https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/san-francisco-larraburu-sourdough-mystery-17474033.php
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Joanna Della Penna in Berkeleyside/Oaklandside
Excerpt from Broke-Ass Stuart on Li Po in SFGATE -
Possibly the most famous thing about Li Po Lounge is its Chinese Mai Tai, a potent cocktail created by current owner Kenneth Lee (he’s not related to Vincent). It’s made up of pineapple juice, three kinds of rum and some kind of “Chinese Liqueur”. While it was well known locally for years, it became world-renowned when Anthony Bourdain got shickered on it during the SF episode of his 2012 show “The Layover.” I, for one, don’t touch it anymore because it’s given me wicked hangovers, but I’ve heard from multiple people that it also leads to long, deep, emotional talks. My wife and her grandma definitely once had a drinking-and-crying session over a few of the drinks.
The intricate decor of the Li Po Cocktail Lounge in Chinatown pops from every corner of the classic San Francisco bar, as seen on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.
Kevin Kelleher/Special to SFGATE
Li Po Lounge
916 Grant
San Francisco
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I wanted to try A Taste of Denmark whenever I was near there, but that particular area was a bit skeevy, especially under the overpass near Kaiser.
Frankly the fact Taste of Denmark survived the pandemic was pretty amazing. I went a few times during the pandemic. Those little cookies are great, tasty and rich so you could only had to eat a few….or form a real habit. Sad to see them go but life moves on.
Good food in gas stations and other unlikely places with Alan Chazaro and Luke Tsai with host Alexis Madrigal of KQED Forum. Also with Susana Guerrero, food reporter, SFGATE (audio, 55 minutes) -
from KQED radio -
In 2021, Khristian Rabut bought a gas station along Interstate 205 in Tracy. Instead of just offering customers the usual gas station fare, he and his wife Marie added a Filipino-themed ice cream shop and bakery. “It’s an unexpected but deliciously welcome surprise,” wrote KQED food writer Alan Chazaro about the gas station-creamery-bakery. He and KQED food editor Luke Tsai share a love of unusual places that serve up amazing dishes. In our next installment of All You Can Eat, our regular segment about Bay Area food cultures, we’ll discuss hidden food treasures. And we want to hear from you, what are some unlikely places where you found exceptional food?
Apple Podcast -
Places mentioned on the show -
Here’s a list of all the places mentioned on air today: Champion Smokehouse and Market in Oakland The Salad Bowl in Oakland
in San Jose
in Half Moon Bay The Hangry Planet in San Bruno Aloha Pure Water Shaved Ice in San Pablo
https://twitter.com/KQEDForum/status/1584937830937133056
jeff Edalatpour in the East Bay Express on Dumpling Time in West Berkeley -
Dumpling Time, open Mon to Fri 11am–9pm and Sat to Sun 10am–9pm. 1795 Fourth St., Berkeley. 510.984.0306. dumplingtime.com/berkeley
Joanna Della Penna in Berkeleyside/Oaklandside -
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I’ve mentioned Habibi’s Birriria in a Hayward gas station before: https://www.yelp.com/biz/habibis-birria-hayward. Just your everyday Mexican-Middle Eastern cross.
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The 99 Cents Only Store at 1941 San Pablo Ave near University Ave in West Berkeley is scheduled to close in November to make way for a 270-unit multi-use project. The Everett & Jones BBQ at that corner will also close.
After some digging and with some good luck, over the years I was able to find chocolate bars from Belgium, organic strawberries, organic tomatoes, all at about 1/2 price of any other store.
Over thirty years ago, it housed the Berkeley Grocery Outlet before it moved to the now-closed location on 4th Street near University Ave. After Grocery Outlet left 1941 San Pablo it became a Smart & Final grocery. Some of the current Oakland Grocery Outlet store employees did work at 1941 San Pablo.
The site at 1941 was originally a theatre built about 100 years ago and still upon entering, to your left, you can see the mezzanine.
99 Cents Only has about 400 stores in the U.S. and Dollar Tree, Dollar General, etc., probably have thousands.
German photographer Andreas Gursky created this famous image of a 99 Cents Only store in Los Angeles in 1999 and a version of it sold at auction for $2.25 million in 2006.
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That’s a bummer.
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Hmmm…I wonder if Everett and Jones disappears too?
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Yes, according to articles I’ve seen. That will be a big loss.
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Geez, that’s a shame. There’s two (?) other E&Js…but that one had character.
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Willow on the Green
1327b 9th Ave
San Francisco
Make this year’s Dia de los Muertos a little sweeter with ¡Hella Hungry!’s concha crawl! Join Alan Chazaro and Norte 54 owner Raquel Goldman as they cruise the Mission in search of the most flavorful pan dulce in town. Watch now:https://t.co/TbLufymWyk
— KQED Arts & Culture (@KQEDarts) November 1, 2022
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/california-dungeness-crab-season-delayed-17550524.php
Bummer…however this is like the 3rd season of delay? Just change the start date. Make it more a Christmas thing than Thanksgiving.
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Agree! I can’t remember the last time there were local crabs for Thanksgiving, Meanwhile lobsters at New England Lobster Co are between $7 - $10/lb right now, so just make that your Thanksgiving tradition and have crab at Christmas
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My copy of this year's Best American Food Writing anthology just came in the mail, and I am stoked to see not one, not two, but *three* KQED food stories receive recognition. 🥳 (thread) pic.twitter.com/To4GTUJFEM
— Luke Tsai (@theluketsai) November 2, 2022
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/best-new-restaurants-17550091.php
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Paolo Bicchieri in SF Eater on the mai tai at LiPo Lounge at 916 Grant Ave in SF Chinatown -
excerpt -
In a season of Bay Area trademark drama, it might not come as a surprise to learn a bar went ahead and trademarked the recipe and name of its most popular beverage. But, for what it’s worth, the history of the mai tai is already a hotly contested one. The Bay Area claims (probably correctly) that Trader Vic’s in Emeryville originated the sugary drink. Li Po’s rendition, though, is different — hence the name “Chinese” Mai Tai, explains manager Vincent Lee. According to random signage at the bar and documents related to the registered trademark, the infamously powerful punch contains both light and dark rum, pineapple juice, and “Chinese liqueur.” For $11, the liquid phenomenon is well-known and almost always the same: so sugary and pleasant, one doesn’t even notice how super drunk they’ve become before a second is even halfway gone.
Grant Avenue from Flower Drum Song - 1961 -
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