2024 Northern and Central California Food News and Journalism [SF Bay Area, Northern California, Central California, Northern Nevada]

Great to hear:

San Jose’s first and only restaurant to gain a Michelin star is making a surprising comeback after closing last year. Adega, the Portuguese tasting menu restaurant, will reopen Nov. 15, 2024 at its original home at 1614 Alum Rock Ave., SJose The restaurant closed Dec. 2023, and owners Carlos and Fernanda Carreira planned to replace it with a second location of their more casual Portuguese-style tapas bar Petiscos in downtown SJose. They put up new signage and rearranged the dining room. But they were soon flooded with demand for Adega’s return.

  • Reported by SF Chronicle, 22Oct2024
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Any chef who acknowledges “A lot of what I learned in France was techniques, attention to detail, the respect for ingredients and sourcing the best stuff you can” [owner/chef Lance Ebert] is my kind of chef. In a nutshell, that’s what great cooking is all about.

Historic Calif. road trip spot is now a temple to Michelin-cred burgers. The new-ish restaurant Emerald Mallard has Michelin cred and ‘The Cannoli God of Santa Cruz’: https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/felton-cremer-house-smash-burgers-19839042.php. 6256 Ca Hwy 9. Felton, CA. Website: https://emeraldmallard.com/

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from SF Chronicle includes 5-minute video -

San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critics went back to school to review the two kinds of school lunches served in San Francisco Unified School District cafeterias: Prepackaged meals from Revolution Foods and Refresh meals assembled on-site. Proposition A on the November ballot would fund more assembly kitchens in schools and a central kitchen, where school meals would be made from scratch.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/sf-school-lunch-cafeteria-19795655.php

What’s at stake? If the food is gross, students don’t eat it. With two-thirds of SFUSD students depending on daily breakfasts and lunches for their nutritional needs, the quality, tastiness and, dare we say, presentation of the food matters. It’s no easy task: All school meals must abide by SFUSD nutrition standards, which meet or exceed federal and state guidelines, and the district has about $1.25 to spend for the food and milk per meal after labor and other costs, compared with about $2.50 per meal paid to Revolution Foods, which includes delivery. Since 2021, meals have been free to all 48,000 students regardless of family income.

So we, the Chronicle’s restaurant critics, grabbed our Jansport backpacks, put on our cleanest pairs of sneakers and went back to school, where we sampled the two options and weighed in with our own extremely professional opinions.

Lunch at Gum Kuo at 388 9th Street in Oakland Chinatown featuring sliced cuttlefish and fried pumpkin -

The cuttlefish was firm but not chewy without much of the usual amount of orange coloring. The pumpkin strips were dipped in batter and fried before becoming too crispy.

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West Oakland’s hidden gourmet gem – Only through word of mouth have people discovered the tiny fine dining restaurant hiding in this unsuspecting place. Chefs Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu opened Sun Moon Studio this summer at 1940 Union St., with just four tables and one employee. The chefs’ pedigrees include Michelin-starred restaurants Benu in SF and Per Se in NYC; they also opened the well-regarded Pomet/Oakland. Sun Moon Studio has managed to fly under the radar, a rarity in the food-obsessed Bay Area. Like Michael Warring/Vallejo, there is no sign; only discreet white lettering painted on the narrow front door. To reserve a seat at one of their 12-course tasting menus, you must email the owners, who keep track of bookings in a spreadsheet.

  • from SF Chronicle, 28Oct2024
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Dragon Gate Taiwanese reopens at 1 Franklin in Jack London Sq at former Kinkaid’s

Butternut Squash Quesadillas

By Edible East Bay | November 12, 2024

Taishan Cuisine is open 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5 p.m.–3 a.m. daily at 781 Broadway in San Francisco.

SF Restaurant Week Nov 8 through Nov 17 2024 -

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Hoping this is not political.

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From. “Did You Eat Yet?”

Highlights of Vietnamese food in San Jose -

Restaurants/Businesses Highlighted:
• Leung Noodle
• Thien Long
• HUE
• Bo Ne Phu Yen
• Bánh Cuôn Bún Mộc Ông Ta
• CA Bakehouse
• Duc Huong
• Hot Boi Chili Oil

Late night noodles and karaoke in SSF with Luke and Raynato -

Singaporean specialties from the food court in the SF Metreon -

A rising star chef puts down roots in a downtown food court https://sfstandard.com/2024/11/14/dabao-singapore-restaurant-metreon/?utm_source=native_share&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons

Make your nominations for the Best in the East Bay -

From SFGATE -

At Merchant Roots, one of the most immersive fine dining restaurants in San Francisco, it takes nine months and 140 big and small details to pull off just one of the restaurant’s thematic, seasonal menus. The current “Color Theory” is a monochromatic, 11-course sensory ride that delves into the emotion, science and even the politics behind colors.

https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/merchant-roots-restaurant-sf-19890099.php

East Bay Express -

New focacceria in Walnut Creek

SF Chronicle -

New restaurants for renovated Transamerica Pyramid

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/cafe-sebastian-transamerica-pyramid-sf-19824147.php

Fisherman’s Life -

20 lb lingcod, starting at 19:32 mark, and Dungeness crab out of Half Moon Bay

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from KQED.org - free pho

Phở for the People will take place on Monday, Nov. 25, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (or as long as supplies last) at Monster Phở (360 40th St., Oakland). Monster Phở will be collecting toys through the end of November. To nominate a child to receive presents during the restaurant’s Christmas event, on Dec. 15, email care@monsterpho.com or send the restaurant an* Instagram DM

from Oaklandside/Berkeleyside -

from SF Standard -

Omnivore Books in SF:

from Edible East Bay -

K Ruby’s 25th Annual Winter Open House: Dec 14 & 15 in Berkeley

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from NBC Bay Area -

A steady caravan of adult salmon have begun traversing the waters above where the Klamath River dams stood — the first returning fish to visit the newly liberated waters in more than a century. Joe Rosato Jr. reports.

from MacKenzie in the SF Chron -

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/mashaallah-halal-pakistani-food-19829767.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL2Zvb2QvcmVzdGF1cmFudHMvYXJ0aWNsZS9tYXNoYWFsbGFoLWhhbGFsLXBha2lzdGFuaS1mb29kLTE5ODI5NzY3LnBocA%3D%3D&time=MTczMjM0NDE1MTI1MQ%3D%3D&rid=NGU0MDA0NGYtYjVmMi00NTYxLTgwZTEtNjRhMGMzNGFlNjJi&sharecount=MQ%3D%3D

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/mashaallah-halal-pakistani-food-19829767.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL2Zvb2QvcmVzdGF1cmFudHMvYXJ0aWNsZS9tYXNoYWFsbGFoLWhhbGFsLXBha2lzdGFuaS1mb29kLTE5ODI5NzY3LnBocA%3D%3D&time=MTczMjM0NDE1MTI1MQ%3D%3D&rid=NGU0MDA0NGYtYjVmMi00NTYxLTgwZTEtNjRhMGMzNGFlNjJi&sharecount=MQ%3D%3D


The steam-roasted lamb shank is served with biryani rice — not your typical mall food.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant

845 Market St., Space 4, San Francisco. mashallah-halal-food.com

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I went to Omnivore Books for the first time a couple of months ago and couldn’t believe how small it is.

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https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/oakland-restaurant-best-in-us-closing-19932404.php

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Kon Tiki in Oakland is closing
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/oakland-tiki-bar-announces-closure-19979000.php

From their Instagram - like someone telling off their boss when they quit!

“Rumors are true folx. Twice in a gotdamn 18 month span. Yes, it’s personally devastating so comments are OFF because you can keep your idiot opinions to yourself.
Why close? Because we have just been Super Fucking Slow. And we can’t pay anything because we’re broke as a joke. We tried to hold on but just can’t in this, the winter of civilization. We had a good run. Had some great people work here; and some real boneheads too. But will I miss this? Absolutely 100% not. It has been an awful, unforgiving job running this place in this town. The shit piles on without respite or relief. Every day running a small business in Oakland (or probably in any depressed major metropolitan downtown) is a living nightmare. Break ins, police indifference, bureaucratic ineptitude greed inaction and just plum meanness, the leeches this industry has produced pulling every cent they can out of us for “services” and fees, stupid sign and training mandates which don’t protect the public or the workers but line pockets in well lobbied industries, the list goes on and on and on. There are more reasons not to do this than to keep doing it. Guys, don’t do this unless you are already rich. Because it really really sucks. You work your ass off just so Karen M on Yelp can tell you she wishes you’d close because a server forgot her mayo. Fuck This. You have two weeks to enjoy what should have been an institution. Don’t ask our staff about it, they don’t owe you a goddamn thing. Don’t ask to buy our decorations and shit, it’s rude. We will announce an official carcass picking if it’s going to happen. Come in and be nice because if you aren’t, you’ll get kicked out because we don’t care anymore what you think. We are losing our jobs. So if service isn’t on point and things take too long or you have to wait for a table, that’s just too fucking bad. It’s been a mostly rotten 7 years with some good shit. Thanks everyone, WE’LL SEE YOU IN HELL!”

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Sad, funny, true and honest

Luke’s top 10 dishes in 2024 -

Michael D Lim on YouTube -

“… early lunch at Original Joe’s in Westlake. Experience with me the delicious Italian American food, great atmosphere, and wonderful staff. As I ate the classic dishes like Fried Calamari, Chicken Parmigiana, Steak Ala Bruno, and the Joe’s Burger.”

Openings in the East Bay from Oaklandside Nosh -

Tanzie’s dishes from Chiang Mai, Thailand are unknown to most U.S. Thai food aficionados -

Tanzie’s Cafe

1453 Dwight Way, Berkeley; www.tanziescafe.com

Breakfast served Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner served Thursday through Sunday, 5-9 p.m.

Tussanaprasit singled out some dishes which are the favorites at her parents’ restaurant, including the ap ong aw, pork brain and custard grilled in a banana leaf.

“Americans might be scared to eat pork brain, but if you try it, with the first bite, you’re going to love it,” she promised.

While I was indeed hesitant, I was surprised by how easy it was to eat. Probably our favorite of what we tried was the tom khanoon, stir-fried jackfruit with curry paste, ground pork and tomato, served with crispy pork rinds, crispy garlic, cilantro and makrut lime leaves. My husband declared it positively “addictive,” right up there with the beef cheeks, which he also couldn’t stop eating.

Tanzie’s nam prik trio includes various salad and endive leaves with veggies for dipping into three different sauces. Credit: Alix Wall

Edalatpour in the East Bay Express writes about Hawaiian in Alameda -

Kadvany in the SF Chronicle - Giant Korean food complex to open next year in Serramonte Center Daly City next year.

A massive Korean food complex unlike anything in the Bay Area is gearing up to open in the new year.

Jagalchi will bring 75,000 square feet of groceries, a restaurant, bakery, seafood market, butcher, two bars, prepared foods and more to Daly City’s Serramonte Center in February. People will be able to watch chefs grill meats over charcoal at Jagalchi’s restaurant or sip drinks made with specialty Korean liquors at a cocktail bar. Afterward, they can peruse shelves stocked with marinated meats, house-made kimchi, Korean sauces and produce imported from Korea.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/jagalchi-korean-daly-city-19974186.php

The Filipino American Experience in the Bay - My Bay Area | Did You Eat Yet?

Restaurants/Businesses Highlighted:
• Tselogs
• Fil-Am Cuisine
• Chibog
• More in Daly City
• Toppings Too
• More in Union City
• Eats By E
• Senor Sisig
• Lucky 3 Seven
• Abaca

from Edible East Bay -

Fiction, Memoir, and a Kids’ Book on our 2024 Bookshelf

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I am so sorry and sad to hear of this corruption of the food scene in my old Oaktown. Peace be with you.

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from Oaklandside Nosh -

21 East Bay restaurants serving special holiday meals, deals and desserts

Mi Casa Grill’s holiday menu includes mole poblano tamales.
Credit: Mi Casa Grill

Mi Casa Grill: 12056 San Pablo Ave. (at MacDonald Avenue), Richmond; micasagrillrestaurant.com

Mi Casa is next to the Richmond, CA Grocery Outlet.

Huang Que Pho Ga , an Oakland Vietnamese restaurant specializing in chicken pho which closed earlier this year, has reopened in San Leandro. It had been on 7th Avenue between 12th Street and International Blvd. for decades, maybe even as far back as 1996.

Here’s Jonathan Kauffman’s review of Huong Que from 2004 which appeared in the East Bay Express:

https://eastbayexpress.com/where-fowl-is-fair-1/

But Huong Que doesn’t even do beef pho. The base of its standard chicken pho is a golden, Tahoe-clear broth, its limpid succulence enhanced by the sweetness of long-braised onions. To that the kitchen adds fat, slippery rice noodles, and your choice of wings, breasts, thighs, intestines, or just about any combination thereof. You can order the meat whole or boned and shredded. In fact, the menu warns, if you order the chicken with bones, pay attention — the restaurant is not responsible for choking.

Huong Que recently reopened at

2050 Lewelling Blvd
San Leandro, CA 94579
Sunnyhaven St & Calgary St

Here’s Michael D. Lim’s recent visit to their new site:

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Luke:

Kaitlyn Bui catches crab on Ocean Beach in SF and gets millions of views on TikTok

From SF Standard -

Edible East Bay -

Flowerland Winter Market
Dec 21 and 22
1330 Solano
Albany CA.

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California Crab Season (south of Mendocino/Sonoma) starts Jan. 5.
Yahoo!:crab:

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