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Food & Drink
Amy Pence guides Piedmont Grocery through changing times
Walking into the family-owned Piedmont Grocery, folded into a corner of the always buzzing strip of Oakland that is Piedmont Avenue, one feels at home, whether looking for old supermarket favorites like canned soups and soda or...
Richmond’s Les Lunes elevates grapes with natural ascent
Shaunt Oungoulian and Diego Roig have come a long way since shoveling grapes through a basement window in Orinda. Walking into the Les Lunes facility in Richmond makes that clear. High ceilings and climate-controlled storage rooms house...
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...
Chez Panisse opens next-door cocktail lounge
Despite the darkness and a cold January wind, a line formed out the door of Bar Panisse. Inside, every bar stool and table was occupied. The Save César Berkeley campaign collected more than 4,000 signatures to protest...
Petite LaFleur handcrafts confections in Berkeley
After dinner at a friend’s house the other night, she laid out a small plate with pieces of candy. There were dark chocolate peppermint creams made by Summerdown, a company based in Hampshire. Their tagline sounds like...
Muster up some enthusiasm for seasonal mustards
The most popular condiment in the U.S. based on sales volume is mayonnaise. It was invented by a French chef in Spain in the 1750s. The first recipe for tomato ketchup, often called the “King of Condiments,”...
Museum café expands exhibit engagement
The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) upstairs café peers down on a gallery two floors below. This café is at once part of the museum and in its own liminal space. We walk into...
