The Only Ukrainian Restaurant in Wine Country Pops Open for One Month This Summer
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The East Bay’s Most Exciting New Pizza Pop-up Is at a Richmond Weed Dispensary
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.annavoloshyna.com\">Anna Voloshyna\u003c/a> never dreamed of opening a restaurant. The chef and author has been busy planning a tour for her second cookbook, hosting events \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11908537/ukrainian-chef-in-sf-finds-comfort-cooking-traditional-food-and-raises-thousands-in-relief-aid\">and fundraisers\u003c/a>, and running her IACP award-winning \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/annavoloshynacooks/\">Instagram\u003c/a> account, all celebrating the cooking of her native Ukraine. But she got talked into a residency at \u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/a> at Oxbow Public Market in Napa, which means she’s effectively opening the only Ukrainian restaurant in wine country — if only for the month of July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People have been bugging me forever,” Voloshyna says. “Like, ‘Where can we try your food?’” Or any Ukrainian food, anywhere across the Bay Area, for that matter? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Northern California is home to a few small food businesses that proudly rep Ukraine, including \u003ca href=\"https://lelekasf.com\">Leleka\u003c/a> focusing on dumpling delivery in SF, San Mateo and Sunnyvale; \u003ca href=\"https://nataliasdacha.com\">Natalia’s Dacha\u003c/a> serving honey cakes at Napa County farmers markets; and the \u003ca href=\"https://borschmobile.com\">Borsch Mobile\u003c/a> truck bringing beet soup to the people across the Bay Area. And plenty of restaurants serve more broadly Eastern European–inspired menus with similar dishes. But given the context of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, Voloshyna has doubled down on specifically showcasing the hearty dishes and fermented flavors of her home country, and can’t wait to serve a sit-down dinner experience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the place where Ukrainian cuisine and culture will be celebrated, and I will shout about it nonstop for the whole month,” she says. \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/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a smiling chef holding a glass of white wine inside her restaurant.\" class=\"wp-image-13991033\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voloshyna will be the guest chef at Rotation by Feast It Forward, a new restaurant that hosts star chefs from around the country. Her second cookbook, ‘Ukraine,’ comes out in October 2026. (Jason Perry)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rotation is a new project from Katie Hamilton Shaffer of Feast It Forward, the events space and media network across the street from Oxbow. She took over a restaurant in a corner of the market, welcoming star guest chefs from across the country. The month-long chef residencies kicked off in February with Martin Yan from SF, followed by Tristen Epps from Houston and Lee Anne Wong from Honolulu, showcasing Chinese, Trinidadian, and Hawaiian flavors, respectively. None of these chefs phoned it in — Voloshyna’s staying in a cottage in Napa for the month, along with her husband and little wolf of a dog. She’ll be shopping the farmers market and working closely in the kitchen with Rotation executive chef Jeff Mosher and his team. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re throwing down a full menu, focusing on classics presented in a modern and refined way, Voloshyna says. A meal might start with beet-pickled deviled eggs with smoked trout roe, varenyky (dumplings) stuffed with farmer cheese and confit pork belly, and kholodnyk (chilled borsch) with refreshing raw veggies. Diners won’t want to miss the quintessential chicken Kyiv — “with a crispy crust and inside garlic butter — what’s not to love?” Voloshyna says. She’s already fermenting beet kvass to season the shpundra (braised short ribs), best served over banosh (polenta) with brynza sheep cheese and crispy onions. The grilled squash with preserved lemons comes from her first cookbook; the roasted eggplant with herbed yogurt will be in her second. And sour cream, pickles and fresh dill scatter across everything. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1429\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13991038\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Bright purple deviled eggs topped with orange fish roe.\" class=\"wp-image-13991038\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry.jpg 1429w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry-1097x1536.jpg 1097w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1429px) 100vw, 1429px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Beet-pickled deviled eggs topped with trout roe. (Jason Perry)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1429\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13991035\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Purple braised short rib over a bed of polenta with sliced radishes sprinkled on top.\" class=\"wp-image-13991035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry.jpg 1429w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry-1097x1536.jpg 1097w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1429px) 100vw, 1429px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Braised short ribs seasoned with fermented beets. (Jason Perry)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desserts include a sunflower semifreddo inspired by childhood snacks of sunflower halva: “That flavor is carved into my brain,” Voloshyna says. She grew up in a small town named Snihurivka in the south, a couple of hours from Odesa, surrounded by “fields and fields” of sunflowers. Despite the war, Ukraine remains a leading exporter of sunflower oil, so those cooking and finishing oils are foundational flavors, and the flowers shine as a national symbol of resilience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rotation serves its own menu at lunch, although Voloshyna will slide in at least one special — khachapuri. The Georgian cheese boats are now wildly popular across Ukraine. Shaffer, the owner, curates the wine list, focusing on locals from Napa and Sonoma, and cocktails include a signature old fashioned with bourbon washed in duck fat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rotation is located toward the back of Oxbow, across from Hog Island Oyster Co. It’s not simply a market stall; it’s a generous restaurant with 5,000 square feet and 125 seats, centered on an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven. Voloshyna plans to set up a cookbook display for anyone who wants to buy a signed copy of her first cookbook, \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (“cheers!” in Ukrainian), or preorder her second. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Voloshyna published \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in the fall of 2022, Russia had already been occupying Ukraine since 2014. It launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, bringing even more bittersweet meaning to this collection of recipes celebrating the foods Voloshyna grew up with. Since then, she spent three years researching her second book \u003ca href=\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ukraine-anna-voloshyna/1149390099?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnwGp82l-bSB-MR4FT3SOHQn3QaGD0Q4D_H-jUHLVsdBStaUfpj3osn0YufHI_aem_1dx-xXKjUhwTLE2P_AaQxw\">\u003cem>Ukraïne\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which comes out this October, traveling to many regions and near the frontline, gathering recipes, essays and photos. At a time when her country is fighting for its existence, she believes in the importance of calling even the most humble bowl of borsch Ukrainian. “We need to remember the roots and honor the culture,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether folks are tasting her food at the restaurant or trying one of her recipes at home, Voloshyna hopes to help them understand and appreciate Ukrainian cooking. “Because of this war, we remembered who we are as a nation,” she says. “Food is one way to showcase, ‘This is who we are.’ We want to show that to the world. We are not Russia. We are Ukraine.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">\u003cem>Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday and Tuesday noon–3 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday noon–8 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday noon–9 p.m. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com/chef/chef-anna-voloshyna\">\u003cem>Anna Voloshyna\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be in residency for the month of July, and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/r/rotation-by-feast-it-forward-napa\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are live.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.annavoloshyna.com\">Anna Voloshyna\u003c/a> never dreamed of opening a restaurant. The chef and author has been busy planning a tour for her second cookbook, hosting events \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11908537/ukrainian-chef-in-sf-finds-comfort-cooking-traditional-food-and-raises-thousands-in-relief-aid\">and fundraisers\u003c/a>, and running her IACP award-winning \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/annavoloshynacooks/\">Instagram\u003c/a> account, all celebrating the cooking of her native Ukraine. But she got talked into a residency at \u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/a> at Oxbow Public Market in Napa, which means she’s effectively opening the only Ukrainian restaurant in wine country — if only for the month of July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.annavoloshyna.com\">Anna Voloshyna\u003c/a> never dreamed of opening a restaurant. The chef and author has been busy planning a tour for her second cookbook, hosting events \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11908537/ukrainian-chef-in-sf-finds-comfort-cooking-traditional-food-and-raises-thousands-in-relief-aid\">and fundraisers\u003c/a>, and running her IACP award-winning \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/annavoloshynacooks/\">Instagram\u003c/a> account, all celebrating the cooking of her native Ukraine. But she got talked into a residency at \u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/a> at Oxbow Public Market in Napa, which means she’s effectively opening the only Ukrainian restaurant in wine country — if only for the month of July. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People have been bugging me forever,” Voloshyna says. “Like, ‘Where can we try your food?’” Or any Ukrainian food, anywhere across the Bay Area, for that matter? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“People have been bugging me forever,” Voloshyna says. “Like, ‘Where can we try your food?’” Or any Ukrainian food, anywhere across the Bay Area, for that matter? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Northern California is home to a few small food businesses that proudly rep Ukraine, including \u003ca href=\"https://lelekasf.com\">Leleka\u003c/a> focusing on dumpling delivery in SF, San Mateo and Sunnyvale; \u003ca href=\"https://nataliasdacha.com\">Natalia’s Dacha\u003c/a> serving honey cakes at Napa County farmers markets; and the \u003ca href=\"https://borschmobile.com\">Borsch Mobile\u003c/a> truck bringing beet soup to the people across the Bay Area. And plenty of restaurants serve more broadly Eastern European–inspired menus with similar dishes. But given the context of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, Voloshyna has doubled down on specifically showcasing the hearty dishes and fermented flavors of her home country, and can’t wait to serve a sit-down dinner experience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Northern California is home to a few small food businesses that proudly rep Ukraine, including \u003ca href=\"https://lelekasf.com\">Leleka\u003c/a> focusing on dumpling delivery in SF, San Mateo and Sunnyvale; \u003ca href=\"https://nataliasdacha.com\">Natalia’s Dacha\u003c/a> serving honey cakes at Napa County farmers markets; and the \u003ca href=\"https://borschmobile.com\">Borsch Mobile\u003c/a> truck bringing beet soup to the people across the Bay Area. And plenty of restaurants serve more broadly Eastern European–inspired menus with similar dishes. But given the context of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, Voloshyna has doubled down on specifically showcasing the hearty dishes and fermented flavors of her home country, and can’t wait to serve a sit-down dinner experience. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the place where Ukrainian cuisine and culture will be celebrated, and I will shout about it nonstop for the whole month,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is the place where Ukrainian cuisine and culture will be celebrated, and I will shout about it nonstop for the whole month,” she says. \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/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a smiling chef holding a glass of white wine inside her restaurant.\" class=\"wp-image-13991033\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voloshyna will be the guest chef at Rotation by Feast It Forward, a new restaurant that hosts star chefs from around the country. Her second cookbook, ‘Ukraine,’ comes out in October 2026.\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/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a smiling chef holding a glass of white wine inside her restaurant.\" class=\"wp-image-13991033\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voloshyna will be the guest chef at Rotation by Feast It Forward, a new restaurant that hosts star chefs from around the country. Her second cookbook, ‘Ukraine,’ comes out in October 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rotation is a new project from Katie Hamilton Shaffer of Feast It Forward, the events space and media network across the street from Oxbow. She took over a restaurant in a corner of the market, welcoming star guest chefs from across the country. The month-long chef residencies kicked off in February with Martin Yan from SF, followed by Tristen Epps from Houston and Lee Anne Wong from Honolulu, showcasing Chinese, Trinidadian, and Hawaiian flavors, respectively. None of these chefs phoned it in — Voloshyna’s staying in a cottage in Napa for the month, along with her husband and little wolf of a dog. She’ll be shopping the farmers market and working closely in the kitchen with Rotation executive chef Jeff Mosher and his team. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rotation is a new project from Katie Hamilton Shaffer of Feast It Forward, the events space and media network across the street from Oxbow. She took over a restaurant in a corner of the market, welcoming star guest chefs from across the country. The month-long chef residencies kicked off in February with Martin Yan from SF, followed by Tristen Epps from Houston and Lee Anne Wong from Honolulu, showcasing Chinese, Trinidadian, and Hawaiian flavors, respectively. None of these chefs phoned it in — Voloshyna’s staying in a cottage in Napa for the month, along with her husband and little wolf of a dog. She’ll be shopping the farmers market and working closely in the kitchen with Rotation executive chef Jeff Mosher and his team. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They’re throwing down a full menu, focusing on classics presented in a modern and refined way, Voloshyna says. A meal might start with beet-pickled deviled eggs with smoked trout roe, varenyky (dumplings) stuffed with farmer cheese and confit pork belly, and kholodnyk (chilled borsch) with refreshing raw veggies. Diners won’t want to miss the quintessential chicken Kyiv — “with a crispy crust and inside garlic butter — what’s not to love?” Voloshyna says. She’s already fermenting beet kvass to season the shpundra (braised short ribs), best served over banosh (polenta) with brynza sheep cheese and crispy onions. The grilled squash with preserved lemons comes from her first cookbook; the roasted eggplant with herbed yogurt will be in her second. And sour cream, pickles and fresh dill scatter across everything. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They’re throwing down a full menu, focusing on classics presented in a modern and refined way, Voloshyna says. A meal might start with beet-pickled deviled eggs with smoked trout roe, varenyky (dumplings) stuffed with farmer cheese and confit pork belly, and kholodnyk (chilled borsch) with refreshing raw veggies. Diners won’t want to miss the quintessential chicken Kyiv — “with a crispy crust and inside garlic butter — what’s not to love?” Voloshyna says. She’s already fermenting beet kvass to season the shpundra (braised short ribs), best served over banosh (polenta) with brynza sheep cheese and crispy onions. The grilled squash with preserved lemons comes from her first cookbook; the roasted eggplant with herbed yogurt will be in her second. And sour cream, pickles and fresh dill scatter across everything. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Desserts include a sunflower semifreddo inspired by childhood snacks of sunflower halva: “That flavor is carved into my brain,” Voloshyna says. She grew up in a small town named Snihurivka in the south, a couple of hours from Odesa, surrounded by “fields and fields” of sunflowers. Despite the war, Ukraine remains a leading exporter of sunflower oil, so those cooking and finishing oils are foundational flavors, and the flowers shine as a national symbol of resilience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Desserts include a sunflower semifreddo inspired by childhood snacks of sunflower halva: “That flavor is carved into my brain,” Voloshyna says. She grew up in a small town named Snihurivka in the south, a couple of hours from Odesa, surrounded by “fields and fields” of sunflowers. Despite the war, Ukraine remains a leading exporter of sunflower oil, so those cooking and finishing oils are foundational flavors, and the flowers shine as a national symbol of resilience. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rotation serves its own menu at lunch, although Voloshyna will slide in at least one special — khachapuri. The Georgian cheese boats are now wildly popular across Ukraine. Shaffer, the owner, curates the wine list, focusing on locals from Napa and Sonoma, and cocktails include a signature old fashioned with bourbon washed in duck fat. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rotation serves its own menu at lunch, although Voloshyna will slide in at least one special — khachapuri. The Georgian cheese boats are now wildly popular across Ukraine. Shaffer, the owner, curates the wine list, focusing on locals from Napa and Sonoma, and cocktails include a signature old fashioned with bourbon washed in duck fat. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rotation is located toward the back of Oxbow, across from Hog Island Oyster Co. It’s not simply a market stall; it’s a generous restaurant with 5,000 square feet and 125 seats, centered on an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven. Voloshyna plans to set up a cookbook display for anyone who wants to buy a signed copy of her first cookbook, \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (“cheers!” in Ukrainian), or preorder her second. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rotation is located toward the back of Oxbow, across from Hog Island Oyster Co. It’s not simply a market stall; it’s a generous restaurant with 5,000 square feet and 125 seats, centered on an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven. Voloshyna plans to set up a cookbook display for anyone who wants to buy a signed copy of her first cookbook, \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (“cheers!” in Ukrainian), or preorder her second. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Voloshyna published \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in the fall of 2022, Russia had already been occupying Ukraine since 2014. It launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, bringing even more bittersweet meaning to this collection of recipes celebrating the foods Voloshyna grew up with. Since then, she spent three years researching her second book \u003ca href=\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ukraine-anna-voloshyna/1149390099?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnwGp82l-bSB-MR4FT3SOHQn3QaGD0Q4D_H-jUHLVsdBStaUfpj3osn0YufHI_aem_1dx-xXKjUhwTLE2P_AaQxw\">\u003cem>Ukraïne\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which comes out this October, traveling to many regions and near the frontline, gathering recipes, essays and photos. At a time when her country is fighting for its existence, she believes in the importance of calling even the most humble bowl of borsch Ukrainian. “We need to remember the roots and honor the culture,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When Voloshyna published \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in the fall of 2022, Russia had already been occupying Ukraine since 2014. It launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, bringing even more bittersweet meaning to this collection of recipes celebrating the foods Voloshyna grew up with. Since then, she spent three years researching her second book \u003ca href=\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ukraine-anna-voloshyna/1149390099?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnwGp82l-bSB-MR4FT3SOHQn3QaGD0Q4D_H-jUHLVsdBStaUfpj3osn0YufHI_aem_1dx-xXKjUhwTLE2P_AaQxw\">\u003cem>Ukraïne\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which comes out this October, traveling to many regions and near the frontline, gathering recipes, essays and photos. At a time when her country is fighting for its existence, she believes in the importance of calling even the most humble bowl of borsch Ukrainian. “We need to remember the roots and honor the culture,” she says. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether folks are tasting her food at the restaurant or trying one of her recipes at home, Voloshyna hopes to help them understand and appreciate Ukrainian cooking. “Because of this war, we remembered who we are as a nation,” she says. “Food is one way to showcase, ‘This is who we are.’ We want to show that to the world. We are not Russia. We are Ukraine.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whether folks are tasting her food at the restaurant or trying one of her recipes at home, Voloshyna hopes to help them understand and appreciate Ukrainian cooking. “Because of this war, we remembered who we are as a nation,” she says. “Food is one way to showcase, ‘This is who we are.’ We want to show that to the world. We are not Russia. We are Ukraine.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">\u003cem>Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday and Tuesday noon–3 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday noon–8 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday noon–9 p.m. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com/chef/chef-anna-voloshyna\">\u003cem>Anna Voloshyna\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be in residency for the month of July, and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/r/rotation-by-feast-it-forward-napa\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are live.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Cookbook author Anna Voloshyna takes residence in Oxbow Public Market, and she’s bringing the buttery chicken Kyiv. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.annavoloshyna.com\">Anna Voloshyna\u003c/a> never dreamed of opening a restaurant. The chef and author has been busy planning a tour for her second cookbook, hosting events \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11908537/ukrainian-chef-in-sf-finds-comfort-cooking-traditional-food-and-raises-thousands-in-relief-aid\">and fundraisers\u003c/a>, and running her IACP award-winning \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/annavoloshynacooks/\">Instagram\u003c/a> account, all celebrating the cooking of her native Ukraine. But she got talked into a residency at \u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/a> at Oxbow Public Market in Napa, which means she’s effectively opening the only Ukrainian restaurant in wine country — if only for the month of July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People have been bugging me forever,” Voloshyna says. “Like, ‘Where can we try your food?’” Or any Ukrainian food, anywhere across the Bay Area, for that matter? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Northern California is home to a few small food businesses that proudly rep Ukraine, including \u003ca href=\"https://lelekasf.com\">Leleka\u003c/a> focusing on dumpling delivery in SF, San Mateo and Sunnyvale; \u003ca href=\"https://nataliasdacha.com\">Natalia’s Dacha\u003c/a> serving honey cakes at Napa County farmers markets; and the \u003ca href=\"https://borschmobile.com\">Borsch Mobile\u003c/a> truck bringing beet soup to the people across the Bay Area. And plenty of restaurants serve more broadly Eastern European–inspired menus with similar dishes. But given the context of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, Voloshyna has doubled down on specifically showcasing the hearty dishes and fermented flavors of her home country, and can’t wait to serve a sit-down dinner experience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the place where Ukrainian cuisine and culture will be celebrated, and I will shout about it nonstop for the whole month,” she says. \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/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of a smiling chef holding a glass of white wine inside her restaurant.\" class=\"wp-image-13991033\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/anna-voloshyna_jason-perry-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voloshyna will be the guest chef at Rotation by Feast It Forward, a new restaurant that hosts star chefs from around the country. Her second cookbook, ‘Ukraine,’ comes out in October 2026. (Jason Perry)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rotation is a new project from Katie Hamilton Shaffer of Feast It Forward, the events space and media network across the street from Oxbow. She took over a restaurant in a corner of the market, welcoming star guest chefs from across the country. The month-long chef residencies kicked off in February with Martin Yan from SF, followed by Tristen Epps from Houston and Lee Anne Wong from Honolulu, showcasing Chinese, Trinidadian, and Hawaiian flavors, respectively. None of these chefs phoned it in — Voloshyna’s staying in a cottage in Napa for the month, along with her husband and little wolf of a dog. She’ll be shopping the farmers market and working closely in the kitchen with Rotation executive chef Jeff Mosher and his team. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re throwing down a full menu, focusing on classics presented in a modern and refined way, Voloshyna says. A meal might start with beet-pickled deviled eggs with smoked trout roe, varenyky (dumplings) stuffed with farmer cheese and confit pork belly, and kholodnyk (chilled borsch) with refreshing raw veggies. Diners won’t want to miss the quintessential chicken Kyiv — “with a crispy crust and inside garlic butter — what’s not to love?” Voloshyna says. She’s already fermenting beet kvass to season the shpundra (braised short ribs), best served over banosh (polenta) with brynza sheep cheese and crispy onions. The grilled squash with preserved lemons comes from her first cookbook; the roasted eggplant with herbed yogurt will be in her second. And sour cream, pickles and fresh dill scatter across everything. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1429\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13991038\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Bright purple deviled eggs topped with orange fish roe.\" class=\"wp-image-13991038\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry.jpg 1429w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/deviled-eggs_jason-perry-1097x1536.jpg 1097w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1429px) 100vw, 1429px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Beet-pickled deviled eggs topped with trout roe. (Jason Perry)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1429\" height=\"2000\" data-id=\"13991035\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry.jpg\" alt=\"Purple braised short rib over a bed of polenta with sliced radishes sprinkled on top.\" class=\"wp-image-13991035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry.jpg 1429w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry-160x224.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/short-rib_jason-perry-1097x1536.jpg 1097w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1429px) 100vw, 1429px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Braised short ribs seasoned with fermented beets. (Jason Perry)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desserts include a sunflower semifreddo inspired by childhood snacks of sunflower halva: “That flavor is carved into my brain,” Voloshyna says. She grew up in a small town named Snihurivka in the south, a couple of hours from Odesa, surrounded by “fields and fields” of sunflowers. Despite the war, Ukraine remains a leading exporter of sunflower oil, so those cooking and finishing oils are foundational flavors, and the flowers shine as a national symbol of resilience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rotation serves its own menu at lunch, although Voloshyna will slide in at least one special — khachapuri. The Georgian cheese boats are now wildly popular across Ukraine. Shaffer, the owner, curates the wine list, focusing on locals from Napa and Sonoma, and cocktails include a signature old fashioned with bourbon washed in duck fat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rotation is located toward the back of Oxbow, across from Hog Island Oyster Co. It’s not simply a market stall; it’s a generous restaurant with 5,000 square feet and 125 seats, centered on an open kitchen with a wood-fired oven. Voloshyna plans to set up a cookbook display for anyone who wants to buy a signed copy of her first cookbook, \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (“cheers!” in Ukrainian), or preorder her second. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Voloshyna published \u003ca href=\"https://omnivorebooks.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-ukrainian-anna-voloshyna-budmo-recipes-from-a-ukrainian-kitchen\">\u003cem>Budmo!\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in the fall of 2022, Russia had already been occupying Ukraine since 2014. It launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, bringing even more bittersweet meaning to this collection of recipes celebrating the foods Voloshyna grew up with. Since then, she spent three years researching her second book \u003ca href=\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ukraine-anna-voloshyna/1149390099?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnwGp82l-bSB-MR4FT3SOHQn3QaGD0Q4D_H-jUHLVsdBStaUfpj3osn0YufHI_aem_1dx-xXKjUhwTLE2P_AaQxw\">\u003cem>Ukraïne\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which comes out this October, traveling to many regions and near the frontline, gathering recipes, essays and photos. At a time when her country is fighting for its existence, she believes in the importance of calling even the most humble bowl of borsch Ukrainian. “We need to remember the roots and honor the culture,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether folks are tasting her food at the restaurant or trying one of her recipes at home, Voloshyna hopes to help them understand and appreciate Ukrainian cooking. “Because of this war, we remembered who we are as a nation,” she says. “Food is one way to showcase, ‘This is who we are.’ We want to show that to the world. We are not Russia. We are Ukraine.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com\">\u003cem>Rotation by Feast It Forward\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Monday and Tuesday noon–3 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday noon–8 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday noon–9 p.m. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://rotationnapa.com/chef/chef-anna-voloshyna\">\u003cem>Anna Voloshyna\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> will be in residency for the month of July, and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.opentable.com/r/rotation-by-feast-it-forward-napa\">\u003cem>reservations\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> are live.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Last January, Iliana Berkowitz was paying her weekly visit to the main branch of the San Leandro Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/library\">Library\u003c/a> with her kids when she noticed that the little \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanleandro.org/552/Friends-of-the-San-Leandro-Library\">volunteer\u003c/a>-run cafe inside had been closed for some time. As it turns out, Berkowitz is the baker-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.bakery/\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a>, and she’d been looking for a place to open her first proper cafe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I had the vision right away for what I wanted to do,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Berkowitz reached out to the library director, who, it so happened, was at that moment about to put out a request for proposals for the vacant cafe space. One thing led to another, and, after a months-long process of bid submissions and lease negotiations, Berkowitz opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.cafe/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> this past February. Now, San Leandrans have a new spot where they can sit down and enjoy a slice of warm quiche, a sticky-chewy compost cookie or a sandwich served on one of the Bay Area’s best French baguettes — \u003cem>and \u003c/em>check out a couple of cozy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989727/5-best-books-summer-2026\">summer beach reads\u003c/a>, all in the same trip.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Kneaded isn’t the only cafe in the Bay Area that’s located inside a public library, but it might be the one that’s most enticing to food enthusiasts, given its connection to a bona fide artisan breadmaker. Berkowitz has long made one of my favorite baguettes, baked in the true French style — no sourdough tang, but with a dark, crackly crust and deeply satisfying chew. Her smaller-sized demi-baguettes make a great vehicle for the cafe’s simple sandwiches: The “Chez Aline,” with ham, thin slices of watermelon radish and a thick smear of butter, is exactly the kind of thing you might buy at a corner bakery in Paris. As Kneaded also serves one of the tastiest versions of a quiche Lorraine I’ve had in recent memory — appealingly jiggly and juicy, with a buttery crust and a layer of crisp, caramelized cheese on top. (Just make sure you ask them to warm it up.) \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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a baguette sandwich and a glass of lemonade.\" class=\"wp-image-13990915\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The very French ‘Chez Aline’ features ham, butter and watermelon radish. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cafe has also given Berkowitz the chance to start a coffee program for the first time, with a full slate of espresso drinks. This isn’t one of those push-a-button coffee operations; the flat white I tried during my visit was excellent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkowitz says once her bid was accepted, she toured other library cafes around the Bay Area for inspiration. (She was especially impressed by how efficiently \u003ca href=\"https://prologue-coffee.com/\">Prologue\u003c/a>, a Vietnamese American–owned coffee shop at the Walnut Creek library, is able to use its space.) There are, after all, some inherent challenges to running a cafe inside a library. The biggest is that the San Leandro library cafe space doesn’t have an actual kitchen — part of the reason why Berkowitz doesn’t serve hot sandwiches.\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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a library with a cafe space in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13990917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cafe — seen here on the right — has a patio area and entrances both inside and outside the library. (Courtesy of As Kneaded Cafe)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cafe is also affected by the flow of whatever might be happening at the library on a given day — and, in turn, by the funding cuts that have hit public libraries all over the Bay Area. Recently, for instance, the San Leandro city council voted to close the library on Mondays, starting in July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, Mondays are a great day for us,” Berkowitz says. For now, the cafe will stay open on Mondays while the library remains closed, but she says she’ll have to keep an eye on it to see whether that continues to make sense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Berkowitz, the best part of having a proper, sit-down cafe for the first time is the opportunity for “extended hospitality” that she doesn’t have at her bakery, where the average customer only comes in for three or four minutes. Being inside the library only accentuates that sense of hospitality; Berkowitz says all kinds of people come through and wind up hanging out in the cafe. \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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg\" alt=\"A flat white coffee drink inside an airy, sunny cafe.\" class=\"wp-image-13990911\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cafe offers a full slate of espresso drinks, including a very good flat white (pictured). (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[The library] is such a beating heart of the community,” she says. People might be there to access social services, print out a document, attend a meeting on renters’ rights, or visit the nearby Wednesday farmers market — in addition to folks who make a special trip because they’re diehard fans of As Kneaded’s bread. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The upshot? “We’re seeing a lot more different types of people, and that’s really cool, actually,” Berkowitz says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.askneadedcafe.com/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> is open Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at the main branch of the San Leandro Public Library (300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last January, Iliana Berkowitz was paying her weekly visit to the main branch of the San Leandro Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/library\">Library\u003c/a> with her kids when she noticed that the little \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanleandro.org/552/Friends-of-the-San-Leandro-Library\">volunteer\u003c/a>-run cafe inside had been closed for some time. As it turns out, Berkowitz is the baker-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.bakery/\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a>, and she’d been looking for a place to open her first proper cafe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last January, Iliana Berkowitz was paying her weekly visit to the main branch of the San Leandro Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/library\">Library\u003c/a> with her kids when she noticed that the little \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanleandro.org/552/Friends-of-the-San-Leandro-Library\">volunteer\u003c/a>-run cafe inside had been closed for some time. As it turns out, Berkowitz is the baker-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.bakery/\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a>, and she’d been looking for a place to open her first proper cafe. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I had the vision right away for what I wanted to do,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Berkowitz reached out to the library director, who, it so happened, was at that moment about to put out a request for proposals for the vacant cafe space. One thing led to another, and, after a months-long process of bid submissions and lease negotiations, Berkowitz opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.cafe/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> this past February. Now, San Leandrans have a new spot where they can sit down and enjoy a slice of warm quiche, a sticky-chewy compost cookie or a sandwich served on one of the Bay Area’s best French baguettes — \u003cem>and \u003c/em>check out a couple of cozy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989727/5-best-books-summer-2026\">summer beach reads\u003c/a>, all in the same trip.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Berkowitz reached out to the library director, who, it so happened, was at that moment about to put out a request for proposals for the vacant cafe space. One thing led to another, and, after a months-long process of bid submissions and lease negotiations, Berkowitz opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.cafe/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> this past February. Now, San Leandrans have a new spot where they can sit down and enjoy a slice of warm quiche, a sticky-chewy compost cookie or a sandwich served on one of the Bay Area’s best French baguettes — \u003cem>and \u003c/em>check out a couple of cozy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989727/5-best-books-summer-2026\">summer beach reads\u003c/a>, all in the same trip.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Kneaded isn’t the only cafe in the Bay Area that’s located inside a public library, but it might be the one that’s most enticing to food enthusiasts, given its connection to a bona fide artisan breadmaker. Berkowitz has long made one of my favorite baguettes, baked in the true French style — no sourdough tang, but with a dark, crackly crust and deeply satisfying chew. Her smaller-sized demi-baguettes make a great vehicle for the cafe’s simple sandwiches: The “Chez Aline,” with ham, thin slices of watermelon radish and a thick smear of butter, is exactly the kind of thing you might buy at a corner bakery in Paris. As Kneaded also serves one of the tastiest versions of a quiche Lorraine I’ve had in recent memory — appealingly jiggly and juicy, with a buttery crust and a layer of crisp, caramelized cheese on top. (Just make sure you ask them to warm it up.) \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Kneaded isn’t the only cafe in the Bay Area that’s located inside a public library, but it might be the one that’s most enticing to food enthusiasts, given its connection to a bona fide artisan breadmaker. Berkowitz has long made one of my favorite baguettes, baked in the true French style — no sourdough tang, but with a dark, crackly crust and deeply satisfying chew. Her smaller-sized demi-baguettes make a great vehicle for the cafe’s simple sandwiches: The “Chez Aline,” with ham, thin slices of watermelon radish and a thick smear of butter, is exactly the kind of thing you might buy at a corner bakery in Paris. As Kneaded also serves one of the tastiest versions of a quiche Lorraine I’ve had in recent memory — appealingly jiggly and juicy, with a buttery crust and a layer of crisp, caramelized cheese on top. (Just make sure you ask them to warm it up.) \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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a baguette sandwich and a glass of lemonade.\" class=\"wp-image-13990915\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The very French ‘Chez Aline’ features ham, butter and watermelon radish. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cafe has also given Berkowitz the chance to start a coffee program for the first time, with a full slate of espresso drinks. This isn’t one of those push-a-button coffee operations; the flat white I tried during my visit was excellent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Berkowitz says once her bid was accepted, she toured other library cafes around the Bay Area for inspiration. (She was especially impressed by how efficiently \u003ca href=\"https://prologue-coffee.com/\">Prologue\u003c/a>, a Vietnamese American–owned coffee shop at the Walnut Creek library, is able to use its space.) There are, after all, some inherent challenges to running a cafe inside a library. The biggest is that the San Leandro library cafe space doesn’t have an actual kitchen — part of the reason why Berkowitz doesn’t serve hot sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Berkowitz says once her bid was accepted, she toured other library cafes around the Bay Area for inspiration. (She was especially impressed by how efficiently \u003ca href=\"https://prologue-coffee.com/\">Prologue\u003c/a>, a Vietnamese American–owned coffee shop at the Walnut Creek library, is able to use its space.) There are, after all, some inherent challenges to running a cafe inside a library. The biggest is that the San Leandro library cafe space doesn’t have an actual kitchen — part of the reason why Berkowitz doesn’t serve hot sandwiches.\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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a library with a cafe space in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13990917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cafe — seen here on the right — has a patio area and entrances both inside and outside the library. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cafe is also affected by the flow of whatever might be happening at the library on a given day — and, in turn, by the funding cuts that have hit public libraries all over the Bay Area. Recently, for instance, the San Leandro city council voted to close the library on Mondays, starting in July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Right now, Mondays are a great day for us,” Berkowitz says. For now, the cafe will stay open on Mondays while the library remains closed, but she says she’ll have to keep an eye on it to see whether that continues to make sense.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Right now, Mondays are a great day for us,” Berkowitz says. For now, the cafe will stay open on Mondays while the library remains closed, but she says she’ll have to keep an eye on it to see whether that continues to make sense.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Berkowitz, the best part of having a proper, sit-down cafe for the first time is the opportunity for “extended hospitality” that she doesn’t have at her bakery, where the average customer only comes in for three or four minutes. Being inside the library only accentuates that sense of hospitality; Berkowitz says all kinds of people come through and wind up hanging out in the cafe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Berkowitz, the best part of having a proper, sit-down cafe for the first time is the opportunity for “extended hospitality” that she doesn’t have at her bakery, where the average customer only comes in for three or four minutes. Being inside the library only accentuates that sense of hospitality; Berkowitz says all kinds of people come through and wind up hanging out in the cafe. \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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg\" alt=\"A flat white coffee drink inside an airy, sunny cafe.\" class=\"wp-image-13990911\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-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 cafe offers a full slate of espresso drinks, including a very good flat white (pictured).\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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg\" alt=\"A flat white coffee drink inside an airy, sunny cafe.\" class=\"wp-image-13990911\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cafe offers a full slate of espresso drinks, including a very good flat white (pictured).\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[The library] is such a beating heart of the community,” she says. People might be there to access social services, print out a document, attend a meeting on renters’ rights, or visit the nearby Wednesday farmers market — in addition to folks who make a special trip because they’re diehard fans of As Kneaded’s bread. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The upshot? “We’re seeing a lot more different types of people, and that’s really cool, actually,” Berkowitz says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.askneadedcafe.com/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> is open Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at the main branch of the San Leandro Public Library (300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.askneadedcafe.com/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> is open Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at the main branch of the San Leandro Public Library (300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "As Kneaded Bakery’s first cafe has turned the San Leandro Public Library into a hotspot for food lovers.",
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"title": "The East Bay’s Most Enticing New Cafe? It’s at the Library | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Last January, Iliana Berkowitz was paying her weekly visit to the main branch of the San Leandro Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/library\">Library\u003c/a> with her kids when she noticed that the little \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanleandro.org/552/Friends-of-the-San-Leandro-Library\">volunteer\u003c/a>-run cafe inside had been closed for some time. As it turns out, Berkowitz is the baker-owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.bakery/\">As Kneaded Bakery\u003c/a>, and she’d been looking for a place to open her first proper cafe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I had the vision right away for what I wanted to do,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Berkowitz reached out to the library director, who, it so happened, was at that moment about to put out a request for proposals for the vacant cafe space. One thing led to another, and, after a months-long process of bid submissions and lease negotiations, Berkowitz opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/as.kneaded.cafe/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> this past February. Now, San Leandrans have a new spot where they can sit down and enjoy a slice of warm quiche, a sticky-chewy compost cookie or a sandwich served on one of the Bay Area’s best French baguettes — \u003cem>and \u003c/em>check out a couple of cozy \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989727/5-best-books-summer-2026\">summer beach reads\u003c/a>, all in the same trip.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Kneaded isn’t the only cafe in the Bay Area that’s located inside a public library, but it might be the one that’s most enticing to food enthusiasts, given its connection to a bona fide artisan breadmaker. Berkowitz has long made one of my favorite baguettes, baked in the true French style — no sourdough tang, but with a dark, crackly crust and deeply satisfying chew. Her smaller-sized demi-baguettes make a great vehicle for the cafe’s simple sandwiches: The “Chez Aline,” with ham, thin slices of watermelon radish and a thick smear of butter, is exactly the kind of thing you might buy at a corner bakery in Paris. As Kneaded also serves one of the tastiest versions of a quiche Lorraine I’ve had in recent memory — appealingly jiggly and juicy, with a buttery crust and a layer of crisp, caramelized cheese on top. (Just make sure you ask them to warm it up.) \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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a baguette sandwich and a glass of lemonade.\" class=\"wp-image-13990915\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-sandwich-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The very French ‘Chez Aline’ features ham, butter and watermelon radish. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cafe has also given Berkowitz the chance to start a coffee program for the first time, with a full slate of espresso drinks. This isn’t one of those push-a-button coffee operations; the flat white I tried during my visit was excellent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkowitz says once her bid was accepted, she toured other library cafes around the Bay Area for inspiration. (She was especially impressed by how efficiently \u003ca href=\"https://prologue-coffee.com/\">Prologue\u003c/a>, a Vietnamese American–owned coffee shop at the Walnut Creek library, is able to use its space.) There are, after all, some inherent challenges to running a cafe inside a library. The biggest is that the San Leandro library cafe space doesn’t have an actual kitchen — part of the reason why Berkowitz doesn’t serve hot sandwiches.\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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a library with a cafe space in front.\" class=\"wp-image-13990917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-cafe_courtesy-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cafe — seen here on the right — has a patio area and entrances both inside and outside the library. (Courtesy of As Kneaded Cafe)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cafe is also affected by the flow of whatever might be happening at the library on a given day — and, in turn, by the funding cuts that have hit public libraries all over the Bay Area. Recently, for instance, the San Leandro city council voted to close the library on Mondays, starting in July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, Mondays are a great day for us,” Berkowitz says. For now, the cafe will stay open on Mondays while the library remains closed, but she says she’ll have to keep an eye on it to see whether that continues to make sense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Berkowitz, the best part of having a proper, sit-down cafe for the first time is the opportunity for “extended hospitality” that she doesn’t have at her bakery, where the average customer only comes in for three or four minutes. Being inside the library only accentuates that sense of hospitality; Berkowitz says all kinds of people come through and wind up hanging out in the cafe. \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/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg\" alt=\"A flat white coffee drink inside an airy, sunny cafe.\" class=\"wp-image-13990911\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/as-kneaded-flat-white-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cafe offers a full slate of espresso drinks, including a very good flat white (pictured). (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[The library] is such a beating heart of the community,” she says. People might be there to access social services, print out a document, attend a meeting on renters’ rights, or visit the nearby Wednesday farmers market — in addition to folks who make a special trip because they’re diehard fans of As Kneaded’s bread. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The upshot? “We’re seeing a lot more different types of people, and that’s really cool, actually,” Berkowitz says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.askneadedcafe.com/\">As Kneaded Cafe\u003c/a> is open Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Monday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at the main branch of the San Leandro Public Library (300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sunnyvale-indian-ice-cream-pints-of-joy-late-night",
"title": "The Exuberant Joy of an Indian Ice Cream Shop at 11 PM",
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"headTitle": "The Exuberant Joy of an Indian Ice Cream Shop at 11 PM | KQED",
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"content": "\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/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. (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>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\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/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt='Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, \"Pints of Joy.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\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/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends.\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>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, "Pints of Joy."\" class=\"wp-image-13990725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep.\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/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, "Pints of Joy."\" class=\"wp-image-13990725\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Pints of Joy is Sunnyvale’s sweetest late-night party.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eagerly eating many varieties of ice cream.\" class=\"wp-image-13990722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pints of Joy is known for its wide selection of Indian-inspired ice cream flavors. The original Sunnyvale location stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. (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>The line outside the Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/ice-cream\">ice cream\u003c/a> shop is, in a word, outrageous. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sandwiched between a dental office and an injection clinic in an anonymous Sunnyvale plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/\">Pints of Joy\u003c/a> doesn’t, at first glance, \u003cem>look\u003c/em> like it’d be the site of an exuberant after-hours party. And yet: There are at least 15 or 20 customers ahead of us in line when we pull up to the scoop shop at a quarter past 10 on a recent Friday night — and easily another 30 ice cream eaters seated inside, or at the handful of tables on the string light–bedecked courtyard, or just sprawled out on the decorative planter boxes in front. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Almost everyone appears to be South Asian. And because a good chunk of the crowd has come in big, boisterous groups of five or six, the place pulses with the electricity of happy late-night conversation. At one outdoor table, a multigenerational family — Boomer grandparents, Gen X kids, Gen Z grandkids — teases each other over waffle cones. Inside, a table of eight bespectacled men in their 20s gesticulate vigorously with their hands, in the thick of some lively discussion. (Speaking as two glasses-wearing Asians, we never felt more at home among our people than at this Sunnyvale ice cream shop.)\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/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg\" alt='Illustration: An ice cream shop lit up at night, with a long line of customers waiting outside. The sign reads, \"Pints of Joy.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/PintsOfLove-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shortly before closing on a Friday night, the line outside the shop still stretched 15 or 20 people deep. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The reason for Pints of Joy’s popularity isn’t \u003cem>just\u003c/em> the convenience of being an ice cream parlor that stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. What sets the shop apart is its lineup of Indian-inspired flavors — a breathtaking array even among the Bay Area’s small handful of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/139737/a-bay-area-creamery-gives-kamala-harris-its-highest-honor-an-ice-cream-flavor\">new-school South Asian ice cream\u003c/a> brands. There are flavors named after traditional, spice-laden Indian desserts like ras malai, falooda and malai kulfi. There are tropical fruits I love (mango! jackfruit!) and others I’d never heard of, like chikoo — a grainy, vaguely pear-like fruit that folks in India sometimes \u003ca href=\"https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/journal/in-india-the-chikoo-fruit-spreads-its-sweet-legacy\">add to milkshakes or turn into dehydrated chips\u003c/a>. One flavor, the \u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/collections/order-ahead/products/meetha-paan\">meetha paan\u003c/a>, even features fresh betel leaves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, there were nearly 30 flavors to choose from, all intriguing. For probably a third of them, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the ice cream might taste like. On a busy night like this one, when it wasn’t possible for us to take our time sampling three or four different flavors before making up our minds, the shop’s four-scoop flight ($14.99), served on a handsome wooden tray, is a nice option — especially if you’re sharing with a couple of friends. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We wound up picking more or less at random, but all of the flavors we chose were a hit. The gulab jamun flavor is a fun, inspired twist on the syrup-soaked “Indian donuts,” with chunks of the sweet dough balls mixed into the ice cream itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, our scooper’s top recommendation is the Biscoff cookie flavor, which features crumbled bits of the crisp, caramelly cookies (a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestatesman.com/inspiration-hub/biscoff-in-india-the-biscuit-that-lost-its-bite-1503544174.html\">popular treat in India\u003c/a>, it turns out). This winds up being our favorite; it’s extravagantly delicious, like a bolder, more texturally interesting cookies and cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to the audaciousness of the flavors, the other distinguishing feature of the ice cream at Pints of Joy is that it doesn’t have any eggs in it, so the scoops aren’t as dense or creamy as the ones at some of my favorite high-end creameries, like Bi-Rite or Lush Gelato. The texture is lighter here; the ice cream melts a little bit faster. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bonus is that the eggless approach makes for flavors that are more vivid and refreshing, perfect for the shop’s dazzling palette of tropical fruits. So, for the third scoop in our flight, I loved the intense, honeyed sweetness of the Alphonso mango ice cream, made with the pulp from real Indian mangoes, aka the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990218/indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission\">king of fruits\u003c/a>.” And the most provocative flavor of the night was the custard apple, aka sitaphal, which includes strands of the fruit’s creamy, delicate flesh. The flavor lies somewhere between a banana and a less pungent durian. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Indian sweets lovers who want their frozen confections to taste \u003cem>even more \u003c/em>Indian, Pints of Joy also offers a selection of ice cream desserts modeled closely after traditional Indian sweets. The maximalist gajar halwa sundae comes dusted with almonds and crushed pistachios and has a layer of sticky-sweet carrot gelatin (the “gajar halwa”) on the bottom of the bowl. The mango mastani, meanwhile, is like if you took a mango lassi and added a scoop of mango ice cream, and also scattered a handful of Tutti-Frutti candy and nuts on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Suffice it to say, we’re on a bit of a sugar high by the end of the night. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All around us, though, the party rages on. Even as late as 10:45 p.m., we see children, maybe 8 or 9 years old, out past their bedtime, getting in line with their parents. The very last customer is a young South Asian woman in pajamas who sneaks in the door right as the store is closing up shop and walks out a few minutes later holding two pints in a plastic bag. She’s on the phone, probably letting friends or family know that her late-night mission was a success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By this point, it’s well past 11 o’clock, and Pints of Joy has technically closed. But even halfway across the parking lot, we still hear the echoes of everyone’s happy chatter.\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/pintsofjoyicecream/\">\u003cem>Pints of Joy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. at 717 E. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. The shop also has locations in \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/fremont\">\u003cem>Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://pintsofjoy.com/pages/best-ice-cream-parlour-in-palo-alto\">\u003cem>Palo Alto\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> (at Rick’s Ice Cream).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "san-jose-first-nigerian-restaurant-folafela-jollof-egusi-soup",
"title": "The South Bay’s First Nigerian Restaurant Takes Off in San José",
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"content": "\u003cp>When Folake Adewole first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> in 2017 to take a job as a travel nurse, there wasn’t a single Nigerian restaurant in the area. For the past 10 years, whenever she was craving beef suya or jollof rice, she had to drive up to Hayward — or, more likely, just cook it herself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March, Adewole finally decided to take things into her own hands: She opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/folafela001/\">FolaFela\u003c/a>, a small Nigerian restaurant tucked into a strip mall in East San José. It’s the South Bay’s first proper brick-and-mortar Nigerian restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shop has only a handful of tables, along with a mini African grocery store in the back. But the menu is surprisingly expansive, featuring dishes like gizz dodo (fried gizzards and plantains) and asun coconut rice. The main draw is the assortment of fourteen Nigerian soups, served with starchy dough balls known as swallows or okele. Already, the thick, complex soups have been a hit, drawing flocks of diners from as far away as Santa Cruz.\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/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront.jpg\" alt='Exterior of a Nigerian restaurant and market. The sign above, in large, stylized yellow letters, reads, \"FolaFela.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990680\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Open since March 2026, FolaFela also features a small African grocery store in back. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Adewole didn’t have any restaurant experience before opening FolaFela, but she has been selling Nigerian dishes since her youth. Growing up in the city of Ile-Ifẹ, in Nigeria’s Osun state, Adewole would help her mother prepare and sell ofada rice — a rice dish topped with a crayfish and pepper stew that now serves at the restaurant, using the same recipe. Soon after she settled in San José, she decided to fill the culinary void by making Nigerian plates to share with coworkers and friends from church. By 2021, she was catering for events with as many as 300 guests. So, after much encouragement from her customers, she decided to open the restaurant while still juggling her day job as a registered nurse at the Stanford hospital. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the course of several visits to the restaurant, the jollof rice was my favorite dish on the menu. The tomato-infused rice tastes like it was cooked over a campfire due to its bold, smoky aroma — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13960580/jollof-festival-oakland-west-african-food-competition-nigerian-sierra-leone\">signature of the Nigerian style\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people think jollof rice can only be smoky if they burn it,” Adewole says. “But it doesn’t have to be like that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Adewole develops layers of flavor by using a thoughtfully curated selection of smoked and toasted spices including ginger, garlic, rosemary, nutmeg and star anise. The jollof I ordered came with fried plantains and a maroon-colored chicken leg that melted off the bone. You can swap out the poultry for goat, fish or beef.\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/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of egusi soup, served with a white ball of pounded yam on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13990683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s calling card is its selection of 14 different Nigerian soups. The egusi, pictured here with a ball of pounded yam, is the most popular. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most of FolaFela’s soups, on the other hand, highlight leaves and seeds native to Nigeria. The most popular one is a Yoruba dish called egusi soup, named after the dried ground melon seeds used to thicken it. Adewole’s version is specked with bitter leafy greens and served with poundo yam, a type of swallow made with yam flour. The stretchy, pillowy dough balls have been trending on social media lately, as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yo2E1uszAFs\">mukbang influencers\u003c/a> post videos of themselves dunking them in stew and theatrically chewing on each sauce-soaked bite. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Adewole decided to focus on soups because it’s a food that’s deeply nostalgic for West African people, in particular. Since the soups are often associated with celebrations and other large gatherings, she offers them in increments of up to four liters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have customers come in asking for particular soups that their grandma used to make,” Adewole says. Meanwhile, she recognizes that other customers might be having Nigerian cuisine for the very first time. For those newcomers, FolaFela can be a great place to learn about the origins of the food. \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/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling Nigerian woman poses in front of an orange wall inside her restaurant.\" class=\"wp-image-13990684\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Folake Adewole has been cooking Nigerian food for friends and coworkers ever since she moved to San José in 2017. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of Africans in the Bay Area are very scattered,” Adewole says. She sees her restaurant as a place for the community to congregate — where African immigrants can have conversations about what part of the continent their family is from and chat about their regional dishes. The grocery store section provides another point of connection, as Adewole travels to Los Angeles and Sacramento to stock the shop’s pantry and freezers with hard-to-find flours and spices. Her largest struggle is sourcing frozen and dried kote fish, or horse mackerel, which she serves fried and in stews.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although FolaFela is still in its early stages, Adewole has ambitious ideas for where it’s heading next. Eventually, she hopes to open a second FolaFela location somewhere near Palo Alto to make Nigerian food more accessible to people on the Peninsula. And she is developing recipes to expand her menu to include dishes from other Nigerian ethnic groups like the Hausa. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What I would love to do is bring more Igbo food onto my menu,” Adewole says. “I’m thinking of doing a white soup with cocoyam.”\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/folafela001/\">\u003cem>FolaFela\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30–9 p.m., and Sunday 3 p.m.–9 p.m. at 2762 Aborn Rd. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March, Adewole finally decided to take things into her own hands: She opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/folafela001/\">FolaFela\u003c/a>, a small Nigerian restaurant tucked into a strip mall in East San José. It’s the South Bay’s first proper brick-and-mortar Nigerian restaurant.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The shop has only a handful of tables, along with a mini African grocery store in the back. But the menu is surprisingly expansive, featuring dishes like gizz dodo (fried gizzards and plantains) and asun coconut rice. The main draw is the assortment of fourteen Nigerian soups, served with starchy dough balls known as swallows or okele. Already, the thick, complex soups have been a hit, drawing flocks of diners from as far away as Santa Cruz.\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/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a Nigerian restaurant and market. The sign above, in large, stylized yellow letters, reads, "FolaFela."\" class=\"wp-image-13990680\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Open since March 2026, FolaFela also features a small African grocery store in back.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Adewole didn’t have any restaurant experience before opening FolaFela, but she has been selling Nigerian dishes since her youth. Growing up in the city of Ile-Ifẹ, in Nigeria’s Osun state, Adewole would help her mother prepare and sell ofada rice — a rice dish topped with a crayfish and pepper stew that now serves at the restaurant, using the same recipe. Soon after she settled in San José, she decided to fill the culinary void by making Nigerian plates to share with coworkers and friends from church. By 2021, she was catering for events with as many as 300 guests. So, after much encouragement from her customers, she decided to open the restaurant while still juggling her day job as a registered nurse at the Stanford hospital. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the course of several visits to the restaurant, the jollof rice was my favorite dish on the menu. The tomato-infused rice tastes like it was cooked over a campfire due to its bold, smoky aroma — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13960580/jollof-festival-oakland-west-african-food-competition-nigerian-sierra-leone\">signature of the Nigerian style\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A lot of people think jollof rice can only be smoky if they burn it,” Adewole says. “But it doesn’t have to be like that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, Adewole develops layers of flavor by using a thoughtfully curated selection of smoked and toasted spices including ginger, garlic, rosemary, nutmeg and star anise. The jollof I ordered came with fried plantains and a maroon-colored chicken leg that melted off the bone. You can swap out the poultry for goat, fish or beef.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, Adewole develops layers of flavor by using a thoughtfully curated selection of smoked and toasted spices including ginger, garlic, rosemary, nutmeg and star anise. The jollof I ordered came with fried plantains and a maroon-colored chicken leg that melted off the bone. You can swap out the poultry for goat, fish or beef.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Most of FolaFela’s soups, on the other hand, highlight leaves and seeds native to Nigeria. The most popular one is a Yoruba dish called egusi soup, named after the dried ground melon seeds used to thicken it. Adewole’s version is specked with bitter leafy greens and served with poundo yam, a type of swallow made with yam flour. The stretchy, pillowy dough balls have been trending on social media lately, as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yo2E1uszAFs\">mukbang influencers\u003c/a> post videos of themselves dunking them in stew and theatrically chewing on each sauce-soaked bite. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Adewole decided to focus on soups because it’s a food that’s deeply nostalgic for West African people, in particular. Since the soups are often associated with celebrations and other large gatherings, she offers them in increments of up to four liters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have customers come in asking for particular soups that their grandma used to make,” Adewole says. Meanwhile, she recognizes that other customers might be having Nigerian cuisine for the very first time. For those newcomers, FolaFela can be a great place to learn about the origins of the food. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I have customers come in asking for particular soups that their grandma used to make,” Adewole says. Meanwhile, she recognizes that other customers might be having Nigerian cuisine for the very first time. For those newcomers, FolaFela can be a great place to learn about the origins of the food. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A lot of Africans in the Bay Area are very scattered,” Adewole says. She sees her restaurant as a place for the community to congregate — where African immigrants can have conversations about what part of the continent their family is from and chat about their regional dishes. The grocery store section provides another point of connection, as Adewole travels to Los Angeles and Sacramento to stock the shop’s pantry and freezers with hard-to-find flours and spices. Her largest struggle is sourcing frozen and dried kote fish, or horse mackerel, which she serves fried and in stews.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“A lot of Africans in the Bay Area are very scattered,” Adewole says. She sees her restaurant as a place for the community to congregate — where African immigrants can have conversations about what part of the continent their family is from and chat about their regional dishes. The grocery store section provides another point of connection, as Adewole travels to Los Angeles and Sacramento to stock the shop’s pantry and freezers with hard-to-find flours and spices. Her largest struggle is sourcing frozen and dried kote fish, or horse mackerel, which she serves fried and in stews.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although FolaFela is still in its early stages, Adewole has ambitious ideas for where it’s heading next. Eventually, she hopes to open a second FolaFela location somewhere near Palo Alto to make Nigerian food more accessible to people on the Peninsula. And she is developing recipes to expand her menu to include dishes from other Nigerian ethnic groups like the Hausa. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Although FolaFela is still in its early stages, Adewole has ambitious ideas for where it’s heading next. Eventually, she hopes to open a second FolaFela location somewhere near Palo Alto to make Nigerian food more accessible to people on the Peninsula. And she is developing recipes to expand her menu to include dishes from other Nigerian ethnic groups like the Hausa. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What I would love to do is bring more Igbo food onto my menu,” Adewole says. “I’m thinking of doing a white soup with cocoyam.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/folafela001/\">\u003cem>FolaFela\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30–9 p.m., and Sunday 3 p.m.–9 p.m. at 2762 Aborn Rd. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/folafela001/\">\u003cem>FolaFela\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30–9 p.m., and Sunday 3 p.m.–9 p.m. at 2762 Aborn Rd. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When Folake Adewole first moved to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> in 2017 to take a job as a travel nurse, there wasn’t a single Nigerian restaurant in the area. For the past 10 years, whenever she was craving beef suya or jollof rice, she had to drive up to Hayward — or, more likely, just cook it herself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March, Adewole finally decided to take things into her own hands: She opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/folafela001/\">FolaFela\u003c/a>, a small Nigerian restaurant tucked into a strip mall in East San José. It’s the South Bay’s first proper brick-and-mortar Nigerian restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shop has only a handful of tables, along with a mini African grocery store in the back. But the menu is surprisingly expansive, featuring dishes like gizz dodo (fried gizzards and plantains) and asun coconut rice. The main draw is the assortment of fourteen Nigerian soups, served with starchy dough balls known as swallows or okele. Already, the thick, complex soups have been a hit, drawing flocks of diners from as far away as Santa Cruz.\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/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront.jpg\" alt='Exterior of a Nigerian restaurant and market. The sign above, in large, stylized yellow letters, reads, \"FolaFela.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990680\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Fola-Fela-storefront-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Open since March 2026, FolaFela also features a small African grocery store in back. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Adewole didn’t have any restaurant experience before opening FolaFela, but she has been selling Nigerian dishes since her youth. Growing up in the city of Ile-Ifẹ, in Nigeria’s Osun state, Adewole would help her mother prepare and sell ofada rice — a rice dish topped with a crayfish and pepper stew that now serves at the restaurant, using the same recipe. Soon after she settled in San José, she decided to fill the culinary void by making Nigerian plates to share with coworkers and friends from church. By 2021, she was catering for events with as many as 300 guests. So, after much encouragement from her customers, she decided to open the restaurant while still juggling her day job as a registered nurse at the Stanford hospital. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the course of several visits to the restaurant, the jollof rice was my favorite dish on the menu. The tomato-infused rice tastes like it was cooked over a campfire due to its bold, smoky aroma — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13960580/jollof-festival-oakland-west-african-food-competition-nigerian-sierra-leone\">signature of the Nigerian style\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people think jollof rice can only be smoky if they burn it,” Adewole says. “But it doesn’t have to be like that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Adewole develops layers of flavor by using a thoughtfully curated selection of smoked and toasted spices including ginger, garlic, rosemary, nutmeg and star anise. The jollof I ordered came with fried plantains and a maroon-colored chicken leg that melted off the bone. You can swap out the poultry for goat, fish or beef.\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/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of egusi soup, served with a white ball of pounded yam on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13990683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Egusi-soup-and-fufu-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant’s calling card is its selection of 14 different Nigerian soups. The egusi, pictured here with a ball of pounded yam, is the most popular. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most of FolaFela’s soups, on the other hand, highlight leaves and seeds native to Nigeria. The most popular one is a Yoruba dish called egusi soup, named after the dried ground melon seeds used to thicken it. Adewole’s version is specked with bitter leafy greens and served with poundo yam, a type of swallow made with yam flour. The stretchy, pillowy dough balls have been trending on social media lately, as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yo2E1uszAFs\">mukbang influencers\u003c/a> post videos of themselves dunking them in stew and theatrically chewing on each sauce-soaked bite. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Adewole decided to focus on soups because it’s a food that’s deeply nostalgic for West African people, in particular. Since the soups are often associated with celebrations and other large gatherings, she offers them in increments of up to four liters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I have customers come in asking for particular soups that their grandma used to make,” Adewole says. Meanwhile, she recognizes that other customers might be having Nigerian cuisine for the very first time. For those newcomers, FolaFela can be a great place to learn about the origins of the food. \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/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling Nigerian woman poses in front of an orange wall inside her restaurant.\" class=\"wp-image-13990684\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Folake-Adewole-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Folake Adewole has been cooking Nigerian food for friends and coworkers ever since she moved to San José in 2017. (Octavio Peña)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of Africans in the Bay Area are very scattered,” Adewole says. She sees her restaurant as a place for the community to congregate — where African immigrants can have conversations about what part of the continent their family is from and chat about their regional dishes. The grocery store section provides another point of connection, as Adewole travels to Los Angeles and Sacramento to stock the shop’s pantry and freezers with hard-to-find flours and spices. Her largest struggle is sourcing frozen and dried kote fish, or horse mackerel, which she serves fried and in stews.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although FolaFela is still in its early stages, Adewole has ambitious ideas for where it’s heading next. Eventually, she hopes to open a second FolaFela location somewhere near Palo Alto to make Nigerian food more accessible to people on the Peninsula. And she is developing recipes to expand her menu to include dishes from other Nigerian ethnic groups like the Hausa. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What I would love to do is bring more Igbo food onto my menu,” Adewole says. “I’m thinking of doing a white soup with cocoyam.”\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/folafela001/\">\u003cem>FolaFela\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30–9 p.m., and Sunday 3 p.m.–9 p.m. at 2762 Aborn Rd. in San José.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "tita-beccas-filipino-diner-oakland-late-night",
"title": "This Late-Night Filipino Diner in Downtown Oakland Is Hidden in Plain Sight",
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"headTitle": "This Late-Night Filipino Diner in Downtown Oakland Is Hidden in Plain Sight | KQED",
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"content": "\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/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Man devouring a shrimp lumpia while seating a diner counter. There's a huge spread of Filipino food in front of him.\" class=\"wp-image-13990278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In downtown Oakland, Tita Becca’s serves some of the tastiest homestyle Filipino food in the Bay Area — until as late as 2 a.m. on weekends. (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>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tita+Becca's/@37.8050666,-122.269489,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f810010cb4c49:0x6216a723cfa2d8bc!8m2!3d37.8050666!4d-122.269489!16s%2Fg%2F11nc868hz3!18m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Tita Becca’s\u003c/a> is the kind of restaurant that almost doesn’t seem real. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What do you \u003cem>mean\u003c/em> there’s an old-fashioned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/filipino\">Filipino\u003c/a> diner right smack in the middle of downtown Oakland where you can sit on a ’50s-style bar stool eating some of the most delicious pork sisig and kare-kare you’ve ever tasted — as late as 2 o’clock in the morning, no less? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as we savored each bite, it felt like some kind of fever dream. At the time of our visit, a couple weeks ago, the restaurant had no \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/tita-beccas-oakland\">Yelp reviews\u003c/a> and barely any \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">social media presence\u003c/a>. The lone “Tita Becca’s” sign painted on the wall outside gave no indication of what kind of food we might find inside (though a Pinoy would have recognized the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Philippines\">bright yellow sun\u003c/a> in the logo). The only reason we’d heard of the place at all was because of a kind reader who emailed us a glowing report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When we pulled up to the restaurant at a little before 10 p.m. on a recent Friday, an older Filipino dude in a Warriors jersey and flip-flops was posted up outside, nursing the last few sips of a bottle of beer. Inside, the dining room was set up like the kind of old-timey diner you might see painted on a picture postcard: the long counter, the vintage stools, the nostalgic red and turquoise color scheme. The restaurant was almost entirely empty — just one young Filipino guy sitting at the counter, ladling pork sinigang over a bowl of white rice. The R&B playlist blaring from the speakers consisted almost entirely of sultry Mariah Carey jams. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already, the place passed the vibe check. A perfect hundred out of a hundred points.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What you might expect to find at a restaurant that looks like this are three-egg omelettes and big stacks of pancakes with a pile of hash browns on the side. (We found out later that until late last year, the space had been home to a more classic American greasy spoon called Leo’s Diner.) Instead, Tita Becca’s serves a full — and surprisingly extensive — menu of homestyle Filipino dishes.\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/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a low-slung diner lit up at night. The sign painted on the wall reads "Tita Becca's," with a yellow sun logo above.\" class=\"wp-image-13990281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is set up like a classic all-American diner — except that all of the food is Filipino. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chatting with the staff a bit, we learned that the restaurant is a family enterprise through and through. Mark, a gregarious middle-aged Filipino American with a wispy beard, is the main owner and public face of the business. His adult son was working up front, behind the counter, taking orders. And though she only popped her head out of the kitchen once or twice, we could see that Mark’s mother, \u003cem>the\u003c/em> Tita Becca herself, was the real heart and soul of the restaurant — the one whose recipes made us start to feel homesick and nostalgic for her food even before we’d finished eating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To put it plainly: Everything was mind-blowingly delicious. We started with an order of shrimp lumpia — whole large shrimp, their tails still attached, encased by the wrapper and deep fried until they were super-crunchy and almost too hot to eat. These were deeply satisfying, with or without the obligatory sweet chili dipping sauce. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the Pampanga-style pork sisig was a revelation of textures and flavors. There was the crispiness of fried pork skin, along with the soft fat and the meaty, gelatinous bits. There was the heat of the chiles, the crisp tanginess of red onions and also an earthy undercurrent from the bits of chicken liver that they’d mixed into the sauce. Most of all, there was this wonderful brightness, from calamansi and lemon juice, that cut into the richness of the dish. Ladling the sisig over rice, we were able to keep eating it and eating it without ever getting tired of the taste.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, the owner confided that this wasn’t even the full version of the dish. They’d run out of the pig’s head meats — the ears, cheeks and so forth — that usually go into it, so they made a cobbled-together version using chopped up lechon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If we’d known that ahead of time, we probably wouldn’t have also ordered the lechon kawali, the beloved Filipino dish of fried skin-on pork belly. We didn’t exactly have anything to complain about, though — it was one of the moistest and most jigglingly tender versions we’ve had in the Bay, with some of the crunchiest skin. The fatty pork was especially nice with either of the vinegar dips the shop offers, one spiked with chiles and the other with both chiles and chopped tomatoes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And perhaps everyone knows by now that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956683/late-night-filipino-food-24-hour-cafe-colma-lucky-chances\">I can’t ever \u003cem>not \u003c/em>order oxtail kare-kare\u003c/a> if I see it on a menu. The peanut sauce in Tita Becca’s version was rich and velvety; the eggplant, bok choy and string beans were all cooked to exactly the right texture. And while the oxtails were small, there were \u003cem>a lot\u003c/em> of them — the meat was so tender, and it was so very satisfying to suck on the bones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most impressive of all? Tita Becca’s makes its own bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), the salty-funky condiment traditionally served with kare-kare, in house, so that it was less aggressively salty than the jarred kind, with the same pungent umami punch. We kept stirring it in, and the dish kept tasting better and better. We could’ve eaten infinite amounts of rice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, our only regret was that we only had the stomach space to try four dishes — that we’d missed out on the other homey stews like the sinigang and the Bicol Express. How could any of it not have been delicious? Someone’s mom was cooking for us back there, probably the best home cook we knew in our circle of friends. That was the feeling we got, anyway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the time we finished our meal, only a few more customers had straggled in through the door. A millennial Filipina who sat at the restaurant’s one larger table and ordered a family-style meal for her group of non-Filipino friends. A couple of takeout customers bringing food over to the queer bar next door. It really felt like we had stumbled on a secret hiding in plain sight. And after we walked out at the end of the night, I started to worry, sincerely, that maybe we’d dreamed the whole thing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">\u003cem>Tita Becca’s\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 5–9 p.m., Friday 5 p.m.–2 a.m., Saturday noon–2 a.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. at 400 15th St. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-600x600.jpg 600w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Man devouring a shrimp lumpia while seating a diner counter. There's a huge spread of Filipino food in front of him.\" class=\"wp-image-13990278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In downtown Oakland, Tita Becca’s serves some of the tastiest homestyle Filipino food in the Bay Area — until as late as 2 a.m. on weekends.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Man devouring a shrimp lumpia while seating a diner counter. There's a huge spread of Filipino food in front of him.\" class=\"wp-image-13990278\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In downtown Oakland, Tita Becca’s serves some of the tastiest homestyle Filipino food in the Bay Area — until as late as 2 a.m. on weekends.\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>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tita+Becca's/@37.8050666,-122.269489,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f810010cb4c49:0x6216a723cfa2d8bc!8m2!3d37.8050666!4d-122.269489!16s%2Fg%2F11nc868hz3!18m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Tita Becca’s\u003c/a> is the kind of restaurant that almost doesn’t seem real. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tita+Becca's/@37.8050666,-122.269489,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f810010cb4c49:0x6216a723cfa2d8bc!8m2!3d37.8050666!4d-122.269489!16s%2Fg%2F11nc868hz3!18m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Tita Becca’s\u003c/a> is the kind of restaurant that almost doesn’t seem real. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What do you \u003cem>mean\u003c/em> there’s an old-fashioned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/filipino\">Filipino\u003c/a> diner right smack in the middle of downtown Oakland where you can sit on a ’50s-style bar stool eating some of the most delicious pork sisig and kare-kare you’ve ever tasted — as late as 2 o’clock in the morning, no less? \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>What do you \u003cem>mean\u003c/em> there’s an old-fashioned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/filipino\">Filipino\u003c/a> diner right smack in the middle of downtown Oakland where you can sit on a ’50s-style bar stool eating some of the most delicious pork sisig and kare-kare you’ve ever tasted — as late as 2 o’clock in the morning, no less? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even as we savored each bite, it felt like some kind of fever dream. At the time of our visit, a couple weeks ago, the restaurant had no \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/tita-beccas-oakland\">Yelp reviews\u003c/a> and barely any \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">social media presence\u003c/a>. The lone “Tita Becca’s” sign painted on the wall outside gave no indication of what kind of food we might find inside (though a Pinoy would have recognized the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Philippines\">bright yellow sun\u003c/a> in the logo). The only reason we’d heard of the place at all was because of a kind reader who emailed us a glowing report.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even as we savored each bite, it felt like some kind of fever dream. At the time of our visit, a couple weeks ago, the restaurant had no \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/tita-beccas-oakland\">Yelp reviews\u003c/a> and barely any \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">social media presence\u003c/a>. The lone “Tita Becca’s” sign painted on the wall outside gave no indication of what kind of food we might find inside (though a Pinoy would have recognized the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Philippines\">bright yellow sun\u003c/a> in the logo). The only reason we’d heard of the place at all was because of a kind reader who emailed us a glowing report.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When we pulled up to the restaurant at a little before 10 p.m. on a recent Friday, an older Filipino dude in a Warriors jersey and flip-flops was posted up outside, nursing the last few sips of a bottle of beer. Inside, the dining room was set up like the kind of old-timey diner you might see painted on a picture postcard: the long counter, the vintage stools, the nostalgic red and turquoise color scheme. The restaurant was almost entirely empty — just one young Filipino guy sitting at the counter, ladling pork sinigang over a bowl of white rice. The R&B playlist blaring from the speakers consisted almost entirely of sultry Mariah Carey jams. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When we pulled up to the restaurant at a little before 10 p.m. on a recent Friday, an older Filipino dude in a Warriors jersey and flip-flops was posted up outside, nursing the last few sips of a bottle of beer. Inside, the dining room was set up like the kind of old-timey diner you might see painted on a picture postcard: the long counter, the vintage stools, the nostalgic red and turquoise color scheme. The restaurant was almost entirely empty — just one young Filipino guy sitting at the counter, ladling pork sinigang over a bowl of white rice. The R&B playlist blaring from the speakers consisted almost entirely of sultry Mariah Carey jams. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Already, the place passed the vibe check. A perfect hundred out of a hundred points.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Already, the place passed the vibe check. A perfect hundred out of a hundred points.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What you might expect to find at a restaurant that looks like this are three-egg omelettes and big stacks of pancakes with a pile of hash browns on the side. (We found out later that until late last year, the space had been home to a more classic American greasy spoon called Leo’s Diner.) Instead, Tita Becca’s serves a full — and surprisingly extensive — menu of homestyle Filipino dishes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What you might expect to find at a restaurant that looks like this are three-egg omelettes and big stacks of pancakes with a pile of hash browns on the side. (We found out later that until late last year, the space had been home to a more classic American greasy spoon called Leo’s Diner.) Instead, Tita Becca’s serves a full — and surprisingly extensive — menu of homestyle Filipino dishes.\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/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a low-slung diner lit up at night. The sign painted on the wall reads "Tita Becca's," with a yellow sun logo above.\" class=\"wp-image-13990281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is set up like a classic all-American diner — except that all of the food is Filipino.\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/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a low-slung diner lit up at night. The sign painted on the wall reads "Tita Becca's," with a yellow sun logo above.\" class=\"wp-image-13990281\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is set up like a classic all-American diner — except that all of the food is Filipino.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chatting with the staff a bit, we learned that the restaurant is a family enterprise through and through. Mark, a gregarious middle-aged Filipino American with a wispy beard, is the main owner and public face of the business. His adult son was working up front, behind the counter, taking orders. And though she only popped her head out of the kitchen once or twice, we could see that Mark’s mother, \u003cem>the\u003c/em> Tita Becca herself, was the real heart and soul of the restaurant — the one whose recipes made us start to feel homesick and nostalgic for her food even before we’d finished eating.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chatting with the staff a bit, we learned that the restaurant is a family enterprise through and through. Mark, a gregarious middle-aged Filipino American with a wispy beard, is the main owner and public face of the business. His adult son was working up front, behind the counter, taking orders. And though she only popped her head out of the kitchen once or twice, we could see that Mark’s mother, \u003cem>the\u003c/em> Tita Becca herself, was the real heart and soul of the restaurant — the one whose recipes made us start to feel homesick and nostalgic for her food even before we’d finished eating.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To put it plainly: Everything was mind-blowingly delicious. We started with an order of shrimp lumpia — whole large shrimp, their tails still attached, encased by the wrapper and deep fried until they were super-crunchy and almost too hot to eat. These were deeply satisfying, with or without the obligatory sweet chili dipping sauce. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To put it plainly: Everything was mind-blowingly delicious. We started with an order of shrimp lumpia — whole large shrimp, their tails still attached, encased by the wrapper and deep fried until they were super-crunchy and almost too hot to eat. These were deeply satisfying, with or without the obligatory sweet chili dipping sauce. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the Pampanga-style pork sisig was a revelation of textures and flavors. There was the crispiness of fried pork skin, along with the soft fat and the meaty, gelatinous bits. There was the heat of the chiles, the crisp tanginess of red onions and also an earthy undercurrent from the bits of chicken liver that they’d mixed into the sauce. Most of all, there was this wonderful brightness, from calamansi and lemon juice, that cut into the richness of the dish. Ladling the sisig over rice, we were able to keep eating it and eating it without ever getting tired of the taste.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the Pampanga-style pork sisig was a revelation of textures and flavors. There was the crispiness of fried pork skin, along with the soft fat and the meaty, gelatinous bits. There was the heat of the chiles, the crisp tanginess of red onions and also an earthy undercurrent from the bits of chicken liver that they’d mixed into the sauce. Most of all, there was this wonderful brightness, from calamansi and lemon juice, that cut into the richness of the dish. Ladling the sisig over rice, we were able to keep eating it and eating it without ever getting tired of the taste.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, the owner confided that this wasn’t even the full version of the dish. They’d run out of the pig’s head meats — the ears, cheeks and so forth — that usually go into it, so they made a cobbled-together version using chopped up lechon.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later, the owner confided that this wasn’t even the full version of the dish. They’d run out of the pig’s head meats — the ears, cheeks and so forth — that usually go into it, so they made a cobbled-together version using chopped up lechon.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If we’d known that ahead of time, we probably wouldn’t have also ordered the lechon kawali, the beloved Filipino dish of fried skin-on pork belly. We didn’t exactly have anything to complain about, though — it was one of the moistest and most jigglingly tender versions we’ve had in the Bay, with some of the crunchiest skin. The fatty pork was especially nice with either of the vinegar dips the shop offers, one spiked with chiles and the other with both chiles and chopped tomatoes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If we’d known that ahead of time, we probably wouldn’t have also ordered the lechon kawali, the beloved Filipino dish of fried skin-on pork belly. We didn’t exactly have anything to complain about, though — it was one of the moistest and most jigglingly tender versions we’ve had in the Bay, with some of the crunchiest skin. The fatty pork was especially nice with either of the vinegar dips the shop offers, one spiked with chiles and the other with both chiles and chopped tomatoes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And perhaps everyone knows by now that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956683/late-night-filipino-food-24-hour-cafe-colma-lucky-chances\">I can’t ever \u003cem>not \u003c/em>order oxtail kare-kare\u003c/a> if I see it on a menu. The peanut sauce in Tita Becca’s version was rich and velvety; the eggplant, bok choy and string beans were all cooked to exactly the right texture. And while the oxtails were small, there were \u003cem>a lot\u003c/em> of them — the meat was so tender, and it was so very satisfying to suck on the bones.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And perhaps everyone knows by now that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956683/late-night-filipino-food-24-hour-cafe-colma-lucky-chances\">I can’t ever \u003cem>not \u003c/em>order oxtail kare-kare\u003c/a> if I see it on a menu. The peanut sauce in Tita Becca’s version was rich and velvety; the eggplant, bok choy and string beans were all cooked to exactly the right texture. And while the oxtails were small, there were \u003cem>a lot\u003c/em> of them — the meat was so tender, and it was so very satisfying to suck on the bones.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Most impressive of all? Tita Becca’s makes its own bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), the salty-funky condiment traditionally served with kare-kare, in house, so that it was less aggressively salty than the jarred kind, with the same pungent umami punch. We kept stirring it in, and the dish kept tasting better and better. We could’ve eaten infinite amounts of rice.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Most impressive of all? Tita Becca’s makes its own bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), the salty-funky condiment traditionally served with kare-kare, in house, so that it was less aggressively salty than the jarred kind, with the same pungent umami punch. We kept stirring it in, and the dish kept tasting better and better. We could’ve eaten infinite amounts of rice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, our only regret was that we only had the stomach space to try four dishes — that we’d missed out on the other homey stews like the sinigang and the Bicol Express. How could any of it not have been delicious? Someone’s mom was cooking for us back there, probably the best home cook we knew in our circle of friends. That was the feeling we got, anyway.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the end, our only regret was that we only had the stomach space to try four dishes — that we’d missed out on the other homey stews like the sinigang and the Bicol Express. How could any of it not have been delicious? Someone’s mom was cooking for us back there, probably the best home cook we knew in our circle of friends. That was the feeling we got, anyway.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By the time we finished our meal, only a few more customers had straggled in through the door. A millennial Filipina who sat at the restaurant’s one larger table and ordered a family-style meal for her group of non-Filipino friends. A couple of takeout customers bringing food over to the queer bar next door. It really felt like we had stumbled on a secret hiding in plain sight. And after we walked out at the end of the night, I started to worry, sincerely, that maybe we’d dreamed the whole thing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By the time we finished our meal, only a few more customers had straggled in through the door. A millennial Filipina who sat at the restaurant’s one larger table and ordered a family-style meal for her group of non-Filipino friends. A couple of takeout customers bringing food over to the queer bar next door. It really felt like we had stumbled on a secret hiding in plain sight. And after we walked out at the end of the night, I started to worry, sincerely, that maybe we’d dreamed the whole thing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">\u003cem>Tita Becca’s\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 5–9 p.m., Friday 5 p.m.–2 a.m., Saturday noon–2 a.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. at 400 15th St. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">\u003cem>Tita Becca’s\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 5–9 p.m., Friday 5 p.m.–2 a.m., Saturday noon–2 a.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. at 400 15th St. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The secret is out about Tita Becca’s amazing homestyle pork sisig and kare-kare. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Man devouring a shrimp lumpia while seating a diner counter. There's a huge spread of Filipino food in front of him.\" class=\"wp-image-13990278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In downtown Oakland, Tita Becca’s serves some of the tastiest homestyle Filipino food in the Bay Area — until as late as 2 a.m. on weekends. (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>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tita+Becca's/@37.8050666,-122.269489,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x808f810010cb4c49:0x6216a723cfa2d8bc!8m2!3d37.8050666!4d-122.269489!16s%2Fg%2F11nc868hz3!18m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\">Tita Becca’s\u003c/a> is the kind of restaurant that almost doesn’t seem real. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What do you \u003cem>mean\u003c/em> there’s an old-fashioned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/filipino\">Filipino\u003c/a> diner right smack in the middle of downtown Oakland where you can sit on a ’50s-style bar stool eating some of the most delicious pork sisig and kare-kare you’ve ever tasted — as late as 2 o’clock in the morning, no less? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as we savored each bite, it felt like some kind of fever dream. At the time of our visit, a couple weeks ago, the restaurant had no \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/tita-beccas-oakland\">Yelp reviews\u003c/a> and barely any \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">social media presence\u003c/a>. The lone “Tita Becca’s” sign painted on the wall outside gave no indication of what kind of food we might find inside (though a Pinoy would have recognized the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Philippines\">bright yellow sun\u003c/a> in the logo). The only reason we’d heard of the place at all was because of a kind reader who emailed us a glowing report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When we pulled up to the restaurant at a little before 10 p.m. on a recent Friday, an older Filipino dude in a Warriors jersey and flip-flops was posted up outside, nursing the last few sips of a bottle of beer. Inside, the dining room was set up like the kind of old-timey diner you might see painted on a picture postcard: the long counter, the vintage stools, the nostalgic red and turquoise color scheme. The restaurant was almost entirely empty — just one young Filipino guy sitting at the counter, ladling pork sinigang over a bowl of white rice. The R&B playlist blaring from the speakers consisted almost entirely of sultry Mariah Carey jams. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already, the place passed the vibe check. A perfect hundred out of a hundred points.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What you might expect to find at a restaurant that looks like this are three-egg omelettes and big stacks of pancakes with a pile of hash browns on the side. (We found out later that until late last year, the space had been home to a more classic American greasy spoon called Leo’s Diner.) Instead, Tita Becca’s serves a full — and surprisingly extensive — menu of homestyle Filipino dishes.\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/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: a low-slung diner lit up at night. The sign painted on the wall reads "Tita Becca's," with a yellow sun logo above.\" class=\"wp-image-13990281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TitaBeccas1-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The restaurant is set up like a classic all-American diner — except that all of the food is Filipino. (Thien Pham)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chatting with the staff a bit, we learned that the restaurant is a family enterprise through and through. Mark, a gregarious middle-aged Filipino American with a wispy beard, is the main owner and public face of the business. His adult son was working up front, behind the counter, taking orders. And though she only popped her head out of the kitchen once or twice, we could see that Mark’s mother, \u003cem>the\u003c/em> Tita Becca herself, was the real heart and soul of the restaurant — the one whose recipes made us start to feel homesick and nostalgic for her food even before we’d finished eating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To put it plainly: Everything was mind-blowingly delicious. We started with an order of shrimp lumpia — whole large shrimp, their tails still attached, encased by the wrapper and deep fried until they were super-crunchy and almost too hot to eat. These were deeply satisfying, with or without the obligatory sweet chili dipping sauce. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the Pampanga-style pork sisig was a revelation of textures and flavors. There was the crispiness of fried pork skin, along with the soft fat and the meaty, gelatinous bits. There was the heat of the chiles, the crisp tanginess of red onions and also an earthy undercurrent from the bits of chicken liver that they’d mixed into the sauce. Most of all, there was this wonderful brightness, from calamansi and lemon juice, that cut into the richness of the dish. Ladling the sisig over rice, we were able to keep eating it and eating it without ever getting tired of the taste.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, the owner confided that this wasn’t even the full version of the dish. They’d run out of the pig’s head meats — the ears, cheeks and so forth — that usually go into it, so they made a cobbled-together version using chopped up lechon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If we’d known that ahead of time, we probably wouldn’t have also ordered the lechon kawali, the beloved Filipino dish of fried skin-on pork belly. We didn’t exactly have anything to complain about, though — it was one of the moistest and most jigglingly tender versions we’ve had in the Bay, with some of the crunchiest skin. The fatty pork was especially nice with either of the vinegar dips the shop offers, one spiked with chiles and the other with both chiles and chopped tomatoes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And perhaps everyone knows by now that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956683/late-night-filipino-food-24-hour-cafe-colma-lucky-chances\">I can’t ever \u003cem>not \u003c/em>order oxtail kare-kare\u003c/a> if I see it on a menu. The peanut sauce in Tita Becca’s version was rich and velvety; the eggplant, bok choy and string beans were all cooked to exactly the right texture. And while the oxtails were small, there were \u003cem>a lot\u003c/em> of them — the meat was so tender, and it was so very satisfying to suck on the bones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most impressive of all? Tita Becca’s makes its own bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), the salty-funky condiment traditionally served with kare-kare, in house, so that it was less aggressively salty than the jarred kind, with the same pungent umami punch. We kept stirring it in, and the dish kept tasting better and better. We could’ve eaten infinite amounts of rice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, our only regret was that we only had the stomach space to try four dishes — that we’d missed out on the other homey stews like the sinigang and the Bicol Express. How could any of it not have been delicious? Someone’s mom was cooking for us back there, probably the best home cook we knew in our circle of friends. That was the feeling we got, anyway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the time we finished our meal, only a few more customers had straggled in through the door. A millennial Filipina who sat at the restaurant’s one larger table and ordered a family-style meal for her group of non-Filipino friends. A couple of takeout customers bringing food over to the queer bar next door. It really felt like we had stumbled on a secret hiding in plain sight. And after we walked out at the end of the night, I started to worry, sincerely, that maybe we’d dreamed the whole thing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/titabeccas/\">\u003cem>Tita Becca’s\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> is open Tuesday to Thursday 5–9 p.m., Friday 5 p.m.–2 a.m., Saturday noon–2 a.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. at 400 15th St. in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "indian-mango-party-san-francisco-mission",
"title": "Indian Mangoes Are the ‘Fruit of the Gods.’ Now, in San Francisco, They Have Their Own Party",
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"headTitle": "Indian Mangoes Are the ‘Fruit of the Gods.’ Now, in San Francisco, They Have Their Own Party | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>King of fruits. Fruit of the gods. These are only two of the grand titles given to the mango, which people began cultivating over 4,000 years ago. In the millennia since, the fruit has been spiritually worshipped, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35461265\">politically propagandized\u003c/a> and, most simply, enjoyed — perhaps nowhere more than on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/india\">Indian subcontinent\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, however, the Indian diaspora has mostly had to settle for a sad, fibrous version of the fruit. But a group of San Franciscans of Indian descent are hoping to change that, introducing Americans to the glories of the Indian mango. On Sunday, May 31, from 1–4 p.m., San Francisco resident Darshil Patel will host his third annual grassroots mango party in the Mission alongside co-organizers Deep Mehta, Fareeha Salahuddin, Parth Patel and Dylan Patel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For mango lovers, the day has come. Hundreds of Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-gujarats-kesar-mangoes-became-a-seasonal-favourite-in-london-heathrow/articleshow/131307607.cms\">Kesar\u003c/a> mangoes will be distributed for free, as volunteers peel and slice the fruit on the spot. (Pre-cutting degrades quality.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At last year’s edition, some attendees brought mango desserts, like mango sticky rice and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ5GkB7BSXO/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet\">mango sablée tartlets\u003c/a>, to share with the group. Partygoers picked up free \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AndrewYatzkan/status/1923855295144657073?s=20\">“Mango Tango”\u003c/a> T-shirts and joined spikeball games while a DJ performed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sunday’s party should be another wholesome event. Last year, a toddler tried her very first mango.\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/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg\" alt=\"A father holding a young toddler feeds the child a piece of mango.\" class=\"wp-image-13990230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some attendees of the 2025 party had been enjoying mangoes their whole lives. For others, it was their very first. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What began as a casual meeting of eight friends sharing a box of mangoes in 2023 has ballooned into an hours-long extravaganza backed by silent sponsors, who help cover the cost of the mangoes. Roughly 250 people are expected to attend this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started in 2024, when Patel \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1802748248949670386?s=20\">tweeted\u003c/a> about throwing a mango party to gauge public interest. The response was overwhelming, as dozens of mango lovers replied, expressing their curiosity about Indian varieties or, in many cases, their longing for a taste of home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Patel, many of the people who were most excited about the party have roots in India, where the mango is the national fruit. There, the fruit is so beloved it’s woven into cultural traditions, from hanging mango leaves during weddings and housewarmings for good luck to stories in Hindu mythology: Ganesha wins a divine mango of knowledge, while mango blossoms tip the arrows of the love god Kama.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Indians today, particularly those living abroad, the Indian mango is a nostalgic reminder of childhood and family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of sliced mangoes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alphonso and Kesar mangoes, sliced fresh so the fruit doesn’t deteriorate. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Co-organizer Deep Mehta has visceral memories of his grandmother hand-feeding him pulped mango at home in Mumbai, in the state Maharashtra, where \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> mangoes — “objectively the best,” Mehta says — are native.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I see a mango [in the U.S.], my brain is thinking, ‘This is going to be super sweet and juicy,’ and then it just doesn’t meet those expectations,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarv Kulpati, who left India at 9, vividly remembers his grandmother cutting mangoes “hedgehog style” (crisscrossing the fruit and turning it inside out) while the family gathered around the table, hands sticky with juice. “A mango means a bunch of people sitting together,” says Kulpati, who attended last year’s event. “Honestly, I do not have any memories of eating mango by myself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg\" alt=\"A man slices mangoes outdoors while a smiling woman looks on.\" class=\"wp-image-13990245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New to San Francisco at the time, Sarv Kulpati (right) spent most of the 2025 event cutting the mangoes. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patel recalls eating mango ras (blended ripe mangoes) with his cousin every day after school in India, where he lived until he was 8. “It would just put us to sleep because there’s so much sugar,” he says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Patel and Mehta argue, most Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/27/do-you-know-alphonso-mango\">don’t know what they’re missing\u003c/a>. “It’s like a different fruit,” they both say, citing the sweetness, flavor and sheer aroma. Mehta can’t bring himself to eat an American mango. “It just doesn’t hit the same.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mehta’s a purist, but he might have a point. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mangoes most commonly found in U.S. grocery stores are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Mango_Crop_Forecast.pdf\">Tommy Atkins variety\u003c/a>, sourced almost exclusively from Latin America, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3-Year-trend-2025_mango_imports_eng-1.pdf\">accounts for roughly 98% of mango imports\u003c/a>. Originally cultivated by a farmer named Thomas Atkins from Broward County, Florida, Tommy Atkins mangoes are known for their unremarkable flavor, dense fibrousness and extreme durability — the last of which ultimately led to commercial success. But from the outset, the mango had critics: In the 1950s, the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLDxi1V1ry58n6JYPKmK9f8mw3GBPefu/view?usp=sharing\">Florida Mango Forum\u003c/a> rejected the Atkins mango multiple times because of its disappointing flavor profile.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s the mango most Americans grew up eating. For many South Asians, then, President George W. Bush is remembered not only for 9/11 and the War on Terror, but for the 2006 “\u003ca href=\"https://www.thejuggernaut.com/indian-mangos\">nuclear mango deal\u003c/a>,” which ended a 17-year U.S. ban on Indian mango imports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Which isn’t to say that it’s easy to find Indian mangoes here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dealing mangoes can be something of an extreme sport. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/americans-will-do-anything-to-get-indian-mangoes-3a711ce8\">\u003cem>Wall Street Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a> recently covered hustlers powering the Indian mango supply in the U.S., including a senior tech manager in the D.C. area who moonlights as a mango dealer during the fruit’s short season, picking up hundreds of boxes of mangoes at Virginia’s Dulles International Airport multiple times a week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, you can buy Indian mangoes by joining WhatsApp groups and monitoring the chat for shipment details and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/liminalsnake/status/2053209580440793184?s=20\">updates from a particular dealer\u003c/a>. A few websites offering hyperlocal mango delivery, often powered by small teams of fruit vendors, have also sprung up. Today, a six-pound box of Indian mangoes — roughly nine to 12 fruits — costs $50 to $60, inflated this year by tariff uncertainty and increased fuel prices from the Iran war. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For previous mango parties, Patel would \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1916991896544817335?s=20\">call a local Indian grocery store\u003c/a> every day. When the mango shipment finally arrived, it’d be a race to the store to buy the boxes he needed before they ran out. This year, he’s providing mangoes through \u003ca href=\"https://aumpi.com/pages/copy-of-contact\">AumPi\u003c/a>, a Bay Area–based grassroots mango distributor that donates its profits toward tackling malnutrition in India.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink.jpg\" alt='Man and woman pose in front of a mango drink dispenser labeled \"hot.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Deep Mehta (left) poses in front of a mango drink with Raina Doshi, who co-organized the 2025 mango party. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If getting the fruit takes persistence, enjoying it on Sunday will not. For Mehta, the party at the park is a way of “spreading the love” of a tasty fruit. Indian mangoes are a “largely undiscovered” treasure “that should be shared,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year’s mango party will be held at a park in the Mission — the organizers aren’t publicizing the exact location for fear that \u003cem>too \u003c/em>many people will show up, and they want to make sure there are enough mangoes for everyone. Those interested in attending can send a brief love letter to mangoes via \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">email\u003c/a> to Patel, who’s working with his co-organizers to curate the guest list. Space is limited.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So far, Patel says, three different people have sent him photos of their cats named Mango. They’re in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The mango party will take place on Sunday, May 31, 1–4 p.m., in San Francisco’s Mission District. \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">Email the organizers\u003c/a> to get on the guest list and to receive the exact location.\u003c/em> \u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note:\u003c/strong> As of May 30, the organizers say the event has reached capacity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>King of fruits. Fruit of the gods. These are only two of the grand titles given to the mango, which people began cultivating over 4,000 years ago. In the millennia since, the fruit has been spiritually worshipped, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35461265\">politically propagandized\u003c/a> and, most simply, enjoyed — perhaps nowhere more than on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/india\">Indian subcontinent\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>King of fruits. Fruit of the gods. These are only two of the grand titles given to the mango, which people began cultivating over 4,000 years ago. In the millennia since, the fruit has been spiritually worshipped, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35461265\">politically propagandized\u003c/a> and, most simply, enjoyed — perhaps nowhere more than on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/india\">Indian subcontinent\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, however, the Indian diaspora has mostly had to settle for a sad, fibrous version of the fruit. But a group of San Franciscans of Indian descent are hoping to change that, introducing Americans to the glories of the Indian mango. On Sunday, May 31, from 1–4 p.m., San Francisco resident Darshil Patel will host his third annual grassroots mango party in the Mission alongside co-organizers Deep Mehta, Fareeha Salahuddin, Parth Patel and Dylan Patel.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, however, the Indian diaspora has mostly had to settle for a sad, fibrous version of the fruit. But a group of San Franciscans of Indian descent are hoping to change that, introducing Americans to the glories of the Indian mango. On Sunday, May 31, from 1–4 p.m., San Francisco resident Darshil Patel will host his third annual grassroots mango party in the Mission alongside co-organizers Deep Mehta, Fareeha Salahuddin, Parth Patel and Dylan Patel.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For mango lovers, the day has come. Hundreds of Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-gujarats-kesar-mangoes-became-a-seasonal-favourite-in-london-heathrow/articleshow/131307607.cms\">Kesar\u003c/a> mangoes will be distributed for free, as volunteers peel and slice the fruit on the spot. (Pre-cutting degrades quality.) \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For mango lovers, the day has come. Hundreds of Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-gujarats-kesar-mangoes-became-a-seasonal-favourite-in-london-heathrow/articleshow/131307607.cms\">Kesar\u003c/a> mangoes will be distributed for free, as volunteers peel and slice the fruit on the spot. (Pre-cutting degrades quality.) \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At last year’s edition, some attendees brought mango desserts, like mango sticky rice and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ5GkB7BSXO/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet\">mango sablée tartlets\u003c/a>, to share with the group. Partygoers picked up free \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AndrewYatzkan/status/1923855295144657073?s=20\">“Mango Tango”\u003c/a> T-shirts and joined spikeball games while a DJ performed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At last year’s edition, some attendees brought mango desserts, like mango sticky rice and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ5GkB7BSXO/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet\">mango sablée tartlets\u003c/a>, to share with the group. Partygoers picked up free \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AndrewYatzkan/status/1923855295144657073?s=20\">“Mango Tango”\u003c/a> T-shirts and joined spikeball games while a DJ performed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sunday’s party should be another wholesome event. Last year, a toddler tried her very first mango.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sunday’s party should be another wholesome event. Last year, a toddler tried her very first mango.\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/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg\" alt=\"A father holding a young toddler feeds the child a piece of mango.\" class=\"wp-image-13990230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some attendees of the 2025 party had been enjoying mangoes their whole lives. For others, it was their very first.\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/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg\" alt=\"A father holding a young toddler feeds the child a piece of mango.\" class=\"wp-image-13990230\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some attendees of the 2025 party had been enjoying mangoes their whole lives. For others, it was their very first.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What began as a casual meeting of eight friends sharing a box of mangoes in 2023 has ballooned into an hours-long extravaganza backed by silent sponsors, who help cover the cost of the mangoes. Roughly 250 people are expected to attend this year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What began as a casual meeting of eight friends sharing a box of mangoes in 2023 has ballooned into an hours-long extravaganza backed by silent sponsors, who help cover the cost of the mangoes. Roughly 250 people are expected to attend this year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It started in 2024, when Patel \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1802748248949670386?s=20\">tweeted\u003c/a> about throwing a mango party to gauge public interest. The response was overwhelming, as dozens of mango lovers replied, expressing their curiosity about Indian varieties or, in many cases, their longing for a taste of home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It started in 2024, when Patel \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1802748248949670386?s=20\">tweeted\u003c/a> about throwing a mango party to gauge public interest. The response was overwhelming, as dozens of mango lovers replied, expressing their curiosity about Indian varieties or, in many cases, their longing for a taste of home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Patel, many of the people who were most excited about the party have roots in India, where the mango is the national fruit. There, the fruit is so beloved it’s woven into cultural traditions, from hanging mango leaves during weddings and housewarmings for good luck to stories in Hindu mythology: Ganesha wins a divine mango of knowledge, while mango blossoms tip the arrows of the love god Kama.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Like Patel, many of the people who were most excited about the party have roots in India, where the mango is the national fruit. There, the fruit is so beloved it’s woven into cultural traditions, from hanging mango leaves during weddings and housewarmings for good luck to stories in Hindu mythology: Ganesha wins a divine mango of knowledge, while mango blossoms tip the arrows of the love god Kama.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Indians today, particularly those living abroad, the Indian mango is a nostalgic reminder of childhood and family. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Indians today, particularly those living abroad, the Indian mango is a nostalgic reminder of childhood and family. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-1536x1018.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/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of sliced mangoes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alphonso and Kesar mangoes, sliced fresh so the fruit doesn’t deteriorate. \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/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of sliced mangoes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990243\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alphonso and Kesar mangoes, sliced fresh so the fruit doesn’t deteriorate. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Co-organizer Deep Mehta has visceral memories of his grandmother hand-feeding him pulped mango at home in Mumbai, in the state Maharashtra, where \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> mangoes — “objectively the best,” Mehta says — are native.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Co-organizer Deep Mehta has visceral memories of his grandmother hand-feeding him pulped mango at home in Mumbai, in the state Maharashtra, where \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> mangoes — “objectively the best,” Mehta says — are native.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When I see a mango [in the U.S.], my brain is thinking, ‘This is going to be super sweet and juicy,’ and then it just doesn’t meet those expectations,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When I see a mango [in the U.S.], my brain is thinking, ‘This is going to be super sweet and juicy,’ and then it just doesn’t meet those expectations,” he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sarv Kulpati, who left India at 9, vividly remembers his grandmother cutting mangoes “hedgehog style” (crisscrossing the fruit and turning it inside out) while the family gathered around the table, hands sticky with juice. “A mango means a bunch of people sitting together,” says Kulpati, who attended last year’s event. “Honestly, I do not have any memories of eating mango by myself.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sarv Kulpati, who left India at 9, vividly remembers his grandmother cutting mangoes “hedgehog style” (crisscrossing the fruit and turning it inside out) while the family gathered around the table, hands sticky with juice. “A mango means a bunch of people sitting together,” says Kulpati, who attended last year’s event. “Honestly, I do not have any memories of eating mango by myself.”\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/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg\" alt=\"A man slices mangoes outdoors while a smiling woman looks on.\" class=\"wp-image-13990245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New to San Francisco at the time, Sarv Kulpati (right) spent most of the 2025 event cutting the mangoes.\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/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg\" alt=\"A man slices mangoes outdoors while a smiling woman looks on.\" class=\"wp-image-13990245\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New to San Francisco at the time, Sarv Kulpati (right) spent most of the 2025 event cutting the mangoes.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Patel recalls eating mango ras (blended ripe mangoes) with his cousin every day after school in India, where he lived until he was 8. “It would just put us to sleep because there’s so much sugar,” he says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Patel recalls eating mango ras (blended ripe mangoes) with his cousin every day after school in India, where he lived until he was 8. “It would just put us to sleep because there’s so much sugar,” he says. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Patel and Mehta argue, most Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/27/do-you-know-alphonso-mango\">don’t know what they’re missing\u003c/a>. “It’s like a different fruit,” they both say, citing the sweetness, flavor and sheer aroma. Mehta can’t bring himself to eat an American mango. “It just doesn’t hit the same.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Patel and Mehta argue, most Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/27/do-you-know-alphonso-mango\">don’t know what they’re missing\u003c/a>. “It’s like a different fruit,” they both say, citing the sweetness, flavor and sheer aroma. Mehta can’t bring himself to eat an American mango. “It just doesn’t hit the same.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mehta’s a purist, but he might have a point. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mehta’s a purist, but he might have a point. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mangoes most commonly found in U.S. grocery stores are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Mango_Crop_Forecast.pdf\">Tommy Atkins variety\u003c/a>, sourced almost exclusively from Latin America, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3-Year-trend-2025_mango_imports_eng-1.pdf\">accounts for roughly 98% of mango imports\u003c/a>. Originally cultivated by a farmer named Thomas Atkins from Broward County, Florida, Tommy Atkins mangoes are known for their unremarkable flavor, dense fibrousness and extreme durability — the last of which ultimately led to commercial success. But from the outset, the mango had critics: In the 1950s, the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLDxi1V1ry58n6JYPKmK9f8mw3GBPefu/view?usp=sharing\">Florida Mango Forum\u003c/a> rejected the Atkins mango multiple times because of its disappointing flavor profile.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The mangoes most commonly found in U.S. grocery stores are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Mango_Crop_Forecast.pdf\">Tommy Atkins variety\u003c/a>, sourced almost exclusively from Latin America, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3-Year-trend-2025_mango_imports_eng-1.pdf\">accounts for roughly 98% of mango imports\u003c/a>. Originally cultivated by a farmer named Thomas Atkins from Broward County, Florida, Tommy Atkins mangoes are known for their unremarkable flavor, dense fibrousness and extreme durability — the last of which ultimately led to commercial success. But from the outset, the mango had critics: In the 1950s, the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLDxi1V1ry58n6JYPKmK9f8mw3GBPefu/view?usp=sharing\">Florida Mango Forum\u003c/a> rejected the Atkins mango multiple times because of its disappointing flavor profile.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s the mango most Americans grew up eating. For many South Asians, then, President George W. Bush is remembered not only for 9/11 and the War on Terror, but for the 2006 “\u003ca href=\"https://www.thejuggernaut.com/indian-mangos\">nuclear mango deal\u003c/a>,” which ended a 17-year U.S. ban on Indian mango imports.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s the mango most Americans grew up eating. For many South Asians, then, President George W. Bush is remembered not only for 9/11 and the War on Terror, but for the 2006 “\u003ca href=\"https://www.thejuggernaut.com/indian-mangos\">nuclear mango deal\u003c/a>,” which ended a 17-year U.S. ban on Indian mango imports.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Which isn’t to say that it’s easy to find Indian mangoes here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Which isn’t to say that it’s easy to find Indian mangoes here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dealing mangoes can be something of an extreme sport. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/americans-will-do-anything-to-get-indian-mangoes-3a711ce8\">\u003cem>Wall Street Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a> recently covered hustlers powering the Indian mango supply in the U.S., including a senior tech manager in the D.C. area who moonlights as a mango dealer during the fruit’s short season, picking up hundreds of boxes of mangoes at Virginia’s Dulles International Airport multiple times a week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dealing mangoes can be something of an extreme sport. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/americans-will-do-anything-to-get-indian-mangoes-3a711ce8\">\u003cem>Wall Street Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a> recently covered hustlers powering the Indian mango supply in the U.S., including a senior tech manager in the D.C. area who moonlights as a mango dealer during the fruit’s short season, picking up hundreds of boxes of mangoes at Virginia’s Dulles International Airport multiple times a week. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These days, you can buy Indian mangoes by joining WhatsApp groups and monitoring the chat for shipment details and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/liminalsnake/status/2053209580440793184?s=20\">updates from a particular dealer\u003c/a>. A few websites offering hyperlocal mango delivery, often powered by small teams of fruit vendors, have also sprung up. Today, a six-pound box of Indian mangoes — roughly nine to 12 fruits — costs $50 to $60, inflated this year by tariff uncertainty and increased fuel prices from the Iran war. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These days, you can buy Indian mangoes by joining WhatsApp groups and monitoring the chat for shipment details and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/liminalsnake/status/2053209580440793184?s=20\">updates from a particular dealer\u003c/a>. A few websites offering hyperlocal mango delivery, often powered by small teams of fruit vendors, have also sprung up. Today, a six-pound box of Indian mangoes — roughly nine to 12 fruits — costs $50 to $60, inflated this year by tariff uncertainty and increased fuel prices from the Iran war. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For previous mango parties, Patel would \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1916991896544817335?s=20\">call a local Indian grocery store\u003c/a> every day. When the mango shipment finally arrived, it’d be a race to the store to buy the boxes he needed before they ran out. This year, he’s providing mangoes through \u003ca href=\"https://aumpi.com/pages/copy-of-contact\">AumPi\u003c/a>, a Bay Area–based grassroots mango distributor that donates its profits toward tackling malnutrition in India.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For previous mango parties, Patel would \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1916991896544817335?s=20\">call a local Indian grocery store\u003c/a> every day. When the mango shipment finally arrived, it’d be a race to the store to buy the boxes he needed before they ran out. This year, he’s providing mangoes through \u003ca href=\"https://aumpi.com/pages/copy-of-contact\">AumPi\u003c/a>, a Bay Area–based grassroots mango distributor that donates its profits toward tackling malnutrition in India.\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/2/2026/05/mango-drink.jpg\" alt=\"Man and woman pose in front of a mango drink dispenser labeled "hot."\" class=\"wp-image-13990248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Deep Mehta (left) poses in front of a mango drink with Raina Doshi, who co-organized the 2025 mango party.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If getting the fruit takes persistence, enjoying it on Sunday will not. For Mehta, the party at the park is a way of “spreading the love” of a tasty fruit. Indian mangoes are a “largely undiscovered” treasure “that should be shared,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year’s mango party will be held at a park in the Mission — the organizers aren’t publicizing the exact location for fear that \u003cem>too \u003c/em>many people will show up, and they want to make sure there are enough mangoes for everyone. Those interested in attending can send a brief love letter to mangoes via \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">email\u003c/a> to Patel, who’s working with his co-organizers to curate the guest list. Space is limited.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year’s mango party will be held at a park in the Mission — the organizers aren’t publicizing the exact location for fear that \u003cem>too \u003c/em>many people will show up, and they want to make sure there are enough mangoes for everyone. Those interested in attending can send a brief love letter to mangoes via \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">email\u003c/a> to Patel, who’s working with his co-organizers to curate the guest list. Space is limited.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So far, Patel says, three different people have sent him photos of their cats named Mango. They’re in. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So far, Patel says, three different people have sent him photos of their cats named Mango. They’re in. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The mango party will take place on Sunday, May 31, 1–4 p.m., in San Francisco’s Mission District. \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">Email the organizers\u003c/a> to get on the guest list and to receive the exact location.\u003c/em> \u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note:\u003c/strong> As of May 30, the organizers say the event has reached capacity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Inside the grassroots movement to get Americans to eat a better mango.",
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"title": "An Indian Mango Party in SF Celebrates the World's Greatest Mangoes | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>King of fruits. Fruit of the gods. These are only two of the grand titles given to the mango, which people began cultivating over 4,000 years ago. In the millennia since, the fruit has been spiritually worshipped, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35461265\">politically propagandized\u003c/a> and, most simply, enjoyed — perhaps nowhere more than on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/india\">Indian subcontinent\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, however, the Indian diaspora has mostly had to settle for a sad, fibrous version of the fruit. But a group of San Franciscans of Indian descent are hoping to change that, introducing Americans to the glories of the Indian mango. On Sunday, May 31, from 1–4 p.m., San Francisco resident Darshil Patel will host his third annual grassroots mango party in the Mission alongside co-organizers Deep Mehta, Fareeha Salahuddin, Parth Patel and Dylan Patel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For mango lovers, the day has come. Hundreds of Indian \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-gujarats-kesar-mangoes-became-a-seasonal-favourite-in-london-heathrow/articleshow/131307607.cms\">Kesar\u003c/a> mangoes will be distributed for free, as volunteers peel and slice the fruit on the spot. (Pre-cutting degrades quality.) \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At last year’s edition, some attendees brought mango desserts, like mango sticky rice and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ5GkB7BSXO/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet\">mango sablée tartlets\u003c/a>, to share with the group. Partygoers picked up free \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AndrewYatzkan/status/1923855295144657073?s=20\">“Mango Tango”\u003c/a> T-shirts and joined spikeball games while a DJ performed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sunday’s party should be another wholesome event. Last year, a toddler tried her very first mango.\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/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg\" alt=\"A father holding a young toddler feeds the child a piece of mango.\" class=\"wp-image-13990230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-toddler-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some attendees of the 2025 party had been enjoying mangoes their whole lives. For others, it was their very first. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What began as a casual meeting of eight friends sharing a box of mangoes in 2023 has ballooned into an hours-long extravaganza backed by silent sponsors, who help cover the cost of the mangoes. Roughly 250 people are expected to attend this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started in 2024, when Patel \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1802748248949670386?s=20\">tweeted\u003c/a> about throwing a mango party to gauge public interest. The response was overwhelming, as dozens of mango lovers replied, expressing their curiosity about Indian varieties or, in many cases, their longing for a taste of home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Patel, many of the people who were most excited about the party have roots in India, where the mango is the national fruit. There, the fruit is so beloved it’s woven into cultural traditions, from hanging mango leaves during weddings and housewarmings for good luck to stories in Hindu mythology: Ganesha wins a divine mango of knowledge, while mango blossoms tip the arrows of the love god Kama.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Indians today, particularly those living abroad, the Indian mango is a nostalgic reminder of childhood and family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of sliced mangoes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/sliced-mangoes-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alphonso and Kesar mangoes, sliced fresh so the fruit doesn’t deteriorate. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Co-organizer Deep Mehta has visceral memories of his grandmother hand-feeding him pulped mango at home in Mumbai, in the state Maharashtra, where \u003ca href=\"https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3082471/indians-know-alphonso-king-mangoes-if-only-they-could-buy-some\">Alphonso\u003c/a> mangoes — “objectively the best,” Mehta says — are native.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I see a mango [in the U.S.], my brain is thinking, ‘This is going to be super sweet and juicy,’ and then it just doesn’t meet those expectations,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarv Kulpati, who left India at 9, vividly remembers his grandmother cutting mangoes “hedgehog style” (crisscrossing the fruit and turning it inside out) while the family gathered around the table, hands sticky with juice. “A mango means a bunch of people sitting together,” says Kulpati, who attended last year’s event. “Honestly, I do not have any memories of eating mango by myself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg\" alt=\"A man slices mangoes outdoors while a smiling woman looks on.\" class=\"wp-image-13990245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-abundance-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New to San Francisco at the time, Sarv Kulpati (right) spent most of the 2025 event cutting the mangoes. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patel recalls eating mango ras (blended ripe mangoes) with his cousin every day after school in India, where he lived until he was 8. “It would just put us to sleep because there’s so much sugar,” he says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Patel and Mehta argue, most Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/27/do-you-know-alphonso-mango\">don’t know what they’re missing\u003c/a>. “It’s like a different fruit,” they both say, citing the sweetness, flavor and sheer aroma. Mehta can’t bring himself to eat an American mango. “It just doesn’t hit the same.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mehta’s a purist, but he might have a point. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mangoes most commonly found in U.S. grocery stores are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Mango_Crop_Forecast.pdf\">Tommy Atkins variety\u003c/a>, sourced almost exclusively from Latin America, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.mango.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3-Year-trend-2025_mango_imports_eng-1.pdf\">accounts for roughly 98% of mango imports\u003c/a>. Originally cultivated by a farmer named Thomas Atkins from Broward County, Florida, Tommy Atkins mangoes are known for their unremarkable flavor, dense fibrousness and extreme durability — the last of which ultimately led to commercial success. But from the outset, the mango had critics: In the 1950s, the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLDxi1V1ry58n6JYPKmK9f8mw3GBPefu/view?usp=sharing\">Florida Mango Forum\u003c/a> rejected the Atkins mango multiple times because of its disappointing flavor profile.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s the mango most Americans grew up eating. For many South Asians, then, President George W. Bush is remembered not only for 9/11 and the War on Terror, but for the 2006 “\u003ca href=\"https://www.thejuggernaut.com/indian-mangos\">nuclear mango deal\u003c/a>,” which ended a 17-year U.S. ban on Indian mango imports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Which isn’t to say that it’s easy to find Indian mangoes here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dealing mangoes can be something of an extreme sport. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/americans-will-do-anything-to-get-indian-mangoes-3a711ce8\">\u003cem>Wall Street Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a> recently covered hustlers powering the Indian mango supply in the U.S., including a senior tech manager in the D.C. area who moonlights as a mango dealer during the fruit’s short season, picking up hundreds of boxes of mangoes at Virginia’s Dulles International Airport multiple times a week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These days, you can buy Indian mangoes by joining WhatsApp groups and monitoring the chat for shipment details and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/liminalsnake/status/2053209580440793184?s=20\">updates from a particular dealer\u003c/a>. A few websites offering hyperlocal mango delivery, often powered by small teams of fruit vendors, have also sprung up. Today, a six-pound box of Indian mangoes — roughly nine to 12 fruits — costs $50 to $60, inflated this year by tariff uncertainty and increased fuel prices from the Iran war. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For previous mango parties, Patel would \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/darshil/status/1916991896544817335?s=20\">call a local Indian grocery store\u003c/a> every day. When the mango shipment finally arrived, it’d be a race to the store to buy the boxes he needed before they ran out. This year, he’s providing mangoes through \u003ca href=\"https://aumpi.com/pages/copy-of-contact\">AumPi\u003c/a>, a Bay Area–based grassroots mango distributor that donates its profits toward tackling malnutrition in India.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink.jpg\" alt='Man and woman pose in front of a mango drink dispenser labeled \"hot.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/mango-drink-1536x1018.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Deep Mehta (left) poses in front of a mango drink with Raina Doshi, who co-organized the 2025 mango party. (Courtesy of Deep Mehta)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If getting the fruit takes persistence, enjoying it on Sunday will not. For Mehta, the party at the park is a way of “spreading the love” of a tasty fruit. Indian mangoes are a “largely undiscovered” treasure “that should be shared,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year’s mango party will be held at a park in the Mission — the organizers aren’t publicizing the exact location for fear that \u003cem>too \u003c/em>many people will show up, and they want to make sure there are enough mangoes for everyone. Those interested in attending can send a brief love letter to mangoes via \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">email\u003c/a> to Patel, who’s working with his co-organizers to curate the guest list. Space is limited.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So far, Patel says, three different people have sent him photos of their cats named Mango. They’re in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The mango party will take place on Sunday, May 31, 1–4 p.m., in San Francisco’s Mission District. \u003ca href=\"mailto:darshil4133@gmail.com\">Email the organizers\u003c/a> to get on the guest list and to receive the exact location.\u003c/em> \u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note:\u003c/strong> As of May 30, the organizers say the event has reached capacity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The East Bay’s Most Exciting New Pizza Pop-up Is at a Richmond Weed Dispensary",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the hierarchy of foods that pair perfectly with a hit of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marijuana\">weed\u003c/a>, a cheesy, hot slice of pizza has to rank among the most iconic — right up there with other stoner faves like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzRvMylDVi8\">White Castle\u003c/a>, ice cream and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It shouldn’t come as any surprise, then, that one of the Bay Area’s most promising new pizza pop-ups would be stationed in front of a Richmond cannabis shop. Every Sunday and Monday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/7starshhc_/\">7 Stars Holistic Healing Center\u003c/a> regulars line up at the little tented food stand right outside the dispensary to snag a piping-hot, oil-slicked pepperoni or whipped ricotta pizza. It’s some of the tastiest East Coast–style you can find in this stretch of the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pop-up is called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldpieig/\">Goldpie\u003c/a>, and it’s the brainchild of Scott Hataye, whose day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars. For the past seven years, though, he’s also dabbled in the pizza world, moonlighting as the doughmaker at Emeryville’s Rotten City Pizza, a New York–inspired pizza restaurant that closed last summer after an impressive 17-year run. (When I first moved to the East Bay in the late aughts, Rotten City was the closest thing I could find to a proper New York slice shop.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I love that pizza and actually really, really miss it,” Hataye says of his time at the restaurant. \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/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent set up in front of a marijuana dispensary.\" class=\"wp-image-13990182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Goldpie proprietor Scott Hataye’s day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Rotten City closed last June, he took it as a sign that maybe it was time for him to launch his own pizza business. There’s a bit of Rotten City Pizza in the bones of Hataye’s pies, mostly in terms of the dough, which he says is \u003cem>very \u003c/em>similar to Rotten City’s, made with a blend of Central Milling 00 flour and bread flour and cold-fermented for up to 72 hours. The biggest difference, Hataye says, is that he makes a denser, richer red sauce, by cooking down Bianco DiNapoli brand crushed tomatoes (Rotten City was a \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/rotten-city-pizzas-bicoastal-tendencies-1/\">raw sauce\u003c/a> pizzeria). And because he bakes the pizzas in portable Gozney mini pizza ovens, which get as hot as 1,000 degrees, they’re smaller and less floppy than your classic foldable New York pizza. They’re about 12 to 13 inches in diameter, the perfect size for one hungry pizza eater (or two slightly daintier ones). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The finished product is a stylistic hybrid, Hataye says — sort of a cross between Neapolitan, New York, New Haven and Chicago-style tavern pizzas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The important thing is that Goldpie’s pizza is legitimately tasty. The top of each pie is slicked with oil, and the crust is quite thin and crunchy-bottomed, with dark blistered spots verging on burnt toward the edges — in a really delicious way, if you’re a fan of that charred flavor, as I am. \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/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg\" alt=\"A whole pepperoni pizza inside a foil-lined cardboard pizza box.\" class=\"wp-image-13990183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The “Heaven on Earth” features pesto, cupping pepperoni, hot honey and crsipy fried garlic. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I loved the “Heaven on Earth,” with its salty-sweet palette of pepperoni, pesto, hot honey and fried garlic. The sausage pie, meanwhile, was a more straightforward East Coast–style pizza — an ideal union of oozy cheese, zesty tomato sauce and a flavorful, crispy-chewy crust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other top sellers include the classic pepperoni and the “Brooklyn” (garlic, olive oil, whipped ricotta), which is Hataye’s take on a New York–style white pie. \u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">Whichever pizza you order\u003c/a>, make sure to ask for a little tub of the housemade candied jalapeños — a truly excellent pizza condiment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hataye says a few customers have asked whether he ever infuses marijuana into his food (he doesn’t), but in general, he doesn’t have any intention of veering toward gimmicky “pothead pizza.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think they’re pretty satisfied with the pizzas as they are,” he says.\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/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg\" alt=\"A painting of a cartoon horse and dog propped up on an outdoor table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There’s a table set up next to the Goldpie tent where pizza eaters can “dine in” if they like. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, the best part of the experience is the fact that Hataye and Mike Bennally (a former Rotten City general manager who helps out on pop-up days) make every pizza to order right in front of you, tossing and stretching the dough, and then lovingly tending to each pie the entire time it’s in the oven. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That level of personal care has started to pay off. Slowly but surely, a nice little community has formed around Goldpie, as more and more customers who aren’t even affiliated with the dispensary now go out of their way to visit the pop-up. Some wind up staying to eat at the table that Hataye has set up outside, watching one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DX5wmSOhE8r/\">’80s and ’90s cult classic movies\u003c/a> they have playing at all times.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eventually, Hataye says he would love to turn that community into a full-blown restaurant, though for now he’s mostly focused on just getting the word out about the pop-up. But he and Bennally have already talked about the prospect of opening a brick-and-mortar pizzeria of their own — maybe in Pinole — some time in the next year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would love to be able to do that,” he says.\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/goldpieig/\">\u003cem>Goldpie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up outside 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, at 3219 Pierce St. in Richmond (across the street from the 99 Ranch Market plaza) on Sundays and Mondays, 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. They currently sell \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">\u003cem>whole pizzas only\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, for $15–$20 a pie. Customers can call or text 510-529-5007 if they want to place their orders ahead of time.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the hierarchy of foods that pair perfectly with a hit of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marijuana\">weed\u003c/a>, a cheesy, hot slice of pizza has to rank among the most iconic — right up there with other stoner faves like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzRvMylDVi8\">White Castle\u003c/a>, ice cream and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the hierarchy of foods that pair perfectly with a hit of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marijuana\">weed\u003c/a>, a cheesy, hot slice of pizza has to rank among the most iconic — right up there with other stoner faves like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzRvMylDVi8\">White Castle\u003c/a>, ice cream and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It shouldn’t come as any surprise, then, that one of the Bay Area’s most promising new pizza pop-ups would be stationed in front of a Richmond cannabis shop. Every Sunday and Monday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/7starshhc_/\">7 Stars Holistic Healing Center\u003c/a> regulars line up at the little tented food stand right outside the dispensary to snag a piping-hot, oil-slicked pepperoni or whipped ricotta pizza. It’s some of the tastiest East Coast–style you can find in this stretch of the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It shouldn’t come as any surprise, then, that one of the Bay Area’s most promising new pizza pop-ups would be stationed in front of a Richmond cannabis shop. Every Sunday and Monday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/7starshhc_/\">7 Stars Holistic Healing Center\u003c/a> regulars line up at the little tented food stand right outside the dispensary to snag a piping-hot, oil-slicked pepperoni or whipped ricotta pizza. It’s some of the tastiest East Coast–style you can find in this stretch of the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The pop-up is called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldpieig/\">Goldpie\u003c/a>, and it’s the brainchild of Scott Hataye, whose day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars. For the past seven years, though, he’s also dabbled in the pizza world, moonlighting as the doughmaker at Emeryville’s Rotten City Pizza, a New York–inspired pizza restaurant that closed last summer after an impressive 17-year run. (When I first moved to the East Bay in the late aughts, Rotten City was the closest thing I could find to a proper New York slice shop.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The pop-up is called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldpieig/\">Goldpie\u003c/a>, and it’s the brainchild of Scott Hataye, whose day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars. For the past seven years, though, he’s also dabbled in the pizza world, moonlighting as the doughmaker at Emeryville’s Rotten City Pizza, a New York–inspired pizza restaurant that closed last summer after an impressive 17-year run. (When I first moved to the East Bay in the late aughts, Rotten City was the closest thing I could find to a proper New York slice shop.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I love that pizza and actually really, really miss it,” Hataye says of his time at the restaurant. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I love that pizza and actually really, really miss it,” Hataye says of his time at the restaurant. \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/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent set up in front of a marijuana dispensary.\" class=\"wp-image-13990182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Goldpie proprietor Scott Hataye’s day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent set up in front of a marijuana dispensary.\" class=\"wp-image-13990182\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Goldpie proprietor Scott Hataye’s day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Rotten City closed last June, he took it as a sign that maybe it was time for him to launch his own pizza business. There’s a bit of Rotten City Pizza in the bones of Hataye’s pies, mostly in terms of the dough, which he says is \u003cem>very \u003c/em>similar to Rotten City’s, made with a blend of Central Milling 00 flour and bread flour and cold-fermented for up to 72 hours. The biggest difference, Hataye says, is that he makes a denser, richer red sauce, by cooking down Bianco DiNapoli brand crushed tomatoes (Rotten City was a \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/rotten-city-pizzas-bicoastal-tendencies-1/\">raw sauce\u003c/a> pizzeria). And because he bakes the pizzas in portable Gozney mini pizza ovens, which get as hot as 1,000 degrees, they’re smaller and less floppy than your classic foldable New York pizza. They’re about 12 to 13 inches in diameter, the perfect size for one hungry pizza eater (or two slightly daintier ones). \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When Rotten City closed last June, he took it as a sign that maybe it was time for him to launch his own pizza business. There’s a bit of Rotten City Pizza in the bones of Hataye’s pies, mostly in terms of the dough, which he says is \u003cem>very \u003c/em>similar to Rotten City’s, made with a blend of Central Milling 00 flour and bread flour and cold-fermented for up to 72 hours. The biggest difference, Hataye says, is that he makes a denser, richer red sauce, by cooking down Bianco DiNapoli brand crushed tomatoes (Rotten City was a \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/rotten-city-pizzas-bicoastal-tendencies-1/\">raw sauce\u003c/a> pizzeria). And because he bakes the pizzas in portable Gozney mini pizza ovens, which get as hot as 1,000 degrees, they’re smaller and less floppy than your classic foldable New York pizza. They’re about 12 to 13 inches in diameter, the perfect size for one hungry pizza eater (or two slightly daintier ones). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The finished product is a stylistic hybrid, Hataye says — sort of a cross between Neapolitan, New York, New Haven and Chicago-style tavern pizzas. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The finished product is a stylistic hybrid, Hataye says — sort of a cross between Neapolitan, New York, New Haven and Chicago-style tavern pizzas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The important thing is that Goldpie’s pizza is legitimately tasty. The top of each pie is slicked with oil, and the crust is quite thin and crunchy-bottomed, with dark blistered spots verging on burnt toward the edges — in a really delicious way, if you’re a fan of that charred flavor, as I am. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The important thing is that Goldpie’s pizza is legitimately tasty. The top of each pie is slicked with oil, and the crust is quite thin and crunchy-bottomed, with dark blistered spots verging on burnt toward the edges — in a really delicious way, if you’re a fan of that charred flavor, as I am. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-1536x1024.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/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg\" alt=\"A whole pepperoni pizza inside a foil-lined cardboard pizza box.\" class=\"wp-image-13990183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-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 “Heaven on Earth” features pesto, cupping pepperoni, hot honey and crsipy fried garlic.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg\" alt=\"A whole pepperoni pizza inside a foil-lined cardboard pizza box.\" class=\"wp-image-13990183\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The “Heaven on Earth” features pesto, cupping pepperoni, hot honey and crsipy fried garlic.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I loved the “Heaven on Earth,” with its salty-sweet palette of pepperoni, pesto, hot honey and fried garlic. The sausage pie, meanwhile, was a more straightforward East Coast–style pizza — an ideal union of oozy cheese, zesty tomato sauce and a flavorful, crispy-chewy crust.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>I loved the “Heaven on Earth,” with its salty-sweet palette of pepperoni, pesto, hot honey and fried garlic. The sausage pie, meanwhile, was a more straightforward East Coast–style pizza — an ideal union of oozy cheese, zesty tomato sauce and a flavorful, crispy-chewy crust.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other top sellers include the classic pepperoni and the “Brooklyn” (garlic, olive oil, whipped ricotta), which is Hataye’s take on a New York–style white pie. \u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">Whichever pizza you order\u003c/a>, make sure to ask for a little tub of the housemade candied jalapeños — a truly excellent pizza condiment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other top sellers include the classic pepperoni and the “Brooklyn” (garlic, olive oil, whipped ricotta), which is Hataye’s take on a New York–style white pie. \u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">Whichever pizza you order\u003c/a>, make sure to ask for a little tub of the housemade candied jalapeños — a truly excellent pizza condiment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hataye says a few customers have asked whether he ever infuses marijuana into his food (he doesn’t), but in general, he doesn’t have any intention of veering toward gimmicky “pothead pizza.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hataye says a few customers have asked whether he ever infuses marijuana into his food (he doesn’t), but in general, he doesn’t have any intention of veering toward gimmicky “pothead pizza.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think they’re pretty satisfied with the pizzas as they are,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think they’re pretty satisfied with the pizzas as they are,” he says.\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/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg\" alt=\"A painting of a cartoon horse and dog propped up on an outdoor table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There’s a table set up next to the Goldpie tent where pizza eaters can “dine in” if they like.\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/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg\" alt=\"A painting of a cartoon horse and dog propped up on an outdoor table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990184\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There’s a table set up next to the Goldpie tent where pizza eaters can “dine in” if they like.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, the best part of the experience is the fact that Hataye and Mike Bennally (a former Rotten City general manager who helps out on pop-up days) make every pizza to order right in front of you, tossing and stretching the dough, and then lovingly tending to each pie the entire time it’s in the oven. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the end, the best part of the experience is the fact that Hataye and Mike Bennally (a former Rotten City general manager who helps out on pop-up days) make every pizza to order right in front of you, tossing and stretching the dough, and then lovingly tending to each pie the entire time it’s in the oven. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That level of personal care has started to pay off. Slowly but surely, a nice little community has formed around Goldpie, as more and more customers who aren’t even affiliated with the dispensary now go out of their way to visit the pop-up. Some wind up staying to eat at the table that Hataye has set up outside, watching one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DX5wmSOhE8r/\">’80s and ’90s cult classic movies\u003c/a> they have playing at all times.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That level of personal care has started to pay off. Slowly but surely, a nice little community has formed around Goldpie, as more and more customers who aren’t even affiliated with the dispensary now go out of their way to visit the pop-up. Some wind up staying to eat at the table that Hataye has set up outside, watching one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DX5wmSOhE8r/\">’80s and ’90s cult classic movies\u003c/a> they have playing at all times.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eventually, Hataye says he would love to turn that community into a full-blown restaurant, though for now he’s mostly focused on just getting the word out about the pop-up. But he and Bennally have already talked about the prospect of opening a brick-and-mortar pizzeria of their own — maybe in Pinole — some time in the next year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eventually, Hataye says he would love to turn that community into a full-blown restaurant, though for now he’s mostly focused on just getting the word out about the pop-up. But he and Bennally have already talked about the prospect of opening a brick-and-mortar pizzeria of their own — maybe in Pinole — some time in the next year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would love to be able to do that,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I would love to be able to do that,” he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldpieig/\">\u003cem>Goldpie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up outside 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, at 3219 Pierce St. in Richmond (across the street from the 99 Ranch Market plaza) on Sundays and Mondays, 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. They currently sell \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">\u003cem>whole pizzas only\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, for $15–$20 a pie. Customers can call or text 510-529-5007 if they want to place their orders ahead of time.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldpieig/\">\u003cem>Goldpie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up outside 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, at 3219 Pierce St. in Richmond (across the street from the 99 Ranch Market plaza) on Sundays and Mondays, 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. They currently sell \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">\u003cem>whole pizzas only\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, for $15–$20 a pie. Customers can call or text 510-529-5007 if they want to place their orders ahead of time.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Goldpie pops up Sundays and Mondays at the 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center.",
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"title": "A New Pizza Pop-up at an East Bay Weed Dispensary Takes Off | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the hierarchy of foods that pair perfectly with a hit of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/marijuana\">weed\u003c/a>, a cheesy, hot slice of pizza has to rank among the most iconic — right up there with other stoner faves like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzRvMylDVi8\">White Castle\u003c/a>, ice cream and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It shouldn’t come as any surprise, then, that one of the Bay Area’s most promising new pizza pop-ups would be stationed in front of a Richmond cannabis shop. Every Sunday and Monday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/7starshhc_/\">7 Stars Holistic Healing Center\u003c/a> regulars line up at the little tented food stand right outside the dispensary to snag a piping-hot, oil-slicked pepperoni or whipped ricotta pizza. It’s some of the tastiest East Coast–style you can find in this stretch of the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pop-up is called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldpieig/\">Goldpie\u003c/a>, and it’s the brainchild of Scott Hataye, whose day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars. For the past seven years, though, he’s also dabbled in the pizza world, moonlighting as the doughmaker at Emeryville’s Rotten City Pizza, a New York–inspired pizza restaurant that closed last summer after an impressive 17-year run. (When I first moved to the East Bay in the late aughts, Rotten City was the closest thing I could find to a proper New York slice shop.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I love that pizza and actually really, really miss it,” Hataye says of his time at the restaurant. \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/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg\" alt=\"A food tent set up in front of a marijuana dispensary.\" class=\"wp-image-13990182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-tent-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Goldpie proprietor Scott Hataye’s day job is as a “budtender” at 7 Stars. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Rotten City closed last June, he took it as a sign that maybe it was time for him to launch his own pizza business. There’s a bit of Rotten City Pizza in the bones of Hataye’s pies, mostly in terms of the dough, which he says is \u003cem>very \u003c/em>similar to Rotten City’s, made with a blend of Central Milling 00 flour and bread flour and cold-fermented for up to 72 hours. The biggest difference, Hataye says, is that he makes a denser, richer red sauce, by cooking down Bianco DiNapoli brand crushed tomatoes (Rotten City was a \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/rotten-city-pizzas-bicoastal-tendencies-1/\">raw sauce\u003c/a> pizzeria). And because he bakes the pizzas in portable Gozney mini pizza ovens, which get as hot as 1,000 degrees, they’re smaller and less floppy than your classic foldable New York pizza. They’re about 12 to 13 inches in diameter, the perfect size for one hungry pizza eater (or two slightly daintier ones). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The finished product is a stylistic hybrid, Hataye says — sort of a cross between Neapolitan, New York, New Haven and Chicago-style tavern pizzas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The important thing is that Goldpie’s pizza is legitimately tasty. The top of each pie is slicked with oil, and the crust is quite thin and crunchy-bottomed, with dark blistered spots verging on burnt toward the edges — in a really delicious way, if you’re a fan of that charred flavor, as I am. \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/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg\" alt=\"A whole pepperoni pizza inside a foil-lined cardboard pizza box.\" class=\"wp-image-13990183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-heaven-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The “Heaven on Earth” features pesto, cupping pepperoni, hot honey and crsipy fried garlic. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I loved the “Heaven on Earth,” with its salty-sweet palette of pepperoni, pesto, hot honey and fried garlic. The sausage pie, meanwhile, was a more straightforward East Coast–style pizza — an ideal union of oozy cheese, zesty tomato sauce and a flavorful, crispy-chewy crust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other top sellers include the classic pepperoni and the “Brooklyn” (garlic, olive oil, whipped ricotta), which is Hataye’s take on a New York–style white pie. \u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">Whichever pizza you order\u003c/a>, make sure to ask for a little tub of the housemade candied jalapeños — a truly excellent pizza condiment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hataye says a few customers have asked whether he ever infuses marijuana into his food (he doesn’t), but in general, he doesn’t have any intention of veering toward gimmicky “pothead pizza.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think they’re pretty satisfied with the pizzas as they are,” he says.\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/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg\" alt=\"A painting of a cartoon horse and dog propped up on an outdoor table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/goldpie-table-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There’s a table set up next to the Goldpie tent where pizza eaters can “dine in” if they like. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, the best part of the experience is the fact that Hataye and Mike Bennally (a former Rotten City general manager who helps out on pop-up days) make every pizza to order right in front of you, tossing and stretching the dough, and then lovingly tending to each pie the entire time it’s in the oven. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That level of personal care has started to pay off. Slowly but surely, a nice little community has formed around Goldpie, as more and more customers who aren’t even affiliated with the dispensary now go out of their way to visit the pop-up. Some wind up staying to eat at the table that Hataye has set up outside, watching one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DX5wmSOhE8r/\">’80s and ’90s cult classic movies\u003c/a> they have playing at all times.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eventually, Hataye says he would love to turn that community into a full-blown restaurant, though for now he’s mostly focused on just getting the word out about the pop-up. But he and Bennally have already talked about the prospect of opening a brick-and-mortar pizzeria of their own — maybe in Pinole — some time in the next year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would love to be able to do that,” he says.\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/goldpieig/\">\u003cem>Goldpie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> pops up outside 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, at 3219 Pierce St. in Richmond (across the street from the 99 Ranch Market plaza) on Sundays and Mondays, 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. They currently sell \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.7starshhc.com/blog/goldpie-pizza\">\u003cem>whole pizzas only\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, for $15–$20 a pie. Customers can call or text 510-529-5007 if they want to place their orders ahead of time.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-burger-joints-bay-area",
"title": "10 Classic (and Not-So-Classic) Bay Area Burger Joints",
"publishDate": 1779390883,
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"headTitle": "10 Classic (and Not-So-Classic) Bay Area Burger Joints | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Nothing says summer quite like a char-grilled burger and a chocolate shake, enjoyed on a sunny patio or at an old-fashioned carhop with the A/C blasting. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to have the best of both worlds — nostalgic, old-timey burger joints that have been feeding locals since the ’50s or ’60s \u003cem>and \u003c/em>new-school fusion spots that are infusing their burgers with South Asian spices and Mexican al pastor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here, then, are 10 of my favorite classic — and not-so-classic — spots to grab a delicious burger.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phila Burger Station\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1100 23rd St., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In this age of flashy, Instagram-optimized smash burgers, an old-school joint like Phila Burger Station is a comfort and a joy. The burgers themselves are a bit of a throwback — the beef patties are juicy and decently hefty, with a nice loose grind to them. All of the basic components are great: the crunch of the pickles and the crisp iceberg lettuce, the creamy swipe of mayo, the ooziness of the American cheese — and, if you go for the signature Phila Burger, a luxurious slice of pastrami on top to gild the lily. This is a sloppy burger, a five- or six-napkin burger. Meanwhile, the fries come out blistering hot, and the shop’s Philadelphia namesake isn’t just for show: The cheesesteak is one of the best in the Bay (though purists may want to ask them to hold the lettuce and tomato). And even though the restaurant is just a takeout window, the owner is so friendly and kind that he makes every customer feel like a regular.\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/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"An overstuffed burger, fries and soda on a metal try.\" class=\"wp-image-13990064\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trompo Burger at Johnny Boi. The burger features fire-roasted al pastor pork, grilled pineapple, white American cheese, fried leeks and chipotle sauce. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Johnny Boi \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>201 Tewksbury Ave., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This lively, Mexican American–owned burger joint in Point Richmond has a big, graffiti-inspired mural of Selena, Tupac and Frida Kahlo in the dining room and a crowd-pleasing menu centered on some of the East Bay’s tastiest smash burgers. Johnny Boi does the basics well (I love the beer-battered onion rings) and adds fun, thoughtful extras like the smoky-sweet bacon jam that tops a few of the burgers. The flashiest item is the Trompo, a smash burger topped with pineapple and pork al pastor, both shaved off a vertical spit. This is homegrown fusion, Bay Area style, at its very finest. The restaurant also serves maybe the single best (and most affordable!) kids’ meal in town: $6 for an adorable, perfectly sized mini smash burger and a side of tater tots or fries. \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=\"1333\" data-id=\"13990100\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A cheeseburger, fries and cola on a metal picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A quarter-pound burger, curly fries and Pepsi. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13990097\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a burger restaurant, with a big retro-style "Beep's Burgers" sign.\" class=\"wp-image-13990097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A ’60s-era neon sign points the way to Beep’s. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beep’s Burgers \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1051 Ocean Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A perennial contender on assorted Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989331/best-cheap-affordable-restaurant-meals-bay-area-oakland-sf\">cheap eats lists\u003c/a>, this ’60s-era throwback serves some of the city’s tastiest and most reasonably priced (for SF) fast food–style burgers. The burgers have the appealing simplicity I associate with a good backyard cookout: juicy, well-charred patties; fresh toppings; and a squishy, compact bun. Add one of their superlatively slurpable Oreo shakes and an order of garlic fries, and it’s easy to see why Beep’s is the unrivaled favorite of local teens. Night owls, take note: The restaurant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972197/beeps-burgers-best-late-night-san-francisco-milkshakes\">stays open until 2 a.m. daily\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/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of burgers, fries and milkshakes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990118\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of burgers and shakes at Smokehouse, a Berkeley classic since 1951. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smokehouse\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3115 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A Berkeley institution dating back to 1951, Smokehouse is notable for its emphasis on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985780/smokehouse-berkeley-late-night-burgers-hot-dogs-shakes\">flame-grilled\u003cem> \u003c/em>burgers\u003c/a>. In fact, it’s one of just a handful of Bay Area burger joints that still cook their burger patties and hot dogs over an open fire, adding a deep smoky, charred flavor that’s awfully hard to beat. Most everything on the menu is solid to very good: the shakes, the onion rings, the thick-cut fries. The back patio is super family-friendly, with a big grassy lawn where kids and dogs can run around.\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/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt='Colorful red, blue and yellow exterior of a burger shop. The sign reads \"Hyphy Burger.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Hyphy Burger on West Grand Avenue in Oakland. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hyphy Burger \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>898 W. Grand Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No Bay Area burger joint has louder branding than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979306/hyphy-burger-grand-opening-west-oakland-guapdad\">Hyphy Burger\u003c/a>, with its sideshow- and hyphy-themed iconography, splashes of bright color, and menu items with names like the “Burnout Burger” and “You Feel Me” sauce. The important thing, though, is that the food actually lives up to the hype. The thin smashed patties on the double Hyphy Burger are crispy and frilly-edged to the extreme, infused with an extra boost of caramelized char. I love the generous pile of thin-sliced grilled onions, and the way the melty American cheese just kind of oozes into the patty as you eat. Meanwhile, the banana pudding and Oreo milkshake — a truly divine combination — gets my highest recommendation. The restaurant has a second, drive-thru-focused location at 9825 International Blvd. in East Oakland.\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/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg\" alt=\"An oozy cheeseburger, just removed from it yellow paper wrapping.\" class=\"wp-image-13990120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The “OG” cheeseburger at Lovely’s: a smashed beef patty, American cheese, pickles and griddled onions on a potato bun. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lovely’s \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2344 Webster St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now located in a shipping container set inside a lovely, string light–bedecked beer garden, this longtime pop-up was an early comer (circa 2018) to the Bay Area’s now-ubiquitous smash burger scene. These days, there are tons of burger joints that traffic in thinner, lacier and more outrageously crunchy exemplars of the form. Where Lovely’s wins over almost everyone, though, is in terms of flavor. The beef patties are so well-seasoned; the rich fattiness of the Cream Co. beef really shines through. Meanwhile, the fries are made with hand-cut Chipperbecs — super-fluffy with a deep, true potato flavor — and even something as simple as caramelized onions gets a bit of extra oomph. (Schmaltz is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/oakland#anchors-meqiip9y\">not-so-secret ingredient\u003c/a>.) Most days, I go for the simple, classic OG (just American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and griddled onions on a potato bun), but the Drive-Thru makes for a great change of pace when I crave a fresh iceberg lettuce crunch — and those aforementioned schmaltz onions. The restaurant also has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/cole-valley\">second location\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Cole Valley neighborhood.\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/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"An old-fashioned burger shop. The sign above reads, "Cecil's Famous Burgers."\" class=\"wp-image-13990121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cecil’s is a Hayward institution going back to the 1950s, when the restaurant first opened as a Foster’s Freeze. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cecil’s Famous Burgers \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>547 Tennyson Rd., Hayward\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This old-fashioned Hayward burger shack has been dishing out classic fast food–style burgers and shakes since the ’50s, when it first \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/234304749943128/posts/8706566282716890/\">opened as a Foster’s Freeze\u003c/a>. These days Cecil’s is using fairly generic pre-frozen burger patties that are mostly notable for their customizability and affordable price: Burger patties come as small as 1/6 of a pound (for just over $6), and all but the most expensive combo meals (with, say, a triple bacon cheeseburger) can be had for less than $15. The standard quarter-pound burger is called a “Bulky.” I ordered mine with crispy pastrami on top, and that extra bit of salty, smoky flavor, combined with a decent char on the patty itself, really hit the spot. Add one of Cecil’s thick chocolate shakes, and you’ll feel like you’re reliving the best part of high school all over again. Note: There are a couple of slightly sketchy-looking metal tables outside, but most customers seem to grab and go.\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/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg\" alt=\"A burger and fries nestled in a red and white checkered paper wrap.\" class=\"wp-image-13990122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The desi burgers at YSG Halal are infused with a hit of South Asian spices. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YSG Halal \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4342 Thornton Ave., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This little glass box of a burger shack in a Fremont strip mall specializes in desi burgers — i.e., burgers with South Asian–inspired toppings and spices like cumin and coriander. My favorite is the ChaplYee burger, YSG’s fierce take on Pakistani chapli kebab, which features a super-oniony beef patty loaded with chopped chilies. Pair it with seasoned fries, a tub of the restaurant’s fiendishly addicting SpiceYee sauce and a mango milkshake. How’s that for a Bay Area–style all-American meal? Bonus: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952384/pakistani-desi-burger-fremont-late-night\">YSG Halal is open to satisfy your desi burger cravings until 1 a.m.\u003c/a> most nights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dad’s Luncheonette \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>225 Cabrillo Hwy. S., Half Moon Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What happens when a fine dining chef decamps for a simpler life on the California coastline? If you’re lucky, you wind up with the best, and most idiosyncratic, little roadside burger shack in San Mateo County. I use the term “burger” loosely here, as what Dad’s Luncheonette specializes in are “hamburger sandwiches” (a take on a patty melt, essentially) and they are phenomenal: juicy and well-seasoned and crowned with a runny-yolked fried egg, served on grilled white bread from Pacifica’s Rosalind Bakery. Located in an old train caboose that’s been converted into a diner, Dad’s has all the quaint seaside charm a daytripper — or local — could ask for.\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/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer.jpg\" alt=\"A paper-wrapped burger, a sleeve of fries and a root beer float in a frosty mug.\" class=\"wp-image-13990123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At Big A, the root beer floats come with unlimited root beer refills. The Grass Valley classic recently reopened under new ownership. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big A Root Beer Drive-In \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>810 E. Main St., Grass Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I know, Grass Valley is not exactly the Bay Area, but this old-fashioned carhop burger joint makes for the perfect pitstop for roadtrippers en route to North Tahoe or the South Yuba River Valley. The burgers are excellent — big and juicy, with crunchy, well-charred edges to the meat. Most notably, Big A’s house-brewed root beer, served ice-cold in frosty mugs, is some of the best I’ve had. And if the idea of a root beer float with\u003cem> free root beer refills \u003c/em>sounds appealing to you, this is most definitely your spot. Recently revived after a yearlong hiatus, the restaurant has kept almost all of its original menu intact, with one notable addition: \u003ca href=\"https://www.theunion.com/news/burgers-and-dumplings-big-a-set-for-return-with-dumplings-in-the-mix/article_be3fcc1e-6da1-4274-bf34-0c8a414bdfc3.html#:~:text=After%20a%20vacancy%20of%20over,entity%20closed%20abruptly%20in%20October\">homemade boiled dumplings\u003c/a> — a nod to the new owner’s family heritage, as well as the deep Chinese history of California’s Gold Country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nothing says summer quite like a char-grilled burger and a chocolate shake, enjoyed on a sunny patio or at an old-fashioned carhop with the A/C blasting. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to have the best of both worlds — nostalgic, old-timey burger joints that have been feeding locals since the ’50s or ’60s \u003cem>and \u003c/em>new-school fusion spots that are infusing their burgers with South Asian spices and Mexican al pastor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nothing says summer quite like a char-grilled burger and a chocolate shake, enjoyed on a sunny patio or at an old-fashioned carhop with the A/C blasting. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to have the best of both worlds — nostalgic, old-timey burger joints that have been feeding locals since the ’50s or ’60s \u003cem>and \u003c/em>new-school fusion spots that are infusing their burgers with South Asian spices and Mexican al pastor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here, then, are 10 of my favorite classic — and not-so-classic — spots to grab a delicious burger.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here, then, are 10 of my favorite classic — and not-so-classic — spots to grab a delicious burger.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Phila Burger Station",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phila Burger Station\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1100 23rd St., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In this age of flashy, Instagram-optimized smash burgers, an old-school joint like Phila Burger Station is a comfort and a joy. The burgers themselves are a bit of a throwback — the beef patties are juicy and decently hefty, with a nice loose grind to them. All of the basic components are great: the crunch of the pickles and the crisp iceberg lettuce, the creamy swipe of mayo, the ooziness of the American cheese — and, if you go for the signature Phila Burger, a luxurious slice of pastrami on top to gild the lily. This is a sloppy burger, a five- or six-napkin burger. Meanwhile, the fries come out blistering hot, and the shop’s Philadelphia namesake isn’t just for show: The cheesesteak is one of the best in the Bay (though purists may want to ask them to hold the lettuce and tomato). And even though the restaurant is just a takeout window, the owner is so friendly and kind that he makes every customer feel like a regular.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In this age of flashy, Instagram-optimized smash burgers, an old-school joint like Phila Burger Station is a comfort and a joy. The burgers themselves are a bit of a throwback — the beef patties are juicy and decently hefty, with a nice loose grind to them. All of the basic components are great: the crunch of the pickles and the crisp iceberg lettuce, the creamy swipe of mayo, the ooziness of the American cheese — and, if you go for the signature Phila Burger, a luxurious slice of pastrami on top to gild the lily. This is a sloppy burger, a five- or six-napkin burger. Meanwhile, the fries come out blistering hot, and the shop’s Philadelphia namesake isn’t just for show: The cheesesteak is one of the best in the Bay (though purists may want to ask them to hold the lettuce and tomato). And even though the restaurant is just a takeout window, the owner is so friendly and kind that he makes every customer feel like a regular.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.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/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"An overstuffed burger, fries and soda on a metal try.\" class=\"wp-image-13990064\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_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\">The Trompo Burger at Johnny Boi. The burger features fire-roasted al pastor pork, grilled pineapple, white American cheese, fried leeks and chipotle sauce. \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/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"An overstuffed burger, fries and soda on a metal try.\" class=\"wp-image-13990064\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trompo Burger at Johnny Boi. The burger features fire-roasted al pastor pork, grilled pineapple, white American cheese, fried leeks and chipotle sauce. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>201 Tewksbury Ave., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>201 Tewksbury Ave., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This lively, Mexican American–owned burger joint in Point Richmond has a big, graffiti-inspired mural of Selena, Tupac and Frida Kahlo in the dining room and a crowd-pleasing menu centered on some of the East Bay’s tastiest smash burgers. Johnny Boi does the basics well (I love the beer-battered onion rings) and adds fun, thoughtful extras like the smoky-sweet bacon jam that tops a few of the burgers. The flashiest item is the Trompo, a smash burger topped with pineapple and pork al pastor, both shaved off a vertical spit. This is homegrown fusion, Bay Area style, at its very finest. The restaurant also serves maybe the single best (and most affordable!) kids’ meal in town: $6 for an adorable, perfectly sized mini smash burger and a side of tater tots or fries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This lively, Mexican American–owned burger joint in Point Richmond has a big, graffiti-inspired mural of Selena, Tupac and Frida Kahlo in the dining room and a crowd-pleasing menu centered on some of the East Bay’s tastiest smash burgers. Johnny Boi does the basics well (I love the beer-battered onion rings) and adds fun, thoughtful extras like the smoky-sweet bacon jam that tops a few of the burgers. The flashiest item is the Trompo, a smash burger topped with pineapple and pork al pastor, both shaved off a vertical spit. This is homegrown fusion, Bay Area style, at its very finest. The restaurant also serves maybe the single best (and most affordable!) kids’ meal in town: $6 for an adorable, perfectly sized mini smash burger and a side of tater tots or fries. \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/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A cheeseburger, fries and cola on a metal picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990100\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A quarter-pound burger, curly fries and Pepsi.\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/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A cheeseburger, fries and cola on a metal picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990100\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A quarter-pound burger, curly fries and Pepsi.\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/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a burger restaurant, with a big retro-style "Beep's Burgers" sign.\" class=\"wp-image-13990097\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A ’60s-era neon sign points the way to Beep’s.\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/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a burger restaurant, with a big retro-style "Beep's Burgers" sign.\" class=\"wp-image-13990097\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A ’60s-era neon sign points the way to Beep’s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Beep’s Burgers ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beep’s Burgers \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beep’s Burgers \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1051 Ocean Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1051 Ocean Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A perennial contender on assorted Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989331/best-cheap-affordable-restaurant-meals-bay-area-oakland-sf\">cheap eats lists\u003c/a>, this ’60s-era throwback serves some of the city’s tastiest and most reasonably priced (for SF) fast food–style burgers. The burgers have the appealing simplicity I associate with a good backyard cookout: juicy, well-charred patties; fresh toppings; and a squishy, compact bun. Add one of their superlatively slurpable Oreo shakes and an order of garlic fries, and it’s easy to see why Beep’s is the unrivaled favorite of local teens. Night owls, take note: The restaurant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972197/beeps-burgers-best-late-night-san-francisco-milkshakes\">stays open until 2 a.m. daily\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A perennial contender on assorted Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989331/best-cheap-affordable-restaurant-meals-bay-area-oakland-sf\">cheap eats lists\u003c/a>, this ’60s-era throwback serves some of the city’s tastiest and most reasonably priced (for SF) fast food–style burgers. The burgers have the appealing simplicity I associate with a good backyard cookout: juicy, well-charred patties; fresh toppings; and a squishy, compact bun. Add one of their superlatively slurpable Oreo shakes and an order of garlic fries, and it’s easy to see why Beep’s is the unrivaled favorite of local teens. Night owls, take note: The restaurant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972197/beeps-burgers-best-late-night-san-francisco-milkshakes\">stays open until 2 a.m. daily\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of burgers, fries and milkshakes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990118\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-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 spread of burgers and shakes at Smokehouse, a Berkeley classic since 1951.\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/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of burgers, fries and milkshakes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990118\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of burgers and shakes at Smokehouse, a Berkeley classic since 1951.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Smokehouse",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smokehouse\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3115 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3115 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Berkeley institution dating back to 1951, Smokehouse is notable for its emphasis on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985780/smokehouse-berkeley-late-night-burgers-hot-dogs-shakes\">flame-grilled\u003cem> \u003c/em>burgers\u003c/a>. In fact, it’s one of just a handful of Bay Area burger joints that still cook their burger patties and hot dogs over an open fire, adding a deep smoky, charred flavor that’s awfully hard to beat. Most everything on the menu is solid to very good: the shakes, the onion rings, the thick-cut fries. The back patio is super family-friendly, with a big grassy lawn where kids and dogs can run around.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A Berkeley institution dating back to 1951, Smokehouse is notable for its emphasis on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985780/smokehouse-berkeley-late-night-burgers-hot-dogs-shakes\">flame-grilled\u003cem> \u003c/em>burgers\u003c/a>. In fact, it’s one of just a handful of Bay Area burger joints that still cook their burger patties and hot dogs over an open fire, adding a deep smoky, charred flavor that’s awfully hard to beat. Most everything on the menu is solid to very good: the shakes, the onion rings, the thick-cut fries. The back patio is super family-friendly, with a big grassy lawn where kids and dogs can run around.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"attrs": {
"id": 13990018,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful red, blue and yellow exterior of a burger shop. The sign reads "Hyphy Burger."\" class=\"wp-image-13990018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-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\">The Hyphy Burger on West Grand Avenue in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful red, blue and yellow exterior of a burger shop. The sign reads "Hyphy Burger."\" class=\"wp-image-13990018\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Hyphy Burger on West Grand Avenue in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Hyphy Burger ",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hyphy Burger \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hyphy Burger \u003c/h2>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>898 W. Grand Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>898 W. Grand Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No Bay Area burger joint has louder branding than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979306/hyphy-burger-grand-opening-west-oakland-guapdad\">Hyphy Burger\u003c/a>, with its sideshow- and hyphy-themed iconography, splashes of bright color, and menu items with names like the “Burnout Burger” and “You Feel Me” sauce. The important thing, though, is that the food actually lives up to the hype. The thin smashed patties on the double Hyphy Burger are crispy and frilly-edged to the extreme, infused with an extra boost of caramelized char. I love the generous pile of thin-sliced grilled onions, and the way the melty American cheese just kind of oozes into the patty as you eat. Meanwhile, the banana pudding and Oreo milkshake — a truly divine combination — gets my highest recommendation. The restaurant has a second, drive-thru-focused location at 9825 International Blvd. in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>No Bay Area burger joint has louder branding than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979306/hyphy-burger-grand-opening-west-oakland-guapdad\">Hyphy Burger\u003c/a>, with its sideshow- and hyphy-themed iconography, splashes of bright color, and menu items with names like the “Burnout Burger” and “You Feel Me” sauce. The important thing, though, is that the food actually lives up to the hype. The thin smashed patties on the double Hyphy Burger are crispy and frilly-edged to the extreme, infused with an extra boost of caramelized char. I love the generous pile of thin-sliced grilled onions, and the way the melty American cheese just kind of oozes into the patty as you eat. Meanwhile, the banana pudding and Oreo milkshake — a truly divine combination — gets my highest recommendation. The restaurant has a second, drive-thru-focused location at 9825 International Blvd. in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13990120,
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg\" alt=\"An oozy cheeseburger, just removed from it yellow paper wrapping.\" class=\"wp-image-13990120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-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 “OG” cheeseburger at Lovely’s: a smashed beef patty, American cheese, pickles and griddled onions on a potato bun.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg\" alt=\"An oozy cheeseburger, just removed from it yellow paper wrapping.\" class=\"wp-image-13990120\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The “OG” cheeseburger at Lovely’s: a smashed beef patty, American cheese, pickles and griddled onions on a potato bun.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Lovely’s ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lovely’s \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lovely’s \u003c/h2>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2344 Webster St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2344 Webster St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now located in a shipping container set inside a lovely, string light–bedecked beer garden, this longtime pop-up was an early comer (circa 2018) to the Bay Area’s now-ubiquitous smash burger scene. These days, there are tons of burger joints that traffic in thinner, lacier and more outrageously crunchy exemplars of the form. Where Lovely’s wins over almost everyone, though, is in terms of flavor. The beef patties are so well-seasoned; the rich fattiness of the Cream Co. beef really shines through. Meanwhile, the fries are made with hand-cut Chipperbecs — super-fluffy with a deep, true potato flavor — and even something as simple as caramelized onions gets a bit of extra oomph. (Schmaltz is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/oakland#anchors-meqiip9y\">not-so-secret ingredient\u003c/a>.) Most days, I go for the simple, classic OG (just American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and griddled onions on a potato bun), but the Drive-Thru makes for a great change of pace when I crave a fresh iceberg lettuce crunch — and those aforementioned schmaltz onions. The restaurant also has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/cole-valley\">second location\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Cole Valley neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Now located in a shipping container set inside a lovely, string light–bedecked beer garden, this longtime pop-up was an early comer (circa 2018) to the Bay Area’s now-ubiquitous smash burger scene. These days, there are tons of burger joints that traffic in thinner, lacier and more outrageously crunchy exemplars of the form. Where Lovely’s wins over almost everyone, though, is in terms of flavor. The beef patties are so well-seasoned; the rich fattiness of the Cream Co. beef really shines through. Meanwhile, the fries are made with hand-cut Chipperbecs — super-fluffy with a deep, true potato flavor — and even something as simple as caramelized onions gets a bit of extra oomph. (Schmaltz is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/oakland#anchors-meqiip9y\">not-so-secret ingredient\u003c/a>.) Most days, I go for the simple, classic OG (just American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and griddled onions on a potato bun), but the Drive-Thru makes for a great change of pace when I crave a fresh iceberg lettuce crunch — and those aforementioned schmaltz onions. The restaurant also has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/cole-valley\">second location\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Cole Valley neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"attrs": {
"id": 13990121,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Luke Tsai/KQED",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"An old-fashioned burger shop. The sign above reads, "Cecil's Famous Burgers."\" class=\"wp-image-13990121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cecil’s is a Hayward institution going back to the 1950s, when the restaurant first opened as a Foster’s Freeze.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"An old-fashioned burger shop. The sign above reads, "Cecil's Famous Burgers."\" class=\"wp-image-13990121\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cecil’s is a Hayward institution going back to the 1950s, when the restaurant first opened as a Foster’s Freeze.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Cecil’s Famous Burgers ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cecil’s Famous Burgers \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cecil’s Famous Burgers \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>547 Tennyson Rd., Hayward\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>547 Tennyson Rd., Hayward\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This old-fashioned Hayward burger shack has been dishing out classic fast food–style burgers and shakes since the ’50s, when it first \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/234304749943128/posts/8706566282716890/\">opened as a Foster’s Freeze\u003c/a>. These days Cecil’s is using fairly generic pre-frozen burger patties that are mostly notable for their customizability and affordable price: Burger patties come as small as 1/6 of a pound (for just over $6), and all but the most expensive combo meals (with, say, a triple bacon cheeseburger) can be had for less than $15. The standard quarter-pound burger is called a “Bulky.” I ordered mine with crispy pastrami on top, and that extra bit of salty, smoky flavor, combined with a decent char on the patty itself, really hit the spot. Add one of Cecil’s thick chocolate shakes, and you’ll feel like you’re reliving the best part of high school all over again. Note: There are a couple of slightly sketchy-looking metal tables outside, but most customers seem to grab and go.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This old-fashioned Hayward burger shack has been dishing out classic fast food–style burgers and shakes since the ’50s, when it first \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/234304749943128/posts/8706566282716890/\">opened as a Foster’s Freeze\u003c/a>. These days Cecil’s is using fairly generic pre-frozen burger patties that are mostly notable for their customizability and affordable price: Burger patties come as small as 1/6 of a pound (for just over $6), and all but the most expensive combo meals (with, say, a triple bacon cheeseburger) can be had for less than $15. The standard quarter-pound burger is called a “Bulky.” I ordered mine with crispy pastrami on top, and that extra bit of salty, smoky flavor, combined with a decent char on the patty itself, really hit the spot. Add one of Cecil’s thick chocolate shakes, and you’ll feel like you’re reliving the best part of high school all over again. Note: There are a couple of slightly sketchy-looking metal tables outside, but most customers seem to grab and go.\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/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg\" alt=\"A burger and fries nestled in a red and white checkered paper wrap.\" class=\"wp-image-13990122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-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 desi burgers at YSG Halal are infused with a hit of South Asian spices.\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/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg\" alt=\"A burger and fries nestled in a red and white checkered paper wrap.\" class=\"wp-image-13990122\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The desi burgers at YSG Halal are infused with a hit of South Asian spices.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4342 Thornton Ave., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This little glass box of a burger shack in a Fremont strip mall specializes in desi burgers — i.e., burgers with South Asian–inspired toppings and spices like cumin and coriander. My favorite is the ChaplYee burger, YSG’s fierce take on Pakistani chapli kebab, which features a super-oniony beef patty loaded with chopped chilies. Pair it with seasoned fries, a tub of the restaurant’s fiendishly addicting SpiceYee sauce and a mango milkshake. How’s that for a Bay Area–style all-American meal? Bonus: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952384/pakistani-desi-burger-fremont-late-night\">YSG Halal is open to satisfy your desi burger cravings until 1 a.m.\u003c/a> most nights.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This little glass box of a burger shack in a Fremont strip mall specializes in desi burgers — i.e., burgers with South Asian–inspired toppings and spices like cumin and coriander. My favorite is the ChaplYee burger, YSG’s fierce take on Pakistani chapli kebab, which features a super-oniony beef patty loaded with chopped chilies. Pair it with seasoned fries, a tub of the restaurant’s fiendishly addicting SpiceYee sauce and a mango milkshake. How’s that for a Bay Area–style all-American meal? Bonus: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952384/pakistani-desi-burger-fremont-late-night\">YSG Halal is open to satisfy your desi burger cravings until 1 a.m.\u003c/a> most nights.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>225 Cabrillo Hwy. S., Half Moon Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What happens when a fine dining chef decamps for a simpler life on the California coastline? If you’re lucky, you wind up with the best, and most idiosyncratic, little roadside burger shack in San Mateo County. I use the term “burger” loosely here, as what Dad’s Luncheonette specializes in are “hamburger sandwiches” (a take on a patty melt, essentially) and they are phenomenal: juicy and well-seasoned and crowned with a runny-yolked fried egg, served on grilled white bread from Pacifica’s Rosalind Bakery. Located in an old train caboose that’s been converted into a diner, Dad’s has all the quaint seaside charm a daytripper — or local — could ask for.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What happens when a fine dining chef decamps for a simpler life on the California coastline? If you’re lucky, you wind up with the best, and most idiosyncratic, little roadside burger shack in San Mateo County. I use the term “burger” loosely here, as what Dad’s Luncheonette specializes in are “hamburger sandwiches” (a take on a patty melt, essentially) and they are phenomenal: juicy and well-seasoned and crowned with a runny-yolked fried egg, served on grilled white bread from Pacifica’s Rosalind Bakery. Located in an old train caboose that’s been converted into a diner, Dad’s has all the quaint seaside charm a daytripper — or local — could ask for.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>810 E. Main St., Grass Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I know, Grass Valley is not exactly the Bay Area, but this old-fashioned carhop burger joint makes for the perfect pitstop for roadtrippers en route to North Tahoe or the South Yuba River Valley. The burgers are excellent — big and juicy, with crunchy, well-charred edges to the meat. Most notably, Big A’s house-brewed root beer, served ice-cold in frosty mugs, is some of the best I’ve had. And if the idea of a root beer float with\u003cem> free root beer refills \u003c/em>sounds appealing to you, this is most definitely your spot. Recently revived after a yearlong hiatus, the restaurant has kept almost all of its original menu intact, with one notable addition: \u003ca href=\"https://www.theunion.com/news/burgers-and-dumplings-big-a-set-for-return-with-dumplings-in-the-mix/article_be3fcc1e-6da1-4274-bf34-0c8a414bdfc3.html#:~:text=After%20a%20vacancy%20of%20over,entity%20closed%20abruptly%20in%20October\">homemade boiled dumplings\u003c/a> — a nod to the new owner’s family heritage, as well as the deep Chinese history of California’s Gold Country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>I know, Grass Valley is not exactly the Bay Area, but this old-fashioned carhop burger joint makes for the perfect pitstop for roadtrippers en route to North Tahoe or the South Yuba River Valley. The burgers are excellent — big and juicy, with crunchy, well-charred edges to the meat. Most notably, Big A’s house-brewed root beer, served ice-cold in frosty mugs, is some of the best I’ve had. And if the idea of a root beer float with\u003cem> free root beer refills \u003c/em>sounds appealing to you, this is most definitely your spot. Recently revived after a yearlong hiatus, the restaurant has kept almost all of its original menu intact, with one notable addition: \u003ca href=\"https://www.theunion.com/news/burgers-and-dumplings-big-a-set-for-return-with-dumplings-in-the-mix/article_be3fcc1e-6da1-4274-bf34-0c8a414bdfc3.html#:~:text=After%20a%20vacancy%20of%20over,entity%20closed%20abruptly%20in%20October\">homemade boiled dumplings\u003c/a> — a nod to the new owner’s family heritage, as well as the deep Chinese history of California’s Gold Country.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The crispiest smash burgers and most nostalgic, old-timey carhops.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Nothing says summer quite like a char-grilled burger and a chocolate shake, enjoyed on a sunny patio or at an old-fashioned carhop with the A/C blasting. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to have the best of both worlds — nostalgic, old-timey burger joints that have been feeding locals since the ’50s or ’60s \u003cem>and \u003c/em>new-school fusion spots that are infusing their burgers with South Asian spices and Mexican al pastor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here, then, are 10 of my favorite classic — and not-so-classic — spots to grab a delicious burger.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phila Burger Station\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1100 23rd St., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In this age of flashy, Instagram-optimized smash burgers, an old-school joint like Phila Burger Station is a comfort and a joy. The burgers themselves are a bit of a throwback — the beef patties are juicy and decently hefty, with a nice loose grind to them. All of the basic components are great: the crunch of the pickles and the crisp iceberg lettuce, the creamy swipe of mayo, the ooziness of the American cheese — and, if you go for the signature Phila Burger, a luxurious slice of pastrami on top to gild the lily. This is a sloppy burger, a five- or six-napkin burger. Meanwhile, the fries come out blistering hot, and the shop’s Philadelphia namesake isn’t just for show: The cheesesteak is one of the best in the Bay (though purists may want to ask them to hold the lettuce and tomato). And even though the restaurant is just a takeout window, the owner is so friendly and kind that he makes every customer feel like a regular.\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/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"An overstuffed burger, fries and soda on a metal try.\" class=\"wp-image-13990064\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/052026Summer-Guide_-Burger-Joints-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trompo Burger at Johnny Boi. The burger features fire-roasted al pastor pork, grilled pineapple, white American cheese, fried leeks and chipotle sauce. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Johnny Boi \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>201 Tewksbury Ave., Richmond\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This lively, Mexican American–owned burger joint in Point Richmond has a big, graffiti-inspired mural of Selena, Tupac and Frida Kahlo in the dining room and a crowd-pleasing menu centered on some of the East Bay’s tastiest smash burgers. Johnny Boi does the basics well (I love the beer-battered onion rings) and adds fun, thoughtful extras like the smoky-sweet bacon jam that tops a few of the burgers. The flashiest item is the Trompo, a smash burger topped with pineapple and pork al pastor, both shaved off a vertical spit. This is homegrown fusion, Bay Area style, at its very finest. The restaurant also serves maybe the single best (and most affordable!) kids’ meal in town: $6 for an adorable, perfectly sized mini smash burger and a side of tater tots or fries. \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=\"1333\" data-id=\"13990100\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A cheeseburger, fries and cola on a metal picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT01377_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A quarter-pound burger, curly fries and Pepsi. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13990097\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of a burger restaurant, with a big retro-style "Beep's Burgers" sign.\" class=\"wp-image-13990097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260520-SUMMERGUIDEBURGERJOINT00791_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A ’60s-era neon sign points the way to Beep’s. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beep’s Burgers \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1051 Ocean Ave., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A perennial contender on assorted Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989331/best-cheap-affordable-restaurant-meals-bay-area-oakland-sf\">cheap eats lists\u003c/a>, this ’60s-era throwback serves some of the city’s tastiest and most reasonably priced (for SF) fast food–style burgers. The burgers have the appealing simplicity I associate with a good backyard cookout: juicy, well-charred patties; fresh toppings; and a squishy, compact bun. Add one of their superlatively slurpable Oreo shakes and an order of garlic fries, and it’s easy to see why Beep’s is the unrivaled favorite of local teens. Night owls, take note: The restaurant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972197/beeps-burgers-best-late-night-san-francisco-milkshakes\">stays open until 2 a.m. daily\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/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a spread of burgers, fries and milkshakes on a picnic table.\" class=\"wp-image-13990118\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/smokehouse-spread-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A spread of burgers and shakes at Smokehouse, a Berkeley classic since 1951. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smokehouse\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3115 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A Berkeley institution dating back to 1951, Smokehouse is notable for its emphasis on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985780/smokehouse-berkeley-late-night-burgers-hot-dogs-shakes\">flame-grilled\u003cem> \u003c/em>burgers\u003c/a>. In fact, it’s one of just a handful of Bay Area burger joints that still cook their burger patties and hot dogs over an open fire, adding a deep smoky, charred flavor that’s awfully hard to beat. Most everything on the menu is solid to very good: the shakes, the onion rings, the thick-cut fries. The back patio is super family-friendly, with a big grassy lawn where kids and dogs can run around.\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/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt='Colorful red, blue and yellow exterior of a burger shop. The sign reads \"Hyphy Burger.\"' class=\"wp-image-13990018\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260519-HYPHY-BURGER-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Hyphy Burger on West Grand Avenue in Oakland. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hyphy Burger \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>898 W. Grand Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No Bay Area burger joint has louder branding than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979306/hyphy-burger-grand-opening-west-oakland-guapdad\">Hyphy Burger\u003c/a>, with its sideshow- and hyphy-themed iconography, splashes of bright color, and menu items with names like the “Burnout Burger” and “You Feel Me” sauce. The important thing, though, is that the food actually lives up to the hype. The thin smashed patties on the double Hyphy Burger are crispy and frilly-edged to the extreme, infused with an extra boost of caramelized char. I love the generous pile of thin-sliced grilled onions, and the way the melty American cheese just kind of oozes into the patty as you eat. Meanwhile, the banana pudding and Oreo milkshake — a truly divine combination — gets my highest recommendation. The restaurant has a second, drive-thru-focused location at 9825 International Blvd. in East Oakland.\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/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg\" alt=\"An oozy cheeseburger, just removed from it yellow paper wrapping.\" class=\"wp-image-13990120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/lovelys-og-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The “OG” cheeseburger at Lovely’s: a smashed beef patty, American cheese, pickles and griddled onions on a potato bun. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lovely’s \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2344 Webster St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now located in a shipping container set inside a lovely, string light–bedecked beer garden, this longtime pop-up was an early comer (circa 2018) to the Bay Area’s now-ubiquitous smash burger scene. These days, there are tons of burger joints that traffic in thinner, lacier and more outrageously crunchy exemplars of the form. Where Lovely’s wins over almost everyone, though, is in terms of flavor. The beef patties are so well-seasoned; the rich fattiness of the Cream Co. beef really shines through. Meanwhile, the fries are made with hand-cut Chipperbecs — super-fluffy with a deep, true potato flavor — and even something as simple as caramelized onions gets a bit of extra oomph. (Schmaltz is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/oakland#anchors-meqiip9y\">not-so-secret ingredient\u003c/a>.) Most days, I go for the simple, classic OG (just American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and griddled onions on a potato bun), but the Drive-Thru makes for a great change of pace when I crave a fresh iceberg lettuce crunch — and those aforementioned schmaltz onions. The restaurant also has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.lovelysburgers.com/cole-valley\">second location\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s Cole Valley neighborhood.\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/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"An old-fashioned burger shop. The sign above reads, "Cecil's Famous Burgers."\" class=\"wp-image-13990121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/cecils-exterior-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cecil’s is a Hayward institution going back to the 1950s, when the restaurant first opened as a Foster’s Freeze. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cecil’s Famous Burgers \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>547 Tennyson Rd., Hayward\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This old-fashioned Hayward burger shack has been dishing out classic fast food–style burgers and shakes since the ’50s, when it first \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/234304749943128/posts/8706566282716890/\">opened as a Foster’s Freeze\u003c/a>. These days Cecil’s is using fairly generic pre-frozen burger patties that are mostly notable for their customizability and affordable price: Burger patties come as small as 1/6 of a pound (for just over $6), and all but the most expensive combo meals (with, say, a triple bacon cheeseburger) can be had for less than $15. The standard quarter-pound burger is called a “Bulky.” I ordered mine with crispy pastrami on top, and that extra bit of salty, smoky flavor, combined with a decent char on the patty itself, really hit the spot. Add one of Cecil’s thick chocolate shakes, and you’ll feel like you’re reliving the best part of high school all over again. Note: There are a couple of slightly sketchy-looking metal tables outside, but most customers seem to grab and go.\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/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg\" alt=\"A burger and fries nestled in a red and white checkered paper wrap.\" class=\"wp-image-13990122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/ysg-burger-fries-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The desi burgers at YSG Halal are infused with a hit of South Asian spices. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YSG Halal \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4342 Thornton Ave., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This little glass box of a burger shack in a Fremont strip mall specializes in desi burgers — i.e., burgers with South Asian–inspired toppings and spices like cumin and coriander. My favorite is the ChaplYee burger, YSG’s fierce take on Pakistani chapli kebab, which features a super-oniony beef patty loaded with chopped chilies. Pair it with seasoned fries, a tub of the restaurant’s fiendishly addicting SpiceYee sauce and a mango milkshake. How’s that for a Bay Area–style all-American meal? Bonus: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952384/pakistani-desi-burger-fremont-late-night\">YSG Halal is open to satisfy your desi burger cravings until 1 a.m.\u003c/a> most nights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dad’s Luncheonette \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>225 Cabrillo Hwy. S., Half Moon Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What happens when a fine dining chef decamps for a simpler life on the California coastline? If you’re lucky, you wind up with the best, and most idiosyncratic, little roadside burger shack in San Mateo County. I use the term “burger” loosely here, as what Dad’s Luncheonette specializes in are “hamburger sandwiches” (a take on a patty melt, essentially) and they are phenomenal: juicy and well-seasoned and crowned with a runny-yolked fried egg, served on grilled white bread from Pacifica’s Rosalind Bakery. Located in an old train caboose that’s been converted into a diner, Dad’s has all the quaint seaside charm a daytripper — or local — could ask for.\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/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer.jpg\" alt=\"A paper-wrapped burger, a sleeve of fries and a root beer float in a frosty mug.\" class=\"wp-image-13990123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/big-a-root-beer-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At Big A, the root beer floats come with unlimited root beer refills. The Grass Valley classic recently reopened under new ownership. (Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big A Root Beer Drive-In \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>810 E. Main St., Grass Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I know, Grass Valley is not exactly the Bay Area, but this old-fashioned carhop burger joint makes for the perfect pitstop for roadtrippers en route to North Tahoe or the South Yuba River Valley. The burgers are excellent — big and juicy, with crunchy, well-charred edges to the meat. Most notably, Big A’s house-brewed root beer, served ice-cold in frosty mugs, is some of the best I’ve had. And if the idea of a root beer float with\u003cem> free root beer refills \u003c/em>sounds appealing to you, this is most definitely your spot. Recently revived after a yearlong hiatus, the restaurant has kept almost all of its original menu intact, with one notable addition: \u003ca href=\"https://www.theunion.com/news/burgers-and-dumplings-big-a-set-for-return-with-dumplings-in-the-mix/article_be3fcc1e-6da1-4274-bf34-0c8a414bdfc3.html#:~:text=After%20a%20vacancy%20of%20over,entity%20closed%20abruptly%20in%20October\">homemade boiled dumplings\u003c/a> — a nod to the new owner’s family heritage, as well as the deep Chinese history of California’s Gold Country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "junes-pizza-west-oakland-late-night-margherita-pepperoni-slices",
"title": "June’s Pizza Is Oakland’s Favorite Late-Night Slice Shop",
"publishDate": 1778869475,
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"headTitle": "June’s Pizza Is Oakland’s Favorite Late-Night Slice Shop | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989677\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989677\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring pizza. There's a pile of basil leaves on the pan.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">June’s Pizza sells margherita slices — and sometimes pepperoni slices — from 9 p.m. to midnight, or until it sells out. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we pull up to the unmarked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/west-oakland\">West Oakland\u003c/a> warehouse at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night, there’s already a long line out the door. It’s a big, semi-industrial building — all exposed pipes and corrugated metal. The only signage to indicate that this is a place of business is an old, spray-painted wood board propped up on the ground: “June’s Pizza,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>June’s has emerged, somewhat unexpectedly, as one of the most celebrated pizza restaurants in the Bay Area on the back of its wood-fired, decadently cheese-strewn margherita pies. The pizzeria got plenty of acclaim during its renegade, early-COVID-era days as an unpermitted (and eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/Oakland-s-pandemic-pizza-sensation-June-s-has-16513631.php\">shut down\u003c/a>) shipping container pop-up. Last year, after its brick-and-mortar opened on Mandela Parkway, \u003ci>Esquire \u003c/i>even named it one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a69501755/best-new-restaurants-america-2025/\">best new restaurants\u003c/a> in the entire country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the reason we decided to make this pilgrimage now is because we heard — also somewhat unexpectedly — that the place has become one of the East Bay’s most popular late-night restaurants. Unexpected in the sense that June’s really only sells one thing between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight: margherita pizza by the slice. That’s it. Nothing else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Would that be enough to hold our wandering eyes? We had been a bit skeptical. But by the time we finish our meal, we’re hard-pressed to think of anything \u003ci>more \u003c/i>perfect to eat at the end of a long night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>June’s has become something of a destination restaurant for out-of-town visitors. But during its late-night hours, the place feels more like a locals’ hangout. Maybe a DJ is spinning records, or maybe the restaurant’s hosting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DL6tw4mOljf/\">listening party for a new rap album\u003c/a>. But the overall vibe is akin to a big, convivial house party hosted in someone’s high-ceilinged living room. On the night of our visit, the crowd feels quintessentially Oakland — racially diverse, skewing toward twenty- and thirtysomething artistic types. At the table next to ours, a group of chic Asian Americans in designer eyeglasses chatters happily over their marg slices and a bottle of red wine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989679\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989679\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: the exterior of a warehouse-like restaurant, where several customers wait in line. On the ground, a handwritten sign reads, "June's Pizza."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The buzzy West Oakland restaurant is located in an unmarked warehouse on a semi-industrial stretch of Mandela Parkway. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>June’s is proof that giving the customer \u003ci>fewer \u003c/i>choices is sometimes the smartest move. Even during non-late-night hours, the restaurant only ever sells three types of pizza: margherita, pepperoni and a limited quantity of whatever seasonal special they’ve come up with that week (say, fingerling potatoes, green garlic and ham). There are no salads, no cute little appetizers, no bread sticks, no desserts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And after 9 p.m., when June’s starts serving slices, the menu winnows down even further. Most nights, they only offer the margherita, which could scarcely be simpler — just cheese and tomato sauce with a stack of super-fresh basil leaves on the side, so you can top each slice as you please. The kitchen’s signature move is sprinkling the bejesus out of every pizza with a flurry of grated parmesan, covering the whole surface with a feathery umami dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first bite is blistering hot, super crispy at the thin tip, and soft and melty on top. We love the interplay between the bright red sauce, salty cheese and well-blistered crust. The dough has just a hint of sourdough tang, and it puffs up and gets chewier and more flavorful as we get closer to the crust, offering different textures from bite to bite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13988856,arts_13959808,arts_13987415']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>We fold our slices in half, New York–style, and dip the crusts in the restaurant’s housemade sauces — an earthy roasted garlic number and a tangy, “limited edition” wakame Caesar dressing that has a strong anchovy umami punch. (That one is so good, I bring the leftovers home to make a helluva delicious salad the next day.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One slice in, we understand perfectly now why June’s doesn’t offer a bunch of different pizzas, because this is a taste that we would never get tired of — one we could come back to week after week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tonight is our lucky night, though, because the restaurant is also selling pepperoni slices, which aren’t always available. These have an entirely different vibe, despite being built on the same base as the margherita — the pizza is much richer and more intensely flavored, and has a surprisingly spicy kick from the small, dense rounds of pepperoni.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, the success of June’s is a testament to the power of doing one thing really, really well. The lack of bells and whistles also helps keep the after-hours menu relatively affordable. Slices are $5 ($6 for pepperoni), and they’re big. Most diners won’t wind up eating more than two or three in one sitting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only danger? Not long after we arrive, we overhear the chef telling a customer that they only have three balls of raw dough left. By a little after 10 o’clock, there are maybe three pizzas’ worth of slices left, and it seems quite likely that they’re going to sell out before the hour is out. So as we head out into the night, we make plans to come back soon for another late-night pizza session — but maybe not \u003ci>too \u003c/i>late, to be safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/junes_pizza/\">June’s Pizza\u003c/a> is open 4 p.m.–midnight daily at 2408 Mandela Pkwy. in Oakland. The restaurant serves slices only starting at 9 p.m. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The simple margherita and pepperoni slices are a thing of beauty at this buzzy Mandela Parkway pizzeria.",
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"title": "June’s Pizza Is Oakland’s Best Late-Night Slice Shop | KQED",
"description": "The simple margherita and pepperoni slices are a thing of beauty at this buzzy Mandela Parkway pizzeria.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989677\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989677\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men devouring pizza. There's a pile of basil leaves on the pan.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes2-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">June’s Pizza sells margherita slices — and sometimes pepperoni slices — from 9 p.m. to midnight, or until it sells out. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thiendog/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Thien Pham\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. 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/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we pull up to the unmarked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/west-oakland\">West Oakland\u003c/a> warehouse at a little past 9 o’clock on a recent Friday night, there’s already a long line out the door. It’s a big, semi-industrial building — all exposed pipes and corrugated metal. The only signage to indicate that this is a place of business is an old, spray-painted wood board propped up on the ground: “June’s Pizza,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>June’s has emerged, somewhat unexpectedly, as one of the most celebrated pizza restaurants in the Bay Area on the back of its wood-fired, decadently cheese-strewn margherita pies. The pizzeria got plenty of acclaim during its renegade, early-COVID-era days as an unpermitted (and eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/Oakland-s-pandemic-pizza-sensation-June-s-has-16513631.php\">shut down\u003c/a>) shipping container pop-up. Last year, after its brick-and-mortar opened on Mandela Parkway, \u003ci>Esquire \u003c/i>even named it one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a69501755/best-new-restaurants-america-2025/\">best new restaurants\u003c/a> in the entire country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the reason we decided to make this pilgrimage now is because we heard — also somewhat unexpectedly — that the place has become one of the East Bay’s most popular late-night restaurants. Unexpected in the sense that June’s really only sells one thing between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight: margherita pizza by the slice. That’s it. Nothing else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Would that be enough to hold our wandering eyes? We had been a bit skeptical. But by the time we finish our meal, we’re hard-pressed to think of anything \u003ci>more \u003c/i>perfect to eat at the end of a long night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>June’s has become something of a destination restaurant for out-of-town visitors. But during its late-night hours, the place feels more like a locals’ hangout. Maybe a DJ is spinning records, or maybe the restaurant’s hosting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DL6tw4mOljf/\">listening party for a new rap album\u003c/a>. But the overall vibe is akin to a big, convivial house party hosted in someone’s high-ceilinged living room. On the night of our visit, the crowd feels quintessentially Oakland — racially diverse, skewing toward twenty- and thirtysomething artistic types. At the table next to ours, a group of chic Asian Americans in designer eyeglasses chatters happily over their marg slices and a bottle of red wine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989679\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989679\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: the exterior of a warehouse-like restaurant, where several customers wait in line. On the ground, a handwritten sign reads, "June's Pizza."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/junes-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The buzzy West Oakland restaurant is located in an unmarked warehouse on a semi-industrial stretch of Mandela Parkway. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>June’s is proof that giving the customer \u003ci>fewer \u003c/i>choices is sometimes the smartest move. Even during non-late-night hours, the restaurant only ever sells three types of pizza: margherita, pepperoni and a limited quantity of whatever seasonal special they’ve come up with that week (say, fingerling potatoes, green garlic and ham). There are no salads, no cute little appetizers, no bread sticks, no desserts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And after 9 p.m., when June’s starts serving slices, the menu winnows down even further. Most nights, they only offer the margherita, which could scarcely be simpler — just cheese and tomato sauce with a stack of super-fresh basil leaves on the side, so you can top each slice as you please. The kitchen’s signature move is sprinkling the bejesus out of every pizza with a flurry of grated parmesan, covering the whole surface with a feathery umami dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first bite is blistering hot, super crispy at the thin tip, and soft and melty on top. We love the interplay between the bright red sauce, salty cheese and well-blistered crust. The dough has just a hint of sourdough tang, and it puffs up and gets chewier and more flavorful as we get closer to the crust, offering different textures from bite to bite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>We fold our slices in half, New York–style, and dip the crusts in the restaurant’s housemade sauces — an earthy roasted garlic number and a tangy, “limited edition” wakame Caesar dressing that has a strong anchovy umami punch. (That one is so good, I bring the leftovers home to make a helluva delicious salad the next day.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One slice in, we understand perfectly now why June’s doesn’t offer a bunch of different pizzas, because this is a taste that we would never get tired of — one we could come back to week after week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tonight is our lucky night, though, because the restaurant is also selling pepperoni slices, which aren’t always available. These have an entirely different vibe, despite being built on the same base as the margherita — the pizza is much richer and more intensely flavored, and has a surprisingly spicy kick from the small, dense rounds of pepperoni.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, the success of June’s is a testament to the power of doing one thing really, really well. The lack of bells and whistles also helps keep the after-hours menu relatively affordable. Slices are $5 ($6 for pepperoni), and they’re big. Most diners won’t wind up eating more than two or three in one sitting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only danger? Not long after we arrive, we overhear the chef telling a customer that they only have three balls of raw dough left. By a little after 10 o’clock, there are maybe three pizzas’ worth of slices left, and it seems quite likely that they’re going to sell out before the hour is out. So as we head out into the night, we make plans to come back soon for another late-night pizza session — but maybe not \u003ci>too \u003c/i>late, to be safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/junes_pizza/\">June’s Pizza\u003c/a> is open 4 p.m.–midnight daily at 2408 Mandela Pkwy. in Oakland. The restaurant serves slices only starting at 9 p.m. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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},
"perspectives": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
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