Cesar Hernandez in SF Chron instagram.
Mithapheap Market for 40 years of Khmer and SE Asian foods at 14th Ave & Int’l Blvd in East Oakland vs. the new Asian mega-markets.
Years ago, when Zareen’s was small, I liked their food at their Mountain View location. As they grew, I liked it less and less, to the point I don’t even bother any more.
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If you aren’t Muslim, what is the concern of eating during daylight?
The Muslim restaurant people fast all day, don’t even drink water. I feel guilty eating and drinking at their places while they abstain. I have to respect their beliefs–would I order a reuben sandwich in a kosher deli?
If they have a lot of muslim customers, I am sure they are slammed at sundown. I wonder if they prefer their business from non-muslim customers to stay as-is or if they prefer a breather, since losing revenue from lunch service can be quite problematic.
Nico in SF Gate.
There is only 1 table at Cordon Bleu at 1574 California St SF, near Polk.
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/sf-vietnamese-restaurant-cheap-21293295.php
Five-spice chicken, imperial rolls, salad and pork chops at Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, Feb. 19, 2026.
Lance Yamamoto/SFGATE
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Shoot! I’ve been meaning to watch that. I went to Stateline and the chef came over and spoke. And of course I mentioned Hungry Onion!
KQED.
Food writer Michael Pollan talks about his new book, A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness.
SF Gate.
A nearly-100-year-old gas station is site of upscale smashburgers near the Claremont in Berkeley.
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/berkeley-burgers-historic-gas-station-21367472.php
SFGATE
The Saigon Smash (free-range chicken) burger with fries at the Station in Berkeley, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2026.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
The Station, 2984 Russell St., Berkeley. Open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
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Cool! Alyssa Liu celebrated with some of her friends at Trabocco in Alameda. One of our long-time favs, his gnocchi and the risottos (especially the rare and fabulous beet risotto he occasionally rotates in) are outstanding.
Unfortunately, I’m a subscriber so I can’t guarantee this link is free:
Alysa Liu drops by Italian restaurant in the Bay Area
Trabocco
Located in: South Shore Center
Address: 2213 S Shore Center, Alameda
Menu: https://trabocco.com/menu/
OpenTable reservations
Note: Trabocco is NOT viewable from anywhere outside of South Shore Center open air mall. Park in the back, close to West Marine (marine supply store), and go down the walkway to the left of WM, towards the center aisle, where Trabocco’s entrance is located.
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New “Tortilleria” in Vacaville . Also “El Chapo” tamales.
On the left, compared to carnitas tacos I got from another place last night. More expensive too, I think.
I also got this “piña” tamale! Not a fan of most tamales because they are so dense and filling with so much masa, but they are interesting.
Located in the lot in front of Fogao Gaucho, which moved near the outlets. I think there’s a new Pho place by the folks off Peabody over there too….for all you HOs in Vacaville , who know what I am talking about. 
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From Sac Bee
Del Monte collapse leaves California peach growers stranded. ‘No place else to go’
https://amp.sacbee.com/news/local/article314486736.html
“But once peach growers learned in January that no one had bought the long-running Del Monte cannery in Modesto from the fruit corporation’s bankruptcy sale, Johl knew the thousands of pounds of peaches grown in that particular orchard were without a home.”
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Kimchi carbonara, fried chicken with ‘sugar dust’ and gojuchang, Seafood Jjambbong Pasta, and other Korean fusion dishes now available at Nick Yoon’s recently opened Whisper, a new restaurant specializing in Asian-fusion brunch. It takes over the space of the former Wursthall, which closed last September. Wunderbar, the speakeasy beneath it, has reopened. Seating is by reservation only. Open 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. weekdays and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends at 310 Baldwin Ave., San Mateo
Yoon is the former executive chef at Sweet Maple, a brunch joint with locations in Palo Alto, Cupertino, Walnut Creek and SF famous for its sweet-spicy Millionaire’s Bacon. Yoon has also worked as head chef at luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott and W Hotel, and as executive chef at Surisan in SF.
For restaurant No. 49, North Italia opens in downtown Walnut Creek, with a date of March 25, 2026. It’s the chain’s first foray into NorCA. Brunch is every weekend with lunch every weekday, with hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at which point the dinner menu kicks in.
Merrill Shindler, a longtime Los Angeles area dining critic, calls North Italia “a chain restaurant that doesn’t feel like a chain restaurant.” There’s an open-view scratch kitchen, with pasta made fresh daily in-house and a menu that changes seasonally.
Dishes with roots in northern Italy include the house specialty, Pasta Bolognese, along with Cacio e Pepe Arancini, White Truffle Garlic Bread and, for brunch, Breakfast Carbonara Pasta and Tuscan Hash. Tomato-based southern Italian dishes and regional specialties make up the bulk of the menu. Lunch options include Garlic Knot Sliders with Sicilian meatballs or chicken pesto, a Spicy Italian Grinder, Giardino Stromboli, salads and more.
Although the Cheesecake Factory has owned this chain since 2019, there’s no cheesecake on the dessert menu. Instead, diners will find Hazelnut Torta, Tiramisu, a Seasonal Butter Cake and the Italian doughnuts, Bombolini, among other sweets.
Details: Hours from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. daily at 1179 Locust St., Walnut Creek. Website: https://www.northitalia.com/
Just looking on their menu and calories you see that they are “guided” by Cheesecake Factory - some pasta entrees hit around 2000kcal - that’s impressive
Flavas Jamaican Grill
314 Linden
South San Francisco
Serving begins at about the 7:40 mark with Jamaican oxtail, red snapper, shrimp and jerk chicken.
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Mike Lim.
Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City. He earlier visited Harry’s in San Leandro.
SF Vietnamese
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Semifreddi’s Bakery in Alameda
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(post deleted by author)
Luke Tsai in KQED
Lantern Festival today, Sunday March 1 from 3-8pm in Oakland Chinatown
The Oakland Chinatown Lantern Festival will take place in and around the Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 9th St., Oakland) on Sunday, March 1, 3–8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with food available for purchase on an a la carte basis. Guests are asked to wear masks when not eating and drinking.
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