Bay Area Food

A compendium of places to buy, eat, and learn about food and food production in the Bay Area.  Also see Bay Area Chocolate, Bay Area Restaurants, and Bay Area Sightseeing posts.

Alameda / Oakland / Berkeley / Greater Alameda County

Alameda County Foodie Tour

• Alameda Natural Grocery (organic food and healthcare), 1650 Park St, Alameda, www.alamedanaturalgrocery.com
• Numi Tea Garden, 2230 Livingston St, Oakland, http://www.numiteagarden.com/about.htm
• Rosenblum Cellars (wine), 2900 Main St, Alameda, www.rosenblumcellars.com
• Hangar One (vodka and absinthe), 2601 Monarch St, Alameda, www.hangarone.com/visit.html
• Blue Bottle Coffee, Cupping Room (coffee tasting) every Tuesday and Sunday at 2pm, 300 Webster St, Oakland, http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/webster-street ; (coffee machine demonstrations coming soon to 4270 Broadway location in the old W.C. Morse building  http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/morse  )
• Cafe Fanny, Acme Bread, Kermit Lynch (Cafe Fanny is associated with Chez Panisse, Acme Bread is one of the original Bay Area artesianal bakeries, and Kermit Lynch is a high-end wine shop), 1603 San Pablo, Berkeley, http://www.cafefanny.com/, http://www.forkandbottle.com/pantry/bread/acme.htm, http://www.kermitlynch.com/
• Gourmet Gulch: Chocolatier Blue, 1964 University Ave, Berkeley, www.chocolatierblue.com; OctoberFeast (German bakery), 1954 University Ave, Berkeley, octoberfeast.com; Athineon (Greek bakery), 1941 University Ave, Berkeley; eVe, 1960 University Ave, Berkeley, ;
• Cheese Board Collective and Cheese Board Pizza (cheese and pizza), 1504 Shattuck, Berkeley, http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/
• Peet’s Coffee (original retail location – their new green roasting plant is in Alameda, but they won’t be offering tours until late 2008), 2124 Vine Street, Berkeley, www.peets.com
• Chez Panisse (Alice Water’s restaurant that started California Cuisine), 1517 Shattuck, Berkeley, http://www.chezpanisse.com/
• Takara Sake (Sho Chiku Bai Sake, tasting room and museum), 708 Addison St, Berkeley, http://www.takarasake.com/company/tastingRoom.htm
• Berkeley Bowl (the grocery store – produce and more produce), 2020 Oregon Street, Berkeley, http://www.berkeleybowl.com/
• Cultured Pickle Shop
• Sacred Wheel, 4935 Shattuck Ave, Oakland
• Emeryville Public Market
• [Teance, Berkeley, www.teance.com; Dashe Cellars and JC Cellars, 55 4th St, Oakland, www.dashecellars.com, www.jccellars.com; Lost Canyon Winery, 2102 Dennison St, Ste A, Oakland, www.lostcanyonwinery.com; Eno Wines and Harrington Wines, 805 Camelia St, www.enowines.com, www.harringtonwine.com;]
• Semifreddi’s (bread), 4242 Hollis St, Emeryville, http://www.semifreddis.com/index.html – does tours by special arrangement
• Blue Chair – tours??
• House Kombucha – private tours??
• Annabelle Candy Company, Hayward – doesn’t do tours (?)
• Dreyer’s Ice Cream plant tour –  closed

Restaurants

• Gourmet Ghetto and Gourmet Gulch in Berkeley
• Fellini (1401 University Way), Nan Yang (6048 College), Crepevine (5600 College)
• Movies and pizza at The New Parkway http://thenewparkway.com/wp/

San Francisco

Melting Spots – self-guided audio tours of SF history via its restaurant food.  From the California Migration Museum.

SF Foodie Tour

• Ferry Building: built in 1898; Beaux-Arts; food and cooking-related vendors inside every day 9am – 6pm; food trucks and Farmers’ Market outside on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (10am / 10am / 8am to 2pm).  Free walking tours starting at noon on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Inside vendors include Acme Bread Company, Delica, Far West Fungi, Frog Hollow Farm, Slanted Door, and Blue Bottle Coffee.
• Samovar Tea lounge, 415-626-4700, samovartea.com, 730 Howard St or 498 Sanchez St
• Ghirardelli Square
• Boudin Bakery Museum – gives a great overview of San Francisco history (with a focus on food), the science of sourdough, and a self-guided tour of the bakery; 11:30am – 6pm, closed Tu.  Located upstairs from the Boudin Bakery store and cafe next to Fisherman’s Wharf.  http://www.boudinbakery.com/wharf/museum.html
• TCHO tour, Pier 17 in San Francisco, on the Embarcadero @ Green; Open: Daily 10am to 6pm
• Wok Wiz, $65, 415-981-8989, SF food tour
• Bloomingdale’s and the Food Emporium at 865 Market St (at 5th St), SF
• Dandelion Chocolate, 740 Valencia St, factory tour 6 – 6:20pm W, Th, and F
• Charles Chocolates (chocolate store and cafe), 535 Florida St, SF (Mission / Protrero Hill), www.charleschocolates.com
• Smitten Ice Cream

Tea Rooms

Alameda County

• Pardee Home Museum
• Teance
• Far Leaves Teas
• Imperial Tea Court – http://www.imperialtea.com/category_s/1874.htm
• Asha Tea House
• Boba Guys
• The Tea Room Organic Chocolates ( www.tearoomchocolates.com )
• Golden Tea Garden, Hayward

Private events only: Numi Tea Garden, Oakland (new Numi Tea Garden coming sometime soon in Oakland??)

Contra Costa County

• Lafayette: The French Bakery

San Francisco

• Lovejoy’s
• Samovar Tea Lounge
• Lealand Tea Company, http://www.lelandtea.com/category-s/76.htm

Japanese Food

• Shuei-Do Manju Shop, 217 Jackson St, San Jose, 408-294-4148
• Benkyodo
• Musashi Market, 2126 Dwight Way @ Shattuck, Berkeley
• Sam Yick’s Oriental Market, 362 8th St, Oakland
• Tokyo Fish Market, 1220 San Pablo Ave ½ block from Gilman, Berkeley, 510-524-7243
• Diablo Oriental Food, Walnut Creek
• Imahara Fresh Produce & Japanese Food, Cupertino
• Takahashi Market, San Mateo

Other Foodie

• Pez Museum, Burlingame, www.burlingamepezmuseum.com
• California Candy Company, Burlingame, www.calforniacandy.com
• CUESA
• La Cocina
• http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/foodtours.asp

Cooking Schools

• Draeger’s
• Ramekins
• Sur La Table
• Tante Marie’s

Chefs

• Weezy (Alameda)
• Alice Medrich
• Alice Waters
• Deceased or retired: Marion Cunningham

Reference

Books

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