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July August 2021

The magazine of Oakland, Berkeley and the world that revolves around us

Alice Waters’ Slow Food Manifesto

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July & Aug 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF OAKLAND, BERKELEY AND THE WORLD THAT REVOLVES AROUND US

YOUR EDITOR GETS HIGH

OF MEALS AND MANIFESTOS

A DATE WITH THE BARD

SOCIAL SERVINGS

A Worldview at The Atlas 4 CalShakes Serves it Up 6

Alice Waters Turns Another Page 24

Just Fare Delivers 30 MAKE NO MIS-STEAK

San Ramon’s LB Steak 38

THE ETSY END RUN

Local Makers Moving Up 12

OODLES OF NOODLES

BEER IS BACK

Fieldwork Brewing Company 18

Noodle Belly Bowls Oakland Over 45 OVEN LOVIN'

Fearless, We Pursue

COMMUNITY

Sunday Bakeshop Heats Up 49 PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING DIRECTORS

Rosemary Olson

Jeffrey Edalatpour Lou Fancer Daedalus Howell Casey O’Brien

Lori Lieneke Lisa Santos

Daedalus Howell

PRODUCTION OPERATIONS MANAGER

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Sean George

Kara Brown

SENIOR DESIGNER

COPY EDITOR

Jackie Mujica

Danielle McCoy Ben Grambergu Mercedes Murolo Lynda Rael

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Karen Klaber

EDITOR

Mark Fernquest

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS

CEO/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dan Pulcrano

ON THE COVER Photograph by XXXXXXXXXX

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CLOUD ATLAS One view from the Sunset Lounge.

Top

A Taste of the

Gaining perspective from Oakland’s highest cocktail lounge

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLAS

BY Daedalus Howell

anna get high? I mean really, really high? Before you answer that, you should know I’m afraid of heights. Not all the time, but sometimes, when it’s least convenient. Like, when I’m driving over that three-dimensional Dr. Seuss illustration we call the Richmond Bridge. And when there’s no nearby bar at which to self-medicate with a gulp of grenache. Somehow, my situation became known to the universe—perhaps when I was praying, at the top of my lungs, that the Big One wouldn’t hit before I made it to the Pt. Richmond exit and

the house red at Hotel Mac. And now my prayers have been answered by Atlas, a “transit-oriented, luxury living and retail destination in Oakland.” A 40-story high-rise tower with 17,350 square feet of retail space that spans an entire city block, the Atlas is the tallest and largest residential property in Oakland. Cresting it, on the 41st Floor and surrounded by stunning Bay area views, is its Sunset Lounge. Mere stumbling distance—and a swift elevator ride—from the 12th Street BART Station, the lounge features a cocktail bar and sweeping Oakland views, not to mention a fireplace and a library. This is either the East Bay lair of the next James Bond villain or the perfect place for a chump like me to sip away the vertigo while enjoying the view. Or perhaps it’s both, Mr. Bond—bwahaha! There’s more than a view to a thrill, however. The Atlas also boasts an outdoor terrace, a pool, a coworking lounge—remember coworking?—an indoor-and-outdoor club lounge with a full kitchen, a pet spa, a dog park and more. Additionally, residents have access to a game room, a fitness studio and a sports-and-media lounge. In short, it’s the perfect venue to gain a literal perspective on all the area has to offer as the world reopens and the East Bay’s sights, sounds and tastes—some of our favorites of which we profile in this edition—become available once again. As Michelangelo said, “Your greatness is measured by your horizons” and, for the East Bay, they look good from here. ❤

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2021

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A Midsummer Date-Night ’s

Dream

BY Lou Fancher 6

anvasing the Bay Area for an optimal come-out-ofCovid date night, one option shouts for attention: California Shakespeare Theater’s “Season of Shared Light” that in 2021 flings open the venue’s sweeping golden Orinda Hills backdrop and the broad outdoor Bruns Amphitheater to community groups, performing artists and cultural organizations from across the Bay Area and beyond.

PHOTO BY JAY YAMADA

Dinner and a show with California Shakespeare Theater

REVIEW ‘Good’ things come to those who wait.

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2021

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STAGED All the world’s a stage (again) at Cal Shakes.

But this year, Artistic Director Eric Ting stated in a press release issued in early February that a decision was made to suspend the usual four-show schedule. Reflecting on the devastating impact Covid has had on artists and art organizations and the worldwide movement for racial equity following the murder in May 2020 of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Ting said Cal Shakes was compelled to “respond to these recent crises with compassion and humility.” A choice was made to offer service to the community by sharing the open-air venue with other artists and organizations. As of early summer, Season of Shared Light includes live, inperson productions from Destiny

PHOTO BY ZHANARA BAISALOVA

Customarily known as Cal Shakes, the theater company—now in its 47th season—is nationally recognized for innovative and contemporary storytelling rooted in classical theater’s traditions and literature, high-quality production values, an extensive commitment to education demonstrated through year-round programming and a popular summer conservatory, and deep investment in community outreach initiatives that uphold the organization’s mission and principles including equity, diversity, authenticity and the redress of social injustice, especially for underserved people and communities. Prior to the pandemic, the Cal Shakes summer season routinely produced and presented four plays by the resident company.

Arts, Bandaloop, West Edge Opera, GRAMMY® Award-winning male vocal ensemble Chanticleer and others. A Measure for Measure Concert Series from Paper Moon Presents brings, among other shows, not-to-miss legendary blues musician Taj Mahal with opening act Gaby Moreno to the Bruns (July 2) and Rebirth Brass Band with two evenings of live music with the New Orleans-based band (July 3 and 4). After waiting for months to learn the state and county guidelines with regards to Covid-19 precautions as vaccination rates increase and live gatherings expand, Cal Shakes on May 24 announced a new adaptation of The Winter’s Tale (directed by Artistic Director Eric Ting in an adaptation by Ting and Resident Dramaturg Philippa Kelly) will be presented Sept. 1–26. Described as “Shakespeare’s exquisite reflection of our current moment,” the organization promises its return to the stage will present “a story split between tragedy and comedy, between loss and healing, it’s the hope we need.” Of course, no night out is complete without food and beverages. Cal Shakes has long been a place where the merry tryptic of watching a live performance, eating and drinking combine into a duet of sensory eyeand-ear and hand-to-mouth pleasures. Enjoying a meal or snack prior to the show—at picnic tables or while seated on toppled and smoothly-polished

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‘Of course, no night out is complete without food and beverages. Cal Shakes has long been a place where the merry tryptic of watching a live performance, eating and drinking combine into a duet of sensory eye-and-ear and hand-tomouth pleasures.’ « tree trunks scattered throughout

the venue’s eucalyptus-filled grove—is encouraged. If you’ve forgotten or have little interest in bringing a home-made basket of treats, nearby restaurants or the venue’s cafe—more on those in a moment—offer multiple tempting items for purchase. Moreover, the audience can enjoy gustatory pleasure and liquid imbibing in their seats during the production. To jump in with a personal anecdote, I recall my teenage son’s post-show midsummer night’s dream came not so much from Shakespeare as it did from watching our seat neighbors wield forks like Elizabethan swords while consuming an entire Safeway-bought chocolate layer cake during the production. Under the Bruns Plaza’s pistachio trees and sparkling string lights, patrons find ADA-accessible seating at cafe tables. The menu features sandwiches—tri-tip, chicken salad and sausage combos—and spinach wraps, along with Caesar and Asian Chicken

salads and a Charcuterie box with cured meats, cheese, olives, pickles and crackers. Desserts circle around bars, cookies and ice cream, while beverages include the expected sodas and waters, bottled beer, wine by the glass or bottle, plus the infamous Peet’s Coffee & Tea . If you don’t already know about the participatory Peet’s shout-out at every show, you’ll be welcome to join the club. The nearby cities of Orinda and Lafayette, and even the town of Moraga just five miles beyond Orinda, offer multiple take-out options representing almost any world cuisine. And there’s more than one grocery store in each location in the event that mention of a chocolate layer cake has your taste buds buzzing. Worried about Covid-19 precautions? Cal Shakes is closely watching and following all safety protocols set by the California Department of Public Health, Contra Costa County, Actors’ Equity Association, United Scenic Artists, and Stage Directors and

Choreographers Society. Masks must be worn at all times except when eating or drinking, and capacity is reduced both in the amphitheater and in Plaza restrooms to maintain social-distancing guidelines. No cash is accepted at the cafe, to optimize touch-free transactions. Cal Shakes actors work in pods for the duration of rehearsal and performances so that they can remain unmasked during the show. All staff and visitors will be screened for symptoms prior to entry; select events require proof of vaccination or negative Covid test, so check the website or presenting organization periodically for updates. Worried about parking, mobility or a lack of wheels for transport? No worries: Limited paved spots are available in a designated parking lot, and a much larger unpaved grass and dirt field is also available for parking. There is onsite security during the show, but note that Cal Shakes cannot be responsible for any theft or damage to your vehicle. There is a paved area with reserved spots for vehicles with disability placards. A golf cart makes frequent trips up and down the hill leading from the parking lot to the box office and to the theater. Conveniently, Cal Shakes is located close to BART and offers a free shuttle—with a wheelchair ramp—from the Orinda BART station to the Bruns Amphitheater. Service begins two hours before every performance and resumes immediately after each show. The shuttle runs a loop every 20 minutes. For more information and tickets, visit calshakes.org.

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2021

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Making

MAKER Berkeley’s Sabine Herrmann is the owner of the Etsy shop Plantillo.

Moves

Local creators thrive despite pandemic

BY Casey O’Brien

EmmaClaireShop), after meeting at their daughters’ competitive cheer competitions. The two women share an interest in design, and wanted to open a business together. Succulent globes hung up in Disneyland—where they went for a cheer competition for their daughters— inspired them to create air plant products. “We wanted to create something different than what we were seeing everywhere,” Whitehead says. “We wanted something unique, unique to the aesthetic of the Bay Area and California.” That was in 2016, and the two women have sold their products on the online platform ever since. California remains their muse—and

the place where all their products are sourced. “Our air plants are all grown by a family farm in San Diego, and our wood is from local hardware stores,” Albers says. Originally, Albers and Whitehead went with Etsy rather than a brick-and-mortar shop because Claire had run an Etsy shop before; but the choice served them well during the pandemic. “For the last year, we have just kept thinking, ‘Thank God we didn’t do brick and mortar. We would be in so much trouble.’” Whitehead says. “We were in shock for a few weeks, but after a few months, things began to pick up. People can’t go shopping, so they come to our shop.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ETSY

uring the last year of the pandemic, we’ve all developed new hobbies: baking bread, making cocktails, gardening. But for the Bay Area’s Etsy sellers, “making” is more than entertainment; it’s a livelihood. During the course of the pandemic, the Bay Area’s makers devoted themselves to creating products inspired by their homes, from wine barrels to succulents, and the results have paid off—for some makers, this has been the most successful year of their business. Beth Albers and Claire Whitehead developed their Etsy Shop, Emma Claire Shop (www.etsy.com/shop/

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2021

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ETSY

s “We have actually done better than ever this year, despite Covid,” Albers says. Albers and Whitehead aren’t alone. In fact, gross merchandise sales were up 118% in 2020 on the site compared to 2019. As ecommerce exploded when brick-and-mortar stores closed down, independent shop owners who utilized the Etsy platform benefited. Other makers, including Sabine Herrmann, owner of the Etsy shop Plantillo, have reported record growth this year. Herrmann first developed her Etsy shop, Plantillo (www.etsy.com/shop/ Plantillo), when she was struck by the diversity of the plants around her

while walking through her Berkeley neighborhood. “The idea came to me while hiking in the beautiful Berkeley hills, Tilden Park and even in my neighborhood,” she says. “It was in the springtime, when everything was blooming and so beautiful. I took a lot of photos on my walks, and I wanted to do something with them. I have a small house without a lot of wall space, so I thought I should try some fabric. I got it printed on fabric digitally, and then I made my first pillow.” Herrmann liked her first pillow, but wanted a more realistic look, so she cut the fabric to fit the exact shape of the photo, creating a realistic—and comfy—

indoor garden. “It looked really nice, but it didn’t look realistic, so I followed the outlines of the plant, and the Plantillo was born,” she says. “It was really realistic, and it didn’t take long for me to post the first product on Etsy. I got my first order just a couple of days later, which was fantastic.” Herrmann now runs the Plantillo shop full-time from a studio space in Berkeley. When the pandemic struck, Herrmann had just a few hours to grab her materials from her studio in Berkeley before lockdown. “I grabbed some fabric and my sewing machine, and I went home,” she says. “I had no idea what was going to happen. For a

JULY/AUGUST 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

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WARES Sabine Herrmann’s offerings at her Berkeley studio.

« little while, I made masks. I donated

them, and I put them on my Etsy shop. That got me back into being creative.” After several months of working out of her small house, Herrmann returned to her studio to make pillows again, although strict protocols kept artists from interacting with one another. Herrmann did quite well during the pandemic, as new home decorators searched Etsy for products to make their homes feel pleasant instead of suffocating. “My product has done well because it’s a home product,” she says. “It’s a happy product, an outdoorsy product. And when people are stuck in their houses, they want to be looking at happy things that remind them of nature.” From her first plantillo to her full

product line in 2021, what hasn’t changed is Herrmann’s inspiration: long walks through her East Bay neighborhood. Herrmann takes all her own photos of the diverse plants that surround her. “You don’t need to go far,” she says. “Even going around the block, you can see some amazing plants … . It’s so inspiring. We are so lucky, living here, that we have redwoods growing next to cacti. The diversity of flora and fauna we have here is amazing.”

Backyard Inspiration Quarantine kept us tethered to our homes, but for local makers, inspiration is often found in their own backyard. Like Herrmann, Armando Santiago developed and sells a product uniquely sourced from his home. Santiago moved to the Napa Valley from the East Coast after a 40-year career in the Air Force—and found a new calling. “I came to live out here in the Napa Valley with my wife,” Santiago says. “She was a wine club manager here in the Valley. She took me to the Napa home show, and I saw things made from barrels. And I said, ‘Wow. I could do this.’ I was

bored at home, being retired. You can only play golf so many days of the week.” Santiago began experimenting with woodworking using barrel wood, with no plan to turn it into a career. “I was just playing, using barrels I got from my wife. I just gave products away to friends and family,” he says. Eventually, a friend with an Etsy shop suggested Santiago build an online storefront on the platform. “She told me to put my pieces up on this website, Etsy,” he says. “I had never heard of it! But I thought, ‘Ok, I’ll give it a try.’ And lo and behold, stuff started selling. Etsy becomes your personal salesman. You’re selling to like-minded people, who want to buy something handmade and local. Etsy gives you that exposure to people who are looking for custom items.” Santiago now runs his shop from a home workshop in his garage, which he equipped with professional tools. “This became more than ‘keeping busy.’ It became a job,” he says. Santiago took a hit when the pandemic began, because many of his handmade barrel platters and other art were purchased by people wanting to mark special occasions—weddings, anniversaries, birthdays. Santiago can have any piece laser-engraved with a personal message or a date. When events were cancelled, Santiago’s customers couldn’t use their pieces. He offered them credits, however, and many ordered pieces later. He maintained his usual number of orders, about 225 a year. “Everything I make is handmade, and I am a one-man operation,” he says. “I buy the barrels, I make them, I

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2021

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‘I grabbed some fabric and my sewing machine, and I went home,’ says artist Sabine Herrmann about the hours before Berkeley’s before lockdown. ‘I had no idea what was going to happen. For a little while, I made masks. I donated them, and I put them on my Etsy shop. That got me back into being creative.’ « pack them, I ship them. Everything

I sell is an item that I would include in my own home. I want people to feel that. And I get the sense that people do.” www.etsy.com/people/ BarrelArtNapaValley?

Freed Enterprise Etsy wasn’t just a boon for veteran sellers during the pandemic. New business owners relied on the platform as well, especially those whose original business plans were put aside due to Covid. “Initially, I was planning to do farmers markets to introduce my product,” says Debra DeMartini, the owner of DEBZ Sonoma (www. debzsonoma.com), a gourmet food shop with hand-mixed salts, sugars and cocktail glass rimmers. “I was looking at schedules and gearing up for the farmers market season, but with the pandemic that just wasn’t possible.” DeMartini, who has worked in the restaurant industry for her entire career—and maintains a full-time job— planned on using Sonoma’s popular farmers’ markets to launch her products locally, but turned to e-commerce

out of necessity, opening her shop in May 2020. She was surprised by how much she enjoyed it. “I’ve always been a restaurant person, so this is really different, but it’s given me the opportunity to learn something new and learn as I go,” she says. DeMartini’s 27 different products— from tomato basil salt to vanilla bourbon sugar—made their way across the U.S. and beyond, where they were used in unusual ways in pandemic kitchen experiments. “A child was using the lavender lemon sugar on her yogurt,” she says. “She was maybe seven, eight years old. And I never would have thought of that, but it’s her favorite thing. That’s been the most wonderful part for me, to see how people use these products. I always say, ‘Don’t overthink it, just try things.’” DeMartini feels Etsy has helped her as a new business owner. “What’s cool about Etsy is that people don’t have to be looking for you,” she says. “They might be looking for something else entirely, and just find me. I am really grateful for that.” While Etsy has helped customers find her shop, DeMartini’s unique products are all her own. She sources

salts from international salt mines all around the globe, and develops organic spice blends to match the region she is sourcing from. She buys herbs and alliums from vendors all over California, determined to include only certified organic products in her blends. “Eventually, I would like to have a lot where I can grow all my own herbs and alliums. That’s my goal,” she says. The shop is international, but DeMartini keeps strong local connections by offering free delivery to anyone who lives in the Sonoma Valley and gifting free products and samples to local families curious about her products. “My goal is to help people and their families make great food at home,” she says. “Salt is the base for food. You’re going to be using it anyway, so you might as well have fun with it. My tagline is that I sell the sous chef in a bottle, for people who might not have cooked much before.” Quarantine provided an opportunity for people to engage with homemade goods in a new way, and some tried making their own. Social distancing and the rise of e-commerce may have relegated shopping to our computers, but it didn’t stop the Bay Area’s makers from working with their hands. Whether they are making succulent pillows or wine barrel platters, the artisans who call the Bay Area their home didn’t slow down during the pandemic—they adapted. “We can’t work together at the kitchen table anymore, but we do a lot of front-porch chats, we go for long walks,” Albers says. “We have had to find a new routine.” ❤

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2021

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CHEERS Fieldwork Brewing Company’s Barry Braden.

The Bay Area’s Fieldwork Brewing Company

BY Daedalus Howell 18

egend has it that in ye olde days, people drank beer because it was safer than water. Albeit, this is a medieval-era myth, from an age of plagues and egregious class disparity. My, have times—not!—changed. Good thing is, we had beer to get us through the past 18 months, and Fieldwork Brewing Company helped us make it to the pandemic finish line.

Established in 2015, Fieldwork Brewing Company is a craft brewery with a decidedly Bay Area footprint, with taprooms and beer gardens reaching from Corta Madera and Napa in the North Bay to Berkeley—where it’s brewed—and San Ramon in the East Bay to San Mateo in the South Bay, with Monterey and Sacramento thrown in for good measure. Fieldwork scored bonafides not just

PHOTO COURTESY OF FIELDWORKS BREWING COMPANY

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BREW with a view.

« for its brews but for its business:

Fieldwork is the 10th fastest-growing private company on San Francisco Business Times’ “100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area” 2018 list, and Inc. Magazine ranked Fieldwork at No. 604 on its 2019 Inc. 5,000 list of “America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies.” And then the pandemic hit. But the beer never stopped flowing. “When it hit, when the shelter-inplace hit, we all got together and we just said, ‘Well, what can we do? What under the health order are we able to do, and let’s go do it?’” says owner and cofounder Barry Braden. “I think that we probably mostly benefited from just the

people who we count as guests—and friends—who just support us and enjoy the beer. We got by on home delivery, loading up people's cars and dropping beer on people’s porches.” Beer delivery—the ultimate pivot. “I think it helped us stay connected with our regular folks who we see all the time in the tap rooms, and managed to keep our sense of fellowship and community that we want to aspire to because honestly, what a year! It was just nothing like I've ever seen before in my life and I hope to never see again,” says Braden, who has an affable and easy demeanor—and not just because of his inherent, brewery-owner “cool,” but also because it’s clear he truly cares. Inasmuch

as Fieldwork is ostensibly a beer company, it’s also a “people company.” Throughout the pandemic, Fieldwork retained more than 80% of its staff. It also retained its market share. What’s the secret ingredient? That Braden and his partners actually give a shit is readily apparent, even to a crusty, seen-it-all reporter. “We have an amazing team, and they executed at the highest level, and they did it with a lot of poise and professionalism in a really, really, really crappy time,” Braden says. “The pandemic certainly took its toll on many in our industry, and not only from our brewery colleagues, but also bar and restaurant folks who are still feeling the effects and will probably

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‘It keeps us up at night—we always have to try to figure out how to be a better company and a good corporate citizen,’ says Fieldwork Brewing Company’s Barry Braden. « be feeling the effects for the rest of

the year,” he says. “We were fortunate that our seven locations did very well through the pandemic. We’re even, year over year, which I don’t think there’s a lot of businesses that could say that.” There are also not a lot of businesses that can say they’ve just launched a philanthropic venture. This June, the beer biz announced the establishment of the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee, led by Fieldwork staff members with the mandate that they donate funds to noteworthy local nonprofit organizations. “It keeps us up at night—we always have to try to figure out how to be a better company and a good corporate citizen,” says Braden, who convened a crew of more than 10 Fieldwork team members from various locations, each of whom nominates a non-profit to the committee’s vote. Among the 11 non-profits receiving donations locally is Corta Madera’s Ritter Center, which received a $2,500 donation to support its food pantry efforts—the largest in Marin—serving 3,000 households annually with

the distribution of 22,000 bags of groceries. The Ritter Center also offers case management, medical and behavioral health services, as well as 2,000 laundry and 8,000 shower appointments each year. Another local beneficiary is the SF-Marin Foodbank—also in Corte Madera—which, during Covid, operated 29 pop-up pantries and provided weekly deliveries to 12,000+ seniors and groceries to 55,000 households. Fourteen percent of people served are homeless, with 60% of food offered being fresh produce. Fieldwork’s donation brought 4,000 meals to those in need. Napa’s VOICES Youth Programs, which supported Napa County foster youth during Covid, also received support from the brewery.

Can-Do Spirit Besides being available on draft at their own locations and local craft beerfocused restaurants and bars, Fieldwork brews are also available in cans. “We were canning on a small basis

before the pandemic, and the cans would come and go pretty quick,” Braden says. “We don’t want the brewing team to get bored, so our primary objective is to keep rotating beers through and bring back some old favorites and listen to the customers in terms of what they like, but also let the brewers brew what they want to brew. The pandemic certainly brought us into a place where we were canning more than we imagined we would.” At the time of this interview, Fieldwork was selling about 80,000 cans a month, but as the Bay Area continues to open up, Braden anticipates more people returning to drafts at their local Fieldwork taproom or beer garden. “We ordered a canning line in November of 2019, and that literally showed up and was installed three weeks before the shelter-in-place order,” Braden says. “We had no idea. It was just serendipity that we had ordered this thing.” Serendipity, or the result setting one’s intentions? “A lot of it, I think, comes from what you want to be,” Braden says. “What did you set out to do when you started the business? We set out to build an enduring company, one that we could get our employees involved in and help contribute to their retirement to make sure they’re taken care of health insurance-wise and wellness and all those things and build a company that we can be proud of.” Cheers to that. For Fieldwork Brewing Company locations, visit fieldworkbrewing.com and instagram. com/fieldworkbrewingco.

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author Alice Waters at Viader Vineyards, Napa.

Alice Waters’ A revelatory read from a restaurant revolutionary

t’s likely that many people will never dine under the hallowed recycled redwood ceiling of Berkeley’s revered Chez Panisse. Opened in 1971 by restaurateur, chef and food activist Alice Waters, the establishment’s upscale reputation and long waiting list for reservations is preventative for all but economically advantaged or determinedly patient diners. Practicing for 50 years “slow food movement” concepts—more on that later—the restaurant is heralded as the birthplace of California cuisine, or at least its kind-hearted, earnest, flea market decorated, food fetishizing, revolutionary MC.

PHOTO BY DAVID SIFRY

BY Lou Fancher

‘We Are What We Eat’

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‘We Are What We Eat’s primary posits circle around land, plant and animal biodiversity and food seasonality and the ways in which disconnections to those areas introduce obvious global problems—hunger, disease and agricultural decay.’ «

Created with fly-by-the-seatof-your-soil 1960s-style radicalism, the Chez Panisse menu has long emphasized simple presentations, the meal as a multi-sensory experience and the highly respectable use of sustainable, organic and seasonal ingredients obtained from local farmers, ranchers and dairies. Waters’ formative years in France inspired the restaurant’s name that pays tribute to Honoré Panisse, a character in French novelist and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol’s 1930s movie trilogy about everyday life in Marseille. The menu changes daily and—due to the pandemic—as of June 2021, Chez Panisse continues to remain closed to indoor dining. Takeout service Wednesday through Saturday and an often sold-out Sunday Market organic farm box and flea market collectibles are available in the interim. While history establishes that a Chez Panisse meal—or takeout order—is

incredibly tempting and noble and very likely delicious, the produce and meats and dairy obtained with high ambition for sustainability come with high prices. Thus, contemplating paying $145 for a takeout Friday Night Dinner for Two—plus $60 for the suggested wine pairing—versus buying a week’s worth of groceries is not in the cards for all. Such a meal is just not in the budget—even if it is Pennyroyal Farm goat cheese pudding soufflé with golden beets and herb salad, a Wolfe Ranch quail grilled with sage and new garlic with roasted spring onions, Bintje potatoes and sautéed spinach on the side, and a crispy meringue with strawberries, raspberries and crème chantilly for dessert. And so it’s immensely appealing to discover in her new book, We Are What We Eat, that a person can, and even more insistently and editorially, should enjoy the bounty of Waters’

ambitions. For the same expenditure as a Chez Panisse Saturday night 12inch pizza with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, red onion, hot pepper, capers, parsley and basil ($26), the book—co-written with Bob Carrau and Cristina Mueller—is a delightful and recyclable treat. Buy it from a local independent bookstore and bump Amazon off the table, then share it with a friend or place it in a free library. Or, unlike a meal, enjoy it repeatedly, and be reminded and reassured that Waters never plates up or serves an if-youlike-that-you’ll-like-this algorithm. Savor her call-to-action words slowly, in honor of slow-food traditions and to show respect for Waters’ obvious disdain for fast food and strong arguments opposing its destructive force on cultures and communities. We Are What We Eat’s primary posits circle around land, plant and animal biodiversity and food seasonality and the ways in which disconnections to those areas introduce obvious global problems—hunger, disease and agricultural decay. The violations of fast-food culture, according to Waters, also results in burdens and conflicts related to “addiction, depression, water use, the abuse of workers, immigration, political dishonesty, the overarching threat of climate change…you name it.” Coining the phrase “fast food values,” Waters unravels and demystifies the temptations of fast food culture: efficiently slaying the basics as if welding a sharp-bladed butcher’s knife. Convenience reads as passivity and ignorance, uniformity lends itself to systemic social bias and an overall

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‘For the same expenditure as a Chez Panisse Saturday night 12-inch pizza with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, red onion, hot pepper, capers, parsley and basil ($26), the book—co-written with Bob Carrau and Cristina Mueller—is a delightful and recyclable treat.’ ENJOY Restaurateur and

« monoculture mindset, availability

brings on irritation and impatience, “fake” facts cause trust in advertising and science to erode, cheapness hides the true cost of food that slaughters human health and destroys the planet, “more is better” means the volume of waste explodes even while the USDA reports that 35 million people in America struggle with food insecurity and hunger. Fast food’s final bruising, shin-buster blow—speed—has a multigenerational impact as adults employed in the industrial, chain gang-like system bemoan “work as drudgery,” and children ingest dehumanizing lessons about labor or lose the skill to focus or attend to tasks or even to each other. The book’s far more uplifting second section is therefore a relief. Seven chapters address beauty, biodiversity, seasonality, stewardship, pleasure in work, simplicity and interconnectedness. It’s not all woowoo flower child talk either. Waters, like the best songwriter, displays

the ability to tell a vivid story that simultaneously displays extensive, evidence-backed truth and poetic, economic language. A wild strawberry experience of “tiny fragrant, vibrant fraises des bois” opening in her mouth invites an entirely new interior realm of taste and appreciation for experiential, not just observational, beauty. Describing lessons learned about wild prairie perennial polyculture delivered by Kansas researcher Wes Jackson, she recounts one of his visits to the restaurant. “Wes came to Chez Panisse and brought a plant with him that he had dug up from the prairie,” she says. “He proceeded to demonstrate the depths of the roots to us by unfurling them across the dining room—and they stretched from one end of the restaurant to the other.” Along with an obvious fondness for quoting and crediting all manner of scientists, agricultural experts, artists, chefs, philosophers, cultural influencers and people such as Carlo Petrini—the

creator of Italy-based Slow Food International—Waters’ prose supplies liveliness and joy that are pleasant, surprising takeaways. Learn and laugh with Waters as she dumpster dives for fish bones—yes, it’s true—and eats an entire McDonald’s meal—also true, or at least a great yarn told effectively. Find sweetness and fond respect for farmer Bob Cannard, who not only coached the dumpster experience and anchored her culinary practices and advocacy in connectivity, but also introduced Waters’ father to a superlative carrot miraculously unearthed from a weedcovered field. Revelation upon revelation during the last 50 years caused a renovation in Waters’ mind, awareness, lifestyle and professional practices. Isn’t that what reading a good book can do? So saunter to a bookstore, pick up a copy, dig a carrot or pluck a bean out of your garden, eat and read to find out who you are or who you might choose to become. ❤

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COOL OFF Fight back the heat wave with this basil lemonade.

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such simple, fresh and fine fare might act upon a burgeoning passion for community service thus kindled. The newborn chef’s cuisine may or may not be Soul Food, but it is surely food intended to feed not just bellies, but souls, too. Such was the revolutionary experience had by Gabriel Cole during his childhood and teenage years growing up in South Burlington, Vermont. Today, Cole stands atop a list of pearly

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JUST FARE

Just Fare delivers

t the rarest and best of times, a restaurant kitchen becomes a magical kingdom. Chopping fruits and vegetables; intoxicated by the scent of garlic, cumin, ginger, coriander and other spices in a sauce, soup or side dish; plating a finely seared steak or succulent seafood selection or lifting fresh bread from an oven; a person might find meaning and purpose. A dreamer prone to imagining feeding the underserved

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rights advocate, conservationist, farmer, lifelong student, food industry consultant and, most recently, cofounder and CEO of Just Fare, an innovative delivery-only restaurant based in Emeryville. Prior to developing Just Fare, Cole worked for Bon Appétit Management Company at Google, La Cocina, Slow Food Nation and as the global Food program director at Airbnb. But years ago, Cole was a 15-year-old student struggling academically. “Like so many people,” he says in an interview, “I had a tough adolescence. I’m a kinesthetic learner, not a book-learner.”

Fortunately, Cole attended a culinary school during his junior year in high school, later completing one year of hotel and restaurant management school before dropping out to open what was by that time his third food business, a Jewish Kosher deli in Atlanta. Working in restaurants and establishing food businesses over several decades, he was well versed in what he calls “the restaurant brigade-like tyranny system” that included low wages and little respect for kitchen and front-of-house staff, lack of health care benefits and limited opportunities for promotion or wealthbuilding for employees.

As more restaurants in recent years are created by owners with a mindset aimed at increased equitably, workers rights, sustainable practices, relying on local food sources and support for BIPOC or women-owned farms and ranches, Cole says the food industry is experiencing internal and external renaissance. “There’s a movement to treat people with respect,” he says. “To treat the land with respect. To see food as a vehicle for social change, as a community asset, as medicine.” A meal, by his definition, is not just food produced by a chef and consumed by a customer. It is a decision point and a response to compelling questions. For chefs and owners: Who are we feeding and what resources do we have to share the bounty with underserved people living in food deserts or without means to feed their families? For customers: Where do I put my precious dollars? Are fair wages paid to farmers, vintners and the restaurant’s vendors and workers? Are the practices of this establishment environmentally sound and based on solid business models, and do they follow a social footprint that is desirable, even inspired? Cole says the answers to these questions can “provoke great things to happen in the world, or be a bummer.” Just Fare’s Mediterranean, mostly organic menu was developed by Cole and Chef Eric Anderson, who most recently ran daily kitchen operations and an in-house charcuterie program

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and 2016, the company operated as a food and farm consultancy. In 2017, the two chefs performed an organizational pivot to launch a catering company that fed thousands of people daily, employed 70 people and in 2019 achieved $5.5 million in revenue. In response to the pandemic—and despite losing nearly 95% of revenue— Cole elevated Just Fare’s desire to place a social manifesto centerstage by founding Community Kitchen. As of June 4, 2021, the initiative has delivered more than 250,000 meals to the community and to East Bay residents experiencing food insecurity. During 2020, it worked directly with partner organizations and, funded in

part by $1 million raised from public and private sources including Oakland Public Education Fund, Eat.Learn.Play, Alameda County Social Services and Fare Resources, Inc., a total of 108,947 meals were donated and distributed. Cole says receiving funds via the Paycheck Protection Program means the company now employs 40 people— including eight new hires—and raised minimum wage to $22 per hour with full benefits. “We try to do right by our people and ultimately, most people need help with wealth creation,” he says. “We buy almost exclusively organic produce and about 25% comes from BIPOC and/or local farmers and ranchers.” Asked to highlight two Community

Kitchen partners with a shout-out, Cole says, “There are 23 organizations total, and two I want to highlight are Queer Arts and Healing Center. We donated over 10,000 meals. They’re grassroots, Oakland-based and they‘ve been great partners. How they show up in their community is what we aspire to.” A second mention is Negas in Nature, through which Black people discover safe ways to participate in outdoor activities to promote holistic health, self-care and environmental justice. “They’re great teachers for us in how they were started and the work they do now,” Cole says. Internally, Just Fare establishes clear protocols that allow for flexibility and humanity in hiring and training. In

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‘There’s a movement to treat people with respect,’ says Just Fare CEO and co-founder Gabriel Cole. ‘To treat the land with respect. To see food as a vehicle for social change, as a community asset, as medicine.’ « recruiting workers, high character is

more important than culinary expertise, according to Cole, who says, “We look for people we want to be around for 48 hours a week. It’s a good litmus test.” Employee on-boarding includes full exposure to the company’s mission and culture, extensive safety training and staff meetings at which there are Spanish translators and American Sign Language interpreters. “That thoroughness continues as we develop learning plans and promotions that allow you to make more money at our company,” Cole says. “We have processes to eliminate biases; like, men are typically the only ones who ask for raises. We help to create equal wealth for women.” Among the many challenges exacerbated by the pandemic is maintaining balance between profit, a social mission and values. These things cost money, like the additional $100,000 dollars used to boost wages. “It’s balancing the operational needs with the human and social mission desires,” Cole says. “I’d add that the

hardest thing to do is to show up every day in a good way, especially during the pandemic. But I’ve been blessed and granted privilege a lot of people don’t have. I wanted to figure out how to do as well as I can for my peers who are BIPOC. Stepping aside and letting people who are from diverse backgrounds is another part of the balance. Allowing them to have a voice at the table.” Of course, a restaurant operation sinks or achieves blast-off depending on the menu. In order to meet Just Fare’s environmental and social justice standards, as well as fit its delivery model—the food Cole decided on had to travel well, not be crazy expensive, use produce and meat from local vendors and farmers as often as possible, be mostly organic and healthy, and always be delicious and easily reheatable. Featured on the menu are roasted tahini chicken with garlic confit— whole or half chicken orders or build your own bowl or flatbread; harissa braised pork with caraway and cumin—

build your own bowl or flatbread; Adda Veggie cakes made with ingredients from a local, female-owned company out of El Cerrito; housemade yeasted flatbreads made with a mix of AP and buckwheat flours and Séka Hills olive oil; an assortment of salads including beet and farro with shaved fennel and crumbled feta, and a chopped salad with romaine, radicchio, Ceci beans, sugar snap peas and lemon garlic tahini dressing. Sauces, sides and starters offer up roasted pepper sauce, cilantro hot sauce, lemon herb yogurt made with house-made yogurt, crisp Mary’s Free Range Chicken cardamom wings and a flavorful, house-made labneh dip. “The fridges of people who order from us don’t have to be graveyards,” Cole says. “Sometimes I say it tastes even better the next day. This food is flavorful, because we use herbs and spices that have strong profiles; like the lemons and chili oils and the harissa. The seasonal ingredients, we’re lucky in California to have so many available.” Returning to the idea of a kitchen kingdom, Cole dethrones himself. “I count my blessings every day,” he says. “One of my main jobs is getting out of the way of capable, talented, intelligent, driven people at Just Fare. That’s the culture we’ve developed. Everyone just wants to show up as a good person in the world. I’m most proud of our community kitchen work and maintaining our values: paying well, buying organic, supplying people in communities who need it with good quality food.” ❤

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CHOPPED LB Steak serves more than its namesake beef.San Ramon’s LB Steak

The very model of a modern American steakhouse BY Lou Fancher 38

eated in San Ramon in front of an imported A5 Japanese Wagyu steak, a Midwest-sourced filet mignon, a whole Bronzino or the high profile of a thick, 32-day aged pork chop in the sleek surroundings of LB Steak’s newest location at City Center Bishop Ranch, a person can hope Chef Roger Rungpha will come out of the kitchen to introduce the meal.

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Having both achieved good fortune and won the gustatory lottery in life, you will listen, rapt in the storytelling as Rungpha recounts each step your meal has taken to arrive on your plate. A recent opportunity to hear his narration provides this example: Speaking in the hushed, reverential tones of a parent describing a child’s first steps or words, Rungpha said, “I went to the farm in Japan to follow the beef from its origin to your table. I met the farmer; he’s fifth generation. I followed the meat to the transport, to the kitchen, where I cut it by hand.” Tenderly, he issues instructions on the application of four salt or chili-inflected seasoning options for the Wagyu and makes note of a pineapple chutney gently layered atop the chop. Memories of being taught how to tie shoelaces, or how to achieve the delicate balance needed to ride a bike without training wheels for the first time are stirred. Swiftly on Rungpha heels arrives—if your luck is as dizzying as was mine— Director of Wine and Sommelier

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Serena Harkey. Harkey, who has worked in the restaurant industry since the age of age 14, is lively and arrives with humor and expertise about wine that is leaps and bounds beyond the time, at age 19, when working at a bar she admits she only knew about wine that “there was red, and white, and stuff that comes in a box.” Years ago, she found herself taken under the wing of Jan Manni, sommelier and owner of now-closed The Wine Attic in Paso Robles. Harkey today sings a far more refined tune and credits Manni with teaching her to recognize quality wine and to establish price points that insure customers are reassured and trust that the wine they are paying for at LB Steak is worth the expenditure. “Especially in California, it’s easy to stick with the standards and make that the shining star,” Harkey says about developing the wine list at the San Ramon location. “We honor that, but I also work to expand my own palette and knowledge. Wines from the world

that pair well with steak and reflect America as a melting pot are where I started. “The Canard-Duchêbe, Cuvée Leonie, Brut NV 25 is a champagne I selected because it’s rich, round and textured. It’s live and fresh, but has the backbone to pair with something like a rib eye. For red wine by the glass, the L’Aventure Optimus, 2018 35 from Paso Robles comes from my favorite winemaker. He's originally from Bordeaux in Southwest France and moved to California because France is so restrictive. This selection is his blend of classic grown varietals and Bordeaux wines together.” LB Steak was started by Roland Passot, a James Beard-nominated French chef and owner of San Francisco’s recently closed La Folie. The restaurant group includes an LB Steak in San Jose, along with Meso, featuring Mediterranean cuisine, and Left Bank Brasserie, a casual restaurant group offering a seasonal French menu in Larkspur, Menlo Park and San Jose. Executive Chef Jonah Oakden, formerly of San Francisco’s Boulevard and Prospect restaurants, leads the LB kitchen in San Ramon. The modern, decidedly upscale steakhouse features a bold craft cocktail bar offering, among other selections, Japanese whisky and St. George Botanivore gin and bourbon from the United States, Japan and Scotland. Harkey says, “The bar makes you feel like you’re in an episode of Mad Men, with all of the gold and metal detailing and leather wrapped pillars.” Throughout the restaurant,

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‘It’s almost as if the kitchen intentionally avoids over-decoration, confident that quality is evidenced in the ingredients, taste and aroma of the food it serves, not in the trickery of performative adornments.’ « Oakland-based architectural firm

Arcsine has created intricate public and private dining spaces with an interior design reflecting expected cattle rancher themes. A floor-to-ceiling wine wall, purple cowhide-patterned wall covering, modern lighting fixtures and a welcoming outdoor patio including a fire pit seamlessly boost the restaurant’s contemporary West Coast aesthetics and atmosphere. The understated, unapologetic aesthetics carry over to plates on the table with simple presentations of salads that use color to create the artistry and swirls or poufs made with chocolate sauce or mousse to add texture and dimension to deserts such as chocolate molten cake or caramel chocolate Cremeux. It’s almost as if the kitchen intentionally avoids overdecoration, confident that quality is evidenced in the ingredients, taste and aroma of the food it serves, not in the trickery of performative adornments. Full disclosure means stating up front that for all the straightforward presentation, a meal at LB Steak is upscale. Which means it comes at a cost. Along with a commitment to serve

only USDA Certified Angus, Wagyu rated A4 and A5, only steaks with specific BMS scores—measuring the level of marbling from five to seven or eight to 12—sustainably sourced seafood, premium poultry and superior seasonal produce, there is the impact of Covid on all restaurants. Harkey says shifts made to ensure the safety of staff and customers include extra training for employees, purchasing sanitizing supplies and masks, and more. Additionally, delays in the meat, wine and produce delivery pipeline have products sitting in ports for weeks—or not available at all. “We’re trying to figure out how to take that burden on ourselves with smart purchases,” Harkey says. “We won’t move to a cheaper product. We will always want to put the best meat on your plate and the best wine in your glass.” It was that second thought, during late November 2020—and the ongoing activities of the Black Lives Matter movement—that caused Harkey to review the LB wine list. “I realized we had no Black winemakers on our menu,” she says. Immediately, she reached out to her contacts and added a few

winemakers, but knew it was only the beginning. Harkey developed what she calls her “passion project.” Naming it Flight for Allyship, the program each month highlights under-represented winemakers. Fifteen percent of all proceeds from the sale of Allyship flights provides scholarships and grants aimed at creating a more diverse and inclusive food and beverage industry. During June, Pride Month, the menu featured three winemakers of the LGBTQ community. “I wanted to honor and highlight them, and that’s how I came to partner with Lia Jones, the executive director for Diversity in Food and Beverage, the charitable organization we partner with,” Harkey says. “I’m trying to pay attention to Women’s History month, Black History month, Latinx winemakers, POC winemakers. It’s constantly changing. Last month we did Asian American, and July is still being planned.” Harkey, like Rungpha, believes the life lessons learned from elders—from her parents, from Manni, even from the Japanese farmer—can be applied to eating and to food as a source of respect, nurturance and enjoyment. Harkey calls these elements “the glue to the formula of bringing people together.” Rungpha says it is shepherding land and food. Regardless of the label, a meal parented with care is special. At this time in history that feels like no other, a celebration at LB Steak that includes an allyship flight and re-commitment to share bounty with the underserved is one way to find the path to a new, uplifting normal. ❤

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SPREAD There is much to admire at Oakland’s Noodle Belly.

PHOTOS BY JOSH FELISE

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d Bowleda gBeautiful Oakland’s Noodle Belly mixes ingredients and influences BY Jeffrey Edalatpour

PHOTOS BY JOSH FELISE

n his primary day job, Eugene Lee owns a roofing supply company. It’s not the first profession that comes to mind when I try the food at Noodle Belly. The concept is straightforward: Choose a vegetable and a protein to accompany a bowl of noodles and the housemade sauce. One can, for example, combine fried chicken and roasted carrots or barbecue pork belly and sauteed rainbow chard. The chewy noodles are plentiful, and as thick as chopsticks. The secret sauce tastes sweeter than a typical barbecue glaze, complementing—rather than overpowering—one’s chosen combination of vegetable and meat. Jorge Concha is the chef executing a shared vision with Lee and his business partner Kevyn Miyata. Lee describes the food at Noodle Belly as “Bay Area

comfort food.” Lee says he’s Korean American, Miyata is Japanese American via Hawaii and Concha is Peruvian American. “I can’t call the food Asian, because it’s not really Asian,” Lee says. It’s not Peruvian either. “It just has influences from all of our backgrounds.” Lee and Miyata had been toying with a concept like Noodle Belly for nearly a decade. They only began to take the idea seriously, to hone and define it, in the last couple of years. Hiring Concha sealed the deal. With Concha’s background in fine dining and the Mr. Lomo Peruvian pop-up, Lee believes he was “the perfect candidate” for the job. The Bay Area, Lee feels, has its own culinary identity that differs from New York. “We have our own idea of how ingredients should be treated,” he says. “We call it comfort food because this

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BOWLFUL OF BLISS The chewy noodles are plentiful, and as thick as chopsticks.

« isn't a $300-a-plate situation.”

Like the menu, the space on Fruitvale Avenue is in its infancy. When I dropped by last month to pick up my lunch, there wasn’t any decor, signage— the sign is due to go up in June—or sense of a restaurant identity as yet. I checked in at a long table inside the front doorway and waited for the order on the concrete patio out back. While inside, I peered into the massive, industrial-sized kitchen through large glass windows. Lee says they bought the property because they’re also in the process of providing room in the kitchen for a couple of other pop-ups so they can test out their ideas. IVSF Catering, headed by Jason Angeles and Ronnie Taylor, and Alex Tejada’s Magnolia Mini Mart (MMM) are two such tenants. IVSF

Catering prepares meals for senior citizens. MMM will operate a small pantry to sell products from their location in West Oakland, while also preparing sandwiches and small bites. Once the City of Oakland approves the liquor license, there are plans to create a bar dedicated to serving craft cocktails. Customers would be able to order from any one of the concepts, and have a drink while they’re waiting. When Lee, and a handful of his friends, bought the property at 1014 Fruitvale Avenue, they saw great potential in it. “There's a 3,000-squarefoot courtyard behind the facade of the building,” he says. “It's right next to the BART station.” Once installed, they’re going to call the bar Korner Bar. As for adding to the menu, Lee says they’ll be gauging the expansion by looking

at sales metrics but, more importantly, only when they all feel comfortable doing so. Lee imagines the future of the outdoor courtyard as a place to hang out with food and drinks, similar to restaurants along the Embarcadero. He also envisions setting up a barbecue. “We could do a whole roasted pig one day,” he says. “That's why we have this large kitchen, to be able to produce fun, new things.” One of the food businesses they’re working with is run by someone who lives locally. “She has a food concept, but she doesn’t have her entity set up,” Lee says. “We’re working with her pro bono to help her set up the accounting side.” Helping these nascent food companies start up makes his team feel like they’re adding something to the community. “We've had numerous people stop by, including local politicians like the vice mayor of Oakland and district supervisors,” Lee says. “They're very happy about what we're doing here.” People just across the bridge in Alameda have also responded well to Noodle Belly’s initial opening. “I'm very adamant about trying to be part of any community I go into,” Lee says. “We've gotten a very, very warm welcome from the neighborhood.” Noodle Belly, open Wednesday–Saturday 11am to 3pm, 1014 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. 510.439.9459. noodlebelly.com

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Everyday i BAKED This is how Sunday became your favorite day of the week.

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Sunday

y is

Sunday Family Group’s East Bay ‘Bakeshop’ concept

BY Jeffrey Edalatpour

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUNDAY BAKESHOP

he special at Sunday Bakeshop on National Donut Day is a banana milk donut. Chef Elaine Lau created it together with Deuki Hong, who she says loves banana milk. Lau tried the Korean drink, packaged in a juice box, because he had talked about it. She decided to combine her love of donuts with one of his favorite drinks. “It’s literally just bananas ground into milk,” Lau says. “Only it tastes more artificial. We roast real bananas in our version.” Hong is also a chef, but both he and Lau describe his present occupation as someone who “finds people who are passionate about food and then provides them with their own platform.” Sunday Bakeshop is just one culinary wing or “concept” from the Sunday Family group. But the hospitality group initially formed when

Hong moved to the Bay Area from New York. Hong's first endeavor here, Sunday Bird, was a fried chicken pop-up in the Boba Guys Fillmore location. Its success led to an expanded partnership with the Boba Guys. They started Sundays, a food and beverage program at the Asian Art Museum (AAM). Now that public spaces are opening up again, Hong, with Chef Elena Yamamoto, will be at the AAM serving up sandos that are as big a hit as his fried chicken was on Fillmore. Another concept, called Sunday Gather, in partnership with The Way Ministry, serves Hawaiian barbecue. Located in the Bayview on Third Street, items range from loco moco to a chicken katsu sandwich. In addition to their food service, Gather provides job training for people who have been incarcerated or are in recovery, and for people without housing.

Sunday Bakeshop, though, is the first East Bay venture. Hong says it’s “an homage to the Asian bakeries we grew up eating [in] and loving.” Chef Yamamoto contributes packaged snacks usually found in Asian convenience stores, such as pandan coconut caramel corn. But the pastries, which decorate the glass cases at the Bakeshop, are primarily Lau’s creations. Lau began to work with Hong, and his established partnership with the Boba Guys, to develop a pastry program. The plan was to sell pastries wholesale and at the Boba Guys storefronts. In the second year, her baked goods sold well enough that the Sunday group decided to provide Lau with the opportunity to run her own shop. The Boba Guys were in the process of renovating the closed-down Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream space on

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OPEN SESAME A medley of sesame seeds is an apt touch.

College Avenue. When the landlord suggested they also rent the adjacent shop, formerly Katrina Rozelle Pastries and Desserts, Sunday Bakeshop got the green light. When Lau first began working for the Sunday Family, she was cooking savory dishes in restaurants like Manresa. “But I never got to show what my menu might look like,” she says. Lau believes that Hong saw something more in her. “I had always dabbled in pastry, and when the opportunity to interview [with the Sunday Family] came up, Deuki’s vision drew me in.”

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The pastries are displayed in the same way they were in the Asian bakeries from Hong’s childhood. Originally, the idea was for customers to pick up a tray and selfserve, cafeteria-style. Because of Covid-19 that approach is on hold until pandemic restrictions normalize. As for the types of pastries themselves, Hong wanted to move beyond simply recreating the baked goods from his youth. Lau’s croissants suggest a fusion of her French culinary training and her Chinese-American heritage. Her hojicha croissant contains chocolate valrhona bars and is dusted with roasted green tea. She fills the “aloha” with a pineapple sausage and tops it with furikake, scallions and parmesan. Fusion though, Hong suggests, isn’t exactly the mot juste. “Elaine’s putting forth a definition of what Asian American pastries look like,” he says. She may be drawing from nostalgic influences, but the red bean buns don’t look like the ones you’d find at a bakery in Chinatown. “Red beans are starchy, almost like

a sweetened potato mash,” Lau says. “I stuff it in everything; mochi bread, even filled donuts.” One year for Thanksgiving, she made a red bean pie, which tasted like a sweet potato pie. But her favorite use of them is a beverage from Hong Kong. “They pour evaporated or coconut milk and sweet red beans over ice,” she says. “It’s super refreshing but also, oddly, very tasty and satisfying.” The energetic Hong moves from one branch of Sunday to the next. When I visited the Bakeshop, he was behind the counter, taking orders and handing them out a few minutes later. He gives full credit to Lau for the creative inception and execution of the pastries. “The beautiful thing is we’re both Asian American—we grew up very differently, but we both have shared experiences,” he says. They bounce ideas off of each other, but Hong, who claims he doesn’t know how to bake a brownie, defers to her culinary talents, calling her “the mastermind” behind it all. Unlike Hong’s specific passion for banana milk though, Lau says she’s a seasonal eater. Last weekend, she went cherry picking with another chef and came back with apricots, too. “If I know cherry juice is coming in season,” she says, “that is definitely what I would be looking for.” Sunday Bakeshop, open Saturday-Sunday, 11am to 4pm, 5931 College Ave., Oakland. 510.599.8550. thesundaybakeshop.com

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