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Restaurant Review
Teni East Kitchen relocates to Piedmont Avenue
When we walked into the new Turkish restaurant on Berkeley’s Fourth Street, more than half of the tables sat empty. But without a reservation, even on a sleepy weeknight, they weren’t seating customers inside or outside on...
Kitsch Coffee opens in Jack London Square
Déjà vu hit me the second I stepped inside Kitsch Coffee. It took me a minute to realize I’d stepped back in time to the bygone era of Blake Edwards’ 1968 film, The Party. From the paintings...
Hayward’s Haochi Bakery pops up in Alameda
East Bay pop-ups have found a consistent place to land at a few bodegas, boutiques and markets. Of All Places, Honey Bird Market, Island Savoy Market and Morningtide are just a few of the many local hosts....
Leña arrives in Alameda
When Yesenia Chavez and her family were creating the menu for Leña, their first restaurant, they decided not to feature tacos as entrées. Chavez told me they wanted to make Mexican dishes that aren’t routinely served. “Both...
Wolfsbane whimsically showcases California’s bounty
Wolfsbane is an herb and a poison. It’s also the name of Rupert and Carrie Blease’s new restaurant. When I spoke with Rupert Blease, the chef explained why he, his wife and their co-founder, Tommy Halvorson, chose...
Ollie’s celebrates seasonal cheeses
Alyssa Gilbert likes the taste of a funky cheese. As the executive director of the California Artisan Cheese Guild and the owner of Ollie’s American Cheese and Provisions, Gilbert recommends Tulip Tree Creamery’s double-cream cow’s milk Foxglove....
Nudi Blue brings afternoon tea to Berkeley
The first Bay Area high tea service I experienced was at a downtown San Francisco hotel. A friend of mine at the time was crazy about drinking tea with petit fours. When she wasn’t making them at...
