Aired on KQED on April 6
California farmers struggle.
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Apriil 10 - 19 SF Restaurant Week
SF Gate
Fungi Foods in Oakland
Cajun sandwich photo/Doug Zimmerman
Fungi Foods, 434 25th St., Oakland. Open Thursday through Sunday, 5-8:30 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday.
Excerpt:
Five years later, Stolz is celebrating the grand opening of Fungi Foods, his new Uptown Oakland restaurant dedicated to the humble, endlessly versatile mushroom. In the playful space, rainbow mushroom vases filled with wildflowers decorate the tables, and neon mushroom lights hang on the walls. Diners chomp into crispy fried maitake sandwiches and fried oyster mushroom-topped mashed potato bowls, all while golden afternoon light bathes the brick walls.
Mike Lim goes down Memory Lane at the Sizzler in Hayward.
Fisherman’s Life catching Lingcod from kayak.
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After major spike in rent, SF taqueria owners forced to sell their 65-year-old restaurant
A storied, 65-year-old San Francisco taqueria — one that lays claim to being the inventor of the super burrito, or Mission-style burrito — is up for sale after the landlord doubled the rent.
El Faro, at 2399 Folsom St. in San Francisco’s Mission District, is currently for sale, according to owners Raymunda Ramirez and Patrick Kocourek. The rent was recently raised from $3,250 to $7,500, according to Laura Kocourek, stepdaughter of owner Ramirez.
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Foraged Kimchi Tasting: cindydoedee x Volcano Kimchi
APR
19
Sun, Apr 19 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Volcano Kimchi HQ1074 Illinois St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Tickets: $25-$45, plus fees
Mustards Shout out by SDf Chronicle
Before Napa Valley became ‘Napa Valley,’ there was Cindy Pawlcyn “Napa Valley would not be the same without her.”
By Jess Lander, Staff Writer April 15, 2026
"In the early years, Pawlcyn ran Mustards while driving all over the Bay Area to open new restaurants for the Real Restaurants Group, including San Francisco’s Fog City Diner, Bix and Betelnut. At its height, she said she was overseeing seven restaurants. When Pawlcyn later decided to walk away from the partnership, she asked for just one thing: Mustards.
Mustards was the start of a groundswell of Napa Valley restaurants that serve refined comfort food in an approachable setting. One of the best examples of this was Italian star Tra Vigne, which Pawlcyn opened in St. Helena in 1987. She hired a young chef named Michael Chiarello to run the kitchen. “She brought that simplicity, then Michael executed it in Italian,” Gott said. "
I didn’t know that! 
Gift link
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FYI note: the article confirms that the other two El Faro locations in Concord and South SF will remain open, as they are owned by different branches of the founding family from the SF El Faro.
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The Oakland produce area in Jack London was once Oakland Japantown, before WWII.
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Jeffrey Edalatpour’s recent newsletter from EBX recommended a couple of wallet-friendly places. I have not tried either so this is just a PR repost, not a recommendation:
Dim Sum Best of Taste’s menu includes a modest yet familiar range of dumplings, wontons, spring rolls and buns. Supplemental specials are written in colorful chalk on a sandwich board. It’s one of several small takeaway spots randomly planted around Alameda. Dim Sum’s location is in the middle of a busier block on the part of Webster Street closer to Crown Beach (HO note: white awning but didn’t see any signage from the Google Earth photo). Inside, there are a few tables but they feel more like tables to sit at while you’re waiting for the kitchen to wrap up your order. It’s a great place to get a real meal deal. Three bbq pork buns and an order of three Portuguese custard tarts both came in at $6.49 each. The beverage menu is very colorful with all kinds of boba drinks, smoothies and fruit teas.
Dim Sum Best of Taste, 1540 Webster St., Alameda
Every Sunday from 9am to 2pm, Le Carousel Patisserie is one of the many vendors at the Kensington Farmers Market (it’s asparagus season!). Chef Jeremy Mullet and his wife Claire started their bakery as a pop-up. They recently moved into a small shop inside the Tilden Hotel/SF, but continue to pop-up around the Bay Area. In addition to croissants—plain, chocolate and raspberry-filled ones in the shape of bow ties—the chef also makes elegant little tarts and cakes protected from the elements by bell jars.
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Rolling Pin Donuts
429 San Bruno Ave W San Bruno, CA 94066
Open 24 HRS!
at this location for the past 65 years
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Nicole Danner and her mom have breakfast at Bacon and Butter on Broadway in Sacramento ordering the grilled cheese eggs Benedict on brioche ($21) before moving on to 4 other spots.
- Bacon and Butter Address: 5913 Broadway, Sacramento Website: https://baconandbuttersac.com 2. Marie’s Donuts Address: 6143 Watt Ave. North Highlands 3. Tower Cafe Address: 1518 Broadway, Sacramento Website: https://www.towercafe.com 4. ABC Bakery Address: 1309 Florin Rd. F, Sacramento Website: https://abcbakerysac.com 5. Valencia’s Taqueria Address: 8040 Greenback Ln C, Citrus Heights Website: https://www.valenciasmarket.com
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from Momo Chang in Oaklandside Nosh -
Jiams
A new Southeast Asian restaurant has opened in Oakland’s San Antonio neighborhood. Jiams focuses on Mien, Laos, Thai, Cambodian, and Vietnamese food. Jiams is run by the same family that runs the Lao Market grocery store across the street. Thanks to NOSH tipster for letting us know. Jiams, 1612 International Blvd., Oakland
Jiams Instagram
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I have to look up what Mien refers to. Has anyone tasted Mien dishes? Since the herbs are from the mountains I wonder how easy it is for the owners to source them.
Mien (pronounced “mee-en”) refers to the Iu Mien, an ethnic group with roots in Southern China that migrated into the mountains of Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand over several centuries.
In the context of a restaurant like Jiams, Mien cuisine is a unique, “highland” culinary tradition that often gets grouped with Lao or Thai food but has its own distinct soul.
What defines Mien food?
Because the Mien people lived in high-altitude, mountainous regions, their food traditionally relies on what could be foraged or farmed on steep terrain.
- The Chinese Influence: Unlike many other Southeast Asian cuisines, Mien food has a strong historical connection to Cantonese and Yunnanese cooking. You’ll see this in their use of certain spices and the importance of Taoist rituals in their culture, which often involve specific ceremonial foods.
- Key Flavors: It is known for being incredibly fresh, herbal, and often very spicy. They use a lot of “mountain herbs” that aren’t always found in standard grocery stores.
- Signature Dishes: * Kaleng Phen: A unique, citrusy, and spicy cold soup featuring rice flour blocks.
- Mien Herbs: You’ll often find steamed or boiled dishes using medicinal herbs, ginger, and cilantro.
- Stuffed Delicacies: Many traditional recipes involve stuffing vegetables (like bitter melon or peppers) with seasoned pork or fish.
The Oakland Connection
The East Bay, particularly Oakland and Richmond, is home to one of the largest Iu Mien communities in the United States. Many Mien families arrived as refugees from Laos following the Secret War in the 1970s.
Restaurants like Jiams are part of a growing movement to give this specific heritage its own spotlight, rather than just labeling it as “Thai” or “Vietnamese.”
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KQED.
Luke and Thien have late-night fried fish tacos in San Rafael at El Tucan at 15 Harbor St.
Excerpt:
Like every other trend-hopping taqueria in the Bay, El Tucán has jumped on the quesabirria hype train, with an assortment of birria-centric menu items that run the gamut from standard quesabirria tacos and consomé-dipped “red tacos” to super-sized birria “pizza.” We tried one of the red tacos with adobada (Tijuana-style al pastor) and found it tasty enough, if a little too heavy and cheesy for how stuffed we already felt at that stage in the meal. What we did enjoy, however, is El Tucán’s take on birria ramen — a rather elegant, stewy version, served with sliced avocado on top. It had a homey warmth to it that was especially nice on a chilly night.
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From SFGATE 24April2026:
The long-anticipated waterfront Dave & Busters is finally set to open on May 4, 2026, in Oakland’s Jack London Square. The arcade bar chain will be at 55 Harrison. The property at 55 Harrison was once slated to become a buzzy food hall, with star chefs like Reem Assil of Reem’s and Anthony Kresge of Shadowbrook, but those plans fizzled out during the pandemic. The six-story, 33,000 sq.ft. building has remained mostly vacant since it was constructed in 2009. The entertainment space will feature more than 100 arcade games, a food menu with items such as burgers and nachos, and a sports bar with a 40-foot TV screen.
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People are looking forward to a Dave & Busters ?
I’m not familiar but maybe it beats vacant.
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Jack London has a big vacancy issue. The report mentions the building that Dave and Buster’s is moving into has been mostly empty since being build in 2009. 17 years and a brand new building. My take is they’re banking on the same patrons as Plank (also in JLSq), a bowling alley, bocce ball and arcade, that serves a lot of families, kids parties, etc. Plank has survived the pandemic and is still going. D&B probably got a deal on rent.
Also much of Jack London was under special development regs…until it was recently changed.
Sunset Magazine did move their HQ there from Menlo Park…perhaps anticipating the never realized food hall.
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ConkyABG visits Little Saigon in San Jose eating at 8 spots in 24 hours.
Huong Lan Sandwiches
1655 Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95122
Bò Né Phú Yên
1818 Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95122
Pho Ga Hung
1818 Tully Rd # 120, San Jose, CA 95122
Com Tam Dat Thanh
1055 Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95122
Nem Nướng Nha Trang
919 Story Rd #1100, San Jose, CA 95122
Bánh Cuôn Bún Mộc Ông Ta
999 Story Rd UNIT 9030, San Jose, CA 95122
Nước Mía Viễn Đông 2
919 Story Rd #1160, San Jose, CA 95122
PHỞ HÀ NỘI SAN JOSE
969 Story Rd #6048, San Jose, CA 95122
