SERVING UP THE BAY AREA'S TASTY TRENDS AND HIDDEN FOOD FINDS
It's amazing how taste and aroma are so intimately tied to memories. The taste of juicy barbecue duck from San Francisco's Chinatown brings me back to Sunday afternoons of my childhood in Vancouver. Kilian's Angels' Share fragrance reminds me of my cousin's caramelized apple-scented apartment, and the tang of ranch dressing will always call to mind the time I reached for a baby carrot at a networking event — making sure not to break eye contact with the co-founder talking about his startup’s latest synthetic material — and accidentally dipped my hand into a bowl of the white sauce.
I once dated this guy who was in the center of an interesting Venn diagram: plant gay, basketball zealot, and someone who had bad takes on Amy Adams in Arrival. Some of our regular date spots included Canela and Poesia. But Foradori’s spicy, blackberry-kissed Teroldego, a red wine I brought for a movie night (we watched Moonlight), will always conjure images of the prayer plant he gifted me in return. I cringe at the memory of naming it “Kevin Dur-plant” just to impress him, a thought that, to this day, makes me want to take a shot. And I don’t mean a three-pointer. (Please, please, don't throw your perfectly good tomatoes at me.)
At Jollof Festival Oakland, West African Chefs Face Off in a Battle Royale of Rice
Who makes the best jollof rice? That eternal debate is the basis of Jollof Festival, a touring nationwide cultural celebration and nationality-based jollof rice competition that will stop in 12 different cities this year, including Oakland on July 13.
We Blind Tasted Five Vanilla Ice Creams From San Francisco
According to a poll in the last issue of this newsletter, Mitchell’s is our audience’s favorite Bay Area legacy ice cream! But what happens when you put me and drag queen Panda Dulce to the ice-cream-tasting task? Find out in the latest episode of No Crumbs!
Check, Please! Bay Area Returns for a Four-Course Serving of Back-to-Back Episodes in July!
Check, Please! Bay Area continues its 19th season this month with a delicious twist! Remember to reserve your second-to-last week of July, because the James Beard and Emmy Award-winning program is serving up a four course menu of all-new back-to-back shows.
"As a lover of Portuguese wines, I always recommend them for a combination of uniqueness, quality and affordability. The 2022 Esporão Reserva Branco from Alentejo, Portugal ($23) is a wine with vibrancy and complexity that pairs with a variety of dishes including delicate grilled fish and spicy pulled pork. Dry yet fruity, it’s a white wine for warm days and cool nights." Leslie Sbrocco, Host, Check, Please! Bay Area
“No matter how you feel about mayo, America’s most divisive condiment, Oakland’s Bake Sum has found a way to bring peace to the valley with its okonomiyaki danish. Based on the titular Japanese pancake, Bake Sum’s version is a flat and flaky croissant topped with mornay, furikake, okonomiyaki sauce, and, yes, a dollop of kewpie mayo that ties it all together.” Janelle Hessig, Supervising Producer, No Crumbs & Ask Jacques
“The other day I went with my family to check out LITA, a Caribbean-Latin fusion restaurant in Walnut Creek. Their jerk chicken tacos were fantastic, but we also finished our meal with the coconut donut holes, which were warm, sweet and perfectly baked!” Sheree Bishop, Audience Engagement Intern, Check, Please! Bay Area
“My partner and I recently went on a quick trip to Santa Rosa and we came across Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar. I chose a matcha affogato with Thai iced tea ice cream and it was a great ending for those who don't mind a little herbaceous turbulence to their sweet treats.” Josh Decolongon, Audience Engagement Producer, KQED Food; Host + Producer, No Crumbs
What have you been enjoying on your plate? Let us know!
Speculate That Plate!
Which beverage offering at Sweet Gelato Tea Lounge in San Jose, featured in the latest Midnight Diners by Luke Tsai, has never been on the menu?
