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"headTitle": "KQED’s Table Talk | Bay Area Bites | KQED Food",
"content": "\u003cp>September is full of special events, from a fried chicken feast on the patio at Starbelly, to the immersive and artistic Nightfishing dinner, to a visiting chef from Oaxaca at August (1) Five, to Oakland Cocktail Week. You can also read about the perfect all-day menu at Noon All Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Enjoy a Surrealist Evening at Nightfishing: An Immersive Art and Dining Experience\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Midway SF\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/AaBUoHDxgc62\">900 Marin St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nSeptember 12\u003cbr>\n7pm–9pm\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://ticketf.ly/2PfPWBa\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $125 (includes wine pairing)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130264\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/nightfishing-art-e1536036403823.jpg\" alt=\"Artwork by Isis Hockenos will practically come to life at the next Nightfishing event at The Midway.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1604\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130264\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artwork by Isis Hockenos will practically come to life at the next Nightfishing event at The Midway. \u003ccite>(Isis Hockenos)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Looking for a memorable dining experience, one that will remind you that bohemian San Francisco is still alive and well? The Midway in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood has been hosting some unique events that intersect art, food, music, and technology. On September 12, The Midway resident artist \u003ca href=\"http://www.isishockenos.com/\">Isis Hockenos\u003c/a> is hosting an autumn harvest version of her seasonal \u003ca href=\"https://www.themidwaysf.com/event/1679267-night-fishing-immersive-art-san-francisco/\">Nightfishing\u003c/a> art and dining experience. It’s more than sitting at a table for a three-course dinner: it’s more like climbing inside one of her paintings (Isis transforms one of the galleries into a three-dimensional, life-sized painting). Crawl through peacock-colored foliage, smell the lanolin of a freshly sheared, crown-wearing sheep, and taste the meat cut lovingly from a rose-colored hog. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Isis' work contains many references to her experience in food production, particularly through a feminist lens, and to her upbringing in West Marin. The \u003ca href=\"http://themidwayculinary.com/\">Midway Culinary\u003c/a> team will execute a menu carefully curated by Isis, using locally sourced food from her community of oyster farmers, cheesemakers, and ranchers. Expect a healthy dash of surrealist delight.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>August (1) Five Hosts Spice Knows No Borders, Celebrating Mexican Independence Day with Oaxacan Guest Chef Julio Aquilera\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>August (1) Five\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/AeMrPajUqKq\">524 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nThursday, September 13–Sunday, September 16\u003cbr>\nDinner: 5pm–9:30pm (open until 10:30pm Fri–Sat)\u003cbr>\nTasting menu: $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity)\u003cbr>\nBrunch Sat–Sun: 10:30am–2pm\u003cbr>\nReservations: (415) 771-5900\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/DESTILADO-carrots-e1536036839673.jpg\" alt=\"The carrot mole dish from guest chef Julio Aquilera of El Destilado in Oaxaca.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130265\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The carrot mole dish from guest chef Julio Aquilera of El Destilado in Oaxaca. \u003ccite>(Julio Aquilera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Looking for another unique dining experience? From Thursday, September 13 to Sunday, September 16, the contemporary Indian restaurant \u003ca href=\"https://www.august1five.com/\">August (1) Five\u003c/a> is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with a chef collaboration series called \u003cb>Spice Knows No Borders\u003c/b>. Chef Manish Tyagi is hosting chef Julio Aquilera from the modern El Destilado in Oaxaca (Julio was executive chef at La Urbana and has also worked at Saison and Waterbar, so he is no stranger to SF). The two chefs have collaborated on a five-course, family-style tasting menu. Highlights include BBQ Carrots with carrot mole, coconut crumble, housemade ginger-nut milk, pickled ginger; Chintextle TUNA tartar with chile pasilla Oaxaqueña, citrus; naan crisp; and Pulpo Negro with squid ink, tare, honey, habanero, kashmiri chile powder, and chile oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guests can also order dishes à la carte, and there will additionally be some collaborative dishes for weekend brunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Plan on Some Bar Hopping and Attending Cool Events During Oakland Cocktail Week\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Oakland Cocktail Week\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\nSeptember 15–23\u003cbr>\nVarious locations\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130266\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1080px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai.jpg\" alt=\"Be sure to enjoy a Mai Tai during Oakland Cocktail Week!\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130266\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai.jpg 1080w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Be sure to enjoy a Mai Tai during Oakland Cocktail Week! \u003ccite>(Oakland Cocktail Week)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The first-ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandcocktailweek.com/\">Oakland Cocktail Week\u003c/a> is happening September 15–23, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandcocktailweek.com/venues\">over 40 bars and restaurants\u003c/a> in Oakland crafting $10 cocktails that tell the story of Oakland. You can visit some favorite places, and check out some spots you’re curious about as well, like Ramen Shop, Dyafa, Farmhouse Thai Kitchen, Cosecha, Grand Lake Kitchen, and many others. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also a number of special \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandcocktailweek.com/events\">events\u003c/a>, including a cocktail pairing dinner, a Tiki Mai Tai crawl, a workshop on crafting botanical cocktails with bitters and non-alcoholic spirits, a discussion on the mezcal production process, a cocktail competition, and more. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A portion of proceeds from all events will go towards \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly/2wknA0N\">ROC the Bay\u003c/a> and their \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly/2w3EVeK\">Restore Oakland\u003c/a> community center in the heart of the Fruitvale District. The center will include a food business incubator, on-the job restaurant training, and a restaurant facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Party on the Patio! A Fried Chicken Feast at Starbelly\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Starbelly\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/KmgWuzTsAXp\">3583 16th St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nTuesday, September 18\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/starbellys-patio-picnic-series-fried-chicken-tickets-49437384548\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $45\u003cbr>\nSeatings at 6pm and 8pm\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1337px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken.png\" alt=\"Salute the end of summer at Starbelly’s fried chicken patio party.\" width=\"1337\" height=\"1003\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130267\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken.png 1337w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-160x120.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-800x600.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-768x576.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-1020x765.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-1200x900.png 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-1180x885.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-960x720.png 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-240x180.png 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-375x281.png 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-520x390.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1337px) 100vw, 1337px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salute the end of summer at Starbelly’s fried chicken patio party. \u003ccite>(Sarah Chorey)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Calling all fried chicken lovers! Starbelly's popular patio picnic series is back for the summer on Tuesday, September 18, and it’s going to be a fried chicken feast. You’ll enjoy Rocky free-range fried chicken with some fabulous fixin’s, like jalapeño corn bread and honey butter, heirloom apple and celery root slaw, braised collard greens with housemade bacon, and for dessert, late summer fruit cobbler with buttermilk biscuit topping and whipped cream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Starbelly recently secured a full liquor license, cocktails will be available from lead bartender Christopher Niles, including the Ward 9—a Boston-inspired riff on the classic Ward 8 cocktail—served punch-style for the picnic, and the Gentleman Caller, which is a Starbelly spin on a Manhattan with Sonoma Distilling Company bourbon, Suze and sweet vermouth. Cocktails are sold separately.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Enjoy the All-Day Menu (and Patio) at Noon All Day\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Noon All Day\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/um26mJQ3Yju\">690 Indiana St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nMon–Fri 7am–5pm\u003cbr>\nSat–Sun 8am–3pm\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/noon-bowl-e1536037021992.jpg\" alt=\"The outstanding seasonal rice bowl at Noon All Day.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130268\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The outstanding seasonal rice bowl at Noon All Day. \u003ccite>(tablehopper.com)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some of us like to have brunch for lunch, or maybe we’re a late-riser, or just an egg fanatic. At Dogpatch’s \u003ca href=\"http://noonallday.com/\">Noon All Day\u003c/a>, this casual café from the nearby Piccino crew has a menu that’s built for any time of day or appetite. And if you’re craving eggs at 2pm, you can have them in their Proper Breakfast ($15), which comes with two poached eggs, their creamy butter beans, braised greens, toast, and your choice of pork belly or sliced avocado (served beautifully sliced and fanned out), with a spoonful of fermented chile. It’s not only affordable, but is such a homey and satisfying dish, whether you’re nursing a hangover or just craving something comforting. (Their chicken soup stracciatella, $9, with chicken broth whisked with egg, poached chicken, and nettles is a miracle worker for whatever may ail you.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over in the healthy camp is their seasonal rice bowl ($14), currently a melange of such beautiful spring peas, cucumber, summer squash, romano beans, mixed with a ginger-scallion sauce and topped with a poached egg (you can ramp up with pork belly or avocado for $3). It’s extra-delicious with a ginger-turmeric spritz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu offers a variety of small bites (don’t miss the cauliflower potato fritters), sandwiches (personally, I find the pocket sandwiches a little expensive for what you get), salads (the produce is beautiful), and there’s even soft-serve. Come by in the morning for all kinds of house-baked treasures, including their kimchi danish, and on sunny days, their outdoor patio is perfect for a glass of wine (or a housemade chai). Can’t make it out there? You’re in luck, they also deliver with \u003ca href=\"http://www.trycaviar.com/r/amaz57\">Caviar\u003c/a> (use that link for $10 off your first two orders).\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>September is full of special events, from a fried chicken feast on the patio at Starbelly, to the immersive and artistic Nightfishing dinner, to a visiting chef from Oaxaca at August (1) Five, to Oakland Cocktail Week. You can also read about the perfect all-day menu at Noon All Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Enjoy a Surrealist Evening at Nightfishing: An Immersive Art and Dining Experience\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Midway SF\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/AaBUoHDxgc62\">900 Marin St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nSeptember 12\u003cbr>\n7pm–9pm\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://ticketf.ly/2PfPWBa\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $125 (includes wine pairing)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130264\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/nightfishing-art-e1536036403823.jpg\" alt=\"Artwork by Isis Hockenos will practically come to life at the next Nightfishing event at The Midway.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1604\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130264\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artwork by Isis Hockenos will practically come to life at the next Nightfishing event at The Midway. \u003ccite>(Isis Hockenos)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Looking for a memorable dining experience, one that will remind you that bohemian San Francisco is still alive and well? The Midway in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood has been hosting some unique events that intersect art, food, music, and technology. On September 12, The Midway resident artist \u003ca href=\"http://www.isishockenos.com/\">Isis Hockenos\u003c/a> is hosting an autumn harvest version of her seasonal \u003ca href=\"https://www.themidwaysf.com/event/1679267-night-fishing-immersive-art-san-francisco/\">Nightfishing\u003c/a> art and dining experience. It’s more than sitting at a table for a three-course dinner: it’s more like climbing inside one of her paintings (Isis transforms one of the galleries into a three-dimensional, life-sized painting). Crawl through peacock-colored foliage, smell the lanolin of a freshly sheared, crown-wearing sheep, and taste the meat cut lovingly from a rose-colored hog. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Isis' work contains many references to her experience in food production, particularly through a feminist lens, and to her upbringing in West Marin. The \u003ca href=\"http://themidwayculinary.com/\">Midway Culinary\u003c/a> team will execute a menu carefully curated by Isis, using locally sourced food from her community of oyster farmers, cheesemakers, and ranchers. Expect a healthy dash of surrealist delight.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>August (1) Five Hosts Spice Knows No Borders, Celebrating Mexican Independence Day with Oaxacan Guest Chef Julio Aquilera\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>August (1) Five\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/AeMrPajUqKq\">524 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nThursday, September 13–Sunday, September 16\u003cbr>\nDinner: 5pm–9:30pm (open until 10:30pm Fri–Sat)\u003cbr>\nTasting menu: $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity)\u003cbr>\nBrunch Sat–Sun: 10:30am–2pm\u003cbr>\nReservations: (415) 771-5900\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/DESTILADO-carrots-e1536036839673.jpg\" alt=\"The carrot mole dish from guest chef Julio Aquilera of El Destilado in Oaxaca.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130265\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The carrot mole dish from guest chef Julio Aquilera of El Destilado in Oaxaca. \u003ccite>(Julio Aquilera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Looking for another unique dining experience? From Thursday, September 13 to Sunday, September 16, the contemporary Indian restaurant \u003ca href=\"https://www.august1five.com/\">August (1) Five\u003c/a> is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with a chef collaboration series called \u003cb>Spice Knows No Borders\u003c/b>. Chef Manish Tyagi is hosting chef Julio Aquilera from the modern El Destilado in Oaxaca (Julio was executive chef at La Urbana and has also worked at Saison and Waterbar, so he is no stranger to SF). The two chefs have collaborated on a five-course, family-style tasting menu. Highlights include BBQ Carrots with carrot mole, coconut crumble, housemade ginger-nut milk, pickled ginger; Chintextle TUNA tartar with chile pasilla Oaxaqueña, citrus; naan crisp; and Pulpo Negro with squid ink, tare, honey, habanero, kashmiri chile powder, and chile oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Guests can also order dishes à la carte, and there will additionally be some collaborative dishes for weekend brunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Plan on Some Bar Hopping and Attending Cool Events During Oakland Cocktail Week\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Oakland Cocktail Week\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\nSeptember 15–23\u003cbr>\nVarious locations\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130266\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1080px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai.jpg\" alt=\"Be sure to enjoy a Mai Tai during Oakland Cocktail Week!\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130266\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai.jpg 1080w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/Oakland-Home-of-the-Mai-Tai-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Be sure to enjoy a Mai Tai during Oakland Cocktail Week! \u003ccite>(Oakland Cocktail Week)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The first-ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandcocktailweek.com/\">Oakland Cocktail Week\u003c/a> is happening September 15–23, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandcocktailweek.com/venues\">over 40 bars and restaurants\u003c/a> in Oakland crafting $10 cocktails that tell the story of Oakland. You can visit some favorite places, and check out some spots you’re curious about as well, like Ramen Shop, Dyafa, Farmhouse Thai Kitchen, Cosecha, Grand Lake Kitchen, and many others. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also a number of special \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandcocktailweek.com/events\">events\u003c/a>, including a cocktail pairing dinner, a Tiki Mai Tai crawl, a workshop on crafting botanical cocktails with bitters and non-alcoholic spirits, a discussion on the mezcal production process, a cocktail competition, and more. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A portion of proceeds from all events will go towards \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly/2wknA0N\">ROC the Bay\u003c/a> and their \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly/2w3EVeK\">Restore Oakland\u003c/a> community center in the heart of the Fruitvale District. The center will include a food business incubator, on-the job restaurant training, and a restaurant facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Party on the Patio! A Fried Chicken Feast at Starbelly\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Starbelly\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/KmgWuzTsAXp\">3583 16th St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nTuesday, September 18\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/starbellys-patio-picnic-series-fried-chicken-tickets-49437384548\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $45\u003cbr>\nSeatings at 6pm and 8pm\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1337px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken.png\" alt=\"Salute the end of summer at Starbelly’s fried chicken patio party.\" width=\"1337\" height=\"1003\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130267\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken.png 1337w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-160x120.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-800x600.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-768x576.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-1020x765.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-1200x900.png 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-1180x885.png 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-960x720.png 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-240x180.png 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-375x281.png 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/starbelly-chicken-520x390.png 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1337px) 100vw, 1337px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salute the end of summer at Starbelly’s fried chicken patio party. \u003ccite>(Sarah Chorey)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Calling all fried chicken lovers! Starbelly's popular patio picnic series is back for the summer on Tuesday, September 18, and it’s going to be a fried chicken feast. You’ll enjoy Rocky free-range fried chicken with some fabulous fixin’s, like jalapeño corn bread and honey butter, heirloom apple and celery root slaw, braised collard greens with housemade bacon, and for dessert, late summer fruit cobbler with buttermilk biscuit topping and whipped cream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Starbelly recently secured a full liquor license, cocktails will be available from lead bartender Christopher Niles, including the Ward 9—a Boston-inspired riff on the classic Ward 8 cocktail—served punch-style for the picnic, and the Gentleman Caller, which is a Starbelly spin on a Manhattan with Sonoma Distilling Company bourbon, Suze and sweet vermouth. Cocktails are sold separately.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Enjoy the All-Day Menu (and Patio) at Noon All Day\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Noon All Day\u003c/b>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/um26mJQ3Yju\">690 Indiana St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nMon–Fri 7am–5pm\u003cbr>\nSat–Sun 8am–3pm\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_130268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/09/noon-bowl-e1536037021992.jpg\" alt=\"The outstanding seasonal rice bowl at Noon All Day.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\" class=\"size-full wp-image-130268\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The outstanding seasonal rice bowl at Noon All Day. \u003ccite>(tablehopper.com)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some of us like to have brunch for lunch, or maybe we’re a late-riser, or just an egg fanatic. At Dogpatch’s \u003ca href=\"http://noonallday.com/\">Noon All Day\u003c/a>, this casual café from the nearby Piccino crew has a menu that’s built for any time of day or appetite. And if you’re craving eggs at 2pm, you can have them in their Proper Breakfast ($15), which comes with two poached eggs, their creamy butter beans, braised greens, toast, and your choice of pork belly or sliced avocado (served beautifully sliced and fanned out), with a spoonful of fermented chile. It’s not only affordable, but is such a homey and satisfying dish, whether you’re nursing a hangover or just craving something comforting. (Their chicken soup stracciatella, $9, with chicken broth whisked with egg, poached chicken, and nettles is a miracle worker for whatever may ail you.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over in the healthy camp is their seasonal rice bowl ($14), currently a melange of such beautiful spring peas, cucumber, summer squash, romano beans, mixed with a ginger-scallion sauce and topped with a poached egg (you can ramp up with pork belly or avocado for $3). It’s extra-delicious with a ginger-turmeric spritz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu offers a variety of small bites (don’t miss the cauliflower potato fritters), sandwiches (personally, I find the pocket sandwiches a little expensive for what you get), salads (the produce is beautiful), and there’s even soft-serve. Come by in the morning for all kinds of house-baked treasures, including their kimchi danish, and on sunny days, their outdoor patio is perfect for a glass of wine (or a housemade chai). Can’t make it out there? You’re in luck, they also deliver with \u003ca href=\"http://www.trycaviar.com/r/amaz57\">Caviar\u003c/a> (use that link for $10 off your first two orders).\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Less than 7 percent of restaurants in the United States are led by female chefs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This statistic from a \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegram.com/article/20140306/news/303069801\">2014 Bloomberg study\u003c/a> came as a huge surprise to Joanna James, a journalist-turned-filmmaker who is also the daughter of a female restaurateur. When she decided to make her first documentary feature film about her mother's journey as a chef, restaurant owner and single mother, she had no idea that her mother's struggles to establish herself in the restaurant industry were commonplace among women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://afinelinemovie.com\">A Fine Line\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> began as a love letter to her mom, chronicling the difficulties Val James overcame — from finding bank loans to babysitters — as she established her own restaurant in the early 1990s in central Massachusetts. Eventually the documentary grew into a much bigger story filled with dozens of additional voices from across the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I suddenly realized that what my mother had faced was part of a larger discussion,\" says James. \"I wanted my mom's story to be the compelling factor that moved everything forward, but to also weave in the stories of other female chefs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the scope of the film grew, Joanna James went to \u003ca href=\"https://womenchefs.org\">Women Chefs & Restaurateurs\u003c/a>, a networking association for women in the culinary industry, for financial help in 2016. Chef \u003ca href=\"https://www.eatyourpizza.com/our-story/\">Ruth Gresser\u003c/a>, who owns four restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area and was serving as president of WCR's board of directors at the time, felt it was a project worth supporting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"One of the things that I'm very aware of,\" says Gresser, \"is how immensely the food and restaurant business has changed during the 40 years that I've been involved in the industry — yet how little has changed for women during the same time. We need to expand the conversation about supporting women into leadership.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant industry is generally regarded as unfriendly to women, whether it's frequent \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/12/14/570863486/allegations-against-celebrity-chefs-reveal-abuse-in-the-restaurant-industry\">sexual harassment in the workplace\u003c/a> or nonexistent family leave policies. In the 21st century, women still struggle to advance within restaurant kitchens and can find it next to impossible to find funding to open their own restaurants. This is despite the fact that more than \u003ca href=\"http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/03/14/female_students_outnumber_males_at_the_culinary_institute_of_america_for.html\">half the students\u003c/a> at the Culinary Institute of America are now women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James and her co-producer, Katy Jordan, are both first-time moms. Now traveling the country sharing the documentary at film festivals and seeking distribution for theatrical release, they have become keenly aware of the struggle to balance work and family. In particular, Jordan was struck by an interview in the film with Michelin-starred chef \u003ca href=\"https://www.barbaralynch.com/about-barbara/\">Barbara Lynch\u003c/a> in which Lynch describes coming back to her restaurant just two weeks postpartum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Barbara talks about breastfeeding and butchering at the same time, and it always gets a laugh from the audience,\" says Jordan. \"But at the same time, there's something vulgar about that. You get a sense from the women in the audience, no matter what industry they work in, that yes, that's the way it is. That's how you keep your job.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, restaurants are typically known for long work days, often 12 or 14 hours. But the female restaurateurs profiled in the film see no reason why restaurants can't be structured to allow for work-life balance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"First of all,\" says Lynch, \"wherever you choose to work, you need to be treated with dignity.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lynch, that might mean helping some of her 400 employees — male and female — with paying off student loans, or providing boxes of groceries for new moms on her staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Val's Restaurant, Val James has an open door policy at her office, where many of her employees refer to her as a second mom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Everybody has their worries,\" she says. \"It's always nice to find that person who will sit down with you and say, 'It's going to be OK. Let's figure something out.' \"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, as Iron Chef \u003ca href=\"http://catcora.com/about-cat/\">Cat Cora\u003c/a> points out, sometimes, it's all about getting the job in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just 20 years ago, Cora, fresh out of culinary school, wanted to work in a kitchen in France so that she could continue to hone her skills. Instead, she received eight rejection letters, which all stated in no uncertain terms that women simply were not hired to work in the kitchen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the owner of several restaurants, she says, \"They said that to the wrong girl. It just made me more determined to show that I could get into a French kitchen and kill it. It was a turning point for me.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For women of color looking for advancement in the food industry, it can be even more difficult to find opportunities. In the film, African-American chef \u003ca href=\"https://mic.com/articles/189207/mashama-bailey-is-the-first-african-american-woman-nominated-for-best-chef-at-the-james-beard-awards#.MaQNonuo5\">Mashama Bailey\u003c/a> points out that the building that houses her restaurant was once a segregated bus station: \"When I came into the building, it was really humbling. I know the people who were in this space — going to ride the bus, sitting in that little tiny back waiting room — did not think that someone like me would be a co-owner or be in this space at all running it.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's one of many moments in \u003cem>A Fine Line\u003c/em> that resonated with chef \u003ca href=\"https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/429-elle-simone-discusses-her-unexpected-transition-from-food-stylist-to-tv-personality\">Elle Simone\u003c/a>, a food stylist who is also the first African-American cast member on the PBS series \u003cem>America's Test Kitchen\u003c/em> and founder of SheChef, a networking group for women of color in the food industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's a lack of representation in the top spots,\" says Simone, \"of women in general and women of color in particular. I saw that early on when I was an intern at the Food Network, especially as someone who wasn't coming from one of the big culinary schools, but from a school where all my classmates were black and brown people. I was lucky, but most people at the smaller schools don't even have the opportunity to get those internships, and even when you do, you don't usually see someone in charge who looks like you.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many female chefs believe that offering mentorships and apprenticeships, as well as having women and women of color in leadership positions, is critical to establishing equal opportunities within the workplace and policies that provide more work-life balance. And organizations like the James Beard Foundation and Les Dames d'Escoffier have established programs aimed specifically at helping women advance within the culinary industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James and Jordan have also begun connecting with local women legislators and entrepreneurs in the cities where the film has been showing to push for paid maternal leave, early childhood education programs, and equal pay for equal work — issues that they see as critical to helping female chefs gain traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think what we need to create,\" says James, \"is an 'old girls' club,' with female accountants, tax attorneys, and so forth, who can help women in the culinary field achieve their goals. Good food is important, but it's about so much more than food.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A Fine Line\u003c/em> will be screened in a number of film festivals around the country this fall. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Women+Chefs+Still+Walk+%27A+Fine+Line%27+In+The+Kitchen&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Less than 7 percent of restaurants in the United States are led by female chefs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This statistic from a \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegram.com/article/20140306/news/303069801\">2014 Bloomberg study\u003c/a> came as a huge surprise to Joanna James, a journalist-turned-filmmaker who is also the daughter of a female restaurateur. When she decided to make her first documentary feature film about her mother's journey as a chef, restaurant owner and single mother, she had no idea that her mother's struggles to establish herself in the restaurant industry were commonplace among women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://afinelinemovie.com\">A Fine Line\u003c/a>,\u003c/em> began as a love letter to her mom, chronicling the difficulties Val James overcame — from finding bank loans to babysitters — as she established her own restaurant in the early 1990s in central Massachusetts. Eventually the documentary grew into a much bigger story filled with dozens of additional voices from across the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I suddenly realized that what my mother had faced was part of a larger discussion,\" says James. \"I wanted my mom's story to be the compelling factor that moved everything forward, but to also weave in the stories of other female chefs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the scope of the film grew, Joanna James went to \u003ca href=\"https://womenchefs.org\">Women Chefs & Restaurateurs\u003c/a>, a networking association for women in the culinary industry, for financial help in 2016. Chef \u003ca href=\"https://www.eatyourpizza.com/our-story/\">Ruth Gresser\u003c/a>, who owns four restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area and was serving as president of WCR's board of directors at the time, felt it was a project worth supporting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"One of the things that I'm very aware of,\" says Gresser, \"is how immensely the food and restaurant business has changed during the 40 years that I've been involved in the industry — yet how little has changed for women during the same time. We need to expand the conversation about supporting women into leadership.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant industry is generally regarded as unfriendly to women, whether it's frequent \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/12/14/570863486/allegations-against-celebrity-chefs-reveal-abuse-in-the-restaurant-industry\">sexual harassment in the workplace\u003c/a> or nonexistent family leave policies. In the 21st century, women still struggle to advance within restaurant kitchens and can find it next to impossible to find funding to open their own restaurants. This is despite the fact that more than \u003ca href=\"http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/03/14/female_students_outnumber_males_at_the_culinary_institute_of_america_for.html\">half the students\u003c/a> at the Culinary Institute of America are now women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James and her co-producer, Katy Jordan, are both first-time moms. Now traveling the country sharing the documentary at film festivals and seeking distribution for theatrical release, they have become keenly aware of the struggle to balance work and family. In particular, Jordan was struck by an interview in the film with Michelin-starred chef \u003ca href=\"https://www.barbaralynch.com/about-barbara/\">Barbara Lynch\u003c/a> in which Lynch describes coming back to her restaurant just two weeks postpartum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Barbara talks about breastfeeding and butchering at the same time, and it always gets a laugh from the audience,\" says Jordan. \"But at the same time, there's something vulgar about that. You get a sense from the women in the audience, no matter what industry they work in, that yes, that's the way it is. That's how you keep your job.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, restaurants are typically known for long work days, often 12 or 14 hours. But the female restaurateurs profiled in the film see no reason why restaurants can't be structured to allow for work-life balance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"First of all,\" says Lynch, \"wherever you choose to work, you need to be treated with dignity.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lynch, that might mean helping some of her 400 employees — male and female — with paying off student loans, or providing boxes of groceries for new moms on her staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Val's Restaurant, Val James has an open door policy at her office, where many of her employees refer to her as a second mom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Everybody has their worries,\" she says. \"It's always nice to find that person who will sit down with you and say, 'It's going to be OK. Let's figure something out.' \"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, as Iron Chef \u003ca href=\"http://catcora.com/about-cat/\">Cat Cora\u003c/a> points out, sometimes, it's all about getting the job in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just 20 years ago, Cora, fresh out of culinary school, wanted to work in a kitchen in France so that she could continue to hone her skills. Instead, she received eight rejection letters, which all stated in no uncertain terms that women simply were not hired to work in the kitchen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the owner of several restaurants, she says, \"They said that to the wrong girl. It just made me more determined to show that I could get into a French kitchen and kill it. It was a turning point for me.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For women of color looking for advancement in the food industry, it can be even more difficult to find opportunities. In the film, African-American chef \u003ca href=\"https://mic.com/articles/189207/mashama-bailey-is-the-first-african-american-woman-nominated-for-best-chef-at-the-james-beard-awards#.MaQNonuo5\">Mashama Bailey\u003c/a> points out that the building that houses her restaurant was once a segregated bus station: \"When I came into the building, it was really humbling. I know the people who were in this space — going to ride the bus, sitting in that little tiny back waiting room — did not think that someone like me would be a co-owner or be in this space at all running it.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's one of many moments in \u003cem>A Fine Line\u003c/em> that resonated with chef \u003ca href=\"https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/429-elle-simone-discusses-her-unexpected-transition-from-food-stylist-to-tv-personality\">Elle Simone\u003c/a>, a food stylist who is also the first African-American cast member on the PBS series \u003cem>America's Test Kitchen\u003c/em> and founder of SheChef, a networking group for women of color in the food industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There's a lack of representation in the top spots,\" says Simone, \"of women in general and women of color in particular. I saw that early on when I was an intern at the Food Network, especially as someone who wasn't coming from one of the big culinary schools, but from a school where all my classmates were black and brown people. I was lucky, but most people at the smaller schools don't even have the opportunity to get those internships, and even when you do, you don't usually see someone in charge who looks like you.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many female chefs believe that offering mentorships and apprenticeships, as well as having women and women of color in leadership positions, is critical to establishing equal opportunities within the workplace and policies that provide more work-life balance. And organizations like the James Beard Foundation and Les Dames d'Escoffier have established programs aimed specifically at helping women advance within the culinary industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James and Jordan have also begun connecting with local women legislators and entrepreneurs in the cities where the film has been showing to push for paid maternal leave, early childhood education programs, and equal pay for equal work — issues that they see as critical to helping female chefs gain traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think what we need to create,\" says James, \"is an 'old girls' club,' with female accountants, tax attorneys, and so forth, who can help women in the culinary field achieve their goals. Good food is important, but it's about so much more than food.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A Fine Line\u003c/em> will be screened in a number of film festivals around the country this fall. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Women+Chefs+Still+Walk+%27A+Fine+Line%27+In+The+Kitchen&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Five La Cocina Graduates Who Now Have Brick-and-Mortar Food Businesses",
"title": "Five La Cocina Graduates Who Now Have Brick-and-Mortar Food Businesses",
"headTitle": "New Restaurants 2018 | Bay Area Bites | KQED Food",
"content": "\u003cp>When you step inside the Outer Mission complex that houses the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lacocinasf.org/\">La Cocina\u003c/a> food business incubator kitchen and offices on a regular weekday afternoon, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the busy chefs, the delicious smells of baked goods and roasting meats, and the constant whirl of activity in preparation for the various markets, kiosks and catering events coming up in a few hours. There are spots for eight participants in this kitchen and it definitely seems like a ninth would be impossible to squeeze in. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new.jpg\" alt=\"In the busy kitchen at La Cocina headquarters.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129706\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the busy kitchen at La Cocina headquarters. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The space might be tight but the goals for the nonprofit are admirably enormous. Its mission is to find talented low-income food entrepreneurs, generally women of color and immigrant communities (a handful of men have been in the program, including the very successful \u003ca href=\"http://www.onigilly.com/\">Onigilly\u003c/a> concept). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lacocinasf.org/people\">Caleb Zigas\u003c/a>, La Cocina’s Executive Director who has been involved since it debuted in 2005, told us that the incubator’s 11 staff members avoid using words like “teach” or “empower.” These women have already identified a product that they excel at and a worthy price for it — they aren’t starting from scratch concept-wise, but they usually are just cooking for friends or selling from home. Zigas pointed out that, “They know everything there is to know about business. What they may not know is how to formalize that business into a marketplace that intentionally throws up barriers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1.jpg\" alt=\"La Cocina's Executive Director Caleb Zigas in the kitchen at La Cocina headquarters.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1588\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129715\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-160x132.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-800x662.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-768x635.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-1020x844.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-1200x993.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-1180x976.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-960x794.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-240x199.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-375x310.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-520x430.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">La Cocina's Executive Director Caleb Zigas in the kitchen at La Cocina headquarters. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We talked with five of La Cocina’s graduates who now have brick-and-mortar restaurants or kiosks. There were universal problems acknowledged by all where they could never possibly have defeated certain barriers without La Cocina’s assistance — the surging real estate prices, not speaking English well or looking a certain way being chief among them. Even La Cocina itself faces some of these problems for its proposed food hall planned for the heart of the struggling Tenderloin in 2019. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>La Cocina’s program has three application deadlines a year and information orientations for interested individuals every other month. Once you’re in the program, it can take up to eight years to go through pre-incubation planning, the incubation period, finding capital and space, the exit to that space, and finally “graduation” when the business is self-sufficient. Yes, it can be as brisk as a one-year degree in theory but is much more likely to be a lengthy medical school and residency-type of time frame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>La Cocina graduates have had incredible success in a wide variety of cuisines and business types. We talked with women serving Cambodian, Southern, Mexican, Arab and Gujarat (Indian) cooking. The current class includes Nepalese, Jamaican, Japanese and Salvadoran-themed businesses. Over 30 brick-and-mortars from graduates exist around the Bay Area (a handful are commissary kitchens).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those present entrepreneurs in the La Cocina kitchen are following in the esteemed footsteps of women who never thought they would ever call a restaurant their own. Here are the stories of five graduates who are now navigating the Bay Area restaurant scene with their own businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.besharamrestaurant.com/\">Besharam\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Besharam/@37.754276,-122.3916646,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808f7f0ce31950a5:0x7718a923d0103fe2!8m2!3d37.7542718!4d-122.3894705\">1275 Minnesota St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129719\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new.jpg\" alt=\"Besharam interior.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129719\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besharam interior. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Barely 45 diners can fit into the serene, colorful dining room of Besharam, a spunky newcomer located in the Minnesota Street Project art gallery complex, in a far industrial corner of the Dogpatch. Despite the small size and isolated location, Besharam screams with relentless character that can be as boisterous as the heat in the spiced garlic sauce served with the grilled chicken kebab and hand-rolled flatbread at lunch. \u003cstrong>Chef and co-owner Heena Patel\u003c/strong> decided on the name, “shameless” in Hindi, because she knows she’s different than everyone else — in her family, in the Bay Area, in the world — and she isn’t afraid to show that, hey, she’s running the show at a restaurant in San Francisco and never in a million years would she have expected that while growing up as the second of five daughters in the Gujarat state of India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is bleu cheese naan with wasabi raita on the menu and a giant pop-art mural by \u003ca href=\"https://hatecopy.com/\">HateCopy’s Maria Qamar\u003c/a> next to the open kitchen with a Hindi woman drinking a cocktail. The soundtrack is bumping all lunch and dinner-long with Michael Jackson, Indian pop and seemingly everything in between. It’s definitely Heena’s restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129731\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1.jpg\" alt=\"Chef and Partner Heena Patel in front of pop-art mural by HateCopy’s Maria Qamar\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129731\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef and Partner Heena Patel in front of pop-art mural by HateCopy’s Maria Qamar. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So, there are pavs (sliders, a classic street food) served with little gems and pickled shiitake mushrooms on the menu, co-existing with a grilled zucchini salad and fish moilee with coconut curry and turmeric rice. In the evening, there are shishito peppers stuffed with a tamarind and chickpea filling; edamame dumplings in a lentil broth; paratha tacos accented by a strawberry-mint chutney; and ghee-roasted pork chops. Heema puts her Gujarat-meets-world philosophy about the always hotly debated “authenticity” question very bluntly: “You can take it or leave it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129740\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Chicken Kabobs: Hand-rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129740\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grilled Chicken Kabobs: Hand-rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After all, she’s come all the way to this point from Gujarat to London to Marin County to full-time restaurant in San Francisco. She defeated the odds and has earned the right to cook what she wants to cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new.jpg\" alt=\"Heena Patel rolls dough for flatbread in back kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129737\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heena Patel rolls dough for flatbread in back kitchen. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She got a home-science degree from Mumbai University and was given the common “a or b” decision from her father — continue studying and get a master’s degree, or go to London and find a man to marry. She elected for the latter and amidst all the boys who lined up for her, she found her husband, Paresh, after two weeks. When she was 25-years old and Paresh was 30, the couple and their then three-year old daughter moved from London to Marin County on a business visa. The two ran an adjacent liquor store and flower shop in Terra Linda (by San Rafael) for 20 years. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Paneer Kabobs: Hand rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129738\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grilled Paneer Kabobs: Hand rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t easy upon arriving in California for Heena, being someone who looks differently, speaks differently and didn’t know a word of English at the time. In 1992, Heena would struggle on the phone at the shops, answering calls and unable to communicate clearly, despite her best efforts. On the other end of the line, one particularly disrespectful man screamed at her for her lack of English and to this day gets her worked up emotionally. It was not a welcoming way for her to step into a supposedly welcoming country. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting down with La Cocina alums in the past few weeks, we’ve found a theme in how there was a mutual connection that led the chef/entrepreneur to the program. That happened in 2013 for Heena where she self-admittedly had “zero idea of the food business” but “checked off all the boxes” for what La Cocina looks for. Heena really wanted to open a concept for serving her style of traditional and not-so-traditional Gujarati cuisine, and the program helped her craft a 90-page business plan…for the truck. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129742\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new.jpg\" alt=\"Besharam Lunch Menu.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129742\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besharam Lunch Menu. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Have you seen that truck around San Francisco? Nope, we didn’t think so, because it never ended up happening. Instead, she started “Rasoi,” a Ferry Building farmers' market vendor concept. Heena also held pop-ups at the likes of Jardinière and State Bird Provisions. At the latter, she served a dessert to chef and co-owner Stuart Brioza, who was beyond thrilled with his first taste, seemingly having a life-altering epiphany. Talk about the ultimate compliment and confidence booster for a shy, upstart cook like Heena.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new.jpg\" alt=\"A tray of Besharam desserts.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129746\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A tray of Besharam desserts. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then it all happened so fast with the restaurateur Daniel Patterson after La Cocina connected the two and she was invited to have lunch with him at his restaurant, Alta, in the Minnesota Street Project. Yes, that Daniel Patterson, the chef known for high-end cooking at San Francisco fine dining stalwarts like the now-closed Elisabeth Daniel and Coi. Heena was skeptical and even admitted to us, “I googled him — who is Daniel Patterson?” Recently, Patterson has become instrumental in championing socioeconomic diversity by working with Restaurants Opportunities Center United and helping aspiring restaurateurs, like Heena, defeat the odds. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the lunch, Patterson offered the Alta space to Heena. It swept her off her feet. She could cook and do what she does so well, and be helped in what she’s less experienced with. Now, two months since opening, Heena has even more respect for Patterson than before she went into business with him. Simply put — the system of passionate chef, La Cocina education and renowned chef mentor/business system is working.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/qITc3R1akO0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, the biggest question from diners for Heena has been, “Where is the chicken tikka masala?”, pigeon-holing the most well-known Indian dish to Americans that isn’t even a traditional Indian dish. (Answer: not at this restaurant). Heena has also been shocked by how savvy her customers are, estimating about 90% have an open mind (and don’t care about the lack of tikka masala) and love her adorably different, somewhat quirky concept. She also is hugely surprised by how many Indian customers just keep coming and coming, often with big groups of non-Indian colleagues and friends. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, it has been quite the journey from Gujarat to the Dogpatch for Heena and Paresh. Their 29-year old daughter is studying for the bar exam and their 21-year old son is an aspiring journalist, studying at Vassar College in New York. Everyone chips in to help at Besharam, whether on the floor or from afar. Both kids help their mom with something that is definitely not one of her biggest strengths: social media. Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Paresh helps with the front-of-house and also assists on the wine and newly-launched cocktail program with Alta Group Beverage Director, Aaron Paul. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paresh should also get lots of credit for allowing San Francisco to have the privilege of knowing what he’s known for decades — how talented a chef Heena is. Once, when she was doubting if a restaurant would ever happen, he assured her that “what you serve is basic but people are hungry for it.” He was very correct, though bleu cheese naan is definitely not basic. San Francisco was starving for the open-minded style of cooking that Heena brings to the table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129728\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new.jpg\" alt=\"Besharam signage on the front door.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129728\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besharam signage on the front door. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.huaracheloco.com/\">El Huarache Loco\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/El+Huarache+Loco/@37.9474025,-122.5116057,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80859a43f733d57f:0xdf3b9d5506983993!8m2!3d37.9473983!4d-122.5094116\">1803 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129756\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new.jpg\" alt=\"Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at El Huarache Loco.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129756\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at El Huarache Loco. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>No, there are no burritos on the menu at \u003cstrong>Veronica Salazar’s\u003c/strong> restaurant inside Larkspur’s tony Marin Country Mart. Of course, that’s one of the first things a good percentage of her diners notice on an initial visit and ask about. For Salazar, it’s pretty simple why there are no burritos to be found at El Huarache Loco — burritos aren’t really something people eat in Mexico. “Find them at Walmart” is her advice if you want a burrito in Mexico City because they serve them in the frozen food aisle (though she can’t vouch for if they’re delicious at all). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129759\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new.jpg\" alt=\"Huarache Con Costillo\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129759\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Huarache Con Costillo \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, diners will find a thrilling roster of Mexico City street food and home cooking staples at El Huarache Loco, beginning with the namesake huaraches. They are thin-pressed, oval-shaped masa “tortillas” that are often thought of as “sandal-shaped.” If you’re still having trouble, just picture a flattened tamale, minus the banana leaf and with the fillings on top of the masa, and you’re kind of on the right track. The huarache is a platform for all kinds of toppings from ham, bacon and chorizo to tender rib meat (“costilla”) to the must-try nopales salad (cactus!). There is a thin layer of black bean paste between the tortilla and the toppings, then crowning garnishes of a rustic-zesty red salsa, cilantro, onions, cheese and the all-important squiggles of cool crema. Yes, it’s all kind of crazy but really it’s just downright delicious. (The “loco” in the name, by the way, is because it’s a fun word and El Huarache Loco is a common restaurant name in Mexico.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trust us, you’ll be wishing every burrito place served huaraches after your first one from Salazar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129852\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new.jpg\" alt=\"Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at work in the open kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129852\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at work in the open kitchen. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She has been cooking them each Saturday morning at the Alemany Farmers' Market (the “People’s Market”) since 2006, just a year after joining the La Cocina program. Since coming to the Bay Area in 1995 with her husband, she had been cooking food at home for friends, family and pretty much anyone who wanted a taste of the CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico, the name Mexico City is often referred to in Mexico). Salazar first heard about a kitchen for low-income women from a news story on Univision and was soon in touch with La Cocina thanks to one of her customers. Salazar also was involved with the now-shuttered Women’s Initiative for Self Employment (also known as ALAS), who helped her hatch the all-important business plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129765\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new.jpg\" alt=\"Quesadilla Chilanga with Huitlacoche\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129765\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quesadilla Chilanga with Huitlacoche \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fast-forward to 2012 and Salazar’s popularity at Alemany made her a favorite of critics and diners alike (count this writer as one who visited in the early days and became an enormous fan). A developer in Marin County was looking for a chef to run a Mexican restaurant in their new rustic, high-end shopping complex by the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. Salazar noted to us recently that it was a pretty “ugly, lonely looking place” at first. But, she believed in it. The commute wouldn’t be so bad (after all, from her home in San Francisco, it takes just as long to get to La Cocina as it does to drive to Larkspur) and the crowds would come just like at Alemany.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129762\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fish taco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129762\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fish taco \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The risk clearly worked as El Huarache Loco became the first restaurant opened by a La Cocina alum. Salazar pays homage to her La Cocina roots with a 2011 picture of her in the incubator’s kitchen with three fellow chefs, all of whom have successful full-time concepts today. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129767\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new.jpg\" alt=\"Inside El Huarache Loco with 2011 photo of her in La Cocina incubator’s kitchen on the wall.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129767\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inside El Huarache Loco with 2011 photo of her in La Cocina incubator’s kitchen on the wall. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Around the restaurant, she also has many distinct nods to her Mexico City home and her family — a family that has run a restaurant, Caldos Rivera, for more than 60 years in the heart of the chaotic city. Salazar told us that as a woman in Mexico, “To live, you have to learn how to cook.” These dishes have been with her forever. Beyond huaraches, the menu in Larkspur includes “antojitos” (CDMX specials and appetizers), like a delicate, curled huitlacoche-filled (dark black corn fungus) quesadilla that is nothing like the greasy, cheesy, flat Tex-Mex quesadillas you’ve surely tried. There are other unfamiliar names to most Bay Area diners like pambazos, sopes, gorditas and tostadas. Breakfast features huevos rancheros and chilaquiles. There are also more familiar tacos in myriad formats and fillings, along with daily specials and enchiladas that are again not recognizable to most diners in the audience. Salazar honors her mother in the chop-like house “Doña Luz” salad with a smorgasbord of great ingredients because her mother was so great at tying together surplus ingredients into a salad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129760\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new.jpg\" alt=\"Ensalada Doña Luz\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129760\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ensalada Doña Luz \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salazar doesn’t cut any corners. She makes her own masa for the tortillas; fantastic and not-too-sweet agua frescas are housemade; and the guacamole is prepared from scratch, along with a half-dozen types of salsa. She has had to adapt a bit for the Marin audience. Remember, while there are lots of adventurous diners ready to eat anything, anywhere — there are also plenty of soccer moms and rushed ferry commuters stopping by. So, tripe-filled menudo quickly left the menu. There is no tongue amongst the taco meats. There is, however, alphabet soup on the kid’s menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129764\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new.jpg\" alt=\"Agua frescas are housemade: jimica (hibiscus), pineapple and watermelon.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129764\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Agua frescas are housemade: jimica (hibiscus), pineapple and watermelon. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salazar has found a home in a place that is about as far a 180-degree spin from hectic Mexico City as you can get. Inside El Huacache Loco, there are giant handmade rancho-style chairs and lots of the customary singing and dancing skeletons from Dia de los Muertos celebrations that you might find in her home city. Then walk outside and you’ll see a pond with koi and turtles, lots of relaxed locals who just left yoga class, and you’ll certainly notice how the exterior of El Huarache Loco is the same as everything else in the charming shopping area (freshly painted, chic farmhouse-looking). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129766\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new.jpg\" alt=\"El Huarache Loco outside eating area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129766\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">El Huarache Loco outside eating area. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In bucolic Marin, Salazar is still trying to defeat the naysayers who claim that this isn’t “real Mexican food.” Quite simply, anyone can think what they want to think, but we know that they’re wrong. Salazar definitely knows that they’re wrong because she is one of the Bay Area’s great ambassadors of the cuisine from one of the world’s grandest and most culturally enriching cities. \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.minniebellssoul.com/\">Minnie Bell’s Soul Food Movement\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Public+Market/@37.8412911,-122.2938373,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x68a7c0c0b72fc684!8m2!3d37.8412911!4d-122.2938373\">5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129780\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fernay McPherson, the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129780\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fernay McPherson, the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Excuse me! I hate to interrupt, but may I just say that she makes THE best fried chicken I have ever had.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few seconds later, both the glowing customer and Fernay McPherson, the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, lightheartedly assure this food writer that this moment wasn’t staged for our interview. He genuinely feels that this crispy, succulent, rosemary-flecked plate of fried chicken was the greatest that he had ever encountered, even surpassing his longtime prior gold standard — of course, his own recipe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1.jpg\" alt=\"Millie Bell's Rosemary Fried Chicken and Cornbread.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129784\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Millie Bell's Rosemary Fried Chicken and Cornbread. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As an hour goes by with McPherson, nobody else stops the interview other than a coworker asking a fryer question or her 13-year old son, Eric, stopping by because his summer job right now is working for his mom’s Emeryville Public Market kiosk four-days-a-week (Eric’s mom informs us that his favorite part of the job is counting the hours he’s worked and charging those hours). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129797\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fernay McPherson, fellow employee and Fernay's son Eric (R) working at the Minnie Bell's kiosk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129797\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fernay McPherson, fellow employee and Fernay's son Eric (R) working at the Minnie Bell's kiosk. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But, once McPherson is back at her post in the tiny Minnie Bell’s space, roving between the cash register, the two fryers, the refrigerator full of Kool-Aid (a LOT of freshly-mixed, not exactly all-natural Kool-Aid), and the back’s prep areas, she’s receiving constant praise from happy customers of all ages and backgrounds. Maybe it’s the fact that the kiosk is in an isolated corner of a Public Market with constant construction? Maybe it’s McPherson’s ever-present upbeat charm? Maybe it’s because they’re all drinking the Minnie Bell’s Kool-Aid? Maybe…it’s the rosemary?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129793\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new.jpg\" alt=\"A sprig of fried rosemary accompanies the Rosemary Fried Chicken.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129793\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sprig of fried rosemary accompanies the Rosemary Fried Chicken. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yes, the rosemary fried chicken. It’s everything that a legendary fried chicken should be with a crunchy, ready-to-shatter crust that is gleefully free of grease, and meat that is as juicy as a ripe summer peach, whether you’re munching on drumstick, wing, breast or thigh. Rosemary has been the recipe’s staple since her early adult cooking days when she had rosemary on hand and sampled with it. Her recipe has no seasoning nor any buttermilk or a second dredging of batter. McPherson’s key move is to give the chicken a rosemary-hot sauce marinade for 24 hours or more. Then she fries the chicken and rosemary in clean oil (the kiosk closes between lunch and dinner for a labor-intensive oil switch-out). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new.jpg\" alt=\"The kiosk closes between lunch and dinner for a labor-intensive oil switch-out.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129801\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The kiosk closes between lunch and dinner for a labor-intensive oil switch-out. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With all of this chicken talk, Minnie Bell’s is by no means a one-hit wonder. The menu sticks to roughly a half-dozen supporting cast members, all of whom are vegetarian (no bacon, no lard). Well, the three-cheese mac & cheese with Parmesan, fontina and cheddar isn’t exactly a light selection, nor is the sweeter, fluffier-style of cornbread that McPherson makes with lots of brown butter. However, the smoky vegan red rice and beans and the red chili-accented braised greens are miles ahead of their peers in flavor complexity and a clean brightness that is never associated with them. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129782\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new.jpg\" alt=\"Three-cheese Mac & Cheese with Parmesan.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129782\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three-cheese Mac & Cheese with Parmesan. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129804\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new.jpg\" alt=\"Braised Greens.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129804\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Braised Greens. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129783\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new.jpg\" alt=\"Red Beans & Rice Salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129783\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red Beans & Rice Salad. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>McPherson’s family is originally from New Mexico and Texas, and came to California as part of the mid-century Great Migration, a period when the Fillmore was booming as the “Harlem of the West.” A generation later, McPherson has called the Fillmore “home” for all but a couple years when she attended cooking school in Sacramento. Sadly, she has witnessed that neighborhood boom steadily fade. She’s hoping that one day Minnie Bell’s can play a part in bringing back that vibrant heyday for the corridor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129789\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new.jpg\" alt=\"McPherson has called the Fillmore “home” and that is reflected on the back of Minnie Bell's T-shirts which say "EST. IN FILLMOE."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129789\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">McPherson has called the Fillmore “home” and that is reflected on the back of Minnie Bell's T-shirts which say \"EST. IN FILLMOE.\" \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At first, her role in the kitchen for the family was to grate cheese for mac ‘n’ cheese, an activity that she admittedly “dreaded.” The first recipe she had to master was a Betty Crocker Dinette Cake. She gradually learned how to cook her family’s soul food recipes from her late grandmother Lillie Bell and her great aunt Minnie (now 85 years old). Their impact on her personal and professional life years later are why both are the namesakes of Minnie Bell’s and, frankly, why she was compelled to become a chef.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129781\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fernay McPherson's late grandmother Lillie Bell (R) and her great aunt Minnie (now 85 years old)\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129781\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fernay McPherson's late grandmother Lillie Bell (R) and her great aunt Minnie (now 85 years old) \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The concept launched as a mobile catering company, hence the Soul “Movement.” She joined La Cocina in 2011 and participated in the Fillmore Mobile Food Vendor and Artisan Marketplace program, a small business course that La Cocina taught with Urban Solutions, a nonprofit economic development organization. “Small businesses are what make the world go around,” McPherson tells us. Sadly, seven years later, the city is still “sleeping on the fact that we’re small businesses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During her time with La Cocina, Minnie Bell’s became increasingly in demand for catering and pop-ups, with the most notable of the latter being a substantial run at Wing Wings in the Lower Haight. Still, the permanent restaurant just wouldn’t come, but luckily a yearlong lease in the Emeryville Public Market emerged after fellow La Cocina alum Nyum Bai left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129812\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new.jpg\" alt=\""Nourish The Public + Nourish Yourself" signage at The Emeryville Public Market next to Minnie Bell's kiosk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129812\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\"Nourish The Public + Nourish Yourself\" signage at The Emeryville Public Market next to Minnie Bell's kiosk. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Fillmore is having huge dining growth, started by the blockbuster State Bird Provisions, and recently followed by the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/126767/avery-opens-on-fillmore-as-sfs-next-elaborate-tasting-menu-destination\">Avery\u003c/a>, Wise Sons and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/128414/merchant-roots-daytime-grocer-and-imaginative-nighttime-tasting-menu-table-arrives-on-fillmore\">Merchant Roots\u003c/a>. All are delicious and small (ish) businesses — and all are not black-owned. For McPherson, the scene on Fillmore is “bittersweet” because these are very worthy and considerate additions to the neighborhood, but “it’s a mystery” to her and “an eyesore for the community” how there are still so many prominently vacant storefronts in the corridor. Real estate developers keep holding out for someone to pay bigger and bigger bucks. It’s about the money. It’s all about the money. In the meantime, the potentially vibrant culture and significant foot traffic is kept away, other than the nightly State Bird Provisions line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon, McPherson will get her permanent restaurant because she is an immensely gifted chef with the fervently devoted following that she deserves like that raving diner who paused our interview. Those fans will follow Minnie Bell’s wherever its movement goes. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129792\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new.jpg\" alt=\"Signage for Minnie Bell's Soul Movement.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129792\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signage for Minnie Bell's Soul Movement. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://www.nyumbai.com/\">Nyum Bai\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nyum+Bai/@37.7763222,-122.224679,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xc85f72f420fd5355?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX94G4g63cAhVD7VQKHe60B8UQ_BIItAEwDQ\">3340 E 12th St., Oakland Suite 11\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taste the steamed fish soufflé called “amok” and dip some exquisitely trimmed cucumbers into “prahok,” a homey and spicy ground pork dip, and you’ll simultaneously experience profound beauty and pain through a cuisine’s powerful story. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129834\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new.jpg\" alt=\"Prahok Ktiss\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129834\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prahok Ktiss \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There is so much joy in Cambodian cooking, whether starting with a banana blossom, cabbage and sweet basil “ngoum banana salad” or digging into the slightly sweet, profoundly earthy and balanced “kuy teav Phnom Penh” noodles in a seven-hour pork broth that tastes much more like a complex craft cocktail at Trick Dog than the rugged tonkotsu ramen broth you would be expecting. Along with the food, there is tremendous beauty in the stunning natural setting and rich culture of Cambodia, one that is not very well known to the Bay Area audience. As Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Oakland’s five-month old restaurant, Nyum Bai, unfortunately points out — everyone seems to know about Angkor Wat’s temples and the genocide, and that’s about it for Cambodia. She’s trying to change that one guest at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai making Ngoum Banana Salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129825\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai making Ngoum Banana Salad. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad.jpg\" alt=\"Nite Yun in Nyum Bai kitchen carrying finished Ngoum Banana Salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1077\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129841\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-160x90.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-800x449.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-768x431.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-1020x572.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-1200x673.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-1180x662.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-960x539.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-240x135.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-375x210.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nite Yun in Nyum Bai kitchen carrying finished Ngoum Banana Salad. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129829\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new.jpg\" alt=\"Ngoum Banana Salad\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129829\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ngoum Banana Salad \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nite’s earliest memories from her youth are eating rice with her hands on the floor of her family’s apartment in Stockton while mid-century Khmer rock and roll music played in the background. That was a common portrait of her life growing up in the Central Valley town, where she constantly grappled with the question of identity that countless immigrants in this country think about. Her life was nothing similar to her friends in high school — they probably didn’t even know where Cambodia was and definitely didn’t eat rice with their hands. On the flip side, she wasn’t really part of the Americana culture of eating hamburgers and watching TV shows all the time. Nite just focused on school and family, spending most of her time at home with her parents and two brothers (she’s the middle child). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new.jpg\" alt=\"Kuy Teav Phnom Penh\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129820\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kuy Teav Phnom Penh \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new.jpg\" alt=\"Kuy Teav Phnom Penh with noodles displayed.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129821\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kuy Teav Phnom Penh with noodles displayed. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She doesn’t have memories of before Stockton. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nite’s parents dodged land mines, worked in labor camps and managed to flee the horrific genocide during the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror in Cambodia during the late 1970s. Her parents spent five years in a refugee camp in Thailand where Nite was born. The family was sponsored by a church group in Texas and immigrated to the U.S. before quickly relocating to Stockton because of the large Cambodian expat community there. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nite didn’t fully understand the scope of the genocide or why her parents didn’t open up much about their past until well into her youth. She acknowledges now that they struggled with a form of PTSD and that is a reason that she learned very little about her mysterious homeland of Cambodia until she grew older.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trips back to Cambodia in her early adult years helped Nite better understand her heritage and planted the idea of Nyum Bai in her mind. At first, she spent four years at SF State in the nursing program but knew that wasn’t for her, telling us, “How could I be a nurse if I didn’t care? It was all compounded. Everything that was in the hospital I was so unhappy about, like learning about it was one thing, but actually working in the hospital, wearing scrubs [and] the lighting, the smells and everything, it was like, ‘Get me out of here!’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was on her third trip back to Cambodia, while eating a bowl of soup in a market, that she realized she should start her own food business. Through Nyum Bai, Nite says, she could open up her country by “sharing Cambodia [and] teaching people about Cambodia through the cuisine, but also a way for people to reunite with their roots.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new.jpg\" alt=\"The Take Away Window at Nyum Bai.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129848\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Take Away Window at Nyum Bai. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She had no idea how this was going to actually be a business. She didn’t have any formal culinary training other than cooking extensively with her mom and then on her own at college when she started missing her mom’s recipes. Though she lacked the business plan, she definitely didn’t lack what she describes as “purpose.” Nite set about on her own doing recipe testing and held private dinners at her home. A visit to the 2009 La Cocina Street Food Festival convinced her to reach out to the organization but she didn’t feel ready to truly be an entrepreneur. She incorrectly doubted herself. After all, she even knew that one of her mom’s frequent sayings, “Nyum Bai,” (a Cambodian phrase for “Eat rice” or “Let’s eat!”) should be the name of this future concept. Instead of having a formal interview, Nite was asked to cater a board meeting for La Cocina and that become an informal interview — a “trick” she admits — and Nite joined in 2014. Nyum Bai found a stall in the Emeryville Public Market in early 2017 (now occupied by Minnie Bell’s) and that expansion made the entire Bay Area realize that Cambodian food should be, and thankfully now is, on the map of vital cuisines to sample and learn more about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emeryville gave her lessons that she badly needed for achieving that grander dream — her own spot. Some of the challenges she encountered and had to get past included “learning how to be a leader, scaling up recipes, sharing my stories and opening up to strangers.” It didn’t take long for the opportunity of a permanent Oakland spot to appear. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful Nyum Bai interior.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129823\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colorful Nyum Bai interior. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The owner of the Fruitvale, Oakland burgers and craft beers spot, The Half Orange, was connected to La Cocina and informed the organization that he was going to be closing the business. Around the same time, Nite’s yearlong lease for Emeryville was winding down. It was a no-brainer match for Nyum Bai and Fruitvale (though her commute from West Oakland has gone from five minutes to fifteen minutes!). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129831\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nyum Bai interior.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129831\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nyum Bai interior. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Half Orange’s narrow space, open kitchen and charming patio area, plus Fruitvale’s diversity and constant energy just felt like Nyum Bai’s right home. The dining room has a striking pink neon and aquatic blue slatted fixture, cheery bursts of white and bright colored paints, and Khmer rock and roll albums on the walls. The outside patio is festive and bustling, feeling like it could be a roadside market with its narrow bench seating, but is also singularly “Oakland” via the neighboring market’s mariachi music and piñatas. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nyum Bai dinner and lunch menus.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129815\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nyum Bai dinner and lunch menus. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The extensive dinner menu has three sections: starters like grilled beef skewers with a honey and “kroeung” (a Cambodian spice paste) dipping sauce, or taro, pork and glass noodle-filled crispy rolls; a trio of noodles dishes under their own heading; and “With Rice” dishes ranging from crispy catfish topped with green mango salad to the southern Khmer sweet and peppery pork belly stew called “koh.” Weekday lunch is counter-service and an abbreviated menu of noodles, rice plates, snacks and some intriguing salad and sandwich creations (new fried chicken sandwich alert!). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nyum Bai outdoor eating space.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129849\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nyum Bai outdoor eating space. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fruitvale has been unpredictable in the early going for business because foot traffic can be a challenge (it’s a block removed from the BART station) and there isn’t the natural pull of a built-in residential area. Nite has really enjoyed seeing the mix of travelers going to Cambodia or those who recently visited, the countless adventurous Bay Area diners always on the lookout for learning about global cuisines, and how the region’s Cambodian population has certainly embraced her concept. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nyum Bai is a deeply personal restaurant that reaches back to before Nite was born. You can feel that pain from her country’s past but the joy in the country’s resilience since such unspeakable tragedy. She wanted to provide “a space for the old and the new generation of Cambodians to come together and start healing” and has accomplished that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129830\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai in Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129830\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If you ever feel like giving up,” Nite says, “just remind yourself why you started the business in the first place.” Words can’t describe what her parents and her homeland went through. At least there is the warmth and beauty of food to connect generations and comfort each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Reem's+California/@37.7754485,-122.2247451,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x850f93f103291775!8m2!3d37.7754485!4d-122.2247451\">3301 E 12th St #133, Oakland\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://dyafaoakland.com/\">Dyafa\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dyafa/@37.7936067,-122.2743699,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xe8e7c53f0e32d9ab!8m2!3d37.7936067!4d-122.2743699\">44 Webster St., Oakland\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new.jpg\" alt=\"#FEELTHEWARMTH at Reem's. Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner wearing her restaurant's t-shirt.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129869\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">#FEELTHEWARMTH at Reem's. Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner wearing her restaurant's t-shirt. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oakland doesn’t have a Tony Bennett-style flowery ballad nor does it boast iconic and widely photographed pyramids, cable cars and curvy, steep, garden-decorated streets. That’s not Oakland. You don’t leave your heart in The Town; you give your heart to it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129888\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner of Reem’s.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129888\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner of Reem’s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That has been the case for Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner of Reem’s in Fruitvale and Chef-Partner with Dyafa in Jack London Square, since she moved to Oakland. Growing up in the small Arab community just outside Boston and attending nearby Tufts University, Massachusetts never felt like a place meant for her, for reasons well beyond the predictably harsh winters. Oakland finally felt like “home” with its diversity, its energy and its sense of community. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new.jpg\" alt=\"Welcome sign at Reem's.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129866\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Welcome sign at Reem's. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reem’s mother is Palestinian and her father is Syrian. The two met after both relocated to Beirut before coming to the United States together. All through her youth, Reem felt like a “stranger in a strange land,” trying to truly figure out her identity. She definitely didn’t think that identity was going to be as a chef — she actually wanted to be an actress and then shifted towards social justice and “trying to change the world” while at Tufts. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Reem moved to the Bay Area in 2005 because she “was over Boston” and could crash on her uncle’s couch in Daly City, she ended up working at non-profits and as a community organizer in Oakland for a range of causes and issues from airport labor to urban development policies. It was on a trip in 2010 (just before the Arab Spring) to Lebanon and Syria when the idea for Reem’s was largely created after she absolutely adored the many street corner bakeries in Beirut and Damascus. She was struck not just by how delicious the pastries were, but also how these omnipresent bakeries were sort of like sanctuaries in a city full of constant turmoil — a situation not unlike Oakland, except her new home didn’t have those much-needed communal gathering spots. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new.jpg\" alt=\"What's a Man'oushe?\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129868\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What's a Man'oushe? \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129876\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new.jpg\" alt=\"Za'atar Man'oushe.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129876\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Za'atar Man'oushe. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So, Reem signed up for baking and pastry classes at Laney College in Oakland, but left after six months to join the well-known, worker-owned Arizmendi Bakery and Pizzeria in Emeryville. After those formative days, there was no doubt where Reem’s career was heading. She was connected to La Cocina in 2014 through the Women’s Initiative Center and initially wanted to have a wood-fired oven attached to a truck à la \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/37826/jon-darskys-del-popolo-pizza-of-the-people\">Del Popolo\u003c/a> to cook her signature item, mana’eesh (puffy pita-like flatbreads). However, she points out that “out of practicality and learning how to run a food business, that concept changed.” Plus, her mom (incorrectly) had doubts about whether Americans would even like mana’eesh. The Reem’s concept pop-ups began first at the Mission Community Market and shortly thereafter she was a mega-hit at several farmers' markets, including the Ferry Building. Her production for the markets and catering was bursting at the seams of La Cocina. She essentially had to go. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129880\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new.jpg\" alt=\"Cheese Man'Oushe with added Veg Mix and Farm Fresh Egg.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129880\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheese Man'Oushe with added Veg Mix and Farm Fresh Egg. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With fortuitous timing, Reem was connected to a former Chinese fast food restaurant space in busy Fruitvale Village as her production was surging. It was the perfect spot geographically and physically for Reem’s brick-and-mortar debut, complete with plenty of baking and mana'eesh oven space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129883\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem Assil's husband, J behind the front counter at Reem's. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129883\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem's husband, J behind the front counter sporting a shirt that says \"Freedom to STAY, Freedom to MOVE, Freedom to RETURN.\" \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129884\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem's entryway, mural, display case, open kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129884\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem's entryway, mural, display case, open kitchen. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new.jpg\" alt=\"The dining area at Reem's.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129870\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The dining area at Reem's. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The bakery/café has become a fixture for a diverse range of customers, heavy on families in the daytime and commuters in the evening. They come together to enjoy Reem’s “unapologetically Arab street food” with “California love.” That means saj wraps (flatbreads cooked on a dome-shaped griddle) and oven-baked mana’eesh topped with anything from za’atar made in Jordan to avocado to falafel to sujuk (a beef sausage) to soft-yolk farm fresh eggs. Guests will also find various baked goods, fattoush, spreads, and handheld “mu’ajinaat” pastries in flavors like lamb, pomegranate and pine nut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new.jpg\" alt=\"Falafel Salad\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129877\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Falafel Salad \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new.jpg\" alt=\"The baking area at Reem's is visible from outside and people can watch baking in action.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129873\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The baking area at Reem's is visible from outside and people can watch baking in action. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new.jpg\" alt=\"Making Mana'eesh in the open kitchen area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129875\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Making Mana'eesh in the open kitchen area. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The bakery took years to plan. The second restaurant took weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reem and the chef-restaurateur Daniel Patterson have both long been involved with \u003ca href=\"http://rocunited.org/\">Restaurants Opportunities Center United\u003c/a>, an organization devoted to improving working conditions, wages and diversity in restaurant labor. A few months ago, Patterson informed Reem that his Jack London Square restaurant Haven was going to pivot concepts. She pitched to Patterson the idea of Dyafa, a hipper, more ambitious take on Arab cuisine concept named for “hospitality.” Quickly, Dyafa came to fruition and opened in April 2018, just a month after her son Zain was born. Talk about a busy spring and current summer for Reem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129900\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new.jpg\" alt=\"Dyafa dining area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129900\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyafa dining area. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new.jpg\" alt=\"Open kitchen at Dyafa.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129902\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Open kitchen at Dyafa. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dyafa is very much “of the moment,” part of a nationwide trend of chic and eclectic Middle Eastern fine dining restaurants. At lunch and dinner, diners at Dyafa usually start with an order of those same mezze spreads as at Reem’s, highlighted by a smoky baba ghanoush that is so smoky that you’d swear it has an ounce of mezcal in it. Lunch tends to be more simpler fare, led by saj wraps that might be the “shish tawook” filled with spicy chicken kebab or turmeric-spiced cauliflower, eggplant and feta cheese in the “Steph Curry.” The latter is obviously an Oakland must-order for the name alone. Dinner sports a much more extensive selection of cold mezze and hot mezze, plus large plates like sumac-spiced chicken confit and braised lamb shank with garlic yogurt. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new.jpg\" alt=\"Mezze Sampler at Dyafa.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129903\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mezze Sampler at Dyafa. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new.jpg\" alt=\"Steph Curry saj: turmeric-spiced cauliflower, eggplant, feta, roasted garlic.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129904\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyafa's Steph Curry saj: turmeric-spiced cauliflower, eggplant, feta, roasted garlic. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The two restaurants reside in two complete opposite worlds view-wise. Dyafa looks at the Oakland Estuary’s leisurely boats and tourist scene, while Reem’s 40-seat dining room and vast patio gazes at the frenetic area around Fruitvale BART. Only Dyafa, though, has a popular bar with excellent Arab-leaning cocktails from Alta Group Beverage Director Aaron Paul that seem to be popular even at noon on a weekday, with witty names to boot like To Yaffa With Love (vodka, cara cara orange, curaçao, Grand Poppy liqueur). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new.jpg\" alt=\"View of outdoor patio and Oakland Estuary in Jack London Square.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129908\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">View of outdoor patio and Oakland Estuary in Jack London Square. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new.jpg\" alt=\"Bar at Dyafa.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129901\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bar at Dyafa. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new.jpg\" alt=\"Dyafa's nature design with tree roots dangling from exposed rafters.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129905\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyafa's nature design with tree roots dangling from exposed rafters. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dyafa also sports a sleek Middle East-meets-California nature design with tree roots dangling from exposed rafters and mosaic tiles on the floor. Reem’s is definitely not trying to be anything hip or lounge-like. Instead, the space is homey and charming as both a meal-gathering place and weekday freelance workforce office. It boasts bright colors (think light green, pink, yellow); Arabic script on the walls including the names of Kickstarter donors; a bakery case, open kitchen and ordering counter; and a mural of Rasmea Odeh and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Oscar_Grant\">Oscar Grant\u003c/a> (the unarmed black man killed at Fruitvale BART in 2009).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129863\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem Assil stands by the mural of Rasmea Odeh and Oscar Grant.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129863\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem Assil stands by the mural of Rasmea Odeh and Oscar Grant. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ah, the mural. Much has been written about the controversy of the mural and Eater SF’s Andrew Dalton has a thorough breakdown of the situation last summer when “J., the Jewish News of California,” featured an op-ed denouncing the artwork’s meaning and a \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2017/6/23/15820576/reems-arab-bakery-rasema-odeh-oakland-controversy\">large controversy\u003c/a> emerged. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1858px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new.jpg\" alt=\"Statement about the mural.\" width=\"1858\" height=\"1239\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129874\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new.jpg 1858w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1858px) 100vw, 1858px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Statement about the mural. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the aftermath, there were death threats, a cascade of threatening Yelp reviews (mostly from non-diners), protesters, a need for Oakland police to be stationed outside, and even a star turn in, of all places, \u003ca href=\"https://www.breitbart.com/california/2017/06/20/oakland-bakery-pays-homage-to-convicted-soon-to-be-deported-palestinian-terrorist-rasmea-odeh/\">Breitbart\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That all was definitely not in the business plan for a place that encourages to \u003cstrong>“#Feelthewarmth”\u003c/strong> and has a vision to “build strong, resilient community” in the power of food. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mural is important to Reem because she sees Odeh, a Palestinian, as a “symbol of unfairness in immigration.” Odeh was convicted in 1969 of being involved in a supermarket bombing that killed two Israeli students in Jerusalem. After a decade in jail, she was freed in a prisoner exchange with the Palestinians and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s. She was instrumental in organizing the massive Women’s Marches of January 2017, but, because officials claimed that her conviction from 1969 was never reported to U.S. officials, Odeh was deported back to her homeland of Jordan last fall. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reem continually seeks the healthy discussion that the topic badly needs, telling us “a lot of it wasn’t even about the mural. It was the fact that I was Palestinian and Arab.” She admits, “Naturally, that could’ve broken me down and forced me to be quiet, which, at the beginning I was afraid and didn’t know how to maneuver.” However, “the community came through ten times as much than the other side, like ‘we have your back.’ It created an opportunity for me to educate folks about who Rasmea is and why she’s important. And who Oscar Grant is and why the symbol of him on my wall is important.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Race, religion, police actions, the question of Israel and Palestine, immigration — these are of course complex and touchy subjects, no doubt egged on by the current administration as Reem is quick to point out. Regardless of mural opinions, we all can agree that disrespectful Yelp reviews don’t help anything and that Reem’s model of worker fairness and community togetherness is a model that can — and should — defeat religious and political barriers. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At La Cocina, Reem realized that, yes, she wanted a small bakery but also be to big picture-minded. Remember “saving the world” at Tufts? She’s working at it. Reem and her peers are already making progress right at home in Fruitvale with a food and drink “ecosystem” between the bakery and neighbors \u003ca href=\"http://www.aleindustries.com/\">Ale Industries\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.redbaycoffee.com/\">Red Bay Coffee\u003c/a> (you can get both at Reem’s). She is hoping to make her own za’atar blend by hiring a group of refugees in the Bay Area to do the work. Who knows what else is on the horizon?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So much of my restaurants are an homage to Oakland,” Reem acknowledges. Whether you’re dining at Reem’s restaurants in Fruitvale or Jack London Square, you know that you’re at a place trying to lift up its community and you’re very much in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A tour through the menus and remarkable stories of six Bay Area restaurants from five La Cocina kitchen incubator graduates.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When you step inside the Outer Mission complex that houses the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lacocinasf.org/\">La Cocina\u003c/a> food business incubator kitchen and offices on a regular weekday afternoon, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the busy chefs, the delicious smells of baked goods and roasting meats, and the constant whirl of activity in preparation for the various markets, kiosks and catering events coming up in a few hours. There are spots for eight participants in this kitchen and it definitely seems like a ninth would be impossible to squeeze in. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new.jpg\" alt=\"In the busy kitchen at La Cocina headquarters.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129706\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8310-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the busy kitchen at La Cocina headquarters. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The space might be tight but the goals for the nonprofit are admirably enormous. Its mission is to find talented low-income food entrepreneurs, generally women of color and immigrant communities (a handful of men have been in the program, including the very successful \u003ca href=\"http://www.onigilly.com/\">Onigilly\u003c/a> concept). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lacocinasf.org/people\">Caleb Zigas\u003c/a>, La Cocina’s Executive Director who has been involved since it debuted in 2005, told us that the incubator’s 11 staff members avoid using words like “teach” or “empower.” These women have already identified a product that they excel at and a worthy price for it — they aren’t starting from scratch concept-wise, but they usually are just cooking for friends or selling from home. Zigas pointed out that, “They know everything there is to know about business. What they may not know is how to formalize that business into a marketplace that intentionally throws up barriers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1.jpg\" alt=\"La Cocina's Executive Director Caleb Zigas in the kitchen at La Cocina headquarters.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1588\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129715\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-160x132.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-800x662.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-768x635.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-1020x844.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-1200x993.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-1180x976.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-960x794.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-240x199.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-375x310.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5205-new1-520x430.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">La Cocina's Executive Director Caleb Zigas in the kitchen at La Cocina headquarters. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We talked with five of La Cocina’s graduates who now have brick-and-mortar restaurants or kiosks. There were universal problems acknowledged by all where they could never possibly have defeated certain barriers without La Cocina’s assistance — the surging real estate prices, not speaking English well or looking a certain way being chief among them. Even La Cocina itself faces some of these problems for its proposed food hall planned for the heart of the struggling Tenderloin in 2019. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>La Cocina’s program has three application deadlines a year and information orientations for interested individuals every other month. Once you’re in the program, it can take up to eight years to go through pre-incubation planning, the incubation period, finding capital and space, the exit to that space, and finally “graduation” when the business is self-sufficient. Yes, it can be as brisk as a one-year degree in theory but is much more likely to be a lengthy medical school and residency-type of time frame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>La Cocina graduates have had incredible success in a wide variety of cuisines and business types. We talked with women serving Cambodian, Southern, Mexican, Arab and Gujarat (Indian) cooking. The current class includes Nepalese, Jamaican, Japanese and Salvadoran-themed businesses. Over 30 brick-and-mortars from graduates exist around the Bay Area (a handful are commissary kitchens).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those present entrepreneurs in the La Cocina kitchen are following in the esteemed footsteps of women who never thought they would ever call a restaurant their own. Here are the stories of five graduates who are now navigating the Bay Area restaurant scene with their own businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.besharamrestaurant.com/\">Besharam\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Besharam/@37.754276,-122.3916646,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808f7f0ce31950a5:0x7718a923d0103fe2!8m2!3d37.7542718!4d-122.3894705\">1275 Minnesota St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129719\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new.jpg\" alt=\"Besharam interior.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129719\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7175-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besharam interior. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Barely 45 diners can fit into the serene, colorful dining room of Besharam, a spunky newcomer located in the Minnesota Street Project art gallery complex, in a far industrial corner of the Dogpatch. Despite the small size and isolated location, Besharam screams with relentless character that can be as boisterous as the heat in the spiced garlic sauce served with the grilled chicken kebab and hand-rolled flatbread at lunch. \u003cstrong>Chef and co-owner Heena Patel\u003c/strong> decided on the name, “shameless” in Hindi, because she knows she’s different than everyone else — in her family, in the Bay Area, in the world — and she isn’t afraid to show that, hey, she’s running the show at a restaurant in San Francisco and never in a million years would she have expected that while growing up as the second of five daughters in the Gujarat state of India.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is bleu cheese naan with wasabi raita on the menu and a giant pop-art mural by \u003ca href=\"https://hatecopy.com/\">HateCopy’s Maria Qamar\u003c/a> next to the open kitchen with a Hindi woman drinking a cocktail. The soundtrack is bumping all lunch and dinner-long with Michael Jackson, Indian pop and seemingly everything in between. It’s definitely Heena’s restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129731\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1.jpg\" alt=\"Chef and Partner Heena Patel in front of pop-art mural by HateCopy’s Maria Qamar\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129731\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4328-new1-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef and Partner Heena Patel in front of pop-art mural by HateCopy’s Maria Qamar. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So, there are pavs (sliders, a classic street food) served with little gems and pickled shiitake mushrooms on the menu, co-existing with a grilled zucchini salad and fish moilee with coconut curry and turmeric rice. In the evening, there are shishito peppers stuffed with a tamarind and chickpea filling; edamame dumplings in a lentil broth; paratha tacos accented by a strawberry-mint chutney; and ghee-roasted pork chops. Heema puts her Gujarat-meets-world philosophy about the always hotly debated “authenticity” question very bluntly: “You can take it or leave it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129740\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Chicken Kabobs: Hand-rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129740\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7312-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grilled Chicken Kabobs: Hand-rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After all, she’s come all the way to this point from Gujarat to London to Marin County to full-time restaurant in San Francisco. She defeated the odds and has earned the right to cook what she wants to cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new.jpg\" alt=\"Heena Patel rolls dough for flatbread in back kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129737\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7156-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heena Patel rolls dough for flatbread in back kitchen. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She got a home-science degree from Mumbai University and was given the common “a or b” decision from her father — continue studying and get a master’s degree, or go to London and find a man to marry. She elected for the latter and amidst all the boys who lined up for her, she found her husband, Paresh, after two weeks. When she was 25-years old and Paresh was 30, the couple and their then three-year old daughter moved from London to Marin County on a business visa. The two ran an adjacent liquor store and flower shop in Terra Linda (by San Rafael) for 20 years. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Paneer Kabobs: Hand rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129738\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7346-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grilled Paneer Kabobs: Hand rolled flatbread, spiced garlic chutney. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t easy upon arriving in California for Heena, being someone who looks differently, speaks differently and didn’t know a word of English at the time. In 1992, Heena would struggle on the phone at the shops, answering calls and unable to communicate clearly, despite her best efforts. On the other end of the line, one particularly disrespectful man screamed at her for her lack of English and to this day gets her worked up emotionally. It was not a welcoming way for her to step into a supposedly welcoming country. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting down with La Cocina alums in the past few weeks, we’ve found a theme in how there was a mutual connection that led the chef/entrepreneur to the program. That happened in 2013 for Heena where she self-admittedly had “zero idea of the food business” but “checked off all the boxes” for what La Cocina looks for. Heena really wanted to open a concept for serving her style of traditional and not-so-traditional Gujarati cuisine, and the program helped her craft a 90-page business plan…for the truck. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129742\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new.jpg\" alt=\"Besharam Lunch Menu.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129742\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4297-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besharam Lunch Menu. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Have you seen that truck around San Francisco? Nope, we didn’t think so, because it never ended up happening. Instead, she started “Rasoi,” a Ferry Building farmers' market vendor concept. Heena also held pop-ups at the likes of Jardinière and State Bird Provisions. At the latter, she served a dessert to chef and co-owner Stuart Brioza, who was beyond thrilled with his first taste, seemingly having a life-altering epiphany. Talk about the ultimate compliment and confidence booster for a shy, upstart cook like Heena.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new.jpg\" alt=\"A tray of Besharam desserts.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129746\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4379-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A tray of Besharam desserts. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then it all happened so fast with the restaurateur Daniel Patterson after La Cocina connected the two and she was invited to have lunch with him at his restaurant, Alta, in the Minnesota Street Project. Yes, that Daniel Patterson, the chef known for high-end cooking at San Francisco fine dining stalwarts like the now-closed Elisabeth Daniel and Coi. Heena was skeptical and even admitted to us, “I googled him — who is Daniel Patterson?” Recently, Patterson has become instrumental in championing socioeconomic diversity by working with Restaurants Opportunities Center United and helping aspiring restaurateurs, like Heena, defeat the odds. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the lunch, Patterson offered the Alta space to Heena. It swept her off her feet. She could cook and do what she does so well, and be helped in what she’s less experienced with. Now, two months since opening, Heena has even more respect for Patterson than before she went into business with him. Simply put — the system of passionate chef, La Cocina education and renowned chef mentor/business system is working.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/qITc3R1akO0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/qITc3R1akO0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>To date, the biggest question from diners for Heena has been, “Where is the chicken tikka masala?”, pigeon-holing the most well-known Indian dish to Americans that isn’t even a traditional Indian dish. (Answer: not at this restaurant). Heena has also been shocked by how savvy her customers are, estimating about 90% have an open mind (and don’t care about the lack of tikka masala) and love her adorably different, somewhat quirky concept. She also is hugely surprised by how many Indian customers just keep coming and coming, often with big groups of non-Indian colleagues and friends. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, it has been quite the journey from Gujarat to the Dogpatch for Heena and Paresh. Their 29-year old daughter is studying for the bar exam and their 21-year old son is an aspiring journalist, studying at Vassar College in New York. Everyone chips in to help at Besharam, whether on the floor or from afar. Both kids help their mom with something that is definitely not one of her biggest strengths: social media. Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Paresh helps with the front-of-house and also assists on the wine and newly-launched cocktail program with Alta Group Beverage Director, Aaron Paul. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paresh should also get lots of credit for allowing San Francisco to have the privilege of knowing what he’s known for decades — how talented a chef Heena is. Once, when she was doubting if a restaurant would ever happen, he assured her that “what you serve is basic but people are hungry for it.” He was very correct, though bleu cheese naan is definitely not basic. San Francisco was starving for the open-minded style of cooking that Heena brings to the table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129728\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new.jpg\" alt=\"Besharam signage on the front door.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129728\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7293-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besharam signage on the front door. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.huaracheloco.com/\">El Huarache Loco\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/El+Huarache+Loco/@37.9474025,-122.5116057,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80859a43f733d57f:0xdf3b9d5506983993!8m2!3d37.9473983!4d-122.5094116\">1803 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129756\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new.jpg\" alt=\"Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at El Huarache Loco.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129756\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4594-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at El Huarache Loco. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>No, there are no burritos on the menu at \u003cstrong>Veronica Salazar’s\u003c/strong> restaurant inside Larkspur’s tony Marin Country Mart. Of course, that’s one of the first things a good percentage of her diners notice on an initial visit and ask about. For Salazar, it’s pretty simple why there are no burritos to be found at El Huarache Loco — burritos aren’t really something people eat in Mexico. “Find them at Walmart” is her advice if you want a burrito in Mexico City because they serve them in the frozen food aisle (though she can’t vouch for if they’re delicious at all). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129759\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new.jpg\" alt=\"Huarache Con Costillo\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129759\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7618-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Huarache Con Costillo \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, diners will find a thrilling roster of Mexico City street food and home cooking staples at El Huarache Loco, beginning with the namesake huaraches. They are thin-pressed, oval-shaped masa “tortillas” that are often thought of as “sandal-shaped.” If you’re still having trouble, just picture a flattened tamale, minus the banana leaf and with the fillings on top of the masa, and you’re kind of on the right track. The huarache is a platform for all kinds of toppings from ham, bacon and chorizo to tender rib meat (“costilla”) to the must-try nopales salad (cactus!). There is a thin layer of black bean paste between the tortilla and the toppings, then crowning garnishes of a rustic-zesty red salsa, cilantro, onions, cheese and the all-important squiggles of cool crema. Yes, it’s all kind of crazy but really it’s just downright delicious. (The “loco” in the name, by the way, is because it’s a fun word and El Huarache Loco is a common restaurant name in Mexico.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trust us, you’ll be wishing every burrito place served huaraches after your first one from Salazar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129852\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new.jpg\" alt=\"Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at work in the open kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129852\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4517-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owner/Chef Veronica Salazar at work in the open kitchen. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She has been cooking them each Saturday morning at the Alemany Farmers' Market (the “People’s Market”) since 2006, just a year after joining the La Cocina program. Since coming to the Bay Area in 1995 with her husband, she had been cooking food at home for friends, family and pretty much anyone who wanted a taste of the CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico, the name Mexico City is often referred to in Mexico). Salazar first heard about a kitchen for low-income women from a news story on Univision and was soon in touch with La Cocina thanks to one of her customers. Salazar also was involved with the now-shuttered Women’s Initiative for Self Employment (also known as ALAS), who helped her hatch the all-important business plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129765\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new.jpg\" alt=\"Quesadilla Chilanga with Huitlacoche\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129765\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7629-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quesadilla Chilanga with Huitlacoche \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fast-forward to 2012 and Salazar’s popularity at Alemany made her a favorite of critics and diners alike (count this writer as one who visited in the early days and became an enormous fan). A developer in Marin County was looking for a chef to run a Mexican restaurant in their new rustic, high-end shopping complex by the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. Salazar noted to us recently that it was a pretty “ugly, lonely looking place” at first. But, she believed in it. The commute wouldn’t be so bad (after all, from her home in San Francisco, it takes just as long to get to La Cocina as it does to drive to Larkspur) and the crowds would come just like at Alemany.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129762\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fish taco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129762\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7632-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fish taco \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The risk clearly worked as El Huarache Loco became the first restaurant opened by a La Cocina alum. Salazar pays homage to her La Cocina roots with a 2011 picture of her in the incubator’s kitchen with three fellow chefs, all of whom have successful full-time concepts today. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129767\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new.jpg\" alt=\"Inside El Huarache Loco with 2011 photo of her in La Cocina incubator’s kitchen on the wall.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129767\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7552-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inside El Huarache Loco with 2011 photo of her in La Cocina incubator’s kitchen on the wall. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Around the restaurant, she also has many distinct nods to her Mexico City home and her family — a family that has run a restaurant, Caldos Rivera, for more than 60 years in the heart of the chaotic city. Salazar told us that as a woman in Mexico, “To live, you have to learn how to cook.” These dishes have been with her forever. Beyond huaraches, the menu in Larkspur includes “antojitos” (CDMX specials and appetizers), like a delicate, curled huitlacoche-filled (dark black corn fungus) quesadilla that is nothing like the greasy, cheesy, flat Tex-Mex quesadillas you’ve surely tried. There are other unfamiliar names to most Bay Area diners like pambazos, sopes, gorditas and tostadas. Breakfast features huevos rancheros and chilaquiles. There are also more familiar tacos in myriad formats and fillings, along with daily specials and enchiladas that are again not recognizable to most diners in the audience. Salazar honors her mother in the chop-like house “Doña Luz” salad with a smorgasbord of great ingredients because her mother was so great at tying together surplus ingredients into a salad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129760\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new.jpg\" alt=\"Ensalada Doña Luz\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129760\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7622-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ensalada Doña Luz \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salazar doesn’t cut any corners. She makes her own masa for the tortillas; fantastic and not-too-sweet agua frescas are housemade; and the guacamole is prepared from scratch, along with a half-dozen types of salsa. She has had to adapt a bit for the Marin audience. Remember, while there are lots of adventurous diners ready to eat anything, anywhere — there are also plenty of soccer moms and rushed ferry commuters stopping by. So, tripe-filled menudo quickly left the menu. There is no tongue amongst the taco meats. There is, however, alphabet soup on the kid’s menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129764\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new.jpg\" alt=\"Agua frescas are housemade: jimica (hibiscus), pineapple and watermelon.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129764\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7649-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Agua frescas are housemade: jimica (hibiscus), pineapple and watermelon. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salazar has found a home in a place that is about as far a 180-degree spin from hectic Mexico City as you can get. Inside El Huacache Loco, there are giant handmade rancho-style chairs and lots of the customary singing and dancing skeletons from Dia de los Muertos celebrations that you might find in her home city. Then walk outside and you’ll see a pond with koi and turtles, lots of relaxed locals who just left yoga class, and you’ll certainly notice how the exterior of El Huarache Loco is the same as everything else in the charming shopping area (freshly painted, chic farmhouse-looking). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129766\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new.jpg\" alt=\"El Huarache Loco outside eating area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129766\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7578-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">El Huarache Loco outside eating area. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In bucolic Marin, Salazar is still trying to defeat the naysayers who claim that this isn’t “real Mexican food.” Quite simply, anyone can think what they want to think, but we know that they’re wrong. Salazar definitely knows that they’re wrong because she is one of the Bay Area’s great ambassadors of the cuisine from one of the world’s grandest and most culturally enriching cities. \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.minniebellssoul.com/\">Minnie Bell’s Soul Food Movement\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Public+Market/@37.8412911,-122.2938373,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x68a7c0c0b72fc684!8m2!3d37.8412911!4d-122.2938373\">5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129780\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fernay McPherson, the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129780\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4696-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fernay McPherson, the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Excuse me! I hate to interrupt, but may I just say that she makes THE best fried chicken I have ever had.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few seconds later, both the glowing customer and Fernay McPherson, the Chef-Owner of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, lightheartedly assure this food writer that this moment wasn’t staged for our interview. He genuinely feels that this crispy, succulent, rosemary-flecked plate of fried chicken was the greatest that he had ever encountered, even surpassing his longtime prior gold standard — of course, his own recipe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1.jpg\" alt=\"Millie Bell's Rosemary Fried Chicken and Cornbread.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129784\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7718-new-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Millie Bell's Rosemary Fried Chicken and Cornbread. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As an hour goes by with McPherson, nobody else stops the interview other than a coworker asking a fryer question or her 13-year old son, Eric, stopping by because his summer job right now is working for his mom’s Emeryville Public Market kiosk four-days-a-week (Eric’s mom informs us that his favorite part of the job is counting the hours he’s worked and charging those hours). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129797\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fernay McPherson, fellow employee and Fernay's son Eric (R) working at the Minnie Bell's kiosk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129797\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4690-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fernay McPherson, fellow employee and Fernay's son Eric (R) working at the Minnie Bell's kiosk. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But, once McPherson is back at her post in the tiny Minnie Bell’s space, roving between the cash register, the two fryers, the refrigerator full of Kool-Aid (a LOT of freshly-mixed, not exactly all-natural Kool-Aid), and the back’s prep areas, she’s receiving constant praise from happy customers of all ages and backgrounds. Maybe it’s the fact that the kiosk is in an isolated corner of a Public Market with constant construction? Maybe it’s McPherson’s ever-present upbeat charm? Maybe it’s because they’re all drinking the Minnie Bell’s Kool-Aid? Maybe…it’s the rosemary?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129793\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new.jpg\" alt=\"A sprig of fried rosemary accompanies the Rosemary Fried Chicken.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129793\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4707-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sprig of fried rosemary accompanies the Rosemary Fried Chicken. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yes, the rosemary fried chicken. It’s everything that a legendary fried chicken should be with a crunchy, ready-to-shatter crust that is gleefully free of grease, and meat that is as juicy as a ripe summer peach, whether you’re munching on drumstick, wing, breast or thigh. Rosemary has been the recipe’s staple since her early adult cooking days when she had rosemary on hand and sampled with it. Her recipe has no seasoning nor any buttermilk or a second dredging of batter. McPherson’s key move is to give the chicken a rosemary-hot sauce marinade for 24 hours or more. Then she fries the chicken and rosemary in clean oil (the kiosk closes between lunch and dinner for a labor-intensive oil switch-out). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new.jpg\" alt=\"The kiosk closes between lunch and dinner for a labor-intensive oil switch-out.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129801\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7769-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The kiosk closes between lunch and dinner for a labor-intensive oil switch-out. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With all of this chicken talk, Minnie Bell’s is by no means a one-hit wonder. The menu sticks to roughly a half-dozen supporting cast members, all of whom are vegetarian (no bacon, no lard). Well, the three-cheese mac & cheese with Parmesan, fontina and cheddar isn’t exactly a light selection, nor is the sweeter, fluffier-style of cornbread that McPherson makes with lots of brown butter. However, the smoky vegan red rice and beans and the red chili-accented braised greens are miles ahead of their peers in flavor complexity and a clean brightness that is never associated with them. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129782\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new.jpg\" alt=\"Three-cheese Mac & Cheese with Parmesan.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129782\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7732-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three-cheese Mac & Cheese with Parmesan. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129804\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new.jpg\" alt=\"Braised Greens.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129804\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7713-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Braised Greens. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129783\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new.jpg\" alt=\"Red Beans & Rice Salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129783\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7733-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red Beans & Rice Salad. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>McPherson’s family is originally from New Mexico and Texas, and came to California as part of the mid-century Great Migration, a period when the Fillmore was booming as the “Harlem of the West.” A generation later, McPherson has called the Fillmore “home” for all but a couple years when she attended cooking school in Sacramento. Sadly, she has witnessed that neighborhood boom steadily fade. She’s hoping that one day Minnie Bell’s can play a part in bringing back that vibrant heyday for the corridor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129789\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new.jpg\" alt=\"McPherson has called the Fillmore “home” and that is reflected on the back of Minnie Bell's T-shirts which say "EST. IN FILLMOE."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129789\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4678-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">McPherson has called the Fillmore “home” and that is reflected on the back of Minnie Bell's T-shirts which say \"EST. IN FILLMOE.\" \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At first, her role in the kitchen for the family was to grate cheese for mac ‘n’ cheese, an activity that she admittedly “dreaded.” The first recipe she had to master was a Betty Crocker Dinette Cake. She gradually learned how to cook her family’s soul food recipes from her late grandmother Lillie Bell and her great aunt Minnie (now 85 years old). Their impact on her personal and professional life years later are why both are the namesakes of Minnie Bell’s and, frankly, why she was compelled to become a chef.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129781\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fernay McPherson's late grandmother Lillie Bell (R) and her great aunt Minnie (now 85 years old)\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129781\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4662-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fernay McPherson's late grandmother Lillie Bell (R) and her great aunt Minnie (now 85 years old) \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The concept launched as a mobile catering company, hence the Soul “Movement.” She joined La Cocina in 2011 and participated in the Fillmore Mobile Food Vendor and Artisan Marketplace program, a small business course that La Cocina taught with Urban Solutions, a nonprofit economic development organization. “Small businesses are what make the world go around,” McPherson tells us. Sadly, seven years later, the city is still “sleeping on the fact that we’re small businesses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During her time with La Cocina, Minnie Bell’s became increasingly in demand for catering and pop-ups, with the most notable of the latter being a substantial run at Wing Wings in the Lower Haight. Still, the permanent restaurant just wouldn’t come, but luckily a yearlong lease in the Emeryville Public Market emerged after fellow La Cocina alum Nyum Bai left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129812\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new.jpg\" alt=\""Nourish The Public + Nourish Yourself" signage at The Emeryville Public Market next to Minnie Bell's kiosk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129812\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4674-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\"Nourish The Public + Nourish Yourself\" signage at The Emeryville Public Market next to Minnie Bell's kiosk. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Fillmore is having huge dining growth, started by the blockbuster State Bird Provisions, and recently followed by the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/126767/avery-opens-on-fillmore-as-sfs-next-elaborate-tasting-menu-destination\">Avery\u003c/a>, Wise Sons and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/128414/merchant-roots-daytime-grocer-and-imaginative-nighttime-tasting-menu-table-arrives-on-fillmore\">Merchant Roots\u003c/a>. All are delicious and small (ish) businesses — and all are not black-owned. For McPherson, the scene on Fillmore is “bittersweet” because these are very worthy and considerate additions to the neighborhood, but “it’s a mystery” to her and “an eyesore for the community” how there are still so many prominently vacant storefronts in the corridor. Real estate developers keep holding out for someone to pay bigger and bigger bucks. It’s about the money. It’s all about the money. In the meantime, the potentially vibrant culture and significant foot traffic is kept away, other than the nightly State Bird Provisions line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soon, McPherson will get her permanent restaurant because she is an immensely gifted chef with the fervently devoted following that she deserves like that raving diner who paused our interview. Those fans will follow Minnie Bell’s wherever its movement goes. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129792\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new.jpg\" alt=\"Signage for Minnie Bell's Soul Movement.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129792\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4663-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signage for Minnie Bell's Soul Movement. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://www.nyumbai.com/\">Nyum Bai\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nyum+Bai/@37.7763222,-122.224679,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xc85f72f420fd5355?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX94G4g63cAhVD7VQKHe60B8UQ_BIItAEwDQ\">3340 E 12th St., Oakland Suite 11\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taste the steamed fish soufflé called “amok” and dip some exquisitely trimmed cucumbers into “prahok,” a homey and spicy ground pork dip, and you’ll simultaneously experience profound beauty and pain through a cuisine’s powerful story. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129834\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new.jpg\" alt=\"Prahok Ktiss\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129834\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7994-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prahok Ktiss \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There is so much joy in Cambodian cooking, whether starting with a banana blossom, cabbage and sweet basil “ngoum banana salad” or digging into the slightly sweet, profoundly earthy and balanced “kuy teav Phnom Penh” noodles in a seven-hour pork broth that tastes much more like a complex craft cocktail at Trick Dog than the rugged tonkotsu ramen broth you would be expecting. Along with the food, there is tremendous beauty in the stunning natural setting and rich culture of Cambodia, one that is not very well known to the Bay Area audience. As Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Oakland’s five-month old restaurant, Nyum Bai, unfortunately points out — everyone seems to know about Angkor Wat’s temples and the genocide, and that’s about it for Cambodia. She’s trying to change that one guest at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai making Ngoum Banana Salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129825\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7823-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai making Ngoum Banana Salad. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad.jpg\" alt=\"Nite Yun in Nyum Bai kitchen carrying finished Ngoum Banana Salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1077\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129841\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-160x90.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-800x449.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-768x431.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-1020x572.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-1200x673.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-1180x662.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-960x539.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-240x135.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-375x210.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/nite-bai-salad-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nite Yun in Nyum Bai kitchen carrying finished Ngoum Banana Salad. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129829\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new.jpg\" alt=\"Ngoum Banana Salad\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129829\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7844-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ngoum Banana Salad \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nite’s earliest memories from her youth are eating rice with her hands on the floor of her family’s apartment in Stockton while mid-century Khmer rock and roll music played in the background. That was a common portrait of her life growing up in the Central Valley town, where she constantly grappled with the question of identity that countless immigrants in this country think about. Her life was nothing similar to her friends in high school — they probably didn’t even know where Cambodia was and definitely didn’t eat rice with their hands. On the flip side, she wasn’t really part of the Americana culture of eating hamburgers and watching TV shows all the time. Nite just focused on school and family, spending most of her time at home with her parents and two brothers (she’s the middle child). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new.jpg\" alt=\"Kuy Teav Phnom Penh\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129820\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4938-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kuy Teav Phnom Penh \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new.jpg\" alt=\"Kuy Teav Phnom Penh with noodles displayed.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129821\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4946-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kuy Teav Phnom Penh with noodles displayed. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She doesn’t have memories of before Stockton. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nite’s parents dodged land mines, worked in labor camps and managed to flee the horrific genocide during the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror in Cambodia during the late 1970s. Her parents spent five years in a refugee camp in Thailand where Nite was born. The family was sponsored by a church group in Texas and immigrated to the U.S. before quickly relocating to Stockton because of the large Cambodian expat community there. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nite didn’t fully understand the scope of the genocide or why her parents didn’t open up much about their past until well into her youth. She acknowledges now that they struggled with a form of PTSD and that is a reason that she learned very little about her mysterious homeland of Cambodia until she grew older.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trips back to Cambodia in her early adult years helped Nite better understand her heritage and planted the idea of Nyum Bai in her mind. At first, she spent four years at SF State in the nursing program but knew that wasn’t for her, telling us, “How could I be a nurse if I didn’t care? It was all compounded. Everything that was in the hospital I was so unhappy about, like learning about it was one thing, but actually working in the hospital, wearing scrubs [and] the lighting, the smells and everything, it was like, ‘Get me out of here!’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was on her third trip back to Cambodia, while eating a bowl of soup in a market, that she realized she should start her own food business. Through Nyum Bai, Nite says, she could open up her country by “sharing Cambodia [and] teaching people about Cambodia through the cuisine, but also a way for people to reunite with their roots.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new.jpg\" alt=\"The Take Away Window at Nyum Bai.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129848\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4899-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Take Away Window at Nyum Bai. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She had no idea how this was going to actually be a business. She didn’t have any formal culinary training other than cooking extensively with her mom and then on her own at college when she started missing her mom’s recipes. Though she lacked the business plan, she definitely didn’t lack what she describes as “purpose.” Nite set about on her own doing recipe testing and held private dinners at her home. A visit to the 2009 La Cocina Street Food Festival convinced her to reach out to the organization but she didn’t feel ready to truly be an entrepreneur. She incorrectly doubted herself. After all, she even knew that one of her mom’s frequent sayings, “Nyum Bai,” (a Cambodian phrase for “Eat rice” or “Let’s eat!”) should be the name of this future concept. Instead of having a formal interview, Nite was asked to cater a board meeting for La Cocina and that become an informal interview — a “trick” she admits — and Nite joined in 2014. Nyum Bai found a stall in the Emeryville Public Market in early 2017 (now occupied by Minnie Bell’s) and that expansion made the entire Bay Area realize that Cambodian food should be, and thankfully now is, on the map of vital cuisines to sample and learn more about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emeryville gave her lessons that she badly needed for achieving that grander dream — her own spot. Some of the challenges she encountered and had to get past included “learning how to be a leader, scaling up recipes, sharing my stories and opening up to strangers.” It didn’t take long for the opportunity of a permanent Oakland spot to appear. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful Nyum Bai interior.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129823\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7804-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colorful Nyum Bai interior. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The owner of the Fruitvale, Oakland burgers and craft beers spot, The Half Orange, was connected to La Cocina and informed the organization that he was going to be closing the business. Around the same time, Nite’s yearlong lease for Emeryville was winding down. It was a no-brainer match for Nyum Bai and Fruitvale (though her commute from West Oakland has gone from five minutes to fifteen minutes!). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129831\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nyum Bai interior.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129831\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7973-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nyum Bai interior. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Half Orange’s narrow space, open kitchen and charming patio area, plus Fruitvale’s diversity and constant energy just felt like Nyum Bai’s right home. The dining room has a striking pink neon and aquatic blue slatted fixture, cheery bursts of white and bright colored paints, and Khmer rock and roll albums on the walls. The outside patio is festive and bustling, feeling like it could be a roadside market with its narrow bench seating, but is also singularly “Oakland” via the neighboring market’s mariachi music and piñatas. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129815\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nyum Bai dinner and lunch menus.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129815\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4901-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nyum Bai dinner and lunch menus. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The extensive dinner menu has three sections: starters like grilled beef skewers with a honey and “kroeung” (a Cambodian spice paste) dipping sauce, or taro, pork and glass noodle-filled crispy rolls; a trio of noodles dishes under their own heading; and “With Rice” dishes ranging from crispy catfish topped with green mango salad to the southern Khmer sweet and peppery pork belly stew called “koh.” Weekday lunch is counter-service and an abbreviated menu of noodles, rice plates, snacks and some intriguing salad and sandwich creations (new fried chicken sandwich alert!). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nyum Bai outdoor eating space.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129849\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_4902-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nyum Bai outdoor eating space. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fruitvale has been unpredictable in the early going for business because foot traffic can be a challenge (it’s a block removed from the BART station) and there isn’t the natural pull of a built-in residential area. Nite has really enjoyed seeing the mix of travelers going to Cambodia or those who recently visited, the countless adventurous Bay Area diners always on the lookout for learning about global cuisines, and how the region’s Cambodian population has certainly embraced her concept. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nyum Bai is a deeply personal restaurant that reaches back to before Nite was born. You can feel that pain from her country’s past but the joy in the country’s resilience since such unspeakable tragedy. She wanted to provide “a space for the old and the new generation of Cambodians to come together and start healing” and has accomplished that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129830\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new.jpg\" alt=\"Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai in Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129830\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_7960-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nite Yun, the chef-owner of Nyum Bai in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If you ever feel like giving up,” Nite says, “just remind yourself why you started the business in the first place.” Words can’t describe what her parents and her homeland went through. At least there is the warmth and beauty of food to connect generations and comfort each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Reem's+California/@37.7754485,-122.2247451,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x850f93f103291775!8m2!3d37.7754485!4d-122.2247451\">3301 E 12th St #133, Oakland\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"http://dyafaoakland.com/\">Dyafa\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dyafa/@37.7936067,-122.2743699,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xe8e7c53f0e32d9ab!8m2!3d37.7936067!4d-122.2743699\">44 Webster St., Oakland\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new.jpg\" alt=\"#FEELTHEWARMTH at Reem's. Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner wearing her restaurant's t-shirt.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129869\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8025-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">#FEELTHEWARMTH at Reem's. Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner wearing her restaurant's t-shirt. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oakland doesn’t have a Tony Bennett-style flowery ballad nor does it boast iconic and widely photographed pyramids, cable cars and curvy, steep, garden-decorated streets. That’s not Oakland. You don’t leave your heart in The Town; you give your heart to it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129888\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner of Reem’s.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129888\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5027-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner of Reem’s.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That has been the case for Reem Assil, the Chef-Owner of Reem’s in Fruitvale and Chef-Partner with Dyafa in Jack London Square, since she moved to Oakland. Growing up in the small Arab community just outside Boston and attending nearby Tufts University, Massachusetts never felt like a place meant for her, for reasons well beyond the predictably harsh winters. Oakland finally felt like “home” with its diversity, its energy and its sense of community. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new.jpg\" alt=\"Welcome sign at Reem's.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129866\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8013-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Welcome sign at Reem's. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reem’s mother is Palestinian and her father is Syrian. The two met after both relocated to Beirut before coming to the United States together. All through her youth, Reem felt like a “stranger in a strange land,” trying to truly figure out her identity. She definitely didn’t think that identity was going to be as a chef — she actually wanted to be an actress and then shifted towards social justice and “trying to change the world” while at Tufts. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Reem moved to the Bay Area in 2005 because she “was over Boston” and could crash on her uncle’s couch in Daly City, she ended up working at non-profits and as a community organizer in Oakland for a range of causes and issues from airport labor to urban development policies. It was on a trip in 2010 (just before the Arab Spring) to Lebanon and Syria when the idea for Reem’s was largely created after she absolutely adored the many street corner bakeries in Beirut and Damascus. She was struck not just by how delicious the pastries were, but also how these omnipresent bakeries were sort of like sanctuaries in a city full of constant turmoil — a situation not unlike Oakland, except her new home didn’t have those much-needed communal gathering spots. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new.jpg\" alt=\"What's a Man'oushe?\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129868\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8022-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What's a Man'oushe? \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129876\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new.jpg\" alt=\"Za'atar Man'oushe.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129876\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8111-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Za'atar Man'oushe. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So, Reem signed up for baking and pastry classes at Laney College in Oakland, but left after six months to join the well-known, worker-owned Arizmendi Bakery and Pizzeria in Emeryville. After those formative days, there was no doubt where Reem’s career was heading. She was connected to La Cocina in 2014 through the Women’s Initiative Center and initially wanted to have a wood-fired oven attached to a truck à la \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/37826/jon-darskys-del-popolo-pizza-of-the-people\">Del Popolo\u003c/a> to cook her signature item, mana’eesh (puffy pita-like flatbreads). However, she points out that “out of practicality and learning how to run a food business, that concept changed.” Plus, her mom (incorrectly) had doubts about whether Americans would even like mana’eesh. The Reem’s concept pop-ups began first at the Mission Community Market and shortly thereafter she was a mega-hit at several farmers' markets, including the Ferry Building. Her production for the markets and catering was bursting at the seams of La Cocina. She essentially had to go. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129880\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new.jpg\" alt=\"Cheese Man'Oushe with added Veg Mix and Farm Fresh Egg.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129880\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8167-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheese Man'Oushe with added Veg Mix and Farm Fresh Egg. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With fortuitous timing, Reem was connected to a former Chinese fast food restaurant space in busy Fruitvale Village as her production was surging. It was the perfect spot geographically and physically for Reem’s brick-and-mortar debut, complete with plenty of baking and mana'eesh oven space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129883\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem Assil's husband, J behind the front counter at Reem's. \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129883\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8198-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem's husband, J behind the front counter sporting a shirt that says \"Freedom to STAY, Freedom to MOVE, Freedom to RETURN.\" \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129884\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem's entryway, mural, display case, open kitchen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129884\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8201-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem's entryway, mural, display case, open kitchen. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new.jpg\" alt=\"The dining area at Reem's.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129870\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8029-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The dining area at Reem's. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The bakery/café has become a fixture for a diverse range of customers, heavy on families in the daytime and commuters in the evening. They come together to enjoy Reem’s “unapologetically Arab street food” with “California love.” That means saj wraps (flatbreads cooked on a dome-shaped griddle) and oven-baked mana’eesh topped with anything from za’atar made in Jordan to avocado to falafel to sujuk (a beef sausage) to soft-yolk farm fresh eggs. Guests will also find various baked goods, fattoush, spreads, and handheld “mu’ajinaat” pastries in flavors like lamb, pomegranate and pine nut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new.jpg\" alt=\"Falafel Salad\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129877\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8138-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Falafel Salad \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129873\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new.jpg\" alt=\"The baking area at Reem's is visible from outside and people can watch baking in action.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129873\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8041-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The baking area at Reem's is visible from outside and people can watch baking in action. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new.jpg\" alt=\"Making Mana'eesh in the open kitchen area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129875\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8069-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Making Mana'eesh in the open kitchen area. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The bakery took years to plan. The second restaurant took weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reem and the chef-restaurateur Daniel Patterson have both long been involved with \u003ca href=\"http://rocunited.org/\">Restaurants Opportunities Center United\u003c/a>, an organization devoted to improving working conditions, wages and diversity in restaurant labor. A few months ago, Patterson informed Reem that his Jack London Square restaurant Haven was going to pivot concepts. She pitched to Patterson the idea of Dyafa, a hipper, more ambitious take on Arab cuisine concept named for “hospitality.” Quickly, Dyafa came to fruition and opened in April 2018, just a month after her son Zain was born. Talk about a busy spring and current summer for Reem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129900\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new.jpg\" alt=\"Dyafa dining area.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129900\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8238-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyafa dining area. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new.jpg\" alt=\"Open kitchen at Dyafa.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129902\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8252-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Open kitchen at Dyafa. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dyafa is very much “of the moment,” part of a nationwide trend of chic and eclectic Middle Eastern fine dining restaurants. At lunch and dinner, diners at Dyafa usually start with an order of those same mezze spreads as at Reem’s, highlighted by a smoky baba ghanoush that is so smoky that you’d swear it has an ounce of mezcal in it. Lunch tends to be more simpler fare, led by saj wraps that might be the “shish tawook” filled with spicy chicken kebab or turmeric-spiced cauliflower, eggplant and feta cheese in the “Steph Curry.” The latter is obviously an Oakland must-order for the name alone. Dinner sports a much more extensive selection of cold mezze and hot mezze, plus large plates like sumac-spiced chicken confit and braised lamb shank with garlic yogurt. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new.jpg\" alt=\"Mezze Sampler at Dyafa.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129903\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8268-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mezze Sampler at Dyafa. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new.jpg\" alt=\"Steph Curry saj: turmeric-spiced cauliflower, eggplant, feta, roasted garlic.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129904\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8279-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyafa's Steph Curry saj: turmeric-spiced cauliflower, eggplant, feta, roasted garlic. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The two restaurants reside in two complete opposite worlds view-wise. Dyafa looks at the Oakland Estuary’s leisurely boats and tourist scene, while Reem’s 40-seat dining room and vast patio gazes at the frenetic area around Fruitvale BART. Only Dyafa, though, has a popular bar with excellent Arab-leaning cocktails from Alta Group Beverage Director Aaron Paul that seem to be popular even at noon on a weekday, with witty names to boot like To Yaffa With Love (vodka, cara cara orange, curaçao, Grand Poppy liqueur). \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new.jpg\" alt=\"View of outdoor patio and Oakland Estuary in Jack London Square.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129908\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8259-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">View of outdoor patio and Oakland Estuary in Jack London Square. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new.jpg\" alt=\"Bar at Dyafa.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129901\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8240-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bar at Dyafa. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new.jpg\" alt=\"Dyafa's nature design with tree roots dangling from exposed rafters.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129905\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5060-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dyafa's nature design with tree roots dangling from exposed rafters. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dyafa also sports a sleek Middle East-meets-California nature design with tree roots dangling from exposed rafters and mosaic tiles on the floor. Reem’s is definitely not trying to be anything hip or lounge-like. Instead, the space is homey and charming as both a meal-gathering place and weekday freelance workforce office. It boasts bright colors (think light green, pink, yellow); Arabic script on the walls including the names of Kickstarter donors; a bakery case, open kitchen and ordering counter; and a mural of Rasmea Odeh and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Oscar_Grant\">Oscar Grant\u003c/a> (the unarmed black man killed at Fruitvale BART in 2009).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129863\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new.jpg\" alt=\"Reem Assil stands by the mural of Rasmea Odeh and Oscar Grant.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129863\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_5021-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reem Assil stands by the mural of Rasmea Odeh and Oscar Grant. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ah, the mural. Much has been written about the controversy of the mural and Eater SF’s Andrew Dalton has a thorough breakdown of the situation last summer when “J., the Jewish News of California,” featured an op-ed denouncing the artwork’s meaning and a \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2017/6/23/15820576/reems-arab-bakery-rasema-odeh-oakland-controversy\">large controversy\u003c/a> emerged. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1858px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new.jpg\" alt=\"Statement about the mural.\" width=\"1858\" height=\"1239\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129874\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new.jpg 1858w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/07/IMG_8062-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1858px) 100vw, 1858px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Statement about the mural. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the aftermath, there were death threats, a cascade of threatening Yelp reviews (mostly from non-diners), protesters, a need for Oakland police to be stationed outside, and even a star turn in, of all places, \u003ca href=\"https://www.breitbart.com/california/2017/06/20/oakland-bakery-pays-homage-to-convicted-soon-to-be-deported-palestinian-terrorist-rasmea-odeh/\">Breitbart\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That all was definitely not in the business plan for a place that encourages to \u003cstrong>“#Feelthewarmth”\u003c/strong> and has a vision to “build strong, resilient community” in the power of food. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mural is important to Reem because she sees Odeh, a Palestinian, as a “symbol of unfairness in immigration.” Odeh was convicted in 1969 of being involved in a supermarket bombing that killed two Israeli students in Jerusalem. After a decade in jail, she was freed in a prisoner exchange with the Palestinians and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s. She was instrumental in organizing the massive Women’s Marches of January 2017, but, because officials claimed that her conviction from 1969 was never reported to U.S. officials, Odeh was deported back to her homeland of Jordan last fall. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reem continually seeks the healthy discussion that the topic badly needs, telling us “a lot of it wasn’t even about the mural. It was the fact that I was Palestinian and Arab.” She admits, “Naturally, that could’ve broken me down and forced me to be quiet, which, at the beginning I was afraid and didn’t know how to maneuver.” However, “the community came through ten times as much than the other side, like ‘we have your back.’ It created an opportunity for me to educate folks about who Rasmea is and why she’s important. And who Oscar Grant is and why the symbol of him on my wall is important.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Race, religion, police actions, the question of Israel and Palestine, immigration — these are of course complex and touchy subjects, no doubt egged on by the current administration as Reem is quick to point out. Regardless of mural opinions, we all can agree that disrespectful Yelp reviews don’t help anything and that Reem’s model of worker fairness and community togetherness is a model that can — and should — defeat religious and political barriers. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At La Cocina, Reem realized that, yes, she wanted a small bakery but also be to big picture-minded. Remember “saving the world” at Tufts? She’s working at it. Reem and her peers are already making progress right at home in Fruitvale with a food and drink “ecosystem” between the bakery and neighbors \u003ca href=\"http://www.aleindustries.com/\">Ale Industries\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.redbaycoffee.com/\">Red Bay Coffee\u003c/a> (you can get both at Reem’s). She is hoping to make her own za’atar blend by hiring a group of refugees in the Bay Area to do the work. Who knows what else is on the horizon?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So much of my restaurants are an homage to Oakland,” Reem acknowledges. Whether you’re dining at Reem’s restaurants in Fruitvale or Jack London Square, you know that you’re at a place trying to lift up its community and you’re very much in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Anthony Bourdain's Legacy Shines On In Cajun Country",
"title": "Anthony Bourdain's Legacy Shines On In Cajun Country",
"headTitle": "Bay Area Bites | KQED Food",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129171\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 4592px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede.jpg\" alt=\"Toby Rodriguez (left) launched a career as a traveling butcher after he was featured on a 2011 episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Now he plans to open a restaurant in New Orleans with Barrett Dupuis (right) as general manager. Rodriguez says the late Bourdain was accurate and unflinching in his portrayal of Cajun country.\" width=\"4592\" height=\"3443\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129171\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede.jpg 4592w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4592px) 100vw, 4592px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toby Rodriguez (left) launched a career as a traveling butcher after he was featured on a 2011 episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Now he plans to open a restaurant in New Orleans with Barrett Dupuis (right) as general manager. Rodriguez says the late Bourdain was accurate and unflinching in his portrayal of Cajun country. \u003ccite>(Daniella Cheslow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The turkey wings at Laura's II in Lafayette, La., have been made using the same recipe for three generations. Madonna Broussard stuffs about 80 turkey wings with garlic and seasonings each afternoon, packs them into nine aluminum pans, then bakes the wings to give them a crispy bite that contrasts with the soft, gravy-soaked rice underneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon she checked on the marinating turkey wings, passing by photos of Anthony Bourdain taped to her soda machine near the cash register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the days and weeks following the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-chef-and-television-host-has-died-at-61\">June 8\u003c/a> death by suicide of the TV host and chef, tributes have poured in from around the world. In South Louisiana, where Bourdain returned time and again, he is particularly mourned and beloved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was Broussard's wings that Bourdain said drew him \"like a heat-seeking missile\" in one of the last episodes to air of his CNN show, \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em>. In the episode, called \u003ca href=\"https://explorepartsunknown.com/southern-louisiana/bourdains-field-notes-southern-louisiana/\">Cajun Mardi Gras\u003c/a>, Bourdain sits at a table in Broussard's restaurant with \"Creole Cowboy\" \u003ca href=\"http://stepnstrutriders.webs.com/aboutus.htm\">Dave Lemelle\u003c/a>, local musician and business owner \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ElSidos/\">Sid Williams\u003c/a> and zydeco music historian \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/HermanFuseTDA\">Herman Fuselier\u003c/a>. They discuss how black cowboys descended from African slaves and free men are believed to be the first American cattle herders in the plains and bayous of Louisiana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 4589px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce.jpg\" alt=\"Madonna Broussard papered her soda machine with a recent article featuring Anthony Bourdain in the parking lot of her restaurant, Laura's II in Lafayette, La. Bourdain featured Broussard and her turkey wings in one of the last episodes of Parts Unknown.\" width=\"4589\" height=\"3441\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129172\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce.jpg 4589w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4589px) 100vw, 4589px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Madonna Broussard papered her soda machine with a recent article featuring Anthony Bourdain in the parking lot of her restaurant, Laura's II in Lafayette, La. Bourdain featured Broussard and her turkey wings in one of the last episodes of Parts Unknown. \u003ccite>(Daniella Cheslow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Broussard screened the episode at her restaurant when it aired June 17; Lemelle and Williams joined and answered questions during commercial breaks. The 60 guests ate a dinner of fried chicken from Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen. (Bourdain had described the outlet's macaroni and cheese as \"exotic,\" Broussard says.) The evening had a somber cast, she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129170\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 4589px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75.jpg\" alt='Restaurant workers dole out chicken fricassee at the \"Taste of EatLafayette\" festival in the sprawling Cajundome arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. Locals say Bourdain captured the subtleties of their culture and cuisine, even if at times some thought he overemphasized alcohol.' width=\"4589\" height=\"3441\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129170\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75.jpg 4589w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4589px) 100vw, 4589px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Restaurant workers dole out chicken fricassee at the \"Taste of EatLafayette\" festival in the sprawling Cajundome arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. Locals say Bourdain captured the subtleties of their culture and cuisine, even if at times some thought he overemphasized alcohol. \u003ccite>(Daniella Cheslow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"It was the reality of, 'Damn, he is not able to watch,' \" Broussard tells NPR. \"But for him to cut through here .... just to have that person come here and say, 'You guys, your food is good' – that was an honor.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain cherished southern Louisiana. His first foray was a 2003 episode of his early Food Network show, A Cook's Tour. He was overfed at a \"VIP\" table in the bed of an old pickup truck outside \u003ca href=\"http://jacques-imos.com/\">Jacques-Imo's Cafe\u003c/a>. The owner rode with Bourdain, still seated, like battered royalty back to his hotel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain returned to the area to film for each of his three ensuing TV series – in New Orleans in 2008 and 2013, Cajun country in 2011, and most recently, back in Lafayette. He captured a region influenced culturally and environmentally by generations of intermingling French, Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There are parts of America that are special, unique, unlike anywhere else,\" Bourdain says on \u003cem>Parts Unknown.\u003c/em> \"Cultures all their own, kept close, much loved but largely misunderstood. The vast patchwork of saltwater marshes, bayous, and prairie land that make up Cajun country is one of those places.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For his final episode from the region, Bourdain attended a Cajun Mardi Gras, which this year fell in February. In New Orleans, the Catholic holiday is marked with parades, parties, plastic beads and jazz music on the last day before Lent. \"Ordinarily, I loathe the idea of Mardi Gras,\" Bourdain narrates. \"But Cajun Mardi Gras is another thing entirely — closer to the ancient French tradition, vaguely more dangerous, downright medieval.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain goes to Mamou, La. — three hours west of New Orleans by car — for the notorious Mardi Gras run. Men (all the participants are men) cover their faces with elaborate masks, wear costumes from head to toe, drink themselves into a daze, then ride on horseback from house to house, chasing live chickens to cook in a holiday stew. The next day, Bourdain gets his forehead smeared with a cross for Ash Wednesday. \"Got right with God,\" he deadpans. \"Let's eat.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But aside from highlighting the unique Cajun and Creole cultures of the area, Bourdain had a profound, direct impact on its people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take, for example, Toby Rodriguez. He is seen in the 2018 episode running the kitchen of an evening dance party known as a \u003cem>fais dodo\u003c/em>. It's part of a weeklong celebration before Mardi Gras. Seven years earlier, Rodriguez had appeared on Bourdain's No Reservations, directing a boucherie — a day-long hog butchering. (\"So much joy from one animal,\" Bourdain exclaims.) After that episode aired, Rodriguez says, there was \"an immediate tidal wave of attention and interest in this thing I didn't think was that special.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He launched a traveling boucherie business, loading handmade tools and cast iron cauldrons into a U-Haul truck and driving to clients in Washington state, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Brooklyn. Two years ago, Rodriguez was invited to cook at Slow Food's prestigious Terra Madre festival in Italy. \"It was like time stood still,\" Rodriguez says. Now he has plans to open an informal whole-animal restaurant in the Crescent City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been looking forward to updating Bourdain on his meteoric rise during the recent filming. But there was no time. \"He was a bit removed, tired,\" Rodriguez says. \"I wondered how difficult it must be to be him.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lolis Elie, a journalist, food historian and screenwriter, worked alongside Bourdain on an episode of the HBO show \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/20/213493937/treme-cookbook-captures-the-flavor-of-a-show-and-a-city\">Treme\u003c/a> that focused on a working-class New Orleans neighborhood's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Bourdain wrote the character of cook Janette Desautel, who shuts her restaurant and heads to New York for a series of bruising jobs in top kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I don't want to minimize Tony's significance or the quality of his work about New Orleans,\" Elie tells NPR. \"But literally people have been talking about New Orleans for centuries.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Elie says, \"my respect for [Bourdain] is immense and unyielding\" for an incident that happened off-camera. Elie says in 2011 he asked Bourdain to donate a signed book to raise funds for New Orleans chef Nathanial Zimet, who was shot and badly injured outside his home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The attack came as Zimet and his business partner, James Denio, had just opened their restaurant, called Boucherie, after years of running a successful food truck business. Bourdain donated a stack of autographed books and a personal check for Zimet's care, then appeared for dinner at Boucherie and stayed late to exchange stories with the cooks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zimet eventually recovered and returned to the kitchen. On a recent June morning, he sat at a picnic table in the sunny, humid open air and reviewed a new menu with his staff: ribs with spicy-fried okra; long-cooked yellow beet ravioli; duck with pickled blueberries. Zimet never met Bourdain but says his gesture touched him: \"He said, 'Hey, you're not alone.' \"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lafayette restaurateur Jacques Rodrigue says Bourdain \"did a great job in showcasing our culture.\" That included highlighting local produce instead of the usual food-media focus on the area's deep-fried seafood, which is \"not necessarily what everybody ate at home,\" Rodrigue says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist Chuck Broussard (no relation to Madonna Broussard) worries \"that in general they overemphasized the amount of drinking in Louisiana. I would hate for people to think it's all drinking.\" Still, he concedes, \"They got it right for that Mardi Gras event.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Rodriguez, the traveling butcher, says Bourdain was accurate and unflinching. Of the 2011 production, Rodriguez says, \"it was the best representation ever done to date.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Every time that someone does something about Cajun country, about Acadiana, it's comedic,\" Rodriguez says. Bourdain's take was different. \"This was beautiful, it was serious, and it was intense. It was a romantic approach to representing who we are.\" \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003cem>Copyright 2018 \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/\">NPR\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129171\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 4592px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede.jpg\" alt=\"Toby Rodriguez (left) launched a career as a traveling butcher after he was featured on a 2011 episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Now he plans to open a restaurant in New Orleans with Barrett Dupuis (right) as general manager. Rodriguez says the late Bourdain was accurate and unflinching in his portrayal of Cajun country.\" width=\"4592\" height=\"3443\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129171\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede.jpg 4592w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-12-98fc9c251717932b7a1b74d255911f210b284ede-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4592px) 100vw, 4592px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toby Rodriguez (left) launched a career as a traveling butcher after he was featured on a 2011 episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Now he plans to open a restaurant in New Orleans with Barrett Dupuis (right) as general manager. Rodriguez says the late Bourdain was accurate and unflinching in his portrayal of Cajun country. \u003ccite>(Daniella Cheslow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The turkey wings at Laura's II in Lafayette, La., have been made using the same recipe for three generations. Madonna Broussard stuffs about 80 turkey wings with garlic and seasonings each afternoon, packs them into nine aluminum pans, then bakes the wings to give them a crispy bite that contrasts with the soft, gravy-soaked rice underneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon she checked on the marinating turkey wings, passing by photos of Anthony Bourdain taped to her soda machine near the cash register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the days and weeks following the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-chef-and-television-host-has-died-at-61\">June 8\u003c/a> death by suicide of the TV host and chef, tributes have poured in from around the world. In South Louisiana, where Bourdain returned time and again, he is particularly mourned and beloved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was Broussard's wings that Bourdain said drew him \"like a heat-seeking missile\" in one of the last episodes to air of his CNN show, \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em>. In the episode, called \u003ca href=\"https://explorepartsunknown.com/southern-louisiana/bourdains-field-notes-southern-louisiana/\">Cajun Mardi Gras\u003c/a>, Bourdain sits at a table in Broussard's restaurant with \"Creole Cowboy\" \u003ca href=\"http://stepnstrutriders.webs.com/aboutus.htm\">Dave Lemelle\u003c/a>, local musician and business owner \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ElSidos/\">Sid Williams\u003c/a> and zydeco music historian \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/HermanFuseTDA\">Herman Fuselier\u003c/a>. They discuss how black cowboys descended from African slaves and free men are believed to be the first American cattle herders in the plains and bayous of Louisiana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 4589px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce.jpg\" alt=\"Madonna Broussard papered her soda machine with a recent article featuring Anthony Bourdain in the parking lot of her restaurant, Laura's II in Lafayette, La. Bourdain featured Broussard and her turkey wings in one of the last episodes of Parts Unknown.\" width=\"4589\" height=\"3441\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129172\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce.jpg 4589w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-3-2b50b6ea7c6aab1ea5950eb3c35ccca6bc6749ce-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4589px) 100vw, 4589px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Madonna Broussard papered her soda machine with a recent article featuring Anthony Bourdain in the parking lot of her restaurant, Laura's II in Lafayette, La. Bourdain featured Broussard and her turkey wings in one of the last episodes of Parts Unknown. \u003ccite>(Daniella Cheslow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Broussard screened the episode at her restaurant when it aired June 17; Lemelle and Williams joined and answered questions during commercial breaks. The 60 guests ate a dinner of fried chicken from Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen. (Bourdain had described the outlet's macaroni and cheese as \"exotic,\" Broussard says.) The evening had a somber cast, she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129170\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 4589px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75.jpg\" alt='Restaurant workers dole out chicken fricassee at the \"Taste of EatLafayette\" festival in the sprawling Cajundome arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. Locals say Bourdain captured the subtleties of their culture and cuisine, even if at times some thought he overemphasized alcohol.' width=\"4589\" height=\"3441\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129170\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75.jpg 4589w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/cheslow-nola-bourdain-7-cae5cc39d6fcd9629646ada8b55f7fdd541eee75-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4589px) 100vw, 4589px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Restaurant workers dole out chicken fricassee at the \"Taste of EatLafayette\" festival in the sprawling Cajundome arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. Locals say Bourdain captured the subtleties of their culture and cuisine, even if at times some thought he overemphasized alcohol. \u003ccite>(Daniella Cheslow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"It was the reality of, 'Damn, he is not able to watch,' \" Broussard tells NPR. \"But for him to cut through here .... just to have that person come here and say, 'You guys, your food is good' – that was an honor.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain cherished southern Louisiana. His first foray was a 2003 episode of his early Food Network show, A Cook's Tour. He was overfed at a \"VIP\" table in the bed of an old pickup truck outside \u003ca href=\"http://jacques-imos.com/\">Jacques-Imo's Cafe\u003c/a>. The owner rode with Bourdain, still seated, like battered royalty back to his hotel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain returned to the area to film for each of his three ensuing TV series – in New Orleans in 2008 and 2013, Cajun country in 2011, and most recently, back in Lafayette. He captured a region influenced culturally and environmentally by generations of intermingling French, Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There are parts of America that are special, unique, unlike anywhere else,\" Bourdain says on \u003cem>Parts Unknown.\u003c/em> \"Cultures all their own, kept close, much loved but largely misunderstood. The vast patchwork of saltwater marshes, bayous, and prairie land that make up Cajun country is one of those places.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For his final episode from the region, Bourdain attended a Cajun Mardi Gras, which this year fell in February. In New Orleans, the Catholic holiday is marked with parades, parties, plastic beads and jazz music on the last day before Lent. \"Ordinarily, I loathe the idea of Mardi Gras,\" Bourdain narrates. \"But Cajun Mardi Gras is another thing entirely — closer to the ancient French tradition, vaguely more dangerous, downright medieval.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain goes to Mamou, La. — three hours west of New Orleans by car — for the notorious Mardi Gras run. Men (all the participants are men) cover their faces with elaborate masks, wear costumes from head to toe, drink themselves into a daze, then ride on horseback from house to house, chasing live chickens to cook in a holiday stew. The next day, Bourdain gets his forehead smeared with a cross for Ash Wednesday. \"Got right with God,\" he deadpans. \"Let's eat.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But aside from highlighting the unique Cajun and Creole cultures of the area, Bourdain had a profound, direct impact on its people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take, for example, Toby Rodriguez. He is seen in the 2018 episode running the kitchen of an evening dance party known as a \u003cem>fais dodo\u003c/em>. It's part of a weeklong celebration before Mardi Gras. Seven years earlier, Rodriguez had appeared on Bourdain's No Reservations, directing a boucherie — a day-long hog butchering. (\"So much joy from one animal,\" Bourdain exclaims.) After that episode aired, Rodriguez says, there was \"an immediate tidal wave of attention and interest in this thing I didn't think was that special.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He launched a traveling boucherie business, loading handmade tools and cast iron cauldrons into a U-Haul truck and driving to clients in Washington state, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Brooklyn. Two years ago, Rodriguez was invited to cook at Slow Food's prestigious Terra Madre festival in Italy. \"It was like time stood still,\" Rodriguez says. Now he has plans to open an informal whole-animal restaurant in the Crescent City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been looking forward to updating Bourdain on his meteoric rise during the recent filming. But there was no time. \"He was a bit removed, tired,\" Rodriguez says. \"I wondered how difficult it must be to be him.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lolis Elie, a journalist, food historian and screenwriter, worked alongside Bourdain on an episode of the HBO show \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/20/213493937/treme-cookbook-captures-the-flavor-of-a-show-and-a-city\">Treme\u003c/a> that focused on a working-class New Orleans neighborhood's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Bourdain wrote the character of cook Janette Desautel, who shuts her restaurant and heads to New York for a series of bruising jobs in top kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I don't want to minimize Tony's significance or the quality of his work about New Orleans,\" Elie tells NPR. \"But literally people have been talking about New Orleans for centuries.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Elie says, \"my respect for [Bourdain] is immense and unyielding\" for an incident that happened off-camera. Elie says in 2011 he asked Bourdain to donate a signed book to raise funds for New Orleans chef Nathanial Zimet, who was shot and badly injured outside his home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The attack came as Zimet and his business partner, James Denio, had just opened their restaurant, called Boucherie, after years of running a successful food truck business. Bourdain donated a stack of autographed books and a personal check for Zimet's care, then appeared for dinner at Boucherie and stayed late to exchange stories with the cooks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zimet eventually recovered and returned to the kitchen. On a recent June morning, he sat at a picnic table in the sunny, humid open air and reviewed a new menu with his staff: ribs with spicy-fried okra; long-cooked yellow beet ravioli; duck with pickled blueberries. Zimet never met Bourdain but says his gesture touched him: \"He said, 'Hey, you're not alone.' \"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lafayette restaurateur Jacques Rodrigue says Bourdain \"did a great job in showcasing our culture.\" That included highlighting local produce instead of the usual food-media focus on the area's deep-fried seafood, which is \"not necessarily what everybody ate at home,\" Rodrigue says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist Chuck Broussard (no relation to Madonna Broussard) worries \"that in general they overemphasized the amount of drinking in Louisiana. I would hate for people to think it's all drinking.\" Still, he concedes, \"They got it right for that Mardi Gras event.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Rodriguez, the traveling butcher, says Bourdain was accurate and unflinching. Of the 2011 production, Rodriguez says, \"it was the best representation ever done to date.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Every time that someone does something about Cajun country, about Acadiana, it's comedic,\" Rodriguez says. Bourdain's take was different. \"This was beautiful, it was serious, and it was intense. It was a romantic approach to representing who we are.\" \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "Jacques Pépin Shares Memories of Anthony Bourdain",
"title": "Jacques Pépin Shares Memories of Anthony Bourdain",
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"content": "\u003cp>Jacques Pépin and Anthony Bourdain were friends for 25 years, each an internationally acclaimed chef, television personality, and author. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/jpepinheart/\">Pépin\u003c/a>, a longtime KQED contributor, was in many ways Bourdain’s role model, the authentic authority he aspired to be. In this conversation with KQED Food’s executive producer Tina Salter, Jacques remembers Tony with affection and great respect for the enormous contribution he made to the intersecting worlds of food and culture. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: How did you first meet Anthony Bourdain?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> It had to be nearly 25 years ago. He was chef at a restaurant called \u003ca href=\"https://ny.eater.com/2018/6/12/17455134/anthony-bourdain-les-halles-memorial-nyc\">Brasserie Les Halles\u003c/a> on Park Avenue in New York. One of the chefs that he worked with was a Spanish guy who studied at the first French Culinary Institute in New York, where I was teaching. He took me to meet Tony at Les Halles. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: Did you ever get a chance to work with him in the kitchen?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> No, I never worked with him. We did events together and I know that in his book “\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Updated-Adventures-Underbelly/dp/0060899220\">Kitchen Confidential\u003c/a>,” he said that I helped make him become what he became. Mostly, because I took him seriously and respected his writing about what really happens in the kitchen. People throwing out baskets of bread, for instance, bread that had been served but not eaten. Today, thanks in part to Tony speaking out, people are recycling that bread, and I am glad they do. I mean, my father would have killed me if I threw out a piece of bread. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About three years ago, I did an event with Tony at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.92y.org/\">92nd Street Y\u003c/a> in New York. It was a big deal and was \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/U3QYai6bv5M\">recorded for a podcast\u003c/a>. He interviewed me in front of a crowd for an hour. I remember because my wife Gloria who never comes out for those kinds of things, joined us. She was determined to meet him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129004\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins.jpg\" alt=\"Gloria Pépin, Anthony Bourdain and Jacques Pépin at event in October 2015 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Tony moderated a discussion about Jacques” book Heart and Soul.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129004\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gloria Pépin, Anthony Bourdain and Jacques Pépin at event in October 2015 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Tony moderated a discussion about Jacques” book Heart and Soul. \u003ccite>(Tom Hopkins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/U3QYai6bv5M\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tony was very generous and contributed to the American Masters PBS film about me, \u003ca href=\"http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/american-masters-chefs-flight-jacques-pepin/8536/\">Jacques Pépin The Art of Craft\u003c/a>. He was the kind of person you would send an email to and he would respond within the hour. The last time I heard from him was just a few weeks ago because I gave him one of my paintings. I decided that I would give paintings to everyone who had contributed to the film, from Tony to Fareed Zakaria. So I sent him a list with pictures of the paintings and told him to choose one. So he picked one that is called ‘Construction 1’. And he sent a thank you note, of course. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129005\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new.jpg\" alt=\"Construction I is the title of the painting Jacques Pépin gave to Anthony Bourdain.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1533\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129005\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-160x128.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-800x639.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-768x613.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-1020x814.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-1200x958.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-1180x942.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-960x767.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-240x192.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-375x299.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-520x415.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction I is the title of the painting Jacques Pépin gave to Anthony Bourdain. \u003ccite>(Jacques Pépin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: What's the most memorable time that you spent with Tony?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> Well, the most memorable was when he talked to me about the role of cooks in our world. He had been making the point about how for ages cooks had resided at the bottom of the social scale. And yet, today, in our time, that was changing, and we were becoming famous. We were now on par with the painters, and people in haute couture. His work and his words have been an important part of why that is happening. I guess the point is he was an extremely honest and genuine person with the courage to speak up. And he expressed his thanks to me for helping enable that in him. He certainly had no patience for fakery and false stuff. On his CNN show Parts Unknown he had this uncanny ability to sit down with some of the world’s greatest chefs, in Italy or France or in America. And at the same time discover women cooking behind small stoves in Libya, Vietnam or Mexico and elevate them to the same value and level. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching his shows I would experience the culture of a country in a way I hadn’t known, in Vietnam or Lebanon or the Bronx. He revealed the food in such a way that it became a window into the people and their values and aspirations. And as we began to understand their food, we began to understand their culture. He did this by getting close to the people, truly talking and connecting with them, sharing culinary and other experiences. He was so much more than a reporter flying in for an interview. And yet when it came to interviewing he was excellent, very scrupulous and honest. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: He always gave credit to the workers in the kitchen, too.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> Yeah, absolutely. Unpretentious and humble. I always repeat to people what he said to me: “I was never a great chef, I cook in the kitchen.” And, yes, there was always credit for the guys he worked with in the kitchen, in America, especially, he celebrated the work of the immigrants from Mexico and Central and South America. And at the same time he was friends with some of the greatest chefs from France. Eric Ripert, the chef-owner of Le Bernardin in New York, was one of Tony’s closest friends. Tony connected people in the culinary world to each other in a way that democratized cooking. I don't think anyone has done that as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: If you were sharing a meal with him, what would it be?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> Oh boy. I tell you it would be very straightforward. Very good wine and I'm not talking about very expensive wine. Good wine, good beer, a lobster roll, a roast chicken, a salad. That's what he would like. Something simple, with taste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview was edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\t\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Jacques Pépin and Anthony Bourdain were friends for 25 years, each an internationally acclaimed chef, television personality, and author. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/jpepinheart/\">Pépin\u003c/a>, a longtime KQED contributor, was in many ways Bourdain’s role model, the authentic authority he aspired to be. In this conversation with KQED Food’s executive producer Tina Salter, Jacques remembers Tony with affection and great respect for the enormous contribution he made to the intersecting worlds of food and culture. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: How did you first meet Anthony Bourdain?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> It had to be nearly 25 years ago. He was chef at a restaurant called \u003ca href=\"https://ny.eater.com/2018/6/12/17455134/anthony-bourdain-les-halles-memorial-nyc\">Brasserie Les Halles\u003c/a> on Park Avenue in New York. One of the chefs that he worked with was a Spanish guy who studied at the first French Culinary Institute in New York, where I was teaching. He took me to meet Tony at Les Halles. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: Did you ever get a chance to work with him in the kitchen?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> No, I never worked with him. We did events together and I know that in his book “\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Updated-Adventures-Underbelly/dp/0060899220\">Kitchen Confidential\u003c/a>,” he said that I helped make him become what he became. Mostly, because I took him seriously and respected his writing about what really happens in the kitchen. People throwing out baskets of bread, for instance, bread that had been served but not eaten. Today, thanks in part to Tony speaking out, people are recycling that bread, and I am glad they do. I mean, my father would have killed me if I threw out a piece of bread. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About three years ago, I did an event with Tony at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.92y.org/\">92nd Street Y\u003c/a> in New York. It was a big deal and was \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/U3QYai6bv5M\">recorded for a podcast\u003c/a>. He interviewed me in front of a crowd for an hour. I remember because my wife Gloria who never comes out for those kinds of things, joined us. She was determined to meet him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129004\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins.jpg\" alt=\"Gloria Pépin, Anthony Bourdain and Jacques Pépin at event in October 2015 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Tony moderated a discussion about Jacques” book Heart and Soul.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129004\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gp-jp-ab-tom-hopkins-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gloria Pépin, Anthony Bourdain and Jacques Pépin at event in October 2015 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Tony moderated a discussion about Jacques” book Heart and Soul. \u003ccite>(Tom Hopkins)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/U3QYai6bv5M'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/U3QYai6bv5M'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Tony was very generous and contributed to the American Masters PBS film about me, \u003ca href=\"http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/american-masters-chefs-flight-jacques-pepin/8536/\">Jacques Pépin The Art of Craft\u003c/a>. He was the kind of person you would send an email to and he would respond within the hour. The last time I heard from him was just a few weeks ago because I gave him one of my paintings. I decided that I would give paintings to everyone who had contributed to the film, from Tony to Fareed Zakaria. So I sent him a list with pictures of the paintings and told him to choose one. So he picked one that is called ‘Construction 1’. And he sent a thank you note, of course. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_129005\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new.jpg\" alt=\"Construction I is the title of the painting Jacques Pépin gave to Anthony Bourdain.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1533\" class=\"size-full wp-image-129005\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-160x128.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-800x639.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-768x613.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-1020x814.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-1200x958.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-1180x942.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-960x767.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-240x192.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-375x299.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Construction-1-20X16-acrylic-on-canvas-14613-new-520x415.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction I is the title of the painting Jacques Pépin gave to Anthony Bourdain. \u003ccite>(Jacques Pépin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: What's the most memorable time that you spent with Tony?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> Well, the most memorable was when he talked to me about the role of cooks in our world. He had been making the point about how for ages cooks had resided at the bottom of the social scale. And yet, today, in our time, that was changing, and we were becoming famous. We were now on par with the painters, and people in haute couture. His work and his words have been an important part of why that is happening. I guess the point is he was an extremely honest and genuine person with the courage to speak up. And he expressed his thanks to me for helping enable that in him. He certainly had no patience for fakery and false stuff. On his CNN show Parts Unknown he had this uncanny ability to sit down with some of the world’s greatest chefs, in Italy or France or in America. And at the same time discover women cooking behind small stoves in Libya, Vietnam or Mexico and elevate them to the same value and level. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching his shows I would experience the culture of a country in a way I hadn’t known, in Vietnam or Lebanon or the Bronx. He revealed the food in such a way that it became a window into the people and their values and aspirations. And as we began to understand their food, we began to understand their culture. He did this by getting close to the people, truly talking and connecting with them, sharing culinary and other experiences. He was so much more than a reporter flying in for an interview. And yet when it came to interviewing he was excellent, very scrupulous and honest. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: He always gave credit to the workers in the kitchen, too.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> Yeah, absolutely. Unpretentious and humble. I always repeat to people what he said to me: “I was never a great chef, I cook in the kitchen.” And, yes, there was always credit for the guys he worked with in the kitchen, in America, especially, he celebrated the work of the immigrants from Mexico and Central and South America. And at the same time he was friends with some of the greatest chefs from France. Eric Ripert, the chef-owner of Le Bernardin in New York, was one of Tony’s closest friends. Tony connected people in the culinary world to each other in a way that democratized cooking. I don't think anyone has done that as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tina: If you were sharing a meal with him, what would it be?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacques:\u003c/strong> Oh boy. I tell you it would be very straightforward. Very good wine and I'm not talking about very expensive wine. Good wine, good beer, a lobster roll, a roast chicken, a salad. That's what he would like. Something simple, with taste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview was edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\t\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain is being mourned, of course, by fellow chefs and foodies for his sardonic exposés about what \u003cem>really \u003c/em>happens in the kitchens of some of America's best restaurants. And for his travels to explore the world's cuisines. But communities of color, women, people who are gender-different from the perceived norm — those people sent heartbroken tributes, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chef, food and travel writer and humanitarian was found dead on Friday while with a production crew on a shoot in France for one of his food travelogues. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-chef-and-television-host-has-died-at-61\">cause of death was suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If you're from a marginalized, dehumanized community, you know what Anthony Bourdain meant,\" tweeted Mohammad Alsaafin. \"To Palestinians, Iranians, Libyans, undocumented immigrants in the US, abused women...what a loss.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What a loss indeed. Food historian \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/tracing-his-urge-to-cook-through-slavery-and-the-south/2017/08/18/1aeaa6de-6e19-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.11080b413b31\">Michael W. Twitty\u003c/a> won a coveted James Beard award earlier this spring for \u003cem>The Cooking Gene\u003c/em>: \u003cem>A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South.\u003c/em> He wrote on Twitter, \"For a Black man that has walked the plank for being highly critical of the food world so white, #Anthony Bourdain was special. He called Africa the cradle of civilization, took his cameras to Haiti, honored t he hood with Snoop, broke bread with Obama like a human being...\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/hLkC0jNWE5Y\">Obama and Bourdain met when both were traveling in Southeast Asia to share bowls of \u003cem>bun cha\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a North Vietnamese specialty of spicy pork patties with noodles in a garlicky broth. The people in the restaurant—once they got over their shock at seeing the leader of the free world happily slurping noodles at a nearby table — clearly loved that Obama was eating and enjoying their food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is killer,\" Obama told Bourdain, as he dove in for more. Food writer Andrea Nguyen, whose \u003ca href=\"https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/vietnamese-cooking-expert-andrea-nguyen-the-pho-cookbook-recipe-article\">cookbook on the Vietnamese national soup, Pho\u003c/a>, also earned a James Beard award this year, tweeted after that memorable dinner, that the table at which the president and Bourdain dined \"\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ObamaHitsBack/status/1005049996520157184\">was encased like a museum piece at the restaurant\u003c/a>.\" Bourdain, she said \"did much for overlooked causes and cuisines, including that of Vietnam. RIP anh [brother] Tony.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Humanizing Muslims and Arabs ...\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain saw food as not just sustenance — although sustenance was important — but as a way to convey a message of acceptance, respect, comfort. \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em> got an award from MPAC (the Muslim Public Affairs Council) for its episode on Israel and Palestine. In his \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53pRNV8wAws\">acceptance speech\u003c/a>, made by video, Bourdain said, \"The world has visited many terrible things on the Palestinian people, none more shameful than robbing them of their basic humanity.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain's death revealed another talent most of us knew nothing about. Laila El-Haddad, his co-author of \u003cem>The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey\u003c/em>, posted a photo on Twitter of Bourdain with her and her tiny daughter. \"He was a master baby whisperer, and a master storyteller, having rocked my 7 month old to sleep in the middle of shooting our episode.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Let's not forget that Anthony Bourdain was one of the few prominent media personalities who regularly humanized Muslims and Arabs as regular, everyday people-without politicizing their lives or stories,\" tweeted Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, and author of \u003cem>American\u003c/em> \u003cem>Islamophobia\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for Africa, Bourdain declared the continent, \"one of the best arguments for travel I can think of,\" and lauded its ability to exist as a \"functioning multicultural, multilingual, extraordinarily TOLERANT society ... It's someplace that everyone, given the chance, should go.\" (\u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/bourdain-parts-unknown-senegal/index.html\">In that episode, he sits down with our own Ofeibea Quist-Arcton\u003c/a> to share a snack in one of the city's bustling street markets.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Supporting Women and Immigrants\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer to home, Bourdain was an early supporter of #MeToo, noting he'd met several women who'd told him awful stories of abuse. In an interview with \u003cem>The Cut\u003c/em>, Bourdain confessed he'd partially awakened to how widespread the issue of male predation was \u003ca href=\"http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/anthony-bourdain-cooks-asia-argento-rose-mcgowan-article-1.3656784\">when his girlfriend, Asia Argento, confided she was one of disgraced film maker Harvey Weinstein's accusers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I stand unhesitatingly and unwaveringly with the women,\" he wrote on \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/@Bourdain/on-reacting-to-bad-news-28bc2c4b9adc\">in a 2017 essay on Medium\u003c/a>. And he meant not just in the film industry: \"Right now, nothing else matters but women's stories of what it's like in the industry I have loved and celebrated for nearly 30 years...\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also clapped back at the country's growing anti-immigrant, especially anti-Mexican, sentiment. \u003ca href=\"http://anthonybourdain.tumblr.com/post/84641290831/under-the-volcano\">On his blog in 2014\u003c/a>, Bourdain noted that, \"Americans love Mexican food ... Despite our ridiculously hypocritical attitudes towards immigration, we demand that Mexicans cook a large percentage of the food we eat, grow the ingredients we need to make that food, clean our houses, mow our lawns, wash our dishes, look after our children. As any chef will tell you, our entire service economy—the restaurant business as we know it—in most American cities, would collapse overnight without Mexican workers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's noticing things like that — and being unafraid to voice those observations in his books, blogs and on his television shows, that made Anthony Bourdain beloved, even revered, by the many communities of marginalized people that he visited, touched and supported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Copyright 2018 \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/\">NPR\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain is being mourned, of course, by fellow chefs and foodies for his sardonic exposés about what \u003cem>really \u003c/em>happens in the kitchens of some of America's best restaurants. And for his travels to explore the world's cuisines. But communities of color, women, people who are gender-different from the perceived norm — those people sent heartbroken tributes, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chef, food and travel writer and humanitarian was found dead on Friday while with a production crew on a shoot in France for one of his food travelogues. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-chef-and-television-host-has-died-at-61\">cause of death was suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If you're from a marginalized, dehumanized community, you know what Anthony Bourdain meant,\" tweeted Mohammad Alsaafin. \"To Palestinians, Iranians, Libyans, undocumented immigrants in the US, abused women...what a loss.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What a loss indeed. Food historian \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/tracing-his-urge-to-cook-through-slavery-and-the-south/2017/08/18/1aeaa6de-6e19-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.11080b413b31\">Michael W. Twitty\u003c/a> won a coveted James Beard award earlier this spring for \u003cem>The Cooking Gene\u003c/em>: \u003cem>A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South.\u003c/em> He wrote on Twitter, \"For a Black man that has walked the plank for being highly critical of the food world so white, #Anthony Bourdain was special. He called Africa the cradle of civilization, took his cameras to Haiti, honored t he hood with Snoop, broke bread with Obama like a human being...\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/hLkC0jNWE5Y\">Obama and Bourdain met when both were traveling in Southeast Asia to share bowls of \u003cem>bun cha\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a North Vietnamese specialty of spicy pork patties with noodles in a garlicky broth. The people in the restaurant—once they got over their shock at seeing the leader of the free world happily slurping noodles at a nearby table — clearly loved that Obama was eating and enjoying their food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is killer,\" Obama told Bourdain, as he dove in for more. Food writer Andrea Nguyen, whose \u003ca href=\"https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/vietnamese-cooking-expert-andrea-nguyen-the-pho-cookbook-recipe-article\">cookbook on the Vietnamese national soup, Pho\u003c/a>, also earned a James Beard award this year, tweeted after that memorable dinner, that the table at which the president and Bourdain dined \"\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ObamaHitsBack/status/1005049996520157184\">was encased like a museum piece at the restaurant\u003c/a>.\" Bourdain, she said \"did much for overlooked causes and cuisines, including that of Vietnam. RIP anh [brother] Tony.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Humanizing Muslims and Arabs ...\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain saw food as not just sustenance — although sustenance was important — but as a way to convey a message of acceptance, respect, comfort. \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em> got an award from MPAC (the Muslim Public Affairs Council) for its episode on Israel and Palestine. In his \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53pRNV8wAws\">acceptance speech\u003c/a>, made by video, Bourdain said, \"The world has visited many terrible things on the Palestinian people, none more shameful than robbing them of their basic humanity.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain's death revealed another talent most of us knew nothing about. Laila El-Haddad, his co-author of \u003cem>The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey\u003c/em>, posted a photo on Twitter of Bourdain with her and her tiny daughter. \"He was a master baby whisperer, and a master storyteller, having rocked my 7 month old to sleep in the middle of shooting our episode.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Let's not forget that Anthony Bourdain was one of the few prominent media personalities who regularly humanized Muslims and Arabs as regular, everyday people-without politicizing their lives or stories,\" tweeted Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, and author of \u003cem>American\u003c/em> \u003cem>Islamophobia\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for Africa, Bourdain declared the continent, \"one of the best arguments for travel I can think of,\" and lauded its ability to exist as a \"functioning multicultural, multilingual, extraordinarily TOLERANT society ... It's someplace that everyone, given the chance, should go.\" (\u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/bourdain-parts-unknown-senegal/index.html\">In that episode, he sits down with our own Ofeibea Quist-Arcton\u003c/a> to share a snack in one of the city's bustling street markets.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Supporting Women and Immigrants\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Closer to home, Bourdain was an early supporter of #MeToo, noting he'd met several women who'd told him awful stories of abuse. In an interview with \u003cem>The Cut\u003c/em>, Bourdain confessed he'd partially awakened to how widespread the issue of male predation was \u003ca href=\"http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/anthony-bourdain-cooks-asia-argento-rose-mcgowan-article-1.3656784\">when his girlfriend, Asia Argento, confided she was one of disgraced film maker Harvey Weinstein's accusers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I stand unhesitatingly and unwaveringly with the women,\" he wrote on \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/@Bourdain/on-reacting-to-bad-news-28bc2c4b9adc\">in a 2017 essay on Medium\u003c/a>. And he meant not just in the film industry: \"Right now, nothing else matters but women's stories of what it's like in the industry I have loved and celebrated for nearly 30 years...\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also clapped back at the country's growing anti-immigrant, especially anti-Mexican, sentiment. \u003ca href=\"http://anthonybourdain.tumblr.com/post/84641290831/under-the-volcano\">On his blog in 2014\u003c/a>, Bourdain noted that, \"Americans love Mexican food ... Despite our ridiculously hypocritical attitudes towards immigration, we demand that Mexicans cook a large percentage of the food we eat, grow the ingredients we need to make that food, clean our houses, mow our lawns, wash our dishes, look after our children. As any chef will tell you, our entire service economy—the restaurant business as we know it—in most American cities, would collapse overnight without Mexican workers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's noticing things like that — and being unafraid to voice those observations in his books, blogs and on his television shows, that made Anthony Bourdain beloved, even revered, by the many communities of marginalized people that he visited, touched and supported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Copyright 2018 \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/\">NPR\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Anthony Bourdain, Chef And Television Host, Has Died At 61",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updated at 12:28 p.m. ET\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in a hotel room in France, his employer CNN said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html?utm_content=2018-06-08T11%3A21%3A43&utm_term=image&utm_source=twCNN&utm_medium=social\">a statement\u003c/a> Friday morning. He was 61. The network and a French official said the cause of death was suicide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,\" the network said. \"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink, and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The network said that Bourdain was in France working on an episode of his show \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em> and that he was found by French chef and friend Eric Ripert. CNN's Brian Stelter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1005047736507469825\">said\u003c/a> Bourdain had hanged himself in his hotel room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A French prosecutor confirmed that Bourdain was found in the Chambard luxury hotel in the town of Kaysersberg. \"At this stage, we have no reason to suspect foul play,\" Christian de Rocquigny du Fayel was quoted as saying by \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain's death comes just days after fashion designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/06/05/617145848/fashion-designer-kate-spade-found-dead-in-apparent-suicide\">Kate Spade was found dead\u003c/a> of an apparent suicide at age 55.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Formerly the chef at Les Halles in New York City, Bourdain broke into national fame with his book \u003cem>Kitchen Confidential\u003c/em>. He landed on the Food Network with \u003cem>A Cook's Tour\u003c/em>, then gained a broader audience as star of Travel Channel's \u003cem>Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations\u003c/em>. He moved to CNN in 2013, where Season 11 of his show premiered last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85.jpg\" alt=\"Chefs Masa Takayama (left), Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain during a screening of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in 2016 in New York City.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128839\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85.jpg 1600w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-768x511.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-1200x799.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-960x639.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chefs Masa Takayama (left), Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain during a screening of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in 2016 in New York City. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Peabody Award judges \u003ca href=\"http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-cnn\">honored\u003c/a> Bourdain's \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em> in 2013 for \"expanding our palates and horizons in equal measure.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain also was active in social causes, particularly in highlighting the role of immigrant workers in restaurant kitchens. For years, he was vocal about how immigrants are the backbone of the industry but that their contributions are marginalized and ignored.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The bald fact is that the entire restaurant industry in America would close down overnight, would never recover, if current immigration laws were enforced quickly and thoroughly across the board,\" Bourdain told \u003ca href=\"http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-12-20/restaurants/illegal-immigrants-in-the-restaurant-industry/\">the Houston Press\u003c/a> in 2007.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1999, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/04/19/dont-eat-before-reading-this\">wrote an essay\u003c/a> in \u003cem>The New Yorker \u003c/em>titled, \"Don't Eat Before Reading This\" in which he revealed dirty secrets of the restaurant business. It was professional cooking's unsavoriness that attracted him, said Bourdain, who dropped out of college in the early 1970s and transferred to The Culinary Institute of America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I wanted it all: the cuts and burns on hands and wrists, the ghoulish kitchen humor, the free food, the pilfered booze, the camaraderie that flourished within rigid order and nerve-shattering chaos,\" he wrote. \"I love the sheer weirdness of the kitchen life: the dreamers, the crackpots, the refugees, and the sociopaths with whom I continue to work; the ever-present smells of roasting bones, searing fish, and simmering liquids; the noise and clatter, the hiss and spray, the flames, the smoke, and the steam.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/13/anthony-bourdains-moveable-feast\">was open\u003c/a> about having kicked addictions to heroin and cocaine. He was twice married and divorced, and had a daughter, Ariane. Recently, he had shared \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BjQNT3MHbjk/?taken-by=anthonybourdain\">photos\u003c/a> together with his girlfriend, actress and filmmaker Asia Argento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated,\" Argento said in a \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/1005116310366269440\">tweet\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain's death comes as a shock to many people who admired both the man and the life he lived. \"Here is the thing,\" \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JohnBerman/status/1005065698459168771\">wrote\u003c/a> CNN anchor John Berman, \"just one of the things that makes this so hard and confusing. Everyone wanted to be Anthony Bourdain. I did. We all did.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I'm happiest experiencing food in the most purely emotional way,\" Bourdain \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/10/27/499308031/in-appetites-bourdain-pleases-the-toughest-food-critic-his-9-year-old\">told\u003c/a> NPR's \u003cem>Fresh Air\u003c/em> in 2016. \"When it's, like, street food or a one-chef, one-dish operation, or somebody who's just really, really good at one or two or three things that they've been doing for a very long time, that's very reflective of their ethnicity or their culture or their nationality — those are the things that just make me happy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Journalists drop into a situation, ask a question, and people sort of tighten up,\" Bourdain said. \"Whereas if you sit down with people and just say, 'Hey what makes you happy? What do you like to eat?' They'll tell you extraordinary things, many of which have nothing to do with food.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/\">\u003cem>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.crisistextline.org/\">\u003cem>Crisis Text Line\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> by texting 741741.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>NPR food editor Maria Godoy contributed to this report.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Anthony+Bourdain%2C+Chef+And+Television+Host%2C+Has+Died+At+61&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Updated at 12:28 p.m. ET\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in a hotel room in France, his employer CNN said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html?utm_content=2018-06-08T11%3A21%3A43&utm_term=image&utm_source=twCNN&utm_medium=social\">a statement\u003c/a> Friday morning. He was 61. The network and a French official said the cause of death was suicide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,\" the network said. \"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink, and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The network said that Bourdain was in France working on an episode of his show \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em> and that he was found by French chef and friend Eric Ripert. CNN's Brian Stelter \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1005047736507469825\">said\u003c/a> Bourdain had hanged himself in his hotel room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A French prosecutor confirmed that Bourdain was found in the Chambard luxury hotel in the town of Kaysersberg. \"At this stage, we have no reason to suspect foul play,\" Christian de Rocquigny du Fayel was quoted as saying by \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain's death comes just days after fashion designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/06/05/617145848/fashion-designer-kate-spade-found-dead-in-apparent-suicide\">Kate Spade was found dead\u003c/a> of an apparent suicide at age 55.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Formerly the chef at Les Halles in New York City, Bourdain broke into national fame with his book \u003cem>Kitchen Confidential\u003c/em>. He landed on the Food Network with \u003cem>A Cook's Tour\u003c/em>, then gained a broader audience as star of Travel Channel's \u003cem>Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations\u003c/em>. He moved to CNN in 2013, where Season 11 of his show premiered last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85.jpg\" alt=\"Chefs Masa Takayama (left), Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain during a screening of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in 2016 in New York City.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128839\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85.jpg 1600w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-768x511.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-1200x799.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-960x639.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/gettyimages-621668904_custom-1bb35ba10a1c6a1621ac072cb6aed01706e1f04f-s1600-c85-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chefs Masa Takayama (left), Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain during a screening of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in 2016 in New York City. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Peabody Award judges \u003ca href=\"http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-cnn\">honored\u003c/a> Bourdain's \u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em> in 2013 for \"expanding our palates and horizons in equal measure.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain also was active in social causes, particularly in highlighting the role of immigrant workers in restaurant kitchens. For years, he was vocal about how immigrants are the backbone of the industry but that their contributions are marginalized and ignored.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The bald fact is that the entire restaurant industry in America would close down overnight, would never recover, if current immigration laws were enforced quickly and thoroughly across the board,\" Bourdain told \u003ca href=\"http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-12-20/restaurants/illegal-immigrants-in-the-restaurant-industry/\">the Houston Press\u003c/a> in 2007.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1999, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/04/19/dont-eat-before-reading-this\">wrote an essay\u003c/a> in \u003cem>The New Yorker \u003c/em>titled, \"Don't Eat Before Reading This\" in which he revealed dirty secrets of the restaurant business. It was professional cooking's unsavoriness that attracted him, said Bourdain, who dropped out of college in the early 1970s and transferred to The Culinary Institute of America.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I wanted it all: the cuts and burns on hands and wrists, the ghoulish kitchen humor, the free food, the pilfered booze, the camaraderie that flourished within rigid order and nerve-shattering chaos,\" he wrote. \"I love the sheer weirdness of the kitchen life: the dreamers, the crackpots, the refugees, and the sociopaths with whom I continue to work; the ever-present smells of roasting bones, searing fish, and simmering liquids; the noise and clatter, the hiss and spray, the flames, the smoke, and the steam.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/13/anthony-bourdains-moveable-feast\">was open\u003c/a> about having kicked addictions to heroin and cocaine. He was twice married and divorced, and had a daughter, Ariane. Recently, he had shared \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BjQNT3MHbjk/?taken-by=anthonybourdain\">photos\u003c/a> together with his girlfriend, actress and filmmaker Asia Argento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated,\" Argento said in a \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/1005116310366269440\">tweet\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain's death comes as a shock to many people who admired both the man and the life he lived. \"Here is the thing,\" \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JohnBerman/status/1005065698459168771\">wrote\u003c/a> CNN anchor John Berman, \"just one of the things that makes this so hard and confusing. Everyone wanted to be Anthony Bourdain. I did. We all did.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I'm happiest experiencing food in the most purely emotional way,\" Bourdain \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/10/27/499308031/in-appetites-bourdain-pleases-the-toughest-food-critic-his-9-year-old\">told\u003c/a> NPR's \u003cem>Fresh Air\u003c/em> in 2016. \"When it's, like, street food or a one-chef, one-dish operation, or somebody who's just really, really good at one or two or three things that they've been doing for a very long time, that's very reflective of their ethnicity or their culture or their nationality — those are the things that just make me happy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Journalists drop into a situation, ask a question, and people sort of tighten up,\" Bourdain said. \"Whereas if you sit down with people and just say, 'Hey what makes you happy? What do you like to eat?' They'll tell you extraordinary things, many of which have nothing to do with food.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/\">\u003cem>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.crisistextline.org/\">\u003cem>Crisis Text Line\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> by texting 741741.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>NPR food editor Maria Godoy contributed to this report.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Anthony+Bourdain%2C+Chef+And+Television+Host%2C+Has+Died+At+61&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain's \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/bourdain?lang=en\">Twitter profile\u003c/a> just says, \"Enthusiast.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chef, food writer, \u003cem>Parts Unknown \u003c/em>host, \u003cem>Top Chef \u003c/em>judge — the enthusiast — \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-has-died-at-61-cnn-says\">has died\u003c/a> from an apparent suicide. He was 61.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of us were introduced to Bourdain through his book about the restaurant world, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/books/titles/138035265/kitchen-confidential-adventures-in-the-culinary-underbelly\">\u003cem>Kitchen Confidential\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Here, he wrote about the intensity, the tempers, the swearing, the drugs — he built much of the image we now have of restaurant kitchens as dens of iniquity that somehow produce something divine. But his own kitchens ceased to be his focus long ago. Unlike a lot of other people who might be called \"celebrity chefs,\" Bourdain didn't primarily care about the food he made, but the food he ate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was, particularly on his TV shows, infinitely curious, literally hungry for everything. He loved restaurants that would look like nothing special to people accustomed to fuss. He believed passionately in street food sold from stalls around the world, not because he fetishized authenticity as a status marker, but as a chance to learn about a place through how it feeds its people. And he believed that you learn the most from the people who make food that other people actually want to eat day in and day out, not just on special occasions. What is more personal than what people put in their bellies? What is more profound than what they share with each other, what they spear with a fork and move to a plate? What — truly, \u003cem>what — \u003c/em>tells us more about ourselves than the things we choose to, day after day, slide down our gullets?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So Bourdain didn't focus on standing in a sterile kitchen telling you how to make your own guacamole or how to produce a passable pho at home. He had a food show on the Travel Channel. Then he had one on CNN. Both homes, then unusual for food television, made all the sense in the world. He was open about the fact that he mostly had a TV show so he could travel all over the world and meet people and eat. If he seemed to be profoundly driven about anything, it was not building the most restaurants. It was understanding more of the world each year than he had the year before. And he never suggested pity for the people he visited, no matter what their circumstances. He wasn't there to suggest that a place, even one where the people were accustomed to being seen through the lens of their struggles, needed the touch of your benevolent hand as much as that it deserved your respect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for CNN, is there anything more profoundly connected to the news than our increasingly tenuous grasp on our ability to coexist? Is there anything more crucial than a counterweight that shows you a place — how many amazing things it has that you have never tried, how many amazing people it has whom you have never met — and asks you to see it as round instead of flat?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain should not be confused, though, with some dulcet-toned host-bot, constantly awash in wonder. He could also be hilariously cutting, particularly when he became a judge on \u003cem>Top Chef\u003c/em> — one of the best, in fact. He was creative and funny, once saying a particularly problematic lobster had the texture of \"doll head.\" Let's be honest: That doesn't even really mean anything. But it's still perfect. You have never tasted a doll head, and yet you somehow know what waxy, unsettling, inanimate plasticity he was going for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Enthusiast.\" Yes, exactly. In the way that enthusiasm is best understood not as bland and undiscerning rah-rah pump of the fist, but as undiluted appetite. To see more, do more, talk more, learn more, eat more, walk more, set foot on more acres of ground, float on more stretches of water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain, like Roger Ebert before him, had simply grown into one of my guides. Not a moral guide like Jiminy Cricket — he would have been the first to recommend against seeing him that way — but a guide to being, as to paraphrase John Muir, in the world rather than just on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain began his career as \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/04/19/dont-eat-before-reading-this\">a commentator in \u003cem>The New Yorker\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> \u003c/em>explaining that restaurant kitchens were bloody and merciless, chefs were judgmental and vain, everyone was on drugs, and you should not kid yourself about it. It looked, at that time, like his legacy would be rock-star-like, maybe even (ugh) bad-boy-like, ascending to a throne of faux-daring that was all about shock. He was a wonderful writer, evocative and specific and fearless, and if he had wanted to write about restaurant underbellies forever, he could have been that guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This turned out to be not the case at all. He will be remembered for his curiosity — and curiosity is hopeful. To be an enthusiast is to believe that you will duck around the next corner and find a place where you've never had anything like the bowl of noodles they're going to make for you. To be an explorer, always, without hesitation, is the opposite of cynicism. It's the opposite of surrender to all the blood and innards and, to quote one of his book titles, the nasty bits. To wander is to believe in the expansive worth of the world you live in, and to have faith that you have not run out of people to meet or places to visit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I will miss this deceptively optimistic outlook, among other things. Bourdain may have had a snarl, a cutting tongue and closets full of demons he was often fairly open about. But he treated the world as if he had not given up on it. He treated it as if, at any moment, it might open itself wider, reveal a crack into which he hadn't ever slipped, with pen and paper, with a flashlight and a fork. And he might be able to help other people understand what was inside. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Remembering+Anthony+Bourdain%2C+Explorer+And+Enthusiast&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain's \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/bourdain?lang=en\">Twitter profile\u003c/a> just says, \"Enthusiast.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chef, food writer, \u003cem>Parts Unknown \u003c/em>host, \u003cem>Top Chef \u003c/em>judge — the enthusiast — \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/06/08/618185381/anthony-bourdain-has-died-at-61-cnn-says\">has died\u003c/a> from an apparent suicide. He was 61.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of us were introduced to Bourdain through his book about the restaurant world, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/books/titles/138035265/kitchen-confidential-adventures-in-the-culinary-underbelly\">\u003cem>Kitchen Confidential\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Here, he wrote about the intensity, the tempers, the swearing, the drugs — he built much of the image we now have of restaurant kitchens as dens of iniquity that somehow produce something divine. But his own kitchens ceased to be his focus long ago. Unlike a lot of other people who might be called \"celebrity chefs,\" Bourdain didn't primarily care about the food he made, but the food he ate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was, particularly on his TV shows, infinitely curious, literally hungry for everything. He loved restaurants that would look like nothing special to people accustomed to fuss. He believed passionately in street food sold from stalls around the world, not because he fetishized authenticity as a status marker, but as a chance to learn about a place through how it feeds its people. And he believed that you learn the most from the people who make food that other people actually want to eat day in and day out, not just on special occasions. What is more personal than what people put in their bellies? What is more profound than what they share with each other, what they spear with a fork and move to a plate? What — truly, \u003cem>what — \u003c/em>tells us more about ourselves than the things we choose to, day after day, slide down our gullets?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So Bourdain didn't focus on standing in a sterile kitchen telling you how to make your own guacamole or how to produce a passable pho at home. He had a food show on the Travel Channel. Then he had one on CNN. Both homes, then unusual for food television, made all the sense in the world. He was open about the fact that he mostly had a TV show so he could travel all over the world and meet people and eat. If he seemed to be profoundly driven about anything, it was not building the most restaurants. It was understanding more of the world each year than he had the year before. And he never suggested pity for the people he visited, no matter what their circumstances. He wasn't there to suggest that a place, even one where the people were accustomed to being seen through the lens of their struggles, needed the touch of your benevolent hand as much as that it deserved your respect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for CNN, is there anything more profoundly connected to the news than our increasingly tenuous grasp on our ability to coexist? Is there anything more crucial than a counterweight that shows you a place — how many amazing things it has that you have never tried, how many amazing people it has whom you have never met — and asks you to see it as round instead of flat?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain should not be confused, though, with some dulcet-toned host-bot, constantly awash in wonder. He could also be hilariously cutting, particularly when he became a judge on \u003cem>Top Chef\u003c/em> — one of the best, in fact. He was creative and funny, once saying a particularly problematic lobster had the texture of \"doll head.\" Let's be honest: That doesn't even really mean anything. But it's still perfect. You have never tasted a doll head, and yet you somehow know what waxy, unsettling, inanimate plasticity he was going for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Enthusiast.\" Yes, exactly. In the way that enthusiasm is best understood not as bland and undiscerning rah-rah pump of the fist, but as undiluted appetite. To see more, do more, talk more, learn more, eat more, walk more, set foot on more acres of ground, float on more stretches of water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain, like Roger Ebert before him, had simply grown into one of my guides. Not a moral guide like Jiminy Cricket — he would have been the first to recommend against seeing him that way — but a guide to being, as to paraphrase John Muir, in the world rather than just on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bourdain began his career as \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/04/19/dont-eat-before-reading-this\">a commentator in \u003cem>The New Yorker\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> \u003c/em>explaining that restaurant kitchens were bloody and merciless, chefs were judgmental and vain, everyone was on drugs, and you should not kid yourself about it. It looked, at that time, like his legacy would be rock-star-like, maybe even (ugh) bad-boy-like, ascending to a throne of faux-daring that was all about shock. He was a wonderful writer, evocative and specific and fearless, and if he had wanted to write about restaurant underbellies forever, he could have been that guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This turned out to be not the case at all. He will be remembered for his curiosity — and curiosity is hopeful. To be an enthusiast is to believe that you will duck around the next corner and find a place where you've never had anything like the bowl of noodles they're going to make for you. To be an explorer, always, without hesitation, is the opposite of cynicism. It's the opposite of surrender to all the blood and innards and, to quote one of his book titles, the nasty bits. To wander is to believe in the expansive worth of the world you live in, and to have faith that you have not run out of people to meet or places to visit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I will miss this deceptively optimistic outlook, among other things. Bourdain may have had a snarl, a cutting tongue and closets full of demons he was often fairly open about. But he treated the world as if he had not given up on it. He treated it as if, at any moment, it might open itself wider, reveal a crack into which he hadn't ever slipped, with pen and paper, with a flashlight and a fork. And he might be able to help other people understand what was inside. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Remembering+Anthony+Bourdain%2C+Explorer+And+Enthusiast&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "When Anthony Bourdain Had Breakfast With Ofeibea Quist-Arcton",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Editor's Note:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>In 2016, Anthony Bourdain visited Senegal and spoke with NPR's Africa correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton. Their meal and conversation were filmed for his travel-food show \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2016/05/11/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-senegal-travel-minute-orig.cnn/video/playlists/bourdain/\">\u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> on CNN. With the news of Bourdain's death, we wanted to revisit our interview with Quist-Arcton about that day.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain and Ofeibea Quist-Arcton had breakfast at Marche Kermel — a popular market in the heart of Dakar selling fruits, vegetables, herbs, seafood and meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was clearly impressed with the food, Quist-Arcton recalls: \"He loved the Senegalese fruit juices and the \u003cem>lakh\u003c/em> we ate. But he seemed even more interested in eating and drinking in the history, the culture, the people, everything about Senegal — and especially its harmony and tolerance.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He described the country as \"enchanting.\" And he noted that Senegal has managed to avoid the coups, civil wars and dictatorships that have blighted many of its neighbors. And that even though Senegal is a majority Muslim nation, its people elected a Catholic as its first president after independence from France in 1960. He said Senegal is one of those places that \"leads you to believe maybe there is hope in the world.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I liked his curiosity, his openness, his passion, his compassion, his interest and his intellect,\" says Quist-Arcton. \"He seemed to love people — and good food.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We asked her about the meal — and her impressions of Bourdain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Did Bourdain seem like an international TV star?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain has traveled all over the world, but he didn't visibly wear that jet-setting \"globe-trotter\" hat. There was a modesty there, and a will to learn. Right from the minute he sat down and we started chatting, you could feel that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>He does seem very intense.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn't meet him for very long. An hour or two. He is pretty intense, I guess, but positively intense. When he flashed that smile, he seemed just like anyone else you might know. And he was a jolly good listener.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I got the impression that he's passionate about people and that shines through the intensity. He wants to learn everything about a country he's exploring! I have the impression that he's fascinated by people and by food and by culture. And politics! He feels like food gets to the heart of a culture. He did say he's traveled around Africa and the world, but he's never been to a country quite like Senegal. I can quite understand why he's captivated. I am too!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One of the foods you ate with him was lakh — what is that?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's a breakfast or even an evening dish. It's like a yogurt with millet and a bit of vanilla essence and orange essence. This one had raisins. It's eaten especially during ceremonies — marriages, naming ceremonies, baptisms, christenings, funerals. It's delicious, creamy and rich, so it's like a meal!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>There were some bottles of liquid on the outdoor table where you and Bourdain ate — are those the fruit juices that Bourdain sampled?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Senegalese make juice from just about every fruit you find — the baobab [bouye], the tamarind [tamarin], red sorrel [bissap], mango, pineapple, ditakh. Their juices are totally delicious. We had ginger (the Senegalese call it by the English name, pronounced jinjehrrr) baobab and bissap that morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Any other impressions of Bourdain you can share?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monsieur Bourdain has a lot of tattoos on his arms. Yes, quite a few. You don't see much of that in Africa. We have henna skin decorating and painting here, and I meant to suggest to him to get a lovely abstract henna decoration, but his arms were already pretty covered in tattoos. Oh yes — and his eyes lit up when he talked about his daughter. That immediately endeared him to me. He loves to cook for her. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=When+Anthony+Bourdain+Had+Breakfast+With+Ofeibea+Quist-Arcton&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The chef and television host has died at age 61. NPR's West Africa correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton remembers her meal with him in the open-air market of Senegal, filmed for his TV show.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Editor's Note:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>In 2016, Anthony Bourdain visited Senegal and spoke with NPR's Africa correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton. Their meal and conversation were filmed for his travel-food show \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2016/05/11/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-senegal-travel-minute-orig.cnn/video/playlists/bourdain/\">\u003cem>Parts Unknown\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> on CNN. With the news of Bourdain's death, we wanted to revisit our interview with Quist-Arcton about that day.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain and Ofeibea Quist-Arcton had breakfast at Marche Kermel — a popular market in the heart of Dakar selling fruits, vegetables, herbs, seafood and meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was clearly impressed with the food, Quist-Arcton recalls: \"He loved the Senegalese fruit juices and the \u003cem>lakh\u003c/em> we ate. But he seemed even more interested in eating and drinking in the history, the culture, the people, everything about Senegal — and especially its harmony and tolerance.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He described the country as \"enchanting.\" And he noted that Senegal has managed to avoid the coups, civil wars and dictatorships that have blighted many of its neighbors. And that even though Senegal is a majority Muslim nation, its people elected a Catholic as its first president after independence from France in 1960. He said Senegal is one of those places that \"leads you to believe maybe there is hope in the world.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I liked his curiosity, his openness, his passion, his compassion, his interest and his intellect,\" says Quist-Arcton. \"He seemed to love people — and good food.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We asked her about the meal — and her impressions of Bourdain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Did Bourdain seem like an international TV star?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Bourdain has traveled all over the world, but he didn't visibly wear that jet-setting \"globe-trotter\" hat. There was a modesty there, and a will to learn. Right from the minute he sat down and we started chatting, you could feel that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>He does seem very intense.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn't meet him for very long. An hour or two. He is pretty intense, I guess, but positively intense. When he flashed that smile, he seemed just like anyone else you might know. And he was a jolly good listener.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I got the impression that he's passionate about people and that shines through the intensity. He wants to learn everything about a country he's exploring! I have the impression that he's fascinated by people and by food and by culture. And politics! He feels like food gets to the heart of a culture. He did say he's traveled around Africa and the world, but he's never been to a country quite like Senegal. I can quite understand why he's captivated. I am too!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One of the foods you ate with him was lakh — what is that?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's a breakfast or even an evening dish. It's like a yogurt with millet and a bit of vanilla essence and orange essence. This one had raisins. It's eaten especially during ceremonies — marriages, naming ceremonies, baptisms, christenings, funerals. It's delicious, creamy and rich, so it's like a meal!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>There were some bottles of liquid on the outdoor table where you and Bourdain ate — are those the fruit juices that Bourdain sampled?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Senegalese make juice from just about every fruit you find — the baobab [bouye], the tamarind [tamarin], red sorrel [bissap], mango, pineapple, ditakh. Their juices are totally delicious. We had ginger (the Senegalese call it by the English name, pronounced jinjehrrr) baobab and bissap that morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Any other impressions of Bourdain you can share?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monsieur Bourdain has a lot of tattoos on his arms. Yes, quite a few. You don't see much of that in Africa. We have henna skin decorating and painting here, and I meant to suggest to him to get a lovely abstract henna decoration, but his arms were already pretty covered in tattoos. Oh yes — and his eyes lit up when he talked about his daughter. That immediately endeared him to me. He loves to cook for her. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.\u003cimg src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=When+Anthony+Bourdain+Had+Breakfast+With+Ofeibea+Quist-Arcton&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Table Talk: Meet the Rebranded Ritu, Get Ready for The Feast, Father’s Day Deals",
"title": "Table Talk: Meet the Rebranded Ritu, Get Ready for The Feast, Father’s Day Deals",
"headTitle": "KQED’s Table Talk | Bay Area Bites | KQED Food",
"content": "\u003cp>This week’s Table Talk takes a look at the rebranded Ritu Indian Soul Food (formerly Dum), Alexander’s Steakhouse launches The Feast, check out these fun (and tasty) Father’s Day deals, don’t miss a screening of The Food Cure, and Mixt opens on Valencia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128662\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1.jpg\" alt=\"There’s no shortage of dishes to enjoy at the rebranded Ritu.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128662\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-960x641.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">There’s no shortage of dishes to enjoy at the rebranded Ritu. \u003ccite>(Kristen Loken)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Dum Indian Soul Food Rebrands to Ritu\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ritu Indian Soul Food\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/U6YqrMffE6q\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">3111 24th St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nDinner served Tue–Thu, Sat–Sun 5–10pm, Fri 11am–10pm\u003cbr>\nBrunch Sat–Sun 11am–3pm\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine (and just awesome flavor in general), you should know the Mission’s \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.dumsf.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dum Indian Soul Food\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> on 24th Street in the Mission is celebrating its second anniversary and rebranding itself as \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ritusf.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ritu Indian Soul Food\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> on June 7, which means “seasons” in Hindi. Mumbai native chef Rupam Bhagat’s menu is full of inspired interpretations of his favorite family recipes. He started as a food truck, and at his first brick-and-mortar location you’ll find some extraordinary deals on some really delicious dishes (like his excellent lamb kebabs for just $12)—and unlike at the truck, you can enjoy some wine or beer with your meal. The menu features many vegetarian dishes, like kale chaat, tandoori whole cauliflower, and artichoke pakoras—and in honor of the rebranding, he will be adding even more dishes to the menu. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128659\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-FriedChicken-e1527986825742.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-FriedChicken-e1527986825742.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken is on the menu at the newly rebranded Ritu.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128659\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fried chicken is on the menu at the newly rebranded Ritu. \u003ccite>(Kristen Loken)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The space is getting a refresh too, with a new and vibrant color palette of orange, red, and yellow, and the bar area is being expanded (a perfect spot to unwind with some chaat and a glass of wine during happy hour Wed-Sun 3–6pm).\u003cbr>\n \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1599px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander’s Steakhouse in SoMa is launching The Feast.\" width=\"1599\" height=\"1200\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128661\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse.jpg 1599w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-1200x901.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-1180x886.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1599px) 100vw, 1599px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alexander’s Steakhouse in SoMa is launching The Feast. \u003ccite>(Alexander’s Steakhouse)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Alexander’s Steakhouse Launches a New Dinner Event, The Feast\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexander’s Steakhouse\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/tKvwDwUgypQ2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">448 Brannan St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nThursday June 7, 6pm\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/alexanderssanfran/experience/25884/the-feast\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $120 for food and $80 for drinks per person. Tickets required and are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You ready to feast? \u003ca href=\"https://www.alexanderssteakhouse.com/sanfrancisco/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alexander’s Steakhouse San Francisco\u003c/a> in SoMa just announced The Feast, a ticketed ongoing event featuring a fire-roasted whole meat and fish menu that will be served family-style in a lively communal setting in the restaurant’s Wine Library. The culinary team will be sharing details about ingredients and cooking techniques to create an extra-special experience. The evening includes fine wines and spirits, including bourbon and Scotch served in large format (and free-poured for an additional cost). The first Feast event is Thursday, June 7, with the second on Thursday, July 5.\u003cbr>\n \u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Three Tasty and Affordable Options for Father’s Day\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>China Live\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/jVBv1Dtq3Lv\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">644 Broadway, San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Presidio Social Club \u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/BkvAMFHQbML2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">563 Ruger St, San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Perle\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/79WHmLaBUb32\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2058 Mountain Blvd., Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 18, and here are three options to consider that look really tasty (and affordable too!). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://chinalivesf.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">China Live\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> in Chinatown is offering a traditional Chinese prime rib beef roast with a housemade hot mustard sauce for lunch and dinner, just $35 per person. Afterward, you can take Dad upstairs to Cold Drinks, the swanky and hidden-away, Scotch-centric bar for an after-lunch or pre- (or post-!) dinner cocktail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128660\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub.jpg\" alt=\"The classic look of Presidio Social Club will be the perfect Father’s Day setting.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"803\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128660\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub.jpg 1280w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-160x100.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-800x502.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-768x482.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-1020x640.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-1200x753.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-1180x740.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-960x602.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-240x151.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-375x235.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-520x326.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The classic look of Presidio Social Club will be the perfect Father’s Day setting. \u003ccite>(Presidio Social Club)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.presidiosocialclub.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Presidio Social Club\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> is kicking off its Pig Roast series with an extended Pig Roast event, serving specialty menu items all day from the roasted pig, like Cubanos, pork sliders, and pupu platters (from noon through 9pm, or until it runs out). There’s also a three-course, traditional pig roast dinner for $48. Guests will enjoy some aloha vibes, with ukulele music and Mai Tais available too. (Would be a good time for dad to bust out his Hawaiian shirt.) After Father’s Day, the Pig Roast series will continue on every Sunday for dinner service through Aug. 19.\u003cbr>\n \u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.perlewinebar.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Perle\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> in Montclair is offering a special barbecue, beer, bourbon, and Bordeaux prix-fixe menu for brunch for $44 (\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/perle-FathersDayMenu.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">click here to take a look\u003c/a>). Appetizers include grilled bacon and Roquefort dates and French onion dip sliders, while the main event is a Comte cheese and beer sausage cassoulet (tell Pop to bring his Lipitor). Pairings are $36, and include a Manhattan, wine, and beer. It’s going to be a boozy day! Served 10am–3pm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1.jpg\" alt=\"The Food Cure\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2714\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-128757\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-160x226.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-800x1131.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-1020x1442.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-849x1200.jpg 849w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-1180x1668.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-960x1357.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-240x339.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-375x530.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-520x735.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Don’t Miss This Screening for The Food Cure\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Clay Theatre\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/yCf8rTHepPU2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2221, 2261 Fillmore St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nThursday, June 7\u003cbr>\nDoors at 6:30pm, screening at 7pm sharp (no trailers!)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://fan-force.com/screenings/the-food-cure-clay-theatre-san-francisco-ca-us/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $22.50 (includes booking fee)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a compelling \u003ca href=\"https://fan-force.com/screenings/the-food-cure-clay-theatre-san-francisco-ca-us/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">film screening\u003c/a> coming up on Thursday, June 7 at The Clay Theatre in San Francisco for \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://fan-force.com/films/the-food-cure/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Food Cure\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. It’s about six cancer patients who “make an unusual choice when faced with little chance of recovery: they decide to face the disease with a radical plant-based diet. The patients embark on an arduous but hopeful five-year journey through unchartered territory as they attempt to eat and juice their way back to health, against all odds.” The filmmaker and producer from Australia will both be at the screening and sparking thought and discussion about human health as it relates to the environment in a Q&A after the film. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128657\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Summer-Menu-Toscana-Launching-6.13.18-e1527986866727.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Summer-Menu-Toscana-Launching-6.13.18-e1527986866727.jpg\" alt=\"The Toscana salad, launching on the summer menu at the new Mixt on June 13.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128657\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Toscana salad, launching on the summer menu at the new Mixt on June 13. \u003ccite>(Nader Khouri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Mixt Opens a Location on Valencia\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp> \u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Mixt\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/7GCLSFZwFsE2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">901 Valencia St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nOpen daily 11am–9pm for lunch and dinner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re trying to eat a little healthier and lighter (warmer weather tends to spark that feeling), there’s a new \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.mixt.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mixt\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> location that just opened in the Mission in the former La Rondalla (they’re referring to it as a “salad lounge,” but you can do what you want with that). Mixt is a fast-casual restaurant known for their creative salads, and at this location you can also order grain bowls and Mixt Market Plates for dinner, made with herb-roasted and grilled sustainable meats with sauces and side dishes. And then there are the “Beerbuchas” and “kale mimosas,” so you can really up your San Francisco hipster cred with one of those. If you’re heading to Dolores Park with your salad, Mixt is offering park-goers a free, reusable tote with the purchase of four or more salads.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>This week’s Table Talk takes a look at the rebranded Ritu Indian Soul Food (formerly Dum), Alexander’s Steakhouse launches The Feast, check out these fun (and tasty) Father’s Day deals, don’t miss a screening of The Food Cure, and Mixt opens on Valencia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128662\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1.jpg\" alt=\"There’s no shortage of dishes to enjoy at the rebranded Ritu.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128662\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-960x641.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-mainspread-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">There’s no shortage of dishes to enjoy at the rebranded Ritu. \u003ccite>(Kristen Loken)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Dum Indian Soul Food Rebrands to Ritu\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ritu Indian Soul Food\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/U6YqrMffE6q\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">3111 24th St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nDinner served Tue–Thu, Sat–Sun 5–10pm, Fri 11am–10pm\u003cbr>\nBrunch Sat–Sun 11am–3pm\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine (and just awesome flavor in general), you should know the Mission’s \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.dumsf.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dum Indian Soul Food\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> on 24th Street in the Mission is celebrating its second anniversary and rebranding itself as \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ritusf.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ritu Indian Soul Food\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> on June 7, which means “seasons” in Hindi. Mumbai native chef Rupam Bhagat’s menu is full of inspired interpretations of his favorite family recipes. He started as a food truck, and at his first brick-and-mortar location you’ll find some extraordinary deals on some really delicious dishes (like his excellent lamb kebabs for just $12)—and unlike at the truck, you can enjoy some wine or beer with your meal. The menu features many vegetarian dishes, like kale chaat, tandoori whole cauliflower, and artichoke pakoras—and in honor of the rebranding, he will be adding even more dishes to the menu. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128659\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-FriedChicken-e1527986825742.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Ritu-FriedChicken-e1527986825742.jpg\" alt=\"Fried chicken is on the menu at the newly rebranded Ritu.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128659\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fried chicken is on the menu at the newly rebranded Ritu. \u003ccite>(Kristen Loken)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The space is getting a refresh too, with a new and vibrant color palette of orange, red, and yellow, and the bar area is being expanded (a perfect spot to unwind with some chaat and a glass of wine during happy hour Wed-Sun 3–6pm).\u003cbr>\n \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1599px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander’s Steakhouse in SoMa is launching The Feast.\" width=\"1599\" height=\"1200\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128661\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse.jpg 1599w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-1200x901.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-1180x886.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/alexanders-steakhouse-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1599px) 100vw, 1599px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alexander’s Steakhouse in SoMa is launching The Feast. \u003ccite>(Alexander’s Steakhouse)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Alexander’s Steakhouse Launches a New Dinner Event, The Feast\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexander’s Steakhouse\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/tKvwDwUgypQ2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">448 Brannan St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nThursday June 7, 6pm\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/alexanderssanfran/experience/25884/the-feast\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $120 for food and $80 for drinks per person. Tickets required and are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You ready to feast? \u003ca href=\"https://www.alexanderssteakhouse.com/sanfrancisco/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alexander’s Steakhouse San Francisco\u003c/a> in SoMa just announced The Feast, a ticketed ongoing event featuring a fire-roasted whole meat and fish menu that will be served family-style in a lively communal setting in the restaurant’s Wine Library. The culinary team will be sharing details about ingredients and cooking techniques to create an extra-special experience. The evening includes fine wines and spirits, including bourbon and Scotch served in large format (and free-poured for an additional cost). The first Feast event is Thursday, June 7, with the second on Thursday, July 5.\u003cbr>\n \u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Three Tasty and Affordable Options for Father’s Day\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>China Live\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/jVBv1Dtq3Lv\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">644 Broadway, San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Presidio Social Club \u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/BkvAMFHQbML2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">563 Ruger St, San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Perle\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/79WHmLaBUb32\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2058 Mountain Blvd., Oakland\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 18, and here are three options to consider that look really tasty (and affordable too!). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://chinalivesf.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">China Live\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> in Chinatown is offering a traditional Chinese prime rib beef roast with a housemade hot mustard sauce for lunch and dinner, just $35 per person. Afterward, you can take Dad upstairs to Cold Drinks, the swanky and hidden-away, Scotch-centric bar for an after-lunch or pre- (or post-!) dinner cocktail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128660\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub.jpg\" alt=\"The classic look of Presidio Social Club will be the perfect Father’s Day setting.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"803\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128660\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub.jpg 1280w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-160x100.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-800x502.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-768x482.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-1020x640.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-1200x753.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-1180x740.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-960x602.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-240x151.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-375x235.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/presidiosocialclub-520x326.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The classic look of Presidio Social Club will be the perfect Father’s Day setting. \u003ccite>(Presidio Social Club)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.presidiosocialclub.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Presidio Social Club\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> is kicking off its Pig Roast series with an extended Pig Roast event, serving specialty menu items all day from the roasted pig, like Cubanos, pork sliders, and pupu platters (from noon through 9pm, or until it runs out). There’s also a three-course, traditional pig roast dinner for $48. Guests will enjoy some aloha vibes, with ukulele music and Mai Tais available too. (Would be a good time for dad to bust out his Hawaiian shirt.) After Father’s Day, the Pig Roast series will continue on every Sunday for dinner service through Aug. 19.\u003cbr>\n \u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.perlewinebar.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Perle\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> in Montclair is offering a special barbecue, beer, bourbon, and Bordeaux prix-fixe menu for brunch for $44 (\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/perle-FathersDayMenu.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">click here to take a look\u003c/a>). Appetizers include grilled bacon and Roquefort dates and French onion dip sliders, while the main event is a Comte cheese and beer sausage cassoulet (tell Pop to bring his Lipitor). Pairings are $36, and include a Manhattan, wine, and beer. It’s going to be a boozy day! Served 10am–3pm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1.jpg\" alt=\"The Food Cure\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2714\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-128757\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-160x226.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-800x1131.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-1020x1442.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-849x1200.jpg 849w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-1180x1668.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-960x1357.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-240x339.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-375x530.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/TheFoodCure_Final_Poster1-520x735.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Don’t Miss This Screening for The Food Cure\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The Clay Theatre\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/yCf8rTHepPU2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2221, 2261 Fillmore St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nThursday, June 7\u003cbr>\nDoors at 6:30pm, screening at 7pm sharp (no trailers!)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://fan-force.com/screenings/the-food-cure-clay-theatre-san-francisco-ca-us/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tickets\u003c/a>: $22.50 (includes booking fee)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a compelling \u003ca href=\"https://fan-force.com/screenings/the-food-cure-clay-theatre-san-francisco-ca-us/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">film screening\u003c/a> coming up on Thursday, June 7 at The Clay Theatre in San Francisco for \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://fan-force.com/films/the-food-cure/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Food Cure\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. It’s about six cancer patients who “make an unusual choice when faced with little chance of recovery: they decide to face the disease with a radical plant-based diet. The patients embark on an arduous but hopeful five-year journey through unchartered territory as they attempt to eat and juice their way back to health, against all odds.” The filmmaker and producer from Australia will both be at the screening and sparking thought and discussion about human health as it relates to the environment in a Q&A after the film. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128657\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Summer-Menu-Toscana-Launching-6.13.18-e1527986866727.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/06/Summer-Menu-Toscana-Launching-6.13.18-e1527986866727.jpg\" alt=\"The Toscana salad, launching on the summer menu at the new Mixt on June 13.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128657\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Toscana salad, launching on the summer menu at the new Mixt on June 13. \u003ccite>(Nader Khouri)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Mixt Opens a Location on Valencia\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp> \u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Mixt\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/maps/7GCLSFZwFsE2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">901 Valencia St., San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nOpen daily 11am–9pm for lunch and dinner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re trying to eat a little healthier and lighter (warmer weather tends to spark that feeling), there’s a new \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.mixt.com/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mixt\u003c/a>\u003c/strong> location that just opened in the Mission in the former La Rondalla (they’re referring to it as a “salad lounge,” but you can do what you want with that). Mixt is a fast-casual restaurant known for their creative salads, and at this location you can also order grain bowls and Mixt Market Plates for dinner, made with herb-roasted and grilled sustainable meats with sauces and side dishes. And then there are the “Beerbuchas” and “kale mimosas,” so you can really up your San Francisco hipster cred with one of those. If you’re heading to Dolores Park with your salad, Mixt is offering park-goers a free, reusable tote with the purchase of four or more salads.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Merchant Roots’ Daytime Grocer and Imaginative Nighttime Tasting Menu Table Arrives on Fillmore",
"title": "Merchant Roots’ Daytime Grocer and Imaginative Nighttime Tasting Menu Table Arrives on Fillmore",
"headTitle": "New Restaurants 2018 | Bay Area Bites | KQED Food",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>With all kinds of homemade foods from preserves to pastas to focaccia offered in the daytime and a Table full of constantly changing creative themes in the evening, Merchant Roots is a tiny space with grand ideas, now open in the Fillmore.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Think of that outrageously talented friend or colleague or family member in your life who is truly a Renaissance man or woman…you know, the one who is just so great at so many things from tennis to yoga to coding to playing the cello, and is a complete fountain of knowledge for everything from fixing dishwashers to knowing which Goethe poem is the best? Well, as far as restaurant-market-café-larders go in San Francisco, the closest equivalent is Merchant Roots, an eminently charming addition to the \u003ca href=\"http://statebirdsf.com/home/\">State Bird Provisions\u003c/a> side of Fillmore on the thoroughfare’s rapidly growing dining stretch south of Geary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128480\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to Merchant Roots with Business Hours signage.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entrance to Merchant Roots with Business Hours signage. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to give a blanket label for this concept, long in the making by business and life partners Ryan Shelton and Madison Michael. There really is nothing quite like it in the Bay Area. You can come for a homemade scone and a cup of coffee at 9am. You can feel free to drop by for a plate of pasta (yes, homemade) and a glass of Prosecco to treat yourself to a late afternoon lunch feast. You can pick up a kale and chicken salad or a sandwich (on homemade focaccia, obviously) to-go en route to catching the 38R on Geary. You can buy dry or wet pasta for dinner at home and pair it with a bottle from the under-the-radar wine boutique that is tucked in the far corner of the tiny Merchant Roots space. Then there are homemade soaps, sipping chocolate mixes, homemade jams, freshly baked quiche slices…we could go on. Then the next stage of the project, \u003cstrong>The Table at Merchant Roots\u003c/strong>, comes in a few weeks as the next marquee tasting menu for a rapidly growing category in San Francisco, except this one might be considered the most whimsical — and intimate — of the elite bunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128492\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128492\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef Adriana Fleming behind the front counter and display case at Merchant Roots.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef Adriana Fleming behind the front counter and display case at Merchant Roots. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of this resides in a 1000–square foot space that somehow manages to feel spacious and not seem cluttered whatsoever. Yes, it’s all pretty overwhelming but also so relaxed and calm when you step inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closest comparison for Merchant Roots is \u003ca href=\"https://www.brooklynfare.com/pages/chefs-table\">Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare\u003c/a> in New York, a casual shop in the daytime and ambitious tasting menu in the nighttime hybrid that has received global accolades for its inventiveness. Healdsburg has \u003ca href=\"https://healdsburgshed.com/\">SHED\u003c/a> but that so-called “grange” is about 10 times bigger than Merchant Roots and has a twee-bucolic lifestyle theme that strikes many as precious with its fermentation lab, quinoa salads and rather pricey kitchen tools. In the end, they’re vaguely related but really hard to directly compare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first thing every guest notices while walking by Merchant Roots is the window’s eye-catching hand-painted sign by Bay Area artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/coolhandken/\">Ken Davis\u003c/a> that sets the tone for the shop’s contemporary interpretation of retro design inside. It could easily be a sign for a blacksmith shop in the Wild West, but also seems hip. It’s timeless and elegant cursive with artistic flair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128461\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128461\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new.jpg\" alt=\"Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making fresh pasta at Merchant Roots\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2880\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-520x780.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making fresh pasta at Merchant Roots \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then your eyes wander past the sign into the actual window where sous chef David Hamilton-Kidd will surely be rolling out pasta dough or cranking dough through the Torchio hand-press pasta maker. Fillmore pedestrians stop by, planned or unplanned nowadays, to watch the pasta making process like how people go window browsing around Union Square come Christmas time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/Izd0upkwbYY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After stepping inside, chances are high that your attention will immediately drift towards the gorgeous pastry case, where immaculate chocolate-drizzled cannolis with Luxardo cherries dramatically peeking out of both ends and chocolate-dipped almond and anise biscotti ($3) beckon. You might be tempted by a muffin version of carrot cake with a ricotta cream cheese stuffing ($4) on one day and then a perfect slice of springtime via a strawberry and almond cream tart ($6) on the next visit. There usually will be doughnuts, perhaps a simple old-fashioned on one pedestal and a coconut-lime one made of mochi and milk dough, dusted with coconut flakes and lime zest ($3) on another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128472\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128472\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate-drizzled cannolis with Luxardo cherries dramatically peeking out of both ends.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chocolate-drizzled cannolis with Luxardo cherries dramatically peeking out of both ends. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128460\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new.jpg\" alt=\"Strawberry and Almond Cream Tart.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Strawberry and Almond Cream Tart. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Upon press time, the bakers were still perfecting a gluten-free brownie recipe but you can count on that being a major hit when it premiers soon because this town sure loves it’s gluten-free treats that actually taste as good as their flour-filled equivalents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128458\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128458\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new.jpg\" alt=\"Showstopper chocolate chip cookies.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Showstopper chocolate chip cookies. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, the showstopper of the crew is the chocolate chip cookie ($3) that takes the chocolate part very seriously. It’s Michael’s recipe and she is adamant about making sure that the cookie is thick and soft, but not overly doughy or cumbersome, with a just a smidge of crunch at the outer edges. You’ll certainly taste the butter in the cookie — there’s a lot of it. But, what you probably didn’t guess is that it’s actually brown cultured butter mixed with equal parts muscovado sugar and regular sugar that give it a certain alluringly sharp sweetness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other major catch with the recipe is that Michael insists on the composition being more chocolate than cookie. That means there should be about 1.5 \u003ca href=\"https://www.guittard.com/\">Guittard\u003c/a> dark chocolate wafers per cookie but you’ll see some cookies where that figure looks more like 3. Nobody will complain, though. A finish of fleur de sel tops what is no doubt going to be a contender in the competitive “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” debates of San Francisco. Cookie Monster strongly approves of this new entry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128441\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128441\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new.jpg\" alt=\"Madison Michael's hands showcase the lunch menu at Merchant Roots\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Madison Michael's hands showcase the lunch menu at Merchant Roots \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There is nothing wrong with having muffins and cookies for lunch but you’ll need real lunch food at some point. The aforementioned housemade focaccia serves as a base for a pair of sandwiches (termed sando) ($9). One is a fascinating shaved pastrami-spiced smoked carrot number where the shaved vegetable looks like slices of lox and comes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.pointreyescheese.com/point-reyes-toma\">Pt. Reyes Toma cheese\u003c/a> and raisin jam. That same semi-hard cow’s milk cheese from Marin joins tangy \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortadella\">mortadella\u003c/a> slices with arugula and Bavarian mustard in the other sandwich. Both are simple, precise and filling without being heavy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128454\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new.jpg\" alt=\"Shaved pastrami-spiced smoked carrot sando that comes with Pt. Reyes Toma cheese and raisin jam.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shaved pastrami-spiced smoked carrot sando that comes with Pt. Reyes Toma cheese and raisin jam. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salads include ever-trendy kale leaves lightly coated with preserved lemon vinaigrette. Shelton finishes it with chicken and Parmigiano Reggiano for a satisfying but virtuous midday meal ($13; $10 without chicken). Moroccan chicken salad is a completely different styled offering ($14) and brings together cashews, crispy chickpeas, yogurt and citrus-mint vinaigrette. Venturing beyond salads and sandwiches, Shelton has a little fun with an “everything” spiced, cream cheese and smoked salmon-topped quiche with a potato crust ($12). It’s a bagel and latke-minded quiche. Somebody is having fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128452\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128452\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new.jpg\" alt=\"Kale Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette with Chicken\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kale Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette with Chicken \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128512\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128512\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new.jpg\" alt=\"Smoked Salmon Quiche with Potato Crust, Spinach, Cream Cheese, 'Everything'\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smoked Salmon Quiche with Potato Crust, Spinach, Cream Cheese, 'Everything' \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salads are packaged to-go and all of them and the quiche are also available for enjoying plated in the café. Sandwiches, meanwhile, are all packaged to-go but can be consumed in Merchant Roots’ environs, along with being toasted on the spot. It’s a smart idea to have flexibility between takeout and eating-in because the lunch crowd can vary in a more residential-centered strip like this one. Future plans also call for a breakfast sandwich and a fried mortadella sando meant for dining in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128509\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128509\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new.jpg\" alt=\"Food To-Go includes salads, sandos, fresh pasta and sauce.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Food To-Go includes salads, sandos, fresh pasta and sauce. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’re lingering for lunch, though, the must-try house meal really is the pasta, as the pasta making in the window might suggest. It’s Shelton’s specialty and one he has been fanatical about for life since being a boy growing up in San Jose as part of an Italian-American family. The enterprise could simply be Pasta Roots (or Semolina + Water?) for how important pasta is to the operation and how skilled Shelton is at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco is a pasta-crazed town as is proven by the dozens of Cal-Ital restaurants and even more informal red sauce and pizza joints. But, who makes their own dry and fresh pasta, pairs it with homemade sauces for enjoying in-house, and also sells both the sauces and pastas retail for you to make your own version at home? It’s definitely a tiny niche and this is a welcome addition to the diminutive club.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128468\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128468\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new.jpg\" alt=\"Housemade tomato chele pasta.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Housemade tomato chele pasta. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You’ll find a handful of pastas each day on the “daily pastas” menu for freshly prepared lunch dishes. The early must-order is tomato chele ($24), shaped similarly to an unstuffed small tortellini, with just the right amount of indentations and curves to hold its sauce teammate, a lobster reduction made from the juice of lobster heads where their tails have been used as meat. Shelton finishes the dish lobster roll-style with curls of celery and buttered brioche “croutons” evoking the roll’s usual hot dog bun. Of course, the brioche is homemade, being surplus brioche from doughnut dough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128485\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new.jpg\" alt=\"Tomato Chele pasta with lobster sauce, buttered brioche croutons, celery.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomato Chele pasta with lobster sauce, buttered brioche croutons, celery. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Elsewhere in the pasta neighborhood, spaghettine made on the chitarra (like a small string harp) is joined by hen ragu ($11), while ricotta cavatelli are snap pea-glazed and accompanied by lemon mascarpone and smoked prosciutto ($13). Gargatti (think short caterpillars) comes with spring vegetables and a confit tomato crema “parma rossa” sauce ($13). Sometimes there is even chilled pasta like gnochetti with pesto, roasted peppers and red onion ($9).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, Shelton will be serving his own charcuterie made at his commissary in the Mission (seriously, how do they make pasta, charcuterie AND pastries with with just Shelton, Michael, Hamilton-Kidd and sous chef Adriana Fleming handling almost of the day-to-day duties for the whole operation?). For now, he’s offering a charcuterie platter sourced from elsewhere ($16) and a cheese plate ($17) with good friend Eric Miller of Mission Cheese helping as a fromage whisperer/advisor. A combination of the two ($20) is also offered. On the cheese side for the combo, Pt. Reyes Toma comes with the ever popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/library-of-cheese/mt-tam\">Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam\u003c/a> and gooey, funky \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comt%C3%A9_cheese\">Comté\u003c/a> from France. The cured meats include pâté de campagne, speck from \u003ca href=\"http://www.redtablemeatco.com/\">Red Table\u003c/a> in Minneapolis and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soppressata\">sopressata\u003c/a> from \u003ca href=\"http://www.framani.com/\">Fra’Mani\u003c/a> in Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128464\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new.jpg\" alt=\"Cheese and Charcuterie Plate\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheese and Charcuterie Plate \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of this is very daytime-oriented food that is friendly on the wallet and has a universal appeal for all ages. Who doesn’t love a good cookie or plate of pasta? We’re all getting tired of restaurants and food makers calling themselves “craft” and “artisanal” but that is what sets Merchant Roots’ grocer component apart. There is that special homemade touch that makes nothing taste watered down. These are indeed artisan products and dishes by experts who know their way around a great doughnut and kale salad…and also know how to put on a lavish, avant-garde tasting menu feast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, that’s where \u003cstrong>The Table at Merchant Roots\u003c/strong> comes into the picture, arriving in the next few weeks (probably in June). The Table is literally a monkeypod table that is used for casual communal dining during the day and will be an intimate eight-seat, one sitting dinner setting three nights a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new.jpg\" alt=\"The Table at Merchant Roots\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128671\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Table at Merchant Roots \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There really is nothing like the daytime grocer part but there isn’t anything quite like the atypical, constantly evolving and bizarre nature of what Shelton and Michael are pursuing with The Table. The experience will be centered on various themes that go well beyond a time and place like the tableaus for \u003ca href=\"https://www.nextrestaurant.com/\">Next\u003c/a> in Chicago. The opening theme for The Table is “Elements” and runs nine courses from a yuzu sorbet rock for “moon” to an outrageously creative cotton candy and mint chocolate ganache “comet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To give you an idea of how advanced these dishes are, one “Elements” course called “Fire” centers on charcoal-grilled dry-aged New York steak, offset by charred pearl onions, crispy maitake mushrooms, leek ash and sunchoke “coal.” That’s not all. The classic steak or prime rib sauces of horseradish cream and red wine demi-glace find their way onto the log. Yes, the log. The serving platter is probably even more noteworthy than anything for this one dish. Shelton made 10 of the log platters by heavily charring the gnarly wood over several weeks to the point that they were fully pitch black and then stained them to keep the striking, even haunting appearance in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128471\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128471\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new.jpg\" alt=\"One “Elements” course called “Fire” centers on charcoal-grilled dry-aged New York steak, offset by charred pearl onions, crispy maitake mushrooms, leek ash and sunchoke “coal.”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One “Elements” course called “Fire” centers on charcoal-grilled dry-aged New York steak, offset by charred pearl onions, crispy maitake mushrooms, leek ash and sunchoke “coal.” \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That is just one course on one short-lived menu, but is a great reflection of the ambition on display and the ample creativity. The other bonus worth pointing out is that the opening $110 price tag per diner, while not at all cheap, is far below the total for its peers. The size and price of the menu will slightly fluctuate but several will stay in this format. Future menu themes include “Vanity Fair,” featuring everything ornate and gold-plated, and “Mermaids” with each dish literally made from sea ingredients all the way down to a bread that seems like a sourdough-fish sticks crossover. It’s made of kelp paste, haddock pureé and coconut flour (no yeast, just coconut flour paste that is inoculated over time with indigenous yeast!).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clever? Mad scientist? Artist? Genius? Restless chef who is happy to be independent? Renaissance man?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128442\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128442\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef/Proprietor Ryan Shelton shows his recently acquired tattoo that is the address of Merchant Roots in Roman numerals.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef/Proprietor Ryan Shelton shows his recently acquired tattoo that is the address of Merchant Roots in Roman numerals. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Shelton pretty much wears all those hats as Executive Chef/Proprietor and with Michael as Proprietress/co-pilot for the adventurous business plan. That’s the best way to understand how the grocer and The Table concepts both came about and why they can work in this particular situation. Look at their resumes and you’ll see how all of this can fit under one compact roof.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shelton is a trained pastry chef and was the lead Pastry Chef for Mountain View’s esteemed \u003ca href=\"http://cheztj.com/\">chez TJ\u003c/a>. His original South Bay home region then continued as the base for his culinary experience with time on the savory side as Chef de Cuisine at the molecular gastronomy-centric \u003ca href=\"http://www.maisonbaume.com/\">Baumé\u003c/a> in Palo Alto, followed by a short period as Executive Chef at (the now closed) Le Cigare Volant restaurant at Boony Doon Winery’s tasting room in Santa Cruz. His permanent career and residential move to San Francisco led him to Polk Street where he was Executive Chef for the highly rated but short-lived Verbena and its short-lived tenure as Reverb Kitchen & Bar (it’s now \u003ca href=\"http://www.mezcalitosf.com/\">Mezcalito\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael’s background is more in beverages as a certified sommelier and includes time working at bars like The Thomas in Napa (since closed) and the sensational Kauai tiki bar, \u003ca href=\"http://tikiiniki.com/\">Tiki Iniki\u003c/a>, in addition to restaurants with strong wine and bar programs like \u003ca href=\"http://mouradsf.com/\">Mourad\u003c/a> and Verbena/Reverb. But, she’s also gifted at a whole array of other food-oriented crafts and actually a certified cheese expert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea for Merchant Roots’ grocer side has been in Shelton’s mind for many years but the wheels were truly set in motion after he and Michael worked 100 days straight at \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2015/3/24/8283513/verbena-quietly-shifts-concept-will-re-open-this-week-as-reverb\">Reverb\u003c/a> — only to see the restaurant then close. Both knew that a sustainable quality of life had to be part of the equation for their personal project, an idea that sadly isn’t seen much in the restaurant and bar industry. So, Michael thought about the three-night-a-week Table to go with the five-day-a-week grocer as a balanced solution with their personal lives (Michael has a nine-year old son) and diverse talents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, Michael’s chocolate chip cookie contribution may one day lead to a Cookie Roots spin-off but many of her contributions to Merchant Roots could honestly have their own spin-off. The most obvious, of course, would be the wine shop component. It will grow to have 84 labels of engaging wines from notable (mostly younger and less “famous”) producers in California, France, Spain, Italy and some of the lesser-known regions at home and abroad. Think of it as a wine-choosing app but…with the human concierge already making tough decisions for you. San Francisco isn’t lacking in great wine boutiques but several of the celebrated ones (K&L, Flatiron) can be daunting to navigate with too many choices and not enough help. Labels at Merchant Roots have standouts from the new California Wine front (Broc, Matthiasson) but also the equivalent upstart game-changers in Europe like Le Macchiole and Peter Later. Michael doesn’t delve into the pricey trophy wines of Napa and Bordeaux, and does keep value-minded options kindly in mind with a surprising number of enjoyable $10-$15 wines on hand. If you’re staying at the shop for lunch, a half-dozen of the wines are poured by-the-glass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128491\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new.jpg\" alt=\"The Larder\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Larder \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The larder on the wall opposite is also largely Michael’s domain. She makes preserves (all $7) in all sorts of tempting bright colors and flavors that are already at the top of the very small list of San Francisco-made jams, marmalades and jellies. A jar of mandarin jelly combines satsumas and clementines, while the yuzu marmalade features citrus rind and Navel orange. Right now in the heart of spring, there’s a rhubarb-pear jam and a Meyer lemon jam featuring whole pulp in the mix for an extra sweet and sour punch. Hopefully those jams will be served on toast one day (this is San Francisco, after all) but for now you can at least find the rhubarb jam dotting the cheese plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128488\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new.jpg\" alt=\"Merchant Roots jam\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Merchant Roots jam \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salts in the larder are mixed in-house and will tempt home cooks just as much as the preserves. The roster of salts goes well beyond the ubiquitous sea salt with Elemental salt (eucalyptus, Szechuan peppercorn, volcanic salt, lemon) and Sicilian salt (Calabrian chile, oregano, rosemary.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128496\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128496\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new.jpg\" alt=\"Salts in the larder are mixed in-house.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salts in the larder are mixed in-house. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, there are the soaps. Yes, soaps. Michael cleverly uses all cooking quality ingredients (coconut oil, avocado oil for example) to make the intensely fragrant soaps that make up their own line called “Milk & Raven.” Dare we say that we almost want to eat them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128487\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new.jpg\" alt=\"Lavender soap from their own line called “Milk & Raven.”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lavender soap from their own line called “Milk & Raven.” \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You’ll also find drinking chocolate at the larder, hailing from Santa Cruz. It’s one of the few things not made at Merchant Roots but don’t start calling out Shelton and Michael for this. The high caffeine, intensely concentrated flavors of the mixes are from \u003ca href=\"http://www.mutarichocolate.com/\">Mutari Chocolate\u003c/a>, a true master of the art and his products are hard to find in SF. The larder’s teas come from Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"http://leavesandflowers.com/\">Leaves and Flowers\u003c/a> and are available to be enjoyed in-house brews. It’s worth noting that coffee for enjoying only in-house comes from \u003ca href=\"https://www.redbaycoffee.com/\">Red Bay Coffee\u003c/a> of Oakland and there actually is a hidden espresso maker if you ask for a cappuccino. Yes, this might be San Francisco’s first espresso speakeasy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Merchant Roots’ home is as adorable as the concept itself, thanks mostly to a large woven fiber art piece (Instagram alert!) by local weaver \u003ca href=\"https://www.meghanshimek.com/\">Meghan Bogden Shimek\u003c/a>. Foldable café tables are attached to the fiber piece’s wall (those tables will be collapsed for dinner service) and have extremely comfortable copper wire chairs draped with faux furs for sitting in. The Table itself resides between the art piece wall and the wine wall. Do note that The Table’s utensils won’t skimp on the luxurious quality with pottery by Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"http://koidestudio.com/index.html\">Kiyomi Kiode\u003c/a> and ferociously delicate and refined wine glasses by \u003ca href=\"http://www.sophienwald.com/en/\">Sophienwald\u003c/a> of Austria. And, yes this doesn’t seem like a WiFi kind of place and you’re right about that. Leave the laptop at home or bring the hot spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128476\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new.jpg\" alt=\"Large woven fiber art piece by local weaver Meghan Bogden Shimek.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Large woven fiber art piece by local weaver Meghan Bogden Shimek. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Unfairly, Merchant Roots has become the answer to an inside joke within the restaurant industry for substantial opening delays. Restaurants and bars in San Francisco are routinely delayed for the city’s notorious permitting challenges and out of control expensive prices for virtually everything. Folks in the industry sometimes say, “Yes, that restaurant is taking forever to open but it’s not Merchant Roots-level delayed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s definitely not Shelton and Michael’s fault. The over yearlong delay from the original ETA is a smorgasbord of San Francisco restaurateur challenges. One that diners don’t often think about played a key part in adding the delay — construction crews favoring the thicker wallets of wealthier investment-backed restaurants (we won’t name names). Is this where San Francisco dining is going? Can independent restaurants be helped?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This part of Fillmore Street was historically filled with black-owned shops and restaurants, along with the jazz clubs that made this the Fillmore Jazz District. Except, there are basically no jazz clubs or black-owned businesses here anymore. One of the last ones of the corridor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Fillmore-singing-blues-over-jazz-district-6747312.php?utm_campaign=sfgate&utm_source=article&utm_medium=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.sfgate.com%252Finsidescoop%252Farticle%252FThe-Fillmore-s-Black-Bark-has-closed-as-it-12486002.php%253Ft%253D157de05c32\">Black Bark BBQ\u003c/a>, had to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/insidescoop/article/The-Fillmore-s-Black-Bark-has-closed-as-it-12486002.php?t=157de05c32\">relocate\u003c/a>. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Jonathan Kauffman just wrote an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Fernay-McPherson-and-the-movement-that-found-12907544.php\">excellent profile about this neighborhood\u003c/a> and this sad realization for the Fillmore’s demographics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s an unfortunate change for the neighborhood, albeit one that is very reflective of Divisadero just up the hill. Both are getting increasingly gentrified like their glossy nearby peers of Hayes Valley and Fillmore in Lower Pacific Heights. Yes, this is San Francisco 2018 and we could talk all day about gentrification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, this is a story about how the newer food businesses on Fillmore all started as small business concepts and have grown into thriving projects that should be celebrated. Wise Sons, Boba Guys and State Bird Provisions all weren’t glitzy or deep money-backed when they first opened. \u003ca href=\"http://www.fatangelsf.com/\">Fat Angel\u003c/a> was the very first of Hi Neighbor’s restaurants and still isn’t very well-known beyond its regulars. Avery’s chef-partner Rodney Wages went through the ringer at many top kitchens in order to start a pop-up that morphed into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/126767/avery-opens-on-fillmore-as-sfs-next-elaborate-tasting-menu-destination\">Avery\u003c/a>. These restaurateurs worked hard to become names known citywide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shelton and Michael are no different — remember that 100 days we mentioned? They sure know this industry all too well. On the side, the two have even been offering doughnut and pasta making classes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.cozymeal.com/chefs/788/chef-ryan\">Cozymeal\u003c/a> not just because it’s fun but also to make money. (Full disclosure: this writer took a pasta making class from Shelton and is now at least not awful at the difficult art). They also do high-volume catering and various other projects because, hey, when your business isn’t making money in this pricey city, how do you make money?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, both have no shortage of talent, imagination or desire to fulfill their hopes. Shelton even has a tattoo of Merchant Roots’ 1365 address in roman numerals (MCCCLXV) and a tattoo of a quail, the California state bird. The chef certainly really cares about this project and where this project calls home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128489\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128489\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef Ryan Shelton displays his quail tattoo.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2880\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-520x780.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef Ryan Shelton displays his quail tattoo. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Restaurateurs and entrepreneurs like Shelton and Michael champion two universally beloved things in this city, whether you’re a techie millennial or lived here 55 years: bighearted small businesses that really focus on doing a few things and doing them extremely well; and clean, high quality food. A few modern tastes find their way into Merchant Roots (kale!) but there’s also a circa 1900 era vintage sausage stuffer and a small town, everybody is welcome vibe. It’s delicious, upbeat and family-friendly — heck, even dogs will appreciate the upcoming unveiling of peanut butter raviolis for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, Shelton and Michael are doing what they want to do and luckily for diners, they do it really, really well. You can’t help but root for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128534\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making pasta.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making pasta. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.merchantroots.com/\">\u003cstrong>Merchant Roots\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Merchant+Roots/@37.7821316,-122.4348981,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808580bbd4c63a77:0xf77eb4da52eaec2!8m2!3d37.7821274!4d-122.4327041\">1365 Fillmore St.\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nSan Francisco, CA 94115\u003cbr>\nInstagram: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merchantroots/?hl=en\">@merchantroots\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nFacebook:\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/merchantroots/\"> Merchant Roots\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nTwitter: \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MerchantRoots\">@MerchantRoots\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nHours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; The Table will serve dinner Thursday-Saturday\u003cbr>\nPrice: The Shop: $-$$; The Table: $$$$\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "With all kinds of homemade foods from preserves to pastas to focaccia offered in the daytime and a Table full of constantly changing creative themes in the evening, Merchant Roots is a tiny space with grand ideas, now open in the Fillmore.",
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"title": "Merchant Roots’ Daytime Grocer and Imaginative Nighttime Tasting Menu Table Arrives on Fillmore | KQED",
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"headline": "Merchant Roots’ Daytime Grocer and Imaginative Nighttime Tasting Menu Table Arrives on Fillmore",
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"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/trevorfelch\">Trevor Felch\u003c/a> (writer), \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/wendy-goodfriend\">Wendy Goodfriend\u003c/a> (photos/video)",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>With all kinds of homemade foods from preserves to pastas to focaccia offered in the daytime and a Table full of constantly changing creative themes in the evening, Merchant Roots is a tiny space with grand ideas, now open in the Fillmore.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Think of that outrageously talented friend or colleague or family member in your life who is truly a Renaissance man or woman…you know, the one who is just so great at so many things from tennis to yoga to coding to playing the cello, and is a complete fountain of knowledge for everything from fixing dishwashers to knowing which Goethe poem is the best? Well, as far as restaurant-market-café-larders go in San Francisco, the closest equivalent is Merchant Roots, an eminently charming addition to the \u003ca href=\"http://statebirdsf.com/home/\">State Bird Provisions\u003c/a> side of Fillmore on the thoroughfare’s rapidly growing dining stretch south of Geary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128480\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to Merchant Roots with Business Hours signage.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6259-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entrance to Merchant Roots with Business Hours signage. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to give a blanket label for this concept, long in the making by business and life partners Ryan Shelton and Madison Michael. There really is nothing quite like it in the Bay Area. You can come for a homemade scone and a cup of coffee at 9am. You can feel free to drop by for a plate of pasta (yes, homemade) and a glass of Prosecco to treat yourself to a late afternoon lunch feast. You can pick up a kale and chicken salad or a sandwich (on homemade focaccia, obviously) to-go en route to catching the 38R on Geary. You can buy dry or wet pasta for dinner at home and pair it with a bottle from the under-the-radar wine boutique that is tucked in the far corner of the tiny Merchant Roots space. Then there are homemade soaps, sipping chocolate mixes, homemade jams, freshly baked quiche slices…we could go on. Then the next stage of the project, \u003cstrong>The Table at Merchant Roots\u003c/strong>, comes in a few weeks as the next marquee tasting menu for a rapidly growing category in San Francisco, except this one might be considered the most whimsical — and intimate — of the elite bunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128492\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128492\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef Adriana Fleming behind the front counter and display case at Merchant Roots.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6624-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef Adriana Fleming behind the front counter and display case at Merchant Roots. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of this resides in a 1000–square foot space that somehow manages to feel spacious and not seem cluttered whatsoever. Yes, it’s all pretty overwhelming but also so relaxed and calm when you step inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closest comparison for Merchant Roots is \u003ca href=\"https://www.brooklynfare.com/pages/chefs-table\">Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare\u003c/a> in New York, a casual shop in the daytime and ambitious tasting menu in the nighttime hybrid that has received global accolades for its inventiveness. Healdsburg has \u003ca href=\"https://healdsburgshed.com/\">SHED\u003c/a> but that so-called “grange” is about 10 times bigger than Merchant Roots and has a twee-bucolic lifestyle theme that strikes many as precious with its fermentation lab, quinoa salads and rather pricey kitchen tools. In the end, they’re vaguely related but really hard to directly compare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first thing every guest notices while walking by Merchant Roots is the window’s eye-catching hand-painted sign by Bay Area artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/coolhandken/\">Ken Davis\u003c/a> that sets the tone for the shop’s contemporary interpretation of retro design inside. It could easily be a sign for a blacksmith shop in the Wild West, but also seems hip. It’s timeless and elegant cursive with artistic flair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128461\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128461\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new.jpg\" alt=\"Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making fresh pasta at Merchant Roots\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2880\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6475-new-520x780.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making fresh pasta at Merchant Roots \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then your eyes wander past the sign into the actual window where sous chef David Hamilton-Kidd will surely be rolling out pasta dough or cranking dough through the Torchio hand-press pasta maker. Fillmore pedestrians stop by, planned or unplanned nowadays, to watch the pasta making process like how people go window browsing around Union Square come Christmas time.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Izd0upkwbYY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Izd0upkwbYY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>After stepping inside, chances are high that your attention will immediately drift towards the gorgeous pastry case, where immaculate chocolate-drizzled cannolis with Luxardo cherries dramatically peeking out of both ends and chocolate-dipped almond and anise biscotti ($3) beckon. You might be tempted by a muffin version of carrot cake with a ricotta cream cheese stuffing ($4) on one day and then a perfect slice of springtime via a strawberry and almond cream tart ($6) on the next visit. There usually will be doughnuts, perhaps a simple old-fashioned on one pedestal and a coconut-lime one made of mochi and milk dough, dusted with coconut flakes and lime zest ($3) on another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128472\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128472\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate-drizzled cannolis with Luxardo cherries dramatically peeking out of both ends.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6277-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chocolate-drizzled cannolis with Luxardo cherries dramatically peeking out of both ends. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128460\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new.jpg\" alt=\"Strawberry and Almond Cream Tart.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6354-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Strawberry and Almond Cream Tart. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Upon press time, the bakers were still perfecting a gluten-free brownie recipe but you can count on that being a major hit when it premiers soon because this town sure loves it’s gluten-free treats that actually taste as good as their flour-filled equivalents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128458\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128458\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new.jpg\" alt=\"Showstopper chocolate chip cookies.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6358-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Showstopper chocolate chip cookies. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, the showstopper of the crew is the chocolate chip cookie ($3) that takes the chocolate part very seriously. It’s Michael’s recipe and she is adamant about making sure that the cookie is thick and soft, but not overly doughy or cumbersome, with a just a smidge of crunch at the outer edges. You’ll certainly taste the butter in the cookie — there’s a lot of it. But, what you probably didn’t guess is that it’s actually brown cultured butter mixed with equal parts muscovado sugar and regular sugar that give it a certain alluringly sharp sweetness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other major catch with the recipe is that Michael insists on the composition being more chocolate than cookie. That means there should be about 1.5 \u003ca href=\"https://www.guittard.com/\">Guittard\u003c/a> dark chocolate wafers per cookie but you’ll see some cookies where that figure looks more like 3. Nobody will complain, though. A finish of fleur de sel tops what is no doubt going to be a contender in the competitive “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” debates of San Francisco. Cookie Monster strongly approves of this new entry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128441\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128441\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new.jpg\" alt=\"Madison Michael's hands showcase the lunch menu at Merchant Roots\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1056-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Madison Michael's hands showcase the lunch menu at Merchant Roots \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There is nothing wrong with having muffins and cookies for lunch but you’ll need real lunch food at some point. The aforementioned housemade focaccia serves as a base for a pair of sandwiches (termed sando) ($9). One is a fascinating shaved pastrami-spiced smoked carrot number where the shaved vegetable looks like slices of lox and comes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.pointreyescheese.com/point-reyes-toma\">Pt. Reyes Toma cheese\u003c/a> and raisin jam. That same semi-hard cow’s milk cheese from Marin joins tangy \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortadella\">mortadella\u003c/a> slices with arugula and Bavarian mustard in the other sandwich. Both are simple, precise and filling without being heavy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128454\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new.jpg\" alt=\"Shaved pastrami-spiced smoked carrot sando that comes with Pt. Reyes Toma cheese and raisin jam.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6676-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shaved pastrami-spiced smoked carrot sando that comes with Pt. Reyes Toma cheese and raisin jam. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salads include ever-trendy kale leaves lightly coated with preserved lemon vinaigrette. Shelton finishes it with chicken and Parmigiano Reggiano for a satisfying but virtuous midday meal ($13; $10 without chicken). Moroccan chicken salad is a completely different styled offering ($14) and brings together cashews, crispy chickpeas, yogurt and citrus-mint vinaigrette. Venturing beyond salads and sandwiches, Shelton has a little fun with an “everything” spiced, cream cheese and smoked salmon-topped quiche with a potato crust ($12). It’s a bagel and latke-minded quiche. Somebody is having fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128452\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128452\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new.jpg\" alt=\"Kale Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette with Chicken\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6787-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kale Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette with Chicken \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128512\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128512\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new.jpg\" alt=\"Smoked Salmon Quiche with Potato Crust, Spinach, Cream Cheese, 'Everything'\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6409-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smoked Salmon Quiche with Potato Crust, Spinach, Cream Cheese, 'Everything' \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salads are packaged to-go and all of them and the quiche are also available for enjoying plated in the café. Sandwiches, meanwhile, are all packaged to-go but can be consumed in Merchant Roots’ environs, along with being toasted on the spot. It’s a smart idea to have flexibility between takeout and eating-in because the lunch crowd can vary in a more residential-centered strip like this one. Future plans also call for a breakfast sandwich and a fried mortadella sando meant for dining in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128509\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128509\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new.jpg\" alt=\"Food To-Go includes salads, sandos, fresh pasta and sauce.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6297-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Food To-Go includes salads, sandos, fresh pasta and sauce. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’re lingering for lunch, though, the must-try house meal really is the pasta, as the pasta making in the window might suggest. It’s Shelton’s specialty and one he has been fanatical about for life since being a boy growing up in San Jose as part of an Italian-American family. The enterprise could simply be Pasta Roots (or Semolina + Water?) for how important pasta is to the operation and how skilled Shelton is at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco is a pasta-crazed town as is proven by the dozens of Cal-Ital restaurants and even more informal red sauce and pizza joints. But, who makes their own dry and fresh pasta, pairs it with homemade sauces for enjoying in-house, and also sells both the sauces and pastas retail for you to make your own version at home? It’s definitely a tiny niche and this is a welcome addition to the diminutive club.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128468\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128468\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new.jpg\" alt=\"Housemade tomato chele pasta.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6621-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Housemade tomato chele pasta. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You’ll find a handful of pastas each day on the “daily pastas” menu for freshly prepared lunch dishes. The early must-order is tomato chele ($24), shaped similarly to an unstuffed small tortellini, with just the right amount of indentations and curves to hold its sauce teammate, a lobster reduction made from the juice of lobster heads where their tails have been used as meat. Shelton finishes the dish lobster roll-style with curls of celery and buttered brioche “croutons” evoking the roll’s usual hot dog bun. Of course, the brioche is homemade, being surplus brioche from doughnut dough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128485\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new.jpg\" alt=\"Tomato Chele pasta with lobster sauce, buttered brioche croutons, celery.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6484-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomato Chele pasta with lobster sauce, buttered brioche croutons, celery. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Elsewhere in the pasta neighborhood, spaghettine made on the chitarra (like a small string harp) is joined by hen ragu ($11), while ricotta cavatelli are snap pea-glazed and accompanied by lemon mascarpone and smoked prosciutto ($13). Gargatti (think short caterpillars) comes with spring vegetables and a confit tomato crema “parma rossa” sauce ($13). Sometimes there is even chilled pasta like gnochetti with pesto, roasted peppers and red onion ($9).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, Shelton will be serving his own charcuterie made at his commissary in the Mission (seriously, how do they make pasta, charcuterie AND pastries with with just Shelton, Michael, Hamilton-Kidd and sous chef Adriana Fleming handling almost of the day-to-day duties for the whole operation?). For now, he’s offering a charcuterie platter sourced from elsewhere ($16) and a cheese plate ($17) with good friend Eric Miller of Mission Cheese helping as a fromage whisperer/advisor. A combination of the two ($20) is also offered. On the cheese side for the combo, Pt. Reyes Toma comes with the ever popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/library-of-cheese/mt-tam\">Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam\u003c/a> and gooey, funky \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comt%C3%A9_cheese\">Comté\u003c/a> from France. The cured meats include pâté de campagne, speck from \u003ca href=\"http://www.redtablemeatco.com/\">Red Table\u003c/a> in Minneapolis and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soppressata\">sopressata\u003c/a> from \u003ca href=\"http://www.framani.com/\">Fra’Mani\u003c/a> in Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128464\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128464\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new.jpg\" alt=\"Cheese and Charcuterie Plate\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6581-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheese and Charcuterie Plate \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All of this is very daytime-oriented food that is friendly on the wallet and has a universal appeal for all ages. Who doesn’t love a good cookie or plate of pasta? We’re all getting tired of restaurants and food makers calling themselves “craft” and “artisanal” but that is what sets Merchant Roots’ grocer component apart. There is that special homemade touch that makes nothing taste watered down. These are indeed artisan products and dishes by experts who know their way around a great doughnut and kale salad…and also know how to put on a lavish, avant-garde tasting menu feast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, that’s where \u003cstrong>The Table at Merchant Roots\u003c/strong> comes into the picture, arriving in the next few weeks (probably in June). The Table is literally a monkeypod table that is used for casual communal dining during the day and will be an intimate eight-seat, one sitting dinner setting three nights a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new.jpg\" alt=\"The Table at Merchant Roots\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128671\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6237-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Table at Merchant Roots \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There really is nothing like the daytime grocer part but there isn’t anything quite like the atypical, constantly evolving and bizarre nature of what Shelton and Michael are pursuing with The Table. The experience will be centered on various themes that go well beyond a time and place like the tableaus for \u003ca href=\"https://www.nextrestaurant.com/\">Next\u003c/a> in Chicago. The opening theme for The Table is “Elements” and runs nine courses from a yuzu sorbet rock for “moon” to an outrageously creative cotton candy and mint chocolate ganache “comet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To give you an idea of how advanced these dishes are, one “Elements” course called “Fire” centers on charcoal-grilled dry-aged New York steak, offset by charred pearl onions, crispy maitake mushrooms, leek ash and sunchoke “coal.” That’s not all. The classic steak or prime rib sauces of horseradish cream and red wine demi-glace find their way onto the log. Yes, the log. The serving platter is probably even more noteworthy than anything for this one dish. Shelton made 10 of the log platters by heavily charring the gnarly wood over several weeks to the point that they were fully pitch black and then stained them to keep the striking, even haunting appearance in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128471\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128471\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new.jpg\" alt=\"One “Elements” course called “Fire” centers on charcoal-grilled dry-aged New York steak, offset by charred pearl onions, crispy maitake mushrooms, leek ash and sunchoke “coal.”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6707-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One “Elements” course called “Fire” centers on charcoal-grilled dry-aged New York steak, offset by charred pearl onions, crispy maitake mushrooms, leek ash and sunchoke “coal.” \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That is just one course on one short-lived menu, but is a great reflection of the ambition on display and the ample creativity. The other bonus worth pointing out is that the opening $110 price tag per diner, while not at all cheap, is far below the total for its peers. The size and price of the menu will slightly fluctuate but several will stay in this format. Future menu themes include “Vanity Fair,” featuring everything ornate and gold-plated, and “Mermaids” with each dish literally made from sea ingredients all the way down to a bread that seems like a sourdough-fish sticks crossover. It’s made of kelp paste, haddock pureé and coconut flour (no yeast, just coconut flour paste that is inoculated over time with indigenous yeast!).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clever? Mad scientist? Artist? Genius? Restless chef who is happy to be independent? Renaissance man?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128442\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128442\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef/Proprietor Ryan Shelton shows his recently acquired tattoo that is the address of Merchant Roots in Roman numerals.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1063-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef/Proprietor Ryan Shelton shows his recently acquired tattoo that is the address of Merchant Roots in Roman numerals. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Shelton pretty much wears all those hats as Executive Chef/Proprietor and with Michael as Proprietress/co-pilot for the adventurous business plan. That’s the best way to understand how the grocer and The Table concepts both came about and why they can work in this particular situation. Look at their resumes and you’ll see how all of this can fit under one compact roof.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shelton is a trained pastry chef and was the lead Pastry Chef for Mountain View’s esteemed \u003ca href=\"http://cheztj.com/\">chez TJ\u003c/a>. His original South Bay home region then continued as the base for his culinary experience with time on the savory side as Chef de Cuisine at the molecular gastronomy-centric \u003ca href=\"http://www.maisonbaume.com/\">Baumé\u003c/a> in Palo Alto, followed by a short period as Executive Chef at (the now closed) Le Cigare Volant restaurant at Boony Doon Winery’s tasting room in Santa Cruz. His permanent career and residential move to San Francisco led him to Polk Street where he was Executive Chef for the highly rated but short-lived Verbena and its short-lived tenure as Reverb Kitchen & Bar (it’s now \u003ca href=\"http://www.mezcalitosf.com/\">Mezcalito\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael’s background is more in beverages as a certified sommelier and includes time working at bars like The Thomas in Napa (since closed) and the sensational Kauai tiki bar, \u003ca href=\"http://tikiiniki.com/\">Tiki Iniki\u003c/a>, in addition to restaurants with strong wine and bar programs like \u003ca href=\"http://mouradsf.com/\">Mourad\u003c/a> and Verbena/Reverb. But, she’s also gifted at a whole array of other food-oriented crafts and actually a certified cheese expert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea for Merchant Roots’ grocer side has been in Shelton’s mind for many years but the wheels were truly set in motion after he and Michael worked 100 days straight at \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2015/3/24/8283513/verbena-quietly-shifts-concept-will-re-open-this-week-as-reverb\">Reverb\u003c/a> — only to see the restaurant then close. Both knew that a sustainable quality of life had to be part of the equation for their personal project, an idea that sadly isn’t seen much in the restaurant and bar industry. So, Michael thought about the three-night-a-week Table to go with the five-day-a-week grocer as a balanced solution with their personal lives (Michael has a nine-year old son) and diverse talents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, Michael’s chocolate chip cookie contribution may one day lead to a Cookie Roots spin-off but many of her contributions to Merchant Roots could honestly have their own spin-off. The most obvious, of course, would be the wine shop component. It will grow to have 84 labels of engaging wines from notable (mostly younger and less “famous”) producers in California, France, Spain, Italy and some of the lesser-known regions at home and abroad. Think of it as a wine-choosing app but…with the human concierge already making tough decisions for you. San Francisco isn’t lacking in great wine boutiques but several of the celebrated ones (K&L, Flatiron) can be daunting to navigate with too many choices and not enough help. Labels at Merchant Roots have standouts from the new California Wine front (Broc, Matthiasson) but also the equivalent upstart game-changers in Europe like Le Macchiole and Peter Later. Michael doesn’t delve into the pricey trophy wines of Napa and Bordeaux, and does keep value-minded options kindly in mind with a surprising number of enjoyable $10-$15 wines on hand. If you’re staying at the shop for lunch, a half-dozen of the wines are poured by-the-glass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128491\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new.jpg\" alt=\"The Larder\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6535-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Larder \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The larder on the wall opposite is also largely Michael’s domain. She makes preserves (all $7) in all sorts of tempting bright colors and flavors that are already at the top of the very small list of San Francisco-made jams, marmalades and jellies. A jar of mandarin jelly combines satsumas and clementines, while the yuzu marmalade features citrus rind and Navel orange. Right now in the heart of spring, there’s a rhubarb-pear jam and a Meyer lemon jam featuring whole pulp in the mix for an extra sweet and sour punch. Hopefully those jams will be served on toast one day (this is San Francisco, after all) but for now you can at least find the rhubarb jam dotting the cheese plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128488\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new.jpg\" alt=\"Merchant Roots jam\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6393-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Merchant Roots jam \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salts in the larder are mixed in-house and will tempt home cooks just as much as the preserves. The roster of salts goes well beyond the ubiquitous sea salt with Elemental salt (eucalyptus, Szechuan peppercorn, volcanic salt, lemon) and Sicilian salt (Calabrian chile, oregano, rosemary.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128496\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128496\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new.jpg\" alt=\"Salts in the larder are mixed in-house.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6394-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salts in the larder are mixed in-house. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, there are the soaps. Yes, soaps. Michael cleverly uses all cooking quality ingredients (coconut oil, avocado oil for example) to make the intensely fragrant soaps that make up their own line called “Milk & Raven.” Dare we say that we almost want to eat them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128487\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new.jpg\" alt=\"Lavender soap from their own line called “Milk & Raven.”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6402-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lavender soap from their own line called “Milk & Raven.” \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You’ll also find drinking chocolate at the larder, hailing from Santa Cruz. It’s one of the few things not made at Merchant Roots but don’t start calling out Shelton and Michael for this. The high caffeine, intensely concentrated flavors of the mixes are from \u003ca href=\"http://www.mutarichocolate.com/\">Mutari Chocolate\u003c/a>, a true master of the art and his products are hard to find in SF. The larder’s teas come from Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"http://leavesandflowers.com/\">Leaves and Flowers\u003c/a> and are available to be enjoyed in-house brews. It’s worth noting that coffee for enjoying only in-house comes from \u003ca href=\"https://www.redbaycoffee.com/\">Red Bay Coffee\u003c/a> of Oakland and there actually is a hidden espresso maker if you ask for a cappuccino. Yes, this might be San Francisco’s first espresso speakeasy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Merchant Roots’ home is as adorable as the concept itself, thanks mostly to a large woven fiber art piece (Instagram alert!) by local weaver \u003ca href=\"https://www.meghanshimek.com/\">Meghan Bogden Shimek\u003c/a>. Foldable café tables are attached to the fiber piece’s wall (those tables will be collapsed for dinner service) and have extremely comfortable copper wire chairs draped with faux furs for sitting in. The Table itself resides between the art piece wall and the wine wall. Do note that The Table’s utensils won’t skimp on the luxurious quality with pottery by Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"http://koidestudio.com/index.html\">Kiyomi Kiode\u003c/a> and ferociously delicate and refined wine glasses by \u003ca href=\"http://www.sophienwald.com/en/\">Sophienwald\u003c/a> of Austria. And, yes this doesn’t seem like a WiFi kind of place and you’re right about that. Leave the laptop at home or bring the hot spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128476\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new.jpg\" alt=\"Large woven fiber art piece by local weaver Meghan Bogden Shimek.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6323-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Large woven fiber art piece by local weaver Meghan Bogden Shimek. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Unfairly, Merchant Roots has become the answer to an inside joke within the restaurant industry for substantial opening delays. Restaurants and bars in San Francisco are routinely delayed for the city’s notorious permitting challenges and out of control expensive prices for virtually everything. Folks in the industry sometimes say, “Yes, that restaurant is taking forever to open but it’s not Merchant Roots-level delayed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s definitely not Shelton and Michael’s fault. The over yearlong delay from the original ETA is a smorgasbord of San Francisco restaurateur challenges. One that diners don’t often think about played a key part in adding the delay — construction crews favoring the thicker wallets of wealthier investment-backed restaurants (we won’t name names). Is this where San Francisco dining is going? Can independent restaurants be helped?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This part of Fillmore Street was historically filled with black-owned shops and restaurants, along with the jazz clubs that made this the Fillmore Jazz District. Except, there are basically no jazz clubs or black-owned businesses here anymore. One of the last ones of the corridor, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Fillmore-singing-blues-over-jazz-district-6747312.php?utm_campaign=sfgate&utm_source=article&utm_medium=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.sfgate.com%252Finsidescoop%252Farticle%252FThe-Fillmore-s-Black-Bark-has-closed-as-it-12486002.php%253Ft%253D157de05c32\">Black Bark BBQ\u003c/a>, had to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/insidescoop/article/The-Fillmore-s-Black-Bark-has-closed-as-it-12486002.php?t=157de05c32\">relocate\u003c/a>. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Jonathan Kauffman just wrote an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Fernay-McPherson-and-the-movement-that-found-12907544.php\">excellent profile about this neighborhood\u003c/a> and this sad realization for the Fillmore’s demographics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s an unfortunate change for the neighborhood, albeit one that is very reflective of Divisadero just up the hill. Both are getting increasingly gentrified like their glossy nearby peers of Hayes Valley and Fillmore in Lower Pacific Heights. Yes, this is San Francisco 2018 and we could talk all day about gentrification.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, this is a story about how the newer food businesses on Fillmore all started as small business concepts and have grown into thriving projects that should be celebrated. Wise Sons, Boba Guys and State Bird Provisions all weren’t glitzy or deep money-backed when they first opened. \u003ca href=\"http://www.fatangelsf.com/\">Fat Angel\u003c/a> was the very first of Hi Neighbor’s restaurants and still isn’t very well-known beyond its regulars. Avery’s chef-partner Rodney Wages went through the ringer at many top kitchens in order to start a pop-up that morphed into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/126767/avery-opens-on-fillmore-as-sfs-next-elaborate-tasting-menu-destination\">Avery\u003c/a>. These restaurateurs worked hard to become names known citywide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shelton and Michael are no different — remember that 100 days we mentioned? They sure know this industry all too well. On the side, the two have even been offering doughnut and pasta making classes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.cozymeal.com/chefs/788/chef-ryan\">Cozymeal\u003c/a> not just because it’s fun but also to make money. (Full disclosure: this writer took a pasta making class from Shelton and is now at least not awful at the difficult art). They also do high-volume catering and various other projects because, hey, when your business isn’t making money in this pricey city, how do you make money?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, both have no shortage of talent, imagination or desire to fulfill their hopes. Shelton even has a tattoo of Merchant Roots’ 1365 address in roman numerals (MCCCLXV) and a tattoo of a quail, the California state bird. The chef certainly really cares about this project and where this project calls home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128489\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128489\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef Ryan Shelton displays his quail tattoo.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2880\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6416-new-520x780.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef Ryan Shelton displays his quail tattoo. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Restaurateurs and entrepreneurs like Shelton and Michael champion two universally beloved things in this city, whether you’re a techie millennial or lived here 55 years: bighearted small businesses that really focus on doing a few things and doing them extremely well; and clean, high quality food. A few modern tastes find their way into Merchant Roots (kale!) but there’s also a circa 1900 era vintage sausage stuffer and a small town, everybody is welcome vibe. It’s delicious, upbeat and family-friendly — heck, even dogs will appreciate the upcoming unveiling of peanut butter raviolis for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally, Shelton and Michael are doing what they want to do and luckily for diners, they do it really, really well. You can’t help but root for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-128534\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1.jpg\" alt=\"Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making pasta.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1091-new1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Executive Chef Ryan Shelton and Sous Chef David Hamilton-Kidd making pasta. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.merchantroots.com/\">\u003cstrong>Merchant Roots\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Merchant+Roots/@37.7821316,-122.4348981,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808580bbd4c63a77:0xf77eb4da52eaec2!8m2!3d37.7821274!4d-122.4327041\">1365 Fillmore St.\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nSan Francisco, CA 94115\u003cbr>\nInstagram: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merchantroots/?hl=en\">@merchantroots\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nFacebook:\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/merchantroots/\"> Merchant Roots\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nTwitter: \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MerchantRoots\">@MerchantRoots\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nHours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; The Table will serve dinner Thursday-Saturday\u003cbr>\nPrice: The Shop: $-$$; The Table: $$$$\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Birdsong Provides a Fine Dining High Note for SoMa",
"title": "Birdsong Provides a Fine Dining High Note for SoMa",
"headTitle": "New Restaurants 2018 | Bay Area Bites | KQED Food",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Husband-and-wife couple Chris Bleidorn and Aarti Shetty make their ambitious debut as restaurant owners — with hints of the serene Pacific Northwest — in a stunning SoMa dining room at Birdsong\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like the structure of a great song, there are all sorts of compelling supporting components that let the journey ebb and flow then crescendo towards the all-important main chorus at SoMa’s high-end seasonal California meets Pacific Northwest newcomer, Birdsong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu (the lyrics) is somewhat inspired by our neighbors to the north along the Pacific Coast, somewhat inspired by our local terroir, and heavily inspired by the chef’s highly impressive World’s 50 Best and Michelin star-filled fine dining background.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new.jpg\" alt=\"The menu\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128339\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The menu \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is springing for a duel tasting menu and à la carte format (the rhythm) that can be pulled off, but sure is daunting for the kitchen to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The breathtakingly gorgeous space (the background harmonies) could be a living room set-up for a cover spread in a chic magazine like Monocle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new.jpg\" alt=\"The entryway to Birdsong\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128359\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entryway to Birdsong \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128326\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new.jpg\" alt=\"Birdsong interior space with open kitchen and counter areas\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128326\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Birdsong interior space with open kitchen and counter areas \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Mid-Market/SoMa border location at this particular place and time (the tempo) in San Francisco is pretty much front and center for everything that is being debated by this year’s mayoral candidates, and has a history of being unfriendly to friendly restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And all of these storylines build towards the chorus — the heart of why Birdsong has been one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the city for months and is here for diners to venture to Mission Street to experience firsthand. No, Birdsong isn’t about tail-to-beak whole poultry cooking, a Grateful Dead song, a mid-20th century British novel, or somebody’s deep involvement with the Audubon Society. Birdsong is a pleasant reference to the beauty of nature and how birds help ecosystems grow and stay healthy, setting a mentality for diners as they step into a restaurant that wants to slow down cooking and bring it back to its roaring fire and pristine ingredients past. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That background sets the stage for the true reason (the chorus) of why Birdsong is a pivotal restaurant for the Bay Area and national restaurant watchers to know about: it’s the solo debut of one of the (or possibly THE) most under-the-radar, ready for the bright lights chefs in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Chris Bleidorn in the downstairs meat locker.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128338\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Chris Bleidorn in the downstairs meat locker. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chances are you don’t know Chris Bleidorn. But it’s very likely you know a lot of the stops on his resume. Alinea. Benu. Saison. Atelier Crenn. Johnson and Wales. This isn’t meant to be a LinkedIn entry for the chef but it’s vital to mention this because Bleidorn clearly has the background to make an impact straight out of the gates with Birdsong. It’s the culinary equivalent of a B.A. at Stanford, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a Ph.D from Harvard. He’s ready for prime time and the Bay Area’s dining scene is ready for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn is opening with a preview eight-course, $135 tasting menu. Soon, that will expand to 12-13 courses for $168 plus à la carte options. The à la carte dishes will be configured differently and there will be little to no overlap (unlike at another newcomer trying the same thing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/127083/pop-up-to-permanent-sorrel-hits-prime-time-with-a-full-time-presidio-heights-home\">Sorrel\u003c/a>). As Bleidorn told us, tasting menu dishes are smaller and need to be “impactful” and “the first sip [or] the first bite needs to resonate.” À la carte dishes have to be stretched out more and not go for an immediate “punch.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out what those à la carte dishes look like. For now, though, we definitely have a good sense of his cooking style that shows subtle influences from his prior stints at those aforementioned influential kitchens but really has its own distinct, gentle voice. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn currently leads off with a series of snacks that definitely give that impactful punch in one-to-two bites. First comes a ceviche-like edible still-life of tiny Pacific scallop from Washington state with its own salted liver, nestled into a glass dish with apricot vinegar, Douglas fir oil and ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/1GnkB7ecwS4\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new.jpg\" alt=\"Pacific scallops, salted liver, apricot vinegar, ice plant\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128352\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pacific scallops, salted liver, apricot vinegar, ice plant \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then diners move onto what is sure to be a menu staple for it elegantly abstract take on a pub grub classic: fish and chips. There are no mushy peas here nor is there greasy batter-fried fish. Instead, imagine if Jiro the celebrated Tokyo sushi chef did a pop-up in Dublin. A glistening slab of halibut is served atop a puffy pomme soufflé (similar to the gol guppa street snacks of India) with tartar sauce. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128350\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fish & chips\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128350\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fish & chips \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>More and more tasting menu destinations are becoming fans of taking a common central ingredient and presenting several diminutive bites that show that ingredient in completely different versions. Matthew Kammerer, another former Saison chef and now Executive Chef at the spectacular Harbor House Inn in Elk (Mendocino County) takes this to another level by providing preview canapés made of the meal’s featured produce before diners even officially start the meal. Bleidorn doesn’t quite go that far but he does serve a trio of creek-raised trout tastes served simultaneously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128347\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new.jpg\" alt=\"A trio of creek-raised trout tastes served simultaneously.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128347\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A trio of creek-raised trout tastes served simultaneously. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cured trout is warmed and smoked in cedar, and hidden in a cedar package for serving at the table with a Douglas fir branch flourish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new.jpg\" alt=\"Creek raised trout - cured, smoked, and warmed in cedar\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128349\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creek raised trout - cured, smoked, and warmed in cedar \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Trout roe comes as a sandwich with a mayonnaise-like creation accented by sour grasses and horseradish. What’s the bread for this two-bite spicy-briny flavor rush? You got it — crispy trout skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/TGEwhg1I6-c\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new.jpg\" alt=\"Creek raised trout - sandwich\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128332\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creek raised trout - sandwich \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The trout treats trio concludes with an ensemble of belly meat scraped off the bones, a custard then made from the dried trout bones, and salted mustard leaves and stems. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new.jpg\" alt=\"Creek raised trout - custard\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128334\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creek raised trout - custard \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Is that enough trout for you? We haven’t seen the eyes, tail or cheeks used yet, but we’re not doubting that those are on the horizon to fully utilize the fish as is so central to Birdsong’s mission. Chef de cuisine Brian Limoges (previously at Quince and Atelier Crenn) showed us how to cut into one of the large trout they had just received and admitted that they’re still figuring out a way to use the fish’s guts. Hey, maybe it will turn out to be a delicacy and be an aquatic version of sweetbreads?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128342\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chef de cuisine Brian Limoges prepping a large trout\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128342\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef de cuisine Brian Limoges prepping a large trout \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The water motif continues in the next course with Washington state geoduck clams joined by lardo, celery and smoked potatoes in a bowl, then tied together by a complex clam and buttermilk whey broth poured tableside. If this sounds like an abstract San Juan Islands clam chowder, you’re not imagining things. Bleidorn is from Hingham, Massachusetts (along the Atlantic between Boston and Plymouth) and this dish is obviously a nod to his home state. And, if you’re wondering, yes he is still a passionate fan of the Red Sox and Patriots — Boston teams and a love of chowdah never leave New England natives even when they’re on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128310\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new.jpg\" alt=\"Giant clam, buttermilk whey, pork fat\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128310\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Giant clam, buttermilk whey, pork fat \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cedar, halibut, geoduck clams...are you sensing a theme? It probably doesn’t occur to you at first because Bleidorn doesn’t hit diners over the head with a relentless focus on the Alaska-Oregon-Washington-British Columbia theme. Much of the pre-opening press has centered on Birdsong being a “Pacific Northwest” restaurant, which is semi-correct and semi-incorrect. The Bay Area has only seen one Pacific Northwest cuisine in recent memory, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/eatup/article/Cafe-Eugene-puts-Pacific-Northwest-on-the-menu-7257818.php\">Café Eugene\u003c/a> in Albany. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It lasted two years and never really found its stride being “Pacific Northwest” focused. Though we see New England, Southern, Texan and New York-inspired restaurants open all the time, Bay Area diners seemed puzzled by a Pacific Northwest concept in the East Bay — despite the fact that some of the best restaurants and raw ingredients in the country can be found in Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and across that rain and forest-filled region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn didn’t choose the Pacific Northwest for the sake of being different or because he absolutely loves watching “Portlandia” or climbing Mount Rainier. He didn’t do a lot of on-the-ground research other than a few days of tasting around Alaska. To him, the region is “The New England of the West Coast” in terms of an unwavering respect for seasonal ingredients (we’re pretty sure that’s the definition of Californian cuisine, right?) and a magnificent terrain composed of breathtaking mountains, streams, oceans and forests. After all, both regions have a Portland. We could go on all day about geoduck clams and Ipswich clams; Bend and Sugarloaf; Seahawks and Patriots; Mount Rainier and Mount Washington; Alaskan halibut and Maine lobster; and whether these comparisons are truly similar or different. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Bleindorn really means by their similarity, beyond being northern corners of the country, is that both have a strong sense of place and they do indeed have a lot of shared natural traits. Both areas can be considered the New World equivalent of Scandinavia — austere in winter, magnificent in summer, but always home to a dramatic natural ecosystem that leans heavily towards the sea and mist-filled forests. So, Wisconsin doesn’t fit here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We shouldn’t feel compelled to put strict labels on any talented chef’s cuisine but the best way to think of what Bleidorn is doing is “West Coast” because we are in California, after all, and something like “rustic, nature-minded and advanced technique” because you can see the high-level methods that Alinea and Benu might incorporate into plates but there’s also a low and slow, whole animal and produce mindset that is a trend stemming from a range of concepts from Chez Panisse to Texas BBQ to New England clambakes. Outside of Saison and now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/126767/avery-opens-on-fillmore-as-sfs-next-elaborate-tasting-menu-destination\">Avery\u003c/a>, we haven’t seen much of that rugged “rustic and nature-minded” mentality creep into the intricate tasting menu sphere. Add Birdsong to that burgeoning group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdsong uses big “once upon a time” buzzwords like “ancient cooking” and “heritage cooking” to describe this not very describable cuisine. Those terms make Birdsong sound like the restaurant is cooking wooly mammoth over driftwood with a backdrop of enormous glaciers. The most apt description comes from a quote by nature writer Michael Frome that Bleidorn likes to refer to: “Each succeeding generation accepts less and less of the real thing because it has no way of understanding what has been lost.” This is true in the history of food and across the board for society whether you want to rail about dating apps, smart phones, Teslas, chain stores, and pretty much everything Silicon Valley is trying to disrupt in every cultural space. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bleidorn, the key is “to slow down the watered down approach” that has crept into the kitchen and much of life. But, he’ll also point out that it’s not the fault of chefs — this is how society evolves. It’s just that evolution can strip away the in-depth flavor of fantastic ingredients provided without touch by nature centuries ago. He’s correct about that. It’s virtually impossible to recapture that but it’s possible to take away some of that evolution and gimmicky technology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/wtyul09ulfw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Look at the vast, shimmering open kitchen (too open in Bleidorn’s opinion but that can’t be changed with the space’s design) of Birdsong and diners will see that this dining experience really is all about a pristine, transparent style of cooking that keeps modernism outside on Mission Street. The Chef-Partner and his determined crew of chefs strive for a powerful tasting menu without relying on the tech-enhanced wow factor of foams, gels and basically anything that El Bulli or Nathan Myhrvold’s Modernist Cuisine would preach. There is the same punch after punch across the tasting menu but in a more soft-spoken, birds chirping manner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing morel mushrooms\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2880\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128308\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-520x780.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stuffing morel mushrooms \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The next dish incorporates a Pacific Northwest staple, morel mushrooms, and stuffs them with spring lamb, then teams the morels with a sauce made of alliums and charcoal that is partially “ancient” campfire and partially Soul Cycle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new.jpg\" alt=\"Morel mushroom, Sonoma lamb, green almonds, allium charcoal sauce\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128344\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morel mushroom, Sonoma lamb, green almonds, allium charcoal sauce \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn’s final savory course in the preview menu centers on wild boar two-ways. One comes with grilled brassicas, grains, dried fruit and cultured broth. The other is BBQ-inspired with elderberries (another very Pacific Northwest ingredient), ramps and pine needle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As much as we’ve harped on the streams and oceans influencing Birdsong — if you just looked at the downstairs meat locker next to the restaurant’s two below ground private dining rooms, you would think that this is a carnivore’s paradise à la Alfred’s or House of Prime Rib. Bleidorn is fanatical about sourcing whole, grass-fed animals and actually prefers older, leaner ones — the opposite of most chefs. He could talk all day about the buffalo, lamb, mutton and duck hanging in the chilly room. It’s a fascinating philosophy for a meat program and equally interesting to look at. Let’s just say you know a restaurant cares about its glassed-in meat room when there are custom teal tiles in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128398\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Chris Bleidorn talks about the various cuts of meat in the glassed-in meat cooler.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128398\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Chris Bleidorn talks about the various cuts of meat in the glassed-in meat cooler. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dessert presently is caramelized bread custard with jasmine and toasted milk. Make sure to keep an eye on this finale and the desserts in the future at Birdsong because Bleidorn wasn’t just a sous chef star on the savory side. Indeed, after graduating from Johnson and Whales, the esteemed culinary institution in Rhode Island, he spent five years as a sous chef at Nine-Ten in La Jolla (a rare example of a great restaurant in a seaside resort in a touristy town) and served as a chef de partie for the vaunted Alinea in Chicago. But then from 2010-2013, Bleidorn was the pastry chef for Corey Lee at Benu. Afterwards, he swapped pastries for savory again as Atelier Crenn’s Chef de Cuisine and then as a chef at Saison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was at Benu where Bleidorn met Aarti Shetty, a UC Berkeley Haas School of Business graduate and former healthcare industry analyst who pulled a career 180 and shifted gears to become Director of Operations for Corey Lee’s restaurants (Benu, In Situ, Monsieur Benjamin). She is a Partner for Birdsong...and also Bleidorn’s life partner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The management team also includes Bianca Ishikawa (Gary Danko) as Service Manager and Freddy Foot (also from Gary Danko) as Head Sommelier. While the food definitely has a little-to-medium amount of the Pacific Northwest theme going on, the region’s voice is really emphasized by Foot’s beverage list. Oregon’s highly regarded Crux and Pelican breweries are part of the beers on tap. Several Willamette Valley, Oregon wineries (Stoller, J Christopher, etc…) and Columbia Valley, Washington labels (Januik, Gramercy) appear on the by-the-glass and bottle lists. Without question, this is the most Oregon-Washington wine friendly program in the city, but that’s also not saying much because there really isn’t any competition. Take this as a great opportunity to study a completely different terroir and style of wine than you’ll find in California. Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, are nothing like their counterparts in Sonoma and Napa respectively. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdsong’s design by the Los Angeles and Washington D.C.-based SAINT firm is meant to feel homey and does indeed have the sought-after “hygge” (a snug, comforting feeling) feel of Scandinavia. However, it also is one heck of an elaborate, fairy tale living room and kitchen, just like how Bar Crenn is supposedly “a living room” but not like any real living room you’ve been to in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new.jpg\" alt=\"Birdsong upstairs interior\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128325\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Birdsong upstairs interior \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With tall ceilings and lots of windows, the space has a free, airy feel and no shortage of sunlight. A stack of wood by the front window allows additional natural light in but blocks out the “scenery” of Mission Street outside. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new.jpg\" alt=\"The front area of Birdsong with display of glassware\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128362\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The front area of Birdsong with display of glassware \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As you’d expect in a restaurant that looks towards the forest, wood plays a huge part everywhere. Table tops are made of ash and floors come courtesy of Douglas firs. A 10-seat chef’s counter has jagged ends to its expansive wooden block and exposed bark that make the table look as if wind and rain shaped it. Not only is it the most visually intriguing table in the house, it’s also the best seat in the house, looking straight into the kitchen like you might at a sushi bar. That open kitchen and its hearth are indeed the room’s focal point, designed by industry rock star Alec Bauer, who is also responsible for many of San Francisco’s most gorgeous kitchens like State Bird Provisions and Quince. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new.jpg\" alt=\"The open kitchen \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128316\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The open kitchen \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The other seating is along a brick-exposed wall with tables placed between two long, tufted turquoise couches and stylish leather seats. All in all, the dining room can seat 34 guests. The street level space is book-ended by a pair of gorgeous design components — a salon-like sitting area by the telephone booth-evoking glass-enclosed entrance and a windy staircase to the private dining areas (and the meat) in the rear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase to downstairs dining area, exposed meat cooler and kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128305\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Staircase to downstairs dining area, exposed meat cooler and kitchen \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128301\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new.jpg\" alt=\"Downstairs dining area\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128301\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downstairs dining area \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1.jpg\" alt=\"The downstairs kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128365\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The downstairs kitchen \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s also give a big shout out to the details in the design, like the handsome plateware that is the result of a collaboration between Bleidorn and a Korean ceramics maker who specializes in ancient pottery. The plates and glassware are seriously beautiful creations. Also, don’t miss the bubble lamps dangling from the ceiling that provide diners with limited lighting and elevate the romance factor significantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128409\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new.jpg\" alt=\"Glassware on display at Birdsong.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128409\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glassware on display at Birdsong. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Finally, let’s talk about “the tempo” in this song. Things are indeed fast and furious in this neighborhood and the whole topic of SoMa/Mid-Market restaurants is definitely the elephant in the room. Birdsong’s predecessor in the space was AQ, a universally applauded casual yet high-end restaurant that closed unexpectedly at the beginning of 2017. AQ was a pretty profound concept, changing its menu and décor in tune with the changing seasons quarterly. It really took “seasonal cooking” more seriously than practically any other restaurant in the country. Seasons were a literal theme. It worked in the early years and was a sign that things were changing in a neighborhood better known for homeless and drugs. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you spend much time in San Francisco, you’re aware how clearly that latter duo hasn’t changed much, even if politicians want you to think they have. Less than two years ago, AQ’s owners had three restaurants in this area (Fenix was two doors away from AQ and Bon Marché was in the Twitter Building). All three closed despite positive critical responses and general public reviews. Other promising restaurants like Oro, Volta and Cadence (this writer liked it, at least) closed shortly after opening during the same 2015-2016 time frame. AQ pointed to rising costs and customers unwilling to pay them as the reason the restaurant closed. It’s hard to imagine the neighborhood didn’t play a part in at least some, if not all of these closures. Even former Mayor Willie Brown wrote about how a homeless person harassed him outside AQ prior to a dinner there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, alas, times change. The building boom in this area is hard not to notice. Birdsong has some great daytime next door neighbors with The Board (sandwiches/breakfast) and Saint Frank Coffee. Things are looking up in the neighborhood and Birdsong’s arrival will hopefully continue this new trend of optimism. You can hear the birds chirping on Mission Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new.jpg\" alt=\"Birdsong exterior\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128330\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Birdsong exterior \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.birdsongsf.com/\">\u003cstrong>Birdsong\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Birdsong/@37.7793932,-122.4125847,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808580837c6f0b4f:0x8b8b97cdd11ec11c!8m2!3d37.779389!4d-122.410396\">1085 Mission Street\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nSan Francisco, CA 94103\u003cbr>\nPh: (415) 369-9161\u003cbr>\nHours: Dinner Tuesday-Thursday, 5pm-8:30pm; Friday-Saturday, 5pm-9:30pm\u003cbr>\nFacebook: \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Birdsong-SF-367695363752308/\">Birdsong\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nInstagram: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/birdsong_sf/?hl=en\">@Birdsong_sf\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nPrice Range: $$$$\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Husband-and-wife couple Chris Bleidorn and Aarti Shetty make their ambitious debut as restaurant owners — with hints of the serene Pacific Northwest — in a stunning SoMa dining room at Birdsong.",
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"description": "Husband-and-wife couple Chris Bleidorn and Aarti Shetty make their ambitious debut as restaurant owners — with hints of the serene Pacific Northwest — in a stunning SoMa dining room at Birdsong.",
"title": "Birdsong Provides a Fine Dining High Note for SoMa | KQED",
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"headline": "Birdsong Provides a Fine Dining High Note for SoMa",
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"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/trevorfelch\">Trevor Felch\u003c/a> (writer), \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/wendy-goodfriend\">Wendy Goodfriend\u003c/a> (photos/video)",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Husband-and-wife couple Chris Bleidorn and Aarti Shetty make their ambitious debut as restaurant owners — with hints of the serene Pacific Northwest — in a stunning SoMa dining room at Birdsong\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like the structure of a great song, there are all sorts of compelling supporting components that let the journey ebb and flow then crescendo towards the all-important main chorus at SoMa’s high-end seasonal California meets Pacific Northwest newcomer, Birdsong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu (the lyrics) is somewhat inspired by our neighbors to the north along the Pacific Coast, somewhat inspired by our local terroir, and heavily inspired by the chef’s highly impressive World’s 50 Best and Michelin star-filled fine dining background.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new.jpg\" alt=\"The menu\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128339\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_1025-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The menu \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is springing for a duel tasting menu and à la carte format (the rhythm) that can be pulled off, but sure is daunting for the kitchen to do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The breathtakingly gorgeous space (the background harmonies) could be a living room set-up for a cover spread in a chic magazine like Monocle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new.jpg\" alt=\"The entryway to Birdsong\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128359\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6144-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The entryway to Birdsong \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128326\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new.jpg\" alt=\"Birdsong interior space with open kitchen and counter areas\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128326\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6197-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Birdsong interior space with open kitchen and counter areas \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Mid-Market/SoMa border location at this particular place and time (the tempo) in San Francisco is pretty much front and center for everything that is being debated by this year’s mayoral candidates, and has a history of being unfriendly to friendly restaurants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And all of these storylines build towards the chorus — the heart of why Birdsong has been one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the city for months and is here for diners to venture to Mission Street to experience firsthand. No, Birdsong isn’t about tail-to-beak whole poultry cooking, a Grateful Dead song, a mid-20th century British novel, or somebody’s deep involvement with the Audubon Society. Birdsong is a pleasant reference to the beauty of nature and how birds help ecosystems grow and stay healthy, setting a mentality for diners as they step into a restaurant that wants to slow down cooking and bring it back to its roaring fire and pristine ingredients past. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That background sets the stage for the true reason (the chorus) of why Birdsong is a pivotal restaurant for the Bay Area and national restaurant watchers to know about: it’s the solo debut of one of the (or possibly THE) most under-the-radar, ready for the bright lights chefs in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Chris Bleidorn in the downstairs meat locker.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128338\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0979-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Chris Bleidorn in the downstairs meat locker. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chances are you don’t know Chris Bleidorn. But it’s very likely you know a lot of the stops on his resume. Alinea. Benu. Saison. Atelier Crenn. Johnson and Wales. This isn’t meant to be a LinkedIn entry for the chef but it’s vital to mention this because Bleidorn clearly has the background to make an impact straight out of the gates with Birdsong. It’s the culinary equivalent of a B.A. at Stanford, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a Ph.D from Harvard. He’s ready for prime time and the Bay Area’s dining scene is ready for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn is opening with a preview eight-course, $135 tasting menu. Soon, that will expand to 12-13 courses for $168 plus à la carte options. The à la carte dishes will be configured differently and there will be little to no overlap (unlike at another newcomer trying the same thing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/127083/pop-up-to-permanent-sorrel-hits-prime-time-with-a-full-time-presidio-heights-home\">Sorrel\u003c/a>). As Bleidorn told us, tasting menu dishes are smaller and need to be “impactful” and “the first sip [or] the first bite needs to resonate.” À la carte dishes have to be stretched out more and not go for an immediate “punch.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out what those à la carte dishes look like. For now, though, we definitely have a good sense of his cooking style that shows subtle influences from his prior stints at those aforementioned influential kitchens but really has its own distinct, gentle voice. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn currently leads off with a series of snacks that definitely give that impactful punch in one-to-two bites. First comes a ceviche-like edible still-life of tiny Pacific scallop from Washington state with its own salted liver, nestled into a glass dish with apricot vinegar, Douglas fir oil and ice plant.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/1GnkB7ecwS4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1GnkB7ecwS4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new.jpg\" alt=\"Pacific scallops, salted liver, apricot vinegar, ice plant\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128352\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0779-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pacific scallops, salted liver, apricot vinegar, ice plant \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then diners move onto what is sure to be a menu staple for it elegantly abstract take on a pub grub classic: fish and chips. There are no mushy peas here nor is there greasy batter-fried fish. Instead, imagine if Jiro the celebrated Tokyo sushi chef did a pop-up in Dublin. A glistening slab of halibut is served atop a puffy pomme soufflé (similar to the gol guppa street snacks of India) with tartar sauce. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128350\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new.jpg\" alt=\"Fish & chips\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128350\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0801-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fish & chips \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>More and more tasting menu destinations are becoming fans of taking a common central ingredient and presenting several diminutive bites that show that ingredient in completely different versions. Matthew Kammerer, another former Saison chef and now Executive Chef at the spectacular Harbor House Inn in Elk (Mendocino County) takes this to another level by providing preview canapés made of the meal’s featured produce before diners even officially start the meal. Bleidorn doesn’t quite go that far but he does serve a trio of creek-raised trout tastes served simultaneously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128347\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new.jpg\" alt=\"A trio of creek-raised trout tastes served simultaneously.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128347\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0861-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A trio of creek-raised trout tastes served simultaneously. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cured trout is warmed and smoked in cedar, and hidden in a cedar package for serving at the table with a Douglas fir branch flourish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new.jpg\" alt=\"Creek raised trout - cured, smoked, and warmed in cedar\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128349\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0817-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creek raised trout - cured, smoked, and warmed in cedar \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Trout roe comes as a sandwich with a mayonnaise-like creation accented by sour grasses and horseradish. What’s the bread for this two-bite spicy-briny flavor rush? You got it — crispy trout skin.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/TGEwhg1I6-c'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/TGEwhg1I6-c'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new.jpg\" alt=\"Creek raised trout - sandwich\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128332\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0807-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creek raised trout - sandwich \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The trout treats trio concludes with an ensemble of belly meat scraped off the bones, a custard then made from the dried trout bones, and salted mustard leaves and stems. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new.jpg\" alt=\"Creek raised trout - custard\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128334\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0843-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creek raised trout - custard \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Is that enough trout for you? We haven’t seen the eyes, tail or cheeks used yet, but we’re not doubting that those are on the horizon to fully utilize the fish as is so central to Birdsong’s mission. Chef de cuisine Brian Limoges (previously at Quince and Atelier Crenn) showed us how to cut into one of the large trout they had just received and admitted that they’re still figuring out a way to use the fish’s guts. Hey, maybe it will turn out to be a delicacy and be an aquatic version of sweetbreads?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128342\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chef de cuisine Brian Limoges prepping a large trout\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128342\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-160x213.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-1180x1573.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-240x320.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-375x500.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0988-new-520x693.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef de cuisine Brian Limoges prepping a large trout \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The water motif continues in the next course with Washington state geoduck clams joined by lardo, celery and smoked potatoes in a bowl, then tied together by a complex clam and buttermilk whey broth poured tableside. If this sounds like an abstract San Juan Islands clam chowder, you’re not imagining things. Bleidorn is from Hingham, Massachusetts (along the Atlantic between Boston and Plymouth) and this dish is obviously a nod to his home state. And, if you’re wondering, yes he is still a passionate fan of the Red Sox and Patriots — Boston teams and a love of chowdah never leave New England natives even when they’re on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128310\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new.jpg\" alt=\"Giant clam, buttermilk whey, pork fat\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128310\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6028-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Giant clam, buttermilk whey, pork fat \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cedar, halibut, geoduck clams...are you sensing a theme? It probably doesn’t occur to you at first because Bleidorn doesn’t hit diners over the head with a relentless focus on the Alaska-Oregon-Washington-British Columbia theme. Much of the pre-opening press has centered on Birdsong being a “Pacific Northwest” restaurant, which is semi-correct and semi-incorrect. The Bay Area has only seen one Pacific Northwest cuisine in recent memory, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/eatup/article/Cafe-Eugene-puts-Pacific-Northwest-on-the-menu-7257818.php\">Café Eugene\u003c/a> in Albany. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It lasted two years and never really found its stride being “Pacific Northwest” focused. Though we see New England, Southern, Texan and New York-inspired restaurants open all the time, Bay Area diners seemed puzzled by a Pacific Northwest concept in the East Bay — despite the fact that some of the best restaurants and raw ingredients in the country can be found in Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and across that rain and forest-filled region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn didn’t choose the Pacific Northwest for the sake of being different or because he absolutely loves watching “Portlandia” or climbing Mount Rainier. He didn’t do a lot of on-the-ground research other than a few days of tasting around Alaska. To him, the region is “The New England of the West Coast” in terms of an unwavering respect for seasonal ingredients (we’re pretty sure that’s the definition of Californian cuisine, right?) and a magnificent terrain composed of breathtaking mountains, streams, oceans and forests. After all, both regions have a Portland. We could go on all day about geoduck clams and Ipswich clams; Bend and Sugarloaf; Seahawks and Patriots; Mount Rainier and Mount Washington; Alaskan halibut and Maine lobster; and whether these comparisons are truly similar or different. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Bleindorn really means by their similarity, beyond being northern corners of the country, is that both have a strong sense of place and they do indeed have a lot of shared natural traits. Both areas can be considered the New World equivalent of Scandinavia — austere in winter, magnificent in summer, but always home to a dramatic natural ecosystem that leans heavily towards the sea and mist-filled forests. So, Wisconsin doesn’t fit here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We shouldn’t feel compelled to put strict labels on any talented chef’s cuisine but the best way to think of what Bleidorn is doing is “West Coast” because we are in California, after all, and something like “rustic, nature-minded and advanced technique” because you can see the high-level methods that Alinea and Benu might incorporate into plates but there’s also a low and slow, whole animal and produce mindset that is a trend stemming from a range of concepts from Chez Panisse to Texas BBQ to New England clambakes. Outside of Saison and now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/126767/avery-opens-on-fillmore-as-sfs-next-elaborate-tasting-menu-destination\">Avery\u003c/a>, we haven’t seen much of that rugged “rustic and nature-minded” mentality creep into the intricate tasting menu sphere. Add Birdsong to that burgeoning group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdsong uses big “once upon a time” buzzwords like “ancient cooking” and “heritage cooking” to describe this not very describable cuisine. Those terms make Birdsong sound like the restaurant is cooking wooly mammoth over driftwood with a backdrop of enormous glaciers. The most apt description comes from a quote by nature writer Michael Frome that Bleidorn likes to refer to: “Each succeeding generation accepts less and less of the real thing because it has no way of understanding what has been lost.” This is true in the history of food and across the board for society whether you want to rail about dating apps, smart phones, Teslas, chain stores, and pretty much everything Silicon Valley is trying to disrupt in every cultural space. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bleidorn, the key is “to slow down the watered down approach” that has crept into the kitchen and much of life. But, he’ll also point out that it’s not the fault of chefs — this is how society evolves. It’s just that evolution can strip away the in-depth flavor of fantastic ingredients provided without touch by nature centuries ago. He’s correct about that. It’s virtually impossible to recapture that but it’s possible to take away some of that evolution and gimmicky technology.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/wtyul09ulfw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/wtyul09ulfw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Look at the vast, shimmering open kitchen (too open in Bleidorn’s opinion but that can’t be changed with the space’s design) of Birdsong and diners will see that this dining experience really is all about a pristine, transparent style of cooking that keeps modernism outside on Mission Street. The Chef-Partner and his determined crew of chefs strive for a powerful tasting menu without relying on the tech-enhanced wow factor of foams, gels and basically anything that El Bulli or Nathan Myhrvold’s Modernist Cuisine would preach. There is the same punch after punch across the tasting menu but in a more soft-spoken, birds chirping manner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing morel mushrooms\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2880\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128308\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6002-new-520x780.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stuffing morel mushrooms \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The next dish incorporates a Pacific Northwest staple, morel mushrooms, and stuffs them with spring lamb, then teams the morels with a sauce made of alliums and charcoal that is partially “ancient” campfire and partially Soul Cycle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new.jpg\" alt=\"Morel mushroom, Sonoma lamb, green almonds, allium charcoal sauce\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128344\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0933-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morel mushroom, Sonoma lamb, green almonds, allium charcoal sauce \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bleidorn’s final savory course in the preview menu centers on wild boar two-ways. One comes with grilled brassicas, grains, dried fruit and cultured broth. The other is BBQ-inspired with elderberries (another very Pacific Northwest ingredient), ramps and pine needle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As much as we’ve harped on the streams and oceans influencing Birdsong — if you just looked at the downstairs meat locker next to the restaurant’s two below ground private dining rooms, you would think that this is a carnivore’s paradise à la Alfred’s or House of Prime Rib. Bleidorn is fanatical about sourcing whole, grass-fed animals and actually prefers older, leaner ones — the opposite of most chefs. He could talk all day about the buffalo, lamb, mutton and duck hanging in the chilly room. It’s a fascinating philosophy for a meat program and equally interesting to look at. Let’s just say you know a restaurant cares about its glassed-in meat room when there are custom teal tiles in it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128398\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Chris Bleidorn talks about the various cuts of meat in the glassed-in meat cooler.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128398\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0766-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Chris Bleidorn talks about the various cuts of meat in the glassed-in meat cooler. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dessert presently is caramelized bread custard with jasmine and toasted milk. Make sure to keep an eye on this finale and the desserts in the future at Birdsong because Bleidorn wasn’t just a sous chef star on the savory side. Indeed, after graduating from Johnson and Whales, the esteemed culinary institution in Rhode Island, he spent five years as a sous chef at Nine-Ten in La Jolla (a rare example of a great restaurant in a seaside resort in a touristy town) and served as a chef de partie for the vaunted Alinea in Chicago. But then from 2010-2013, Bleidorn was the pastry chef for Corey Lee at Benu. Afterwards, he swapped pastries for savory again as Atelier Crenn’s Chef de Cuisine and then as a chef at Saison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was at Benu where Bleidorn met Aarti Shetty, a UC Berkeley Haas School of Business graduate and former healthcare industry analyst who pulled a career 180 and shifted gears to become Director of Operations for Corey Lee’s restaurants (Benu, In Situ, Monsieur Benjamin). She is a Partner for Birdsong...and also Bleidorn’s life partner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The management team also includes Bianca Ishikawa (Gary Danko) as Service Manager and Freddy Foot (also from Gary Danko) as Head Sommelier. While the food definitely has a little-to-medium amount of the Pacific Northwest theme going on, the region’s voice is really emphasized by Foot’s beverage list. Oregon’s highly regarded Crux and Pelican breweries are part of the beers on tap. Several Willamette Valley, Oregon wineries (Stoller, J Christopher, etc…) and Columbia Valley, Washington labels (Januik, Gramercy) appear on the by-the-glass and bottle lists. Without question, this is the most Oregon-Washington wine friendly program in the city, but that’s also not saying much because there really isn’t any competition. Take this as a great opportunity to study a completely different terroir and style of wine than you’ll find in California. Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, are nothing like their counterparts in Sonoma and Napa respectively. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdsong’s design by the Los Angeles and Washington D.C.-based SAINT firm is meant to feel homey and does indeed have the sought-after “hygge” (a snug, comforting feeling) feel of Scandinavia. However, it also is one heck of an elaborate, fairy tale living room and kitchen, just like how Bar Crenn is supposedly “a living room” but not like any real living room you’ve been to in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new.jpg\" alt=\"Birdsong upstairs interior\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128325\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6196-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Birdsong upstairs interior \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With tall ceilings and lots of windows, the space has a free, airy feel and no shortage of sunlight. A stack of wood by the front window allows additional natural light in but blocks out the “scenery” of Mission Street outside. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new.jpg\" alt=\"The front area of Birdsong with display of glassware\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128362\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5717-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The front area of Birdsong with display of glassware \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As you’d expect in a restaurant that looks towards the forest, wood plays a huge part everywhere. Table tops are made of ash and floors come courtesy of Douglas firs. A 10-seat chef’s counter has jagged ends to its expansive wooden block and exposed bark that make the table look as if wind and rain shaped it. Not only is it the most visually intriguing table in the house, it’s also the best seat in the house, looking straight into the kitchen like you might at a sushi bar. That open kitchen and its hearth are indeed the room’s focal point, designed by industry rock star Alec Bauer, who is also responsible for many of San Francisco’s most gorgeous kitchens like State Bird Provisions and Quince. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new.jpg\" alt=\"The open kitchen \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128316\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6106-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The open kitchen \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The other seating is along a brick-exposed wall with tables placed between two long, tufted turquoise couches and stylish leather seats. All in all, the dining room can seat 34 guests. The street level space is book-ended by a pair of gorgeous design components — a salon-like sitting area by the telephone booth-evoking glass-enclosed entrance and a windy staircase to the private dining areas (and the meat) in the rear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase to downstairs dining area, exposed meat cooler and kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128305\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5954-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Staircase to downstairs dining area, exposed meat cooler and kitchen \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128301\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new.jpg\" alt=\"Downstairs dining area\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128301\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5906-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downstairs dining area \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1.jpg\" alt=\"The downstairs kitchen\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128365\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_5919-new-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The downstairs kitchen \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s also give a big shout out to the details in the design, like the handsome plateware that is the result of a collaboration between Bleidorn and a Korean ceramics maker who specializes in ancient pottery. The plates and glassware are seriously beautiful creations. Also, don’t miss the bubble lamps dangling from the ceiling that provide diners with limited lighting and elevate the romance factor significantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128409\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new.jpg\" alt=\"Glassware on display at Birdsong.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128409\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_6093-new-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Glassware on display at Birdsong. \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Finally, let’s talk about “the tempo” in this song. Things are indeed fast and furious in this neighborhood and the whole topic of SoMa/Mid-Market restaurants is definitely the elephant in the room. Birdsong’s predecessor in the space was AQ, a universally applauded casual yet high-end restaurant that closed unexpectedly at the beginning of 2017. AQ was a pretty profound concept, changing its menu and décor in tune with the changing seasons quarterly. It really took “seasonal cooking” more seriously than practically any other restaurant in the country. Seasons were a literal theme. It worked in the early years and was a sign that things were changing in a neighborhood better known for homeless and drugs. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you spend much time in San Francisco, you’re aware how clearly that latter duo hasn’t changed much, even if politicians want you to think they have. Less than two years ago, AQ’s owners had three restaurants in this area (Fenix was two doors away from AQ and Bon Marché was in the Twitter Building). All three closed despite positive critical responses and general public reviews. Other promising restaurants like Oro, Volta and Cadence (this writer liked it, at least) closed shortly after opening during the same 2015-2016 time frame. AQ pointed to rising costs and customers unwilling to pay them as the reason the restaurant closed. It’s hard to imagine the neighborhood didn’t play a part in at least some, if not all of these closures. Even former Mayor Willie Brown wrote about how a homeless person harassed him outside AQ prior to a dinner there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, alas, times change. The building boom in this area is hard not to notice. Birdsong has some great daytime next door neighbors with The Board (sandwiches/breakfast) and Saint Frank Coffee. Things are looking up in the neighborhood and Birdsong’s arrival will hopefully continue this new trend of optimism. You can hear the birds chirping on Mission Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_128330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new.jpg\" alt=\"Birdsong exterior\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128330\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-768x576.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/24/2018/05/IMG_0728-new-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Birdsong exterior \u003ccite>(Wendy Goodfriend)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.birdsongsf.com/\">\u003cstrong>Birdsong\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Birdsong/@37.7793932,-122.4125847,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808580837c6f0b4f:0x8b8b97cdd11ec11c!8m2!3d37.779389!4d-122.410396\">1085 Mission Street\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nSan Francisco, CA 94103\u003cbr>\nPh: (415) 369-9161\u003cbr>\nHours: Dinner Tuesday-Thursday, 5pm-8:30pm; Friday-Saturday, 5pm-9:30pm\u003cbr>\nFacebook: \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Birdsong-SF-367695363752308/\">Birdsong\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nInstagram: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/birdsong_sf/?hl=en\">@Birdsong_sf\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\nPrice Range: $$$$\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"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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"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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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"radiolab": {
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},
"rightnowish": {
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"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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