafe Pops Up at San José’s Most Nostalgic Strip Mall
This Oakland Shop Changed the Way Home Cooks Think About Spices
In Redwood City, a Great Taco Is Always Just a Few Blocks Away — Even at Midnight
Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving
The Fanciest Japanese Pop-Up in Oakland You Haven’t Heard Of
On CalFresh? You Can Once Again Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Monthly — for a Limited Time
After a Devastating Fire, Oakland’s Only Puerto Rican Restaurant Returns to Its Roots
Beyond The Menu
How Pretzels Went From Human Sacrifice To Beer Gardens
It’s Mexican, Asian, a Candy, a Sauce…It’s Chamoy
This Fiery Hot Sauce Uses a Pepper Lost To History
Chicken and Waffles: from Amish Country to Harlem
The Chilling History of Ice Cream
Your Corn Tortilla Sucks…Science Can Fix It
Check, Please! Bay Area
Check, Please! Bay Area Plates Up Another Round of Episodes in October
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: La Cheve Bakery and Brews, Copper Mug, Bacogai
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Afghan Awasana Kabob House, Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill, Va de Vi
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Cantina at San Benito House, Wah Jee Wah, Buddy
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Lunch Box, The Mill at Glen Ellen, Carabao
Check, Please! Bay Area Returns in July With a Wine Country Special
Recipes
We Take on Rancho Gordo's Fussiest Heirloom Bean (with Apologies to Kelly Clarkson)
We Recreate Maya Angelou's Magic Lemon Meringue Pie
Creep Out Your Halloween Party Guests With These "Horrors d'oeuvres"
Hong Kong’s Most Popular Treat Has A Surprising Backstory
Get Cozy with Jacques Pépin's Pea Pod Soup Recipe
We Recreated an It's-It Ice Cream Sandwich at Home — With an Oakland Twist.
Golden State Plate
Bay Area Foodie Culture Goes Way Further Back Than California Cuisine
How Rice-A-Roni Became The San Francisco Treat
Golden State Plate: Sriracha’s Journey From Southeast Asia to Southern California
Golden State Plate: Rocky Road Ice Cream's Bumpy History
Golden State Plate – The Backstory Behind California-Born Food and Drinks
Yes, Your 'Tropical' Mai Tai Was Invented Here in Oakland
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty are launching a new pilot program that they say will put more power in the hands of small grocers while lowering grocery prices for residents contending with a staggering affordability crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahmood and FAACTS announced the creation of a micro-Group Purchasing Organization on Thursday — a model which would allow neighborhood nonprofits and small grocers to pool together their orders for produce. The goal is to lower wholesale costs by around 10% for grocers and nonprofits in neighborhoods like the Fillmore, the Tenderloin, Haight Ashbury and Western Addition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Known as the District 5 Grocery Affordability Initiative, Mahmood said it’s a first-of-its-kind program to leverage group purchasing at a neighborhood level. It’s modeled after similar programs in Philadelphia and Paris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks during a rally at San Francisco City Hall in San Francisco on July 7, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Large grocers such as Safeway and Whole Foods are able to buy food at higher discounts than smaller grocers and offer customers lower prices, Mahmood said, because they buy products in larger quantities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The innovation here was basically, how can we take what happens with larger chains and provide the same benefit for smaller independent grocers?” Mahmood told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The initial pilot program, funded through $50,000 in seed funding from former congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, will mostly involve Booker T. Washington Community Service Center and nonprofit Farming Hope at first, Mahmood said. He expects at least five independent grocers will participate later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The micro-organization will also help negotiate pricing on behalf of the independent grocers, according to Mahmood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shakirah Simley, executive director of Booker T. Washington Community Service Center and a FAACTS SF founding steering committee member, said the center’s food justice program has felt the impacts of lack of food access like federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, CalFresh in California, and the closing of two neighborhood full-service grocery stores. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The pilot is an urgent and creative solution toward solving food access and uplifting the good work already happening in our communities,” Simley said in a statement. “Food access impacts everyone, and we hope this initiative will serve as a model for larger-scale solutions in San Francisco.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program is part of a larger package of initiatives spearheaded by Mahmood to reduce grocery costs as some grocery stores have left San Francisco neighborhoods. In recent months, Mahmood proposed imposing a tax on vacant grocery stores and pharmacies and a faster process for permitting requirements for grocery stores and pharmacies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Political support for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090511/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-blocks-vacant-grocery-store-tax-proposal\">vacant grocery store tax initiative collapsed\u003c/a> after a run-in with Mayor Daniel Lurie and grocery giant Amazon at City Hall, Mahmood told KQED over the summer. Since then, the supervisor has changed tack. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Whether you’re an immigrant family in the Tenderloin or a tech worker in the Marina, the price of the groceries are going up for everyone,” Mahmood said. “We’re finding more and more that the affordability crisis is hitting everyone, and we have to be doing everything in our power right now to not just lower the cost of rent but lower the cost of food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahmood said he hopes the program will be made permanent after success, aiming to receive city funding for a citywide program during the next budget cycle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pilot program will be running by mid 2027.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty are launching a new pilot program that they say will put more power in the hands of small grocers while lowering grocery prices for residents contending with a staggering affordability crisis.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Known as the District 5 Grocery Affordability Initiative, Mahmood said it’s a first-of-its-kind program to leverage group purchasing at a neighborhood level. It’s modeled after similar programs in Philadelphia and Paris. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Large grocers such as Safeway and Whole Foods are able to buy food at higher discounts than smaller grocers and offer customers lower prices, Mahmood said, because they buy products in larger quantities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The innovation here was basically, how can we take what happens with larger chains and provide the same benefit for smaller independent grocers?” Mahmood told KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shakirah Simley, executive director of Booker T. Washington Community Service Center and a FAACTS SF founding steering committee member, said the center’s food justice program has felt the impacts of lack of food access like federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, CalFresh in California, and the closing of two neighborhood full-service grocery stores. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The pilot is an urgent and creative solution toward solving food access and uplifting the good work already happening in our communities,” Simley said in a statement. “Food access impacts everyone, and we hope this initiative will serve as a model for larger-scale solutions in San Francisco.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program is part of a larger package of initiatives spearheaded by Mahmood to reduce grocery costs as some grocery stores have left San Francisco neighborhoods. In recent months, Mahmood proposed imposing a tax on vacant grocery stores and pharmacies and a faster process for permitting requirements for grocery stores and pharmacies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Political support for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090511/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-blocks-vacant-grocery-store-tax-proposal\">vacant grocery store tax initiative collapsed\u003c/a> after a run-in with Mayor Daniel Lurie and grocery giant Amazon at City Hall, Mahmood told KQED over the summer. Since then, the supervisor has changed tack. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Whether you’re an immigrant family in the Tenderloin or a tech worker in the Marina, the price of the groceries are going up for everyone,” Mahmood said. “We’re finding more and more that the affordability crisis is hitting everyone, and we have to be doing everything in our power right now to not just lower the cost of rent but lower the cost of food.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahmood said he hopes the program will be made permanent after success, aiming to receive city funding for a citywide program during the next budget cycle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Supervisor Bilal Mahmood says the program is meant to make groceries more affordable for small businesses and residents.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty are launching a new pilot program that they say will put more power in the hands of small grocers while lowering grocery prices for residents contending with a staggering affordability crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahmood and FAACTS announced the creation of a micro-Group Purchasing Organization on Thursday — a model which would allow neighborhood nonprofits and small grocers to pool together their orders for produce. The goal is to lower wholesale costs by around 10% for grocers and nonprofits in neighborhoods like the Fillmore, the Tenderloin, Haight Ashbury and Western Addition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Known as the District 5 Grocery Affordability Initiative, Mahmood said it’s a first-of-its-kind program to leverage group purchasing at a neighborhood level. It’s modeled after similar programs in Philadelphia and Paris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260707_SFRally_GC-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks during a rally at San Francisco City Hall in San Francisco on July 7, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Large grocers such as Safeway and Whole Foods are able to buy food at higher discounts than smaller grocers and offer customers lower prices, Mahmood said, because they buy products in larger quantities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The innovation here was basically, how can we take what happens with larger chains and provide the same benefit for smaller independent grocers?” Mahmood told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The initial pilot program, funded through $50,000 in seed funding from former congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, will mostly involve Booker T. Washington Community Service Center and nonprofit Farming Hope at first, Mahmood said. He expects at least five independent grocers will participate later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The micro-organization will also help negotiate pricing on behalf of the independent grocers, according to Mahmood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shakirah Simley, executive director of Booker T. Washington Community Service Center and a FAACTS SF founding steering committee member, said the center’s food justice program has felt the impacts of lack of food access like federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, CalFresh in California, and the closing of two neighborhood full-service grocery stores. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The pilot is an urgent and creative solution toward solving food access and uplifting the good work already happening in our communities,” Simley said in a statement. “Food access impacts everyone, and we hope this initiative will serve as a model for larger-scale solutions in San Francisco.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program is part of a larger package of initiatives spearheaded by Mahmood to reduce grocery costs as some grocery stores have left San Francisco neighborhoods. In recent months, Mahmood proposed imposing a tax on vacant grocery stores and pharmacies and a faster process for permitting requirements for grocery stores and pharmacies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Political support for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090511/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-blocks-vacant-grocery-store-tax-proposal\">vacant grocery store tax initiative collapsed\u003c/a> after a run-in with Mayor Daniel Lurie and grocery giant Amazon at City Hall, Mahmood told KQED over the summer. Since then, the supervisor has changed tack. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Whether you’re an immigrant family in the Tenderloin or a tech worker in the Marina, the price of the groceries are going up for everyone,” Mahmood said. “We’re finding more and more that the affordability crisis is hitting everyone, and we have to be doing everything in our power right now to not just lower the cost of rent but lower the cost of food.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahmood said he hopes the program will be made permanent after success, aiming to receive city funding for a citywide program during the next budget cycle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pilot program will be running by mid 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "town-beef-french-dip-sandwich-window-oakland-late-night",
"title": "A New Takeout Window in Oakland Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches Until 2 a.m.",
"publishDate": 1792718350,
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"headTitle": "A New Takeout Window in Oakland Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches Until 2 a.m. | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"attrs": {
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Town Beef’s ‘Oakland-style’ take on the classic won’t stay under the radar for long.",
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"title": "Town Beef Sells Killer French Dip Sandwiches in Oakland Until 2 a.m. | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men devour beef sandwiches, holding them in two hands.\" class=\"wp-image-13995028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef2-829ada38-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s “Oakland-style” take on a French dip sandwich is a proper steak sandwich that comes pre-dipped. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we parked in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">Town Beef\u003c/a> at 11 o’clock on a Friday night, we thought maybe we’d come to the wrong place. There wasn’t a line. No one else was eating at the folding tables the restaurant had set up on the sidewalk. The tiny takeout window where we were supposed to place our order was so dimly lit, we weren’t entirely sure if the place was even open. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we arrived too late? As the hour crept toward midnight, this whole stretch of North \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>, near the corner of Broadway and 40th (the old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/17782/check-please-bay-area-reviews-jasons-restaurant-clove-hoof-butchery-dragon-beaux\">Clove & Hoof\u003c/a> building), started to feel a bit like a ghost town. Even the gas station across the street looked like it was closed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, if you have similar taste in restaurants as me, just the idea of Town Beef almost sounds too good to be true to begin with. Do you mean to tell me there’s a little sandwich window, just a hop, skip and jump away from Temescal, that sells hot French dip sandwiches? That’s open until 2 a.m. every weekend?? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, at least, the shop has exactly three items on the menu: the house special, which they describe as an “Oakland-style” French dip sandwich. A vegan mushroom version of that same sandwich. And an electrolyte drink (of course). That’s it! Right away you know what kind of restaurant this is — or at least is trying to be. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our visit, the crowds of rambunctious drunks who’d surely appreciate a hot beef sandwich at this late hour never materialized. Only one or two other customers pulled up to the window to pick up to-go orders. Mostly, though, that seems to be because the restaurant only just quietly opened a few weeks ago. As soon as we took our first bite of our sandwich, we felt certain it’d only be a matter of time before the place was \u003cem>flooded\u003c/em> with business.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eat at a sidewalk table on a dark empty street.\" class=\"wp-image-13995030\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/TownBeef-edd04e59-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For now, Town Beef is relatively quiet after 11 o’clock at night. The French dip specialist sells sandwiches out of a small takeout window until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Famously, French dip sandwiches were invented not in France but at a restaurant in Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/french-dip/\">either accidentally or on purpose\u003c/a>, as a way to put roast beef pan drippings to good use. The only thing “French” about the dish is the crusty roll it comes on. The pleasure of eating the sandwich comes from the combination of flavors and texture you get when you dip the whole thing into a bowl of au jus.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the most enjoyable French dips I’ve had in the Bay Area have come from chain restaurants — Hillstone’s cult-classic version (a favorite among \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/hillstone-sf-chain-restaurant-19422826.php\">even the fancy-pantsiest of Bay Area chefs\u003c/a>) and the now-closed Mission District outpost of Top Round (a chain from LA, naturally). It makes sense, then, that Town Beef, the first restaurant I’m aware of to sling a distinctly “Oakland-style” take on the sandwich, would serve something that feels like its own thing altogether.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most obvious diversion is the fact that chef-owner Craig Smith grills up pieces of ribeye steak instead using the thin, pink slices of roast beef or prime rib that traditional purveyors favor. This is a proper \u003cem>steak\u003c/em> sandwich, then, loaded with caramelized onions and a smear of tangy, garlicky aioli. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All that was already enough to make us regulars, and we haven’t even talked about the most important part — the dip itself. Unlike in a classic French dip, Town Beef actually \u003cem>pre\u003c/em>-dips its sandwiches in their flavorful au jus. The result isn’t quite as sopping-wet as, say, a Chicago beef sandwich, but the bread soaks up enough broth to get a little bit soggy in the best possible way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kitchen works in a few other California tweaks. The bread is from Acme. The side pickles are crunchy and bracingly tart — green beans, sweet peppers and at least three different colors of carrots, cut into bite-size rounds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s where I should mention too that service at Town Beef is unfailingly friendly and accommodating, even when the young woman working the window had to listen to the two of us arguing, nonsensically, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f6xlHh1fok\">Kelly Clarkson\u003c/a> for the duration of our meal. She told us, incidentally, that our quiet, sedate experience of the restaurant was quite different from how it was during their 6 o’clock dinner rush, which is why they’d sold out of electrolyte drinks (alas). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course we also had to try the vegan sandwich, which they make with four different types of mushrooms (oyster, cremini, maitake and baby bella). And here’s where I lower my voice to a whisper: The mushroom sandwich might be \u003cem>even better\u003c/em> than the beef one. At the very least, I liked it almost as much — the texture of the oysters and maitakes, in particular, was incredibly luxurious, and the coconut yogurt–based aioli had an even more pronounced tang. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had we accidentally stumbled into a fine dining restaurant? Was Carmy showing off again in this episode of \u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>? This is the kind of sandwich you can eat forever without feeling like it’s too heavy or rich. (There’s the option to add mushrooms to the regular beef sandwich, which we agreed was the best of both worlds.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point, Smith himself came over and offered to bring us some extra au jus on the side. What French dip lover could say no to that? The jus here is thicker and richer than the typical kind, loaded with soft onions so that it almost tastes like an extra-savory French onion soup. And, anyway, the whole reason for eating a French dip is for the bread to get \u003cem>real\u003c/em> soggy, as a counterpoint to the meaty filling.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, we finished all of our sandwiches down to the last little nub of onion or mushroom that had wedged itself in the crease of the foil wrapper. Even then, we weren’t quite certain we hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. Did we really sit at that flimsy table in the darkness and eat a sandwich \u003cem>that\u003c/em> good, at that time of night? Were we really just outside Temescal, or had we in fact gone through some portal and stumbled into the most fantastical, nonsensically delicious ghost town? When I woke up the next morning, I had to scroll through my phone to make sure the photos I took were still there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/townbeef.510/\">\u003cem>Town Beef\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>is currently open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6 p.m.–2 a.m., at 4001 Broadway. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "lion-plaza-san-jose-vietnamese-cafe-pop-up-tully-road-droo-the-baker",
"title": "A Rollicking Vietnamese Sidewalk Cafe Pops Up at San José’s Most Nostalgic Strip Mall",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>These days, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Plaza\">Lion Plaza\u003c/a> doesn’t get nearly as much hype as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José’s\u003c/a> newer, splashier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">Vietnamese malls\u003c/a> like Vietnam Town and Grand Century. But OGs know the Tully Road strip mall as the heart of the South Bay’s \u003cem>original \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJoVPdRljYw\">Little Saigon\u003c/a>, and the plaza has never lost that grassroots community vibe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Case in point is this Saturday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeCupp_vw-0/\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> pop-up, which aims to recreate the feel of a Vietnamese open-air sidewalk cafe right out in the strip mall’s parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Organized by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/treba_sj/\">Tully Road Eastridge Business Association\u003c/a>, the morning cafe pop-up plans to deck out the parking lot with the iconic \u003ca href=\"https://vietcetera.com/en/a-brief-history-of-the-vietnamese-plastic-stool\">plastic red stools\u003c/a> and tables found at coffee shops and street-side restaurants all over Vietnam — a point of nostalgia for so many Vietnamese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of Vietnam here,” Andrew Hong, one of the food vendors, tells KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink and a coffee drink, both mixed with creamy foam.\" class=\"wp-image-13994841\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of several drinks vendors to be featured at the event, Caffeine Depot will be selling both matcha drinks and Vietnamese coffee drinks. (Courtesy of Caffeine Depot)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hong, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/droothebaker/\">Droo the Baker\u003c/a>, has curated a lineup of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeKNHNWm4qM/?img_index=1\">seven up-and-coming Vietnamese American beverage vendors and pastry chefs\u003c/a> to headline the event. South Bay crowd favorites include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nhathecafe/\">Nha the Cafe\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/caffeine.depot/\">Caffeine Depot\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fromem.co/\">From Em\u003c/a>. Caffeine hounds will have their pick of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13993389/best-matcha-bay-area-oakland-berkeley-sf-san-jose\">matcha\u003c/a> Einspänners, pandan milk tea and probably a dozen different twists on a classic phin-style Vietnamese coffee. Food-wise, there will be uber-trendy salt bread sandwiches, coffee-flavored Biscoff cookies and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The one pop-up I’m personally most excited to try is Hong’s own pop-up venture, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gong.dessertshop/\">Gong Dessert Shop\u003c/a>, which will be selling pork-floss croissants (one of Hong’s signature dishes), pâté-stuffed puff pastry and what looks like a Vietnamese American take on a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish sandwich (!).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e.jpg\" alt=\"A fried fish sandwich on a soft bun.\" class=\"wp-image-13994839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gong Dessert Shop’s fish sandwich is like a cross between a Filet-o-Fish and Vietnamese Chả cá Lã Vọng. (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994840\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513.jpg\" alt=\"Croissant topped with pork floss and scallions\" class=\"wp-image-13994840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This flaky pork-floss croissant is one of Hong’s signature items. (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hong says the original inspiration for that particular stroke of genius came when he had the recently viral $3.50 fried fish sandwich at San Leandro’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/viral-sandwich-san-leandro-21322422.php\">Chinese Bakery & Deli\u003c/a>. He loved it, but his first thought afterward was, “This would be \u003cem>so\u003c/em> great if it was the [Vietnamese] dill-and-turmeric fish,” aka Chả cá Lã Vọng, which is often made with grilled catfish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweaking the original by frying the fish with panko breading, adding his own signature umami mayo and putting it all on a homemade milk bread bun is exactly the type of next-gen twist that makes San José’s Vietnamese pop-up ecosystem so exciting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Hong, however, the Cà Phê & Bánh is about more than just the food itself. Over the past couple of decades, he explains, Lion Plaza’s slowly lost a little bit of its luster, as the South Bay’s Vietnamese community has been drawn to newer, shinier malls on Story Road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My cousins told me stories,” says Hong, who grew up in Southern California but had lots of family in San José. During the plaza’s 1990s–early 2000s heyday, he says, “The parking lot during Lunar New Year was insane. It was definitely the original Vietnamese plaza mecca.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg\" alt=\"Main facade of a shopping plaza with two lion statues in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lion Plaza was at the center of San José’s first Vietnamese shopping district. A new wave of food entrepreneurs are hoping to bring back the crowds. (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No one knows better than Hong that business in the plaza is slower these days, despite the fact that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983625/bot-chien-san-jose-vietnamese-rice-cake-omelettes-lion-plaza\">food court\u003c/a> remains one of the best in town. About 12 years ago, he and his sister moved to the Bay to take over the Lion Plaza location of \u003ca href=\"https://vansbakerysanjose.com/\">Van’s Bakery\u003c/a>, one the South Bay’s most famous and longstanding traditional Vietnamese bakeries, from their aunt and uncle. Hong says everyone he talks to about his day job tells him, “Oh, I know Van’s! My parents used to get my birthday cakes there all the time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But what about now?” Hong says. “Our goal is to have them come back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than anything, then, he hopes Cà Phê & Bánh is the first “baby step” in that process. He doesn’t necessarily want to reinvent Lion Plaza, he says. Lion Plaza has always been great. But now, he says, “We got a fresh coat of paint” — literally.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the same but also better,” Hong says about the strip mall. “It’s not stuck in the past.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://events.humanitix.com/ca-phe-and-banh\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> will pop up in the Lion Plaza parking lot (1816 Tully Rd., San José) on Saturday, Oct. 17 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Free admission; all food and drink will be sold a la carte. The event will also feature DJs and family-friendly craft activities.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These days, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Plaza\">Lion Plaza\u003c/a> doesn’t get nearly as much hype as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José’s\u003c/a> newer, splashier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">Vietnamese malls\u003c/a> like Vietnam Town and Grand Century. But OGs know the Tully Road strip mall as the heart of the South Bay’s \u003cem>original \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJoVPdRljYw\">Little Saigon\u003c/a>, and the plaza has never lost that grassroots community vibe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These days, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Plaza\">Lion Plaza\u003c/a> doesn’t get nearly as much hype as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José’s\u003c/a> newer, splashier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">Vietnamese malls\u003c/a> like Vietnam Town and Grand Century. But OGs know the Tully Road strip mall as the heart of the South Bay’s \u003cem>original \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJoVPdRljYw\">Little Saigon\u003c/a>, and the plaza has never lost that grassroots community vibe. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Case in point is this Saturday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeCupp_vw-0/\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> pop-up, which aims to recreate the feel of a Vietnamese open-air sidewalk cafe right out in the strip mall’s parking lot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Case in point is this Saturday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeCupp_vw-0/\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> pop-up, which aims to recreate the feel of a Vietnamese open-air sidewalk cafe right out in the strip mall’s parking lot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Organized by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/treba_sj/\">Tully Road Eastridge Business Association\u003c/a>, the morning cafe pop-up plans to deck out the parking lot with the iconic \u003ca href=\"https://vietcetera.com/en/a-brief-history-of-the-vietnamese-plastic-stool\">plastic red stools\u003c/a> and tables found at coffee shops and street-side restaurants all over Vietnam — a point of nostalgia for so many Vietnamese Americans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Organized by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/treba_sj/\">Tully Road Eastridge Business Association\u003c/a>, the morning cafe pop-up plans to deck out the parking lot with the iconic \u003ca href=\"https://vietcetera.com/en/a-brief-history-of-the-vietnamese-plastic-stool\">plastic red stools\u003c/a> and tables found at coffee shops and street-side restaurants all over Vietnam — a point of nostalgia for so many Vietnamese Americans.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of Vietnam here,” Andrew Hong, one of the food vendors, tells KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of Vietnam here,” Andrew Hong, one of the food vendors, tells KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink and a coffee drink, both mixed with creamy foam.\" class=\"wp-image-13994841\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of several drinks vendors to be featured at the event, Caffeine Depot will be selling both matcha drinks and Vietnamese coffee drinks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Caffeine Depot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink and a coffee drink, both mixed with creamy foam.\" class=\"wp-image-13994841\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of several drinks vendors to be featured at the event, Caffeine Depot will be selling both matcha drinks and Vietnamese coffee drinks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Caffeine Depot)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hong, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/droothebaker/\">Droo the Baker\u003c/a>, has curated a lineup of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeKNHNWm4qM/?img_index=1\">seven up-and-coming Vietnamese American beverage vendors and pastry chefs\u003c/a> to headline the event. South Bay crowd favorites include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nhathecafe/\">Nha the Cafe\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/caffeine.depot/\">Caffeine Depot\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fromem.co/\">From Em\u003c/a>. Caffeine hounds will have their pick of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13993389/best-matcha-bay-area-oakland-berkeley-sf-san-jose\">matcha\u003c/a> Einspänners, pandan milk tea and probably a dozen different twists on a classic phin-style Vietnamese coffee. Food-wise, there will be uber-trendy salt bread sandwiches, coffee-flavored Biscoff cookies and more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hong, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/droothebaker/\">Droo the Baker\u003c/a>, has curated a lineup of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeKNHNWm4qM/?img_index=1\">seven up-and-coming Vietnamese American beverage vendors and pastry chefs\u003c/a> to headline the event. South Bay crowd favorites include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nhathecafe/\">Nha the Cafe\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/caffeine.depot/\">Caffeine Depot\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fromem.co/\">From Em\u003c/a>. Caffeine hounds will have their pick of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13993389/best-matcha-bay-area-oakland-berkeley-sf-san-jose\">matcha\u003c/a> Einspänners, pandan milk tea and probably a dozen different twists on a classic phin-style Vietnamese coffee. Food-wise, there will be uber-trendy salt bread sandwiches, coffee-flavored Biscoff cookies and more.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The one pop-up I’m personally most excited to try is Hong’s own pop-up venture, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gong.dessertshop/\">Gong Dessert Shop\u003c/a>, which will be selling pork-floss croissants (one of Hong’s signature dishes), pâté-stuffed puff pastry and what looks like a Vietnamese American take on a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish sandwich (!).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The one pop-up I’m personally most excited to try is Hong’s own pop-up venture, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gong.dessertshop/\">Gong Dessert Shop\u003c/a>, which will be selling pork-floss croissants (one of Hong’s signature dishes), pâté-stuffed puff pastry and what looks like a Vietnamese American take on a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish sandwich (!).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e.jpg\" alt=\"A fried fish sandwich on a soft bun.\" class=\"wp-image-13994839\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gong Dessert Shop’s fish sandwich is like a cross between a Filet-o-Fish and Vietnamese Chả cá Lã Vọng.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e.jpg\" alt=\"A fried fish sandwich on a soft bun.\" class=\"wp-image-13994839\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gong Dessert Shop’s fish sandwich is like a cross between a Filet-o-Fish and Vietnamese Chả cá Lã Vọng.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513.jpg\" alt=\"Croissant topped with pork floss and scallions\" class=\"wp-image-13994840\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This flaky pork-floss croissant is one of Hong’s signature items.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513.jpg\" alt=\"Croissant topped with pork floss and scallions\" class=\"wp-image-13994840\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This flaky pork-floss croissant is one of Hong’s signature items.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hong says the original inspiration for that particular stroke of genius came when he had the recently viral $3.50 fried fish sandwich at San Leandro’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/viral-sandwich-san-leandro-21322422.php\">Chinese Bakery & Deli\u003c/a>. He loved it, but his first thought afterward was, “This would be \u003cem>so\u003c/em> great if it was the [Vietnamese] dill-and-turmeric fish,” aka Chả cá Lã Vọng, which is often made with grilled catfish.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hong says the original inspiration for that particular stroke of genius came when he had the recently viral $3.50 fried fish sandwich at San Leandro’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/viral-sandwich-san-leandro-21322422.php\">Chinese Bakery & Deli\u003c/a>. He loved it, but his first thought afterward was, “This would be \u003cem>so\u003c/em> great if it was the [Vietnamese] dill-and-turmeric fish,” aka Chả cá Lã Vọng, which is often made with grilled catfish.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tweaking the original by frying the fish with panko breading, adding his own signature umami mayo and putting it all on a homemade milk bread bun is exactly the type of next-gen twist that makes San José’s Vietnamese pop-up ecosystem so exciting.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Hong, however, the Cà Phê & Bánh is about more than just the food itself. Over the past couple of decades, he explains, Lion Plaza’s slowly lost a little bit of its luster, as the South Bay’s Vietnamese community has been drawn to newer, shinier malls on Story Road.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My cousins told me stories,” says Hong, who grew up in Southern California but had lots of family in San José. During the plaza’s 1990s–early 2000s heyday, he says, “The parking lot during Lunar New Year was insane. It was definitely the original Vietnamese plaza mecca.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“My cousins told me stories,” says Hong, who grew up in Southern California but had lots of family in San José. During the plaza’s 1990s–early 2000s heyday, he says, “The parking lot during Lunar New Year was insane. It was definitely the original Vietnamese plaza mecca.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg\" alt=\"Main facade of a shopping plaza with two lion statues in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lion Plaza was at the center of San José’s first Vietnamese shopping district. A new wave of food entrepreneurs are hoping to bring back the crowds.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg\" alt=\"Main facade of a shopping plaza with two lion statues in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994838\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lion Plaza was at the center of San José’s first Vietnamese shopping district. A new wave of food entrepreneurs are hoping to bring back the crowds.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No one knows better than Hong that business in the plaza is slower these days, despite the fact that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983625/bot-chien-san-jose-vietnamese-rice-cake-omelettes-lion-plaza\">food court\u003c/a> remains one of the best in town. About 12 years ago, he and his sister moved to the Bay to take over the Lion Plaza location of \u003ca href=\"https://vansbakerysanjose.com/\">Van’s Bakery\u003c/a>, one the South Bay’s most famous and longstanding traditional Vietnamese bakeries, from their aunt and uncle. Hong says everyone he talks to about his day job tells him, “Oh, I know Van’s! My parents used to get my birthday cakes there all the time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>No one knows better than Hong that business in the plaza is slower these days, despite the fact that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983625/bot-chien-san-jose-vietnamese-rice-cake-omelettes-lion-plaza\">food court\u003c/a> remains one of the best in town. About 12 years ago, he and his sister moved to the Bay to take over the Lion Plaza location of \u003ca href=\"https://vansbakerysanjose.com/\">Van’s Bakery\u003c/a>, one the South Bay’s most famous and longstanding traditional Vietnamese bakeries, from their aunt and uncle. Hong says everyone he talks to about his day job tells him, “Oh, I know Van’s! My parents used to get my birthday cakes there all the time.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But what about now?” Hong says. “Our goal is to have them come back.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than anything, then, he hopes Cà Phê & Bánh is the first “baby step” in that process. He doesn’t necessarily want to reinvent Lion Plaza, he says. Lion Plaza has always been great. But now, he says, “We got a fresh coat of paint” — literally.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than anything, then, he hopes Cà Phê & Bánh is the first “baby step” in that process. He doesn’t necessarily want to reinvent Lion Plaza, he says. Lion Plaza has always been great. But now, he says, “We got a fresh coat of paint” — literally.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the same but also better,” Hong says about the strip mall. “It’s not stuck in the past.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s the same but also better,” Hong says about the strip mall. “It’s not stuck in the past.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://events.humanitix.com/ca-phe-and-banh\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> will pop up in the Lion Plaza parking lot (1816 Tully Rd., San José) on Saturday, Oct. 17 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Free admission; all food and drink will be sold a la carte. The event will also feature DJs and family-friendly craft activities.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://events.humanitix.com/ca-phe-and-banh\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> will pop up in the Lion Plaza parking lot (1816 Tully Rd., San José) on Saturday, Oct. 17 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Free admission; all food and drink will be sold a la carte. The event will also feature DJs and family-friendly craft activities.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Cà Phê & Bánh brings Vietnamese coffee, matcha and pork floss croissants to Lion Plaza.",
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"title": "San José’s Lion Plaza Hosts A Rollicking Vietnamese Sidewalk Cafe Pop-Up | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>These days, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Plaza\">Lion Plaza\u003c/a> doesn’t get nearly as much hype as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José’s\u003c/a> newer, splashier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961537/san-jose-night-market-vietnamese-grand-century-mall\">Vietnamese malls\u003c/a> like Vietnam Town and Grand Century. But OGs know the Tully Road strip mall as the heart of the South Bay’s \u003cem>original \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJoVPdRljYw\">Little Saigon\u003c/a>, and the plaza has never lost that grassroots community vibe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Case in point is this Saturday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeCupp_vw-0/\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> pop-up, which aims to recreate the feel of a Vietnamese open-air sidewalk cafe right out in the strip mall’s parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Organized by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/treba_sj/\">Tully Road Eastridge Business Association\u003c/a>, the morning cafe pop-up plans to deck out the parking lot with the iconic \u003ca href=\"https://vietcetera.com/en/a-brief-history-of-the-vietnamese-plastic-stool\">plastic red stools\u003c/a> and tables found at coffee shops and street-side restaurants all over Vietnam — a point of nostalgia for so many Vietnamese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of Vietnam here,” Andrew Hong, one of the food vendors, tells KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg\" alt=\"A matcha drink and a coffee drink, both mixed with creamy foam.\" class=\"wp-image-13994841\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/caffeine-depot-drinks-97e4b8ae-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of several drinks vendors to be featured at the event, Caffeine Depot will be selling both matcha drinks and Vietnamese coffee drinks. (Courtesy of Caffeine Depot)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hong, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/droothebaker/\">Droo the Baker\u003c/a>, has curated a lineup of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeKNHNWm4qM/?img_index=1\">seven up-and-coming Vietnamese American beverage vendors and pastry chefs\u003c/a> to headline the event. South Bay crowd favorites include \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nhathecafe/\">Nha the Cafe\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/caffeine.depot/\">Caffeine Depot\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fromem.co/\">From Em\u003c/a>. Caffeine hounds will have their pick of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13993389/best-matcha-bay-area-oakland-berkeley-sf-san-jose\">matcha\u003c/a> Einspänners, pandan milk tea and probably a dozen different twists on a classic phin-style Vietnamese coffee. Food-wise, there will be uber-trendy salt bread sandwiches, coffee-flavored Biscoff cookies and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The one pop-up I’m personally most excited to try is Hong’s own pop-up venture, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gong.dessertshop/\">Gong Dessert Shop\u003c/a>, which will be selling pork-floss croissants (one of Hong’s signature dishes), pâté-stuffed puff pastry and what looks like a Vietnamese American take on a McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish sandwich (!).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e.jpg\" alt=\"A fried fish sandwich on a soft bun.\" class=\"wp-image-13994839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/gong-fish-sandwich-f095944e-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gong Dessert Shop’s fish sandwich is like a cross between a Filet-o-Fish and Vietnamese Chả cá Lã Vọng. (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994840\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513.jpg\" alt=\"Croissant topped with pork floss and scallions\" class=\"wp-image-13994840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/droo-the-baker-croissant-69661513-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This flaky pork-floss croissant is one of Hong’s signature items. (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hong says the original inspiration for that particular stroke of genius came when he had the recently viral $3.50 fried fish sandwich at San Leandro’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/viral-sandwich-san-leandro-21322422.php\">Chinese Bakery & Deli\u003c/a>. He loved it, but his first thought afterward was, “This would be \u003cem>so\u003c/em> great if it was the [Vietnamese] dill-and-turmeric fish,” aka Chả cá Lã Vọng, which is often made with grilled catfish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tweaking the original by frying the fish with panko breading, adding his own signature umami mayo and putting it all on a homemade milk bread bun is exactly the type of next-gen twist that makes San José’s Vietnamese pop-up ecosystem so exciting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Hong, however, the Cà Phê & Bánh is about more than just the food itself. Over the past couple of decades, he explains, Lion Plaza’s slowly lost a little bit of its luster, as the South Bay’s Vietnamese community has been drawn to newer, shinier malls on Story Road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My cousins told me stories,” says Hong, who grew up in Southern California but had lots of family in San José. During the plaza’s 1990s–early 2000s heyday, he says, “The parking lot during Lunar New Year was insane. It was definitely the original Vietnamese plaza mecca.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg\" alt=\"Main facade of a shopping plaza with two lion statues in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/lion-plaza-5afec80f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lion Plaza was at the center of San José’s first Vietnamese shopping district. A new wave of food entrepreneurs are hoping to bring back the crowds. (Courtesy of Andrew Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No one knows better than Hong that business in the plaza is slower these days, despite the fact that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983625/bot-chien-san-jose-vietnamese-rice-cake-omelettes-lion-plaza\">food court\u003c/a> remains one of the best in town. About 12 years ago, he and his sister moved to the Bay to take over the Lion Plaza location of \u003ca href=\"https://vansbakerysanjose.com/\">Van’s Bakery\u003c/a>, one the South Bay’s most famous and longstanding traditional Vietnamese bakeries, from their aunt and uncle. Hong says everyone he talks to about his day job tells him, “Oh, I know Van’s! My parents used to get my birthday cakes there all the time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But what about now?” Hong says. “Our goal is to have them come back.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than anything, then, he hopes Cà Phê & Bánh is the first “baby step” in that process. He doesn’t necessarily want to reinvent Lion Plaza, he says. Lion Plaza has always been great. But now, he says, “We got a fresh coat of paint” — literally.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the same but also better,” Hong says about the strip mall. “It’s not stuck in the past.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://events.humanitix.com/ca-phe-and-banh\">Cà Phê & Bánh\u003c/a> will pop up in the Lion Plaza parking lot (1816 Tully Rd., San José) on Saturday, Oct. 17 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Free admission; all food and drink will be sold a la carte. The event will also feature DJs and family-friendly craft activities.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oaktown-spice-shop-oakland-where-to-buy-spices-restaurant-collaborations",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>John Beaver recalls trying to find a local spice shop when he first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> in the late 2000s. A quick Google search yielded only one result: “Spice Bazaar,” a fictional storefront from the 2006 romantic drama \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistress_of_Spices_(film)\">\u003cem>Mistress of Spices\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which had been filmed in Old Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the real world, Bay Area home cooks mostly had to settle for the supermarket spice aisle. At the time, Beaver recalls, the handful of spice businesses in the Bay Area mostly only sold very large quantities, or had a more medicinal focus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as a place that would grind and blend the spices in-house, as far as I know, there wasn’t anyone doing it,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg\" alt=\"Large block of fried tofu, the top half of which is dusted with spice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994759\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crispy tofu with vadouvan at Joodooboo in Oakland. (Courtesy of Joodooboo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken wings topped the black peppercorns, with pickled radishes and a lime wedge on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13994763\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-768x760.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-1536x1520.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Khmer fried chicken wings at Lunette in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Lunette)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg\" alt=\"Large block of fried tofu, the top half of which is dusted with spice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994759\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crispy tofu with vadouvan at Joodooboo in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Joodooboo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken wings topped the black peppercorns, with pickled radishes and a lime wedge on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13994763\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Khmer fried chicken wings at Lunette in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Lunette)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Oaktown Spice Shop is collaborating with restaurants on a series of limited-edition dishes.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>John Beaver recalls trying to find a local spice shop when he first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> in the late 2000s. A quick Google search yielded only one result: “Spice Bazaar,” a fictional storefront from the 2006 romantic drama \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistress_of_Spices_(film)\">\u003cem>Mistress of Spices\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which had been filmed in Old Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the real world, Bay Area home cooks mostly had to settle for the supermarket spice aisle. At the time, Beaver recalls, the handful of spice businesses in the Bay Area mostly only sold very large quantities, or had a more medicinal focus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as a place that would grind and blend the spices in-house, as far as I know, there wasn’t anyone doing it,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, Beaver and his wife Erica Perez decided to open their own spice shop in Oakland. That business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaktownspice/\">Oaktown Spice Shop\u003c/a>, quickly emerged as an East Bay staple for both restaurants and ambitious home cooks. Now boasting three Bay Area locations, plus a fourth in Los Angeles, Oaktown Spice celebrates its 15th anniversary this month with a series of local collaborations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DePg2HGmgSy/?img_index=1\">Twenty-three Bay Area restaurants and bars\u003c/a> have created limited-time menu items meant to show off the vast inventory of spice blends the shop grinds in-house — say, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSM1BHj7LH/?img_index=1\">martini\u003c/a> rimmed with shichimi togarashi at Umami Mart or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM5qX2GFly/?img_index=1\">vadouvan-dusted fried tofu\u003c/a> at Joodooboo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg\" alt=\"Large block of fried tofu, the top half of which is dusted with spice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994759\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Joodooboo-Crispy-Tofu-with-Vadouvan-96521c93-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crispy tofu with vadouvan at Joodooboo in Oakland. (Courtesy of Joodooboo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2011, when he opened his first store, Beaver didn’t have experience running a business, but he did have a background in spices. As a high schooler in Wisconsin, and on and off during his twenties, Beaver worked for The Spice House, a family-run spice shop in Milwaukee. Beaver enjoyed talking with customers about what they were cooking and which flavor profiles they liked, and then introducing them to a dried chile, say, or a specific varietal of peppercorn they might not have otherwise considered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s helped for Oaktown Spice Shop’s success, of course, that the market for fresh, high-quality spices has exploded over the past decade. When the shop first opened, few home cooks who weren’t of Arabic or North African descent were likely to keep sumac in their pantries. Now, it’s commonplace. (“You can kind of pinpoint it to Ottolenghi,” Beaver says, referencing the British-Israeli chef whose cookbooks became wildly popular over the course of the 2010s.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As spice-forward, non-European cuisines became trendier and more mainstream, customers increasingly began seeking out things like berbere and Sichuan peppercorns. They began to understand the world of difference between a freshly ground spice blend and a jar of McCormick’s that had been sitting on the supermarket shelf for God knows how many months or years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg\" alt=\"A soft-boiled egg topped with dried chilies and sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-13994761\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Octavia-_Devil_s-Egg_-with-Eastern-Mediterranean-Spice_2-1a997d7a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A twist on a deviled egg, topped with Oaktown Spice Shop’s Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blend, at Octavia in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Octavia)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where Beaver once had a hard time finding even a single dedicated spice shop, there’s now a whole landscape of boutique operations. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920057/diaspora-co-jaggery-decolonizing-oakland-spice-company\">Diaspora Co.\u003c/a>, also founded in Oakland, specializes in sourcing spices from small farmers in India. And the Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Colucci now sells East African spices through the importing arm of its business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/pages/about-us\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, dozens of Bay Area restaurants regularly turn to Oaktown Spice Shop for help sourcing particularly interesting and hard-to-find spice varietals. The idea behind the “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” anniversary promotion is for the shop to highlight some of the small local businesses that have been buying spices from Oaktown Spice for years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We wanted to show them some love,” says accounts manager Hannah Tobin-Bloch.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken wings topped the black peppercorns, with pickled radishes and a lime wedge on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13994763\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-768x760.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Lunette-Khmer-Fried-Chicken-with-Kampot-Peppercorns-77367029-1536x1520.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Khmer fried chicken wings at Lunette in San Francisco. (Courtesy of Lunette)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also an opportunity for diners to experience the power and potency of a spice or spice blend that’s been deployed in an interesting way. Take the simple peppercorn, for instance. This month, diners might head to Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927259/cambodian-restaurant-khmer-food-sithas-khmerkitchen-oakland-sf\">Cambodian\u003c/a> spot in the SF Ferry Building, to taste the famously intense Kampot peppercorns the restaurant uses for its Khmer salt-and-pepper chicken wings. Or they can try Oakland pasta standout Sfizio’s miso cacio e pepe, which instead highlights the fruity flavors of late-harvest peppercorns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Popular spice blends like Oaktown Spice Shop’s shichimi togarashi appear in multiple special dishes: as a topping for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DeQfmoeEkuD/?img_index=2\">cheesy focaccia\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990903/as-kneaded-cafe-san-leandro-library-baguette-quiche\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a> and in a sake-and-gin “Shichimitini” at Umami Mart.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All told, it’s something of a golden age for spice connoisseurs in the Bay Area. As Beaver sees it, the spices themselves have always been appealing. It’s just that these days, people have a wealth of opportunities to experience those spices in a more appealing way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nobody was probably \u003cem>that\u003c/em> excited about the spice aisle of the supermarket,” Beaver says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Milwaukee spice shop where John Beaver had worked.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The “Oaktown Spice Shop x Your Favorite Restaurant” limited-time dishes will be available at select Bay Area restaurants through Oct. 25. See the link on Oaktown Spice Shop’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaktownspiceshop.com/pages/events\">\u003cem>events page\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> for a full list of participating bars and restaurants and the specific dishes they’ll be selling. The store will also host an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Deeuy4Km1r9/?img_index=1\">anniversary party\u003c/a> at each of its locations on Sunday, Oct. 25.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "redwood-city-late-night-tacos-el-grullense-el-paisa-los-gemelos",
"title": "In Redwood City, a Great Taco Is Always Just a Few Blocks Away — Even at Midnight",
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"headTitle": "In Redwood City, a Great Taco Is Always Just a Few Blocks Away — Even at Midnight | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a triplicate of images of two men running around while devouring tacos.\" class=\"wp-image-13994640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Redwood City, each late-night taco spot has its own specialties: lengua and al pastor at El Paisa by Los Alegres, barbacoa on handmade tortillas at Tacos Los Gemelos, and tripitas with red salsa at Tacos El Grullense E&E. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cruising down 101 at 10 o’clock on a recent Friday night, we were hit with that most Bay Area of cravings. We needed oil-slicked tortillas and crisp-edged carnitas. Carne asada served hot off the plancha. In other words, we were hungry for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tacos\">tacos\u003c/a> — a whole clutch of them, shoved down our gullets, posthaste. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At this point in the night, we would typically hit up one of our usual after-hours haunts on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963832/tacos-el-rulas-richmond-late-night-taqueria-midnight-diners\">Richmond’s\u003c/a> 23rd street taco corridor, or in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954112/orale-taco-truck-san-jose-late-night-pancakes-midnight-diners\">Eastside San José\u003c/a>. But we’d been hearing about a legendary Peninsula taco scene we hadn’t yet properly explored. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And so we headed to Redwood City for a good old-fashioned late-night taco crawl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2008, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2008/09/30/redwood-city-center-of-the-taco-universe/\">\u003cem>San Jose Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> called Redwood City “the center of the taco universe,” citing a density of taquerias — at the time, 49 of them in a city with a population of 74,000 — that seemed higher than just about anywhere else in California, if not the entire United States. Individual shops have come and gone in the 18 years since, but the scene remains incredibly robust. Just last year, no lesser authority than the president of Mexico herself, Claudia Sheinbaum, \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/mexico-president-claudia-sheinbaum-says-best-pork-fried-carnitas-are-made-redwood-city-mexican-immigrants/17828906/\">shouted out Redwood City\u003c/a> for having the best Mexican food in the Bay Area, thanks in part to its unusually high influx of immigrants from the city of \u003ca href=\"https://new.thecity.redwoodcity.org/pub/onbase/siredl.ashx?fileid=235425\">Aguililla, Michoacán\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On one three-block stretch of Middlefield Road, we must have spotted a dozen taquerias, four or five taco trucks and a handful of informal roadside tents that had set up trompos to sell fresh-sliced al pastor. And across the city, a decent chunk of the shops stay open until midnight on weekends, if not later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For our first stop, we pulled into a big Costco and Outdoor Supply Hardware parking lot on Middlefield Road. Parked right in front of the hardware store, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/a> is one of the newer taco trucks that cropped up in Redwood City during the pandemic, specializing in Mexico City–style tacos. At this late hour, the truck still drew a steady stream of customers — mostly groups of middle-aged Latino men who made quick work of their tacos in the tented dining area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men trace a path as they run from one taco shop to another.\" class=\"wp-image-13994644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Redwood City has one of the Bay Area’s densest concentrations of taco shops, many of them open until midnight or later. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If Redwood City’s taquerias share a collective theme, it’s that they tend toward old-school simplicity — honest street tacos unadorned with anything more than a dollop of salsa and a flurry of chopped onions and cilantro. El Paisa is the only spot we visited that offered any of the flashier dishes trendy on social media these days: decadently overloaded baked potatoes, alambres (a kind of sizzling, cheesy meat skillet) and so forth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As tempting as those sounded, we had a long night of taco eating ahead, and needed to pace ourselves. So we ordered a sampling of the truck’s workmanlike street tacos, served on a double layer of fragrant corn tortillas. Every one of them was a winner. There was juicy, well-caramelized Mexico City–style al pastor dotted with chunks of tangy-sweet pineapple; rich, steaky chunks of suadero; and cabeza (pig’s head) that was a dynamo of soft, slippery, gelatinous textures. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most memorable bites was the beef lengua, which had been cut into the thickest, widest slabs I’d ever seen on a taco. The overall effect was like biting into a buttery, impossibly soft piece of steak — extra delicious topped with some spicy pickled onions from the truck’s self-serve salsa bar. Meanwhile, the sope, served open-faced with shredded lettuce, crema and choice of meat, was simply extraordinary. We loved the extra-thick masa base, which had a chewy-crisp texture and a beautifully smoky, charred flavor from the grill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Our next stop was \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/a>, a lively sit-down taqueria on El Camino Real, less than five minutes away and still doing brisk business at almost 11 p.m. The vibe was an interesting mish-mash of past and present. There was the old-fashioned picture menu board, the kitschy rooster-themed artwork, the quaint blue-and-white gingham pattern laminated on the tabletops. On the other hand, a more recent layer of AI-generated signage had been plastered everywhere, bleating out the same cartoonish font you see at so many other restaurants. (“We are selling FLAN as a dessert!” one of them read.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food, on the other hand, tasted altogether homey. The plush handmade tortillas were wonderfully soft and aromatic. The Michoacán-style carnitas were moist and tender, rather than crispy. And the shrimp had been diced into cubes before getting a hard sear on the griddle, which imbued them with the texture and subtle smokiness of grilled octopus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Best of all was the specialty of the house: juicy, impeccably tender slow-cooked barbacoa, which you can order with a side of consomé. I suppose you could dip your barbacoa taco in the hot broth if you aren’t afraid of making a mess. We simply sipped it at the end of our meal, Chinese-style. A perfect final bite. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At this point in our journey, we were pretty well stuffed. But we couldn’t call it a night without visiting an outpost of El Grullense, easily Redwood City’s most well known and beloved taco chain. So we loosened our pants and made a beeline for the 5th Avenue location of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/a>, which is really just a window attached to a Mobil gas station mini mart. It’s a bare-bones, cash-only operation without any seating to speak of. The best play is to simply lay your spread of tacos out on the hood of your car before digging in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Might this be the most quintessential Redwood City taco experience? The carne asada had crisp, well-charred edges, and the tripitas (beef intestines) were the tastiest I’ve had in a long time — not over-fried, but with a crispy-chewy, slightly squishy texture that was incredibly addicting. They burst with hot, meaty juices as soon as we bit in. We tried another sope, topped with al pastor, and it was wonderful here too — the pork deeply savory, the shredded lettuce particularly fresh and crisp. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tying everything together was El Grullense’s hallmark item: red salsa with a slight smokiness, a sneaky heat and an incredible depth of flavor. We couldn’t get enough of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As full as we were, we wound up polishing off every bite, barely bothering to wipe the grease stains off the hood of the car before we drove off into the night. All we knew is that there were still at least another dozen taquerias we still wanted to check out the next time we came through this part of the Peninsula. Hours later, when I woke up in the middle of the night, my fingers still smelled faintly of masa and meat juices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">\u003cem>El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. at 2110 Middlefield Rd. in Redwood City. The truck is usually parked in front of the Outdoor Supply Hardware. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">\u003cem>Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Wednesday through Monday 9:30 a.m.–midnight at 1630 El Camino Real.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">\u003cem>Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–midnight daily at 795 5th Ave. Cash only. Attached to a Mobil gas station mini-mart, the taqueria is one of four \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tacoselgrullenseee.com/new-page-1\">\u003cem>El Grullense E&E locations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> in Redwood City — and one of at least eight loosely affiliated restaurants on the Peninsula that bear the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullenseno.1\">\u003cem>El Grullense\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>name. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a triplicate of images of two men running around while devouring tacos.\" class=\"wp-image-13994640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Redwood City, each late-night taco spot has its own specialties: lengua and al pastor at El Paisa by Los Alegres, barbacoa on handmade tortillas at Tacos Los Gemelos, and tripitas with red salsa at Tacos El Grullense E&E.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a triplicate of images of two men running around while devouring tacos.\" class=\"wp-image-13994640\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Redwood City, each late-night taco spot has its own specialties: lengua and al pastor at El Paisa by Los Alegres, barbacoa on handmade tortillas at Tacos Los Gemelos, and tripitas with red salsa at Tacos El Grullense E&E.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cruising down 101 at 10 o’clock on a recent Friday night, we were hit with that most Bay Area of cravings. We needed oil-slicked tortillas and crisp-edged carnitas. Carne asada served hot off the plancha. In other words, we were hungry for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tacos\">tacos\u003c/a> — a whole clutch of them, shoved down our gullets, posthaste. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cruising down 101 at 10 o’clock on a recent Friday night, we were hit with that most Bay Area of cravings. We needed oil-slicked tortillas and crisp-edged carnitas. Carne asada served hot off the plancha. In other words, we were hungry for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tacos\">tacos\u003c/a> — a whole clutch of them, shoved down our gullets, posthaste. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At this point in the night, we would typically hit up one of our usual after-hours haunts on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963832/tacos-el-rulas-richmond-late-night-taqueria-midnight-diners\">Richmond’s\u003c/a> 23rd street taco corridor, or in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954112/orale-taco-truck-san-jose-late-night-pancakes-midnight-diners\">Eastside San José\u003c/a>. But we’d been hearing about a legendary Peninsula taco scene we hadn’t yet properly explored. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At this point in the night, we would typically hit up one of our usual after-hours haunts on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963832/tacos-el-rulas-richmond-late-night-taqueria-midnight-diners\">Richmond’s\u003c/a> 23rd street taco corridor, or in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954112/orale-taco-truck-san-jose-late-night-pancakes-midnight-diners\">Eastside San José\u003c/a>. But we’d been hearing about a legendary Peninsula taco scene we hadn’t yet properly explored. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And so we headed to Redwood City for a good old-fashioned late-night taco crawl.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And so we headed to Redwood City for a good old-fashioned late-night taco crawl.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2008, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2008/09/30/redwood-city-center-of-the-taco-universe/\">\u003cem>San Jose Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> called Redwood City “the center of the taco universe,” citing a density of taquerias — at the time, 49 of them in a city with a population of 74,000 — that seemed higher than just about anywhere else in California, if not the entire United States. Individual shops have come and gone in the 18 years since, but the scene remains incredibly robust. Just last year, no lesser authority than the president of Mexico herself, Claudia Sheinbaum, \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/mexico-president-claudia-sheinbaum-says-best-pork-fried-carnitas-are-made-redwood-city-mexican-immigrants/17828906/\">shouted out Redwood City\u003c/a> for having the best Mexican food in the Bay Area, thanks in part to its unusually high influx of immigrants from the city of \u003ca href=\"https://new.thecity.redwoodcity.org/pub/onbase/siredl.ashx?fileid=235425\">Aguililla, Michoacán\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2008, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2008/09/30/redwood-city-center-of-the-taco-universe/\">\u003cem>San Jose Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> called Redwood City “the center of the taco universe,” citing a density of taquerias — at the time, 49 of them in a city with a population of 74,000 — that seemed higher than just about anywhere else in California, if not the entire United States. Individual shops have come and gone in the 18 years since, but the scene remains incredibly robust. Just last year, no lesser authority than the president of Mexico herself, Claudia Sheinbaum, \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/mexico-president-claudia-sheinbaum-says-best-pork-fried-carnitas-are-made-redwood-city-mexican-immigrants/17828906/\">shouted out Redwood City\u003c/a> for having the best Mexican food in the Bay Area, thanks in part to its unusually high influx of immigrants from the city of \u003ca href=\"https://new.thecity.redwoodcity.org/pub/onbase/siredl.ashx?fileid=235425\">Aguililla, Michoacán\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On one three-block stretch of Middlefield Road, we must have spotted a dozen taquerias, four or five taco trucks and a handful of informal roadside tents that had set up trompos to sell fresh-sliced al pastor. And across the city, a decent chunk of the shops stay open until midnight on weekends, if not later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On one three-block stretch of Middlefield Road, we must have spotted a dozen taquerias, four or five taco trucks and a handful of informal roadside tents that had set up trompos to sell fresh-sliced al pastor. And across the city, a decent chunk of the shops stay open until midnight on weekends, if not later. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For our first stop, we pulled into a big Costco and Outdoor Supply Hardware parking lot on Middlefield Road. Parked right in front of the hardware store, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/a> is one of the newer taco trucks that cropped up in Redwood City during the pandemic, specializing in Mexico City–style tacos. At this late hour, the truck still drew a steady stream of customers — mostly groups of middle-aged Latino men who made quick work of their tacos in the tented dining area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For our first stop, we pulled into a big Costco and Outdoor Supply Hardware parking lot on Middlefield Road. Parked right in front of the hardware store, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/a> is one of the newer taco trucks that cropped up in Redwood City during the pandemic, specializing in Mexico City–style tacos. At this late hour, the truck still drew a steady stream of customers — mostly groups of middle-aged Latino men who made quick work of their tacos in the tented dining area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men trace a path as they run from one taco shop to another.\" class=\"wp-image-13994644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Redwood City has one of the Bay Area’s densest concentrations of taco shops, many of them open until midnight or later.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men trace a path as they run from one taco shop to another.\" class=\"wp-image-13994644\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Redwood City has one of the Bay Area’s densest concentrations of taco shops, many of them open until midnight or later.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If Redwood City’s taquerias share a collective theme, it’s that they tend toward old-school simplicity — honest street tacos unadorned with anything more than a dollop of salsa and a flurry of chopped onions and cilantro. El Paisa is the only spot we visited that offered any of the flashier dishes trendy on social media these days: decadently overloaded baked potatoes, alambres (a kind of sizzling, cheesy meat skillet) and so forth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If Redwood City’s taquerias share a collective theme, it’s that they tend toward old-school simplicity — honest street tacos unadorned with anything more than a dollop of salsa and a flurry of chopped onions and cilantro. El Paisa is the only spot we visited that offered any of the flashier dishes trendy on social media these days: decadently overloaded baked potatoes, alambres (a kind of sizzling, cheesy meat skillet) and so forth.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As tempting as those sounded, we had a long night of taco eating ahead, and needed to pace ourselves. So we ordered a sampling of the truck’s workmanlike street tacos, served on a double layer of fragrant corn tortillas. Every one of them was a winner. There was juicy, well-caramelized Mexico City–style al pastor dotted with chunks of tangy-sweet pineapple; rich, steaky chunks of suadero; and cabeza (pig’s head) that was a dynamo of soft, slippery, gelatinous textures. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As tempting as those sounded, we had a long night of taco eating ahead, and needed to pace ourselves. So we ordered a sampling of the truck’s workmanlike street tacos, served on a double layer of fragrant corn tortillas. Every one of them was a winner. There was juicy, well-caramelized Mexico City–style al pastor dotted with chunks of tangy-sweet pineapple; rich, steaky chunks of suadero; and cabeza (pig’s head) that was a dynamo of soft, slippery, gelatinous textures. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the most memorable bites was the beef lengua, which had been cut into the thickest, widest slabs I’d ever seen on a taco. The overall effect was like biting into a buttery, impossibly soft piece of steak — extra delicious topped with some spicy pickled onions from the truck’s self-serve salsa bar. Meanwhile, the sope, served open-faced with shredded lettuce, crema and choice of meat, was simply extraordinary. We loved the extra-thick masa base, which had a chewy-crisp texture and a beautifully smoky, charred flavor from the grill. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the most memorable bites was the beef lengua, which had been cut into the thickest, widest slabs I’d ever seen on a taco. The overall effect was like biting into a buttery, impossibly soft piece of steak — extra delicious topped with some spicy pickled onions from the truck’s self-serve salsa bar. Meanwhile, the sope, served open-faced with shredded lettuce, crema and choice of meat, was simply extraordinary. We loved the extra-thick masa base, which had a chewy-crisp texture and a beautifully smoky, charred flavor from the grill. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Our next stop was \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/a>, a lively sit-down taqueria on El Camino Real, less than five minutes away and still doing brisk business at almost 11 p.m. The vibe was an interesting mish-mash of past and present. There was the old-fashioned picture menu board, the kitschy rooster-themed artwork, the quaint blue-and-white gingham pattern laminated on the tabletops. On the other hand, a more recent layer of AI-generated signage had been plastered everywhere, bleating out the same cartoonish font you see at so many other restaurants. (“We are selling FLAN as a dessert!” one of them read.) \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Our next stop was \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/a>, a lively sit-down taqueria on El Camino Real, less than five minutes away and still doing brisk business at almost 11 p.m. The vibe was an interesting mish-mash of past and present. There was the old-fashioned picture menu board, the kitschy rooster-themed artwork, the quaint blue-and-white gingham pattern laminated on the tabletops. On the other hand, a more recent layer of AI-generated signage had been plastered everywhere, bleating out the same cartoonish font you see at so many other restaurants. (“We are selling FLAN as a dessert!” one of them read.) \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food, on the other hand, tasted altogether homey. The plush handmade tortillas were wonderfully soft and aromatic. The Michoacán-style carnitas were moist and tender, rather than crispy. And the shrimp had been diced into cubes before getting a hard sear on the griddle, which imbued them with the texture and subtle smokiness of grilled octopus. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The food, on the other hand, tasted altogether homey. The plush handmade tortillas were wonderfully soft and aromatic. The Michoacán-style carnitas were moist and tender, rather than crispy. And the shrimp had been diced into cubes before getting a hard sear on the griddle, which imbued them with the texture and subtle smokiness of grilled octopus. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Best of all was the specialty of the house: juicy, impeccably tender slow-cooked barbacoa, which you can order with a side of consomé. I suppose you could dip your barbacoa taco in the hot broth if you aren’t afraid of making a mess. We simply sipped it at the end of our meal, Chinese-style. A perfect final bite. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Best of all was the specialty of the house: juicy, impeccably tender slow-cooked barbacoa, which you can order with a side of consomé. I suppose you could dip your barbacoa taco in the hot broth if you aren’t afraid of making a mess. We simply sipped it at the end of our meal, Chinese-style. A perfect final bite. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At this point in our journey, we were pretty well stuffed. But we couldn’t call it a night without visiting an outpost of El Grullense, easily Redwood City’s most well known and beloved taco chain. So we loosened our pants and made a beeline for the 5th Avenue location of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/a>, which is really just a window attached to a Mobil gas station mini mart. It’s a bare-bones, cash-only operation without any seating to speak of. The best play is to simply lay your spread of tacos out on the hood of your car before digging in.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At this point in our journey, we were pretty well stuffed. But we couldn’t call it a night without visiting an outpost of El Grullense, easily Redwood City’s most well known and beloved taco chain. So we loosened our pants and made a beeline for the 5th Avenue location of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/a>, which is really just a window attached to a Mobil gas station mini mart. It’s a bare-bones, cash-only operation without any seating to speak of. The best play is to simply lay your spread of tacos out on the hood of your car before digging in.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Might this be the most quintessential Redwood City taco experience? The carne asada had crisp, well-charred edges, and the tripitas (beef intestines) were the tastiest I’ve had in a long time — not over-fried, but with a crispy-chewy, slightly squishy texture that was incredibly addicting. They burst with hot, meaty juices as soon as we bit in. We tried another sope, topped with al pastor, and it was wonderful here too — the pork deeply savory, the shredded lettuce particularly fresh and crisp. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Might this be the most quintessential Redwood City taco experience? The carne asada had crisp, well-charred edges, and the tripitas (beef intestines) were the tastiest I’ve had in a long time — not over-fried, but with a crispy-chewy, slightly squishy texture that was incredibly addicting. They burst with hot, meaty juices as soon as we bit in. We tried another sope, topped with al pastor, and it was wonderful here too — the pork deeply savory, the shredded lettuce particularly fresh and crisp. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tying everything together was El Grullense’s hallmark item: red salsa with a slight smokiness, a sneaky heat and an incredible depth of flavor. We couldn’t get enough of it.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Tying everything together was El Grullense’s hallmark item: red salsa with a slight smokiness, a sneaky heat and an incredible depth of flavor. We couldn’t get enough of it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As full as we were, we wound up polishing off every bite, barely bothering to wipe the grease stains off the hood of the car before we drove off into the night. All we knew is that there were still at least another dozen taquerias we still wanted to check out the next time we came through this part of the Peninsula. Hours later, when I woke up in the middle of the night, my fingers still smelled faintly of masa and meat juices.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As full as we were, we wound up polishing off every bite, barely bothering to wipe the grease stains off the hood of the car before we drove off into the night. All we knew is that there were still at least another dozen taquerias we still wanted to check out the next time we came through this part of the Peninsula. Hours later, when I woke up in the middle of the night, my fingers still smelled faintly of masa and meat juices.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">\u003cem>El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. at 2110 Middlefield Rd. in Redwood City. The truck is usually parked in front of the Outdoor Supply Hardware. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">\u003cem>El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. at 2110 Middlefield Rd. in Redwood City. The truck is usually parked in front of the Outdoor Supply Hardware. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">\u003cem>Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Wednesday through Monday 9:30 a.m.–midnight at 1630 El Camino Real.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">\u003cem>Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Wednesday through Monday 9:30 a.m.–midnight at 1630 El Camino Real.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">\u003cem>Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–midnight daily at 795 5th Ave. Cash only. Attached to a Mobil gas station mini-mart, the taqueria is one of four \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tacoselgrullenseee.com/new-page-1\">\u003cem>El Grullense E&E locations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> in Redwood City — and one of at least eight loosely affiliated restaurants on the Peninsula that bear the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullenseno.1\">\u003cem>El Grullense\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>name. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">\u003cem>Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–midnight daily at 795 5th Ave. Cash only. Attached to a Mobil gas station mini-mart, the taqueria is one of four \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tacoselgrullenseee.com/new-page-1\">\u003cem>El Grullense E&E locations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> in Redwood City — and one of at least eight loosely affiliated restaurants on the Peninsula that bear the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullenseno.1\">\u003cem>El Grullense\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>name. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"title": "A Late-Night Taco Crawl in Redwood City | KQED",
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"twTitle": "In Redwood City, a Great Taco Is Always Just a Few Blocks Away — Even at Midnight",
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"socialTitle": "A Late-Night Taco Crawl in Redwood City %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
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"headline": "In Redwood City, a Great Taco Is Always Just a Few Blocks Away — Even at Midnight",
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"source": "The Midnight Diners",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a triplicate of images of two men running around while devouring tacos.\" class=\"wp-image-13994640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos-8d236d66-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Redwood City, each late-night taco spot has its own specialties: lengua and al pastor at El Paisa by Los Alegres, barbacoa on handmade tortillas at Tacos Los Gemelos, and tripitas with red salsa at Tacos El Grullense E&E. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003cem>The Midnight Diners\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Thien Pham\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cruising down 101 at 10 o’clock on a recent Friday night, we were hit with that most Bay Area of cravings. We needed oil-slicked tortillas and crisp-edged carnitas. Carne asada served hot off the plancha. In other words, we were hungry for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tacos\">tacos\u003c/a> — a whole clutch of them, shoved down our gullets, posthaste. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At this point in the night, we would typically hit up one of our usual after-hours haunts on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963832/tacos-el-rulas-richmond-late-night-taqueria-midnight-diners\">Richmond’s\u003c/a> 23rd street taco corridor, or in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954112/orale-taco-truck-san-jose-late-night-pancakes-midnight-diners\">Eastside San José\u003c/a>. But we’d been hearing about a legendary Peninsula taco scene we hadn’t yet properly explored. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And so we headed to Redwood City for a good old-fashioned late-night taco crawl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2008, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2008/09/30/redwood-city-center-of-the-taco-universe/\">\u003cem>San Jose Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> called Redwood City “the center of the taco universe,” citing a density of taquerias — at the time, 49 of them in a city with a population of 74,000 — that seemed higher than just about anywhere else in California, if not the entire United States. Individual shops have come and gone in the 18 years since, but the scene remains incredibly robust. Just last year, no lesser authority than the president of Mexico herself, Claudia Sheinbaum, \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/mexico-president-claudia-sheinbaum-says-best-pork-fried-carnitas-are-made-redwood-city-mexican-immigrants/17828906/\">shouted out Redwood City\u003c/a> for having the best Mexican food in the Bay Area, thanks in part to its unusually high influx of immigrants from the city of \u003ca href=\"https://new.thecity.redwoodcity.org/pub/onbase/siredl.ashx?fileid=235425\">Aguililla, Michoacán\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On one three-block stretch of Middlefield Road, we must have spotted a dozen taquerias, four or five taco trucks and a handful of informal roadside tents that had set up trompos to sell fresh-sliced al pastor. And across the city, a decent chunk of the shops stay open until midnight on weekends, if not later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For our first stop, we pulled into a big Costco and Outdoor Supply Hardware parking lot on Middlefield Road. Parked right in front of the hardware store, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/a> is one of the newer taco trucks that cropped up in Redwood City during the pandemic, specializing in Mexico City–style tacos. At this late hour, the truck still drew a steady stream of customers — mostly groups of middle-aged Latino men who made quick work of their tacos in the tented dining area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men trace a path as they run from one taco shop to another.\" class=\"wp-image-13994644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/redwoodcitytacos2-9903f989-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Redwood City has one of the Bay Area’s densest concentrations of taco shops, many of them open until midnight or later. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If Redwood City’s taquerias share a collective theme, it’s that they tend toward old-school simplicity — honest street tacos unadorned with anything more than a dollop of salsa and a flurry of chopped onions and cilantro. El Paisa is the only spot we visited that offered any of the flashier dishes trendy on social media these days: decadently overloaded baked potatoes, alambres (a kind of sizzling, cheesy meat skillet) and so forth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As tempting as those sounded, we had a long night of taco eating ahead, and needed to pace ourselves. So we ordered a sampling of the truck’s workmanlike street tacos, served on a double layer of fragrant corn tortillas. Every one of them was a winner. There was juicy, well-caramelized Mexico City–style al pastor dotted with chunks of tangy-sweet pineapple; rich, steaky chunks of suadero; and cabeza (pig’s head) that was a dynamo of soft, slippery, gelatinous textures. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the most memorable bites was the beef lengua, which had been cut into the thickest, widest slabs I’d ever seen on a taco. The overall effect was like biting into a buttery, impossibly soft piece of steak — extra delicious topped with some spicy pickled onions from the truck’s self-serve salsa bar. Meanwhile, the sope, served open-faced with shredded lettuce, crema and choice of meat, was simply extraordinary. We loved the extra-thick masa base, which had a chewy-crisp texture and a beautifully smoky, charred flavor from the grill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Our next stop was \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/a>, a lively sit-down taqueria on El Camino Real, less than five minutes away and still doing brisk business at almost 11 p.m. The vibe was an interesting mish-mash of past and present. There was the old-fashioned picture menu board, the kitschy rooster-themed artwork, the quaint blue-and-white gingham pattern laminated on the tabletops. On the other hand, a more recent layer of AI-generated signage had been plastered everywhere, bleating out the same cartoonish font you see at so many other restaurants. (“We are selling FLAN as a dessert!” one of them read.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food, on the other hand, tasted altogether homey. The plush handmade tortillas were wonderfully soft and aromatic. The Michoacán-style carnitas were moist and tender, rather than crispy. And the shrimp had been diced into cubes before getting a hard sear on the griddle, which imbued them with the texture and subtle smokiness of grilled octopus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Best of all was the specialty of the house: juicy, impeccably tender slow-cooked barbacoa, which you can order with a side of consomé. I suppose you could dip your barbacoa taco in the hot broth if you aren’t afraid of making a mess. We simply sipped it at the end of our meal, Chinese-style. A perfect final bite. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At this point in our journey, we were pretty well stuffed. But we couldn’t call it a night without visiting an outpost of El Grullense, easily Redwood City’s most well known and beloved taco chain. So we loosened our pants and made a beeline for the 5th Avenue location of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/a>, which is really just a window attached to a Mobil gas station mini mart. It’s a bare-bones, cash-only operation without any seating to speak of. The best play is to simply lay your spread of tacos out on the hood of your car before digging in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Might this be the most quintessential Redwood City taco experience? The carne asada had crisp, well-charred edges, and the tripitas (beef intestines) were the tastiest I’ve had in a long time — not over-fried, but with a crispy-chewy, slightly squishy texture that was incredibly addicting. They burst with hot, meaty juices as soon as we bit in. We tried another sope, topped with al pastor, and it was wonderful here too — the pork deeply savory, the shredded lettuce particularly fresh and crisp. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tying everything together was El Grullense’s hallmark item: red salsa with a slight smokiness, a sneaky heat and an incredible depth of flavor. We couldn’t get enough of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As full as we were, we wound up polishing off every bite, barely bothering to wipe the grease stains off the hood of the car before we drove off into the night. All we knew is that there were still at least another dozen taquerias we still wanted to check out the next time we came through this part of the Peninsula. Hours later, when I woke up in the middle of the night, my fingers still smelled faintly of masa and meat juices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elpaisabylosalegres/\">\u003cem>El Paisa by Los Alegres\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. at 2110 Middlefield Rd. in Redwood City. The truck is usually parked in front of the Outdoor Supply Hardware. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacolosgemelos/\">\u003cem>Tacos Los Gemelos\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Wednesday through Monday 9:30 a.m.–midnight at 1630 El Camino Real.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullense_ee/\">\u003cem>Tacos El Grullense E&E\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open 9 a.m.–midnight daily at 795 5th Ave. Cash only. Attached to a Mobil gas station mini-mart, the taqueria is one of four \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.tacoselgrullenseee.com/new-page-1\">\u003cem>El Grullense E&E locations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> in Redwood City — and one of at least eight loosely affiliated restaurants on the Peninsula that bear the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacoselgrullenseno.1\">\u003cem>El Grullense\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>name. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "lake-merritt-food-vendors-oakland-police-crackdown-jerkn-it-oxtails",
"title": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving",
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"headTitle": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, \"Lumpia Ladies.\"",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Lake Merritt’s oxtail king ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Oakland's Jerk'n It, a Guyanese oxtail specialist, is one of the informal market's many success stories.",
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"title": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving | KQED",
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"headline": "Why Lake Merritt’s Street Food Scene Is Worth Saving",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">F\u003c/span>or more than a decade, I’ve had the same Sunday morning routine: wake up, slap on some sunscreen, and head down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lake-merritt\">Lake Merritt\u003c/a> to do my 5K. The vibe is more laid-back than it is on Saturdays — dads pushing strollers, moms enjoying their lattes, the scent of meat grilling over open coals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I get to the eastern stretch of the lake, I see dozens of vendors. One sets up a stand for barbecued oysters. Another has brought a special machine for Korean-style shaved ice. Dozens of others sell jewelry, clothing and visual art. One artist paints neighborhoods of corrugated tin roofs on actual corrugated tin — miniature landscapes familiar to the many immigrants who now call Oakland home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This informal gathering is one of Oakland’s largest regular street vendor markets. None of the tables are manned by fancy chefs or trendy boutiques. Most of the vendors are Black or brown — just regular working-class folks hustling to make a living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lately, the city has cracked down on these vendors, snuffing out some of Lake Merritt’s family barbecue feeling. After a 2024 Juneteenth shooting in which 15 people were wounded, officials moved to limit large gatherings. This past 4th of July, the city fenced off the main arteries around the lake to deter crowds. Then, later in July, a vendor was arrested for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting. The arrest caused the vendor to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">lose her vehicle\u003c/a> and rendered her homeless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Customers and passersby stand in front of a lakeside food tent.\" class=\"wp-image-13994232\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-05-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On weekends, vendors selling food, jewelry and art set up all along the eastern shore of Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The crackdown has gone beyond the street vendors by the lake. This past May, Oakland police officers were filmed destroying food vendors’ storage coolers in Fruitvale and downtown. One vendor, who asked not to be identified, told me she believed she was singled out because, in a separate incident, she’d testified against the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Vendors push back\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For its part, the City of Oakland maintains it’s simply making sure everyone follows the rules. In a July press release, the Oakland Police Department stated that “OPD will continue to partner with EWD [Economic and Workforce Development] and other agencies to address unpermitted and unlawful activities, to ensure Oakland remains safe for residents and visitors.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly every vendor I spoke to agreed that selling alcohol to minors is wrong. They also say they’ve felt disproportionately targeted all summer long, and that police \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DdFvsebG0OR/?img_index=1\">shouldn’t have the right to destroy vendor property\u003c/a>. Especially in light of 2018’s \u003ca href=\"https://alcl.assembly.ca.gov/sites/alcl.assembly.ca.gov/files/SB%20946%20analysis.pdf\">Safe Sidewalk Vending Act\u003c/a>, which is supposed to decriminalize street vending in the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman seated inside her food tent. The sign behind her reads, "Lumpia Ladies."\" class=\"wp-image-13994236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-23-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lumpia Ladies owner Anita Miralles, aka Needa Bee, watches people walk by her food stall at Lake Merritt. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, the vendors are \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-vendor-raid-lawsuit-2026/\">suing the city of Oakland\u003c/a>. Led by Anita Miralles (aka Needa Bee) of the Lumpia Ladies pop-up, nearly 90 vendors have come together to form what they’re calling the \u003ca href=\"https://510day.org/vendors-collective\">Oakland Street Vendor Collective\u003c/a>. During an August rally Miralles organized, the vendors protested police harassment and, as they argue in their \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TutOFE7JllzFsPsACkapA7NoA-JWYPTF/view?usp=sharing\">lawsuit\u003c/a>, the “summary destruction of property of street vendors in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For regulars like me, Sundays at Lake Merritt don’t feel dangerous. They’re for friends around a fire pit and lazy stretches on strewn picnic blankets. At busy times, you’ll walk away with more samples than at your local Costco: a bit of banana pudding here, a little shaved ice there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a “likkle” plastic sampler cup overflowing with jerk oxtail and corn on the cob — all on the house thanks to Brent Hunte, the Guyanese chef-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">Jerk’n It\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Plastic takeout carton piled high with oxtails, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.\" class=\"wp-image-13994522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-28-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of oxtails, corn and macaroni and cheese from the Jerk’n It food stand. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Lake Merritt’s oxtail king\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Seven years ago, Hunte quit his job as a manager at Walmart. He started his own business the old-fashioned way: walking the entire lake and handing out free samples, driven by the love for his culture and passion for its cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t find no Caribbean food,” he recalls of the years after he immigrated here from Guyana as a child. “If you go to New York, the culture there is big, but not in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte is especially passionate about jerk. The Guyanese style has its own unique spices, Hunte explains. Unlike Jamaican jerk, it’s cooked over an open flame instead of inside a drum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Hunte’s desire to share his culture carried him through the lengthy process of trying to obtain a legal permit to sell food in Oakland. The first time he applied for a permit for his food trailer, he says, no one from the city notified him to let him know he’d been approved. He’d paid $1,000 to apply. By the time he found out, the permit had already expired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"A chef in an outdoor food tent plates up a dish of food.\" class=\"wp-image-13994239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-08-MC-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte serving customers on a sunny late-summer afternoon. His business, Jerk’n It, is one of Lake Merritt’s most popular food stands. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some people got approved in a month, and others are still waiting,” he says of the bureaucratic process. “Can you quit on yourself just because of the runaround they’re giving you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vending at Lake Merritt saved him. In 2020, at the peak of COVID shutdowns, the Lake was one of the only places where people could gather in large numbers. Those weekend markets allowed Hunte to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, whenever Hunte has a large event, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and heads to his commissary kitchen in San Leandro to prep 100 pounds of oxtails, along with his other signature favorites: jerk chicken, jerk salmon, rice and peas, plantains, stewed cabbage, and mac and cheese. The most important thing, Hunte says, is the energy he pours into his food. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“”Be in a kitchen, music playing, good vibe, good energy, and then going to the food, going to the people,” he says. “So people feel it, I’ll feel it, and the customers see it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for how the food tastes, suffice it to say that my family of four fought over our takeaway container, which was stuffed to the brim with meat and sides. Naturally, the oxtails were our favorite. (I made a mental note to come by myself next time so I could tuck into the saucy meat without being uninterrupted by prying kid hands.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Man scooping jerk oxtails into a takeout container.\" class=\"wp-image-13994231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-04-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte prepares a plate. His Guyanese food stand, Jerk’n It, is known for its generous portions. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte knows the other vendors at the lake, and has taken it upon himself to support them through each step of the permitting process. He’s even familiar with the police officers who come by to check his paperwork, though he points out that their standards of enforcement don’t seem consistent. ”We have some Caucasian vendors out there, and they go out there, they sell coffee…and they don’t ever get bothered by the police or the city,” he observes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In spite of the recent confrontations with law enforcement, Lake Merritt’s collaborative spirit has pushed Hunte to keep going. Often, he’ll send customers to other businesses that have menu items he doesn’t. He even occasionally gives his jerk salmon pan drippings to a neighboring business that pours it over the grilled oysters they sell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [vendors get] shut down, like now, it feels like they want to control where the people go or what the community do,” he says about the recent police interactions. “You know, we all come to the lake and we congregate. We chill, we drink, we party in a safe space. Like, you want us to go on the street and do it? I don’t get it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man in a bright red T-shirt (the text reads, "Jerk'n It") poses for a portrait in front of a lakeside food stand.\" class=\"wp-image-13994553\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/080926-FriscoFoodies.LakeMerittFoodVendors-10-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hunte poses for a portrait in front of his food tent, with Lake Merritt in the background. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hunte and other members of the collective encourage new vendors who haven’t yet gotten their paperwork sorted to attend the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwgPFcEvPr/\">Permit-palooza,\u003c/a>” hosted by the City of Oakland on Oct. 8 at Frank Ogawa Plaza. It’s a rare opportunity for them to receive permit fee waivers and steep discounts on vehicle inspections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To Hunte, and others who continue to vend as they wait for their paperwork to be approved, Lake Merritt is one of the last places to sell their lumpia, lemonade and lunch plates to the community directly, hand over hand. It’s a freedom that’s rare these days in the Bay Area, where small businesses are already up against the region’s astronomically high real estate costs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for now, Jerk’n It’s reputation as a community hub has kept Hunte in business, even as he’s once again waiting for his food trailer permit to come through. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I used to walk the lake looking for customers, and now they come looking for me,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Jerk’n It\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> tent typically sets up Thursday through Sunday, from around 1–7 p.m., on Lakeshore Drive in Oakland (near Cleveland Cascade). On weekends, Hunte often also posts up near Broadway and 17th Street in downtown Oakland, from 8 p.m. until late, and at the monthly First Friday event at 24th and Telegraph avenues. Follow the Jerk’n It \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jerknit2019/\">\u003cem>Instagram page\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>for the most up-to-date times and locations.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Rocky Rivera is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has released five projects through her label, Beatrock Music — her most recent, \u003c/em>The Craft\u003cem>, dropped in October 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-japanese-pop-up-oakland-plenty-plus-asuka-uchida",
"title": "The Fanciest Japanese Pop-Up in Oakland You Haven’t Heard Of ",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>During the week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyoakland/\">Plenty\u003c/a> is an understated little cafe that has become a lunchtime staple for scores of Uptown Oakland office workers. Regulars might come two or three times a week to get their fix of butter-miso salmon, avocado toast or any of a half-dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japanese\u003c/a>-inflected grain bowls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In other words: It’s a lovely everyday restaurant. But not exactly someplace you’d think to go for a special celebration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I visited Plenty on a Sunday afternoon in August, however, I experienced the most elegant multi-course Japanese meal I’d eaten in many months. The airiest tempura, made with seasonal farmers market vegetables. Pristine sashimi. A tuna’s head picked clean and gelatinized to form the most amazing maguro “head cheese.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dish after artfully plated dish came out, all served in a casual, intimate setting. Every other table, except one, was empty the whole time we were there. It felt like we were dining in a friend’s living room — if said friend’s bar happened to be stocked with a killer sake and shochu collection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a tempura rice bowl, artfully drizzled with thick soy sauce.\" class=\"wp-image-13994424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chef Asuka Uchida’s take on ten-don, or a tempura rice bowl. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, this special prix-fixe lunch pop-up, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyplusoakland/\">Plenty Plus\u003c/a> (or Plenty+), takes over the restaurant just one Saturday and Sunday each month. It comes courtesy of chef Asuka Uchida, whose cooking I’ve gone out of my way to seek since her days at B-Dama, where she made the most comforting pork belly and mizuna hot pot. Later, at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/fish-and-bird-izakaya-closing-22264629.php\">recently closed\u003c/a> Fish & Bird Izakaya, her gravy-drenched hamburg steak was my single favorite pandemic-era heat-and-eat dish. Over the past decade, she’s quietly made a name for herself as one of the Bay Area’s most respected Japanese chefs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Uchida and Plenty owner and co-chef Jack Lin came up with the idea for Plenty+ in 2025, after Uchida had already been working at Plenty for a couple of years. She’d taken the job after suffering a knee injury at Fish & Bird, and the more casual cafe gig offered some respite from the 13-hour shifts she used to work. Lin, who describes himself as Uchida’s “biggest fan,” says the food on Plenty’s day-to-day menu became much more refined as soon as she came on board. But he also felt like it was a waste for such a skilled chef to spend her days \u003cem>only\u003c/em> cooking katsu bowls and fried chicken sandwiches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I wanted to showcase her talents,” Lin says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the two began to plan occasional pop-ups on weekends, when the restaurant is normally closed. Lin gave Uchida full creative control over the more upscale prix-fixe meals (currently priced at $80 a person). She builds each month’s menu out of seafood that’s in season at Tokyo’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyosu_Market\">Toyosu Market\u003c/a> and whatever produce catches her eye at the Old Oakland farmers market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I never make the same dish twice,” Uchida says. “It’s my feeling every time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of dark miso soup loaded with assorted green vegetables.\" class=\"wp-image-13994425\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The soup base was dark, savory Hatcho miso and a dashi made with both bonito and dried flying fish shavings. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During my lunch visit, the meal started with a trio of cold dishes. There was toothsome \u003ca href=\"https://tsurizukan.com/en/fish/isaki/\">Isaki\u003c/a> (chicken grunt) sashimi topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and a slurry of numbing sansho pepper. There was an extra-jiggly version of chawanmushi crowned with sweet, peak-season Hokkaido uni. My favorite was the aforementioned head cheese — a thunder blast of earthy umami with squishy, pleasingly gelatinous bits from the fish’s eyes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every dish had some element of surprise and delight. The second course was probably the most texturally interesting bowl of miso soup I’ve ever eaten, loaded with spongy taro stems, a super-slippery variety of seaweed and the wispy tendrils of a kabocha squash plant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the entree, Uchida served her take on a tempura rice bowl, or ten-don. Instead of your standard shrimp or sweet potato tempura, the bowl was built around interesting seasonal vegetables: beef and pea shoots, sweet manganji peppers stuffed with Gulf shrimp, and pork tenderloin wrapped around a stack of green beans and eggplant. We marveled at the deep-frying precision that allowed us to bite cleanly through each crisp bundle of meat and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of the cross section of beef-wrapped pea shoot tempura.\" class=\"wp-image-13994426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tempura was a showcase for Uchida’s deep-frying skills. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, most Japanese restaurants tend to specialize in clearly defined categories of dishes — the tempuras and sushi rolls and assorted grilled skewers. But even as Uchida works within those same basic frameworks, the cooking at Plenty+ feels more modern and idiosyncratic, like what you’d find at a little unmarked izakaya you might stumble upon in some alleyway in Japan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Plenty+ days, Lin plays the part of “server and glorified dishwasher,” as he puts it. But the service, too, is part of what makes the meal feel so special and intimate. Lin says they intentionally stagger their \u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">reservations\u003c/a> so there are no more than a couple of tables at a time. Every time he dropped off a dish for us, he’d spend several minutes offering detailed commentary about the provenance of the ingredients (e.g., the young ginger you can only procure at the farmers market at 5 a.m.) and the specific precepts of cooking wizardry deployed. “Take the shiso leaf and slap it in your hand before adding it to the cocktail,” he instructed us at one point. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg\" alt=\"Two small jars of bright purple shaved ice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dessert was Kyoho grape granita served over lemon-thyme sponge cake. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of narration you expect at a fine dining restaurant — but in a jeans-and-hoodies kind of setting and, while not inexpensive at $80 a person, a much lower price point than what you’d pay for a comparably delicious, labor-intensive tasting menu at a fancier Japanese restaurant. Lin says they’re able to keep the price relatively low because he and Uchida are the only ones who work the pop-ups. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As soon as one month’s edition is over, Uchida immediately starts planning for the next.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Oct. 10–11, Uchida is serving her version of another comfort food classic: stuffed cabbage rolls served in a clear broth. The rest of the menu is a work in progress, but Lin says they’re trying to source hatahata (sandfish) and sanma (Pacific saury) from Japan to make karaage and sashimi, respectively. Dessert is chestnut cake with roasted apple ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But as far as how it all gets plated,” Lin says, “it’s always a surprise.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/plenty-plus\">\u003cem>Plenty+\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> takes place roughly one weekend a month, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., at Plenty (1825 San Pablo Ave., Oakland). The next edition will be on Oct. 10 and 11. The current price is $80 per person; \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">\u003cem>advance reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are required.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyoakland/\">Plenty\u003c/a> is an understated little cafe that has become a lunchtime staple for scores of Uptown Oakland office workers. Regulars might come two or three times a week to get their fix of butter-miso salmon, avocado toast or any of a half-dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japanese\u003c/a>-inflected grain bowls.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyoakland/\">Plenty\u003c/a> is an understated little cafe that has become a lunchtime staple for scores of Uptown Oakland office workers. Regulars might come two or three times a week to get their fix of butter-miso salmon, avocado toast or any of a half-dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japanese\u003c/a>-inflected grain bowls.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In other words: It’s a lovely everyday restaurant. But not exactly someplace you’d think to go for a special celebration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When I visited Plenty on a Sunday afternoon in August, however, I experienced the most elegant multi-course Japanese meal I’d eaten in many months. The airiest tempura, made with seasonal farmers market vegetables. Pristine sashimi. A tuna’s head picked clean and gelatinized to form the most amazing maguro “head cheese.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When I visited Plenty on a Sunday afternoon in August, however, I experienced the most elegant multi-course Japanese meal I’d eaten in many months. The airiest tempura, made with seasonal farmers market vegetables. Pristine sashimi. A tuna’s head picked clean and gelatinized to form the most amazing maguro “head cheese.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dish after artfully plated dish came out, all served in a casual, intimate setting. Every other table, except one, was empty the whole time we were there. It felt like we were dining in a friend’s living room — if said friend’s bar happened to be stocked with a killer sake and shochu collection.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dish after artfully plated dish came out, all served in a casual, intimate setting. Every other table, except one, was empty the whole time we were there. It felt like we were dining in a friend’s living room — if said friend’s bar happened to be stocked with a killer sake and shochu collection.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a tempura rice bowl, artfully drizzled with thick soy sauce.\" class=\"wp-image-13994424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chef Asuka Uchida’s take on ten-don, or a tempura rice bowl. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As it turns out, this special prix-fixe lunch pop-up, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyplusoakland/\">Plenty Plus\u003c/a> (or Plenty+), takes over the restaurant just one Saturday and Sunday each month. It comes courtesy of chef Asuka Uchida, whose cooking I’ve gone out of my way to seek since her days at B-Dama, where she made the most comforting pork belly and mizuna hot pot. Later, at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/fish-and-bird-izakaya-closing-22264629.php\">recently closed\u003c/a> Fish & Bird Izakaya, her gravy-drenched hamburg steak was my single favorite pandemic-era heat-and-eat dish. Over the past decade, she’s quietly made a name for herself as one of the Bay Area’s most respected Japanese chefs.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As it turns out, this special prix-fixe lunch pop-up, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyplusoakland/\">Plenty Plus\u003c/a> (or Plenty+), takes over the restaurant just one Saturday and Sunday each month. It comes courtesy of chef Asuka Uchida, whose cooking I’ve gone out of my way to seek since her days at B-Dama, where she made the most comforting pork belly and mizuna hot pot. Later, at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/fish-and-bird-izakaya-closing-22264629.php\">recently closed\u003c/a> Fish & Bird Izakaya, her gravy-drenched hamburg steak was my single favorite pandemic-era heat-and-eat dish. Over the past decade, she’s quietly made a name for herself as one of the Bay Area’s most respected Japanese chefs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Uchida and Plenty owner and co-chef Jack Lin came up with the idea for Plenty+ in 2025, after Uchida had already been working at Plenty for a couple of years. She’d taken the job after suffering a knee injury at Fish & Bird, and the more casual cafe gig offered some respite from the 13-hour shifts she used to work. Lin, who describes himself as Uchida’s “biggest fan,” says the food on Plenty’s day-to-day menu became much more refined as soon as she came on board. But he also felt like it was a waste for such a skilled chef to spend her days \u003cem>only\u003c/em> cooking katsu bowls and fried chicken sandwiches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Uchida and Plenty owner and co-chef Jack Lin came up with the idea for Plenty+ in 2025, after Uchida had already been working at Plenty for a couple of years. She’d taken the job after suffering a knee injury at Fish & Bird, and the more casual cafe gig offered some respite from the 13-hour shifts she used to work. Lin, who describes himself as Uchida’s “biggest fan,” says the food on Plenty’s day-to-day menu became much more refined as soon as she came on board. But he also felt like it was a waste for such a skilled chef to spend her days \u003cem>only\u003c/em> cooking katsu bowls and fried chicken sandwiches. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I wanted to showcase her talents,” Lin says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, the two began to plan occasional pop-ups on weekends, when the restaurant is normally closed. Lin gave Uchida full creative control over the more upscale prix-fixe meals (currently priced at $80 a person). She builds each month’s menu out of seafood that’s in season at Tokyo’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyosu_Market\">Toyosu Market\u003c/a> and whatever produce catches her eye at the Old Oakland farmers market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, the two began to plan occasional pop-ups on weekends, when the restaurant is normally closed. Lin gave Uchida full creative control over the more upscale prix-fixe meals (currently priced at $80 a person). She builds each month’s menu out of seafood that’s in season at Tokyo’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyosu_Market\">Toyosu Market\u003c/a> and whatever produce catches her eye at the Old Oakland farmers market. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I never make the same dish twice,” Uchida says. “It’s my feeling every time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I never make the same dish twice,” Uchida says. “It’s my feeling every time.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of dark miso soup loaded with assorted green vegetables.\" class=\"wp-image-13994425\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The soup base was dark, savory Hatcho miso and a dashi made with both bonito and dried flying fish shavings.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During my lunch visit, the meal started with a trio of cold dishes. There was toothsome \u003ca href=\"https://tsurizukan.com/en/fish/isaki/\">Isaki\u003c/a> (chicken grunt) sashimi topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and a slurry of numbing sansho pepper. There was an extra-jiggly version of chawanmushi crowned with sweet, peak-season Hokkaido uni. My favorite was the aforementioned head cheese — a thunder blast of earthy umami with squishy, pleasingly gelatinous bits from the fish’s eyes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During my lunch visit, the meal started with a trio of cold dishes. There was toothsome \u003ca href=\"https://tsurizukan.com/en/fish/isaki/\">Isaki\u003c/a> (chicken grunt) sashimi topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and a slurry of numbing sansho pepper. There was an extra-jiggly version of chawanmushi crowned with sweet, peak-season Hokkaido uni. My favorite was the aforementioned head cheese — a thunder blast of earthy umami with squishy, pleasingly gelatinous bits from the fish’s eyes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every dish had some element of surprise and delight. The second course was probably the most texturally interesting bowl of miso soup I’ve ever eaten, loaded with spongy taro stems, a super-slippery variety of seaweed and the wispy tendrils of a kabocha squash plant. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Every dish had some element of surprise and delight. The second course was probably the most texturally interesting bowl of miso soup I’ve ever eaten, loaded with spongy taro stems, a super-slippery variety of seaweed and the wispy tendrils of a kabocha squash plant. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the entree, Uchida served her take on a tempura rice bowl, or ten-don. Instead of your standard shrimp or sweet potato tempura, the bowl was built around interesting seasonal vegetables: beef and pea shoots, sweet manganji peppers stuffed with Gulf shrimp, and pork tenderloin wrapped around a stack of green beans and eggplant. We marveled at the deep-frying precision that allowed us to bite cleanly through each crisp bundle of meat and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For the entree, Uchida served her take on a tempura rice bowl, or ten-don. Instead of your standard shrimp or sweet potato tempura, the bowl was built around interesting seasonal vegetables: beef and pea shoots, sweet manganji peppers stuffed with Gulf shrimp, and pork tenderloin wrapped around a stack of green beans and eggplant. We marveled at the deep-frying precision that allowed us to bite cleanly through each crisp bundle of meat and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of the cross section of beef-wrapped pea shoot tempura.\" class=\"wp-image-13994426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tempura was a showcase for Uchida’s deep-frying skills.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of the cross section of beef-wrapped pea shoot tempura.\" class=\"wp-image-13994426\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tempura was a showcase for Uchida’s deep-frying skills.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, most Japanese restaurants tend to specialize in clearly defined categories of dishes — the tempuras and sushi rolls and assorted grilled skewers. But even as Uchida works within those same basic frameworks, the cooking at Plenty+ feels more modern and idiosyncratic, like what you’d find at a little unmarked izakaya you might stumble upon in some alleyway in Japan.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, most Japanese restaurants tend to specialize in clearly defined categories of dishes — the tempuras and sushi rolls and assorted grilled skewers. But even as Uchida works within those same basic frameworks, the cooking at Plenty+ feels more modern and idiosyncratic, like what you’d find at a little unmarked izakaya you might stumble upon in some alleyway in Japan.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Plenty+ days, Lin plays the part of “server and glorified dishwasher,” as he puts it. But the service, too, is part of what makes the meal feel so special and intimate. Lin says they intentionally stagger their \u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">reservations\u003c/a> so there are no more than a couple of tables at a time. Every time he dropped off a dish for us, he’d spend several minutes offering detailed commentary about the provenance of the ingredients (e.g., the young ginger you can only procure at the farmers market at 5 a.m.) and the specific precepts of cooking wizardry deployed. “Take the shiso leaf and slap it in your hand before adding it to the cocktail,” he instructed us at one point. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Plenty+ days, Lin plays the part of “server and glorified dishwasher,” as he puts it. But the service, too, is part of what makes the meal feel so special and intimate. Lin says they intentionally stagger their \u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">reservations\u003c/a> so there are no more than a couple of tables at a time. Every time he dropped off a dish for us, he’d spend several minutes offering detailed commentary about the provenance of the ingredients (e.g., the young ginger you can only procure at the farmers market at 5 a.m.) and the specific precepts of cooking wizardry deployed. “Take the shiso leaf and slap it in your hand before adding it to the cocktail,” he instructed us at one point. \u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Two small jars of bright purple shaved ice.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg\" alt=\"Two small jars of bright purple shaved ice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dessert was Kyoho grape granita served over lemon-thyme sponge cake.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg\" alt=\"Two small jars of bright purple shaved ice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994427\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dessert was Kyoho grape granita served over lemon-thyme sponge cake.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of narration you expect at a fine dining restaurant — but in a jeans-and-hoodies kind of setting and, while not inexpensive at $80 a person, a much lower price point than what you’d pay for a comparably delicious, labor-intensive tasting menu at a fancier Japanese restaurant. Lin says they’re able to keep the price relatively low because he and Uchida are the only ones who work the pop-ups. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of narration you expect at a fine dining restaurant — but in a jeans-and-hoodies kind of setting and, while not inexpensive at $80 a person, a much lower price point than what you’d pay for a comparably delicious, labor-intensive tasting menu at a fancier Japanese restaurant. Lin says they’re able to keep the price relatively low because he and Uchida are the only ones who work the pop-ups. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As soon as one month’s edition is over, Uchida immediately starts planning for the next.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Oct. 10–11, Uchida is serving her version of another comfort food classic: stuffed cabbage rolls served in a clear broth. The rest of the menu is a work in progress, but Lin says they’re trying to source hatahata (sandfish) and sanma (Pacific saury) from Japan to make karaage and sashimi, respectively. Dessert is chestnut cake with roasted apple ice cream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Oct. 10–11, Uchida is serving her version of another comfort food classic: stuffed cabbage rolls served in a clear broth. The rest of the menu is a work in progress, but Lin says they’re trying to source hatahata (sandfish) and sanma (Pacific saury) from Japan to make karaage and sashimi, respectively. Dessert is chestnut cake with roasted apple ice cream.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But as far as how it all gets plated,” Lin says, “it’s always a surprise.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/plenty-plus\">\u003cem>Plenty+\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> takes place roughly one weekend a month, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., at Plenty (1825 San Pablo Ave., Oakland). The next edition will be on Oct. 10 and 11. The current price is $80 per person; \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">\u003cem>advance reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are required.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/plenty-plus\">\u003cem>Plenty+\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> takes place roughly one weekend a month, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., at Plenty (1825 San Pablo Ave., Oakland). The next edition will be on Oct. 10 and 11. The current price is $80 per person; \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">\u003cem>advance reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are required.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The monthly prix-fixe feasts at Plenty Plus are the brainchild of chef Asuka Uchida.",
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"title": "Plenty Plus Is Oakland's Most Delicious Japanese Pop-Up | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>During the week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyoakland/\">Plenty\u003c/a> is an understated little cafe that has become a lunchtime staple for scores of Uptown Oakland office workers. Regulars might come two or three times a week to get their fix of butter-miso salmon, avocado toast or any of a half-dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/japanese-food\">Japanese\u003c/a>-inflected grain bowls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In other words: It’s a lovely everyday restaurant. But not exactly someplace you’d think to go for a special celebration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When I visited Plenty on a Sunday afternoon in August, however, I experienced the most elegant multi-course Japanese meal I’d eaten in many months. The airiest tempura, made with seasonal farmers market vegetables. Pristine sashimi. A tuna’s head picked clean and gelatinized to form the most amazing maguro “head cheese.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dish after artfully plated dish came out, all served in a casual, intimate setting. Every other table, except one, was empty the whole time we were there. It felt like we were dining in a friend’s living room — if said friend’s bar happened to be stocked with a killer sake and shochu collection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a tempura rice bowl, artfully drizzled with thick soy sauce.\" class=\"wp-image-13994424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-tempura-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chef Asuka Uchida’s take on ten-don, or a tempura rice bowl. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, this special prix-fixe lunch pop-up, known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/plentyplusoakland/\">Plenty Plus\u003c/a> (or Plenty+), takes over the restaurant just one Saturday and Sunday each month. It comes courtesy of chef Asuka Uchida, whose cooking I’ve gone out of my way to seek since her days at B-Dama, where she made the most comforting pork belly and mizuna hot pot. Later, at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/fish-and-bird-izakaya-closing-22264629.php\">recently closed\u003c/a> Fish & Bird Izakaya, her gravy-drenched hamburg steak was my single favorite pandemic-era heat-and-eat dish. Over the past decade, she’s quietly made a name for herself as one of the Bay Area’s most respected Japanese chefs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Uchida and Plenty owner and co-chef Jack Lin came up with the idea for Plenty+ in 2025, after Uchida had already been working at Plenty for a couple of years. She’d taken the job after suffering a knee injury at Fish & Bird, and the more casual cafe gig offered some respite from the 13-hour shifts she used to work. Lin, who describes himself as Uchida’s “biggest fan,” says the food on Plenty’s day-to-day menu became much more refined as soon as she came on board. But he also felt like it was a waste for such a skilled chef to spend her days \u003cem>only\u003c/em> cooking katsu bowls and fried chicken sandwiches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I wanted to showcase her talents,” Lin says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the two began to plan occasional pop-ups on weekends, when the restaurant is normally closed. Lin gave Uchida full creative control over the more upscale prix-fixe meals (currently priced at $80 a person). She builds each month’s menu out of seafood that’s in season at Tokyo’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyosu_Market\">Toyosu Market\u003c/a> and whatever produce catches her eye at the Old Oakland farmers market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I never make the same dish twice,” Uchida says. “It’s my feeling every time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of dark miso soup loaded with assorted green vegetables.\" class=\"wp-image-13994425\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-miso-soup-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The soup base was dark, savory Hatcho miso and a dashi made with both bonito and dried flying fish shavings. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During my lunch visit, the meal started with a trio of cold dishes. There was toothsome \u003ca href=\"https://tsurizukan.com/en/fish/isaki/\">Isaki\u003c/a> (chicken grunt) sashimi topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and a slurry of numbing sansho pepper. There was an extra-jiggly version of chawanmushi crowned with sweet, peak-season Hokkaido uni. My favorite was the aforementioned head cheese — a thunder blast of earthy umami with squishy, pleasingly gelatinous bits from the fish’s eyes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every dish had some element of surprise and delight. The second course was probably the most texturally interesting bowl of miso soup I’ve ever eaten, loaded with spongy taro stems, a super-slippery variety of seaweed and the wispy tendrils of a kabocha squash plant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the entree, Uchida served her take on a tempura rice bowl, or ten-don. Instead of your standard shrimp or sweet potato tempura, the bowl was built around interesting seasonal vegetables: beef and pea shoots, sweet manganji peppers stuffed with Gulf shrimp, and pork tenderloin wrapped around a stack of green beans and eggplant. We marveled at the deep-frying precision that allowed us to bite cleanly through each crisp bundle of meat and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of the cross section of beef-wrapped pea shoot tempura.\" class=\"wp-image-13994426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-beef-and-pea-shoot-tempura-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The tempura was a showcase for Uchida’s deep-frying skills. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, most Japanese restaurants tend to specialize in clearly defined categories of dishes — the tempuras and sushi rolls and assorted grilled skewers. But even as Uchida works within those same basic frameworks, the cooking at Plenty+ feels more modern and idiosyncratic, like what you’d find at a little unmarked izakaya you might stumble upon in some alleyway in Japan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Plenty+ days, Lin plays the part of “server and glorified dishwasher,” as he puts it. But the service, too, is part of what makes the meal feel so special and intimate. Lin says they intentionally stagger their \u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">reservations\u003c/a> so there are no more than a couple of tables at a time. Every time he dropped off a dish for us, he’d spend several minutes offering detailed commentary about the provenance of the ingredients (e.g., the young ginger you can only procure at the farmers market at 5 a.m.) and the specific precepts of cooking wizardry deployed. “Take the shiso leaf and slap it in your hand before adding it to the cocktail,” he instructed us at one point. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg\" alt=\"Two small jars of bright purple shaved ice.\" class=\"wp-image-13994427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/plenty-plus-dessert-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dessert was Kyoho grape granita served over lemon-thyme sponge cake. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of narration you expect at a fine dining restaurant — but in a jeans-and-hoodies kind of setting and, while not inexpensive at $80 a person, a much lower price point than what you’d pay for a comparably delicious, labor-intensive tasting menu at a fancier Japanese restaurant. Lin says they’re able to keep the price relatively low because he and Uchida are the only ones who work the pop-ups. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As soon as one month’s edition is over, Uchida immediately starts planning for the next.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Oct. 10–11, Uchida is serving her version of another comfort food classic: stuffed cabbage rolls served in a clear broth. The rest of the menu is a work in progress, but Lin says they’re trying to source hatahata (sandfish) and sanma (Pacific saury) from Japan to make karaage and sashimi, respectively. Dessert is chestnut cake with roasted apple ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But as far as how it all gets plated,” Lin says, “it’s always a surprise.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/plenty-plus\">\u003cem>Plenty+\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> takes place roughly one weekend a month, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., at Plenty (1825 San Pablo Ave., Oakland). The next edition will be on Oct. 10 and 11. The current price is $80 per person; \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://plentyoakland.wixsite.com/website/reservations\">\u003cem>advance reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are required.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "on-calfresh-you-can-once-again-get-60-of-free-fruits-and-vegetables-monthly-for-a-limited-time",
"title": "On CalFresh? You Can Once Again Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Monthly — for a Limited Time",
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"headTitle": "On CalFresh? You Can Once Again Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Monthly — for a Limited Time | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A paused state program providing extra money for families to buy fruits and vegetables if they use CalFresh — California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — is up and running again, for now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> works like this: When customers purchase food at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">participating markets\u003c/a>, they just swipe their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. For every purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables with that card, up to $60, customers receive an instant rebate each month applied to the card. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This makes any produce purchased with an EBT card effectively free at the register — and leaves the customer with more funds left on their card that they can then spend on any other items covered by CalFresh. Check out KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">detailed guide on how to use the program\u003c/a> if you have an EBT card. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program was suspended in June due to lack of funds, and food security advocates began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086730/a-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families-is-running-out\">ringing the alarm\u003c/a> about the program’s long-term future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in July, Fremont Assemblymember Alex Lee announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089686/funding-secured-for-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families\">$20 million had been set aside\u003c/a> in the 2026-27 state budget to keep the program alive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The revived program, which restarts Thursday, “will be running very slowly, as it has always,” said Grecia Marquez-Nieblas, senior manager at food policy nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.fullwell.us/fruit-vegetable-supplemental-benefits\">Fullwell\u003c/a>, which helps administer the program. “There will be no changes. They’ll still be able to earn [that] $60 per month.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marquez-Nieblas emphasized that recipients do not need to sign up for anything, since the instant rebate is automatically applied to anyone on CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’ll be able to do their regular shopping,” she said. “All they have to do is to go to one of those participating locations.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over 80 locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Social Services’ website advises that participants call the location first to make sure it is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">still operating the program\u003c/a>, given the pause over the summer. But according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">CDSS,\u003c/a> the program “is not being expanded to new retail locations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Back for a limited time\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the funds that restarted the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program were a one-time allocation in the state’s budget, the program has only returned for an unspecified limited period. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates estimate it “will be running at least through the end of the year, perhaps into the early January before it pauses,” Marquez-Nieblas said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DSX8MAaD3Ky/\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the money being available now is nonetheless vital: Marquez-Nieblas said not having the program active during the summer was difficult for families — especially with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">kids out of school missing free breakfast and lunch meals\u003c/a>. At the time the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program was last operating in June, there were around 99,00 families participating across the state, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been hearing since June: ‘When is it going to come back? When will the program be active?’” she said. “I’m excited that we can have an answer now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can start getting those dollars out the door as soon as we can.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> works like this: When customers purchase food at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">participating markets\u003c/a>, they just swipe their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. For every purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables with that card, up to $60, customers receive an instant rebate each month applied to the card. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> works like this: When customers purchase food at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">participating markets\u003c/a>, they just swipe their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. For every purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables with that card, up to $60, customers receive an instant rebate each month applied to the card. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This makes any produce purchased with an EBT card effectively free at the register — and leaves the customer with more funds left on their card that they can then spend on any other items covered by CalFresh. Check out KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">detailed guide on how to use the program\u003c/a> if you have an EBT card. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This makes any produce purchased with an EBT card effectively free at the register — and leaves the customer with more funds left on their card that they can then spend on any other items covered by CalFresh. Check out KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">detailed guide on how to use the program\u003c/a> if you have an EBT card. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program was suspended in June due to lack of funds, and food security advocates began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086730/a-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families-is-running-out\">ringing the alarm\u003c/a> about the program’s long-term future. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in July, Fremont Assemblymember Alex Lee announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089686/funding-secured-for-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families\">$20 million had been set aside\u003c/a> in the 2026-27 state budget to keep the program alive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But in July, Fremont Assemblymember Alex Lee announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089686/funding-secured-for-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families\">$20 million had been set aside\u003c/a> in the 2026-27 state budget to keep the program alive. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The revived program, which restarts Thursday, “will be running very slowly, as it has always,” said Grecia Marquez-Nieblas, senior manager at food policy nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.fullwell.us/fruit-vegetable-supplemental-benefits\">Fullwell\u003c/a>, which helps administer the program. “There will be no changes. They’ll still be able to earn [that] $60 per month.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The revived program, which restarts Thursday, “will be running very slowly, as it has always,” said Grecia Marquez-Nieblas, senior manager at food policy nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.fullwell.us/fruit-vegetable-supplemental-benefits\">Fullwell\u003c/a>, which helps administer the program. “There will be no changes. They’ll still be able to earn [that] $60 per month.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marquez-Nieblas emphasized that recipients do not need to sign up for anything, since the instant rebate is automatically applied to anyone on CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Marquez-Nieblas emphasized that recipients do not need to sign up for anything, since the instant rebate is automatically applied to anyone on CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over 80 locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Department of Social Services’ website advises that participants call the location first to make sure it is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">still operating the program\u003c/a>, given the pause over the summer. But according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">CDSS,\u003c/a> the program “is not being expanded to new retail locations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the money being available now is nonetheless vital: Marquez-Nieblas said not having the program active during the summer was difficult for families — especially with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">kids out of school missing free breakfast and lunch meals\u003c/a>. At the time the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program was last operating in June, there were around 99,00 families participating across the state, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A program dedicated to providing low-income California residents with extra money for fruits and vegetables has returned this month after facing financial troubles this summer.\n",
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"title": "On CalFresh? You Can Once Again Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Monthly — for a Limited Time | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A paused state program providing extra money for families to buy fruits and vegetables if they use CalFresh — California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — is up and running again, for now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> works like this: When customers purchase food at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">participating markets\u003c/a>, they just swipe their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. For every purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables with that card, up to $60, customers receive an instant rebate each month applied to the card. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This makes any produce purchased with an EBT card effectively free at the register — and leaves the customer with more funds left on their card that they can then spend on any other items covered by CalFresh. Check out KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">detailed guide on how to use the program\u003c/a> if you have an EBT card. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program was suspended in June due to lack of funds, and food security advocates began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086730/a-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families-is-running-out\">ringing the alarm\u003c/a> about the program’s long-term future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in July, Fremont Assemblymember Alex Lee announced that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089686/funding-secured-for-california-program-providing-fruits-and-veggies-to-low-income-families\">$20 million had been set aside\u003c/a> in the 2026-27 state budget to keep the program alive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The revived program, which restarts Thursday, “will be running very slowly, as it has always,” said Grecia Marquez-Nieblas, senior manager at food policy nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.fullwell.us/fruit-vegetable-supplemental-benefits\">Fullwell\u003c/a>, which helps administer the program. “There will be no changes. They’ll still be able to earn [that] $60 per month.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marquez-Nieblas emphasized that recipients do not need to sign up for anything, since the instant rebate is automatically applied to anyone on CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’ll be able to do their regular shopping,” she said. “All they have to do is to go to one of those participating locations.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over 80 locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Social Services’ website advises that participants call the location first to make sure it is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">still operating the program\u003c/a>, given the pause over the summer. But according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">CDSS,\u003c/a> the program “is not being expanded to new retail locations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Back for a limited time\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the funds that restarted the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program were a one-time allocation in the state’s budget, the program has only returned for an unspecified limited period. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates estimate it “will be running at least through the end of the year, perhaps into the early January before it pauses,” Marquez-Nieblas said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the money being available now is nonetheless vital: Marquez-Nieblas said not having the program active during the summer was difficult for families — especially with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">kids out of school missing free breakfast and lunch meals\u003c/a>. At the time the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program was last operating in June, there were around 99,00 families participating across the state, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been hearing since June: ‘When is it going to come back? When will the program be active?’” she said. “I’m excited that we can have an answer now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can start getting those dollars out the door as soon as we can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "puerto-rican-restaurant-fire-oakland-reopening-two-star-market-dimond",
"title": "After a Devastating Fire, Oakland’s Only Puerto Rican Restaurant Returns to Its Roots",
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"headTitle": "After a Devastating Fire, Oakland’s Only Puerto Rican Restaurant Returns to Its Roots | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Even the most suspenseful \u003ca href=\"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preparing-for-my-netflix-documentary\">Netflix docuseries\u003c/a> would be hard-pressed to match the tumultuous, up-and-down career of chef Eric Rivera. In the 2010s, Rivera co-founded Borinquen Soul, one of Oakland’s first and most beloved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/puerto-rico\">Puerto Rican\u003c/a> food businesses — and then, at the peak of his success, wound up spending seven years in jail and state prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977950/puerto-rican-restaurant-oakland-borinquen-soul-eric-rivera-comeback-santa-rita-jail\">for a crime he says he didn’t commit\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of a burned building.\" class=\"wp-image-13994222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The charred remains of part of the restaurant. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg\" alt=\"Remains of a restaurant's back patio after a fire, with a banner and a Puerto Rican flag fallen to the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-13994221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of the damage to the restaurant’s backyard after the fire. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘Bro, this is your kitchen. This is where you started your first takeout. Come back,’” Rivera recalls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Chef in a red jacket ladles chicken stew into a large aluminum catering tray.\" class=\"wp-image-13977967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rivera prepares a tray of pollo guisado, a stewed chicken dish for a catering order. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a convenience store lit up at night.\" class=\"wp-image-13994223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two Star Market in March 2025, when a different restaurant operated the kitchen inside. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Chef in a red jacket ladles chicken stew into a large aluminum catering tray.\" class=\"wp-image-13977967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rivera prepares a tray of pollo guisado, a stewed chicken dish for a catering order.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a convenience store lit up at night.\" class=\"wp-image-13994223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two Star Market in March 2025, when a different restaurant operated the kitchen inside.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-1152x1536.jpg 1152w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen at its original corner store location in the Dimond District.",
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"title": "After Fire, Oakland’s Only Puerto Rican Restaurant Reopens in a Corner Store | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Even the most suspenseful \u003ca href=\"https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preparing-for-my-netflix-documentary\">Netflix docuseries\u003c/a> would be hard-pressed to match the tumultuous, up-and-down career of chef Eric Rivera. In the 2010s, Rivera co-founded Borinquen Soul, one of Oakland’s first and most beloved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/puerto-rico\">Puerto Rican\u003c/a> food businesses — and then, at the peak of his success, wound up spending seven years in jail and state prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977950/puerto-rican-restaurant-oakland-borinquen-soul-eric-rivera-comeback-santa-rita-jail\">for a crime he says he didn’t commit\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, a year after the chef’s triumphant return with a new restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/a>, disaster has struck again. A few weeks ago, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc4uUK3Ghpp/\">huge fire\u003c/a> broke out behind the East Oakland restaurant, destroying its back wall, its newly remodeled backyard (designed to look like a traditional Puerto Rican house, or “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/realestate/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-casita.html\">casita\u003c/a>”), its walk-in fridge and Rivera’s personal office. All told, it’ll be a minimum of six to eight months of repairs before Rivera can even think about reopening what is, for the time being, the only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For fans of Puerto Rican Street Cuisine’s fragrant arroz con gandules and garlicky, slow-roasted pernil, there is a sliver of good news. It didn’t take Rivera long to find a new, temporary location for the restaurant — and there’s a bit of poetic symmetry to it as well. On Oct. 3, Puerto Rican Street Cuisine will reopen inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/2starmarket_oakland/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> in Oakland’s Dimond District. That’s the exact same corner store where Rivera opened his first restaurant, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/borinquen-soul-dishes-out-puerto-rican-grandma-food-inside-an-oakland-convenience-store-2-1/\">Borinquen Soul\u003c/a>, more than a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg\" alt=\"The charred remains of a burned building.\" class=\"wp-image-13994222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The charred remains of part of the restaurant. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13994221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg\" alt=\"Remains of a restaurant's back patio after a fire, with a banner and a Puerto Rican flag fallen to the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-13994221\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/puerto-rican-street-cuisine-fire-2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A view of the damage to the restaurant’s backyard after the fire. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As it turns out, the owner of Two Star Market had recently started looking for a new tenant for the small kitchen inside the convenience store. When he heard about the fire, he reached out to Rivera right away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘Bro, this is your kitchen. This is where you started your first takeout. Come back,’” Rivera recalls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, the new restaurant will be a homecoming of sorts. As Rivera puts it, “I know this neighborhood loves me.” And though he’ll be constrained by the limited kitchen setup, he still plans on offering more or less the full Puerto Rican Street Cuisine menu. He’ll offer all of his combo plates, including the fan favorite pollo encebollado (grilled chicken with caramelized onions), served on a bed of white rice or yellow rice flecked with pigeon peas. He’ll have alpacurrias (stuffed plantain fritters) and Puerto Rican–style empanadas, and pasteles for the holidays. He’ll sell pernil, Puerto Rico’s iconic crispy-skinned roast pork dish, every day the restaurant is open.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Chef in a red jacket ladles chicken stew into a large aluminum catering tray.\" class=\"wp-image-13977967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/Puerto-Rican-Street-Cuisine_EG_15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rivera prepares a tray of pollo guisado, a stewed chicken dish for a catering order. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Importantly, securing a new kitchen so quickly means Rivera won’t have to cancel the dozens of catering gigs he’s already booked for the coming months. And because the convenience store is open late, he plans to keep his kitchen open for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">night owls\u003c/a> as well, selling food from noon to midnight six days a week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for his flagship East Oakland location on 23rd Avenue, Rivera says he’s just thankful that no one was hurt: “Anything that was lost can be replaced.” The fire happened on a Friday afternoon, when the restaurant was open for lunch service. According to Rivera, the fire department’s preliminary assessment was that it started outside, behind the restaurant, due to a power cord that overheated and erupted in flames.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a convenience store lit up at night.\" class=\"wp-image-13994223\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/two-star-market-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two Star Market in March 2025, when a different restaurant operated the kitchen inside. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the biggest setback, Rivera says, is that he’d only just opened up the restaurant’s backyard to customers on weekends. He’d put a cigar lounge back there and set the whole thing up to look like diners had been transported to Puerto Rico, including the facade of a little yellow house, which he’d dubbed “La Casita.” (Miraculously, he says, the casita is the only structure in the backyard that didn’t burn down.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We converted the space to look beautiful,” Rivera says. “On weekends, customers would come all the way from Watsonville and Redding. I had weddings booked.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg\" alt=\"Facade of a yellow traditional Puerto Rican style house, with two plastic patio chairs in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/la-casita-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“La Casita,” in its pre-fire glory. (Courtesy of Eric Rivera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, while Rivera has signed a lease to stay in the Two Star Market for at least a year, his long-term goal is to reopen the East Oakland restaurant as a gathering place for the community. And he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to make it happen. After all, in the course of Rivera’s rise-and-fall-and-rise-again career, he says he’s always tried to look for the silver lining.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could be positive or you could be negative,” he says. “I choose to get up every day and keep going, man.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanstreetcuisine/\">\u003cem>Puerto Rican Street Cuisine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at Two Star Market will open on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a grand opening promotion of a free empanadilla with the purchase of a combo plate. The corner store location will be open from roughly noon to midnight six days a week — it will be closed on either Sundays or Mondays, exact hours TBD.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You might think that corn tortilla from your favorite Mexican restaurant is as good as it gets, but chances are it’s made from a mass-produced corn powder. But fear not! A better corn tortilla exists and has existed for thousands of years. All you need is fresh corn and an ancient science that’s almost as old as civilization itself!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to Emmanuel Galvan, owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.bolitamasa.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bolita Masa\u003c/a>, for unlocking the magic of corn tortillas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Subscribe to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@KQEDFood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KQED Food’s YouTube channel\u003c/a> to watch more Beyond The Menu videos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read more:\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://masienda.com/products/masa-book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Masa by Jorge Gaviria\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/what-is-nixtamal-article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What is nixtamal?\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.31.526540v1.full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How corn became corn\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://grist.org/technology/masa/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How the corn tortilla went corporate\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/masa-masters-texas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The masters of masa\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>About Beyond The Menu:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nThe story of the food on your plate is more than just the recipe. Each ingredient and every cooking technique goes back hundreds if not thousands of years, traversing the globe on a wildly delicious cross-cultural adventure. In KQED’s new digital food series Beyond The Menu, host Cecilia Phillips interviews chefs, authors, and other experts to dig up surprising facts on the cultural pathways of today’s trendiest dishes. It’s a history show, it’s a mystery series, it’s a celebration of multicultural cuisine, sometimes it’s even a science program, all set against the backdrop of mouth-watering food cinematography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a fresh Emmy win, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is back with a new round of episodes for its 21st season! This fall, indulge in all of the insider dining tips that our guests shared around the table with host Leslie Sbrocco. Our culinary delights begin with cozy Chinese comfort food in Berkeley, live-fire cooked American fare in Redwood City and house-made sausages paired with a selection of beers in San Francisco.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The James Beard and Emmy-Award winning series will also feature Pakistani-style barbecue, modern Turkish fare served alongside fresh mezes and many more Bay Area bites that you won’t want to miss. To add to the fun, reporter Cecilia Phillips explores olive oil production at Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company and samples the unusual produce picks offered at the Vallejo Farmers’ Market.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dig into four brand-new episodes, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Thursdays at 7:30 PM on KQED 9, starting October 29.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a peek at what’s cooking:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFOWuSjuQ-0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>October 29\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In\u003c/span>\u003cb> Berkeley\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u003c/span>\u003cb> Impression of Lanzhou\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dishes up plates of Chinese comfort food featuring hand-pulled noodles. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Hurrica\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>Redwood City\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, guests dig into contemporary American fare cooked by a live fire, alongside harbor views.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Rosamunde Sausage Company\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in\u003c/span>\u003cb> San Francisco\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s Mission District, Oktoberfest vibes are on tap year round with rustic sausages and a selection of German and local brews. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>November 5\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Fremont\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Bundoo Khan\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fires up the grill to cook up authentic Pakistani-style barbecue.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Danville\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Bungalow on Rose\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves both coastal Thai delights and traditional noodle dishes.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At\u003c/span>\u003cb> Volpi’s\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>Petaluma\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, generations of locals enjoy the speakeasy bar and traditional Italian comfort food \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>November 12\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli 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aria-level=\"1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Turquaz\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Francisco\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s SoMa neighborhood, an incredible assortment of Turkish baklavas, and pastries are baked daily and served alongside housemade mezes. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a restaurant you think deserves the spotlight? 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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a fresh Emmy win, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is back with a new round of episodes for its 21st season! This fall, indulge in all of the insider dining tips that our guests shared around the table with host Leslie Sbrocco. Our culinary delights begin with cozy Chinese comfort food in Berkeley, live-fire cooked American fare in Redwood City and house-made sausages paired with a selection of beers in San Francisco.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The James Beard and Emmy-Award winning series will also feature Pakistani-style barbecue, modern Turkish fare served alongside fresh mezes and many more Bay Area bites that you won’t want to miss. To add to the fun, reporter Cecilia Phillips explores olive oil production at Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company and samples the unusual produce picks offered at the Vallejo Farmers’ Market.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dig into four brand-new episodes, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Thursdays at 7:30 PM on KQED 9, starting October 29.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a peek at what’s cooking:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/lFOWuSjuQ-0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/lFOWuSjuQ-0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n 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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area, \u003c/em>season 21, episode 8, airs Thursday, August 13, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=14084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">television airtimes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Napa, \u003cstrong>La Cheve Bakery and Brews\u003c/strong> offers big brunches, craft beers and creative cocktails with a Mexican twist. Our guests indulge in classic chilaquiles, fresh ceviche, and creative takes on Mexican pastries, like the arroz con leche-stuffed concha. Over in El Sobrante, guests enjoy Indian, Nepalese and American bar bites at \u003cstrong>Copper Mug\u003c/strong>, a lively spot centered on community connection. The restaurant serves juicy wings in a variety of flavors, crispy fried catfish and chips, veggie momos alongside their specialty Moscow mules. The adventure wraps up in Alameda at \u003cstrong>Bacogai\u003c/strong>, a Vietnamese hot pot spot founded on friendship. Guests dine on hot pot with fall-off-the-bone, slow-cooked oxtail, crispy Mama Rose’s crab cha gio and Bacogai chicken wings, and wash it all down with barley iced tea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_23874\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/08/2108_b.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/08/2108_b.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/08/2108_b-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/08/2108_b-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/08/2108_b-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco joins guests Tamar Weir, Tamla Robinson and Fabian Ma from KQED in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;\">Get Restaurant Information:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ilovelacheve.com/\">\u003cstrong>La Cheve\u003c/strong> (Napa)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/copper_mug_elsobrante/\">\u003cstrong>Copper Mug\u003c/strong> (El Sobrante)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://bacogai.com/\">\u003cstrong>Bacogai \u003c/strong>(Alameda)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area, \u003c/em>season 21, episode 6, airs Thursday, July 30, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=14084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">television airtimes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our guests start in Half Moon Bay, where \u003cstrong>Cantina at San Benito House\u003c/strong> serves classic Mexican fare inside one of the town’s oldest buildings. Diners dig into Baja-style fish tacos, shrimp ceviche, chicken chili verde and massive enchilada-style carne asada burritos. The journey continues in Milpitas at \u003cstrong>Wah Jee Wah\u003c/strong>, an open-flame Indian spot where smoky skewers, lamb chops, and chicken tikka share the table with chaat favorites like aloo tikki and masala mac. Finally, in San Francisco’s Mission District, \u003cstrong>Buddy\u003c/strong> offers a relaxed, neighborhood-bar vibe with thoughtful small plates and a curated beverage list featuring natural wines. Guests enjoy dishes like steamed clams with Chinese sausage and fennel, fried chicken wings kissed with passion fruit and fish sauce, and trumpet mushrooms drizzled with truffle honey and walnut salsa macha.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_23855\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23855 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco joins guests Robert David, Monisha Bajaj and Isabella Alcaraz from KQED in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;\">Get Restaurant Information:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sanbenitohouse.com/cantina\">\u003cstrong>Cantina at San Benito House\u003c/strong> (Half Moon Bay)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mywahjeewah.com/\">\u003cstrong>Wah Jee Wah\u003c/strong> (Milpitas)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.buddythebar.com/\">\u003cstrong>Buddy \u003c/strong>(San Francisco)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area, \u003c/em>season 21, episode 6, airs Thursday, July 30, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=14084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">television airtimes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our guests start in Half Moon Bay, where \u003cstrong>Cantina at San Benito House\u003c/strong> serves classic Mexican fare inside one of the town’s oldest buildings. Diners dig into Baja-style fish tacos, shrimp ceviche, chicken chili verde and massive enchilada-style carne asada burritos. The journey continues in Milpitas at \u003cstrong>Wah Jee Wah\u003c/strong>, an open-flame Indian spot where smoky skewers, lamb chops, and chicken tikka share the table with chaat favorites like aloo tikki and masala mac. Finally, in San Francisco’s Mission District, \u003cstrong>Buddy\u003c/strong> offers a relaxed, neighborhood-bar vibe with thoughtful small plates and a curated beverage list featuring natural wines. Guests enjoy dishes like steamed clams with Chinese sausage and fennel, fried chicken wings kissed with passion fruit and fish sauce, and trumpet mushrooms drizzled with truffle honey and walnut salsa macha.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_23855\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23855 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2106_b-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco joins guests Robert David, Monisha Bajaj and Isabella Alcaraz from KQED in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;\">Get Restaurant Information:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sanbenitohouse.com/cantina\">\u003cstrong>Cantina at San Benito House\u003c/strong> (Half Moon Bay)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mywahjeewah.com/\">\u003cstrong>Wah Jee Wah\u003c/strong> (Milpitas)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.buddythebar.com/\">\u003cstrong>Buddy \u003c/strong>(San Francisco)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Lunch Box, The Mill at Glen Ellen, Carabao",
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"headTitle": "Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Lunch Box, The Mill at Glen Ellen, Carabao | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area, \u003c/em>season 21, episode 5, airs Thursday, July 23, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=14084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">television airtimes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check, Please! Bay Area heads to Wine Country! In Sebastopol, guests dig into stacked burgers and over-the-top sandwiches at \u003cstrong>Lunch Box\u003c/strong>, a Sonoma County spot known for big flavor and even bigger appetites. They try the Oklahoma fried onion burger, a griddled mortadella sando and dirty fries topped with bacon and confit garlic. Over in Glen Ellen, guests dine at \u003cstrong>The Mill at Glen Ellen\u003c/strong>, a historic restaurant serving American and Mediterranean comfort food with scenic Sonoma charm. The table fills up with grilled prawns with chimichurri, vegetarian pizzas, and Malaysian laksa. The adventure wraps up in Napa at \u003cstrong>Carabao\u003c/strong>, where chef Jade Cunningham brings bold Filipino flavors and fine dining technique to Wine Country. Guests feast on lumpia, sizzling sisig, pansit palabok, crispy kare kare and cassava cake. And in this week’s “Cecilia Tries It,” Cecilia Phillips follows the \u003cstrong>Napa Taco Trail\u003c/strong> for a taste of the valley’s tortilla-wrapped treasures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_23833\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23833\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco joins guests Reino Cruz, Jenifer Griffin and Devin Scharff from KQED in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;\">Get Restaurant Information:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://lunchboxsonomacounty.com/\">\u003cstrong>Lunch Box\u003c/strong> (Sebastopol)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://themillatglenellen.com/\">\u003cstrong>The Mill at Glen Ellen\u003c/strong> (Glen Ellen)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://carabaonapa.com/\">\u003cstrong>Carabao \u003c/strong>(Napa)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitnapavalley.com/blog/post/the-napa-valley-taco-trail/\">\u003cstrong>Napa Taco Trail \u003c/strong>(Napa)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_20123\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-20123\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/04/Leslie-Headshot-Smokey-copy-800x540.jpg\" alt=\"Host Leslie Sbrocco sipping wine\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco sipping wine \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Leslie Sbrocco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My name is Leslie Sbrocco, and I’m the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/host-biography/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">host\u003c/a> of \u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/em>. Each week, I’ll share my tasting notes about the wine, beer and spirits the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES.png 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\">After a decades-long career visiting wineries around the globe, I find it takes something special to really excite me. My recent visit to V. Sattui in Napa Valley had me smiling with joy. I hadn’t been to the property in nearly 20 years and finally decided it was time to revisit this historic destination on its 50th anniversary. It’s hard to miss the winery while driving along the valley’s main thoroughfare, Highway 29. The sprawling lawn, dotted with smiling visitors at picnic tables, children running around laughing and dogs frolicking in the grass, is framed by a distinguished old stone building surrounded by vines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The winery’s history dates to 1885, when Italian immigrant Vittorio Sattui set up a wine shop in downtown San Francisco. During Prohibition, the small operation ceased, but in 1975, Vittorio’s great-grandson, Dario Sattui, brought the family business back to life in Napa Valley. Today, it is one of the best spots to visit. Its recently renovated market, Mercato del Gusto, is a hot spot for tasting its extensive wine offerings, noshing on gourmet sandwiches and cheese platters, and even enjoying custom chocolates and gelato from on-site chefs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Head there Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to enjoy a free tasting flight of three wines, a rarity in Napa Valley these days. The extensive list of wines it makes is impressive and offers something for everyone, from complex dry reds to unique whites and even sparkling, sweet and nonalcoholic options. Check out the wine roster and tasting experiences at \u003ca href=\"http://www.VSattui.com\">www.VSattui.com\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are several standout bottlings from my recent visit:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #339966;\">\u003cstrong>V. Sattui 2022 Cabernet Franc\u003c/strong>\u003c/span>\u003cbr />\nAlexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, $80\u003cbr />\nAs a fan of Cabernet Franc, I’m constantly on the lookout for new bottles of the classic variety. A centuries-old vine from France’s Bordeaux region, Cabernet Franc is one of the parents (the other being the white grape Sauvignon Blanc) of the noted red grape Cabernet Sauvignon. V. Sattui’s expression showcases sultry aromas of dark fruits, tea leaves and rose petals. Once you sip it, the earthy, savory notes are layered with a lush yet lovely texture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #339966;\">\u003cstrong>V. Sattui 2025 Chenin Blanc\u003c/strong>\u003c/span>\u003cbr />\nLos Carneros, Napa Valley, California, $38\u003cbr />\nLooking for a perfect white to quench your thirst regardless of the season? This one is it. Chenin Blanc is a grape known in France’s Loire Valley, but it’s also grown in limited amounts in California. V. Sattui’s vineyard in the cool Los Carneros growing area, which straddles Napa and Sonoma, gives the vines plenty of time to ripen while maintaining acidity and freshness. Crisp and juicy with hints of citrus and orange blossom, it’s enchanting to smell and sip.\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "Check, Please! Bay Area reviews: Lunch Box, The Mill at Glen Ellen, Carabao | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area, \u003c/em>season 21, episode 5, airs Thursday, July 23, at 7:30 pm, on KQED 9. See other \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=14084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">television airtimes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check, Please! Bay Area heads to Wine Country! In Sebastopol, guests dig into stacked burgers and over-the-top sandwiches at \u003cstrong>Lunch Box\u003c/strong>, a Sonoma County spot known for big flavor and even bigger appetites. They try the Oklahoma fried onion burger, a griddled mortadella sando and dirty fries topped with bacon and confit garlic. Over in Glen Ellen, guests dine at \u003cstrong>The Mill at Glen Ellen\u003c/strong>, a historic restaurant serving American and Mediterranean comfort food with scenic Sonoma charm. The table fills up with grilled prawns with chimichurri, vegetarian pizzas, and Malaysian laksa. The adventure wraps up in Napa at \u003cstrong>Carabao\u003c/strong>, where chef Jade Cunningham brings bold Filipino flavors and fine dining technique to Wine Country. Guests feast on lumpia, sizzling sisig, pansit palabok, crispy kare kare and cassava cake. And in this week’s “Cecilia Tries It,” Cecilia Phillips follows the \u003cstrong>Napa Taco Trail\u003c/strong> for a taste of the valley’s tortilla-wrapped treasures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_23833\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23833\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/06/2105_b_NAPA-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco joins guests Reino Cruz, Jenifer Griffin and Devin Scharff from KQED in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;\">Get Restaurant Information:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://lunchboxsonomacounty.com/\">\u003cstrong>Lunch Box\u003c/strong> (Sebastopol)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://themillatglenellen.com/\">\u003cstrong>The Mill at Glen Ellen\u003c/strong> (Glen Ellen)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://carabaonapa.com/\">\u003cstrong>Carabao \u003c/strong>(Napa)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitnapavalley.com/blog/post/the-napa-valley-taco-trail/\">\u003cstrong>Napa Taco Trail \u003c/strong>(Napa)\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_20123\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-20123\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/04/Leslie-Headshot-Smokey-copy-800x540.jpg\" alt=\"Host Leslie Sbrocco sipping wine\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Host Leslie Sbrocco sipping wine \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Leslie Sbrocco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>My name is Leslie Sbrocco, and I’m the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/host-biography/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">host\u003c/a> of \u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/em>. Each week, I’ll share my tasting notes about the wine, beer and spirits the guests and I drank on set during the taping of the show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23847\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES.png 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2026/07/2105_WINES-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\">After a decades-long career visiting wineries around the globe, I find it takes something special to really excite me. My recent visit to V. Sattui in Napa Valley had me smiling with joy. I hadn’t been to the property in nearly 20 years and finally decided it was time to revisit this historic destination on its 50th anniversary. It’s hard to miss the winery while driving along the valley’s main thoroughfare, Highway 29. The sprawling lawn, dotted with smiling visitors at picnic tables, children running around laughing and dogs frolicking in the grass, is framed by a distinguished old stone building surrounded by vines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The winery’s history dates to 1885, when Italian immigrant Vittorio Sattui set up a wine shop in downtown San Francisco. During Prohibition, the small operation ceased, but in 1975, Vittorio’s great-grandson, Dario Sattui, brought the family business back to life in Napa Valley. Today, it is one of the best spots to visit. Its recently renovated market, Mercato del Gusto, is a hot spot for tasting its extensive wine offerings, noshing on gourmet sandwiches and cheese platters, and even enjoying custom chocolates and gelato from on-site chefs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Head there Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to enjoy a free tasting flight of three wines, a rarity in Napa Valley these days. The extensive list of wines it makes is impressive and offers something for everyone, from complex dry reds to unique whites and even sparkling, sweet and nonalcoholic options. Check out the wine roster and tasting experiences at \u003ca href=\"http://www.VSattui.com\">www.VSattui.com\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are several standout bottlings from my recent visit:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #339966;\">\u003cstrong>V. Sattui 2022 Cabernet Franc\u003c/strong>\u003c/span>\u003cbr />\nAlexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, $80\u003cbr />\nAs a fan of Cabernet Franc, I’m constantly on the lookout for new bottles of the classic variety. A centuries-old vine from France’s Bordeaux region, Cabernet Franc is one of the parents (the other being the white grape Sauvignon Blanc) of the noted red grape Cabernet Sauvignon. V. Sattui’s expression showcases sultry aromas of dark fruits, tea leaves and rose petals. Once you sip it, the earthy, savory notes are layered with a lush yet lovely texture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #339966;\">\u003cstrong>V. Sattui 2025 Chenin Blanc\u003c/strong>\u003c/span>\u003cbr />\nLos Carneros, Napa Valley, California, $38\u003cbr />\nLooking for a perfect white to quench your thirst regardless of the season? This one is it. Chenin Blanc is a grape known in France’s Loire Valley, but it’s also grown in limited amounts in California. V. Sattui’s vineyard in the cool Los Carneros growing area, which straddles Napa and Sonoma, gives the vines plenty of time to ripen while maintaining acidity and freshness. Crisp and juicy with hints of citrus and orange blossom, it’s enchanting to smell and sip.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready for some summer dining inspiration? The James Beard and Emmy Award-winning series \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues its 21st season and heads north on July 23 for a Wine Country episode that travels from Sebastopol to Glen Ellen to Napa, with stops for stacked burgers, Sonoma comfort food and bold Filipino flavors. The season continues with a flavor-packed lineup from traditional Afghan plates in Fremont, to thoughtful small plates paired with natural wine in San Francisco, to fall-off-the-bone, slow-cooked oxtail in Alameda.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local diners bring their personal favorites to the table, joining host Leslie Sbrocco to compare notes, make their case and dig into what makes each restaurant worth a visit. Plus, reporter Cecilia Phillips follows the Napa Taco Trail for a tortilla-wrapped tour of the valley, then heads to the San Leandro Cherry Festival to celebrate more than a century of cherry-loving traditions, complete with a pie eating contest.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don’t miss four brand-new episodes, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Thursdays at 7:30 PM on KQED 9, starting July 23\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want to be one of the first to watch our special Wine Country episode? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/6590/check-please-bay-area-wine-country-edition-premiere-and-tasting\">Join us\u003c/a> and host Leslie Sbrocco for a screening followed by a conversation with some of the featured restaurants along with bites and expertly curated wines at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here’s what’s on our summer menu:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1DZDumyrUQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>July 23\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Sebastopol\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Lunch Box\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves over-the-top sandwiches and stacked burgers built for big Sonoma County appetites.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>The Mill at Glen Ellen\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, scenic Wine Country charm meets comfort food with American, Mediterranean and Malaysian influences.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Carabao\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>Napa\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, chef Jade Cunningham brings bold Filipino flavors and fine dining technique to Wine Country.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cecilia Phillips follows the \u003c/span>\u003cb>Napa Taco Trail\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a taste of the valley’s tortilla-wrapped treasures.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>July 30\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Half Moon Bay\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Cantina at San Benito House\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves classic Mexican fare inside one of the town’s oldest buildings.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Wah Jee Wah\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>Milpitas\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, smoky Indian skewers and chaat favorites bring big open-flame flavor to the table.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Francisco\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s Mission District, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Buddy\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pairs a relaxed neighborhood-bar vibe with thoughtful small plates and natural wines.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>August 6\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Fremont\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s Little Kabul neighborhood, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Afghan Awasana Kabob House\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves generous portions of grilled meats and traditional Afghan plates.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Francisco\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s SoMa district, guests settle in for chef-guided omakase and creative sushi.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Walnut Creek\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Va de Vi\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> brings global inspiration to an eclectic small-plates menu.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cecilia Phillips celebrates cherry-loving traditions at the \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Leandro Cherry Festival\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, complete with a pie-eating contest.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>August 13\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Napa\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>La Cheve\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves big brunches, craft beers and Mexican pastries with a creative twist.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Copper Mug\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>El Sobrante\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Indian, Nepalese and American bar bites come together in a lively neighborhood setting.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Alameda\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Bacogai\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> turns Vietnamese hot pot into a celebration of friendship, comfort and slow-cooked flavor.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a restaurant you think deserves the spotlight? Nominate your favorite spots and apply to be a guest at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/checkplease/apply\">kqed.org/checkplease/apply\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready for some summer dining inspiration? The James Beard and Emmy Award-winning series \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues its 21st season and heads north on July 23 for a Wine Country episode that travels from Sebastopol to Glen Ellen to Napa, with stops for stacked burgers, Sonoma comfort food and bold Filipino flavors. The season continues with a flavor-packed lineup from traditional Afghan plates in Fremont, to thoughtful small plates paired with natural wine in San Francisco, to fall-off-the-bone, slow-cooked oxtail in Alameda.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local diners bring their personal favorites to the table, joining host Leslie Sbrocco to compare notes, make their case and dig into what makes each restaurant worth a visit. Plus, reporter Cecilia Phillips follows the Napa Taco Trail for a tortilla-wrapped tour of the valley, then heads to the San Leandro Cherry Festival to celebrate more than a century of cherry-loving traditions, complete with a pie eating contest.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don’t miss four brand-new episodes, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Thursdays at 7:30 PM on KQED 9, starting July 23\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want to be one of the first to watch our special Wine Country episode? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/6590/check-please-bay-area-wine-country-edition-premiere-and-tasting\">Join us\u003c/a> and host Leslie Sbrocco for a screening followed by a conversation with some of the featured restaurants along with bites and expertly curated wines at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here’s what’s on our summer menu:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/s1DZDumyrUQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/s1DZDumyrUQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>July 23\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Sebastopol\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Lunch Box\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves over-the-top sandwiches and stacked burgers built for big Sonoma County appetites.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>The Mill at Glen Ellen\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, scenic Wine Country charm meets comfort food with American, Mediterranean and Malaysian influences.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Carabao\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>Napa\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, chef Jade Cunningham brings bold Filipino flavors and fine dining technique to Wine Country.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cecilia Phillips follows the \u003c/span>\u003cb>Napa Taco Trail\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a taste of the valley’s tortilla-wrapped treasures.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>July 30\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Half Moon Bay\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Cantina at San Benito House\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves classic Mexican fare inside one of the town’s oldest buildings.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Wah Jee Wah\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>Milpitas\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, smoky Indian skewers and chaat favorites bring big open-flame flavor to the table.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Francisco\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s Mission District, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Buddy\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pairs a relaxed neighborhood-bar vibe with thoughtful small plates and natural wines.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>August 6\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Fremont\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s Little Kabul neighborhood, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Afghan Awasana Kabob House\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves generous portions of grilled meats and traditional Afghan plates.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Francisco\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">’s SoMa district, guests settle in for chef-guided omakase and creative sushi.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Walnut Creek\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>Va de Vi\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> brings global inspiration to an eclectic small-plates menu.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cecilia Phillips celebrates cherry-loving traditions at the \u003c/span>\u003cb>San Leandro Cherry Festival\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, complete with a pie-eating contest.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>August 13\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In \u003c/span>\u003cb>Napa\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003c/span>\u003cb>La Cheve\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serves big brunches, craft beers and Mexican pastries with a creative twist.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At \u003c/span>\u003cb>Copper Mug\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in \u003c/span>\u003cb>El Sobrante\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Indian, Nepalese and American bar bites come together in a lively neighborhood setting.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 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Nominate your favorite spots and apply to be a guest at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/checkplease/apply\">kqed.org/checkplease/apply\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>October has come around again and that means it’s time for one of the Bay Area’s favorite holidays: Halloween. If you are planning a party this year and want to go beyond just dropping dry ice in a punchbowl, try this fun and easy cold cuts skeleton appetizer. All you’ll need to recreate this party platter is a plastic skull from any crafts store, an array of cold cuts, and a couple of green olives. Because we like being extra, we bought our cold cuts from Molinari’s Delicatessen in North Beach, one of San Francisco’s oldest and most beloved delis. Just because it is adorning a hideous plastic skull, doesn’t mean your snacks can’t be high quality. This spooky twist to charcuterie is sure to make this year’s party spread especially memorable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Subscribe to KQED Food’s \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://youtube.com/@KQEDFood?sub_confirmation=1\">YouTube channel\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>and follow us on \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/KQEDFood\">social\u003c/a>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>About No Crumbs:\u003c/strong> In KQED’s No Crumbs, host Josh Decolongon is a foodie field reporter, uncovering histories and celebrating the culture behind the Bay Area’s exciting and diverse culinary landscape. No Crumbs will inspire new perspectives on the Bay Area food scene you thought you knew. No Crumbs is produced by Josh Decolongon and Janelle Hessig for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You can’t tell the full story of Hong Kong without the iconic pineapple bun, yet how it appeared on the scene in the first place remains a mystery. One of the city’s oldest bakeries has been serving it since 1943, but before that, the story gets murky. Some say it all began in the 1920s with an Armenian pastry chef working at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Others say it originated with a family deported from Mexico in the 1930s. Watch the video for a delicious, cross-continental journey to get to the bottom of everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://eatchofood.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kristina Cho\u003c/a>, James Beard award-winning author of ‘Mooncakes & Milk Bread’, for sharing her story and showing us how to make pineapple buns from scratch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Subscribe to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@KQEDFood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KQED Food’s YouTube channel\u003c/a> to watch more Beyond The Menu videos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read more:\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.tastingtable.com/998515/what-hong-kong-style-pineapple-buns-are-really-made-of/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pineapple bun basics\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.tokyoweekender.com/food-and-drink/melon-pan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">History of Japanese melonpan\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://zolimacitymag.com/the-origin-of-hong-kongs-mexico-bun-a-story-of-exile-and-return/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Origin of the Hong Kong Mexico bun\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/2016/2/19/11054298/conchas-mexico-pastry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Everything you need to know about Mexican conchas\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>About Beyond The Menu:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nThe story of the food on your plate is more than just the recipe. Each ingredient and every cooking technique goes back hundreds if not thousands of years, traversing the globe on a wildly delicious cross-cultural adventure. In KQED’s new digital food series Beyond The Menu, host Cecilia Phillips interviews chefs, authors, and other experts to dig up surprising facts on the cultural pathways of today’s trendiest dishes. It’s a history show, it’s a mystery series, it’s a celebration of multicultural cuisine, sometimes it’s even a science program, all set against the backdrop of mouth-watering food cinematography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Get Cozy with Jacques Pépin's Pea Pod Soup Recipe",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">Jacques Pepin’s budget-friendly pea pod soup recipe is perfect for every season. It’s bright and refreshing in the springtime, warm and cozy in the Fall. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">\u003cstrong>What you’ll need:\u003c/strong> 4 cups water or chicken stock, 2 tsp chicken bouillon, 1 lb potatoes, 1 lb pea pods, 1 small onion, salt (to taste), 1/3 cup cream, chives \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\"> Subscribe to\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/kqed?sub_conf....\"> KQED’s YouTube channel\u003c/a> to watch more Jacques Pépin videos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">About Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home: \u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home features short recipe videos that transform readily-available ingredients into exciting new dishes, perfect for newly-anointed home cooks and seasoned chefs alike. Presented by the Jacques Pépin Foundation, an organization dedicated to enriching lives and strengthening communities through the power of culinary education. \u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">\u003ca class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--display-type yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE9wVUlkUVRJNDZUZ28zazdmNkRWeERFNmROUXxBQ3Jtc0trNnBpRGY5OXBIenMwQTNNTmxkaXBpN2FvcVVNTHdhVG9nVGh2R0d0d2R2dENJcDkzaTh3dkdjdWEtc0FsWUFhLW1DdndWQ21rYTNDbVZiUzJCLWMyUXNISlpXdVNHbWpKbU1tN0ZWc2lqMlNHeHFPOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjp.foundation%2F%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B&v=0at3Qqh6JRg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://jp.foundation/\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">Jacques Pepin’s budget-friendly pea pod soup recipe is perfect for every season. It’s bright and refreshing in the springtime, warm and cozy in the Fall. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">\u003cstrong>What you’ll need:\u003c/strong> 4 cups water or chicken stock, 2 tsp chicken bouillon, 1 lb potatoes, 1 lb pea pods, 1 small onion, salt (to taste), 1/3 cup cream, chives \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\"> Subscribe to\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/kqed?sub_conf....\"> KQED’s YouTube channel\u003c/a> to watch more Jacques Pépin videos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">About Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home: \u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home features short recipe videos that transform readily-available ingredients into exciting new dishes, perfect for newly-anointed home cooks and seasoned chefs alike. Presented by the Jacques Pépin Foundation, an organization dedicated to enriching lives and strengthening communities through the power of culinary education. \u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\">\u003ca class=\"yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--display-type yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE9wVUlkUVRJNDZUZ28zazdmNkRWeERFNmROUXxBQ3Jtc0trNnBpRGY5OXBIenMwQTNNTmxkaXBpN2FvcVVNTHdhVG9nVGh2R0d0d2R2dENJcDkzaTh3dkdjdWEtc0FsWUFhLW1DdndWQ21rYTNDbVZiUzJCLWMyUXNISlpXdVNHbWpKbU1tN0ZWc2lqMlNHeHFPOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjp.foundation%2F%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B&v=0at3Qqh6JRg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://jp.foundation/\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "We Recreated an It's-It Ice Cream Sandwich at Home — With an Oakland Twist.",
"headTitle": "We Recreated an It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwich at Home — With an Oakland Twist. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>https://youtu.be/S4EHUfG3JAo?feature=shared\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A list of things that are very San Francisco are never complete without the It’s-It ice cream sandwich. Invented by Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park owner George Whitney in 1928, an It’s-It is a scoop of ice cream sandwiched by two oatmeal cookies and then dipped into chocolate. In my opinion, the key components are the oatmeal cookies (where there are raisins: I’ve checked!), which provide a soft snap that somehow lightens the load of a regular cookie while also giving me the comfort and warmth of my grandma’s oatmeal cookies — perhaps a reminder that San Francisco is never as warm as an American summer promises. But I’m okay with that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Any recreation experiment begs the question: why make your own? We’re spoiled with choice and availability in the Bay, so I’d absolutely be able to run blindfolded in any direction for half an hour before bumping into the storied ice cream treat. But, aside from the fact that I like to give myself a challenge, I simply like to create new flavor combinations. It’s-Its come in vanilla, chocolate, mint, and cappuccino, along with seasonal strawberry and pumpkin flavors, but I went off-script to make a version that was even more of an ode to the Bay Area with rocky road ice cream, a flavor that was actually invented in Oakland. In the 1920s, ice cream entrepreneur William Dreyer wanted to raise people’s spirits during the Great Depression and decided the best way to do so was with a combination of chocolate ice cream, nuts, and marshmallows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First of all, I’m not going to stop you from doing your own thing. You can find your own oatmeal cookie recipe (or buy them), your own ice cream recipe (or buy it), and your own chocolate shell recipe (or buy it) and call it a day, but this is what \u003cem>I\u003c/em> did. Many recipes veer fancy in order to get as close to an It’s-It as possible, but again: why recreate it when you can re-interpret it? If the Bay Area has taught me anything, it’s that there’s room for all flavors to exist here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can go up to a cup for each ingredient for the rocky road ice cream, but sometimes the dual textures of the hard almonds and soft marshmallows throws people off. I am not one of those people, obviously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1337463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1337463\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-800x450.png\" alt=\"A triptych image with a close up of rocky road ice cream on the left, a homemade It's-It's ice cream sandwiches on the right, and a a cross-section of both the homemade It's-It and real It's-It in the middle\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-1020x574.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Recreating the storied It’s-It ice cream sandwich from scratch requires several stages: making the ice cream, making the oatmeal cookies, and dipping them in chocolate. \u003ccite>(Josh Decolongon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ingredients for the oatmeal cookies:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¾ cup all-purpose flour\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Ceylon)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ teaspoon baking soda\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ teaspoon baking powder\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ teaspoon salt\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup unsalted butter\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¾ cup brown sugar\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ cup white sugar\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 egg\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ tsp vanilla extract\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 ½ cups quick cook oats (e.g. Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ cup chopped raisins\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preheat oven to 350°F.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine well – it always takes longer than you think it does!\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for around 5 minutes. Along with the rising agents, creaming this mixture creates a fluffier and softer cookie — just make sure your butter isn’t too warm, because it’ll be harder to create these micro-pockets of air. Add the egg and vanilla, and continue to beat together until combined. With a spatula, gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combine the oats and raisins, the latter which, again, are definitely there in the original.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shape into balls around an inch or so in diameter — you should have roughly enough dough for 22 cookies. Bake for around 12 minutes, and then cool them on wire racks.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optionally, you can flatten the cookies slightly with a flat kitchen utensil (like a flat spatula), but that’s totally up to you.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Ingredients for the rocky road ice cream:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 pint (16oz / ~480mL) heavy cream, cold\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 can (14oz / ~400g) sweetened condensed Milk\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup cocoa powder\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup (or up to 1 cup) crushed almonds \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup (or up to 1 cup) mini marshmallows (or cut up large marshmallows)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whip heavy cream until there are stiff peaks.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder. Beat on low speed until the mixture is homogeneous.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add the crushed almonds (I like putting them in a ziplock bag and mashing them with the handle of my rolling pin) and mini marshmallows to the mixture. Gentle combine with spatula.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add the mixture to a container and top with more crushed almonds and mini marshmallows, if you’d like.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cover and freeze overnight.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lick spatula.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Ingredients for the chocolate shell:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14 oz bittersweet chocolate (but you can vary the ratio with semisweet chocolate, which I did)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ cup coconut oil\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat up water in a saucepan or pot.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Place both the chocolate and oil into a metal bowl that can fit on top of a saucepan or pot without being able to fall in completely. The water should have contact with most of the bowl.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stir the mixture occasionally until it is homogeneous.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let the mixture cool for 20 minutes or so. We want it to be cool enough to coat our homemade It’s-Its without melting the ice cream, but warm enough so that it can cover them easily.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>To assemble:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you have all your ingredients, remove the ice cream from the fridge and let it warm up for 10 minutes or so to soften it up slightly.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scoop ice cream and press onto the flat side of the oatmeal cookie until your heart’s desire. You want around an inch of thickness of ice cream. Sandwich the ice cream with another cookie.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using an ice cream spatula, or a spoon, take more ice cream and fill the sides of the ice cream sandwich, smoothing out bumps and filling the empty spaces as you rotate it. When you’re happy with it, immediately transfer them to the freezer for around an hour.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using tongs, dip and flip your ice cream sandwich into the melted chocolate shell mixture and let it briefly rest on a wire rack. You can scrape excess chocolate off if you’d like a thinner shell.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the chocolate has hardened and takes on a more matte texture, transfer immediately to the freezer.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Josh Decolongon is a certified sommelier and holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma. He is the host and producer of “No Crumbs,” a new digital video series from KQED. Find it on Instagram \u003ca href=\"https://instagram.com/kqedfood\">@KQEDFood\u003c/a>. Follow Josh on Instagram at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sommeligay/\">@sommeligay\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"description": "It’s-It ice cream sandwiches: they’re easy to eat and easy to love, but are they easy to make? KQED's Josh Decolongon finds out.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/S4EHUfG3JAo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/S4EHUfG3JAo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A list of things that are very San Francisco are never complete without the It’s-It ice cream sandwich. Invented by Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park owner George Whitney in 1928, an It’s-It is a scoop of ice cream sandwiched by two oatmeal cookies and then dipped into chocolate. In my opinion, the key components are the oatmeal cookies (where there are raisins: I’ve checked!), which provide a soft snap that somehow lightens the load of a regular cookie while also giving me the comfort and warmth of my grandma’s oatmeal cookies — perhaps a reminder that San Francisco is never as warm as an American summer promises. But I’m okay with that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Any recreation experiment begs the question: why make your own? We’re spoiled with choice and availability in the Bay, so I’d absolutely be able to run blindfolded in any direction for half an hour before bumping into the storied ice cream treat. But, aside from the fact that I like to give myself a challenge, I simply like to create new flavor combinations. It’s-Its come in vanilla, chocolate, mint, and cappuccino, along with seasonal strawberry and pumpkin flavors, but I went off-script to make a version that was even more of an ode to the Bay Area with rocky road ice cream, a flavor that was actually invented in Oakland. In the 1920s, ice cream entrepreneur William Dreyer wanted to raise people’s spirits during the Great Depression and decided the best way to do so was with a combination of chocolate ice cream, nuts, and marshmallows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First of all, I’m not going to stop you from doing your own thing. You can find your own oatmeal cookie recipe (or buy them), your own ice cream recipe (or buy it), and your own chocolate shell recipe (or buy it) and call it a day, but this is what \u003cem>I\u003c/em> did. Many recipes veer fancy in order to get as close to an It’s-It as possible, but again: why recreate it when you can re-interpret it? If the Bay Area has taught me anything, it’s that there’s room for all flavors to exist here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can go up to a cup for each ingredient for the rocky road ice cream, but sometimes the dual textures of the hard almonds and soft marshmallows throws people off. I am not one of those people, obviously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1337463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1337463\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-800x450.png\" alt=\"A triptych image with a close up of rocky road ice cream on the left, a homemade It's-It's ice cream sandwiches on the right, and a a cross-section of both the homemade It's-It and real It's-It in the middle\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-800x450.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-1020x574.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/08/NoCrumbs_ItsIt_02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Recreating the storied It’s-It ice cream sandwich from scratch requires several stages: making the ice cream, making the oatmeal cookies, and dipping them in chocolate. \u003ccite>(Josh Decolongon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ingredients for the oatmeal cookies:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¾ cup all-purpose flour\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Ceylon)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ teaspoon baking soda\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ teaspoon baking powder\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ teaspoon salt\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup unsalted butter\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¾ cup brown sugar\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ cup white sugar\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 egg\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ tsp vanilla extract\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 ½ cups quick cook oats (e.g. Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ cup chopped raisins\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preheat oven to 350°F.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine well – it always takes longer than you think it does!\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for around 5 minutes. Along with the rising agents, creaming this mixture creates a fluffier and softer cookie — just make sure your butter isn’t too warm, because it’ll be harder to create these micro-pockets of air. Add the egg and vanilla, and continue to beat together until combined. With a spatula, gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combine the oats and raisins, the latter which, again, are definitely there in the original.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shape into balls around an inch or so in diameter — you should have roughly enough dough for 22 cookies. Bake for around 12 minutes, and then cool them on wire racks.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optionally, you can flatten the cookies slightly with a flat kitchen utensil (like a flat spatula), but that’s totally up to you.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Ingredients for the rocky road ice cream:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 pint (16oz / ~480mL) heavy cream, cold\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 can (14oz / ~400g) sweetened condensed Milk\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup cocoa powder\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup (or up to 1 cup) crushed almonds \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">½ cup (or up to 1 cup) mini marshmallows (or cut up large marshmallows)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whip heavy cream until there are stiff peaks.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder. Beat on low speed until the mixture is homogeneous.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add the crushed almonds (I like putting them in a ziplock bag and mashing them with the handle of my rolling pin) and mini marshmallows to the mixture. Gentle combine with spatula.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add the mixture to a container and top with more crushed almonds and mini marshmallows, if you’d like.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cover and freeze overnight.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lick spatula.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Ingredients for the chocolate shell:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14 oz bittersweet chocolate (but you can vary the ratio with semisweet chocolate, which I did)\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">¼ cup coconut oil\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heat up water in a saucepan or pot.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Place both the chocolate and oil into a metal bowl that can fit on top of a saucepan or pot without being able to fall in completely. The water should have contact with most of the bowl.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stir the mixture occasionally until it is homogeneous.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let the mixture cool for 20 minutes or so. We want it to be cool enough to coat our homemade It’s-Its without melting the ice cream, but warm enough so that it can cover them easily.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>To assemble:\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you have all your ingredients, remove the ice cream from the fridge and let it warm up for 10 minutes or so to soften it up slightly.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scoop ice cream and press onto the flat side of the oatmeal cookie until your heart’s desire. You want around an inch of thickness of ice cream. Sandwich the ice cream with another cookie.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using an ice cream spatula, or a spoon, take more ice cream and fill the sides of the ice cream sandwich, smoothing out bumps and filling the empty spaces as you rotate it. When you’re happy with it, immediately transfer them to the freezer for around an hour.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using tongs, dip and flip your ice cream sandwich into the melted chocolate shell mixture and let it briefly rest on a wire rack. You can scrape excess chocolate off if you’d like a thinner shell.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the chocolate has hardened and takes on a more matte texture, transfer immediately to the freezer.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Josh Decolongon is a certified sommelier and holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma. He is the host and producer of “No Crumbs,” a new digital video series from KQED. Find it on Instagram \u003ca href=\"https://instagram.com/kqedfood\">@KQEDFood\u003c/a>. Follow Josh on Instagram at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sommeligay/\">@sommeligay\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Bay Area Foodie Culture Goes Way Further Back Than California Cuisine",
"headTitle": "Bay Area Foodie Culture Goes Way Further Back Than California Cuisine | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>You might know the Bay Area for its foodie culture — trendy restaurants, fresh produce and incredible ethnic diversity. But the Bay Area’s culinary history goes further back than the California cuisine it’s known for. The Bay Area is also the birthplace of iconic food and drinks like the fortune cookie, rocky road ice cream, even the tropical Mai Tai. Here are 11 appetizing stories about foods born and popularized right here in the Bay Area to inspire your next culinary adventure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11759000\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11759000\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Mai Tai may have a tropical sounding name, but it’s origins are right here in the Bay Area. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Trader Vics.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755932/an-island-drink-with-california-roots-the-mai-tai-turns-75\">1. Yes, Your ‘Tropical’ Mai Tai Was Invented Here in Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Picture this: You’re sitting on the beach, sand between your toes, sunglasses on. What else could complete the picture? How about a Mai Tai? Many people associate this delicious rum drink with the tropics, but it was actually invented in the East Bay. The first stop on our quest to learn more is Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, known as the “Home of the Original Mai Tai.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11817540\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 774px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11817540\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Rice-A-Roni.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"774\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Rice-A-Roni.jpg 774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Rice-A-Roni-160x126.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 774px) 100vw, 774px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rice-A-Roni is a common household item with a surprising San Francisco origin story. \u003ccite>(Boereck 13:27, 25 September 2006 (UTC) / CC BY-SA )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11816328/birth-of-rice-a-roni-the-armenian-italian-treat\">2. How Rice-A-Roni Became ‘The San Francisco Treat’\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A Canadian immigrant, an Italian pasta maker and a survivor of the Armenian genocide shared an apartment in San Francisco for four months in 1946, and out of that Rice-A-Roni was born. Originally produced by the Kitchen Sisters in 2008, this story got the KQED treatment when Bay Curious adapted it for a recent episode. Together they tell the multicultural origin story behind “the San Francisco treat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11819960\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11819960\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/IMG_2432-800x600-800x502.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/IMG_2432-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/IMG_2432-800x600-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The beloved Dutch crunch roll, made at Semifreddi’s Bakery in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Amanda Font/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11761468/dutch-crunch-a-bay-area-favorite-but-not-a-bay-area-original\">3. Dutch Crunch: A Bay Area Favorite, But Not a Bay Area Original\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When you’re ordering a sandwich in the Bay Area, Dutch crunch is a standard bread choice. But get about 10 miles outside the Bay Area and that crunchy, slightly sweet bread option disappears. That’s made many sandwich lovers wonder: What makes Dutch crunch a Bay Area thing? Why can’t you find it anywhere else? We’ve got answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743210\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11743210\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-800x527.jpg\" alt=\"A worker makes fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco in 2012.\" width=\"800\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-800x527.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-1020x672.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-1200x791.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker makes fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco in 2012. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11742748/unwrapping-the-california-origins-of-the-fortune-cookie\">4. Unwrapping the Bay Area Origins of the Fortune Cookie\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What comes with the check at almost every Chinese restaurant? Fortune cookies. Like orange slices after a blood draw or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11731290/how-bill-grahams-nazi-escape-might-explain-his-fillmore-apples\">apples at San Francisco’s Fillmore music venue\u003c/a>, they’re a given. But how did they come to be? Are they really Chinese? And if so, why do they serve them at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11729451\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11729451\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Pisco punch\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the late 1800s, Pisco Punch wasn’t just a drink. Ordering a glass was a status symbol. \u003ccite>(Carly Severn/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11720617/pisco-punch-the-pricey-san-francisco-cocktail-that-was-a-gold-rush-knock-out\">5. Pisco Punch: The Pricey San Francisco Cocktail That Was a Gold Rush Knockout\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Pisco is a distilled, fermented grape juice from Peru with extreme potency. But many, many years before the 1940s — when pisco sours became popular — San Francisco was gripped by a craze for another pisco concoction. Pisco punch was the “it” drink of the Gold Rush era. A mysterious ingredient may be what makes it so good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11780479\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11780479\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky road ice cream in an edible waffle bowl\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-1200x803.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocky road was among the first flavors to incorporate “mix ins.” \u003ccite>(MSPhotographic/iStock)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11780468/how-rocky-road-ice-cream-got-its-start-in-oakland\">6. How Rocky Road Ice Cream Got Its Start in Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to imagine in this era of salted caramel and matcha tea, but there was a time when the American ice cream palate was limited to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The invention of rocky road in the 1920s changed the ice cream game with “mix-ins.” Nearly a century later, there’s still a dispute over who originally created the recipe for rocky road ice cream: \u003ca href=\"https://www.fentonscreamery.com/\">Fentons Creamery\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.dreyers.com/\">Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream\u003c/a>. The one certain thing is that the flavor was invented in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11715656\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11715656\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-800x536.jpg\" alt=\"The origins of the martini all lead back to the Bay Area.\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-1200x803.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-1920x1285.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The origins of the martini all lead back to the Bay Area. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/4703024901/in/photolist-8aAese-iFWUV-8UE9PJ-8BnqPE-4U7wZH-csVP5A-7RQf5C-5TswLM-jqnT6H-E8wzP-21s3hf5-jh9jz-9TQDYy-p1oiop-7mxZUV-5u8QGw-XskH43-5u8PQw-d7yZRU-4F987B-aECPpW-ev2wfx-YJmW34-snJas-bKnLsa-7NYXfX-62vNwx-7JSTjP-d7PP1G-hpFam-eokRxH-d7PPRA-e439CB-5ypL2x-4smsHz-fAzZDv-76Qshu-8aAg8t-EQwA-ciRpXh-z9jE2-8Ld5v5-u8zhY-d7PPq9-byQZcm-4BBEuS-7Zk7FB-oxYjb-AfFzb-d7PMNj\">Don LaVange\u003c/a>/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11703167/golden-state-plate-the-story-of-the-martini-straight-up-with-a-twist\">7. The Story of the Martini, Straight Up, With a Twist\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The martini is iconic. Not just because it is James Bond’s drink of choice, but also because of the martini glass. That V-shaped glass has made its way onto neon signs in front of old-school bars and even has its own emoji. The city of Martinez, in the northeast corner of the Bay Area, lays claim to the drink. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/martini.asp\">city’s official website\u003c/a> details the martini’s origin, and there’s a plaque downtown commemorating the \u003ca href=\"http://www.martinezchamber.com/martinis-on-the-plaza-gala\">annual Martini’s on the Plaza Gala\u003c/a>. But, there’s actually a controversy about where — and who — really invented the martini.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11691773\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11691773\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Palace Signature Salad comes with crab and Green Goddess Dressing on the side. \u003ccite>(Sasha Khokha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11698960/the-san-francisco-origins-of-green-goddess-dressing\">8. The San Francisco Origins of Green Goddess Dressing\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco is the birthplace of several famous California recipes, including green goddess dressing. The story goes that the dressing was inspired by George Arliss, lead actor of the 1920s play, “The Green Goddess.” While he was staying at the Palace Hotel for a performance, head chef Phillip Roemer created the special dressing to be served on the starter salad — and the rest is history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11769092\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11769092\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-1020x679.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786.jpeg 1180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Irish coffee at the Buena Vista. \u003ccite>(Kelly O'Mara/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621844/the-true-history-of-irish-coffee-and-its-san-francisco-origins\">9. The True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Word on the street is that Irish Coffee was invented at Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. On a regular day, Buena Vista serves around 2,000 Irish coffees — up to 2,500 on a busy weekend day. But how could Irish coffee have been invented in San Francisco? Well, it wasn’t. But it was popularized here, and the whole history is fascinating and delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11819982\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11819982\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/4945590922_813a0a546c_o-800x531-800x531.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/4945590922_813a0a546c_o-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/4945590922_813a0a546c_o-800x531-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boudin Bakery says their decades-old starter is the key to the bread’s flavor. \u003ccite>(Rachel Hathaway/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11401794/what-makes-san-francisco-sourdough-unique\">10. What Makes San Francisco Sourdough Unique?\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>If bagels are a New York thing, sourdough is definitely a San Francisco thing. But what exactly makes our sourdough stand out? Well, it turns out that this is as much a science question as it is about the history and local mythology of our “authentic” local sourdough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11819954\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11819954\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-800x509.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-1020x650.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Its-It has been in the Bay Area for nearly a century. \u003ccite>(Olivia Allen-Price/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10710678/its-it-the-san-francisco-treat-that-sparked-a-cult-following\">11. It’s-It! The San Francisco Treat That Sparked a Cult Following\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>If you’re not from San Francisco, you may not know It’s-It. This delightful ice cream sandwich is an old-school San Francisco treat. It’s been with the city through devastating earthquakes, three World Series wins, and weathered not one, but two tech booms. Since its amusement park beginnings nearly a century ago, the dessert has endured multiple owners. In the 1970s, the original formula and name were sold to an immigrant with an eye on the American Dream: Mr. Charles Shamieh. He didn’t quite stick to the recipe — he made it his own — but the concept, the name, the title it had earned, that bit of original San Francisco, is still tucked between those cookie walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3 id=\"playlist\">Learn more by listening to these Bay Curious food episodes\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5bEt60TfspXuw7jih8AESI\" width=\"800\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You might know the Bay Area for its foodie culture — trendy restaurants, fresh produce and incredible ethnic diversity. But the Bay Area’s culinary history goes further back than the California cuisine it’s known for. The Bay Area is also the birthplace of iconic food and drinks like the fortune cookie, rocky road ice cream, even the tropical Mai Tai. Here are 11 appetizing stories about foods born and popularized right here in the Bay Area to inspire your next culinary adventure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11759000\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11759000\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/07/Trader-Vics-Mai-Tai.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Mai Tai may have a tropical sounding name, but it’s origins are right here in the Bay Area. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Trader Vics.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755932/an-island-drink-with-california-roots-the-mai-tai-turns-75\">1. Yes, Your ‘Tropical’ Mai Tai Was Invented Here in Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Picture this: You’re sitting on the beach, sand between your toes, sunglasses on. What else could complete the picture? How about a Mai Tai? Many people associate this delicious rum drink with the tropics, but it was actually invented in the East Bay. The first stop on our quest to learn more is Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, known as the “Home of the Original Mai Tai.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11817540\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 774px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11817540\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Rice-A-Roni.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"774\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Rice-A-Roni.jpg 774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/Rice-A-Roni-160x126.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 774px) 100vw, 774px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rice-A-Roni is a common household item with a surprising San Francisco origin story. \u003ccite>(Boereck 13:27, 25 September 2006 (UTC) / CC BY-SA )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11816328/birth-of-rice-a-roni-the-armenian-italian-treat\">2. How Rice-A-Roni Became ‘The San Francisco Treat’\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A Canadian immigrant, an Italian pasta maker and a survivor of the Armenian genocide shared an apartment in San Francisco for four months in 1946, and out of that Rice-A-Roni was born. Originally produced by the Kitchen Sisters in 2008, this story got the KQED treatment when Bay Curious adapted it for a recent episode. Together they tell the multicultural origin story behind “the San Francisco treat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11819960\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11819960\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/IMG_2432-800x600-800x502.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/IMG_2432-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/IMG_2432-800x600-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The beloved Dutch crunch roll, made at Semifreddi’s Bakery in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Amanda Font/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11761468/dutch-crunch-a-bay-area-favorite-but-not-a-bay-area-original\">3. Dutch Crunch: A Bay Area Favorite, But Not a Bay Area Original\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When you’re ordering a sandwich in the Bay Area, Dutch crunch is a standard bread choice. But get about 10 miles outside the Bay Area and that crunchy, slightly sweet bread option disappears. That’s made many sandwich lovers wonder: What makes Dutch crunch a Bay Area thing? Why can’t you find it anywhere else? We’ve got answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743210\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11743210\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-800x527.jpg\" alt=\"A worker makes fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco in 2012.\" width=\"800\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-800x527.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-1020x672.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies-1200x791.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/Making-Fortune-Cookies.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker makes fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco in 2012. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11742748/unwrapping-the-california-origins-of-the-fortune-cookie\">4. Unwrapping the Bay Area Origins of the Fortune Cookie\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What comes with the check at almost every Chinese restaurant? Fortune cookies. Like orange slices after a blood draw or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11731290/how-bill-grahams-nazi-escape-might-explain-his-fillmore-apples\">apples at San Francisco’s Fillmore music venue\u003c/a>, they’re a given. But how did they come to be? Are they really Chinese? And if so, why do they serve them at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11729451\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11729451\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Pisco punch\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/RS34810_DSC_1228-qut-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the late 1800s, Pisco Punch wasn’t just a drink. Ordering a glass was a status symbol. \u003ccite>(Carly Severn/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11720617/pisco-punch-the-pricey-san-francisco-cocktail-that-was-a-gold-rush-knock-out\">5. Pisco Punch: The Pricey San Francisco Cocktail That Was a Gold Rush Knockout\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Pisco is a distilled, fermented grape juice from Peru with extreme potency. But many, many years before the 1940s — when pisco sours became popular — San Francisco was gripped by a craze for another pisco concoction. Pisco punch was the “it” drink of the Gold Rush era. A mysterious ingredient may be what makes it so good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11780479\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11780479\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky road ice cream in an edible waffle bowl\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230-1200x803.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/iStock-119689230.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocky road was among the first flavors to incorporate “mix ins.” \u003ccite>(MSPhotographic/iStock)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11780468/how-rocky-road-ice-cream-got-its-start-in-oakland\">6. How Rocky Road Ice Cream Got Its Start in Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to imagine in this era of salted caramel and matcha tea, but there was a time when the American ice cream palate was limited to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The invention of rocky road in the 1920s changed the ice cream game with “mix-ins.” Nearly a century later, there’s still a dispute over who originally created the recipe for rocky road ice cream: \u003ca href=\"https://www.fentonscreamery.com/\">Fentons Creamery\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.dreyers.com/\">Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream\u003c/a>. The one certain thing is that the flavor was invented in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11715656\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11715656\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-800x536.jpg\" alt=\"The origins of the martini all lead back to the Bay Area.\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-1200x803.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/4703024901_fd4ecf3ee9_o-1920x1285.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The origins of the martini all lead back to the Bay Area. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/4703024901/in/photolist-8aAese-iFWUV-8UE9PJ-8BnqPE-4U7wZH-csVP5A-7RQf5C-5TswLM-jqnT6H-E8wzP-21s3hf5-jh9jz-9TQDYy-p1oiop-7mxZUV-5u8QGw-XskH43-5u8PQw-d7yZRU-4F987B-aECPpW-ev2wfx-YJmW34-snJas-bKnLsa-7NYXfX-62vNwx-7JSTjP-d7PP1G-hpFam-eokRxH-d7PPRA-e439CB-5ypL2x-4smsHz-fAzZDv-76Qshu-8aAg8t-EQwA-ciRpXh-z9jE2-8Ld5v5-u8zhY-d7PPq9-byQZcm-4BBEuS-7Zk7FB-oxYjb-AfFzb-d7PMNj\">Don LaVange\u003c/a>/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11703167/golden-state-plate-the-story-of-the-martini-straight-up-with-a-twist\">7. The Story of the Martini, Straight Up, With a Twist\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The martini is iconic. Not just because it is James Bond’s drink of choice, but also because of the martini glass. That V-shaped glass has made its way onto neon signs in front of old-school bars and even has its own emoji. The city of Martinez, in the northeast corner of the Bay Area, lays claim to the drink. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/martini.asp\">city’s official website\u003c/a> details the martini’s origin, and there’s a plaque downtown commemorating the \u003ca href=\"http://www.martinezchamber.com/martinis-on-the-plaza-gala\">annual Martini’s on the Plaza Gala\u003c/a>. But, there’s actually a controversy about where — and who — really invented the martini.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11691773\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11691773\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/09/RS32615_93004DA1-C92F-48DF-8742-F5D599410B79-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Palace Signature Salad comes with crab and Green Goddess Dressing on the side. \u003ccite>(Sasha Khokha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11698960/the-san-francisco-origins-of-green-goddess-dressing\">8. The San Francisco Origins of Green Goddess Dressing\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco is the birthplace of several famous California recipes, including green goddess dressing. The story goes that the dressing was inspired by George Arliss, lead actor of the 1920s play, “The Green Goddess.” While he was staying at the Palace Hotel for a performance, head chef Phillip Roemer created the special dressing to be served on the starter salad — and the rest is history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11769092\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11769092\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786-1020x679.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/08/0M6A0150_preview-1180x786.jpeg 1180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Irish coffee at the Buena Vista. \u003ccite>(Kelly O'Mara/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621844/the-true-history-of-irish-coffee-and-its-san-francisco-origins\">9. The True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Word on the street is that Irish Coffee was invented at Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. On a regular day, Buena Vista serves around 2,000 Irish coffees — up to 2,500 on a busy weekend day. But how could Irish coffee have been invented in San Francisco? Well, it wasn’t. But it was popularized here, and the whole history is fascinating and delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11819982\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11819982\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/4945590922_813a0a546c_o-800x531-800x531.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/4945590922_813a0a546c_o-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/4945590922_813a0a546c_o-800x531-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boudin Bakery says their decades-old starter is the key to the bread’s flavor. \u003ccite>(Rachel Hathaway/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11401794/what-makes-san-francisco-sourdough-unique\">10. What Makes San Francisco Sourdough Unique?\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>If bagels are a New York thing, sourdough is definitely a San Francisco thing. But what exactly makes our sourdough stand out? Well, it turns out that this is as much a science question as it is about the history and local mythology of our “authentic” local sourdough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11819954\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11819954\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-800x509.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917-1020x650.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ItsITcleaner-1440x917.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Its-It has been in the Bay Area for nearly a century. \u003ccite>(Olivia Allen-Price/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10710678/its-it-the-san-francisco-treat-that-sparked-a-cult-following\">11. It’s-It! The San Francisco Treat That Sparked a Cult Following\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>If you’re not from San Francisco, you may not know It’s-It. This delightful ice cream sandwich is an old-school San Francisco treat. It’s been with the city through devastating earthquakes, three World Series wins, and weathered not one, but two tech booms. Since its amusement park beginnings nearly a century ago, the dessert has endured multiple owners. In the 1970s, the original formula and name were sold to an immigrant with an eye on the American Dream: Mr. Charles Shamieh. He didn’t quite stick to the recipe — he made it his own — but the concept, the name, the title it had earned, that bit of original San Francisco, is still tucked between those cookie walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3 id=\"playlist\">Learn more by listening to these Bay Curious food episodes\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5bEt60TfspXuw7jih8AESI\" width=\"800\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "How Rice-A-Roni Became The San Francisco Treat",
"headTitle": "How Rice-A-Roni Became The San Francisco Treat | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson of The Kitchen Sisters and originally aired on NPR in 2008. Thank you to The Kitchen Sisters for allowing us to adapt that piece for Bay Curious. You can listen to the original \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2008/07/31/93067862/birth-of-rice-a-roni-the-armenian-italian-treat\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here was a time when you couldn’t go too long watching television without seeing a commercial for Rice-A-Roni. Many featured images of San Francisco and ended with a catchy jingle — “Rice-A-Roni. The San Francisco Treat!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Kent Barnes has wondered if that advertising slogan is true. Was Rice-A-Roni actually created here in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11817521\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 200px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ricearoni_TomLois200.jpg\" alt=\"Tom and Lois DeDomenico in San Francisco, shortly after their marriage.\" width=\"200\" height=\"266\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11817521\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ricearoni_TomLois200.jpg 200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ricearoni_TomLois200-160x213.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom and Lois DeDomenico in San Francisco, shortly after their marriage. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Lois DeDomenico)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The short answer: yes. It was a clandestine convergence of cultures that ultimately led to the creation of “The San Francisco Treat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story starts just after World War II. Soldiers were pouring into San Francisco, looking for a fresh start. The housing market was crowded as Lois DeDomenico and her husband, Tom, were on the hunt for a place to live. Lois grew up in Edmonton, Canada, and met Tom in San Francisco in 1944. Tom’s father, an immigrant from Italy, owned a pasta company in San Francisco where Tom worked with his brothers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was very little housing available in San Francisco at the time, as soldiers flooded into the city for a new start after the war. So when Lois and Tom found a room to rent in the home of Pailadzo Captanian, they jumped on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mrs. Captanian. I had a liking for her right away, so we moved in. Tommy would work until about 7 o’clock at the pasta factory and I was alone a lot,” Lois said. “I was only 18 and I was pregnant. And I had kitchen privileges. Well, I really wasn’t much of a cook. And here was this Armenian lady, probably about 70 years [old], making yogurt on the back of the stove, all day, every day. I didn’t even know what the word ‘yogurt’ meant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Captanian taught Lois how to make paklava (baklava), soups and her specialty, Armenian pilaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We would bring her Golden Grain vermicelli from the factory,” Lois said. “She wanted us to break it as small as rice if we could.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During those long afternoons in the kitchen, Lois listened as Captanian told her life story — about the Armenian genocide, her husband’s death and the separation from her two young boys. In 1915, she trekked from Turkey to Syria, while pregnant and with little food and water, along with thousands of other women and children who had been deported. Once in Syria, she gave birth, and was ultimately reunited with her two other sons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Captanian chronicled these events in her 1919 book, “Memoires D’une Deportee.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family then moved to the United States, where she worked as a seamstress, sewing draperies for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Hyde Park home in New York. She put her boys through school, and after World War II, she moved to San Francisco, where one of her sons had settled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11818020\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 540px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11818020 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/rice_captanian540-86f59186faddc7574ffc62505c8a903e3894ba5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/rice_captanian540-86f59186faddc7574ffc62505c8a903e3894ba5e.jpg 540w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/rice_captanian540-86f59186faddc7574ffc62505c8a903e3894ba5e-160x138.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Captanian family in New York in 1921: Pailadzo, Gilbert, Aram and Herant. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Captanian Family)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘This Would Be Great in a Box’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the DeDomenicos moved into a place of their own, Lois often cooked Mrs. Captanian’s Armenian pilaf. At a family dinner one evening, after a long day at the pasta factory, Tom’s brother Vince stared at his dish of pilaf and said, “This would be great in a box.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golden Grain had a test kitchen at the factory. It took three or four years to adapt the recipe for one-pot cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Rice-A-Roni hit the market in the 1950s, people were desperate to make cooking easier and faster. Rice-A-Roni was a product that was preseasoned and didn’t require boiling water, which made cooking rice and pasta simpler than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were not many packaged side dishes in the market in 1955,” said Dennis DeDomenico, Tom and Lois’ son. “Everything was being geared toward less time in the kitchen. Major appliances like dishwashers and garbage disposals were starting to come in. The convenience factor was everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that was missing was a name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We said, ‘Well, what is the product? The product is rice and macaroni. Why don’t we call it Rice-A-Roni?’ Didn’t quite sound right. Who’d ever heard of rice and macaroni being together? Still, the name had a ring to it,” Tom DeDomenico said, in an oral history recorded by the Bancroft Library in 1988.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Culinary Melting Pot\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rice-A-Roni was marketed as “A San Francisco Treat,” but it quickly became one of America’s favorite side dishes. Ted Captanian remembers seeing the commercials on television as a child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every time we heard that jingle, my father would say, ‘You know your grandmother gave a rice recipe to the people who started that company. So every time you hear it, think of her,’ ” Ted said. “To be honest, we kind of thought — could that possibly be true? Could this iconic American dish actually be attributed to some recipe my grandmother gave years ago?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzOR_Fal_SY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lois says she still makes pilaf the way Pailadzo Captanian taught her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The impact she had on me and my life,” Lois said. “I only lived there for four months, but it was four months that brought all these things together: myself from Canada; Tommy, Italian; Mrs. Captanian, Armenian. All that converging in San Francisco in 1946, and out of that comes Rice-A-Roni.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"recipe\">Pailadzo Captanian’s Rice Pilaf Recipe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pailadzo Captanian’s rice pilaf dish has been passed through the family over the years. They aren’t sure if Pailadzo included mushrooms or pine nuts in her version of the recipe, and there may have been adaptations as the recipe moved through the family. But to the best of everyone’s knowledge, this is it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ingredients\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>\u003cbr>\nRice Mixture:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>7/8 cup long grain white rice\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1/8 cup fideo capellini crushed into small pieces\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ cube butter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ large onion, chopped\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ 4.5 oz jar sliced “Green Giant” mushrooms packed in water and drained. (mushrooms can be substituted with any other canned mushrooms.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1 tbsp pine nuts\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Broth:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>2 ½ cups boiling water\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2 ½ chicken bouillon cubes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ tbsp dried parsley flakes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Salt and pepper to taste.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>(The broth should taste somewhat salty before it is added to rice mixture.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Directions:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Melt the butter over medium high flame in a medium sauce pan and add rice and fideo cappellini and stir constantly, cooking until it starts to turn golden.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Add chopped onion and cook until almost clear.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Add mushrooms and pine nuts. Stir constantly over medium high flame, until the mixture is golden brown with dark flecks of fideo capellini.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Meanwhile, make broth by heating water to boiling and adding bouillon cubes, parsley flakes, salt and pepper (you can heat this in the microwave or on the stove). Stir to dissolve the bouillon.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Add boiling broth to browned rice mixture, (note: broth /rice mixture should taste slightly salty), return to a bowl, stir once, and cover, then turn down the hat to a low simmer. Do not lift the cover for 35 minutes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork; let rest until ready to serve.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>P.S.: Cover pan with a cloth to keep warm (If I am traveling with the rice over a period of several hours, I wrap the pan in several beach towels and it will stay nice and warm).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>P.P.S.: To double the recipe: Use 7/8 cube butter; 4 7/8 cups water and 5 chicken bouillon cubes and cook rice for 37 minutes. (You can double all the other ingredients).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you follow these directions exactly, you should have a perfect pilaf every time. But avoid the urge to peek at the cooking rice. Lifting the cover during cooking will affect the texture and fluffiness of the dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Birth+Of+Rice-A-Roni%3A+The+Armenian-Italian+Treat&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced by Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson of The Kitchen Sisters and originally aired on NPR in 2008. Thank you to The Kitchen Sisters for allowing us to adapt that piece for Bay Curious. You can listen to the original \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2008/07/31/93067862/birth-of-rice-a-roni-the-armenian-italian-treat\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>here was a time when you couldn’t go too long watching television without seeing a commercial for Rice-A-Roni. Many featured images of San Francisco and ended with a catchy jingle — “Rice-A-Roni. The San Francisco Treat!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Kent Barnes has wondered if that advertising slogan is true. Was Rice-A-Roni actually created here in the Bay Area?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11817521\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 200px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ricearoni_TomLois200.jpg\" alt=\"Tom and Lois DeDomenico in San Francisco, shortly after their marriage.\" width=\"200\" height=\"266\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11817521\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ricearoni_TomLois200.jpg 200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/ricearoni_TomLois200-160x213.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom and Lois DeDomenico in San Francisco, shortly after their marriage. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Lois DeDomenico)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The short answer: yes. It was a clandestine convergence of cultures that ultimately led to the creation of “The San Francisco Treat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story starts just after World War II. Soldiers were pouring into San Francisco, looking for a fresh start. The housing market was crowded as Lois DeDomenico and her husband, Tom, were on the hunt for a place to live. Lois grew up in Edmonton, Canada, and met Tom in San Francisco in 1944. Tom’s father, an immigrant from Italy, owned a pasta company in San Francisco where Tom worked with his brothers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was very little housing available in San Francisco at the time, as soldiers flooded into the city for a new start after the war. So when Lois and Tom found a room to rent in the home of Pailadzo Captanian, they jumped on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mrs. Captanian. I had a liking for her right away, so we moved in. Tommy would work until about 7 o’clock at the pasta factory and I was alone a lot,” Lois said. “I was only 18 and I was pregnant. And I had kitchen privileges. Well, I really wasn’t much of a cook. And here was this Armenian lady, probably about 70 years [old], making yogurt on the back of the stove, all day, every day. I didn’t even know what the word ‘yogurt’ meant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Captanian taught Lois how to make paklava (baklava), soups and her specialty, Armenian pilaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We would bring her Golden Grain vermicelli from the factory,” Lois said. “She wanted us to break it as small as rice if we could.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During those long afternoons in the kitchen, Lois listened as Captanian told her life story — about the Armenian genocide, her husband’s death and the separation from her two young boys. In 1915, she trekked from Turkey to Syria, while pregnant and with little food and water, along with thousands of other women and children who had been deported. Once in Syria, she gave birth, and was ultimately reunited with her two other sons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Captanian chronicled these events in her 1919 book, “Memoires D’une Deportee.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family then moved to the United States, where she worked as a seamstress, sewing draperies for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Hyde Park home in New York. She put her boys through school, and after World War II, she moved to San Francisco, where one of her sons had settled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11818020\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 540px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11818020 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/rice_captanian540-86f59186faddc7574ffc62505c8a903e3894ba5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/rice_captanian540-86f59186faddc7574ffc62505c8a903e3894ba5e.jpg 540w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/05/rice_captanian540-86f59186faddc7574ffc62505c8a903e3894ba5e-160x138.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Captanian family in New York in 1921: Pailadzo, Gilbert, Aram and Herant. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Captanian Family)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘This Would Be Great in a Box’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the DeDomenicos moved into a place of their own, Lois often cooked Mrs. Captanian’s Armenian pilaf. At a family dinner one evening, after a long day at the pasta factory, Tom’s brother Vince stared at his dish of pilaf and said, “This would be great in a box.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golden Grain had a test kitchen at the factory. It took three or four years to adapt the recipe for one-pot cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Rice-A-Roni hit the market in the 1950s, people were desperate to make cooking easier and faster. Rice-A-Roni was a product that was preseasoned and didn’t require boiling water, which made cooking rice and pasta simpler than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were not many packaged side dishes in the market in 1955,” said Dennis DeDomenico, Tom and Lois’ son. “Everything was being geared toward less time in the kitchen. Major appliances like dishwashers and garbage disposals were starting to come in. The convenience factor was everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that was missing was a name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We said, ‘Well, what is the product? The product is rice and macaroni. Why don’t we call it Rice-A-Roni?’ Didn’t quite sound right. Who’d ever heard of rice and macaroni being together? Still, the name had a ring to it,” Tom DeDomenico said, in an oral history recorded by the Bancroft Library in 1988.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Culinary Melting Pot\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rice-A-Roni was marketed as “A San Francisco Treat,” but it quickly became one of America’s favorite side dishes. Ted Captanian remembers seeing the commercials on television as a child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every time we heard that jingle, my father would say, ‘You know your grandmother gave a rice recipe to the people who started that company. So every time you hear it, think of her,’ ” Ted said. “To be honest, we kind of thought — could that possibly be true? Could this iconic American dish actually be attributed to some recipe my grandmother gave years ago?”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/yzOR_Fal_SY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/yzOR_Fal_SY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Lois says she still makes pilaf the way Pailadzo Captanian taught her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The impact she had on me and my life,” Lois said. “I only lived there for four months, but it was four months that brought all these things together: myself from Canada; Tommy, Italian; Mrs. Captanian, Armenian. All that converging in San Francisco in 1946, and out of that comes Rice-A-Roni.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"recipe\">Pailadzo Captanian’s Rice Pilaf Recipe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pailadzo Captanian’s rice pilaf dish has been passed through the family over the years. They aren’t sure if Pailadzo included mushrooms or pine nuts in her version of the recipe, and there may have been adaptations as the recipe moved through the family. But to the best of everyone’s knowledge, this is it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ingredients\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>\u003cbr>\nRice Mixture:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>7/8 cup long grain white rice\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1/8 cup fideo capellini crushed into small pieces\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ cube butter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ large onion, chopped\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ 4.5 oz jar sliced “Green Giant” mushrooms packed in water and drained. (mushrooms can be substituted with any other canned mushrooms.)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1 tbsp pine nuts\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Broth:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>2 ½ cups boiling water\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2 ½ chicken bouillon cubes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>½ tbsp dried parsley flakes\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Salt and pepper to taste.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>(The broth should taste somewhat salty before it is added to rice mixture.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Directions:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Melt the butter over medium high flame in a medium sauce pan and add rice and fideo cappellini and stir constantly, cooking until it starts to turn golden.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Add chopped onion and cook until almost clear.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Add mushrooms and pine nuts. Stir constantly over medium high flame, until the mixture is golden brown with dark flecks of fideo capellini.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Meanwhile, make broth by heating water to boiling and adding bouillon cubes, parsley flakes, salt and pepper (you can heat this in the microwave or on the stove). Stir to dissolve the bouillon.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Add boiling broth to browned rice mixture, (note: broth /rice mixture should taste slightly salty), return to a bowl, stir once, and cover, then turn down the hat to a low simmer. Do not lift the cover for 35 minutes.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork; let rest until ready to serve.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>P.S.: Cover pan with a cloth to keep warm (If I am traveling with the rice over a period of several hours, I wrap the pan in several beach towels and it will stay nice and warm).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>P.P.S.: To double the recipe: Use 7/8 cube butter; 4 7/8 cups water and 5 chicken bouillon cubes and cook rice for 37 minutes. (You can double all the other ingredients).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you follow these directions exactly, you should have a perfect pilaf every time. But avoid the urge to peek at the cooking rice. Lifting the cover during cooking will affect the texture and fluffiness of the dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Birth+Of+Rice-A-Roni%3A+The+Armenian-Italian+Treat&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Golden State Plate: Sriracha’s Journey From Southeast Asia to Southern California",
"headTitle": "Golden State Plate: Sriracha’s Journey From Southeast Asia to Southern California | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sriracha is everywhere. It’s used to spice up anything from chips and chocolate bars to burgers. Just about every fast food chain has a Sriracha-infused menu option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how did this sauce go from niche condiment to a beloved mainstream staple?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story begins with a Vietnamese refugee who found a home — and just the right peppers — in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Tran is the founder and CEO of Huy Fong Foods, the multi-million dollar company that makes Sriracha. The clear bottle filled with fiery red paste has itself become iconic, with a bright green top and a white rooster on the label. The rooster is there because Tran was born in 1945, and his Zodiac sign is the rooster. It’s also why Sriracha is sometimes referred to as “cock sauce” — and yes, they sell t-shirts with that name on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran got his start in Vietnam, when his brother gave him a chili field. He started making and selling a hot sauce called Pepper Sa-te in 1975. It’s based on a Thai chili sauce named for the coastal town of Si Racha. Tran sold the sauce in glass baby food jars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796236\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11796236\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entrance to Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The factory has allowed guided tours since the company was accused of sickening nearby residents with its spicy odors. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They used to sell them actually on bikes. And actually my husband was one of the guys, the boys that helped him sell it to the markets over there. Because in Vietnam everybody makes their own hot sauce,” explained Donna Lam. She’s David Tran’s sister-in-law and the company’s executive operations officer. Many of the company’s officials are related to Tran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Tien Nguyen, food writer\"]‘He sourced these really fresh peppers. He processed them and they were on your table. That has become the definition of California cuisine. And I really think that he has helped develop this idea of what it means to cook and eat locally and seasonally.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran is ethnically Chinese and was a major in the South Vietnamese army, which made him a target of the Communist regime in Vietnam following the Vietnam War. He fled the country on a Taiwanese freighter called the Huey Fong, which means “gathering prosperity” and inspired the name of his company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran sailed to the U.S., arriving first in Boston, but the cold winters and lack of fresh peppers drove him west. He moved to Los Angeles in 1979 and established his business in Chinatown, delivering the product himself in a blue Chevy van.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is the farmer state. They have a lot of produce. So I start a business in California. Seems like the right choice,” Tran explained matter-of-factly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To make Sriracha, Tran uses red jalapeños. They’re no different from green jalapeños, except they’re left on the vine to mature, so they become spicier and sweeter. That’s how Tran made chili sauce back in Vietnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In Asia, in China, chili must be red, not green. From beginning we using red, we’re not using green pepper,” Tran explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796307\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11796307 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waiting room at Huy Fong Foods includes giant inflatable Sriracha bottles and cardboard cutouts of company founder David Tran. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because he insisted on using freshly-picked peppers, food writer Tien Nguyen says Tran is quintessentially Californian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of this California Food Revolution stuff that was happening in the 1970s, where chefs were sourcing locally and seasonally, or trying to source locally and seasonally, he was doing it,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He sourced these really fresh peppers. He processed them and they were on your table. That has become the definition of California cuisine. And I really think that he has helped develop this idea of what it means to cook and eat locally and seasonally,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796315\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11796315 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A variety of t-shirts are for sale at the Huy Fong gift shop. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So why has the sauce become such a hit? Maybe the sweetness and spiciness played well with the American palate. Maybe it was the exotic look of the rooster logo. Or maybe, according to Huy Fong COO Donna Lam, because it’s cheap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“David’s philosophy is to make a rich man’s sauce at a poor man’s price and everybody can get it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lam has another theory though. It’s the feel-good origin story of Sriracha. Tran came to America with nothing and launched a business that makes an estimated $80 million a year — and he happily poses for photos with tour groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not just like a guy in a glass office somewhere that’s unapproachable, he’s a very approachable guy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nguyen has a different theory: as Vietnamese and Thai food became more popular, chefs and foodies sought out Sriracha as well, and eventually, supermarkets started stocking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For 28 years, Huy Fong got peppers exclusively from Underwood Ranches in Ventura County. But the partnership fell apart in 2016 over allegations of an overpayment and breach of contract. Dueling lawsuits ended this summer when a jury in Ventura County awarded the grower $23.3 million. Huy Fong plans to fight the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the lawsuit with Underwood Ranches, Huy Fong has had to look elsewhere for fresh jalapeños. It now gets its peppers from farms in California, New Mexico and Mexico. The phrase “made in California” was taken off the label.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag=\"golden-state-plate\" label=\"related coverage\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that wasn’t Huy Fong’s first legal battle. Its factory is in Irwindale, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. In 2013, the city filed suit because some neighbors complained about headaches and itchy eyes caused by odors from the plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The local resident, they complain that we make the hot sauce and the spicy, toxic gas make them sick,” Tran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company countersued, and Tran considered moving the company to Texas. Eventually the suit was dropped, the company installed new filters to reduce the smell and the feared “srirachapocalypse” was averted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around that time, Tran’s sauce became a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, with Sriracha flavored everything popping up. Suddenly, there were Sriracha cookbooks, a documentary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abf7TueHs1k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hip hop shoutouts\u003c/a> and a Sriracha-themed food festival in Los Angeles. Merriam-Webster even added “Sriracha” to its dictionary in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the lawsuits over the odors were dropped, Tran — like a modern-day Willy Wonka — opened his factory for public tours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And now we keep open because a lot of people interesting to see how we make it. After they take a tour, they trust my product,” Tran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796323\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11796323\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Huy Fong employee inspects bottles on the assembly line. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A recent tour began in a waiting room with walls covered in pictures of Sriracha fans from around the world. There are cardboard cutouts of Tran and the Sriracha bottle. There’s even a picture of astronauts in a space shuttle posing with a bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huy Fong employee Andrea Castillo led the tour group by trolley to the manufacturing facility. The group climbed up a flight of stairs to look down on a conveyor belt. Bright blue fifty-five gallon barrels slid past while workers in white uniforms looked on. The barrels were filled with a mixture of ground chilis, garlic, salt and vinegar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the tour of the factory I noticed a few of the employees wearing Huy Fong t-shirts. On the back of the shirts it read “No Tear Gas Made Here,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the 2013 lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Castillo showed the group how the clear plastic bottles were molded, then filled with the bright red paste, labeled, boxed and placed on pallets to be shipped around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796325\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11796325\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Huy Fong workers inspect the barrels of Sriracha before the paste is bottled, packaged and shipped to distributors. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So does Tran have a vision for the future? He says he has no plans to sell the company or take on investors, and the company doesn’t spend a dime on advertising. Because Tran named his sauce for the Thai city, he can’t trademark the name, which means there are plenty of copycats. There are no new products in the works, aside from Sriracha and two less-popular sauces, Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All he wants to do, he says, is make what his customers want, and that’s Sriracha.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Sriracha is used to spice up everything from chips and chocolate bars to burgers. But the story of Sriracha’s rise to mainstream condiment began with a Vietnamese refugee who found a home and just the right peppers, in Southern California. ",
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"description": "Sriracha is used to spice up everything from chips and chocolate bars to burgers. But the story of Sriracha’s rise to mainstream condiment began with a Vietnamese refugee who found a home and just the right peppers, in Southern California. ",
"title": "Golden State Plate: Sriracha’s Journey From Southeast Asia to Southern California | KQED",
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"headline": "Golden State Plate: Sriracha’s Journey From Southeast Asia to Southern California",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sriracha is everywhere. It’s used to spice up anything from chips and chocolate bars to burgers. Just about every fast food chain has a Sriracha-infused menu option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how did this sauce go from niche condiment to a beloved mainstream staple?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story begins with a Vietnamese refugee who found a home — and just the right peppers — in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Tran is the founder and CEO of Huy Fong Foods, the multi-million dollar company that makes Sriracha. The clear bottle filled with fiery red paste has itself become iconic, with a bright green top and a white rooster on the label. The rooster is there because Tran was born in 1945, and his Zodiac sign is the rooster. It’s also why Sriracha is sometimes referred to as “cock sauce” — and yes, they sell t-shirts with that name on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran got his start in Vietnam, when his brother gave him a chili field. He started making and selling a hot sauce called Pepper Sa-te in 1975. It’s based on a Thai chili sauce named for the coastal town of Si Racha. Tran sold the sauce in glass baby food jars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796236\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11796236\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40735_IMG_8233-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entrance to Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The factory has allowed guided tours since the company was accused of sickening nearby residents with its spicy odors. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They used to sell them actually on bikes. And actually my husband was one of the guys, the boys that helped him sell it to the markets over there. Because in Vietnam everybody makes their own hot sauce,” explained Donna Lam. She’s David Tran’s sister-in-law and the company’s executive operations officer. Many of the company’s officials are related to Tran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘He sourced these really fresh peppers. He processed them and they were on your table. That has become the definition of California cuisine. And I really think that he has helped develop this idea of what it means to cook and eat locally and seasonally.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran is ethnically Chinese and was a major in the South Vietnamese army, which made him a target of the Communist regime in Vietnam following the Vietnam War. He fled the country on a Taiwanese freighter called the Huey Fong, which means “gathering prosperity” and inspired the name of his company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tran sailed to the U.S., arriving first in Boston, but the cold winters and lack of fresh peppers drove him west. He moved to Los Angeles in 1979 and established his business in Chinatown, delivering the product himself in a blue Chevy van.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is the farmer state. They have a lot of produce. So I start a business in California. Seems like the right choice,” Tran explained matter-of-factly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To make Sriracha, Tran uses red jalapeños. They’re no different from green jalapeños, except they’re left on the vine to mature, so they become spicier and sweeter. That’s how Tran made chili sauce back in Vietnam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In Asia, in China, chili must be red, not green. From beginning we using red, we’re not using green pepper,” Tran explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796307\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11796307 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40738_IMG_8241-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waiting room at Huy Fong Foods includes giant inflatable Sriracha bottles and cardboard cutouts of company founder David Tran. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because he insisted on using freshly-picked peppers, food writer Tien Nguyen says Tran is quintessentially Californian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of this California Food Revolution stuff that was happening in the 1970s, where chefs were sourcing locally and seasonally, or trying to source locally and seasonally, he was doing it,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He sourced these really fresh peppers. He processed them and they were on your table. That has become the definition of California cuisine. And I really think that he has helped develop this idea of what it means to cook and eat locally and seasonally,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796315\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11796315 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40739_IMG_8346-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A variety of t-shirts are for sale at the Huy Fong gift shop. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So why has the sauce become such a hit? Maybe the sweetness and spiciness played well with the American palate. Maybe it was the exotic look of the rooster logo. Or maybe, according to Huy Fong COO Donna Lam, because it’s cheap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“David’s philosophy is to make a rich man’s sauce at a poor man’s price and everybody can get it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lam has another theory though. It’s the feel-good origin story of Sriracha. Tran came to America with nothing and launched a business that makes an estimated $80 million a year — and he happily poses for photos with tour groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not just like a guy in a glass office somewhere that’s unapproachable, he’s a very approachable guy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nguyen has a different theory: as Vietnamese and Thai food became more popular, chefs and foodies sought out Sriracha as well, and eventually, supermarkets started stocking it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For 28 years, Huy Fong got peppers exclusively from Underwood Ranches in Ventura County. But the partnership fell apart in 2016 over allegations of an overpayment and breach of contract. Dueling lawsuits ended this summer when a jury in Ventura County awarded the grower $23.3 million. Huy Fong plans to fight the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the lawsuit with Underwood Ranches, Huy Fong has had to look elsewhere for fresh jalapeños. It now gets its peppers from farms in California, New Mexico and Mexico. The phrase “made in California” was taken off the label.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that wasn’t Huy Fong’s first legal battle. Its factory is in Irwindale, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. In 2013, the city filed suit because some neighbors complained about headaches and itchy eyes caused by odors from the plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The local resident, they complain that we make the hot sauce and the spicy, toxic gas make them sick,” Tran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company countersued, and Tran considered moving the company to Texas. Eventually the suit was dropped, the company installed new filters to reduce the smell and the feared “srirachapocalypse” was averted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around that time, Tran’s sauce became a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, with Sriracha flavored everything popping up. Suddenly, there were Sriracha cookbooks, a documentary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abf7TueHs1k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hip hop shoutouts\u003c/a> and a Sriracha-themed food festival in Los Angeles. Merriam-Webster even added “Sriracha” to its dictionary in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the lawsuits over the odors were dropped, Tran — like a modern-day Willy Wonka — opened his factory for public tours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And now we keep open because a lot of people interesting to see how we make it. After they take a tour, they trust my product,” Tran said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796323\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11796323\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40741_IMG_8284-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Huy Fong employee inspects bottles on the assembly line. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A recent tour began in a waiting room with walls covered in pictures of Sriracha fans from around the world. There are cardboard cutouts of Tran and the Sriracha bottle. There’s even a picture of astronauts in a space shuttle posing with a bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huy Fong employee Andrea Castillo led the tour group by trolley to the manufacturing facility. The group climbed up a flight of stairs to look down on a conveyor belt. Bright blue fifty-five gallon barrels slid past while workers in white uniforms looked on. The barrels were filled with a mixture of ground chilis, garlic, salt and vinegar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the tour of the factory I noticed a few of the employees wearing Huy Fong t-shirts. On the back of the shirts it read “No Tear Gas Made Here,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the 2013 lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Castillo showed the group how the clear plastic bottles were molded, then filled with the bright red paste, labeled, boxed and placed on pallets to be shipped around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11796325\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11796325\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/RS40742_IMG_8320-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Huy Fong workers inspect the barrels of Sriracha before the paste is bottled, packaged and shipped to distributors. \u003ccite>(Avishay Artsy/KQED News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So does Tran have a vision for the future? He says he has no plans to sell the company or take on investors, and the company doesn’t spend a dime on advertising. Because Tran named his sauce for the Thai city, he can’t trademark the name, which means there are plenty of copycats. There are no new products in the works, aside from Sriracha and two less-popular sauces, Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All he wants to do, he says, is make what his customers want, and that’s Sriracha.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s hard to imagine in this era of salted caramel and matcha tea, but there was a time when the American ice cream palate was limited to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The invention of Rocky Road in the 1920s changed the ice cream game with “mix-ins”: adding the bumpy texture of nuts, and the soft, pillowy chew of marshmallows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though nearly a century has passed since Rocky Road was invented, it is still beloved and immortalized by the likes of “Weird Al” Yankovic:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beTsDOBRs8I\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s still a dispute over just who thought up the recipe for Rocky Road ice cream: \u003ca href=\"https://www.fentonscreamery.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fenton’s Creamery \u003c/a>or \u003ca href=\"https://www.dreyers.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream\u003c/a>. The one certain thing is that the flavor was invented in Oakland, California.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>An Antidote to the Great Depression\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775012\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"Tour guide Lauren Herpich, of Local Food Adventures, holds up historical photos as she gives an ice cream tour of Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775012\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-840x1120.jpg 840w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-687x916.jpg 687w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-414x552.jpg 414w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-354x472.jpg 354w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tour guide Lauren Herpich, of Local Food Adventures, holds up historical photos as she gives an ice cream tour of Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Local Food Adventures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So the real story goes: there was a man named William Dreyer. He was a German immigrant. He loved making ice cream and so he made it out of a candy shop,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.localfoodadventures.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Local Tour Adventures\u003c/a> guide Lauren Herpich, whom I joined for an \u003ca href=\"https://www.localfoodadventures.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ice cream tour\u003c/a> of College Avenue — a tiny shopping district running through North Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The street is home to the original headquarters of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, which was founded in 1928.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A year after its opening, the American stock market crashed. Shantytowns consequently developed along Oakland’s waterfront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So William Dreyer decides ‘what I want to do is make a new ice cream flavor that puts a smile on people’s faces during this rocky road of life. Aha!’” Herpich exclaimed to the tour group as she handed out little cups of Rocky Road for us to sample.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rocky Road becomes America’s first blockbuster ice cream flavor after chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. So really, we can say thanks to Mr. Dreyer for starting the whole idea of new ice cream flavors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is the official \u003ca href=\"https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/history/nestle-company-history/dreyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">story\u003c/a> from Dreyer’s, too, and William Dreyer — working with candy maker Joseph Edy — came up with the slogan “Share a scoop, share a smile.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 572px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11775330\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39241_dreyers-vintage-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"572\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39241_dreyers-vintage-qut.jpg 572w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39241_dreyers-vintage-qut-160x77.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocky Road is still one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S. \u003ccite>(Used with permission by Nestle. NESTLÉ® and Dreyer's are registered trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dreyer apparently figured out how to cut up the marshmallows with his wife’s sewing shears and folded them into chocolate ice cream. The story is repeated by John Harrison, the guy who invented Cookies ‘N Cream ice cream and some 75 other new flavors for Dreyer’s starting in the 1980s. Harrison used to sample flavors with a gold spoon, and his taste buds were famously insured for a million dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RWcqJ4LHM8\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[It was] the first time marshmallow was ever used in ice cream,” Harrison told an interviewer in 2011. He was also part of an\u003ca href=\"http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/dreyers/index.html\"> oral history project\u003c/a> with UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, documenting the long history of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But the only marshmallow that was available in 1929 was the large fireside marshmallow that their wives used to cut up, bite-size. You can’t put a whole. Wouldn’t work,” Harrison explained, making gummy chewing sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison said William Dreyer adapted a popular candy of the period, made with marshmallows and walnuts — using almonds instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 572px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11775368\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39242_dreyers-truck-vintage-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"572\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39242_dreyers-truck-vintage-qut.jpg 572w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39242_dreyers-truck-vintage-qut-160x77.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Early Dreyer’s ice cream trucks operated with huge blocks of ice to keep the Rocky Road cool. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nestle. (NESTLÉ® and Dreyer's are registered trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The candy and ice cream industry has been interwoven since day one,” Harrison said. “Originally, it was walnuts, but it didn’t have that bite, that crispness, that freshness, lasting. It’s too porous. It absorbs and gets soggy. “\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dreyer’s has expanded well beyond Oakland since. It was bought by Nestle in 2002 and its ice cream is stocked in nearly every supermarket freezer (either as Dreyer’s or Edy’s on the East Coast.) Nestlé continues to market the brand and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/history/nestle-company-history/dreyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claim\u003c/a> that Dreyer invented Rocky Road.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Walnuts vs. Almonds\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775091\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775091\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-536x402.jpg 536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Fenton’s Rocky Road sundae. Fenton’s Creamery has not done much to advertise its claim to Rocky Road, although it does mention it on the menu. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Just down the road from where Dreyer’s got its start in Oakland, there’s another much smaller ice cream company that also claims to have invented Rocky Road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775053\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11775053\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-800x1060.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-800x1060.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-160x212.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-1020x1351.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-906x1200.jpg 906w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fenton’s owner and Master Blender Scott Whidden showing off a new batch of Rocky Road with longtime Fenton’s ice cream maker Alfredo Macias. \u003ccite>(Sasha Khokha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At Fenton’s Creamery, owner and master blender Scott Whidden holds a tub under a spigot churning out fresh chocolate ice cream. He puts in fistfuls of nuts and marshmallows that he scoops from plastic tubs. He, however, adds walnuts instead of almonds — just like the original candy bar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m looking for equal parts [in each bite],” explained Whidden over the whirring ice cream machine. “If you have a marshmallow, I want you to have maybe one or two of the walnuts,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whidden said small-batch and handmade is the way Fenton’s has made its ice cream since the 1920s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That, he said, is when Melvin Fenton — grandson of the original owner — came up with the idea for Rocky Road. There’s a picture of him in the parlor, where dozens of families are sitting in red vinyl booths enjoying giant sundaes in old-fashioned glass dishes. In the photo, Melvin Fenton is loading fresh cream off of a tiny airplane that he flew as an amateur pilot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Melvin was like the black sheep of the family,” said Whidden. More like a wildcat and an inventor who could see beyond the trifecta of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775078\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775078\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-1200x793.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut.jpg 1298w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Melvin Fenton loading fresh cream off an airplane into a delivery truck. Fenton’s claims that Melvin invented Rocky Road. Photo Courtesy Fenton’s Creamery. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Fenton's Ice Cream)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He’s a visionary,” said Whidden. “Forward-thinking guy. And he goes, ‘Whoa. Mix-ins!’ So the thought process on it was, we’re into the depression, it’s bad times. Smooth ice cream, and then there’s these bumps, it gets rocky.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That sounds familiar: Rocky Road, the bumpy road of life during the Depression. Chocolate, marshmallows, nuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>An Ice Cream Expert Weighs In \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775079\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 303px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11775079 \" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"303\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-840x1120.jpg 840w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-687x916.jpg 687w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-414x552.jpg 414w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-354x472.jpg 354w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 303px) 100vw, 303px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Ettinger says Rocky Road was the flavor of her childhood. Here she is at Fenton’s Creamery enjoying a sundae. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These days, Rocky Road is still one of Fenton’s top-selling flavors. They serve it up in giant scoops and decadent sundaes. When I visited Fenton’s, \u003ca href=\"http://amyettinger.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amy Ettinger \u003c/a>and I ordered sundaes with whipped cream and cherries —gleefully fishing for the walnuts and marshmallows. Ettinger is an ice cream historian, the author of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11593783/vanilla-chocolate-strawberry-and-oyster-a-year-of-ice-cream\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweet Spot, An Ice Cream Binge Across America\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very common in ice cream history to have these kinds of disputes,” said Ettinger. “The 1904 World’s Fair was when the ice cream cone was invented and six different vendors claimed that they were the ones who invented it. Unless you have a time machine, or you know you were actually the inventor, there’s no way really to tell.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ettinger said Rocky Road is the flavor of her childhood. But not this Rocky Road: the Dreyer’s with the almonds you can buy at the grocery store. She said she feels a little sheepish saying that, because it’s kind of a David and Goliath story: the mom and pop parlor versus what is today a multinational giant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s very interesting is Fenton’s is a very beloved Bay Area institution,” said Ettinger. “But it is not well known outside of the Bay Area. So regardless of who actually invented it, Dreyer’s is hands down the marketer of Rocky Road. They built their brand on the invention and the marketing of Rocky Road. Just because the other company is the one that got the word out about it, doesn’t mean that Fenton’s didn’t invent it. There’s no way for us to know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775082\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775082\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fenton’s is known for its decadent sundaes, including those made with Rocky Road. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There are other theories too:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag='golden-state-plate' label='Our Golden State Plate series']\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fenton’s original candy maker, George Farren, was friends with Dreyer and so perhaps he shared his idea for a Rocky Road ice cream based on the candy with both ice cream companies. It’s unclear whether the original candy bar popular in the 1920s was called Rocky Road. There’s still a Rocky Road candy bar today, invented in San Francisco in the 1950s, that uses cashews. It’s all a bit nutty!\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Fenton’s owner Scott Whidden claimed Dreyer’s just stole the credit, even though they knew Fenton’s had invented it. Whidden said Dreyer’s former president Ken Cook, who ran Dreyer’s from 1963-1977, was his mentor. The one who actually encouraged him to buy Fenton’s and admitted to him that Fenton’s actually invented Rocky Road. Cook passed away in 1991, so there’s no way to verify that claim, although the online publication Quartzy tried to \u003ca href=\"https://qz.com/quartzy/1376713/who-invented-rocky-road-ice-cream-its-complicated/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">track it down\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Then there’s the even more radical theory that, in fact, Rocky Road was born in Topeka, Kansas. There is a recipe in a candy cookbook printed there that predates either Fenton’s or Dreyer’s. It calls for honey whip instead of marshmallows.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775080\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775080\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM-800x624.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM-800x624.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM.png 982w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher (this edition published 1920 in Topeka, Kansas) includes a recipe for Rocky Road that predates either Fenton’s or Dreyer’s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ice cream expert Amy Ettinger said this theory doesn’t count. Rocky Road definitely came from Oakland. And who cares who invented it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day I don’t know that it matters,” said Ettinger. I mean, if both places are creating really good scoops of Rocky Road ice cream now, and they both have their little twist on it. How important is it who the original inventor was?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The historical dispute between two California ice cream makers over who invented one of America's most popular flavors. ",
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"title": "Golden State Plate: Rocky Road Ice Cream's Bumpy History | KQED",
"description": "The historical dispute between two California ice cream makers over who invented one of America's most popular flavors. ",
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"headline": "Golden State Plate: Rocky Road Ice Cream's Bumpy History",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s hard to imagine in this era of salted caramel and matcha tea, but there was a time when the American ice cream palate was limited to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The invention of Rocky Road in the 1920s changed the ice cream game with “mix-ins”: adding the bumpy texture of nuts, and the soft, pillowy chew of marshmallows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though nearly a century has passed since Rocky Road was invented, it is still beloved and immortalized by the likes of “Weird Al” Yankovic:\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/beTsDOBRs8I'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/beTsDOBRs8I'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>But there’s still a dispute over just who thought up the recipe for Rocky Road ice cream: \u003ca href=\"https://www.fentonscreamery.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fenton’s Creamery \u003c/a>or \u003ca href=\"https://www.dreyers.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream\u003c/a>. The one certain thing is that the flavor was invented in Oakland, California.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>An Antidote to the Great Depression\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775012\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"Tour guide Lauren Herpich, of Local Food Adventures, holds up historical photos as she gives an ice cream tour of Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775012\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-840x1120.jpg 840w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-687x916.jpg 687w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-414x552.jpg 414w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336-354x472.jpg 354w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39102_LocalFoodAdventures_TL2018-30-qut-e1569096415336.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tour guide Lauren Herpich, of Local Food Adventures, holds up historical photos as she gives an ice cream tour of Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Local Food Adventures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So the real story goes: there was a man named William Dreyer. He was a German immigrant. He loved making ice cream and so he made it out of a candy shop,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.localfoodadventures.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Local Tour Adventures\u003c/a> guide Lauren Herpich, whom I joined for an \u003ca href=\"https://www.localfoodadventures.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ice cream tour\u003c/a> of College Avenue — a tiny shopping district running through North Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The street is home to the original headquarters of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, which was founded in 1928.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A year after its opening, the American stock market crashed. Shantytowns consequently developed along Oakland’s waterfront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So William Dreyer decides ‘what I want to do is make a new ice cream flavor that puts a smile on people’s faces during this rocky road of life. Aha!’” Herpich exclaimed to the tour group as she handed out little cups of Rocky Road for us to sample.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Rocky Road becomes America’s first blockbuster ice cream flavor after chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. So really, we can say thanks to Mr. Dreyer for starting the whole idea of new ice cream flavors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is the official \u003ca href=\"https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/history/nestle-company-history/dreyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">story\u003c/a> from Dreyer’s, too, and William Dreyer — working with candy maker Joseph Edy — came up with the slogan “Share a scoop, share a smile.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 572px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11775330\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39241_dreyers-vintage-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"572\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39241_dreyers-vintage-qut.jpg 572w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39241_dreyers-vintage-qut-160x77.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rocky Road is still one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S. \u003ccite>(Used with permission by Nestle. NESTLÉ® and Dreyer's are registered trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dreyer apparently figured out how to cut up the marshmallows with his wife’s sewing shears and folded them into chocolate ice cream. The story is repeated by John Harrison, the guy who invented Cookies ‘N Cream ice cream and some 75 other new flavors for Dreyer’s starting in the 1980s. Harrison used to sample flavors with a gold spoon, and his taste buds were famously insured for a million dollars.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/_RWcqJ4LHM8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/_RWcqJ4LHM8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“[It was] the first time marshmallow was ever used in ice cream,” Harrison told an interviewer in 2011. He was also part of an\u003ca href=\"http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/dreyers/index.html\"> oral history project\u003c/a> with UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, documenting the long history of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But the only marshmallow that was available in 1929 was the large fireside marshmallow that their wives used to cut up, bite-size. You can’t put a whole. Wouldn’t work,” Harrison explained, making gummy chewing sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison said William Dreyer adapted a popular candy of the period, made with marshmallows and walnuts — using almonds instead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 572px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11775368\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39242_dreyers-truck-vintage-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"572\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39242_dreyers-truck-vintage-qut.jpg 572w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39242_dreyers-truck-vintage-qut-160x77.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Early Dreyer’s ice cream trucks operated with huge blocks of ice to keep the Rocky Road cool. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Nestle. (NESTLÉ® and Dreyer's are registered trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The candy and ice cream industry has been interwoven since day one,” Harrison said. “Originally, it was walnuts, but it didn’t have that bite, that crispness, that freshness, lasting. It’s too porous. It absorbs and gets soggy. “\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dreyer’s has expanded well beyond Oakland since. It was bought by Nestle in 2002 and its ice cream is stocked in nearly every supermarket freezer (either as Dreyer’s or Edy’s on the East Coast.) Nestlé continues to market the brand and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/history/nestle-company-history/dreyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claim\u003c/a> that Dreyer invented Rocky Road.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Walnuts vs. Almonds\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775091\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775091\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2-536x402.jpg 536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/rocky-road-w-menu-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Fenton’s Rocky Road sundae. Fenton’s Creamery has not done much to advertise its claim to Rocky Road, although it does mention it on the menu. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Just down the road from where Dreyer’s got its start in Oakland, there’s another much smaller ice cream company that also claims to have invented Rocky Road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775053\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11775053\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-800x1060.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-800x1060.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-160x212.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-1020x1351.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914-906x1200.jpg 906w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39118_best-of-whidden-and-RR-qut-1-e1569096311914.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fenton’s owner and Master Blender Scott Whidden showing off a new batch of Rocky Road with longtime Fenton’s ice cream maker Alfredo Macias. \u003ccite>(Sasha Khokha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At Fenton’s Creamery, owner and master blender Scott Whidden holds a tub under a spigot churning out fresh chocolate ice cream. He puts in fistfuls of nuts and marshmallows that he scoops from plastic tubs. He, however, adds walnuts instead of almonds — just like the original candy bar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m looking for equal parts [in each bite],” explained Whidden over the whirring ice cream machine. “If you have a marshmallow, I want you to have maybe one or two of the walnuts,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whidden said small-batch and handmade is the way Fenton’s has made its ice cream since the 1920s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That, he said, is when Melvin Fenton — grandson of the original owner — came up with the idea for Rocky Road. There’s a picture of him in the parlor, where dozens of families are sitting in red vinyl booths enjoying giant sundaes in old-fashioned glass dishes. In the photo, Melvin Fenton is loading fresh cream off of a tiny airplane that he flew as an amateur pilot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Melvin was like the black sheep of the family,” said Whidden. More like a wildcat and an inventor who could see beyond the trifecta of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775078\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775078\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut-1200x793.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39105_MELVIN_AIRPLANE_DIVCO-qut.jpg 1298w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Melvin Fenton loading fresh cream off an airplane into a delivery truck. Fenton’s claims that Melvin invented Rocky Road. Photo Courtesy Fenton’s Creamery. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Fenton's Ice Cream)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He’s a visionary,” said Whidden. “Forward-thinking guy. And he goes, ‘Whoa. Mix-ins!’ So the thought process on it was, we’re into the depression, it’s bad times. Smooth ice cream, and then there’s these bumps, it gets rocky.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That sounds familiar: Rocky Road, the bumpy road of life during the Depression. Chocolate, marshmallows, nuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>An Ice Cream Expert Weighs In \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775079\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 303px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11775079 \" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"303\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-840x1120.jpg 840w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-687x916.jpg 687w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-414x552.jpg 414w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603-354x472.jpg 354w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39095_Amy-Ettinger-qut-e1568841953603.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 303px) 100vw, 303px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Ettinger says Rocky Road was the flavor of her childhood. Here she is at Fenton’s Creamery enjoying a sundae. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These days, Rocky Road is still one of Fenton’s top-selling flavors. They serve it up in giant scoops and decadent sundaes. When I visited Fenton’s, \u003ca href=\"http://amyettinger.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amy Ettinger \u003c/a>and I ordered sundaes with whipped cream and cherries —gleefully fishing for the walnuts and marshmallows. Ettinger is an ice cream historian, the author of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11593783/vanilla-chocolate-strawberry-and-oyster-a-year-of-ice-cream\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweet Spot, An Ice Cream Binge Across America\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very common in ice cream history to have these kinds of disputes,” said Ettinger. “The 1904 World’s Fair was when the ice cream cone was invented and six different vendors claimed that they were the ones who invented it. Unless you have a time machine, or you know you were actually the inventor, there’s no way really to tell.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ettinger said Rocky Road is the flavor of her childhood. But not this Rocky Road: the Dreyer’s with the almonds you can buy at the grocery store. She said she feels a little sheepish saying that, because it’s kind of a David and Goliath story: the mom and pop parlor versus what is today a multinational giant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s very interesting is Fenton’s is a very beloved Bay Area institution,” said Ettinger. “But it is not well known outside of the Bay Area. So regardless of who actually invented it, Dreyer’s is hands down the marketer of Rocky Road. They built their brand on the invention and the marketing of Rocky Road. Just because the other company is the one that got the word out about it, doesn’t mean that Fenton’s didn’t invent it. There’s no way for us to know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775082\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775082\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/RS39090_sundae-beauty-pageant-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fenton’s is known for its decadent sundaes, including those made with Rocky Road. \u003ccite>(Suzie Racho/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There are other theories too:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Fenton’s original candy maker, George Farren, was friends with Dreyer and so perhaps he shared his idea for a Rocky Road ice cream based on the candy with both ice cream companies. It’s unclear whether the original candy bar popular in the 1920s was called Rocky Road. There’s still a Rocky Road candy bar today, invented in San Francisco in the 1950s, that uses cashews. It’s all a bit nutty!\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Fenton’s owner Scott Whidden claimed Dreyer’s just stole the credit, even though they knew Fenton’s had invented it. Whidden said Dreyer’s former president Ken Cook, who ran Dreyer’s from 1963-1977, was his mentor. The one who actually encouraged him to buy Fenton’s and admitted to him that Fenton’s actually invented Rocky Road. Cook passed away in 1991, so there’s no way to verify that claim, although the online publication Quartzy tried to \u003ca href=\"https://qz.com/quartzy/1376713/who-invented-rocky-road-ice-cream-its-complicated/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">track it down\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Then there’s the even more radical theory that, in fact, Rocky Road was born in Topeka, Kansas. There is a recipe in a candy cookbook printed there that predates either Fenton’s or Dreyer’s. It calls for honey whip instead of marshmallows.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11775080\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11775080\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM-800x624.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM-800x624.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-17-at-1.21.14-PM.png 982w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher (this edition published 1920 in Topeka, Kansas) includes a recipe for Rocky Road that predates either Fenton’s or Dreyer’s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ice cream expert Amy Ettinger said this theory doesn’t count. Rocky Road definitely came from Oakland. And who cares who invented it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day I don’t know that it matters,” said Ettinger. I mean, if both places are creating really good scoops of Rocky Road ice cream now, and they both have their little twist on it. How important is it who the original inventor was?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This week we’re dishing up some of our favorite stories from our \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/golden-state-plate/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Golden State Plate series\u003c/a>, which explores the backstory behind some iconic California-born food and drinks.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Listen to these and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11720617/pisco-punch-the-pricey-san-francisco-cocktail-that-was-a-gold-rush-knock-out\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Pisco Punch: The Pricey San Francisco Cocktail That Was a Gold Rush Knockout\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re a cocktail drinker, you’ve probably tasted a few Pisco Sours in your time. The pale foamy drink is made with Pisco - a highly potent Peruvian brandy. The first recipe for the Pisco Sour came from Peru, back in the 1940s. But many years before that, 19th century San Francisco was gripped by a craze for another Pisco concoction that maybe should have come with a health warning. KQED's Carly Severn takes us back to the time of the Gold Rush.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11732648/flamin-hot-cheetos-the-humble-beginnings-of-a-junk-food\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Flamin’ Hot Cheetos: The Humble Beginnings of a Junk Food\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These days, some folks can’t seem to get enough of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. This spicy, California-born snack has a devoted following. Bianca Taylor tells us more about the person who invented them. Richard Montañez worked as a janitor at a Frito-Lay factory for nearly two decades before he came up with his concoction. He had grown up picking grapes, living on a farm for migrant workers near Rancho Cucamonga with his 10 siblings.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11742748/unwrapping-the-california-origins-of-the-fortune-cookie\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Unwrapping the California Origins of the Fortune Cookie\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>What comes with the check at almost every Chinese restaurant? Fortune cookies. Like orange slices after a blood draw or apples at San Francisco’s Fillmore, they're a given. But how did they come to be? Are they really Chinese? And if so, why do they serve them at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park? The California Report’s Suzie Racho unravels a mystery.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11720665/what-makes-your-salad-taste-like-california-hidden-valley-ranch\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">What Makes Your Salad Taste Like California? Hidden Valley Ranch\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This “Golden State Plate” story is about something as ubiquitous as ketchup and mustard: ranch dressing. It’s everywhere, and it’s a California concoction. As Peter Gilstrap tells us, the place that gave the creamy buttermilk dressing its name was a real ranch on the Central Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cp>You’re sitting on the beach, sand between your toes, sunglasses on. What else could make this picture complete? How about a Mai Tai?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This rum cocktail makes many of us think of the tropics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I always thought the Mai Tai came from Hawaii,” says Bay Curious listener Terese O’Malley from Oakland. “But then I noticed a few tiki bars in the Oakland area claiming the invention of the Mai Tai. I thought, ‘could this be real? Or is this a myth?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She asked Bay Curious to get to the bottom of it. And so … we did!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read the full web version of this episode: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755932/an-island-drink-with-california-roots-the-mai-tai-turns-75\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">An Island Drink With California Roots: The Mai Tai Turns 75\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This story is part of our series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/golden-state-plate/\">Golden State Plate\u003c/a>, produced in collaboration with The California Report Magazine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to catch our other episodes about the Bay Area’s cocktail creations:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11621844/the-true-history-of-irish-coffee-and-its-san-francisco-origins\">The True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11715542/who-invented-the-martini-a-bay-area-story-with-a-twist\">Who Invented the Martini? A Bay Area Story, With a Twist\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11729394/this-pricey-san-francisco-cocktail-was-a-gold-rush-knockout\">This Pricey San Francisco Cocktail Was a Gold Rush Knockout\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Reported by \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/sracho?lang=en\">Suzie Racho. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Victoria Mauleon, Ceil Mueller, Sasha Khokha, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious/\">Ask us a question\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/bay-curious\">sign up for our Bay Curious newsletter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter \u003ca href=\"%E2%80%9Chttps://twitter.com/oallenprice%E2%80%9D\">@oallenprice.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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"info": "",
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