Good Taste champions the Bay Area food scene and provides serving suggestions to brighten your eating life. We’re here every week, folks — try the plant-based lox.
IDK who needs to hear this but: It’s-It has introduced a new and smaller It’s-It Mini in vanilla at big box stores like Safeway and Walmart. You get six miniature ice cream sandwiches in a box, which might be a good Mother’s Day gift in lieu of flowers? Like those 100-calorie packs of potato chips, an It’s-It Mini is a mighty test of willpower. Besides, the original version has already gotten smaller over the years! It’s-It, if you can hear me, how about introducing a Mini variety pack? That would be a game-changer.
Lunch break: As mentioned earlier, I’ve been looking forward to eating my way through the different menus offered at the new La Cocina Municipal Marketplace (101 Hyde St.) for a few years, and my first lunch from there was a divine Merguez sausage, couscous and lentil soup from Kayma Algerian Eatery, which launched as a food trailer just one year ago. Please support this business and make it famous and successful.
I ordered delivery because I couldn’t get there during lunch hours, and I like that La Cocina has added the option to add $5 for a meal for someone in the area. It’s also encouraging that all of the immigrant women-owned businesses in this food hall include lower priced options in consideration of the neighborhood.
Rolling without In-N-Out: While many find the politics of In-N-Out Burger distasteful, that special sauce admittedly rocks, so I was tickled to see and order the Double Double Roll from the sustainable sushi bar Tataki. This Double Double is made with spicy tempura albacore tuna and a spicy version of that familiar sauce. It’s not as literal as what local Instagrammer Sushi Artisan made with actual In-N-Out ingredients, but it’s pretty marvelous nonetheless (and doesn’t enrich a business that supports the wrong causes in California).
Fishless lox? San Francisco’s Goldie Lox quickly sold out of its first run of vegan carrot lox, which is selling locally via Good Eggs delivery; it’ll be back in stock on Friday and is definitely worth a try for lox lovers. I was able to snag one of the cute packages this past week and used it to make a super tasty sushi roll with Kite Hill vegan almond chive cream cheese (see below video).
Write on! Congratulations to local author, activist and Museum of the African Diaspora chef-in-residence Bryant Terry, who has just announced the launch of a new Ten Speed Press publishing imprint called 4 Color Books. Bryant will nurture emerging writers and publish two or three new titles each year, starting with the October publication of his Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes From Across the African Diaspora (a Cookbook).
Snacktion: Chef Crystal Wahpepah of Oakland’s Wahpepah’s Kitchen is currently taking online orders to ship boxes of two outrageously delicious, mmm out loud vegan and gluten free wild rice maple bars made with ingredients sourced from Indigenous business owners. Consider this a huge rave for both the Swaamnaatei Wild Rice Amaranth and Swaamnaatei Chocolate Rose Hips options as I start to wistfully ration the last bites of the two boxes I ordered. The bars are described as limited edition, so act now if you’re interested.
Wahpepah is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo nation of Oklahoma and was born and raised in a multi-tribal community on Ohlone land in Oakland. On her website, she’s described as viewing her business as a “portal to food sovereignty and a reclamation of ancestral knowledge in Native and Indigenous communities.”
Bargain market alert: Grocery Outlet, the Bay Area-based supermarket chain with the super earworm of a theme song, has opened a much-needed new Bayview location at 355 Bayshore Boulevard. I’m not a paid spokesmodel, but if you’re not already part of the GroceOut fan club for the always solid selection of everyday, gourmet, and organic products and fresh produce at super prices, I assume you haven’t been before! It’s a particular win for the neighborhood’s dearth of markets.
“We are going to continue to push for more grocery stores in District 10 so that residents can have easy access to fresh and healthy foods,” District 10 Supervisor and Board President Shamann Walton said in a release.
Bonus bargain: There’s a location-specific $5 coupon offer for new email signups until May 27.
Plan your next food fantasy at Tamara’s website California Eating.
