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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13961061\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13961061\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men eat sandwiches on Dutch Crunch bread while a hookah pipe lets off a wisp of smoke behind them.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Redwood City’s The Sandwich Spot is a combination deli and late-night hookah lounge. \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>I’m no \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/hookah/comments/4qc1zg/food_and_shisha_pairings/\">hookah food-pairing\u003c/a> expert, but I never would have guessed that a hot Dutch Crunch deli sandwich, dripping with garlic sauce, would be the perfect match for an hour-long session with the shisha pipe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that is the premise — and the genius — of \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspotrwc.com/\">The Sandwich Spot\u003c/a> in downtown Redwood City, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspot.com/about\">deli chain\u003c/a> outpost that stands apart from all of its sister locations in two important ways: 1) it’s open until at least midnight every night (1 a.m. on the weekend), and 2) the restaurant doubles as a vibey, slightly raucous hookah lounge in the evenings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we walked in at around 10:30 on a Friday night, it felt a little bit like we were pulling up to the club. On the left was a regular old sandwich counter, and there was a full bar on the right. But most of the real action was happening on the restaurant’s spacious covered patio, where the sound system blasted Kendrick Lamar and a mix of upbeat, danceable Arabic pop music while colorful disco lights made the floor and walls sparkle. Here, and in the long spillover tent on the sidewalk outside, big groups of twenty- and thirtysomethings sat around just kicking it — gossiping, talking shit and, of course, chomping down on some enormous sandwiches. Every once in a while, someone would take a deep drag on their hookah pipe and blow out a thick plume of smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The place was so packed and boisterous, it felt like every single young(ish) person in Redwood City was there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Truth be told, even just having the option to get a good, fresh sandwich — especially a hot one — at 11 o’clock at night feels nearly miraculous in the Bay Area. (Plenty of customers came through just to pick up takeout orders to bring home.) With \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspot.com/copy-of-menu-locations-1\">30 locations\u003c/a> mostly spread around California, The Sandwich Spot belongs in the Ike’s-like genre of uniquely Northern Californian deli chains, with its unusual ingredient combinations; quirky, localized names (the “Bumgarner,” the “Smokin’ Sequoia”); variously zesty, spicy and garlicky sauces; and excellent Dutch Crunch bread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13961065\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13961065\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Inside a bar, groups of friends chat. Hookah pipes with glowing red coals are placed next to the tables.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">It felt like every young(ish) person in Redwood City was there — especially young Arab Americans and South Asians. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A sandwich called The Hangover was like a slightly funkified Bay Area take on a club sandwich, with hot turkey, cream cheese, avocado, “Bomb” sauce (like a tangy hot sauce), garlicky Kassi sauce, and a lot of crispy bacon — extremely satisfying on warm Dutch Crunch. The equally tasty Purple Koosh, an original Redwood City creation available only on Fridays, was a smoky variation on a similarly saucy theme, featuring house-smoked chicken, fried onion strings and a tangle of purple coleslaw. To round out the meal, we had air-fried Cajun fries, which came out hot and crispy even if they didn’t seem particularly Cajun, with a side of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894684/toum-shawarmaji-jordanian-restaurant-oakland-garlic-sauce\">toum-like\u003c/a> garlic dipping sauce — a nod to the restaurant’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspotrwc.com/about\">Lebanese ownership\u003c/a>, perhaps — that made everything taste five times more delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13960432,arts_13958926,arts_13955884']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>All the while we fiddled, like the total amateurs we were, with the hookah pipe we’d ordered — trying and failing and then finally succeeding at getting a decent puff of the mango mint flavored tobacco that we’d chosen, the little cubes of charcoal on top of the bowl glowing bright red as we got deeper into the night. The truth was, we felt a little bit out of place at first in this crowd of mostly college kids and recent college grads. Call it “Portrait of Two Lonely Middle-Aged Men at the Hookah Bar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even if we’d started out a bit dubious about the hookah/sandwich concept, it didn’t take long for us to get caught up in the mood. I’ll leave it to the medical experts to pontificate on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/hookahs/\">health risks\u003c/a> associated with long-term hookah use, but the water pipe’s efficacy as a social lubricant and builder of community and feel-good vibes seems self-evident — especially among the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/20/style/hookah-dearborn-michigan.html\">young Arab Americans\u003c/a> and South Asians who made up a large chunk of The Sandwich Spot’s late-night crowd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting out on one of the sidewalk tables, with a cool breeze blowing through, we watched all those big groups of friends laughing and talking deep into the night, relaxed as can be, taking big bites of their sandwiches and blowing out even bigger puffs of smoke. Before long, we were already planning our return visit — because past 10 or 11 o’clock in Redwood City, what better way is there to pass a couple of pleasant hours with friends?\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspotrwc.com/\">\u003ci>The Sandwich Spot\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.–midnight, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–1 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–midnight at 2420 Broadway in Redwood City. After 5 p.m., when the lounge starts serving hookah, it’s a 21-and-over-only venue, and the kitchen closes at 11 p.m. daily.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Smoke, vibes and good Dutch Crunch at The Sandwich Spot.",
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"title": "The Sandwich Spot Hookah Lounge Is Redwood City’s Late-Night Hotspot | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13961061\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13961061\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: two men eat sandwiches on Dutch Crunch bread while a hookah pipe lets off a wisp of smoke behind them.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Redwood City’s The Sandwich Spot is a combination deli and late-night hookah lounge. \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>I’m no \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/hookah/comments/4qc1zg/food_and_shisha_pairings/\">hookah food-pairing\u003c/a> expert, but I never would have guessed that a hot Dutch Crunch deli sandwich, dripping with garlic sauce, would be the perfect match for an hour-long session with the shisha pipe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that is the premise — and the genius — of \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspotrwc.com/\">The Sandwich Spot\u003c/a> in downtown Redwood City, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspot.com/about\">deli chain\u003c/a> outpost that stands apart from all of its sister locations in two important ways: 1) it’s open until at least midnight every night (1 a.m. on the weekend), and 2) the restaurant doubles as a vibey, slightly raucous hookah lounge in the evenings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we walked in at around 10:30 on a Friday night, it felt a little bit like we were pulling up to the club. On the left was a regular old sandwich counter, and there was a full bar on the right. But most of the real action was happening on the restaurant’s spacious covered patio, where the sound system blasted Kendrick Lamar and a mix of upbeat, danceable Arabic pop music while colorful disco lights made the floor and walls sparkle. Here, and in the long spillover tent on the sidewalk outside, big groups of twenty- and thirtysomethings sat around just kicking it — gossiping, talking shit and, of course, chomping down on some enormous sandwiches. Every once in a while, someone would take a deep drag on their hookah pipe and blow out a thick plume of smoke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The place was so packed and boisterous, it felt like every single young(ish) person in Redwood City was there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Truth be told, even just having the option to get a good, fresh sandwich — especially a hot one — at 11 o’clock at night feels nearly miraculous in the Bay Area. (Plenty of customers came through just to pick up takeout orders to bring home.) With \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspot.com/copy-of-menu-locations-1\">30 locations\u003c/a> mostly spread around California, The Sandwich Spot belongs in the Ike’s-like genre of uniquely Northern Californian deli chains, with its unusual ingredient combinations; quirky, localized names (the “Bumgarner,” the “Smokin’ Sequoia”); variously zesty, spicy and garlicky sauces; and excellent Dutch Crunch bread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13961065\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13961065\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Inside a bar, groups of friends chat. Hookah pipes with glowing red coals are placed next to the tables.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/SH2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">It felt like every young(ish) person in Redwood City was there — especially young Arab Americans and South Asians. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A sandwich called The Hangover was like a slightly funkified Bay Area take on a club sandwich, with hot turkey, cream cheese, avocado, “Bomb” sauce (like a tangy hot sauce), garlicky Kassi sauce, and a lot of crispy bacon — extremely satisfying on warm Dutch Crunch. The equally tasty Purple Koosh, an original Redwood City creation available only on Fridays, was a smoky variation on a similarly saucy theme, featuring house-smoked chicken, fried onion strings and a tangle of purple coleslaw. To round out the meal, we had air-fried Cajun fries, which came out hot and crispy even if they didn’t seem particularly Cajun, with a side of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894684/toum-shawarmaji-jordanian-restaurant-oakland-garlic-sauce\">toum-like\u003c/a> garlic dipping sauce — a nod to the restaurant’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspotrwc.com/about\">Lebanese ownership\u003c/a>, perhaps — that made everything taste five times more delicious.\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>All the while we fiddled, like the total amateurs we were, with the hookah pipe we’d ordered — trying and failing and then finally succeeding at getting a decent puff of the mango mint flavored tobacco that we’d chosen, the little cubes of charcoal on top of the bowl glowing bright red as we got deeper into the night. The truth was, we felt a little bit out of place at first in this crowd of mostly college kids and recent college grads. Call it “Portrait of Two Lonely Middle-Aged Men at the Hookah Bar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even if we’d started out a bit dubious about the hookah/sandwich concept, it didn’t take long for us to get caught up in the mood. I’ll leave it to the medical experts to pontificate on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/hookahs/\">health risks\u003c/a> associated with long-term hookah use, but the water pipe’s efficacy as a social lubricant and builder of community and feel-good vibes seems self-evident — especially among the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/20/style/hookah-dearborn-michigan.html\">young Arab Americans\u003c/a> and South Asians who made up a large chunk of The Sandwich Spot’s late-night crowd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting out on one of the sidewalk tables, with a cool breeze blowing through, we watched all those big groups of friends laughing and talking deep into the night, relaxed as can be, taking big bites of their sandwiches and blowing out even bigger puffs of smoke. Before long, we were already planning our return visit — because past 10 or 11 o’clock in Redwood City, what better way is there to pass a couple of pleasant hours with friends?\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thesandwichspotrwc.com/\">\u003ci>The Sandwich Spot\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.–midnight, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–1 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–midnight at 2420 Broadway in Redwood City. After 5 p.m., when the lounge starts serving hookah, it’s a 21-and-over-only venue, and the kitchen closes at 11 p.m. daily.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hash-n-dash-breakfast-sandwiches-pop-up-san-jose-new-location",
"title": "San Jose’s Viral Breakfast Pop-Up Is Reborn After County Attempts to Shut It Down",
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"headTitle": "San Jose’s Viral Breakfast Pop-Up Is Reborn After County Attempts to Shut It Down | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]P[/dropcap]icture a drizzly Bay Area afternoon, when you’d rather rain-check your plans and stay bundled up indoors. Picture the gray, dreary sky as you trek down 880 over slick pavement, the tired weight of a wintry Sunday knocking inside your head.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, picture all of that instantly dissolving when you take your first bite of a warm breakfast sandwich served by a dude wearing sunglasses beneath a dark canopy tent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a formula that San Jose’s Brandon Salmon has mastered with his viral breakfast pop-up, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/?hl=en\">Hash N Dash\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Serving a small selection of smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches at any hour of the day, Salmon has carved out a definitive lane as Silicon Valley’s sausage-egg-and-cheese-on-English-muffin god — with regular appearances outside of San Jose’s coffee shops, and occasionally at breweries and wineries around the greater Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t some \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1xPLS8P0_C/\">McDonald’s warmed-in-the-microwave kind of breakfast sandwich\u003c/a> with a whimper of Canadian bacon in it. This is a full-on sausage patty mashed onto a searing grill then dressed with maple syrup, griddled sweet onions, Tapatio-spiked mayo, melted American cheese and a yolk-bursting soft-boiled egg, all chewily layered inside a toasted English muffin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of out-of-body Northern California food experience where — after the smoke-sizzle clears and the flavors have melted into your system — you might hear Mac Dre’s “Not My Job” slapping from a nearby portable speaker. (If Hash N Dash was ever in need of a motto, a remix of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgWrovjAAI\">what Mac Dre articulated in 2004\u003c/a> would suffice: “I can make you a breakfast sandwich, but anything else, not my job”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953461\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953461\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an outdoor cook smashes sausage patties into a searing grill\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “408 Smash” is the main attraction at Hash N Dash. Brandon Salmon prides himself in keeping his food station clean and his ingredients simple. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, despite Hash N Dash’s underground success — which peaked in January when \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2c7Xfpvnm5/\">a video of its “408 Smash” sando accrued over 1 million views\u003c/a>, driving in hundreds of new customers per day — Santa Clara County temporarily banned Salmon and his small crew from operating on February 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salmon says he has been slanging breakfast around San Jose using the same methods since December of 2021. Now, he has to rethink his approach in his hometown, after county officials told him he can no longer run his business in the same way — as a simple pop-up without any infrastructure other than the portable flat-top griddle he sets up at each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been a wild two weeks. The [Santa Clara County] Health Department came for me and said I was illegally vending,” he says. “They said we would need to buy a food trailer or food truck. That’s an expense people can’t pull out of nowhere. We’re just trying to make it in this expensive state and pay our bills. They didn’t provide any tips or resources for anything — just paperwork to fill out. It’s frustrating how they don’t seem to want to help you in the process, and aren’t setting you up for success.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his view, the \u003ca href=\"https://library.municode.com/ca/san_jose/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.80SPUSRE_PT10OUVEFA\">county’s regulations\u003c/a> for outdoor food vendors are draconian and inconsistently enforced, singling him out since he “blew up.” Prior to being flagged, Salmon had set up his mobile operation in front of coffee shops around San Jose for over two years without any problem. He says he had agreements with each business he worked alongside, paid for multiple permits and licenses, and fulfilled the county’s health department requirements (such as always being within 30 feet of a bathroom and having access to three compartment sinks).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand the legal process of paying fees; I get it,” says Salmon, who left his full-time job in corporate catering to pursue his passion as an independent food maker. “The problem is that the process is so difficult, and there’s not a lot of room for receiving help to continue thriving and make a living. It’s not conducive to creating a community that says, ‘We care about small business owners.’ It feels the exact opposite. It feels like we’re being driven out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without this latest obstacle, operating a food business in the Bay Area is far from easy. Between soaring rent, staffing and a variety of unforgiving regional factors, it seems some of the best foodmakers are downsizing rather than expanding while others have decided it’s best to simply pack up. Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-struggles-18411322.php\">the \u003ci>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/i> described the Bay Area as being a “terrifying” business environment for local restaurant owners\u003c/a>. In that context, starting with a small pop-up seems like it would be the easier, more realistic route.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"three food workers prepare food and man an outdoor pop-up business in West Oakland\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hash N Dash team: Brandon Salmon (center), Chris Villa (left) and Skylar Arnold (right) team up to serve their smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches every weekend. Here, they work the grill at a pop-up at Ghost Town Brewing in West Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, at least based on Salmon’s experience, Santa Clara County actually seems to be actively discouraging pop-ups. It doesn’t help that Santa Clara County is \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2021/12/21/richest-counties-in-the-us/?sh=3c18fde42ecd\">among the wealthiest\u003c/a> — and therefore most expensive — places to live in the entire country, where owning or renting a brick-and-mortar could account for an exorbitant cost that would paralyze many potential businesses. Factor in the county’s recent \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">rash of violence toward immigrant street vendors\u003c/a>, and Santa Clara County may legitimately be one of the harshest places to successfully sustain a food pop-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But according to Larry Little, the \u003ca href=\"https://ehinfo.sccgov.org/home\">Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health Department\u003c/a> Communications Officer, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is more about safety and keeping community members safe.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When you get a [temporary] permit, you’re under the umbrella of a larger event that’s happening,” Little says, acknowledging that pop-ups like Hash N Dash, which don’t have a kitchen or a food truck, can’t legally operate in Santa Clara County. “The coffee shop is not a temp event, and they don’t have a permit to sell food there.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As it stands, then, foodmakers are expected to acquire either “a food truck, trailer, van, the specific mobile food cart [or] the portable units” — in addition to applying for a Mobile Food Facility permit — to operate a pop-up business in the county.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to at all sound like a victim because I’m absolutely not,” Salmon told KQED via text. “But … I do believe it’s a bigger issue. It’s a bureaucratic issue that absolutely needs to be addressed so that steps can be taken to aid small business owners [and give] pop-up vendors the ability to operate as they do in a legal fashion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hash N Dash has paid “around $12k in sales taxes and about $400 in district taxes,” he says. “I’m not trying to do things illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Salmon’s eyes, the city has not taken any discernible action towards uplifting or creating pathways for the county’s non-traditional food makers — and some municipalities, he argues, are downright hostile toward small pop-ups like his. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2023/12/14/24001759/manresa-reopens-chef-residency-michelin-star-pop-up\">a fine-dining pop-up in Los Gatos organized by a Michelin-starred chef has been receiving rave reviews\u003c/a>, with no apparent interference from county officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953460\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an order of eight eggs are prepared on a portable outdoor griddle\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over-medium eggs are an essential component for a top-tier breakfast sandwich. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salmon isn’t the only one who has found the county’s regulations around pop-ups and public gatherings to be strict and often unclear. Freddie Jackson, owner of Enso Bar & Nightclub in San Jose, facetiously told San Jose Spotlight, “Here, \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-raised-nfl-football-player-cornerback-chidobe-awuzie-beafro-ent-is-energizing-downtown/\">it takes like 18 months to get a permit to have a chair in front of your building\u003c/a>.” He contrasts that with running a business in San Diego, where he says “They’ll close their streets and let you party for any reason. The wind blows the correct way, and they’ll have a festival.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just fantasizing about a year-round Mardi Gras in Santa Clara County, though. In many cases, even the day-to-day basics can be a gargantuan struggle. In fact, a group of San Jose’s councilmembers banded together last year to \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-call-for-street-food-vendor-protections/\">publicly call for solutions\u003c/a> in defense of the city’s most vulnerable food suppliers — its immigrant street vendors, who have faced a rash of harassment and violence. \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">As councilmember Peter Ortiz put it\u003c/a>, “[The city needs to] modernize policies that have marginalized this community within our economy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13934596,arts_13936325,arts_13952384']In the case of an immigrant street vendor, the lack of a proper support system can be a matter of basic survival. But that need for support applies to anyone trying to make a living outside of the traditional restaurant model. Salmon, for instance, isn’t an immigrant himself, but he knows it’s a demographic that’s adjacent to his line of work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haley Cardamon, a San Jose-raised advocate who founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sanjoseday/\">San Jose Day\u003c/a>, an annual event that hosts nearly 100 local artists and vendors each year, says, “A lot of small food businesses don’t have the means, or the process is so overwhelming, that it’s hard for them to even try to step into that space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She goes on to ask the million dollar question: “Could there be opportunities for the health department or city or county to provide learning opportunities to help our small businesses succeed?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Salmon, those “learning opportunities” have only coincided with the county’s attempt to shut him down. But with his fastidious approach and dedication to becoming the best breakfast sandwich provider in the area, he has still found a way to level up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"a portable griddle sizzles with sausage patties, onions and eggs\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selling up to 300 sandwiches in under two hours, Hash N Dash makes breakfast food to go (and sells out quickly). \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On March 10, Hash N Dash will reopen as a fixed location inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/recroomsj/?hl=en\">Rec Room\u003c/a>, a bar in downtown San Jose that will now double as Hash N Dash’s kitchen. Here, Salmon will serve breakfast five days a week, with his headlining lineup of decadent, overstuffed English muffin smashes. The fully equipped commercial kitchen will allow Hash N Dash to — fittingly — add hash browns to their menu. With a larger operation, Salmon also expects to significantly reduce customer wait time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the turbulent circumstances, it’s a major accomplishment for Salmon, who never envisioned becoming one of the city’s most popular food vendors when he first launched from his driveway with his two brothers. Still, he is concerned for his fellow pop-up operators and street food vendors who haven’t been as fortunate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands, Santa Clara County doesn’t appear to look kindly on emerging food entrepreneurs who can’t afford a brick-and-mortar or haven’t invested in a food truck or food trailer. The roving, micro-scale food makers who are operating in a limited, impermanent way? In Salmon’s view, the county would simply prefer that they take their business elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It makes one wonder: Is street vending a foundational good for the community? Who wins when food pop-ups are thriving, and who loses? And — importantly — how is that measured, regulated and enforced?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know that there’s an incredibly rich food scene in San Jose. It’s just obscured by [the] corporate tech DashMart ease of convenience shit,” says Salmon. “So many ‘illegal’ businesses thrive here, but they can’t afford to buy a food truck or rent a brick and mortar. If you just want to start [out] and proof your concept before going all in, it’s very, very hard to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/\">\u003ci>Hash N Dash\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is relaunching on Friday, Mar. 8 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.recroomsj.com/\">\u003ci>Rec Room\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (1 E. San Fernando St., San Jose), as well as Saturday and Sunday during the same hours. Starting on Mar. 13, it will operate weekly from Wednesday to Sunday. Check the pop-up’s page for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4HPlvKvzub/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">\u003ci>more updates\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Hash N Dash's smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches now have a home in downtown San Jose.",
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"title": "San Jose’s Viral Breakfast Pop-Up Is Reborn After County Attempts to Shut It Down | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">P\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>icture a drizzly Bay Area afternoon, when you’d rather rain-check your plans and stay bundled up indoors. Picture the gray, dreary sky as you trek down 880 over slick pavement, the tired weight of a wintry Sunday knocking inside your head.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, picture all of that instantly dissolving when you take your first bite of a warm breakfast sandwich served by a dude wearing sunglasses beneath a dark canopy tent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a formula that San Jose’s Brandon Salmon has mastered with his viral breakfast pop-up, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/?hl=en\">Hash N Dash\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Serving a small selection of smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches at any hour of the day, Salmon has carved out a definitive lane as Silicon Valley’s sausage-egg-and-cheese-on-English-muffin god — with regular appearances outside of San Jose’s coffee shops, and occasionally at breweries and wineries around the greater Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t some \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1xPLS8P0_C/\">McDonald’s warmed-in-the-microwave kind of breakfast sandwich\u003c/a> with a whimper of Canadian bacon in it. This is a full-on sausage patty mashed onto a searing grill then dressed with maple syrup, griddled sweet onions, Tapatio-spiked mayo, melted American cheese and a yolk-bursting soft-boiled egg, all chewily layered inside a toasted English muffin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of out-of-body Northern California food experience where — after the smoke-sizzle clears and the flavors have melted into your system — you might hear Mac Dre’s “Not My Job” slapping from a nearby portable speaker. (If Hash N Dash was ever in need of a motto, a remix of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgWrovjAAI\">what Mac Dre articulated in 2004\u003c/a> would suffice: “I can make you a breakfast sandwich, but anything else, not my job”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953461\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953461\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an outdoor cook smashes sausage patties into a searing grill\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “408 Smash” is the main attraction at Hash N Dash. Brandon Salmon prides himself in keeping his food station clean and his ingredients simple. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, despite Hash N Dash’s underground success — which peaked in January when \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2c7Xfpvnm5/\">a video of its “408 Smash” sando accrued over 1 million views\u003c/a>, driving in hundreds of new customers per day — Santa Clara County temporarily banned Salmon and his small crew from operating on February 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salmon says he has been slanging breakfast around San Jose using the same methods since December of 2021. Now, he has to rethink his approach in his hometown, after county officials told him he can no longer run his business in the same way — as a simple pop-up without any infrastructure other than the portable flat-top griddle he sets up at each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been a wild two weeks. The [Santa Clara County] Health Department came for me and said I was illegally vending,” he says. “They said we would need to buy a food trailer or food truck. That’s an expense people can’t pull out of nowhere. We’re just trying to make it in this expensive state and pay our bills. They didn’t provide any tips or resources for anything — just paperwork to fill out. It’s frustrating how they don’t seem to want to help you in the process, and aren’t setting you up for success.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his view, the \u003ca href=\"https://library.municode.com/ca/san_jose/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.80SPUSRE_PT10OUVEFA\">county’s regulations\u003c/a> for outdoor food vendors are draconian and inconsistently enforced, singling him out since he “blew up.” Prior to being flagged, Salmon had set up his mobile operation in front of coffee shops around San Jose for over two years without any problem. He says he had agreements with each business he worked alongside, paid for multiple permits and licenses, and fulfilled the county’s health department requirements (such as always being within 30 feet of a bathroom and having access to three compartment sinks).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand the legal process of paying fees; I get it,” says Salmon, who left his full-time job in corporate catering to pursue his passion as an independent food maker. “The problem is that the process is so difficult, and there’s not a lot of room for receiving help to continue thriving and make a living. It’s not conducive to creating a community that says, ‘We care about small business owners.’ It feels the exact opposite. It feels like we’re being driven out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without this latest obstacle, operating a food business in the Bay Area is far from easy. Between soaring rent, staffing and a variety of unforgiving regional factors, it seems some of the best foodmakers are downsizing rather than expanding while others have decided it’s best to simply pack up. Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-struggles-18411322.php\">the \u003ci>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/i> described the Bay Area as being a “terrifying” business environment for local restaurant owners\u003c/a>. In that context, starting with a small pop-up seems like it would be the easier, more realistic route.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"three food workers prepare food and man an outdoor pop-up business in West Oakland\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hash N Dash team: Brandon Salmon (center), Chris Villa (left) and Skylar Arnold (right) team up to serve their smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches every weekend. Here, they work the grill at a pop-up at Ghost Town Brewing in West Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, at least based on Salmon’s experience, Santa Clara County actually seems to be actively discouraging pop-ups. It doesn’t help that Santa Clara County is \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2021/12/21/richest-counties-in-the-us/?sh=3c18fde42ecd\">among the wealthiest\u003c/a> — and therefore most expensive — places to live in the entire country, where owning or renting a brick-and-mortar could account for an exorbitant cost that would paralyze many potential businesses. Factor in the county’s recent \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">rash of violence toward immigrant street vendors\u003c/a>, and Santa Clara County may legitimately be one of the harshest places to successfully sustain a food pop-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But according to Larry Little, the \u003ca href=\"https://ehinfo.sccgov.org/home\">Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health Department\u003c/a> Communications Officer, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is more about safety and keeping community members safe.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When you get a [temporary] permit, you’re under the umbrella of a larger event that’s happening,” Little says, acknowledging that pop-ups like Hash N Dash, which don’t have a kitchen or a food truck, can’t legally operate in Santa Clara County. “The coffee shop is not a temp event, and they don’t have a permit to sell food there.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As it stands, then, foodmakers are expected to acquire either “a food truck, trailer, van, the specific mobile food cart [or] the portable units” — in addition to applying for a Mobile Food Facility permit — to operate a pop-up business in the county.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to at all sound like a victim because I’m absolutely not,” Salmon told KQED via text. “But … I do believe it’s a bigger issue. It’s a bureaucratic issue that absolutely needs to be addressed so that steps can be taken to aid small business owners [and give] pop-up vendors the ability to operate as they do in a legal fashion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hash N Dash has paid “around $12k in sales taxes and about $400 in district taxes,” he says. “I’m not trying to do things illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Salmon’s eyes, the city has not taken any discernible action towards uplifting or creating pathways for the county’s non-traditional food makers — and some municipalities, he argues, are downright hostile toward small pop-ups like his. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2023/12/14/24001759/manresa-reopens-chef-residency-michelin-star-pop-up\">a fine-dining pop-up in Los Gatos organized by a Michelin-starred chef has been receiving rave reviews\u003c/a>, with no apparent interference from county officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953460\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an order of eight eggs are prepared on a portable outdoor griddle\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over-medium eggs are an essential component for a top-tier breakfast sandwich. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salmon isn’t the only one who has found the county’s regulations around pop-ups and public gatherings to be strict and often unclear. Freddie Jackson, owner of Enso Bar & Nightclub in San Jose, facetiously told San Jose Spotlight, “Here, \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-raised-nfl-football-player-cornerback-chidobe-awuzie-beafro-ent-is-energizing-downtown/\">it takes like 18 months to get a permit to have a chair in front of your building\u003c/a>.” He contrasts that with running a business in San Diego, where he says “They’ll close their streets and let you party for any reason. The wind blows the correct way, and they’ll have a festival.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just fantasizing about a year-round Mardi Gras in Santa Clara County, though. In many cases, even the day-to-day basics can be a gargantuan struggle. In fact, a group of San Jose’s councilmembers banded together last year to \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-call-for-street-food-vendor-protections/\">publicly call for solutions\u003c/a> in defense of the city’s most vulnerable food suppliers — its immigrant street vendors, who have faced a rash of harassment and violence. \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">As councilmember Peter Ortiz put it\u003c/a>, “[The city needs to] modernize policies that have marginalized this community within our economy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the case of an immigrant street vendor, the lack of a proper support system can be a matter of basic survival. But that need for support applies to anyone trying to make a living outside of the traditional restaurant model. Salmon, for instance, isn’t an immigrant himself, but he knows it’s a demographic that’s adjacent to his line of work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haley Cardamon, a San Jose-raised advocate who founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sanjoseday/\">San Jose Day\u003c/a>, an annual event that hosts nearly 100 local artists and vendors each year, says, “A lot of small food businesses don’t have the means, or the process is so overwhelming, that it’s hard for them to even try to step into that space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She goes on to ask the million dollar question: “Could there be opportunities for the health department or city or county to provide learning opportunities to help our small businesses succeed?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Salmon, those “learning opportunities” have only coincided with the county’s attempt to shut him down. But with his fastidious approach and dedication to becoming the best breakfast sandwich provider in the area, he has still found a way to level up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"a portable griddle sizzles with sausage patties, onions and eggs\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selling up to 300 sandwiches in under two hours, Hash N Dash makes breakfast food to go (and sells out quickly). \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On March 10, Hash N Dash will reopen as a fixed location inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/recroomsj/?hl=en\">Rec Room\u003c/a>, a bar in downtown San Jose that will now double as Hash N Dash’s kitchen. Here, Salmon will serve breakfast five days a week, with his headlining lineup of decadent, overstuffed English muffin smashes. The fully equipped commercial kitchen will allow Hash N Dash to — fittingly — add hash browns to their menu. With a larger operation, Salmon also expects to significantly reduce customer wait time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the turbulent circumstances, it’s a major accomplishment for Salmon, who never envisioned becoming one of the city’s most popular food vendors when he first launched from his driveway with his two brothers. Still, he is concerned for his fellow pop-up operators and street food vendors who haven’t been as fortunate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands, Santa Clara County doesn’t appear to look kindly on emerging food entrepreneurs who can’t afford a brick-and-mortar or haven’t invested in a food truck or food trailer. The roving, micro-scale food makers who are operating in a limited, impermanent way? In Salmon’s view, the county would simply prefer that they take their business elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It makes one wonder: Is street vending a foundational good for the community? Who wins when food pop-ups are thriving, and who loses? And — importantly — how is that measured, regulated and enforced?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know that there’s an incredibly rich food scene in San Jose. It’s just obscured by [the] corporate tech DashMart ease of convenience shit,” says Salmon. “So many ‘illegal’ businesses thrive here, but they can’t afford to buy a food truck or rent a brick and mortar. If you just want to start [out] and proof your concept before going all in, it’s very, very hard to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\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/hashndashsj/\">\u003ci>Hash N Dash\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is relaunching on Friday, Mar. 8 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.recroomsj.com/\">\u003ci>Rec Room\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (1 E. San Fernando St., San Jose), as well as Saturday and Sunday during the same hours. Starting on Mar. 13, it will operate weekly from Wednesday to Sunday. Check the pop-up’s page for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4HPlvKvzub/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">\u003ci>more updates\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Bay Area’s Top Pastrami Shop Has Closed",
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"content": "\u003cp>New York has Katz’s. L.A. has Langer’s. The Bay Area, on the other hand, has never really had a true destination pastrami spot — at least not until \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917120/delirama-pastrami-berkeley-opening-hella-hungry\">Delirama opened\u003c/a> its cheery Solano Avenue storefront in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> two summers ago. Biting into the restaurant’s “OG” sandwich for the first time, I could imagine a future, 10 or 20 years from now, when Delirama would be exactly that: the kind of beloved neighborhood institution that out-of-towners would plan road trips around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, that pastrami-scented fever dream has been put on hold, as the deli has closed, according to an announcement posted on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2cvTALxHyy/\">Instagram\u003c/a> today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delirama was a labor of love for Cash Caris and Anahita Cann, who started the pop-up \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pyrospastrami/?hl=en\">Pyro’s Pastrami\u003c/a> in 2020 as a vehicle for Caris’ lifelong love affair with the Jewish deli smoked meat staple. The couple opened their brick-and-mortar storefront in August of 2022, with an all-things-pastrami menu — pastrami pizza! pastrami tacos! pastrami-fat potato chips! — that drew lines around the block from day one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950839\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line.jpg\" alt=\"A long line of customers wait outside Delirama restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In its early days, Delirama often attracted long lines during the lunch rush. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This was a rare instance where reality lived up to hype. A pastrami sandwich at Delirama became my go-to leisurely “island day” lunch, for those rare occasions when, say, my family was out of town and I had no responsibilities to attend to. I’d snag a seat at the window and luxuriate over one of Caris’ two-handed sandwiches: thick slices of butter-griddled rye bread, a swipe of mustard and a big pile of lusciously fatty, crisp-edged pastrami.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13917120,arts_13921917']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>Keeping a small restaurant afloat is always a precarious enterprise, but Delirama was pushed to the brink by a particularly disastrous turn of events: Last March, a \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/delirama-berkeley-bay-area-power-outages-gofundme-pg-e/13038723/\">four-day power outage\u003c/a> caused all of the food in their walk-in fridge to spoil, including 2,000 pounds of the brisket Caris brines and smokes to make the restaurant’s pastrami. At the time, Caris told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/spoiled-pastrami-delirama-17858366.php\">\u003ci>Chronicle\u003c/i>\u003c/a> they’d been counting on that pastrami to generate $100,000 of revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delirama held on for another 10 months after that, diversifying its menu with additional non-pastrami items and, more recently, rolling out a budget version of its signature pastrami sandwich bulked up by a layer of those pastrami-fat chips. In the end, it wasn’t enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The truth is that what I was trying to do was impossible and the longer I did it the more apparent it became,” Caris wrote in the Instagram post announcing the closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13921981\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13921981\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og.jpg\" alt=\"A massive sandwich overflowing with pastrami and slaw.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Another view of the OG. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Which isn’t to say that his dream of a pastrami empire is necessarily over. The deli’s planned expansion into Oakland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/delirama-oakland-18375892.php\">Delirama Jr.\u003c/a>, appears to still be on track for later this year. For now, Caris and Cann haven’t given up the Solano Avenue space either, but are instead planning to transition it into some\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2cvTALxHyy/c/17972485691662429/r/18018311552012808/\"> new, non-deli restaurant concept\u003c/a>. And who knows? In the past, Caris has said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917120/delirama-pastrami-berkeley-opening-hella-hungry\">would love to bring Delirama to San Jose\u003c/a>, where he grew up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s clear, however, is that Delirama was a successful proof of concept in at least one sense: Its popularity — along with the sizable local followings for established pastrami institutions like Saul’s in Berkeley and The Refuge on the Peninsula — showed that there’s a real hunger for high-quality pastrami in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, a bit of good news: Until Caris and Cann finalize their new plans for the space, the Solano Avenue spot will continue to sell fresh rye bread and pastrami by the pound, Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>New York has Katz’s. L.A. has Langer’s. The Bay Area, on the other hand, has never really had a true destination pastrami spot — at least not until \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917120/delirama-pastrami-berkeley-opening-hella-hungry\">Delirama opened\u003c/a> its cheery Solano Avenue storefront in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> two summers ago. Biting into the restaurant’s “OG” sandwich for the first time, I could imagine a future, 10 or 20 years from now, when Delirama would be exactly that: the kind of beloved neighborhood institution that out-of-towners would plan road trips around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, that pastrami-scented fever dream has been put on hold, as the deli has closed, according to an announcement posted on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2cvTALxHyy/\">Instagram\u003c/a> today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delirama was a labor of love for Cash Caris and Anahita Cann, who started the pop-up \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pyrospastrami/?hl=en\">Pyro’s Pastrami\u003c/a> in 2020 as a vehicle for Caris’ lifelong love affair with the Jewish deli smoked meat staple. The couple opened their brick-and-mortar storefront in August of 2022, with an all-things-pastrami menu — pastrami pizza! pastrami tacos! pastrami-fat potato chips! — that drew lines around the block from day one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950839\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line.jpg\" alt=\"A long line of customers wait outside Delirama restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/delirama-line-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In its early days, Delirama often attracted long lines during the lunch rush. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This was a rare instance where reality lived up to hype. A pastrami sandwich at Delirama became my go-to leisurely “island day” lunch, for those rare occasions when, say, my family was out of town and I had no responsibilities to attend to. I’d snag a seat at the window and luxuriate over one of Caris’ two-handed sandwiches: thick slices of butter-griddled rye bread, a swipe of mustard and a big pile of lusciously fatty, crisp-edged pastrami.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>Keeping a small restaurant afloat is always a precarious enterprise, but Delirama was pushed to the brink by a particularly disastrous turn of events: Last March, a \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/delirama-berkeley-bay-area-power-outages-gofundme-pg-e/13038723/\">four-day power outage\u003c/a> caused all of the food in their walk-in fridge to spoil, including 2,000 pounds of the brisket Caris brines and smokes to make the restaurant’s pastrami. At the time, Caris told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/spoiled-pastrami-delirama-17858366.php\">\u003ci>Chronicle\u003c/i>\u003c/a> they’d been counting on that pastrami to generate $100,000 of revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Delirama held on for another 10 months after that, diversifying its menu with additional non-pastrami items and, more recently, rolling out a budget version of its signature pastrami sandwich bulked up by a layer of those pastrami-fat chips. In the end, it wasn’t enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The truth is that what I was trying to do was impossible and the longer I did it the more apparent it became,” Caris wrote in the Instagram post announcing the closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13921981\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13921981\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og.jpg\" alt=\"A massive sandwich overflowing with pastrami and slaw.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/delirama_og-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Another view of the OG. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Which isn’t to say that his dream of a pastrami empire is necessarily over. The deli’s planned expansion into Oakland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/delirama-oakland-18375892.php\">Delirama Jr.\u003c/a>, appears to still be on track for later this year. For now, Caris and Cann haven’t given up the Solano Avenue space either, but are instead planning to transition it into some\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2cvTALxHyy/c/17972485691662429/r/18018311552012808/\"> new, non-deli restaurant concept\u003c/a>. And who knows? In the past, Caris has said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917120/delirama-pastrami-berkeley-opening-hella-hungry\">would love to bring Delirama to San Jose\u003c/a>, where he grew up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s clear, however, is that Delirama was a successful proof of concept in at least one sense: Its popularity — along with the sizable local followings for established pastrami institutions like Saul’s in Berkeley and The Refuge on the Peninsula — showed that there’s a real hunger for high-quality pastrami in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, a bit of good news: Until Caris and Cann finalize their new plans for the space, the Solano Avenue spot will continue to sell fresh rye bread and pastrami by the pound, Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "These Weekend-Only Egg Sandwiches Are Worth Getting Out of Bed For",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to weekend brunch foods, I’m a prickly curmudgeon. More than any other meal, a worthwhile brunching experience in the Bay Area often involves a line-down-the-block wait — and can quickly run up the bill, too. So if I’m exiting my house in pajamas and fur-lined Crocs to grub in the a.m., the food had better be damn good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m elated to report, then, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Egg Pals\u003c/a> — a weekend-only pop-up serving breakfast sandwiches and snacks on the fly — is worth the post-sleep pilgrimage. Without the fancy buzz or overwrought allure of a high-profile eatery, these egg sandies served beneath a tarp are simply delicious. The pop-up’s recipe is refreshingly basic: It’s just two dudes making egg sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Morgan and Brack Defries met a decade ago while working in restaurants and bars around Oakland. They’ve since been running Egg Pals for just over a year. Whether tucked off to the side at an open-air vintage market or set up on a sidewalk, Egg Pals is delivering what Morgan calls the “upside down smiley face emoji” equivalent of a breakfast experience — more on that later. They pair the sandwiches with a rotating bevy of miscellaneous goodies (see: miso chocolate chip cookies, housemade potato chips, “wedgie” salads, carbonated margaritas and Arnold “Pal”-mers).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our visit, my wife enjoyed a classic Egg Pal (two fried eggs, bacon, American cheese, herby mayo and pickled red onions on buttery brioche) while I crushed a Veggie Pal (fried eggs, roasted Jimmy Nardellos and smoked Gouda). In addition, they offer a revolving array of specialty sandwiches — a Spam melt, tomato melt, nectarine melt and katsu sandwich, to name a few — that vary with each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After sipping on a cold brew fizz topped with orange blossom foam from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mollysrefresher/?hl=en\">Molly’s Refresher\u003c/a>, a drinks-focused pop-up that regularly collaborates with the Pals, I felt affirmed in my decision to crawl out of bed on a slow Sunday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what Morgan and Defries had to reveal about their breakfast sandwich revolution after a weekend of frying eggs for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934756\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934756 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg\" alt=\"two chefs prepare a dozen breakfast egg sandwiches outside beneath a tarp\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Morgan (right) and Brack Defries (left) get cracking on a dozen egg sandwiches during their pop-up in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">********\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: Let’s start off with the basics. What are your most popular breakfast egg sandwiches?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Morgan:\u003c/b> The Egg Pal and the Veg Pal are our signatures, so we always do those. The Egg Pal is always two fried eggs, American cheese, bacon, herby mayo and pickled onions on a brioche bun from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/starterbakery/?hl=en\">Starter Bakery\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Brack Defries:\u003c/b> The Veg Pal is fun, and we change the vegetables based on the season. The first one we ever did was with roasted delicata squash. People really liked that and still ask about it. It’ll be fun to bring that back once it starts popping up again. We also like to have some palate-cleansing options, since, you know, the food we serve is a rich, greasy, sloppy breakfast sandwich. We want to cut through that to balance it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Some sides we generally have are our house potato chips made with our own seasoning and served with Blowhole Hot Mayo, which our friend makes in Oakland using rocoto pepper plants in his garden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We just started doing a Pickle Pal, which people really like. It’s a similar set up to the Egg Pal, but with a mixture of housemade pickles — dill red onions, pickled cucumbers from my garden and some pickled carrots and pickled garlic. We’ll play around with that pickling variation [going forward].\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What makes a perfect egg sandwich?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I just love a sloppy breakfast egg sandwich to start my day. It’s simple but indulgent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> The Egg Pal is designed as exactly what we would want to eat as our perfect breakfast sandwich. We were set on brioche. It’s soft, sweet. It’s a must. American cheese, also a must. Then you get the salty, smoky bacon to go with the cheesiness that becomes a sort of sauce. And the brightness of the onions with the herbiness of the mayo. It all gives some depth. It’s very simple, but it also has essential components.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934757 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg\" alt=\"sideview of an egg breakfast sandwich wrapped in tin foil\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Egg Pal is a no-frills breakfast sandie, served on-the-go. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How long have you known each other, and how did Egg Pals become your thing? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We met about 10 years ago. I was working at Kronnerburger with Chris’s partner at the time. So we would see each other a lot, just out and about in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I was at Starline at the time. We became better friends when we worked at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fishbirdizakaya/?hl=en\">Fish & Bird \u003c/a>together. That’s where we do our prep now, and that’s where we came up for the idea of this pop-up. Coming back from the pandemic, I had a friend opening a breakfast spot on the East Coast. I was talking about it with Brack, and it just seemed like a cool concept. There weren’t many places I could think of around the Bay for getting a quick, good breakfast sandwich. Not on my radar, at least. So I went out to New York and helped my friend for a few months and saw how it was done. Brack started our social media account and came up with the name. And a friend of ours who was doing Molly’s Refresher needed food. So we went from there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> Our concept was to keep things simplified but still use the bountiful ingredients and produce that we all love out here. We aim to keep it approachable but as delicious as possible, and that’s what we steer towards. We just hit our one-year anniversary a week ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> It’s a 50/50 split partnership. We prep all the food together. We split admin and errands. Brack runs our social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We refer to ourselves as co-owners because we each do a little bit of everything. Chris is the egg cooker, though (laughs). I run the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/dining/restaurant-kitchen-expediters.html\">expo station\u003c/a> on the day of the pop-up or event. We really try to share our duties in leading it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934759\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934759 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg\" alt=\"a collection of antique knick-knacks are playfully laid out on a table next to a hand painted sign that reads “eggs”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to Chris Morgan, Egg Pals has an “upside down smiley face” breakfast vibe. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How have your prior experiences in food informed what you do now? Are you still working day jobs elsewhere?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> I still do other work part time — bar consulting, pop-ups, beverage catering. I’ve worked in many kinds of restaurants in the past. I actually have helped to open a handful of restaurants; not intentionally, but just joining projects as they were starting out. You learn and absorb a lot of what to do and what not to do in those situations. It goes back to keeping things simple, straightforward. We wanted to start with our core idea and slowly build it out — staying focused without trying to do too much right away. You sometimes see expansion and doing too much early on instead of nailing down what your vision is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I have a part time job at a barbershop in Oakland as a shop person helping things run, cleaning up. I don’t cut hair (laughs). I stay away from the shears (laughs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some challenges you’ve encountered while running your pop-up?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13934248,arts_13931303,arts_13899700']\u003c/span>Defries:\u003c/strong> We started our business a year ago, and after three months eggs prices suddenly tripled. So yeah, that has been fun to navigate. It is leveling out more, but it’s still twice the price than when we first started out. To be honest, the cost of all goods has gone up in the last year alone. In the Bay, there are two sides to it all. It’s hard to find things, like a prep kitchen, because we can’t afford it. We’re looking around, but it’s crazy how expensive it is for just one or two days. We’re so grateful to those who have allowed us to use their space, like Fish and Bird, who are so gracious and accommodating for one day a week. We’d have a hard time without them. We have to store shit all over town: in our kitchens, at friends’, at other places we work at. We can’t have our own space quite yet, but we’re working towards that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> This probably goes for most pop-ups, but just knowing how much food to bring to sell, managing that. The goal is to sell out because then you don’t have waste. But when we get so busy we sell out quickly, and people get disappointed when they show up and we’re all out. So we’ve had to dial that in over the year. We have a better sense now, especially if we’re returning to a place we’ve been before. We can land closer to the right amount. Usually, we make an average of 150 over-medium eggs in one outing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What other foodmakers have you’ve drawn inspiration from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries: \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacososcar/\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a> is one of my favorite places, good buddies of ours. They use seasonal, local produce and just combine flavors so well. Also, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rangelife_livermore/?hl=en\">Range Life\u003c/a> out in Livermore. Hands down a favorite place to eat. I worked with the chef for a while, and his palate is easily one of my favorites. Very classic New Californian food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> As far as breakfast sandwiches, there used to be a spot called Jodie’s in Albany. Hole-in-the-wall kind of place. Jodie and his grandson Charles used to run it. When I first moved here, that’s where I went to feel at home. Outside of the Bay, there’s a place in New Orleans called Molly’s Rise and Shine, and they did everything so well and it inspired me to do breakfast foods. And Rosie’s in the Hudson Valley was a big influence; I was able to help open it, and it’s where I could first try out making only breakfast foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934755\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934755\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a San Francisco tourism book is laid out on a patterned table outside next to a\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Egg Pals ephemera at Oakland’s Vintage Market in Jack London Square. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You mentioned moving to the East Bay. Where did you move from? And since arriving in the Bay, how has it shaped your sense of food?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I moved here in 2011, over 12 years ago. I was 19 when I moved. I only worked in one restaurant in my hometown, Asheville, North Carolina, before moving out. The Bay is definitely home now and has had a huge impact on the career path I’ve fallen into. I’ve gotten to work at awesome restaurants with amazing people here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brack:\u003c/strong> I’m from Missouri originally, north of Kansas City. I moved out about nine years ago. My partner at the time had a plan to move out here so I just tagged along. I worked in food a lot in Missouri, and I just got lucky here by getting a nice introduction in the food scene by working at Kronnerburger. I learned a lot from the chefs there about the abundance of delicious, year-round shit out here and the creative ways to use it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>If you had to choose an emoji from your phone to represent your egg sandwiches, which would it be? To be clear, I searched some up before our interview, and the official name of what I would call the “yum face” emoji is actually called the “food savoring face,” but that just sounds hella clunky and basic.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Wow. This might just be personality-wise, but the upside down smiley face feels right. Or the one where the smiley face is kind of melting (laughs). Those two do it for me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> (Laughs). Maybe the one with the bright, smiling face and the hands out? We’re just goofing and having a good time. That’s what we try to embody with Egg Pals. We’re just talking shit to each other and having fun while we cook, and we hope that carries over to the food we serve. We want it to be a vibrant and fun experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Also the handshaking emoji. Shout out to our friends who help us. When we pop up, there’s a cashier, a helper and some great friends we’ve made in the restaurant industry. It’s a rotating squad of pals who help us do this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">\u003ci>Egg Pals\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will be popping up with \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/calacacoffee/\">\u003ci>Calaca Coffee\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> at the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/icasanfrancisco/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Institute of Contemporary Art SF\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (901 Minnesota St., San Francisco) on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also plan to pop up at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thecrownoak/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Crown Coffee Shop\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (2523 Broadway, Oakland) in October. Egg Pals rotates venues around the Bay Area every weekend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Check their page\u003c/a> for updated listings.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Egg Pals' Breakfast Sandwiches Are Worth Getting Out of Bed For | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to weekend brunch foods, I’m a prickly curmudgeon. More than any other meal, a worthwhile brunching experience in the Bay Area often involves a line-down-the-block wait — and can quickly run up the bill, too. So if I’m exiting my house in pajamas and fur-lined Crocs to grub in the a.m., the food had better be damn good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m elated to report, then, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Egg Pals\u003c/a> — a weekend-only pop-up serving breakfast sandwiches and snacks on the fly — is worth the post-sleep pilgrimage. Without the fancy buzz or overwrought allure of a high-profile eatery, these egg sandies served beneath a tarp are simply delicious. The pop-up’s recipe is refreshingly basic: It’s just two dudes making egg sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Morgan and Brack Defries met a decade ago while working in restaurants and bars around Oakland. They’ve since been running Egg Pals for just over a year. Whether tucked off to the side at an open-air vintage market or set up on a sidewalk, Egg Pals is delivering what Morgan calls the “upside down smiley face emoji” equivalent of a breakfast experience — more on that later. They pair the sandwiches with a rotating bevy of miscellaneous goodies (see: miso chocolate chip cookies, housemade potato chips, “wedgie” salads, carbonated margaritas and Arnold “Pal”-mers).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our visit, my wife enjoyed a classic Egg Pal (two fried eggs, bacon, American cheese, herby mayo and pickled red onions on buttery brioche) while I crushed a Veggie Pal (fried eggs, roasted Jimmy Nardellos and smoked Gouda). In addition, they offer a revolving array of specialty sandwiches — a Spam melt, tomato melt, nectarine melt and katsu sandwich, to name a few — that vary with each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After sipping on a cold brew fizz topped with orange blossom foam from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mollysrefresher/?hl=en\">Molly’s Refresher\u003c/a>, a drinks-focused pop-up that regularly collaborates with the Pals, I felt affirmed in my decision to crawl out of bed on a slow Sunday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what Morgan and Defries had to reveal about their breakfast sandwich revolution after a weekend of frying eggs for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934756\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934756 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg\" alt=\"two chefs prepare a dozen breakfast egg sandwiches outside beneath a tarp\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Morgan (right) and Brack Defries (left) get cracking on a dozen egg sandwiches during their pop-up in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">********\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: Let’s start off with the basics. What are your most popular breakfast egg sandwiches?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Morgan:\u003c/b> The Egg Pal and the Veg Pal are our signatures, so we always do those. The Egg Pal is always two fried eggs, American cheese, bacon, herby mayo and pickled onions on a brioche bun from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/starterbakery/?hl=en\">Starter Bakery\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Brack Defries:\u003c/b> The Veg Pal is fun, and we change the vegetables based on the season. The first one we ever did was with roasted delicata squash. People really liked that and still ask about it. It’ll be fun to bring that back once it starts popping up again. We also like to have some palate-cleansing options, since, you know, the food we serve is a rich, greasy, sloppy breakfast sandwich. We want to cut through that to balance it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Some sides we generally have are our house potato chips made with our own seasoning and served with Blowhole Hot Mayo, which our friend makes in Oakland using rocoto pepper plants in his garden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We just started doing a Pickle Pal, which people really like. It’s a similar set up to the Egg Pal, but with a mixture of housemade pickles — dill red onions, pickled cucumbers from my garden and some pickled carrots and pickled garlic. We’ll play around with that pickling variation [going forward].\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What makes a perfect egg sandwich?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I just love a sloppy breakfast egg sandwich to start my day. It’s simple but indulgent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> The Egg Pal is designed as exactly what we would want to eat as our perfect breakfast sandwich. We were set on brioche. It’s soft, sweet. It’s a must. American cheese, also a must. Then you get the salty, smoky bacon to go with the cheesiness that becomes a sort of sauce. And the brightness of the onions with the herbiness of the mayo. It all gives some depth. It’s very simple, but it also has essential components.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934757 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg\" alt=\"sideview of an egg breakfast sandwich wrapped in tin foil\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Egg Pal is a no-frills breakfast sandie, served on-the-go. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How long have you known each other, and how did Egg Pals become your thing? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We met about 10 years ago. I was working at Kronnerburger with Chris’s partner at the time. So we would see each other a lot, just out and about in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I was at Starline at the time. We became better friends when we worked at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fishbirdizakaya/?hl=en\">Fish & Bird \u003c/a>together. That’s where we do our prep now, and that’s where we came up for the idea of this pop-up. Coming back from the pandemic, I had a friend opening a breakfast spot on the East Coast. I was talking about it with Brack, and it just seemed like a cool concept. There weren’t many places I could think of around the Bay for getting a quick, good breakfast sandwich. Not on my radar, at least. So I went out to New York and helped my friend for a few months and saw how it was done. Brack started our social media account and came up with the name. And a friend of ours who was doing Molly’s Refresher needed food. So we went from there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> Our concept was to keep things simplified but still use the bountiful ingredients and produce that we all love out here. We aim to keep it approachable but as delicious as possible, and that’s what we steer towards. We just hit our one-year anniversary a week ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> It’s a 50/50 split partnership. We prep all the food together. We split admin and errands. Brack runs our social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We refer to ourselves as co-owners because we each do a little bit of everything. Chris is the egg cooker, though (laughs). I run the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/dining/restaurant-kitchen-expediters.html\">expo station\u003c/a> on the day of the pop-up or event. We really try to share our duties in leading it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934759\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934759 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg\" alt=\"a collection of antique knick-knacks are playfully laid out on a table next to a hand painted sign that reads “eggs”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to Chris Morgan, Egg Pals has an “upside down smiley face” breakfast vibe. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How have your prior experiences in food informed what you do now? Are you still working day jobs elsewhere?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> I still do other work part time — bar consulting, pop-ups, beverage catering. I’ve worked in many kinds of restaurants in the past. I actually have helped to open a handful of restaurants; not intentionally, but just joining projects as they were starting out. You learn and absorb a lot of what to do and what not to do in those situations. It goes back to keeping things simple, straightforward. We wanted to start with our core idea and slowly build it out — staying focused without trying to do too much right away. You sometimes see expansion and doing too much early on instead of nailing down what your vision is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I have a part time job at a barbershop in Oakland as a shop person helping things run, cleaning up. I don’t cut hair (laughs). I stay away from the shears (laughs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some challenges you’ve encountered while running your pop-up?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>Defries:\u003c/strong> We started our business a year ago, and after three months eggs prices suddenly tripled. So yeah, that has been fun to navigate. It is leveling out more, but it’s still twice the price than when we first started out. To be honest, the cost of all goods has gone up in the last year alone. In the Bay, there are two sides to it all. It’s hard to find things, like a prep kitchen, because we can’t afford it. We’re looking around, but it’s crazy how expensive it is for just one or two days. We’re so grateful to those who have allowed us to use their space, like Fish and Bird, who are so gracious and accommodating for one day a week. We’d have a hard time without them. We have to store shit all over town: in our kitchens, at friends’, at other places we work at. We can’t have our own space quite yet, but we’re working towards that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> This probably goes for most pop-ups, but just knowing how much food to bring to sell, managing that. The goal is to sell out because then you don’t have waste. But when we get so busy we sell out quickly, and people get disappointed when they show up and we’re all out. So we’ve had to dial that in over the year. We have a better sense now, especially if we’re returning to a place we’ve been before. We can land closer to the right amount. Usually, we make an average of 150 over-medium eggs in one outing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What other foodmakers have you’ve drawn inspiration from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries: \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacososcar/\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a> is one of my favorite places, good buddies of ours. They use seasonal, local produce and just combine flavors so well. Also, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rangelife_livermore/?hl=en\">Range Life\u003c/a> out in Livermore. Hands down a favorite place to eat. I worked with the chef for a while, and his palate is easily one of my favorites. Very classic New Californian food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> As far as breakfast sandwiches, there used to be a spot called Jodie’s in Albany. Hole-in-the-wall kind of place. Jodie and his grandson Charles used to run it. When I first moved here, that’s where I went to feel at home. Outside of the Bay, there’s a place in New Orleans called Molly’s Rise and Shine, and they did everything so well and it inspired me to do breakfast foods. And Rosie’s in the Hudson Valley was a big influence; I was able to help open it, and it’s where I could first try out making only breakfast foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934755\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934755\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a San Francisco tourism book is laid out on a patterned table outside next to a\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Egg Pals ephemera at Oakland’s Vintage Market in Jack London Square. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You mentioned moving to the East Bay. Where did you move from? And since arriving in the Bay, how has it shaped your sense of food?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I moved here in 2011, over 12 years ago. I was 19 when I moved. I only worked in one restaurant in my hometown, Asheville, North Carolina, before moving out. The Bay is definitely home now and has had a huge impact on the career path I’ve fallen into. I’ve gotten to work at awesome restaurants with amazing people here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brack:\u003c/strong> I’m from Missouri originally, north of Kansas City. I moved out about nine years ago. My partner at the time had a plan to move out here so I just tagged along. I worked in food a lot in Missouri, and I just got lucky here by getting a nice introduction in the food scene by working at Kronnerburger. I learned a lot from the chefs there about the abundance of delicious, year-round shit out here and the creative ways to use it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>If you had to choose an emoji from your phone to represent your egg sandwiches, which would it be? To be clear, I searched some up before our interview, and the official name of what I would call the “yum face” emoji is actually called the “food savoring face,” but that just sounds hella clunky and basic.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Wow. This might just be personality-wise, but the upside down smiley face feels right. Or the one where the smiley face is kind of melting (laughs). Those two do it for me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> (Laughs). Maybe the one with the bright, smiling face and the hands out? We’re just goofing and having a good time. That’s what we try to embody with Egg Pals. We’re just talking shit to each other and having fun while we cook, and we hope that carries over to the food we serve. We want it to be a vibrant and fun experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Also the handshaking emoji. Shout out to our friends who help us. When we pop up, there’s a cashier, a helper and some great friends we’ve made in the restaurant industry. It’s a rotating squad of pals who help us do this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\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/eggpals/\">\u003ci>Egg Pals\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will be popping up with \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/calacacoffee/\">\u003ci>Calaca Coffee\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> at the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/icasanfrancisco/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Institute of Contemporary Art SF\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (901 Minnesota St., San Francisco) on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also plan to pop up at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thecrownoak/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Crown Coffee Shop\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (2523 Broadway, Oakland) in October. Egg Pals rotates venues around the Bay Area every weekend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Check their page\u003c/a> for updated listings.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "roxie-food-center-san-francisco-deli-sandwich-dutch-crunch-excelsior",
"title": "The Old-School San Francisco Sandwich That Stole My Heart",
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"headTitle": "The Old-School San Francisco Sandwich That Stole My Heart | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/frisco-foodies\">Frisco Foodies\u003c/a> is a recurring column in which a San Francisco local shares food memories of growing up in a now rapidly changing city.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]S[/dropcap]an Francisco might not be known as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sandwich\">sandwich\u003c/a> town,” but hear me out: The City’s grab-and-go culture and proximity to fresh produce make it the perfect place for a one-handed meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929853\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1711px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929853\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two middle school age Filipino American girls dressed in athletic warm-ups, in a throwback photo from the 1990s.\" width=\"1711\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-scaled.jpg 1711w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-800x1197.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-1020x1526.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-160x239.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-768x1149.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-1026x1536.jpg 1026w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-1369x2048.jpg 1369w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1711px) 100vw, 1711px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The author and her best friend Arlene during their Potrero Hill Middle School days. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Rocky Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yes, you might associate us more with tourists eating clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, but one of the legacies of the Gold Rush and Frisco’s history of blue-collar laborers is that we hate sitting down for a meal, and we love taking it to go in the car — and finding a nice view to enjoy that sandwich while the fog rolls in. And with the advent of Dutch Crunch bread, invented in the Netherlands but \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11761468/dutch-crunch-a-bay-area-favorite-but-not-a-bay-area-original\">a Bay Area specialty,\u003c/a> our local sandwiches have an unparalleled layering of textures that can’t be found anywhere else. Did I mention how well they hold up to California avocados?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was first introduced to the San Francisco-style deli sandwich at Jackson Park baseball field, where my best friend Arlene and I were the de facto softball managers for the Potrero Hill Middle School Stallions — a position we signed up for mostly just so we could leave class early. Once we set out the mitts and bases, Arlene and I would go around the corner to JB’s, where we split a roast beef on Dutch Crunch and a side of fries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time practice was done, so were we. Stuffed and caught up on all the hot goss, we’d go back to Jackson Park, collect the mitts and bases, and do it all over again the next day. Those lazy afternoons of softball and sandwiches constituted an “America” we otherwise only saw in the movies. To me, they represented an idyllic time when families of color could still afford to live in the City, watch a game at Candlestick and truly feel like a part of the community. After we graduated, memories of our days on the bleachers faded, but my love for those SF-style deli sandwiches remained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Treasure Island Naval Base shut down in 1996, my dad retired from the U.S. Navy and we eventually moved into the Excelsior District, where I found the holy grail of sandwich shops: Roxie Food Center on the corner of San Jose and San Juan avenues. At this tight squeeze of a corner store, patrons knew to go straight to the back to order their special from one of the OG Roxie’s Crew: Kevin, Floyd or one of the Tannous brothers, Tony, Peter or Simon. Those guys were legendary sandwich artists who elevated my humble roast beef to new heights. Hot pastrami, smoked tri-tip, meatballs and even imitation crab all graced the menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929844\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929844\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A sandwich counter is visible at the end of a narrow market aisle crammed full of bagged chips and other snacks.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At this tight squeeze of a corner store, customers know to head straight to the back to put in their sandwich orders. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929850\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929850\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A deli shop worker looks out from behind the ordering window as he checks out a customer.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-owner Mike Zunoona takes a customer’s order from behind the counter at Roxie Food Center. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was a little market before, and they added a deli,” Mick Shehadeh tells me over the phone at the end of his shift at Roxie’s on a recent Friday afternoon. He and his cousin Mike Zunoona took over the business after the Tannous brothers — their uncles — retired in the fall of 2021. “The reason why [my uncles] went with that type of deli was because they loved the Italian culture. It’s kind of like our Palestinian culture — it’s really a tight-knit family, good food, a lot of soul.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barely past five feet tall, I had to tiptoe to place my order in one breath: \u003ci>Smoked turkey with provolone on Dutch, heated up, everything on it, with avocado. And please don’t forget the jalapeños\u003c/i>. While they made my sandwich fresh, I’d place my bag of chips and Gatorade on the counter and grab an \u003ci>Auto Trader\u003c/i> from the magazine rack, flipping through it while I daydreamed about buying an ‘87 Buick Grand National.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There wasn’t a place to eat nearby, so like most patrons, I’d sit in my car with my door open, paper bag ripped in half to form a makeshift tablecloth, devouring the sandwich while the Dutch was still warm and toasty and the cheese still melted. In high school, this was the preferred school lunch before Ma made dinner. If you didn’t have your own, you could always rely on someone splitting theirs or at least sharing a bite or two. As a starving college student, sometimes a sandwich had to be lunch \u003ci>and\u003c/i> dinner. Hell, I would even reheat it the next day for breakfast — especially if I’d ordered an oversized “supreme.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929852\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929852\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Three workers talk as they prepare sandwiches behind a busy deli counter.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roxie’s employees hard at work behind the busy deli counter. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929847\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929847\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A deli worker wearing blue kitchen gloves holds a pastrami sandwich, cut so that the meaty cross section is visible.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pastrami on Dutch, a classic San Francisco deli sandwich. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Roxie’s was community. It was sustenance. And it was open seven days a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I fell in love with the muscle cars that drove up and down Mission in the Excelsior. I fell in love with the houses that dotted the surrounding hills like an Italian village, a view on every hilltop. I fell in love with a boy from Delano Avenue, around the corner from the shop. But it was that Roxie’s sandwich that truly stole my heart. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\"]“Roxie’s was community. It was sustenance. And it was open seven days a week.”[/pullquote]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tannous brothers must have felt the same way when they immigrated from Palestine and chose this quaint location to represent their own American dream, drawing inspiration from the region’s Italian-style delicatessens. That cross-pollination of cultures felt quintessentially Bay Area, and the love of quality food and togetherness created a lasting bond for anyone lucky enough to grow up in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just remember [my uncles] always being really involved in the community. They sponsored a lot of the baseball teams,” recalls Shehadeh, who was born and raised in Hunters Point. “Just seeing how tight the family was with the community was beautiful, and that’s what really made me excited to really be a part of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929848\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929848\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographs taken by customers through the years show the deli’s deep roots in the local community. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The shop used to host an annual Fourth of July party, and they’d often let regular customers come back and pay if they didn’t have enough money for a sandwich or groceries. The care and attention went beyond the sandwiches. The Roxie’s crew became a part of our everyday lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walls outside now have graffiti-style murals to honor the late Kevin D. and Floyd S., two of the aforementioned OGs of the Roxie’s crew. Looking back on those early days, Shehadeh says his uncles were always looking out for the team, even when the rest of the neighborhood hadn’t yet accepted Floyd, who was Black and worked at the shop from when it opened in 1975 until he passed in 2011. “He was a really important part of the family,” Shehadeh says.” It was kind of hard — having him work with us in the beginning — because people didn’t like that we had an African American man working for us. We made it work and we told them, ‘He’s a really nice guy, a beautiful person.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929842\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929842\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zunoona hands a bag of sandwiches to a longtime customer. The mural behind them honors former Roxie’s employees Kevin D. and Floyd S. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That sense of mutual respect and inclusivity imbued a fierce loyalty in the shop’s customers, who worried that new ownership would be a harbinger of the changing times — a result of growing gentrification in the Mission Terrace and Excelsior districts. “[My uncles] had seen that the community didn’t like that they wanted to sell, so they decided to pass it down, and we were happy to take over,” Shehadeh says. In any case, he says the neighborhood hasn’t changed as much as the rest of the city. It’s truly one of the most diverse zip codes left in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13923127,arts_13921079,arts_13927857']\u003c/span>“A lot of the elderly crowd has moved on and it’s now become more family-oriented,” he says. “Nice young families moving in, and everybody’s growing together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last time I visited Roxie’s before the old owners retired, Tony Tannous rang up my smoked turkey and asked how I’d been. Even two kids and two decades later, he still remembered my face — that’s just the kind of place it was. By that time, the pandemic was already taking a toll on the business. It was exhausting to be open seven days a week and hard to compete with food delivery options with cheaper ingredients. While the quality of sandwiches didn’t change, the world around it did, and something had to give. The Tannous brothers wrapped their last Dutch Crunch sandwich in 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929854\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929854\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous.jpg\" alt=\"A selfie of a a woman in sunglasses and close-cropped hair posing with an older deli man in a black apron and 49ers shirt.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-800x1065.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-1020x1357.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-768x1022.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-1154x1536.jpg 1154w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-1539x2048.jpg 1539w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The author poses for a selfie with Tony Tannous, one of the three Tannous brothers who opened Roxie’s in 1975. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Rocky Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though I’ve lived in Oakland for the past 12 years, I would trade the sunny weather at Lake Merritt for a foggy afternoon in the Excelsior any day, just to raise my two kids the same way I was raised: as part of a community that watched each other’s back and cared about each other’s well-being. I fell in love with their dad, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10445851/from-gangs-to-glory-bambus-political-hip-hop-for-the-people\">Bambu\u003c/a>, in the Excelsior, when I used to live in a shared apartment on Brazil and Madrid. After performing at the Filipino Community Center, we walked home hand in hand, partying into the night with my roommates and falling asleep to the sound of cars doing donuts in the intersection. It was the closest thing to heaven for an Excelsior girl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since he’s from Los Angeles, one of our first dates was at Roxie’s, where I introduced him to the things I loved most about the City. What I didn’t tell him until much later was that the boy from Delano Ave. that I used to love was behind the counter making our sandwich. With so much history in that shop, I spared him the silly details. This was my community, too, and I’d never let that tidbit spoil another amazing sandwich memory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921079/mom-tribute-dia-de-los-muertos-filipino-food-altar-frisco-foodies\">Rocky Rivera\u003c/a> is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has four musical projects out, three of those with her label Beatrock Music. She released her first book last year, entitled \u003c/em>Snakeskin: Essays by Rocky Rivera\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Roxie Food Center has been a holy grail of SF deli sandwich culture for nearly 50 years.",
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"title": "Roxie Food Center's Old-School SF Deli Sandwich Stole My Heart | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/frisco-foodies\">Frisco Foodies\u003c/a> is a recurring column in which a San Francisco local shares food memories of growing up in a now rapidly changing city.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">S\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>an Francisco might not be known as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/sandwich\">sandwich\u003c/a> town,” but hear me out: The City’s grab-and-go culture and proximity to fresh produce make it the perfect place for a one-handed meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929853\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1711px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929853\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two middle school age Filipino American girls dressed in athletic warm-ups, in a throwback photo from the 1990s.\" width=\"1711\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-scaled.jpg 1711w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-800x1197.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-1020x1526.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-160x239.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-768x1149.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-1026x1536.jpg 1026w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-PH-Stallions-1369x2048.jpg 1369w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1711px) 100vw, 1711px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The author and her best friend Arlene during their Potrero Hill Middle School days. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Rocky Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yes, you might associate us more with tourists eating clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, but one of the legacies of the Gold Rush and Frisco’s history of blue-collar laborers is that we hate sitting down for a meal, and we love taking it to go in the car — and finding a nice view to enjoy that sandwich while the fog rolls in. And with the advent of Dutch Crunch bread, invented in the Netherlands but \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11761468/dutch-crunch-a-bay-area-favorite-but-not-a-bay-area-original\">a Bay Area specialty,\u003c/a> our local sandwiches have an unparalleled layering of textures that can’t be found anywhere else. Did I mention how well they hold up to California avocados?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was first introduced to the San Francisco-style deli sandwich at Jackson Park baseball field, where my best friend Arlene and I were the de facto softball managers for the Potrero Hill Middle School Stallions — a position we signed up for mostly just so we could leave class early. Once we set out the mitts and bases, Arlene and I would go around the corner to JB’s, where we split a roast beef on Dutch Crunch and a side of fries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time practice was done, so were we. Stuffed and caught up on all the hot goss, we’d go back to Jackson Park, collect the mitts and bases, and do it all over again the next day. Those lazy afternoons of softball and sandwiches constituted an “America” we otherwise only saw in the movies. To me, they represented an idyllic time when families of color could still afford to live in the City, watch a game at Candlestick and truly feel like a part of the community. After we graduated, memories of our days on the bleachers faded, but my love for those SF-style deli sandwiches remained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Treasure Island Naval Base shut down in 1996, my dad retired from the U.S. Navy and we eventually moved into the Excelsior District, where I found the holy grail of sandwich shops: Roxie Food Center on the corner of San Jose and San Juan avenues. At this tight squeeze of a corner store, patrons knew to go straight to the back to order their special from one of the OG Roxie’s Crew: Kevin, Floyd or one of the Tannous brothers, Tony, Peter or Simon. Those guys were legendary sandwich artists who elevated my humble roast beef to new heights. Hot pastrami, smoked tri-tip, meatballs and even imitation crab all graced the menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929844\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929844\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A sandwich counter is visible at the end of a narrow market aisle crammed full of bagged chips and other snacks.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64137_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-139-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At this tight squeeze of a corner store, customers know to head straight to the back to put in their sandwich orders. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929850\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929850\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A deli shop worker looks out from behind the ordering window as he checks out a customer.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64150_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-490-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-owner Mike Zunoona takes a customer’s order from behind the counter at Roxie Food Center. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It was a little market before, and they added a deli,” Mick Shehadeh tells me over the phone at the end of his shift at Roxie’s on a recent Friday afternoon. He and his cousin Mike Zunoona took over the business after the Tannous brothers — their uncles — retired in the fall of 2021. “The reason why [my uncles] went with that type of deli was because they loved the Italian culture. It’s kind of like our Palestinian culture — it’s really a tight-knit family, good food, a lot of soul.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barely past five feet tall, I had to tiptoe to place my order in one breath: \u003ci>Smoked turkey with provolone on Dutch, heated up, everything on it, with avocado. And please don’t forget the jalapeños\u003c/i>. While they made my sandwich fresh, I’d place my bag of chips and Gatorade on the counter and grab an \u003ci>Auto Trader\u003c/i> from the magazine rack, flipping through it while I daydreamed about buying an ‘87 Buick Grand National.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There wasn’t a place to eat nearby, so like most patrons, I’d sit in my car with my door open, paper bag ripped in half to form a makeshift tablecloth, devouring the sandwich while the Dutch was still warm and toasty and the cheese still melted. In high school, this was the preferred school lunch before Ma made dinner. If you didn’t have your own, you could always rely on someone splitting theirs or at least sharing a bite or two. As a starving college student, sometimes a sandwich had to be lunch \u003ci>and\u003c/i> dinner. Hell, I would even reheat it the next day for breakfast — especially if I’d ordered an oversized “supreme.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929852\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929852\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Three workers talk as they prepare sandwiches behind a busy deli counter.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64154_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-062-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roxie’s employees hard at work behind the busy deli counter. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929847\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929847\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A deli worker wearing blue kitchen gloves holds a pastrami sandwich, cut so that the meaty cross section is visible.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64146_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-470-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pastrami on Dutch, a classic San Francisco deli sandwich. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Roxie’s was community. It was sustenance. And it was open seven days a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I fell in love with the muscle cars that drove up and down Mission in the Excelsior. I fell in love with the houses that dotted the surrounding hills like an Italian village, a view on every hilltop. I fell in love with a boy from Delano Avenue, around the corner from the shop. But it was that Roxie’s sandwich that truly stole my heart. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tannous brothers must have felt the same way when they immigrated from Palestine and chose this quaint location to represent their own American dream, drawing inspiration from the region’s Italian-style delicatessens. That cross-pollination of cultures felt quintessentially Bay Area, and the love of quality food and togetherness created a lasting bond for anyone lucky enough to grow up in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just remember [my uncles] always being really involved in the community. They sponsored a lot of the baseball teams,” recalls Shehadeh, who was born and raised in Hunters Point. “Just seeing how tight the family was with the community was beautiful, and that’s what really made me excited to really be a part of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929848\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929848\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64147_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-499-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographs taken by customers through the years show the deli’s deep roots in the local community. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The shop used to host an annual Fourth of July party, and they’d often let regular customers come back and pay if they didn’t have enough money for a sandwich or groceries. The care and attention went beyond the sandwiches. The Roxie’s crew became a part of our everyday lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walls outside now have graffiti-style murals to honor the late Kevin D. and Floyd S., two of the aforementioned OGs of the Roxie’s crew. Looking back on those early days, Shehadeh says his uncles were always looking out for the team, even when the rest of the neighborhood hadn’t yet accepted Floyd, who was Black and worked at the shop from when it opened in 1975 until he passed in 2011. “He was a really important part of the family,” Shehadeh says.” It was kind of hard — having him work with us in the beginning — because people didn’t like that we had an African American man working for us. We made it work and we told them, ‘He’s a really nice guy, a beautiful person.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929842\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929842\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/RS64133_03312023_kqed_roxiesandwiches-026-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zunoona hands a bag of sandwiches to a longtime customer. The mural behind them honors former Roxie’s employees Kevin D. and Floyd S. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That sense of mutual respect and inclusivity imbued a fierce loyalty in the shop’s customers, who worried that new ownership would be a harbinger of the changing times — a result of growing gentrification in the Mission Terrace and Excelsior districts. “[My uncles] had seen that the community didn’t like that they wanted to sell, so they decided to pass it down, and we were happy to take over,” Shehadeh says. In any case, he says the neighborhood hasn’t changed as much as the rest of the city. It’s truly one of the most diverse zip codes left in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>“A lot of the elderly crowd has moved on and it’s now become more family-oriented,” he says. “Nice young families moving in, and everybody’s growing together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last time I visited Roxie’s before the old owners retired, Tony Tannous rang up my smoked turkey and asked how I’d been. Even two kids and two decades later, he still remembered my face — that’s just the kind of place it was. By that time, the pandemic was already taking a toll on the business. It was exhausting to be open seven days a week and hard to compete with food delivery options with cheaper ingredients. While the quality of sandwiches didn’t change, the world around it did, and something had to give. The Tannous brothers wrapped their last Dutch Crunch sandwich in 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13929854\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13929854\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous.jpg\" alt=\"A selfie of a a woman in sunglasses and close-cropped hair posing with an older deli man in a black apron and 49ers shirt.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-800x1065.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-1020x1357.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-768x1022.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-1154x1536.jpg 1154w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/FF-3-Roxie_s-Tony-Tannous-1539x2048.jpg 1539w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The author poses for a selfie with Tony Tannous, one of the three Tannous brothers who opened Roxie’s in 1975. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Rocky Rivera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Though I’ve lived in Oakland for the past 12 years, I would trade the sunny weather at Lake Merritt for a foggy afternoon in the Excelsior any day, just to raise my two kids the same way I was raised: as part of a community that watched each other’s back and cared about each other’s well-being. I fell in love with their dad, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10445851/from-gangs-to-glory-bambus-political-hip-hop-for-the-people\">Bambu\u003c/a>, in the Excelsior, when I used to live in a shared apartment on Brazil and Madrid. After performing at the Filipino Community Center, we walked home hand in hand, partying into the night with my roommates and falling asleep to the sound of cars doing donuts in the intersection. It was the closest thing to heaven for an Excelsior girl.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since he’s from Los Angeles, one of our first dates was at Roxie’s, where I introduced him to the things I loved most about the City. What I didn’t tell him until much later was that the boy from Delano Ave. that I used to love was behind the counter making our sandwich. With so much history in that shop, I spared him the silly details. This was my community, too, and I’d never let that tidbit spoil another amazing sandwich memory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13921079/mom-tribute-dia-de-los-muertos-filipino-food-altar-frisco-foodies\">Rocky Rivera\u003c/a> is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has four musical projects out, three of those with her label Beatrock Music. She released her first book last year, entitled \u003c/em>Snakeskin: Essays by Rocky Rivera\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "davey-jones-deli-sandwiches-sausalito-hella-hungry",
"title": "Davey Jones Deli is Sausalito’s Hidden Sandwich Paradise",
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"headTitle": "Davey Jones Deli is Sausalito’s Hidden Sandwich Paradise | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a certain feeling of escape whenever I cross the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge into the more affluent areas of the North Bay, where ocean views extend peacefully from the base of Mount Tamalpais towards the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco’s glittered skyline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet behind every Instagram-worthy glamour shot in these high-end destinations, there’s also a blue-collar grit: sailors, dock workers, immigrants, farm laborers, wanderers and the general working class who’ve taken refuge away from the larger nearby cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davey Jones Deli is an example of that — an old-school sandwich shop inside a Sausalito liquor store on the literal edge of land, founded by a man who lives on a boat. It’s where the “waterfront people” go to eat, stock up on fishing supplies and pick up their favorite alcohols. It’s not exactly where you’d expect to find some of the North Bay’s best sandos. But it’s where X marks the spot, and for much of the Bay Area, this quirky nautical eatery is only a short drive (or ferry ride) away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The veteran sandwich maker and owner, David “Davey Jones” Johnson, is more seaman than landwalker, and perhaps the friendliest pirate soul you’ll ever meet. (He might even draw you a map of the area and label it a “treasure map,” divulging his favorite locations for local walks with ocean views).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m a part of the waterfront, the working waterfront,” he says. “People live on boats and work with their hands. And then there’s the wealth of the hills. But this is part of the waterfront here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside the shop you can explore crab traps, octopus hooks, snatch swivels, rope and an array of other fishermen’s equipment while waiting to load up on a barbecue brisket sandwich or veggie delight stuffed between sourdough. Afterward, it’s worth wandering around the surrounding area to enjoy the nearby vistas for an ideal lunch. Trust me, even if the treasure isn’t the kind that pirates bury, those views are worth the trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927895\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13927895\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop.jpg\" alt=\"A cook prepares a sandwich in a deli kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-1536x960.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Johnson, the owner of Davey Jones Deli, prepares a sandwich. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Here’s the skinny on how this sailor built a paradise for sandwich lovers in an unlikely hideout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003ci>********\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: So Davey Jones isn’t your name, huh? Where did that come from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>David Johnson:\u003c/b> Growing up I was David. Dave sounded too much like a farmer from Iowa, where I grew up. After college, I spent four years in South Africa, working. My partner was a fisherman, I was a sailor. We were running a bar in a jungle. He asked me if I’d met Davey Jones. I just said yeah, that I did. So everyone started calling me that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You ran a bar in a jungle?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, it was wild. My buddy was building a community and he wanted to create something for backpackers. I just wanted to hang around. We helped out by taking the tourist money and giving it back to the community. I imported my food and sold a lot of local fish. We had a little fish market with peanuts and fruits and things. Off the grid. Heated our own water. We had a hundred people using toilets and showers. We’d compost everything and work with the locals and became self-sustainable. We talk about organic food in the U.S.? That was no comparison. That experience taught me about DIY, build it yourself. Use what you got. The deli is like that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927899\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13927899 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"an employee at Davey Jones Deli prepares a whole roasted turkey\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An employee at Davey Jones Deli prepares a whole roasted turkey before the lunch hour rush arrives. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve been operating Davey Jones Deli for 13 years now — how did that happen? How did you end up in Sausalito? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I kept going back to boating, tried to live in New Orleans, Milwaukee, always on a boat in places that had water. The Great Lakes. All up and down the East Coast. Prince Edward Islands. Boston, Philly, Charleston. The great East Coast cities by the sea. At one point, in 2009, I was working on a yacht in Yoruba. I was on Facebook and got connected to my best friend from high school, who’s now my wife. She was living on a houseboat in Sausalito. I’d never considered it and had never been [to San Francisco]. I said, why not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, I had no idea where I was. I didn’t know Sausalito was a rich city. I just knew there were farms, and I used that to my advantage. I found a reasonable houseboat situation, and my plan was to just sell soup to my neighbors, which I did for a while. [At the time] I would just be breezing through the bait shop to buy firewood, and the owner approached me to run his deli one day. I never noticed it before, to be honest; the lights were always off. It was covered in grease, and I just laughed it off and didn’t take it seriously. But after thinking about it, I went back. I decided to run it my own way, with poetic license. I was a chef at the time. My personal clients were not happy since they thought it was gross. They thought I’d spend a couple of years there and attract investors and just move on, but it has been so comfortable and I’ve been here ever since. I walk to work and it’s a super diverse community — one of the most racially diverse spots in southern Marin. I like that East Coast bodega vibe. It’s loud, fun, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When did your passion for food making begin?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started while working on educational tall ships. There’s one in Sausalito called the Matthew Turner. We take students and scientists out. I actually have a degree in Environmental Science, and I wanted to be a captain at one point. But this one time, we had a terrible cook, and it just destroyed our bodies (laughs). I took over and served some healthier organic foods and inadvertently became a sea cook. It’s tricky with our budget — there isn’t much money in nonprofit, educational tall ships. A lot of wheeling and dealing in port towns. You get creative — meeting fishermen, getting clammers and steamers by trades, finding unlikely food places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927898\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927898\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-800x533.jpg\" alt='a handdrawn \"treasure map\" with local sites to visit' width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnson’s hand-drawn ‘treasure map.’ \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Did you have any cooking experience before that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I cooked my way through college. I didn’t just work anywhere. I was interested in particular scenes and worked my way through some cool restaurants. I picked up knife skills, things like that. I had \u003ci>The Joy of Cooking\u003c/i> memorized by the time I was on the sea. I started working at a vegetarian restaurant back then near the university. Imagine quinoa in Iowa in ‘98. Seitan burritos. Things like that. It’s not like today. We were next to a university, and here I am in the courtyard serving shiitake corn soup and people are asking me about sodium. We had some really challenging customers. But you take that to sea. You can’t have everything you want. And food should make you feel well emotionally, spiritually, economically, physically — you shouldn’t live on a militant diet forever. Chicken dumplings will get you right, know what I mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927942\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13927942\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A middle-aged woman in glasses stands behind sa deli counter, her blonde hair tied in a bun.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A deli employee is ready take down a sandwich order. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We’re here to nourish people and give. It’s all about giving. Whoever is trying to prove themselves with food, I’m not interested. My 75-year-old neighbor will roast the hell out of a chicken, that’s what I’m into. The best food is at home, hands down. I only go to restaurants when I’m lazy or for social reasons, maybe the food makes me feel good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.331fish.com/\">Fish\u003c/a> — that’s a restaurant here in Sausalito — it makes me feel amazing. It’s sustainable with crazy views, but don’t go in the middle of a rush. Hit that up in the side hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You have creatively named sandwiches on \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.daveyjonesdeli.com/menu\">\u003cb>your menu\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb> with a notable array of options — from the housemade hummus in the “Vulcan Wrap” to the veggielicious “Kerouwhack” or the BBQ brisket and bacon in the “Mr. L.” Where do these original names and ideas come from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hate sandwiches named after famous people like athletes (laughs). These are named after staff workers and former employees. Each one reminds me of them. Mr. L was a staff member here, who was re-entering society. He would just make sandwiches. Kerouwahck came from a fun guy, Pinky — he wanted to become a vegetarian, so he made that [sandwich] as a savory and sweet affair. These workers pretty much invented the sandwiches themselves using my kits. Some of them were jokes. A guy came in the door once and stared at all the ingredients on the menu for about 10 minutes, then ordered his sandwich. We named it after him, and will name them [after customers] if they’re fucking clever. [That particular customer] just looked like someone’s uncle, so that’s what we named it “Uncle’s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We only have two rules here. Rule #1: no fire, no fryer. Rule #2: no additives or preservatives. That’s why we’re not in the salami game. I like it, but it’s not very healthy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927900\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13927900\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap.jpg\" alt=\"David Johnson prepares a vegan wrap in his deli's kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnson prepares a vegan ‘Vulcan Wrap,’ the most popular item on the menu. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>San Francisco is famous for its sourdough loaves. Where does Davey Jones get bread from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our local bakery is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/san-rafael-bakery-celebrates-100-years-of-making-sourdough/\">Bordenave [a 105-year-old bakery in San Rafael]\u003c/a>. Their bread is local; they’re our neighbors. Sourdough rolls are hard, and if we’re putting 16 ingredients in, it just squishes out. We rip most of the bread out of the middle to add more spinach, sprouts, cucumbers, nutrients. We can stuff delicious veggies over the bread. [Bread is] just a wrapper. The business of sandwiches is an expression of self. Dr. Jones is a bit different — we don’t do sandwiches at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s Dr. Jones?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s private catering I do on beaches, barbecues on the waterfront or on boats, picnics on Angel Island, that sort of stuff. I do it all around Sonoma, Napa — outdoor cooking. The deli can only pay my bills, and I like to travel internationally, so I like to cater. We have a website called \u003ca href=\"https://www.portandprovisions.com/\">Port and Provisions\u003c/a> that just highlights our catering cohort, nothing serious. We don’t answer emails or phones. I just like being an outdoor chef. It’s not a company, just me and some chef friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\" citation=\"David Johnson\"]“One night, I was working late and the sandwich gods whispered in my ear and said, ‘Bro, you’re a sandwich deli.’ When the sandwich gods speak directly to you, you listen.”[/pullquote]\u003cb>What’s the secret for making a perfect Bay Area sandwich?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, here’s a secret: Sandwiches are not really a passion of mine. I make them a lot when I travel, especially at my mom’s house. It’s lazy food. There are sandwich aficionados on Instagram, and I love that they love it that much. But I don’t go out of my way for a sandwich. When I was trying to figure out what the deli was, I was doing smoothies, porridge, quiche, lasagnas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One night, I was working late and the sandwich gods whispered in my ear and said, “Bro, you’re a sandwich deli.” When the sandwich gods speak directly to you, you listen. At that point, I started to wonder about the world’s best sandwiches: the Reuben, Cuban, so on. I started out making the famous ones. I got busier and had too many ingredients so had to pare it down. We have no fire, no frying, no additives here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927897\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13927897 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_fishing_720.jpg\" alt=\"an array of fishermen's supplies available inside a liquor store in Sausalito\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_fishing_720.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_fishing_720-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An array of fishermen’s supplies are available inside New Bait Shop Market. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13926749,arts_13909648,arts_13899700']\u003c/span>It’s not really about the sandwiches; I’m just a pretty good cook, and I’m nice to my people, and that is more magic than anything. I thought I might work in environmental remediation or environmental justice at one point but got no responses to any of the several hundred applications I sent out. It was like a “whoops” when I became a chef. It’s been comfy though — no commute, space for my catering. [The food industry] can be very brutal, so I have to also take care of myself. Watching those rotator cuffs (laughs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immigrants come here and build a restaurant or work in kitchens, and we [Americans] tell our kids that it’s not honorable to sweep or mop — that being in food isn’t honorable. But my uncle once told me that the only honorable work on this planet is food — farming — and it’s true. They’re the only real producers. Everyone else is just taking and being a user. I don’t think there’s any honor in the craft of charging subscription fees (laughs). I’d just like people to honor chefs and the kitchen rather than hoping kids can do something better. Food is our first basic need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12127869 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.daveyjonesdeli.com/\">Davey Jones Deli\u003c/a> is located inside New Bait Shop Market (1 Gate 6 Rd., Sausalito). The deli is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (or until sold out). \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a certain feeling of escape whenever I cross the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge into the more affluent areas of the North Bay, where ocean views extend peacefully from the base of Mount Tamalpais towards the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco’s glittered skyline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet behind every Instagram-worthy glamour shot in these high-end destinations, there’s also a blue-collar grit: sailors, dock workers, immigrants, farm laborers, wanderers and the general working class who’ve taken refuge away from the larger nearby cities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davey Jones Deli is an example of that — an old-school sandwich shop inside a Sausalito liquor store on the literal edge of land, founded by a man who lives on a boat. It’s where the “waterfront people” go to eat, stock up on fishing supplies and pick up their favorite alcohols. It’s not exactly where you’d expect to find some of the North Bay’s best sandos. But it’s where X marks the spot, and for much of the Bay Area, this quirky nautical eatery is only a short drive (or ferry ride) away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The veteran sandwich maker and owner, David “Davey Jones” Johnson, is more seaman than landwalker, and perhaps the friendliest pirate soul you’ll ever meet. (He might even draw you a map of the area and label it a “treasure map,” divulging his favorite locations for local walks with ocean views).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m a part of the waterfront, the working waterfront,” he says. “People live on boats and work with their hands. And then there’s the wealth of the hills. But this is part of the waterfront here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside the shop you can explore crab traps, octopus hooks, snatch swivels, rope and an array of other fishermen’s equipment while waiting to load up on a barbecue brisket sandwich or veggie delight stuffed between sourdough. Afterward, it’s worth wandering around the surrounding area to enjoy the nearby vistas for an ideal lunch. Trust me, even if the treasure isn’t the kind that pirates bury, those views are worth the trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927895\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13927895\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop.jpg\" alt=\"A cook prepares a sandwich in a deli kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-768x480.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_david_johnson_crop-1536x960.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Johnson, the owner of Davey Jones Deli, prepares a sandwich. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Here’s the skinny on how this sailor built a paradise for sandwich lovers in an unlikely hideout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003ci>********\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: So Davey Jones isn’t your name, huh? Where did that come from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>David Johnson:\u003c/b> Growing up I was David. Dave sounded too much like a farmer from Iowa, where I grew up. After college, I spent four years in South Africa, working. My partner was a fisherman, I was a sailor. We were running a bar in a jungle. He asked me if I’d met Davey Jones. I just said yeah, that I did. So everyone started calling me that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You ran a bar in a jungle?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, it was wild. My buddy was building a community and he wanted to create something for backpackers. I just wanted to hang around. We helped out by taking the tourist money and giving it back to the community. I imported my food and sold a lot of local fish. We had a little fish market with peanuts and fruits and things. Off the grid. Heated our own water. We had a hundred people using toilets and showers. We’d compost everything and work with the locals and became self-sustainable. We talk about organic food in the U.S.? That was no comparison. That experience taught me about DIY, build it yourself. Use what you got. The deli is like that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927899\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13927899 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"an employee at Davey Jones Deli prepares a whole roasted turkey\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_turkey-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An employee at Davey Jones Deli prepares a whole roasted turkey before the lunch hour rush arrives. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve been operating Davey Jones Deli for 13 years now — how did that happen? How did you end up in Sausalito? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I kept going back to boating, tried to live in New Orleans, Milwaukee, always on a boat in places that had water. The Great Lakes. All up and down the East Coast. Prince Edward Islands. Boston, Philly, Charleston. The great East Coast cities by the sea. At one point, in 2009, I was working on a yacht in Yoruba. I was on Facebook and got connected to my best friend from high school, who’s now my wife. She was living on a houseboat in Sausalito. I’d never considered it and had never been [to San Francisco]. I said, why not?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, I had no idea where I was. I didn’t know Sausalito was a rich city. I just knew there were farms, and I used that to my advantage. I found a reasonable houseboat situation, and my plan was to just sell soup to my neighbors, which I did for a while. [At the time] I would just be breezing through the bait shop to buy firewood, and the owner approached me to run his deli one day. I never noticed it before, to be honest; the lights were always off. It was covered in grease, and I just laughed it off and didn’t take it seriously. But after thinking about it, I went back. I decided to run it my own way, with poetic license. I was a chef at the time. My personal clients were not happy since they thought it was gross. They thought I’d spend a couple of years there and attract investors and just move on, but it has been so comfortable and I’ve been here ever since. I walk to work and it’s a super diverse community — one of the most racially diverse spots in southern Marin. I like that East Coast bodega vibe. It’s loud, fun, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When did your passion for food making begin?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started while working on educational tall ships. There’s one in Sausalito called the Matthew Turner. We take students and scientists out. I actually have a degree in Environmental Science, and I wanted to be a captain at one point. But this one time, we had a terrible cook, and it just destroyed our bodies (laughs). I took over and served some healthier organic foods and inadvertently became a sea cook. It’s tricky with our budget — there isn’t much money in nonprofit, educational tall ships. A lot of wheeling and dealing in port towns. You get creative — meeting fishermen, getting clammers and steamers by trades, finding unlikely food places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927898\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927898\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-800x533.jpg\" alt='a handdrawn \"treasure map\" with local sites to visit' width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_map.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnson’s hand-drawn ‘treasure map.’ \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Did you have any cooking experience before that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I cooked my way through college. I didn’t just work anywhere. I was interested in particular scenes and worked my way through some cool restaurants. I picked up knife skills, things like that. I had \u003ci>The Joy of Cooking\u003c/i> memorized by the time I was on the sea. I started working at a vegetarian restaurant back then near the university. Imagine quinoa in Iowa in ‘98. Seitan burritos. Things like that. It’s not like today. We were next to a university, and here I am in the courtyard serving shiitake corn soup and people are asking me about sodium. We had some really challenging customers. But you take that to sea. You can’t have everything you want. And food should make you feel well emotionally, spiritually, economically, physically — you shouldn’t live on a militant diet forever. Chicken dumplings will get you right, know what I mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927942\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13927942\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A middle-aged woman in glasses stands behind sa deli counter, her blonde hair tied in a bun.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey-jones_worker-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A deli employee is ready take down a sandwich order. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We’re here to nourish people and give. It’s all about giving. Whoever is trying to prove themselves with food, I’m not interested. My 75-year-old neighbor will roast the hell out of a chicken, that’s what I’m into. The best food is at home, hands down. I only go to restaurants when I’m lazy or for social reasons, maybe the food makes me feel good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.331fish.com/\">Fish\u003c/a> — that’s a restaurant here in Sausalito — it makes me feel amazing. It’s sustainable with crazy views, but don’t go in the middle of a rush. Hit that up in the side hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You have creatively named sandwiches on \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.daveyjonesdeli.com/menu\">\u003cb>your menu\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb> with a notable array of options — from the housemade hummus in the “Vulcan Wrap” to the veggielicious “Kerouwhack” or the BBQ brisket and bacon in the “Mr. L.” Where do these original names and ideas come from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I hate sandwiches named after famous people like athletes (laughs). These are named after staff workers and former employees. Each one reminds me of them. Mr. L was a staff member here, who was re-entering society. He would just make sandwiches. Kerouwahck came from a fun guy, Pinky — he wanted to become a vegetarian, so he made that [sandwich] as a savory and sweet affair. These workers pretty much invented the sandwiches themselves using my kits. Some of them were jokes. A guy came in the door once and stared at all the ingredients on the menu for about 10 minutes, then ordered his sandwich. We named it after him, and will name them [after customers] if they’re fucking clever. [That particular customer] just looked like someone’s uncle, so that’s what we named it “Uncle’s.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We only have two rules here. Rule #1: no fire, no fryer. Rule #2: no additives or preservatives. That’s why we’re not in the salami game. I like it, but it’s not very healthy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927900\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13927900\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap.jpg\" alt=\"David Johnson prepares a vegan wrap in his deli's kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_wrap-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnson prepares a vegan ‘Vulcan Wrap,’ the most popular item on the menu. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>San Francisco is famous for its sourdough loaves. Where does Davey Jones get bread from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our local bakery is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/san-rafael-bakery-celebrates-100-years-of-making-sourdough/\">Bordenave [a 105-year-old bakery in San Rafael]\u003c/a>. Their bread is local; they’re our neighbors. Sourdough rolls are hard, and if we’re putting 16 ingredients in, it just squishes out. We rip most of the bread out of the middle to add more spinach, sprouts, cucumbers, nutrients. We can stuff delicious veggies over the bread. [Bread is] just a wrapper. The business of sandwiches is an expression of self. Dr. Jones is a bit different — we don’t do sandwiches at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s Dr. Jones?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s private catering I do on beaches, barbecues on the waterfront or on boats, picnics on Angel Island, that sort of stuff. I do it all around Sonoma, Napa — outdoor cooking. The deli can only pay my bills, and I like to travel internationally, so I like to cater. We have a website called \u003ca href=\"https://www.portandprovisions.com/\">Port and Provisions\u003c/a> that just highlights our catering cohort, nothing serious. We don’t answer emails or phones. I just like being an outdoor chef. It’s not a company, just me and some chef friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“One night, I was working late and the sandwich gods whispered in my ear and said, ‘Bro, you’re a sandwich deli.’ When the sandwich gods speak directly to you, you listen.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s the secret for making a perfect Bay Area sandwich?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, here’s a secret: Sandwiches are not really a passion of mine. I make them a lot when I travel, especially at my mom’s house. It’s lazy food. There are sandwich aficionados on Instagram, and I love that they love it that much. But I don’t go out of my way for a sandwich. When I was trying to figure out what the deli was, I was doing smoothies, porridge, quiche, lasagnas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One night, I was working late and the sandwich gods whispered in my ear and said, “Bro, you’re a sandwich deli.” When the sandwich gods speak directly to you, you listen. At that point, I started to wonder about the world’s best sandwiches: the Reuben, Cuban, so on. I started out making the famous ones. I got busier and had too many ingredients so had to pare it down. We have no fire, no frying, no additives here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927897\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13927897 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_fishing_720.jpg\" alt=\"an array of fishermen's supplies available inside a liquor store in Sausalito\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_fishing_720.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/davey_jones_fishing_720-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An array of fishermen’s supplies are available inside New Bait Shop Market. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>It’s not really about the sandwiches; I’m just a pretty good cook, and I’m nice to my people, and that is more magic than anything. I thought I might work in environmental remediation or environmental justice at one point but got no responses to any of the several hundred applications I sent out. It was like a “whoops” when I became a chef. It’s been comfy though — no commute, space for my catering. [The food industry] can be very brutal, so I have to also take care of myself. Watching those rotator cuffs (laughs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immigrants come here and build a restaurant or work in kitchens, and we [Americans] tell our kids that it’s not honorable to sweep or mop — that being in food isn’t honorable. But my uncle once told me that the only honorable work on this planet is food — farming — and it’s true. They’re the only real producers. Everyone else is just taking and being a user. I don’t think there’s any honor in the craft of charging subscription fees (laughs). I’d just like people to honor chefs and the kitchen rather than hoping kids can do something better. Food is our first basic need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12127869 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://www.daveyjonesdeli.com/\">Davey Jones Deli\u003c/a> is located inside New Bait Shop Market (1 Gate 6 Rd., Sausalito). The deli is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (or until sold out). \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "delirama-pastrami-berkeley-opening-hella-hungry",
"title": "Berkeley’s Delirama Is Putting Pastrami on Everything",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/deliramaofficial/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Delirama\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—a new, independently-owned deli in North Berkeley—won’t officially open its doors until Monday, August 8, the place is already poppin’ with pastrami.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s because it’s owned by Cash Caris and Anahita Cann, the innovative couple who delivered popular Oakland pop-ups \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pyrospastrami/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pyro’s Pastrami\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/psychedelic_pizza_/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Psychedelic Pizza\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Both ventures earned an underground reputation for their \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yonU4-77Pgg\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">unique, pastrami-loaded offerings\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—pastrami pizza, pastrami bagels, pastrami cream cheese and even pastrami tacos. The pop-ups birthed a religious following of pastrami worshippers who have since been anticipating Delirama’s debut.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I stopped by to chat with Caris at the funky, retro-inspired Solano Avenue restaurant, we kept getting interrupted by hopeful patrons who thought the deli was open. One listened intently as Caris described the initial menu before promising to return for lunch on opening day, saving notes on her phone’s calendar. Another gentleman just kept peering in longingly from the street. Between the two of them, I’d never seen so much eagerness to consume pastrami.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/CgU6I1ZPy5I/\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s the kind of gravity Delirama has. In just a few days, they’ll start serving their constellation of quirky, homestyle pastrami goodies like “the OG Sandwich”—beef pastrami (or a vegan version made with celery root) on rye, with Thousand Island dressing, gruyere cheese and coleslaw. The opening menu also includes a Hawaiian- and childhood-inspired “POG Juice” and fresh-baked bagels and bialys (a “cousin” of the bagel with an indentation in the middle that Delirama fills with caramelized onions and pastrami bits).\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During my visit, Caris told me about the magic that goes into making pastrami—a laborious process that takes an average of 30 days—and his journey into the food industry over 15 years ago. He also hopped into the kitchen to make me one of his favorite dishes, the Reuben.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Pastrami] really is like a spiritual experience,” he told me while grilling fresh slices of meat to heavenly perfection. After one bite, I agreed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13917125\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13917125\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"pastrami being cooked on the grill in Delirama's kitchen, with slices of bread being toasted nearby\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “spiritual experience” being prepared by chef Cash Caris. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>KQED: It seems like you’ve had a long love affair with pastrami. When did that begin?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(Laughs) We’ve definitely had a long affair. The first pastrami I remember eating as a kid was from those 10-cent packs at Lucky’s. You could get thin cured meats for real cheap. My grandma would always get one pack of pastrami and I would fry it in a pan. Then, when I worked at Togo’s later on, when I was probably like 16, I saw pastrami again. I ate pastrami there every day for free. It was completely different from what I knew. I just got interested and started tinkering at home with it. I never made it in a restaurant, though, because it’s very time-consuming. When I got older, I did a cross country trip with Anahita. I started to think about different types of cuisines I could do for a food pop-up. I thought about doing tacos, American food, fresh Italian pasta, burgers. I can make it all. But the one thing I realized that I had the strongest connection to was pastrami. I could live without any of the others, but I would never want to live without pastrami, rye bread and mustard. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s your connection to the Bay Area, and how does your food reflect that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was born and raised in the South Bay; I’ve spent the largest portion of my life in San Jose. I love it, but it’s not a place for pastrami right now, unfortunately. That time is nearing though. It’s something I want to do—open more Deliramas.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As far as pastrami fitting into the food scene, the Bay is so food-centric, but pastrami itself doesn’t exist much here. The fact that it’s not here as much as I want it to be, that’s what gave us our purpose. The Bay needs pastrami. We are putting in the time and love to provide it. Certain communities already know about pastrami, but we want to spread it. Doing this with craft and originality, that’s what it deserves. I’ll never use injection or anything in the meat to speed up the process. It is owed the time and energy that it takes. It’s not easily done. To make 2,000 pounds of it and flip it and constantly check it and watch the temperatures. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, to be honest, but also the most rewarding. We want to integrate our California roots with the deli style of the East Coast.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s the most popular item that you’re bringing to your menu?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The OG [sandwich]. That’s the original, in California, in terms of pastrami. We use rye bread, Thousand Island dressing, coleslaw and gruyere cheese on pastrami. We also add “Dad’s mustard”—our house mustard. So many people have really gravitated towards it [at Pyro’s]. We’re giving them a peek into the [pastrami making] process and what goes into it. We’re not just ripping open a pack and steaming it and slicing it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I heard that you’re also planning to do pastrami tacos. I’m very intrigued.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have you had a Crunchy Taco Supreme at Taco Bell? It’s sort of like that, but not exactly. We take parts of the pastrami, those little bits and pieces that don’t go into the sandwich, and we cook it— adding aromatics and spices, lettuce, sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar. Nostalgia catches people’s eyes, so that’s why I mention Taco Bell. It also taps into my roots [as a Mexican American]. My family is from SoCal and the Bay, but my great great grandparents were from Mexico on my mom’s side. The tacos taste incredible, but we won’t add that to the menu until September. People have always been asking me to do tacos, so I think they’ll be popular.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13917127\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13917127\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a row of pastrami-topped bialys (a type of bagel) on a rack displayed for customers inside Delirama\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Freshly baked bialys with pastrami await at Delirama. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I recently kicked it with the \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916044/sucka-free-soul-the-vegan-hood-chefs-honor-southern-heritage-with-a-frisco-twist\">\u003cb>Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb>; I’m sure they’d be hyped to see your vegan options. Can you tell us how your vegan pastrami is made?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I used to live in Portland and was vegan. When we thought of Delirama, we knew we needed to have vegan options—at least 50% vegan and vegetarian on the menu—for the sake of the planet, the people. I didn’t want to use any soy or texturized protein. I wanted it all to be 100% plant-based and non-refined. Our vegan pastrami is made from celery root. It’s definitely a versatile root that is overlooked. We take the root, we brine it, smoke it, steam it. It’s chilled, then sliced super, super thin. It’s cooked al dente. We brine it again. It has this really great umami, smoky, salty savoriness. It makes for an amazing reuben sandwich. We throw it on our vegan rye, and our vegan Thousand Island sauce, get that all nice and melty with vegan cheese; it’s delicious. You feel good after it. A seitan is pure gluten and sodium. It’s like bread on bread. But this is fresh. You can never replace the meat fully, but it’s a delicious option and opens up the pastrami experience to people who wouldn’t expect to get something substantial at a deli. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where are your favorite delis in the Bay?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A really well-done deli that comes to mind is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oksdeli.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ok’s Deli\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. They do everything from scratch and have extremely talented people working there. That’s up and coming for sure. It’s off Telegraph. They started as a pop-up as well. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s also \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.picnicrotisserie.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Picnic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It isn’t a deli though. It’s a woman-owned rotisserie. They make pastrami, too. They serve it on a baguette with coleslaw. Their pastrami is underrated. They have some of the best pastrami in the Bay. I don’t think people know about it, to be honest. They don’t blast it out.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In San Francisco, we like the pastrami sandwich at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thelittleredwindow.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Little Red Window\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For nostalgia, we go to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://molinaridelisf.com/41085\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Molinari\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for sandwiches. We’re also going to check out the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sandwich_saint/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saint Sandwich\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> shop next. We haven’t been yet, but we keep hearing great things about it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve operated successful pop-ups and now you’re about to open your first brick-and-mortar deli in a few days. How does it feel?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13913592,arts_13916044,arts_13914585']It’s emotional. We’re days away from opening and it almost doesn’t feel real. It’s here though, it’s gonna happen, but it’s still hard to believe. There have been a lot of roadblocks. We tried for a while to get a brick-and-mortar. We [previously] had another spot locked down, and it was ripped from underneath us. It was a local spot. We were paying back our [loans] and everything looked set, but it got sabotaged. If we didn’t find a new spot within 5 months, we wouldn’t have been able to survive. We had used up most of our capital. It was a scary feeling. To be here now is amazing. I’m confident in what we can do, and I have pure intentions with this brand and vision. It all happened for a reason. It was a blessing in disguise because we’re sitting here now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What early experiences have shaped your connection to the local food industry?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I was a teenager, I raised some money to go to the SF Academy of Arts for Motion Picture and Television Production. But I needed a job. I didn’t have much experience, but I found a weird posting about an Israeli caterer in Santa Clara. It was a strange place with a dark, dingy kitchen. The couple running it didn’t speak English. But it smelled good. I was introduced to foods I’ve never seen before. Different spices and aromas. It took me by surprise. They hired me on the spot. I just washed dishes at first. I was young and without experience; I had to earn everything. Two months into it, the owner’s wife came over. She pointed at two bags of onions that needed to be chopped. That’s how I got into the kitchen, and I just stayed there. I eventually moved to an assistant on the hot line and kept moving up. We only communicated with body language the entire time. It was bonding, but not much guidance was given. Then I had to make a choice one day: Do I stay in the kitchen or keep making films? I was barely scraping by, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about the kitchen. So I went all in.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13917129\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of sliced pastrami in the kitchen of Delirama, waiting to be used for sandwiches, pizzas, and more\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/deliramaofficial/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Delirama\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (1746 Solano Ave, Berkeley) opens on Monday, August 8. Service will begin at 7 am until 3 pm (or until sold out). They will open every Mon., Thu. & Fri. 7 am–3 pm and Sat. & Sun. 9 am–5 pm (or until sold out).\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Pastrami pizza. Pastrami bagels. Even pastrami tacos.",
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"title": "Berkeley’s Delirama Is Putting Pastrami on Everything | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/deliramaofficial/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Delirama\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—a new, independently-owned deli in North Berkeley—won’t officially open its doors until Monday, August 8, the place is already poppin’ with pastrami.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s because it’s owned by Cash Caris and Anahita Cann, the innovative couple who delivered popular Oakland pop-ups \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pyrospastrami/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pyro’s Pastrami\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/psychedelic_pizza_/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Psychedelic Pizza\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Both ventures earned an underground reputation for their \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yonU4-77Pgg\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">unique, pastrami-loaded offerings\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—pastrami pizza, pastrami bagels, pastrami cream cheese and even pastrami tacos. The pop-ups birthed a religious following of pastrami worshippers who have since been anticipating Delirama’s debut.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I stopped by to chat with Caris at the funky, retro-inspired Solano Avenue restaurant, we kept getting interrupted by hopeful patrons who thought the deli was open. One listened intently as Caris described the initial menu before promising to return for lunch on opening day, saving notes on her phone’s calendar. Another gentleman just kept peering in longingly from the street. Between the two of them, I’d never seen so much eagerness to consume pastrami.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s the kind of gravity Delirama has. In just a few days, they’ll start serving their constellation of quirky, homestyle pastrami goodies like “the OG Sandwich”—beef pastrami (or a vegan version made with celery root) on rye, with Thousand Island dressing, gruyere cheese and coleslaw. The opening menu also includes a Hawaiian- and childhood-inspired “POG Juice” and fresh-baked bagels and bialys (a “cousin” of the bagel with an indentation in the middle that Delirama fills with caramelized onions and pastrami bits).\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During my visit, Caris told me about the magic that goes into making pastrami—a laborious process that takes an average of 30 days—and his journey into the food industry over 15 years ago. He also hopped into the kitchen to make me one of his favorite dishes, the Reuben.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Pastrami] really is like a spiritual experience,” he told me while grilling fresh slices of meat to heavenly perfection. After one bite, I agreed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13917125\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13917125\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"pastrami being cooked on the grill in Delirama's kitchen, with slices of bread being toasted nearby\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1150-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “spiritual experience” being prepared by chef Cash Caris. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>KQED: It seems like you’ve had a long love affair with pastrami. When did that begin?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(Laughs) We’ve definitely had a long affair. The first pastrami I remember eating as a kid was from those 10-cent packs at Lucky’s. You could get thin cured meats for real cheap. My grandma would always get one pack of pastrami and I would fry it in a pan. Then, when I worked at Togo’s later on, when I was probably like 16, I saw pastrami again. I ate pastrami there every day for free. It was completely different from what I knew. I just got interested and started tinkering at home with it. I never made it in a restaurant, though, because it’s very time-consuming. When I got older, I did a cross country trip with Anahita. I started to think about different types of cuisines I could do for a food pop-up. I thought about doing tacos, American food, fresh Italian pasta, burgers. I can make it all. But the one thing I realized that I had the strongest connection to was pastrami. I could live without any of the others, but I would never want to live without pastrami, rye bread and mustard. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s your connection to the Bay Area, and how does your food reflect that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was born and raised in the South Bay; I’ve spent the largest portion of my life in San Jose. I love it, but it’s not a place for pastrami right now, unfortunately. That time is nearing though. It’s something I want to do—open more Deliramas.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As far as pastrami fitting into the food scene, the Bay is so food-centric, but pastrami itself doesn’t exist much here. The fact that it’s not here as much as I want it to be, that’s what gave us our purpose. The Bay needs pastrami. We are putting in the time and love to provide it. Certain communities already know about pastrami, but we want to spread it. Doing this with craft and originality, that’s what it deserves. I’ll never use injection or anything in the meat to speed up the process. It is owed the time and energy that it takes. It’s not easily done. To make 2,000 pounds of it and flip it and constantly check it and watch the temperatures. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, to be honest, but also the most rewarding. We want to integrate our California roots with the deli style of the East Coast.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s the most popular item that you’re bringing to your menu?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The OG [sandwich]. That’s the original, in California, in terms of pastrami. We use rye bread, Thousand Island dressing, coleslaw and gruyere cheese on pastrami. We also add “Dad’s mustard”—our house mustard. So many people have really gravitated towards it [at Pyro’s]. We’re giving them a peek into the [pastrami making] process and what goes into it. We’re not just ripping open a pack and steaming it and slicing it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I heard that you’re also planning to do pastrami tacos. I’m very intrigued.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have you had a Crunchy Taco Supreme at Taco Bell? It’s sort of like that, but not exactly. We take parts of the pastrami, those little bits and pieces that don’t go into the sandwich, and we cook it— adding aromatics and spices, lettuce, sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar. Nostalgia catches people’s eyes, so that’s why I mention Taco Bell. It also taps into my roots [as a Mexican American]. My family is from SoCal and the Bay, but my great great grandparents were from Mexico on my mom’s side. The tacos taste incredible, but we won’t add that to the menu until September. People have always been asking me to do tacos, so I think they’ll be popular.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13917127\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13917127\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a row of pastrami-topped bialys (a type of bagel) on a rack displayed for customers inside Delirama\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1090-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Freshly baked bialys with pastrami await at Delirama. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I recently kicked it with the \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916044/sucka-free-soul-the-vegan-hood-chefs-honor-southern-heritage-with-a-frisco-twist\">\u003cb>Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb>; I’m sure they’d be hyped to see your vegan options. Can you tell us how your vegan pastrami is made?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I used to live in Portland and was vegan. When we thought of Delirama, we knew we needed to have vegan options—at least 50% vegan and vegetarian on the menu—for the sake of the planet, the people. I didn’t want to use any soy or texturized protein. I wanted it all to be 100% plant-based and non-refined. Our vegan pastrami is made from celery root. It’s definitely a versatile root that is overlooked. We take the root, we brine it, smoke it, steam it. It’s chilled, then sliced super, super thin. It’s cooked al dente. We brine it again. It has this really great umami, smoky, salty savoriness. It makes for an amazing reuben sandwich. We throw it on our vegan rye, and our vegan Thousand Island sauce, get that all nice and melty with vegan cheese; it’s delicious. You feel good after it. A seitan is pure gluten and sodium. It’s like bread on bread. But this is fresh. You can never replace the meat fully, but it’s a delicious option and opens up the pastrami experience to people who wouldn’t expect to get something substantial at a deli. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where are your favorite delis in the Bay?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A really well-done deli that comes to mind is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://oksdeli.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ok’s Deli\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. They do everything from scratch and have extremely talented people working there. That’s up and coming for sure. It’s off Telegraph. They started as a pop-up as well. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s also \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.picnicrotisserie.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Picnic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It isn’t a deli though. It’s a woman-owned rotisserie. They make pastrami, too. They serve it on a baguette with coleslaw. Their pastrami is underrated. They have some of the best pastrami in the Bay. I don’t think people know about it, to be honest. They don’t blast it out.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In San Francisco, we like the pastrami sandwich at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thelittleredwindow.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Little Red Window\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For nostalgia, we go to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://molinaridelisf.com/41085\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Molinari\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for sandwiches. We’re also going to check out the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sandwich_saint/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saint Sandwich\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> shop next. We haven’t been yet, but we keep hearing great things about it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve operated successful pop-ups and now you’re about to open your first brick-and-mortar deli in a few days. How does it feel?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s emotional. We’re days away from opening and it almost doesn’t feel real. It’s here though, it’s gonna happen, but it’s still hard to believe. There have been a lot of roadblocks. We tried for a while to get a brick-and-mortar. We [previously] had another spot locked down, and it was ripped from underneath us. It was a local spot. We were paying back our [loans] and everything looked set, but it got sabotaged. If we didn’t find a new spot within 5 months, we wouldn’t have been able to survive. We had used up most of our capital. It was a scary feeling. To be here now is amazing. I’m confident in what we can do, and I have pure intentions with this brand and vision. It all happened for a reason. It was a blessing in disguise because we’re sitting here now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What early experiences have shaped your connection to the local food industry?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I was a teenager, I raised some money to go to the SF Academy of Arts for Motion Picture and Television Production. But I needed a job. I didn’t have much experience, but I found a weird posting about an Israeli caterer in Santa Clara. It was a strange place with a dark, dingy kitchen. The couple running it didn’t speak English. But it smelled good. I was introduced to foods I’ve never seen before. Different spices and aromas. It took me by surprise. They hired me on the spot. I just washed dishes at first. I was young and without experience; I had to earn everything. Two months into it, the owner’s wife came over. She pointed at two bags of onions that needed to be chopped. That’s how I got into the kitchen, and I just stayed there. I eventually moved to an assistant on the hot line and kept moving up. We only communicated with body language the entire time. It was bonding, but not much guidance was given. Then I had to make a choice one day: Do I stay in the kitchen or keep making films? I was barely scraping by, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about the kitchen. So I went all in.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13917129\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of sliced pastrami in the kitchen of Delirama, waiting to be used for sandwiches, pizzas, and more\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/IMG_1136-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\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/deliramaofficial/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Delirama\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (1746 Solano Ave, Berkeley) opens on Monday, August 8. Service will begin at 7 am until 3 pm (or until sold out). They will open every Mon., Thu. & Fri. 7 am–3 pm and Sat. & Sun. 9 am–5 pm (or until sold out).\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cafe-mei-taiwanese-breakfast-sandwich-burger-fremont",
"title": "Taiwanese Breakfast Sandwiches Make Long-Awaited Debut at East Bay Strip Mall",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many Taiwanese Americans in the Bay Area, breakfast isn’t just the proverbial most important meal of the day; \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897868/taiwanese-breakfast-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">it’s also the most elusive\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It is, anyway, if you’re craving traditional Taiwanese breakfast foods like dan bing (rolled egg crepes), fan tuan (sticky rice rolls) and both sweet and savory versions of fresh-pressed soy milk. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Little by little, though, that’s starting to change. A few weeks ago, Newark’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/chefwurestaurant\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chef Wu\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—for many years the Bay Area’s only dedicated Taiwanese breakfast shop—finally \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/theluketsai/status/1416833297091489794\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reopened\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> after staying closed all through the pandemic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And now, more exciting news: A couple of months after KQED \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897868/taiwanese-breakfast-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reported\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> its arrival at a Fremont shopping plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/cafemeiusa/\">Cafe Mei\u003c/a> officially opens on Thursday, August 12, introducing Bay Area diners to a whole new genre of Taiwanese breakfast foods. It’s the first U.S. spinoff of Mei Er Mei, a wildly popular quick-service chain in Taiwan known for its tidy, quadruple-decker breakfast sandwiches. To start out, the restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday, from 8am to 2pm.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13901087\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13901087\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Taiwanese breakfast sandwich wrapped in plastic.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Cafe Mei breakfast sandwich, pre-wrapped for grab-and-go service. \u003ccite>(Cafe Mei)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Taipei, you can find a Mei Er Mei breakfast stall in just about every neighborhood; they’re your classic bare-bones hole-in-the-wall, open to the street and equipped with little more than a flat-top grill. As American fast-food chains such as McDonald’s opened in Taiwan in the ’80s and ’90s, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://thetaiwantimes.com/taiwans-culinary-diversity-a-real-mix-n-match-of-tastes/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">popularizing burgers and other Western-style sandwiches\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Mei Er Mei offered a more Taiwanese-style alternative. In addition to standard ingredients like ham and eggs, a typical breakfast sandwich features ingredients that cater to Taiwanese tastes, like slivers of raw cucumber, a heavily seasoned pork patty and a generous swipe of the chain’s proprietary sweet mayonnaise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At Cafe Mei, those sandwiches will be available hot and freshly griddled as well as in pre-wrapped grab-and-go versions. The restaurant also serves an excellent version of one of the most underrated Taiwanese breakfast foods: the Taiwanese burger. It, too, is distinguished by the seasoned pork patty, the mayonnaise and the sliced cucumber as a garnish. The optional egg on top marks it as “breakfast,” but it would make a fine meal at any time of day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13897879\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897879\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Taiwanese breakfast burger, with fried egg, tomato, and cucumber garnish visible, on top of a checker-patterned sheet of wax paper.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toppings for the Cafe Mei breakfast burger include tomato, fried egg, and thinly sliced cucumber. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other menu highlights include dan bing, or “Taiwanese pancakes” as they’re listed on the menu—including, eventually, less common varieties filled with tuna or cha shao (roast pork)—and teppan noodles, which get cooked on the big flat-top with mushrooms and ground pork. Owner Kandy Wang says that once the business has settled in, she also wants to extend her hours and add afternoon tea service—the whole nine yards, with a three-tier cake stand, mini sandwiches and macarons. She also hopes to start making chelun bing, or Taiwanese wheel cakes—a kind of pancake filled with red bean paste.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cafe Mei doesn’t, in fact, have any direct affiliation with Taiwan’s Mei Er Mei, but Wang explains that she secured the chain’s official recipes—for those pork patties, for instance—from one of its suppliers, allowing her to offer what she believes to be the closest thing you can find in the United States to an “authentic” Mei Er Mei experience. (She also owns the “Mei Er Mei” trademark in the U.S., for future expansion purposes.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13901088\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13901088\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Dan bing (Taiwanese rolled egg crepe) with corn.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dan bing with corn. \u003ccite>(Cafe Mei)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">True to its name, the restaurant will also offer a slightly fancier sit-down cafe experience than you’d find at a Mei Er Mei street corner food stall in Taiwan—eventually, that is. To start out, though, the restaurant will be takeout only, with outdoor seating, shared with the rest of the plaza, available out in the parking lot. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13897868,arts_13897936,arts_13897272'] For more than a year now, Wang has been selling her Cafe Mei sandwiches once a week, on a preorder-only basis, so opening five days a week will be a big step up. She’s grateful, though, that she’s already found a built-in customer base that has gotten more and more enthusiastic as the official opening has approached.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“They don’t just pay for their orders; they want to express how excited they are,” Wang says. “They say we brought great memories of home. That it tastes just like home.’”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/cafemeiusa/\">Cafe Mei\u003c/a>’s initial opening hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, 8am–2pm, at 43761 Boscell Rd #5125 in Fremont (in the Pacific Commons Shopping Center). For the month of August, all menu items will be sold at a 15% discount. See the opening menu below:\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13901090\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Mei opening menu\" width=\"1978\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-scaled.jpg 1978w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-800x1035.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1020x1320.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1920x2485.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1978px) 100vw, 1978px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"headline": "Taiwanese Breakfast Sandwiches Make Long-Awaited Debut at East Bay Strip Mall",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many Taiwanese Americans in the Bay Area, breakfast isn’t just the proverbial most important meal of the day; \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897868/taiwanese-breakfast-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">it’s also the most elusive\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It is, anyway, if you’re craving traditional Taiwanese breakfast foods like dan bing (rolled egg crepes), fan tuan (sticky rice rolls) and both sweet and savory versions of fresh-pressed soy milk. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Little by little, though, that’s starting to change. A few weeks ago, Newark’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/chefwurestaurant\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chef Wu\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—for many years the Bay Area’s only dedicated Taiwanese breakfast shop—finally \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/theluketsai/status/1416833297091489794\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reopened\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> after staying closed all through the pandemic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And now, more exciting news: A couple of months after KQED \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897868/taiwanese-breakfast-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reported\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> its arrival at a Fremont shopping plaza, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/cafemeiusa/\">Cafe Mei\u003c/a> officially opens on Thursday, August 12, introducing Bay Area diners to a whole new genre of Taiwanese breakfast foods. It’s the first U.S. spinoff of Mei Er Mei, a wildly popular quick-service chain in Taiwan known for its tidy, quadruple-decker breakfast sandwiches. To start out, the restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday, from 8am to 2pm.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13901087\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13901087\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Taiwanese breakfast sandwich wrapped in plastic.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_no-1-sandwich-combo-1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Cafe Mei breakfast sandwich, pre-wrapped for grab-and-go service. \u003ccite>(Cafe Mei)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Taipei, you can find a Mei Er Mei breakfast stall in just about every neighborhood; they’re your classic bare-bones hole-in-the-wall, open to the street and equipped with little more than a flat-top grill. As American fast-food chains such as McDonald’s opened in Taiwan in the ’80s and ’90s, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://thetaiwantimes.com/taiwans-culinary-diversity-a-real-mix-n-match-of-tastes/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">popularizing burgers and other Western-style sandwiches\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Mei Er Mei offered a more Taiwanese-style alternative. In addition to standard ingredients like ham and eggs, a typical breakfast sandwich features ingredients that cater to Taiwanese tastes, like slivers of raw cucumber, a heavily seasoned pork patty and a generous swipe of the chain’s proprietary sweet mayonnaise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At Cafe Mei, those sandwiches will be available hot and freshly griddled as well as in pre-wrapped grab-and-go versions. The restaurant also serves an excellent version of one of the most underrated Taiwanese breakfast foods: the Taiwanese burger. It, too, is distinguished by the seasoned pork patty, the mayonnaise and the sliced cucumber as a garnish. The optional egg on top marks it as “breakfast,” but it would make a fine meal at any time of day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13897879\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897879\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Taiwanese breakfast burger, with fried egg, tomato, and cucumber garnish visible, on top of a checker-patterned sheet of wax paper.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/CafeMei_burger-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toppings for the Cafe Mei breakfast burger include tomato, fried egg, and thinly sliced cucumber. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other menu highlights include dan bing, or “Taiwanese pancakes” as they’re listed on the menu—including, eventually, less common varieties filled with tuna or cha shao (roast pork)—and teppan noodles, which get cooked on the big flat-top with mushrooms and ground pork. Owner Kandy Wang says that once the business has settled in, she also wants to extend her hours and add afternoon tea service—the whole nine yards, with a three-tier cake stand, mini sandwiches and macarons. She also hopes to start making chelun bing, or Taiwanese wheel cakes—a kind of pancake filled with red bean paste.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cafe Mei doesn’t, in fact, have any direct affiliation with Taiwan’s Mei Er Mei, but Wang explains that she secured the chain’s official recipes—for those pork patties, for instance—from one of its suppliers, allowing her to offer what she believes to be the closest thing you can find in the United States to an “authentic” Mei Er Mei experience. (She also owns the “Mei Er Mei” trademark in the U.S., for future expansion purposes.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13901088\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13901088\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Dan bing (Taiwanese rolled egg crepe) with corn.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/cafe-mei_dine-in-8-original-pancake-with-egg-and-corn-6-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dan bing with corn. \u003ccite>(Cafe Mei)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">True to its name, the restaurant will also offer a slightly fancier sit-down cafe experience than you’d find at a Mei Er Mei street corner food stall in Taiwan—eventually, that is. To start out, though, the restaurant will be takeout only, with outdoor seating, shared with the rest of the plaza, available out in the parking lot. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> For more than a year now, Wang has been selling her Cafe Mei sandwiches once a week, on a preorder-only basis, so opening five days a week will be a big step up. She’s grateful, though, that she’s already found a built-in customer base that has gotten more and more enthusiastic as the official opening has approached.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“They don’t just pay for their orders; they want to express how excited they are,” Wang says. “They say we brought great memories of home. That it tastes just like home.’”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/cafemeiusa/\">Cafe Mei\u003c/a>’s initial opening hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, 8am–2pm, at 43761 Boscell Rd #5125 in Fremont (in the Pacific Commons Shopping Center). For the month of August, all menu items will be sold at a 15% discount. See the opening menu below:\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13901090\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Mei opening menu\" width=\"1978\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-scaled.jpg 1978w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-800x1035.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1020x1320.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/soft-openine-menu-2-1920x2485.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1978px) 100vw, 1978px\">\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"order": 9
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"meta": {
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},
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"hyphenacion": {
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"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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"order": 15
},
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"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
},
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
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},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"meta": {
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"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>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
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"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"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?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"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",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"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.",
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