The latest foodie happenings across the Bay Bridge.
Oakland maintains its status as an East Bay hot spot for eat and drink and the theory beckons: where the food tours go, the good spots quickly follow (we are all tourists in the quest for that great eat, no?). The chance to see and sample a variety of uptown spots beckons via a new food tour, and a coffee entitity with outposts in San Francisco and SoCal has claimed a stake right by a busy BART station.
A new Uptown Oakland Food & Drinks Tour ($88) from Edible Excursions soft launched last month, with food writer slash guide Sarah Henry introducing bites and pours, along with potential connections and good stories at some of the neighborhood's best spots: Stag's Lunchette for a pastrami reuben, Duende Bodega for the chef's choice from acclaimed local restaurateur Paul Canales, Bar Dogwood for a craft cocktail and grilled cheese, Oaklandish for a crash course in Oaktown pride and locavore snacks, Sweet Bar Bakery for the café's namesake treat, Two Mile Wines for a small flight tasting inside an artist collective, and Plum Bar for seasonal eats from lauded Daniel Patterson Group chef Kim Alter, along with a signature sip from the bar. Do note that tour stops are subject to change. Book via owner Lisa Rogovin: lisa@edibleexcursions.net. Other food tours pop up in the Temescal District, SF's Mission (18th Street or the 24th Street corridor), Japantown, Ferry Building and Downtown, and Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto.
On the coffee front, Tierra Mia has a new Oakland outpost, with micro-lot coffee, espresso drinks, and addictive Starter Bakery pastries. A bonus for travelers: the location is nestled right near the 19th Street BART stop. Tierra Mia roasts the coffee on a snazzy 1957 Probat roaster; La Marzocco equipment and Mazzer grinders are great signs that latte art is happening here and now. Their horchata frappe drink grants the buyer a caffeine and rice milk fix, and the Mocha Mexicano ably incorporates cinnamon and chocolate with caffeine—a dreamy brew if ever there was one. 2001 Broadway (at 20th), Oakland.
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