The East Bay’s Best Late-Night Lao Restaurant Is Inside a Bowling Alley
In South San Francisco, Noodles and Karaoke Are the Perfect Late-Night Combo
The Bay Area’s Great American Diner Is a 24-Hour Filipino Casino Restaurant
The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983253\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983253\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eating a spread of food inside a bowling alley.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located inside the Castro Village Bowl bowling alley, the Lucky Lane 33 Cafe specializes in Lao and Thai dishes like Lao sausage, nam khao (crispy rice ball salad) and papaya salad. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\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. This week, guest artist — and competitive league bowler — Raynato Castro joined the fray.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few minutes before 9 o’clock on a recent Saturday night, the line of prospective customers that looped around the Castro Village Bowl parking lot was as long and as energized as any nightclub queue. Inside, a pair of burly armed guards in full tactical gear scanned each person with metal detectors with the brusque efficiency of a TSA screening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once we got past the security checkpoint, though, the vibe could scarcely have been more cheerful and family-friendly — your typical bowling alley mix of young couples, chatty teens and heavy-set dudes in baseball caps. We’d all come for the Castro Valley bowling alley’s Friday and Saturday night “unlimited bowling” promotion: a $20 cover charge, shoe-rental inclusive, to bowl as many games as we could squeeze in between 9 and 11 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is, my bowling-conversant friends tell me, about as good a deal as you can find in the Bay Area. And Castro Village Bowl is one of the region’s last remaining independent bowling alleys.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, we had another mission, too: We’d heard that Lucky Lane 33 Cafe, the snack bar inside the bowling alley, doubles as one of the finest Laotian and Thai restaurants in the East Bay — almost certainly the best that stays open past 10 p.m. most nights. The idea of racking up a slew of strikes while munching on nam khao and funky, fish sauce–spiked papaya salad? Impossible to resist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, we’d miscalculated. As it turns out, Lucky Lane 33 \u003ci>does \u003c/i>stay open late for these weekend unlimited bowling nights. But it stops serving its Lao-Thai menu (the whole reason we’d come!) after 8. There was no turning back, though. We’d already paid the cover charge and picked out our bowling balls. So all we could do was choose from the cafe’s other food offerings — quite a vast selection, it turns out. Lucky Lane is just a concessions window in the middle of the bowling alley, and yes, it sells your obligatory hot dogs, chicken strips, jalapeño poppers and mozzarella sticks. But even without dipping into the Lao specials, we were able to order a mostly Asian-leaning spread that far exceeded our expectations for bowling alley food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983254\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983254\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: A customer ordering at the food window inside a bowling alley.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lucky Lane 33 looks like a typical bowling alley concession stand — albeit one with an unusually large menu. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Who knew, for instance, that crab rangoon makes for an ideal hand-held bowling snack? Yes, these fried wontons are purely an \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodrepublic.com/1494147/chinese-american-origin-story-crab-rangoon/\">American invention\u003c/a>, but something about the crunch of the wrappers and the burst of hot, savory cream cheese filling hit just right when we gobbled these down between frames. And while the pork skewers we ordered were a bit bland and dry, I feel confident declaring that the Thai angel wings were the best chicken wings I’ve ever had at a bowling alley — bite-sized but plump and super-crispy, coated with a sweet and spicy glaze that satisfied our craving for fish sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe because we’d seemed so sad about not being able to order off the Lao menu, the owner did offer us a plate of homemade, sesame seed–flecked Lao-style beef jerky, which was as crunchy as thick potato chip shards. Also proffered: a bag of Thai lotus cookies shaped like beautiful flowers — nutty, sesame seed–tinged, incredibly tasty flowers — at least until I dropped the entire bag onto the ground and they all shattered into a hundred tiny pieces. We also ordered a sleeve of tater tots because why not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But all this was just a teaser. The good news is that Lucky Lane 33 serves its more specialized Lao-Thai menu until closing time every other night — as late as 10:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, for instance. So when we came back again the following week, we were able to eat our fill of all those pungent, spicy Lao flavors we’d been craving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We knew the place was legit when we ordered the Lao-style papaya salad and the owner asked us not just how spicy we wanted it, but exactly how many chilies we wanted. Three, it turns out, was the perfect number — right at the limit of our tolerance, and hot enough to light up all of the pleasure synapses in our brains. On the owner’s suggestion, we ordered a bag of chicken cracklings to eat with the salad, and the combination of flavors and textures was as wonderful as she’d promised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13982096,arts_13974383,arts_13968142']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>On and on went the parade of deliciousness. Nam khao, aka crispy rice ball salad, was a bright and limey delight, generously studded with pork skin and squishy, pink fermented pork sausage. The khao piak sen, a clear-brothed chicken noodle soup, tasted like something a home cook would whip up to cure your hangover. And my favorite, the Lao sausages, were thick, snappy, well-charred specimens — coarse-ground and lemongrassy, delicious over white rice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We asked the owner if they happened to have any jeow som, the famously habit-forming, spicy-funky Lao condiment, and it turns out Lucky Lane makes its own in-house — it’s not on the menu, but Thai and Laotian customers know to ask for it. She handed us a tub, and it was amazing: bright, tangy heat balanced against a deep fish sauce funk, with an extra hit of ginger for good measure. Delicious as a dip for the sausages and the beef jerky, or as a topping for plain rice — for anything, really.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the actual bowling, our night went the predetermined way you might expect it to go, given that one of us had brought his own bowling shoes and a bag of five (!) bowling balls, and started the evening by giving an extended lecture about “radius of gyration.” The rest of us, who’d learned everything we knew from bowling anime and children’s birthday parties, didn’t fare quite as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, we kept getting up there, with fish sauce on our breath and a sense of hope and promise in our hearts. Because the thing about bowling is there’s always the next frame. There’s always a second ball. And if that doesn’t work out, a bite of Lao sausage and jeow som will ease even the most miserable performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr />\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Lucky Lane 33 Cafe is located inside Castro Village Bowl at 3501 Village Dr. in Castro Valley. The restaurant is open Mondays and Tuesdays 4–9 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 4–10:30 p.m., Saturday 1–10:30 p.m. and Sunday 1–9 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, when the bowling alley has its late-night “unlimited bowling” promotion, the kitchen stops serving its Lao and Thai menu after 8 p.m.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983253\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983253\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Two men eating a spread of food inside a bowling alley.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/2-Eating-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located inside the Castro Village Bowl bowling alley, the Lucky Lane 33 Cafe specializes in Lao and Thai dishes like Lao sausage, nam khao (crispy rice ball salad) and papaya salad. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\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. This week, guest artist — and competitive league bowler — Raynato Castro joined the fray.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few minutes before 9 o’clock on a recent Saturday night, the line of prospective customers that looped around the Castro Village Bowl parking lot was as long and as energized as any nightclub queue. Inside, a pair of burly armed guards in full tactical gear scanned each person with metal detectors with the brusque efficiency of a TSA screening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once we got past the security checkpoint, though, the vibe could scarcely have been more cheerful and family-friendly — your typical bowling alley mix of young couples, chatty teens and heavy-set dudes in baseball caps. We’d all come for the Castro Valley bowling alley’s Friday and Saturday night “unlimited bowling” promotion: a $20 cover charge, shoe-rental inclusive, to bowl as many games as we could squeeze in between 9 and 11 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is, my bowling-conversant friends tell me, about as good a deal as you can find in the Bay Area. And Castro Village Bowl is one of the region’s last remaining independent bowling alleys.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, we had another mission, too: We’d heard that Lucky Lane 33 Cafe, the snack bar inside the bowling alley, doubles as one of the finest Laotian and Thai restaurants in the East Bay — almost certainly the best that stays open past 10 p.m. most nights. The idea of racking up a slew of strikes while munching on nam khao and funky, fish sauce–spiked papaya salad? Impossible to resist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, we’d miscalculated. As it turns out, Lucky Lane 33 \u003ci>does \u003c/i>stay open late for these weekend unlimited bowling nights. But it stops serving its Lao-Thai menu (the whole reason we’d come!) after 8. There was no turning back, though. We’d already paid the cover charge and picked out our bowling balls. So all we could do was choose from the cafe’s other food offerings — quite a vast selection, it turns out. Lucky Lane is just a concessions window in the middle of the bowling alley, and yes, it sells your obligatory hot dogs, chicken strips, jalapeño poppers and mozzarella sticks. But even without dipping into the Lao specials, we were able to order a mostly Asian-leaning spread that far exceeded our expectations for bowling alley food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983254\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983254\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: A customer ordering at the food window inside a bowling alley.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/1-Ordering-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lucky Lane 33 looks like a typical bowling alley concession stand — albeit one with an unusually large menu. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Who knew, for instance, that crab rangoon makes for an ideal hand-held bowling snack? Yes, these fried wontons are purely an \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodrepublic.com/1494147/chinese-american-origin-story-crab-rangoon/\">American invention\u003c/a>, but something about the crunch of the wrappers and the burst of hot, savory cream cheese filling hit just right when we gobbled these down between frames. And while the pork skewers we ordered were a bit bland and dry, I feel confident declaring that the Thai angel wings were the best chicken wings I’ve ever had at a bowling alley — bite-sized but plump and super-crispy, coated with a sweet and spicy glaze that satisfied our craving for fish sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe because we’d seemed so sad about not being able to order off the Lao menu, the owner did offer us a plate of homemade, sesame seed–flecked Lao-style beef jerky, which was as crunchy as thick potato chip shards. 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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>On and on went the parade of deliciousness. Nam khao, aka crispy rice ball salad, was a bright and limey delight, generously studded with pork skin and squishy, pink fermented pork sausage. The khao piak sen, a clear-brothed chicken noodle soup, tasted like something a home cook would whip up to cure your hangover. And my favorite, the Lao sausages, were thick, snappy, well-charred specimens — coarse-ground and lemongrassy, delicious over white rice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We asked the owner if they happened to have any jeow som, the famously habit-forming, spicy-funky Lao condiment, and it turns out Lucky Lane makes its own in-house — it’s not on the menu, but Thai and Laotian customers know to ask for it. She handed us a tub, and it was amazing: bright, tangy heat balanced against a deep fish sauce funk, with an extra hit of ginger for good measure. Delicious as a dip for the sausages and the beef jerky, or as a topping for plain rice — for anything, really.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the actual bowling, our night went the predetermined way you might expect it to go, given that one of us had brought his own bowling shoes and a bag of five (!) bowling balls, and started the evening by giving an extended lecture about “radius of gyration.” The rest of us, who’d learned everything we knew from bowling anime and children’s birthday parties, didn’t fare quite as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, we kept getting up there, with fish sauce on our breath and a sense of hope and promise in our hearts. Because the thing about bowling is there’s always the next frame. There’s always a second ball. And if that doesn’t work out, a bite of Lao sausage and jeow som will ease even the most miserable performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr />\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Lucky Lane 33 Cafe is located inside Castro Village Bowl at 3501 Village Dr. in Castro Valley. The restaurant is open Mondays and Tuesdays 4–9 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 4–10:30 p.m., Saturday 1–10:30 p.m. and Sunday 1–9 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, when the bowling alley has its late-night “unlimited bowling” promotion, the kitchen stops serving its Lao and Thai menu after 8 p.m.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"headTitle": "In South San Francisco, Noodles and Karaoke Are the Perfect Late-Night Combo | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968150\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Three middle-aged men singing their hearts out at karaoke while a woman placidly eats a plate of spaghetti.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At South San Francisco’s E Plus Karaoke and Cafe, the food and the vibes are both top-notch. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\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. This week’s guest artist is local dentist — and \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/18439/happy-20th-birthday-wonderwall\">\u003ci>Oasis\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> superfan — Raynato Castro.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>E Plus Karaoke and Cafe isn’t exactly the world’s most inviting restaurant. Located on a sparse, warehouse-y block of South San Francisco, the dimly lit building is easy to miss if you aren’t actively looking for the “WE ARE OPEN” banner hanging high up on the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Was\u003c/i> it open? And was it even a restaurant, really? When we pulled up at 9 o’clock on a Friday night, the front door was locked shut, and a slightly passive-aggressive signboard half-scolded us: “Sorry no dine-in, TO-GO only.” After a minute of uncertainty, a burly security guard with extensive face tattoos finally emerged and asked us, affably, if we’d made a reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had. In fact, we’d been planning this night for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reason we’d come to this slightly sketchy-looking shoebox of a karaoke joint was because, like so many of our Asian brethren, we live for karaoke — and also because we’d heard rumors that, in addition to having sweet private rooms (a.k.a. the only style of karaoke I abide) and superior song selection, E Plus also serves surprisingly good Cantonese food. Specifically, the sign in the window promises 港式西餐 — a genre of East-West fusion cuisine characteristic of Hong Kong–style coffee shops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be clear, though, the emphasis is on the karaoke. You aren’t even allowed to eat inside if you haven’t reserved one of those private karaoke rooms ahead of time. But apart from the karaoke, the place is probably best known for being one of just a handful of late-night takeout options in the immediate vicinity of the San Francisco International Airport. Both the kitchen and the karaoke are open until 1:30 a.m. every night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of which is to say, it didn’t necessarily \u003ci>seem\u003c/i> like there was any incentive for the E Plus kitchen to crank out much better than C plus food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968154\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: The exterior of E Plus Karaoke and Cafe on a dark night with a full moon. The banner on top of the building reads, "WE ARE OPEN."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don’t be deceived by the building’s somewhat uninviting exterior. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One pro tip: Everyone knows the key to a successful karaoke night is assembling the right crew. That’s especially true at E Plus, because the smallest size room will run you $58 an hour (with a two-hour minimum) even before you factor in food and drink — Lord knows, a pricey date night in this economy. But if you can cobble together at least a group of four, E Plus offers a $38 per person combo deal that’s a legitimate bargain: Each person picks a dish and a non-alcoholic drink, and two hours of karaoke time are included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyway, our group of four put in our order and then promptly forgot about it in the excitement of scoping out the room we’d been assigned, with its big, shiny couches, moody neon backlighting, and top-notch sound system. Before we knew it, we were fully in our feelings: broing out to an especially lonesome rendition of Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply” and straining our voices to hit the high notes of the late, great Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quietly, a staff member brought in the food we’d ordered, crouching down so she wouldn’t block our view of the lyrics. And would you believe that every dish was a hit?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dry-style beef chow fun is a litmus test for any self-respecting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13962284/four-kings-hong-kong-restaurant-san-francisco-chinatown-hella-hungry-interview\">Canto food spot\u003c/a>, and E Plus’s version is as solid a rendition as I’ve had recently: soft, pliable noodles and well-charred beef, all glistening with a wonderfully savory soy sauce sheen. We took one bite and knew we were in good hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another house special is the spicy salt-and-pepper fried chicken cartilage, and it’s a knockout — a generous, piping-hot portion of crispy popcorn chicken, essentially, with a little bit of extra texture for good measure. This is the ideal accompaniment to cold beer or sake (both available for purchase) — and exactly the kind of finger food that’s convenient when you want to pop something in your mouth during, say, the 27-second instrumental intro to “Boys of Summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13967564,arts_13965215,arts_13961613']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The roast duck pancake, meanwhile, turns out to be a kind of hybrid between jianbing (a kind of northern Chinese street food crepe) and a Peking duck wrap. The eggy crepe is flecked with black sesame seeds, brushed with hoisin sauce, and then piled with slices of roast duck and rolled up like a burrito. I loved the bit of crispy duck skin you get in every bite, but you’ll want to devour this quickly, as soon as it comes out, before the crepe goes limp and cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most classic Hong Kong cafe–style dish that we ordered was the baked pork chop spaghetti — a pile of sweet, ketchup-spiked red sauce spaghetti topped with two big, juicy pork chops and an outlandish amount of stretchy melted cheese. Friends, this is late-night comfort food at its carby finest (though, admittedly, not the easiest or neatest dish to share).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To drink, E Plus offers a very respectable rendition of Hong Kong milk tea, served either cold or hot. But more adventurous diners may want to try the most surprising and delightful — and most overtly Hong Kong — menu item: hot Coke with lemon. It is what it sounds like: regular ol’ Coca-Cola, heated up to the temperature of hot tea so that it loses its fizz and amps up its sweetness, then mixed with a few thin rounds of lemon. Served this way, the drink tastes faintly medicinal — and indeed, in Hong Kong it’s a popular home remedy for a cough or sore throat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I like to think it made our singing voices especially potent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Granted, there were some of us who sang with the sweet, dulcet tones of a Filipino angel … and others who, well, compensated for our tone deafness by singing with our whole chest 100% of the time — and not hanging onto even one shred of our dignity. I’ll leave you to imagine who took Whitney’s part and who stepped in as Mariah in the big power-ballad duet moment of the night, “When You Believe.” Who crooned the most mournful old-man version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind.” And who hit the high notes in “Let It Go” so sweetly and perfectly, we \u003ci>all\u003c/i> thought we’d turned into Disney princesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, the first and only rule of (private room) karaoke is that you keep those memories for yourself. Bury the video evidence. Never speak of it again. At least until the next time you get an irrepressible hankering for Don Henley and deep-fried chicken cartilage, and round up the whole gang once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr />\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eplusstudio94080.com/\">\u003ci>E Plus Karaoke and Cafe\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open 3 p.m.–1:30 a.m. daily at 490 S. Airport Blvd. Ste. A in South San Francisco. Call ahead to reserve a karaoke room if you plan to dine in.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968150\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Three middle-aged men singing their hearts out at karaoke while a woman placidly eats a plate of spaghetti.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/2-Karaoke-Room-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At South San Francisco’s E Plus Karaoke and Cafe, the food and the vibes are both top-notch. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\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. This week’s guest artist is local dentist — and \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/18439/happy-20th-birthday-wonderwall\">\u003ci>Oasis\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> superfan — Raynato Castro.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>E Plus Karaoke and Cafe isn’t exactly the world’s most inviting restaurant. Located on a sparse, warehouse-y block of South San Francisco, the dimly lit building is easy to miss if you aren’t actively looking for the “WE ARE OPEN” banner hanging high up on the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Was\u003c/i> it open? And was it even a restaurant, really? When we pulled up at 9 o’clock on a Friday night, the front door was locked shut, and a slightly passive-aggressive signboard half-scolded us: “Sorry no dine-in, TO-GO only.” After a minute of uncertainty, a burly security guard with extensive face tattoos finally emerged and asked us, affably, if we’d made a reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had. In fact, we’d been planning this night for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reason we’d come to this slightly sketchy-looking shoebox of a karaoke joint was because, like so many of our Asian brethren, we live for karaoke — and also because we’d heard rumors that, in addition to having sweet private rooms (a.k.a. the only style of karaoke I abide) and superior song selection, E Plus also serves surprisingly good Cantonese food. Specifically, the sign in the window promises 港式西餐 — a genre of East-West fusion cuisine characteristic of Hong Kong–style coffee shops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be clear, though, the emphasis is on the karaoke. You aren’t even allowed to eat inside if you haven’t reserved one of those private karaoke rooms ahead of time. But apart from the karaoke, the place is probably best known for being one of just a handful of late-night takeout options in the immediate vicinity of the San Francisco International Airport. Both the kitchen and the karaoke are open until 1:30 a.m. every night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of which is to say, it didn’t necessarily \u003ci>seem\u003c/i> like there was any incentive for the E Plus kitchen to crank out much better than C plus food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13968154\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13968154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: The exterior of E Plus Karaoke and Cafe on a dark night with a full moon. The banner on top of the building reads, "WE ARE OPEN."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/1-Exterior-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don’t be deceived by the building’s somewhat uninviting exterior. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One pro tip: Everyone knows the key to a successful karaoke night is assembling the right crew. That’s especially true at E Plus, because the smallest size room will run you $58 an hour (with a two-hour minimum) even before you factor in food and drink — Lord knows, a pricey date night in this economy. But if you can cobble together at least a group of four, E Plus offers a $38 per person combo deal that’s a legitimate bargain: Each person picks a dish and a non-alcoholic drink, and two hours of karaoke time are included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyway, our group of four put in our order and then promptly forgot about it in the excitement of scoping out the room we’d been assigned, with its big, shiny couches, moody neon backlighting, and top-notch sound system. Before we knew it, we were fully in our feelings: broing out to an especially lonesome rendition of Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply” and straining our voices to hit the high notes of the late, great Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quietly, a staff member brought in the food we’d ordered, crouching down so she wouldn’t block our view of the lyrics. And would you believe that every dish was a hit?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dry-style beef chow fun is a litmus test for any self-respecting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13962284/four-kings-hong-kong-restaurant-san-francisco-chinatown-hella-hungry-interview\">Canto food spot\u003c/a>, and E Plus’s version is as solid a rendition as I’ve had recently: soft, pliable noodles and well-charred beef, all glistening with a wonderfully savory soy sauce sheen. We took one bite and knew we were in good hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another house special is the spicy salt-and-pepper fried chicken cartilage, and it’s a knockout — a generous, piping-hot portion of crispy popcorn chicken, essentially, with a little bit of extra texture for good measure. This is the ideal accompaniment to cold beer or sake (both available for purchase) — and exactly the kind of finger food that’s convenient when you want to pop something in your mouth during, say, the 27-second instrumental intro to “Boys of Summer.”\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>The roast duck pancake, meanwhile, turns out to be a kind of hybrid between jianbing (a kind of northern Chinese street food crepe) and a Peking duck wrap. The eggy crepe is flecked with black sesame seeds, brushed with hoisin sauce, and then piled with slices of roast duck and rolled up like a burrito. I loved the bit of crispy duck skin you get in every bite, but you’ll want to devour this quickly, as soon as it comes out, before the crepe goes limp and cold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most classic Hong Kong cafe–style dish that we ordered was the baked pork chop spaghetti — a pile of sweet, ketchup-spiked red sauce spaghetti topped with two big, juicy pork chops and an outlandish amount of stretchy melted cheese. Friends, this is late-night comfort food at its carby finest (though, admittedly, not the easiest or neatest dish to share).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To drink, E Plus offers a very respectable rendition of Hong Kong milk tea, served either cold or hot. But more adventurous diners may want to try the most surprising and delightful — and most overtly Hong Kong — menu item: hot Coke with lemon. It is what it sounds like: regular ol’ Coca-Cola, heated up to the temperature of hot tea so that it loses its fizz and amps up its sweetness, then mixed with a few thin rounds of lemon. Served this way, the drink tastes faintly medicinal — and indeed, in Hong Kong it’s a popular home remedy for a cough or sore throat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I like to think it made our singing voices especially potent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Granted, there were some of us who sang with the sweet, dulcet tones of a Filipino angel … and others who, well, compensated for our tone deafness by singing with our whole chest 100% of the time — and not hanging onto even one shred of our dignity. I’ll leave you to imagine who took Whitney’s part and who stepped in as Mariah in the big power-ballad duet moment of the night, “When You Believe.” Who crooned the most mournful old-man version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind.” And who hit the high notes in “Let It Go” so sweetly and perfectly, we \u003ci>all\u003c/i> thought we’d turned into Disney princesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, the first and only rule of (private room) karaoke is that you keep those memories for yourself. Bury the video evidence. Never speak of it again. At least until the next time you get an irrepressible hankering for Don Henley and deep-fried chicken cartilage, and round up the whole gang once again.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr />\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eplusstudio94080.com/\">\u003ci>E Plus Karaoke and Cafe\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open 3 p.m.–1:30 a.m. daily at 490 S. Airport Blvd. Ste. A in South San Francisco. Call ahead to reserve a karaoke room if you plan to dine in.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Bay Area’s Great American Diner Is a 24-Hour Filipino Casino Restaurant",
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"headTitle": "The Bay Area’s Great American Diner Is a 24-Hour Filipino Casino Restaurant | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956692\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956692\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of three men devouring halo-halo and other Filipino food at a diner counter.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located inside Lucky Chances Casino in Colma, Cafe Colma serves tasty Filipino dishes 24/7. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\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 artist Thien Pham. 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. This week’s guest artist is local dentist (and \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915387/amateur-bbq-competition-comic-dentist-pleasant-hill\">\u003ci>barbecue champion\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>) Raynato Castro.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Generally speaking, there are two types of people in the Bay Area. Those who have never been to our region’s only 24-hour Filipino restaurant. And those for whom \u003ca href=\"https://www.luckychances.com/dining.aspx\">Cafe Colma\u003c/a> — the frenetic, perpetually crowded diner located inside the Lucky Chances Casino — is nothing short of a local icon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To put it this way: Ever since we started this project, I’ve been jonesing for the kind of nostalgic late-night diner that I grew up loving on the East Coast. You know the kind, with the laminated placemat menus, the milkshakes and Monte Cristos, and endless 24-hour breakfast options that hit just right at 2 a.m. Who knew the closest thing to capturing that vibe would be this Filipino casino cafe?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like any proper diner, Cafe Colma is the place you’d go for brunch with your mom and your siblings, or where the entire extended family might swing by after picking someone up from SFO. It’s also the last stop you’d make after a long night of dancing and/or drunken foolishness — for local Filipinos, that might be after the Asian rave lets out at Temple Nightclub (which is closing soon, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/soma-nightclub-permanently-close-19398549.php\">R.I.P.\u003c/a>). It’s no coincidence that the lines at the restaurant hit their peak at around 2 or 3 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was only about a 15-minute wait when we rolled in at around 11 o’clock on a recent Friday night, which gave us time to walk around the card room proper, with its bright lights, solemn pai gow tables and 90% Asian crowd. Every so often, a bleary-eyed poker player would turn around and inhale several spoonfuls of fried rice from the little wheeled cart placed next to the table for that purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Viewed in that light, the existence of Cafe Colma is purely practical: fuel to keep the most degenerate gamblers going deep into the night. But if we came in expecting a meal of cheap, okay-enough carbs, what we found instead was surprisingly homey and comforting food — and, honestly, the most enjoyable Filipino meal we’d had in months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956693\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956693\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4.jpg\" alt=\"In a brightly lit casino room, players sit around a card table. One is eating fried rice off of a little cart behind him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can eat garlic fried rice while you’re gambling. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The menu is equal parts Chinese, Filipino and diner-style American, so whether you’re craving pancakes, prime rib or stir-fried bitter melon with scrambled eggs, Cafe Colma has got you covered. At its heart, though, this is a Filipino spot. When we ordered way too much from that section of the menu, we were rewarded with hit after hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The be-all and end-all is the kare-kare, a version of the classic oxtail and peanut sauce dish that tasted like someone’s grandma made it. The oxtails and beef tripe were impossibly tender and savory, bathed in a creamy peanut sauce that’s spiked with salty, pungent bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) for extra oomph. If you’re a lover of soft, squishy foods — of picking up bones and sucking them clean — this is your Platonic ideal of a dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13955884,arts_13956218,arts_13953224']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>Filipino food is a perfect late-night food because it’s cuisine that understands how to use vinegar to cut into a heavy meal of fried meats. All told, we must have had at least three or four different vinegars on the table. There was a pink one to dress the tokwa’t baboy, a very Filipino “salad” of sorts, made up of boiled pig ears and fried tofu. And then two different vinegar-based sauces for the crispy pata — a positively prehistoric-looking pork leg with the kind of thick, impeccably crunchy skin that every serious pork lover craves. We made quick work of the pata with our bare hands, but the sauces were what made the dish: the bright and spicy vinegar spiked with chilies and raw garlic, and the thicker one that was earthy and slightly sweet, made with pork liver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying two of Cafe Colma’s most famous signatures — first, its buttery silogs, or garlic rice breakfast plates, served with fried eggs and your choice of meat. We opted for a surf-and-turf combination of bangus (aka milkfish) and pork chop, and both were fried to juicy, full-flavored perfection. Finally, to finish, who could resist the siren call of ube ice cream–topped halo-halo served in big sundae cups, especially when offered to us after midnight? “You’d better make that two orders,” we said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I used to be one of those food purists who believed that there was some objective measure of deliciousness you could use to judge restaurants, and that nothing else particularly mattered — not the atmosphere or the service or the time of day. But look: There are other Filipino restaurants that serve fried pork and garlic rice that’s better, or at least as good, as Cafe Colma’s. But sitting there at the counter as we spooned up the last bits of red bean and condensed milk from our halo-halo, a little drunk on nostalgia and the prospect of hitting a lucky run at the blackjack table, that prospect was hard to imagine.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr />\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.luckychances.com/dining.aspx\">\u003ci>Cafe Colma\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open 24/7 inside \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/luckychancescasino/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Lucky Chances Casino\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> at 1700 Hillside Blvd. in Colma.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956692\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956692\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of three men devouring halo-halo and other Filipino food at a diner counter.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Cafe-Colma-Eating-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Located inside Lucky Chances Casino in Colma, Cafe Colma serves tasty Filipino dishes 24/7. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\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 artist Thien Pham. 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. This week’s guest artist is local dentist (and \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915387/amateur-bbq-competition-comic-dentist-pleasant-hill\">\u003ci>barbecue champion\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>) Raynato Castro.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Generally speaking, there are two types of people in the Bay Area. Those who have never been to our region’s only 24-hour Filipino restaurant. And those for whom \u003ca href=\"https://www.luckychances.com/dining.aspx\">Cafe Colma\u003c/a> — the frenetic, perpetually crowded diner located inside the Lucky Chances Casino — is nothing short of a local icon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To put it this way: Ever since we started this project, I’ve been jonesing for the kind of nostalgic late-night diner that I grew up loving on the East Coast. You know the kind, with the laminated placemat menus, the milkshakes and Monte Cristos, and endless 24-hour breakfast options that hit just right at 2 a.m. Who knew the closest thing to capturing that vibe would be this Filipino casino cafe?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like any proper diner, Cafe Colma is the place you’d go for brunch with your mom and your siblings, or where the entire extended family might swing by after picking someone up from SFO. It’s also the last stop you’d make after a long night of dancing and/or drunken foolishness — for local Filipinos, that might be after the Asian rave lets out at Temple Nightclub (which is closing soon, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/soma-nightclub-permanently-close-19398549.php\">R.I.P.\u003c/a>). It’s no coincidence that the lines at the restaurant hit their peak at around 2 or 3 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was only about a 15-minute wait when we rolled in at around 11 o’clock on a recent Friday night, which gave us time to walk around the card room proper, with its bright lights, solemn pai gow tables and 90% Asian crowd. Every so often, a bleary-eyed poker player would turn around and inhale several spoonfuls of fried rice from the little wheeled cart placed next to the table for that purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Viewed in that light, the existence of Cafe Colma is purely practical: fuel to keep the most degenerate gamblers going deep into the night. But if we came in expecting a meal of cheap, okay-enough carbs, what we found instead was surprisingly homey and comforting food — and, honestly, the most enjoyable Filipino meal we’d had in months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956693\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956693\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4.jpg\" alt=\"In a brightly lit casino room, players sit around a card table. One is eating fried rice off of a little cart behind him.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Lucky-Chances-Card-Room-v4-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can eat garlic fried rice while you’re gambling. \u003ccite>(Raynato Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The menu is equal parts Chinese, Filipino and diner-style American, so whether you’re craving pancakes, prime rib or stir-fried bitter melon with scrambled eggs, Cafe Colma has got you covered. At its heart, though, this is a Filipino spot. When we ordered way too much from that section of the menu, we were rewarded with hit after hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The be-all and end-all is the kare-kare, a version of the classic oxtail and peanut sauce dish that tasted like someone’s grandma made it. The oxtails and beef tripe were impossibly tender and savory, bathed in a creamy peanut sauce that’s spiked with salty, pungent bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) for extra oomph. If you’re a lover of soft, squishy foods — of picking up bones and sucking them clean — this is your Platonic ideal of a dish.\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>Filipino food is a perfect late-night food because it’s cuisine that understands how to use vinegar to cut into a heavy meal of fried meats. All told, we must have had at least three or four different vinegars on the table. There was a pink one to dress the tokwa’t baboy, a very Filipino “salad” of sorts, made up of boiled pig ears and fried tofu. And then two different vinegar-based sauces for the crispy pata — a positively prehistoric-looking pork leg with the kind of thick, impeccably crunchy skin that every serious pork lover craves. We made quick work of the pata with our bare hands, but the sauces were what made the dish: the bright and spicy vinegar spiked with chilies and raw garlic, and the thicker one that was earthy and slightly sweet, made with pork liver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying two of Cafe Colma’s most famous signatures — first, its buttery silogs, or garlic rice breakfast plates, served with fried eggs and your choice of meat. We opted for a surf-and-turf combination of bangus (aka milkfish) and pork chop, and both were fried to juicy, full-flavored perfection. Finally, to finish, who could resist the siren call of ube ice cream–topped halo-halo served in big sundae cups, especially when offered to us after midnight? “You’d better make that two orders,” we said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I used to be one of those food purists who believed that there was some objective measure of deliciousness you could use to judge restaurants, and that nothing else particularly mattered — not the atmosphere or the service or the time of day. But look: There are other Filipino restaurants that serve fried pork and garlic rice that’s better, or at least as good, as Cafe Colma’s. But sitting there at the counter as we spooned up the last bits of red bean and condensed milk from our halo-halo, a little drunk on nostalgia and the prospect of hitting a lucky run at the blackjack table, that prospect was hard to imagine.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr />\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.luckychances.com/dining.aspx\">\u003ci>Cafe Colma\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open 24/7 inside \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/luckychancescasino/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Lucky Chances Casino\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> at 1700 Hillside Blvd. in Colma.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "amateur-bbq-competition-comic-dentist-pleasant-hill",
"title": "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill",
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"headTitle": "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915393\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg\" alt=\"Black-and-white images of a man grilling pork ribs, sitting next to a smoker. The text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill, by Raynato Castro (Color by Alex Culang). \" width=\"600\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00-160x135.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915394\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg\" alt=\"A man loads boxes into the truck of his car. Text reads, "It's early, Saturday morning. Everyone's asleep." "Aagh, I need a bigger car." "OK, if I win this cook-off, I'm selling the hatchback and buying a truck."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915395\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg\" alt=\"A cooler and other equipment sit in the trunk of the car in the half-darkness. Text reads, "Today is the 'Back 40 Texas Barbecue 5th Annual Amateur Rib Cook-Off' in Pleasant Hill. Rolls off the tongue." "It's my third barbecue competition ever."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915396\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of a group of barbecue hobbyists lined up in a row. Text reads, "My first one was only a month ago at the King of the County Cook-Off in Martinez. My team placed 7th out of 24 teams." "Not bad for a first showing."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915397\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg\" alt=\"The same row of people as the previous panel, but all but two men have faded away. Text reads, "The second cook-off was two weeks later at the Clayton BBQ Cook-Off. My team had shrunk down to just me and one friend." "We placed 12th out of 28 teams."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915398\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg\" alt=\"One remaining man looks fearfully in both directions. Text reads, "This time, I'm on my own." "But I'm kind looking forward to it."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915399\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg\" alt=\"Side by side illustration of the same man: on the left, he's a grillmaster holding a pair of tongs. On the right, he's wearing a dentist's white coat and holding a giant toothbrush. Text reads, "You see, when I'm not doing barbecue, I'm actually a full-time dentist." "I'm constantly busy, trying to keep patients and staff happy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915400\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg\" alt=\"A giant set of dentures holding a pork rib between its teeth. Text reads, "When I compete in this cook-off, I get to do it all by myself. I won't be anyone's captain or boss. No training anyone, no setting of expectations. If I win, it's all me. If I lose..." "...it's all me."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg\" alt=\"A dentist wearing magnifying eyeglasses peers under the lid of a barbecue smoker, only to see a 7th place trophy. Text reads, "Aw, crud." "Dentists have to be detail-oriented to work on people's teeth. I carry these high standards over to my cooking. I like to think that this is my secret advantage in BBQ." "Though it hasn't panned out in the last two cook-offs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915402\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg\" alt=\"In a dark bedroom, a man kisses his wife and baby, who are still sleeping. Text reads, "Smooch." "I'll see you later."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915403\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg\" alt=\"The sun is rising between two purple-blue hills, as a single car with its headlights on drives down the winding road. Text reads, "Years ago, I was driving my sister-in-law down the same road I'm driving on right now. Sister-in-law told me, 'Ray, Lindsey is so beautiful. And you, you're so ugly!' That's how she makes conversation." "At family barbecues, she also made sure to let me know what she thought of my cooking."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915404\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg\" alt=\"Three pieces of meat on a grill, glowing as orange flames come up through the grate. Text reads, "Ray, everything's burnt. Who's gonna eat this?!" "Aiyah! So stupid." "Hey, the first batch always gets kinda burnt...the coals are hot!" "She was right. I sucked. No one else had ever pointed that out." \" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915406\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg\" alt=\"Spotlight shines down on a queen sitting in her throne while a man in an apron holds up a bone-in hame over his head. Text reads, "I saw it as a challenge. It was for honor! I had to save face." "My wife thinks it's hilarious that my sister-in-law is my inspiration for getting good at BBQ." "But it's true." "Thank you, sister-in-law, for being my BBQ tiger mom." "Good. You're still ugly."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915407\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg\" alt=\"A car pulls up to a old-fashioned saloon style restaurant with an orange facade. Text reads, "All right, I'm here!" "I make it to Back Forty Texas BBQ. It's a popular restaurant that made its name by winning lots of People's Choice competitions, like the one in Reno attended by 400,000 people!" "Every year they host an amateur cook-off to let regular guys like me feel like rock stars for the day."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915408\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg\" alt=\"A stack of $20 bills and a gold plaque that reads, "1st Place 2019, Your Name Here, Amateur Rib Cook-Off." Text reads, "First place wins $600 and a gift card to the restaurant. Even more impressive, the winner's name is etched on a plaque at the front of the restaurant for all to admire." "Don't they know that dentists don't like plaque? Sorry, everyone."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915409\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg\" alt=\"Two older men clink glasses while standing in front of their own respective smokers. Text reads, "Why would a person even want to compete? Because of the camaraderie. Because of the rivalry. Because it's fun." "Because after doing a hobby for so many years, you want to see how your skills stack up."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915410\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg\" alt=\"The same two men from the previous panel, now battling against each other as though in a arcade fighting game. Text reads, "It's like playing the multiplayer after finishing the singleplayer in a video game. It keeps it fresh!" "You can compete in literally anything, so why not BBQ?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915411\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg\" alt=\"Man unloads crate from his car in the early morning light. Text reads, "Oh boy, there are those guys that won 3rd place at Clayton." "The competition takes place in the parking lot of the restaurant. Everyone's unloading their trucks (and not hatchbacks). "This is the chest-puffing, ego-checking part of the day."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915412\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg\" alt=\"Man looks nervously at a table covered with first place trophies. Text reads, "I walk past the other tables and try not to get too distracted." "Look at these trophies. Wait—they put me right next to last year's winner? Uhh... I'm not nervous! I'm not nervous." "Whoa! Look at that smoker! I thought this was for amateurs!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915413\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg\" alt=\"Man walks away from a tented station set up with barbecue equipment and walks toward a small crowd that has gathered. Text reads, "After setting up, I head over to where the organizers go over the rules." "...No marinades. No offering of samples to the public. Racks must be submitted by 1pm. Fires out by 2 pm... and have fun!" "There are lots of smiles, but also lots of poker faces."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915414\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg\" alt=\"A 19th century-style tycoon runs away carrying a golden piece of brisket (marked "A5 Wagyu") while a regular guy chases him holding a burning torch. Text reads, "At cook-offs, competitors usually bring their own meats to cook that day. To get an edge, many teams will use the best, most expensive cuts available." "Fortunately, this cook-off is nice for regular guys like me because the organizers provide all the meat."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915415\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four barbecue competition contestants look frazzled but determined. Text reads, "'Let the competition begin!' The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here! The racks of ribs are set on tables against the side of the restaurant. It's a Black Friday rush to get the best ones." "How many racks are you gonna cook?!" "Hey, these ones! Not those! Put those back!" "I'm gonna need a bigger grill!" "I feel like I'm on Chopped!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915416\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg\" alt=\"A barbecue competitor watches while one of his rivals squirts lighter fluid onto her grill. Text reads, "We're all getting our fires going. Chimneys, charcoal, pellets, wood chunks, lighter fluid. The smell of smoke fills the air, like a new Pope has been chosen." "Lighter fluid, eh?" "Yeah, what's it to ya?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915417\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg\" alt=\"The man's arms are a whirlwind of movement as he prepares and seasons his raw rack of ribs. Text reads, "And then... quiet. The chatter stops. Anyone who's into a craft knows this feeling. Zen takes over. You don't even feel like you're working or that there are others around you." "Doing the thing you've done a million times."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915717\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits in a chair facing a barbecue smoker, with a gorgeous blue sky in the background. Text reads, "Before I know it, my ribs are on the smoker. Now it's a waiting game." "If there's one thing you miss about having a teammate, it's being able to pass the time with someone." "So, you come here often?" "You know I'm an inanimate object, right?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915718\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg\" alt=\"The man finishes seasoning his ribs as a couple of fancy-looking chefs in chef hats stride past. Text reads, "Some hours go by and there's a murmur in the crowd. It's the judges; they've arrived. They are all local chefs and restaurant owners. They know their stuff." "It's time to start looking at which ribs to submit." "Oh man, it's getting real."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915719\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding an open box of ribs over a bed of greens. Text reads, "Judging is inherently subjective, but just like with any good food, the taste should be a balance of salt, sweet, acid, fat and heat." "Thought has to be given to presentation as well. Do the ribs look tasty? Red, not gray. Glossy, not dull. We eat with our eyes first."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915421\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a single rib with a bite in it. Text reads, "Last , but definitely not least, the texture has to be spot on. You want a crusty bark that gives way to tender meat that bites cleanly off the bone, but does not sloppily 'fall off.'" "It's a misconception in barbecue that mea has to be 'fall off the bone' to be good. This isn't a crockpot competition!\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg\" alt=\"Barbecue competitors are handling meat with tongs and passing boxes of samples to the judges. Text reads, "'One hour remaining! Get your trays ready!' It's the moment of truth. Teams are slicing their racks, sampling, trying to decide which is the best of the bunch." "I evaluate mine: Nice glaze. Sweet & salty. Just a little heat. Tender. My best yet.\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915423\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a playing card: the jack of clubs. Text reads, "The organizers give you a playing card that they'll use later to identify the winning team." "I get the Jack of Clubs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915424\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg\" alt=\"Three smiling men taking a bite out of a rib. Text reads, "We start crowding into the main hall for the awards ceremony. Near the entrance, a group of competitors are sharing ribs. ...Sure, why not?" "Ray, let's try yours. ...Whoa, damn!" "You really haven't won before?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915425\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits at a table with his wife and child, making a shushing motion with his hand to tell the kid to quiet down. Text reads, "Everyone's seated. The organizers thank us all for being here. We give ourselves a round of applause for a long day." "My wife arrives just in time to enjoy the atmosphere." "You smell really bad." "Shhh... It's about to start." "They begin announcing the winners."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915426\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg\" alt=\"Man with baseball cap pulled low so his face is in shadow. Text reads, "Third place. Five... of hearts." "Second place. Queen... of diamonds." "Chef's choice. King... of Spades." "Welp, I haven't been called yet. Maybe I need a new hobby..." "And... first place... Jack... of Clubs!" "Holy crap, that's me!"\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915427\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg\" alt=\"Man stands in the spotlight with arms upraised in victory as the audience claps. Text reads, "I shoot up out of my chair. My wife is surprised, but proud. She gives me a lil' kiss. Everyone's just kinda looking at us." "Then, genuine applause, starting with the fellas who tried my ribs earlier." "After two other competitions and a whole lot of self-prescribed stress, it was finally all worth it."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915428\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds a trophy with a delighted smile. Text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915429\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg\" alt=\"A red and gold first place trophy strapped into the carseat by a seatbelt. Text reads, "I pack up my tiny little hatchback. Turns out, it fits plenty. All my equipment and a 1st place trophy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\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=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Raynato Castro is a dentist, cartoonist, good barbecuer, bad guitarist and, most of all, a dad. He maintains a dental practice in San Pablo, California, and is also the co-artist of the webcomic, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buttersafe.com/\">Buttersafe\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A dentist's guide to winning your first amateur barbecue competition.",
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"title": "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill: A Comic | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915393\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg\" alt=\"Black-and-white images of a man grilling pork ribs, sitting next to a smoker. The text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill, by Raynato Castro (Color by Alex Culang). \" width=\"600\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00-160x135.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915394\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg\" alt=\"A man loads boxes into the truck of his car. Text reads, "It's early, Saturday morning. Everyone's asleep." "Aagh, I need a bigger car." "OK, if I win this cook-off, I'm selling the hatchback and buying a truck."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915395\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg\" alt=\"A cooler and other equipment sit in the trunk of the car in the half-darkness. Text reads, "Today is the 'Back 40 Texas Barbecue 5th Annual Amateur Rib Cook-Off' in Pleasant Hill. Rolls off the tongue." "It's my third barbecue competition ever."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915396\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of a group of barbecue hobbyists lined up in a row. Text reads, "My first one was only a month ago at the King of the County Cook-Off in Martinez. My team placed 7th out of 24 teams." "Not bad for a first showing."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915397\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg\" alt=\"The same row of people as the previous panel, but all but two men have faded away. Text reads, "The second cook-off was two weeks later at the Clayton BBQ Cook-Off. My team had shrunk down to just me and one friend." "We placed 12th out of 28 teams."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915398\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg\" alt=\"One remaining man looks fearfully in both directions. Text reads, "This time, I'm on my own." "But I'm kind looking forward to it."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915399\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg\" alt=\"Side by side illustration of the same man: on the left, he's a grillmaster holding a pair of tongs. On the right, he's wearing a dentist's white coat and holding a giant toothbrush. Text reads, "You see, when I'm not doing barbecue, I'm actually a full-time dentist." "I'm constantly busy, trying to keep patients and staff happy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915400\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg\" alt=\"A giant set of dentures holding a pork rib between its teeth. Text reads, "When I compete in this cook-off, I get to do it all by myself. I won't be anyone's captain or boss. No training anyone, no setting of expectations. If I win, it's all me. If I lose..." "...it's all me."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg\" alt=\"A dentist wearing magnifying eyeglasses peers under the lid of a barbecue smoker, only to see a 7th place trophy. Text reads, "Aw, crud." "Dentists have to be detail-oriented to work on people's teeth. I carry these high standards over to my cooking. I like to think that this is my secret advantage in BBQ." "Though it hasn't panned out in the last two cook-offs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915402\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg\" alt=\"In a dark bedroom, a man kisses his wife and baby, who are still sleeping. Text reads, "Smooch." "I'll see you later."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915403\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg\" alt=\"The sun is rising between two purple-blue hills, as a single car with its headlights on drives down the winding road. Text reads, "Years ago, I was driving my sister-in-law down the same road I'm driving on right now. Sister-in-law told me, 'Ray, Lindsey is so beautiful. And you, you're so ugly!' That's how she makes conversation." "At family barbecues, she also made sure to let me know what she thought of my cooking."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915404\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg\" alt=\"Three pieces of meat on a grill, glowing as orange flames come up through the grate. Text reads, "Ray, everything's burnt. Who's gonna eat this?!" "Aiyah! So stupid." "Hey, the first batch always gets kinda burnt...the coals are hot!" "She was right. I sucked. No one else had ever pointed that out." \" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915406\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg\" alt=\"Spotlight shines down on a queen sitting in her throne while a man in an apron holds up a bone-in hame over his head. Text reads, "I saw it as a challenge. It was for honor! I had to save face." "My wife thinks it's hilarious that my sister-in-law is my inspiration for getting good at BBQ." "But it's true." "Thank you, sister-in-law, for being my BBQ tiger mom." "Good. You're still ugly."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915407\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg\" alt=\"A car pulls up to a old-fashioned saloon style restaurant with an orange facade. Text reads, "All right, I'm here!" "I make it to Back Forty Texas BBQ. It's a popular restaurant that made its name by winning lots of People's Choice competitions, like the one in Reno attended by 400,000 people!" "Every year they host an amateur cook-off to let regular guys like me feel like rock stars for the day."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915408\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg\" alt=\"A stack of $20 bills and a gold plaque that reads, "1st Place 2019, Your Name Here, Amateur Rib Cook-Off." Text reads, "First place wins $600 and a gift card to the restaurant. Even more impressive, the winner's name is etched on a plaque at the front of the restaurant for all to admire." "Don't they know that dentists don't like plaque? Sorry, everyone."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915409\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg\" alt=\"Two older men clink glasses while standing in front of their own respective smokers. Text reads, "Why would a person even want to compete? Because of the camaraderie. Because of the rivalry. Because it's fun." "Because after doing a hobby for so many years, you want to see how your skills stack up."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915410\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg\" alt=\"The same two men from the previous panel, now battling against each other as though in a arcade fighting game. Text reads, "It's like playing the multiplayer after finishing the singleplayer in a video game. It keeps it fresh!" "You can compete in literally anything, so why not BBQ?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915411\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg\" alt=\"Man unloads crate from his car in the early morning light. Text reads, "Oh boy, there are those guys that won 3rd place at Clayton." "The competition takes place in the parking lot of the restaurant. Everyone's unloading their trucks (and not hatchbacks). "This is the chest-puffing, ego-checking part of the day."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915412\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg\" alt=\"Man looks nervously at a table covered with first place trophies. Text reads, "I walk past the other tables and try not to get too distracted." "Look at these trophies. Wait—they put me right next to last year's winner? Uhh... I'm not nervous! I'm not nervous." "Whoa! Look at that smoker! I thought this was for amateurs!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915413\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg\" alt=\"Man walks away from a tented station set up with barbecue equipment and walks toward a small crowd that has gathered. Text reads, "After setting up, I head over to where the organizers go over the rules." "...No marinades. No offering of samples to the public. Racks must be submitted by 1pm. Fires out by 2 pm... and have fun!" "There are lots of smiles, but also lots of poker faces."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915414\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg\" alt=\"A 19th century-style tycoon runs away carrying a golden piece of brisket (marked "A5 Wagyu") while a regular guy chases him holding a burning torch. Text reads, "At cook-offs, competitors usually bring their own meats to cook that day. To get an edge, many teams will use the best, most expensive cuts available." "Fortunately, this cook-off is nice for regular guys like me because the organizers provide all the meat."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915415\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four barbecue competition contestants look frazzled but determined. Text reads, "'Let the competition begin!' The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here! The racks of ribs are set on tables against the side of the restaurant. It's a Black Friday rush to get the best ones." "How many racks are you gonna cook?!" "Hey, these ones! Not those! Put those back!" "I'm gonna need a bigger grill!" "I feel like I'm on Chopped!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915416\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg\" alt=\"A barbecue competitor watches while one of his rivals squirts lighter fluid onto her grill. Text reads, "We're all getting our fires going. Chimneys, charcoal, pellets, wood chunks, lighter fluid. The smell of smoke fills the air, like a new Pope has been chosen." "Lighter fluid, eh?" "Yeah, what's it to ya?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915417\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg\" alt=\"The man's arms are a whirlwind of movement as he prepares and seasons his raw rack of ribs. Text reads, "And then... quiet. The chatter stops. Anyone who's into a craft knows this feeling. Zen takes over. You don't even feel like you're working or that there are others around you." "Doing the thing you've done a million times."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915717\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits in a chair facing a barbecue smoker, with a gorgeous blue sky in the background. Text reads, "Before I know it, my ribs are on the smoker. Now it's a waiting game." "If there's one thing you miss about having a teammate, it's being able to pass the time with someone." "So, you come here often?" "You know I'm an inanimate object, right?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915718\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg\" alt=\"The man finishes seasoning his ribs as a couple of fancy-looking chefs in chef hats stride past. Text reads, "Some hours go by and there's a murmur in the crowd. It's the judges; they've arrived. They are all local chefs and restaurant owners. They know their stuff." "It's time to start looking at which ribs to submit." "Oh man, it's getting real."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915719\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding an open box of ribs over a bed of greens. Text reads, "Judging is inherently subjective, but just like with any good food, the taste should be a balance of salt, sweet, acid, fat and heat." "Thought has to be given to presentation as well. Do the ribs look tasty? Red, not gray. Glossy, not dull. We eat with our eyes first."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915421\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a single rib with a bite in it. Text reads, "Last , but definitely not least, the texture has to be spot on. You want a crusty bark that gives way to tender meat that bites cleanly off the bone, but does not sloppily 'fall off.'" "It's a misconception in barbecue that mea has to be 'fall off the bone' to be good. This isn't a crockpot competition!\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg\" alt=\"Barbecue competitors are handling meat with tongs and passing boxes of samples to the judges. Text reads, "'One hour remaining! Get your trays ready!' It's the moment of truth. Teams are slicing their racks, sampling, trying to decide which is the best of the bunch." "I evaluate mine: Nice glaze. Sweet & salty. Just a little heat. Tender. My best yet.\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915423\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a playing card: the jack of clubs. Text reads, "The organizers give you a playing card that they'll use later to identify the winning team." "I get the Jack of Clubs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915424\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg\" alt=\"Three smiling men taking a bite out of a rib. Text reads, "We start crowding into the main hall for the awards ceremony. Near the entrance, a group of competitors are sharing ribs. ...Sure, why not?" "Ray, let's try yours. ...Whoa, damn!" "You really haven't won before?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915425\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits at a table with his wife and child, making a shushing motion with his hand to tell the kid to quiet down. Text reads, "Everyone's seated. The organizers thank us all for being here. We give ourselves a round of applause for a long day." "My wife arrives just in time to enjoy the atmosphere." "You smell really bad." "Shhh... It's about to start." "They begin announcing the winners."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915426\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg\" alt=\"Man with baseball cap pulled low so his face is in shadow. Text reads, "Third place. Five... of hearts." "Second place. Queen... of diamonds." "Chef's choice. King... of Spades." "Welp, I haven't been called yet. Maybe I need a new hobby..." "And... first place... Jack... of Clubs!" "Holy crap, that's me!"\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915427\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg\" alt=\"Man stands in the spotlight with arms upraised in victory as the audience claps. Text reads, "I shoot up out of my chair. My wife is surprised, but proud. She gives me a lil' kiss. Everyone's just kinda looking at us." "Then, genuine applause, starting with the fellas who tried my ribs earlier." "After two other competitions and a whole lot of self-prescribed stress, it was finally all worth it."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915428\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds a trophy with a delighted smile. Text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915429\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg\" alt=\"A red and gold first place trophy strapped into the carseat by a seatbelt. Text reads, "I pack up my tiny little hatchback. Turns out, it fits plenty. All my equipment and a 1st place trophy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\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=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Raynato Castro is a dentist, cartoonist, good barbecuer, bad guitarist and, most of all, a dad. He maintains a dental practice in San Pablo, California, and is also the co-artist of the webcomic, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buttersafe.com/\">Buttersafe\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
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},
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
},
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},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"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.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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}
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"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"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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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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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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"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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"jerrybrown": {
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"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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"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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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
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"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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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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