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California Migration Museum’s Melting Spots: An Immigrant Map of San Francisco Food is a delight to devour. You will eat exceedingly well and can learn about a wealth of regional cuisines if you visit any of the stops featured in this multimedia project, which is available for free online.
Each of the 38 eateries is accompanied by a YouTube interview with the proprietor that adds depth impossible to capture in a map alone.
“Food is inherently political,” says chef-owner Reem Assil in the clip for his Arab street food project Reem’s California. “You can’t really sever the way that we eat foods or what we eat from the history and the context behind that food. And particularly Palestinians, it’s really weighted in a time where we are literally fighting to exist.”
There’s a lot of thought behind the map’s selections—beyond just being delicious, pioneers are here, too. For example, correct credit is given to the Sunset District drink and bulk candy shop called Wonderful Foods Co (2035 Irving) for being the birthplace of local boba, serving what they call tapioca drinks since the ’90s; to Thanh Long (4101 Judah) for making garlic noodles a local thrill; and to Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive) for reputedly creating the fortune cookie.
The museum is also selling limited edition prints of the whimsically-illustrated map. Put it on a wall and use it as an oracle for many fun future meals.
MELTING SPOTS: AN IMMIGRANT MAP OF SAN FRANCISCO FOOD can be seen and purchased here.
Tamara just launched a new free newsletter called California Eating.
