
As part of a meaty package of stories about the Bay Areaâs burrito scene, the SF Chronicle attempted to uncover the origins of Oaklandâs âsuper burrito,â a roughly 15-inch, two pound beast that requires two full tortillas to contain its bounty. Sadly, the source of the trend remains a mystery: while International Boulevard veteran Tacos Sinaloa says owner Guadalupe Bueno was the first to serve the gigantic burritos from his truck around the turn of the millennium, others cite neighboring business Casa Jimenez as the originator of the trend. Still others say that Lake Merritt truck Tacos Mi Rancho started the whole thing about a decade ago. All agree, however, that the massive burrito is a uniquely local phenom, with area artist and burrito critic Ozi Magaña saying âItâs very much an East Oakland thing. Iâm not sure why that is. Itâs always been one of those things you learn. Iâll tell people if you order a super, itâs not a fat burrito. Itâs a double burrito.â
Put aside your irritation that this Wallpaper* story about the interior design of Emeryvilleâs Wondrous Brewing Company (1310 65th St. near Hollis Street) says that it âmakes its mark in San Francisco,â if you can, and scroll ahead to the haunting photos of the recently opened beer hallâs minimal interiors, which suggest a shadowy and chilly brewery at the end of the world. Architect Farid Tamjidi says that the goal was to âavoid having this room look like a pub or a bar,â as it is âa place to taste the varieties of beer.â Mission accomplished, perhaps?
Student newspaper the Berkeley High Jacket is hoping to guide students to some area restaurants that need help. With Berkeley High School students stuck at home for the past year, restaurants near the school â many of which relied on the revenue brought by the daily lunch crowd â have struggled to stay afloat. Now that kids are returning to the classroom, âthe Jacket is spotlighting a few of the best lunch spots for BHS students,â they write. Included on the list is excellent Addison standby Saigon Express (2045 Kala Bagai Way at Addison Street), which since 1995 has boasted a terrific tofu bĂĄnh mĂŹ worth trying even if your high school days are long behind you.
Alameda Marketplace takeout spot Tahina just got the East Bay Express spotlight for its âinsistently herb-forwardâ falafel served from a location thatâs suffered an âunfortunate spellâ of shuttered businesses. The California-Mediterranean spot opened just last month, and is co-owned by Rumtin Rahmani, who also owns 16-year-old Marketplace java spot The Beanery.
East Bay restaurants like Berkeleyâs Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya, Alley & Vine in Alameda and Oaklandâs Ramen Shop tell the SF Chronicle that diners are canceling indoor reservations in favor of outdoor dining, or are not showing up for reservations at all. Ramen Shop co-owner Sam White tells reporter Janelle Bitker that âOnce indoor dining opened, everyone was like, âWe want to eat inside.â All of a sudden delta comes, and everyone wants to eat outside again. And then in three weeks, smoke is going to come and everyone will want to go back inside.â
Bay Area mini-chain Kevinâs Noodle House started in Oakland in 1994, eventually making a name for itself with reliable Vietnamese food served up at five spots across the Bay Area. Its Walnut Creek location appears just as serious about parking as it is about pho, Beyond the Creek reports, as the restaurant sports a sign promising non-customers who use its spaces that their vehicles will be sold for scrap. Presumably, this is intended as a humorous warning â but still, if you need to drop your car at 2034 N. Main St.,youâd better be picking up some of their shrimp-packed tĂ u há»§ ky or at least a cup of their sweet and highly caffeinated cafĂ© sữa dĂĄ.
In an essay for Eater, Oakland restaurateur and activist Reem Assil questions the use of âchefâ as a title that indicates âcommander-in-chief, auteur, and career pinnacle.â In the first-person piece, she discusses her time at Jack London Square restaurant Dayfa (she felt like a âtoken and a martyr,â she said) and argues that using the term âchefâ as an honorific (as opposed to a simple job title) is âa cover for abusive behavior for decades.â