San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
The best bites of 2020
A sampling of some of the greatest things I’ve had the privilege to eat this year
though 2020 has been absolute trash all around, the Bay Area’s food scene has continued on, though with the precarity of a flickering match in a storm. Amid the chaos and stress of weathering a pandemic in one of the hardesthit countries in the world, opportunities to eat nourishing and soulsatisfying food have become even more precious. Life has changed for all of us, though I’m happy to report that extraordinary and accessible food and experiences are still out there in the Bay Area.
This year, I experienced a great number of restaurants via takeout box. To cope with a major drop in inperson dining ( exacerbated by onandoff bans on the practice), restaurants and popups leaned into dishes that could make the trip home in one piece. Hefty hoagies, modeled after the World War Iera sandwich that fed Italian Americans working in Philadelphia’s shipyards, have been a popular pivot. Comforting “fast food,” like pizzas and pav bhaji, have also been a stable presence in a time when we’ve all sought solace in whatever ways we could.
As we have changed to meet the challenges of 2020, so has our food. Here’s just a sampling of the greatest things I’ve had the privilege to eat this year.
San Francisco Bay boquerones at Anchovy Bar
In the San Francisco Bay’s waters, famously rich with Dungeness crabs and halibut, are schools of little anchovies that we rarely, if ever, eat directly. But in the hands of the team behind Anchovy Bar ( and the Progress and State Bird Provisions), who clean and brine them almost right off the boat, the humble baitfish become succulent and aromatic with citrus. They pair very well with the avocado and slices of toast that accompany them. The dish’s availability coincides with the fishing season, which spans April to November.
The Anchovy Bar. $ 20. 1740 O’Farrell St., San Francisco. 4157962710 or www. theanchovybar. com
Basque cheesecake from Basuku
When his day job slowed down during the pandemic, culinary consultant Charles Chen devoted his extra time to refining his own version of the burnt Basque cheesecake, one that captured the milkforward flavor of Japanese desserts. The final product is a triumph, full of caramel notes from the browned top and as silky in texture as a wellripened Brie. The cake is made by Chen in small batches, which he sells through popup events and via various restaurants across the Bay Area.
Basuku. $ 35. www. instagram. com/ basukucheesecakes
Casoncelli Bergamaschi at Belotti
The first time I went to this cozy Italian spot in Rockridge, I was overwhelmed by the variety of handmade pasta on the menu. Randomly, I chose the casoncelli, a dish modeled after chef Michele Belotti’s mother’s rendition. Shaped like individually wrapped gumballs, the toothsome pasta is filled with a complex mixture of cured and cooked meats and Grana Padano cheese, a combination greatly enhanced by a strong, herbal hit of sage. Pancetta contributes sweetness and a faint smokiness, beef adds bulk, and the melty fat in the prosciutto and ground pork shoulder keeps the mixture tasting moist and luxurious. Choosing this was like hitting the jackpot on my first slot machine pull.
Belotti Ristorante. $ 16.25. 5403 College Ave., Oakland. 5107887890 or www. belottirb. com
Summer Danish at Breadbelly
Topped with a luscious, drippy and downright suggestive fig, this limitededition pastry from the Richmond District’s Breadbelly bakery beautifully captured the plenitude of late summer’s fruits: heat and sunlight transformed into sheer sweetness. The candystripe fig from K& J Orchards was nestled in a bed of honeyflavored pastry cream and surrounded by flaky pastry studded with sesame seeds. The seeds’ toasty, somewhat savory flavor was a sublime counterpoint to the sweetness of the other ingredients. Available for just a few short weeks, the pastry was something truly special in the bakery’s already excellent roster of seasonal specials.
Breadbelly. $ 8. 1408 Clement St., San Francisco. 4153490969 or www. bread bellysf. com
Shengjianbao at Dumpling Home
Shengjianbao — a cousin to the more popular, waterballoonlike xiaolongbao — are difficult to get right. Filled with meat and broth, then steamed and fried, the dumplings offer plenty of ways for the process to go wrong. But in Lily Wong’s auteurEven ist hands, the version offered at Hayes Valley’s Dumpling Home is filled with plenty of wellseasoned soup and sculpted with an curvaceous, vaselike structure. Their golden brown bottoms are a pleasure to crunch into, though warn your tablemates in advance so they don’t get squirted in the face with hot broth: Eating these is a whole experience. Previously, the dumplings were only available for inperson dining, but the dish is now available for takeout.
Dumpling Home. $ 12.95. 298 Gough St., San Francisco. 4155031666 or www. dumplinghome. com
Eggplant hoagie at Flour + Water Pasta Shop
At Flour + Water’s pandemicera side project, which sells meal kits and more casual fare than the dinnerfocused flagship, I was impressed most of all by the hoagies, which are as big as any burrito you can get in the Mission. With the exception of the fried chicken sandwich, which comes on a smaller roll, the hoagies — served on footlong rolls — are definitely good for two meals, making this a very affordable lunch item. The eggplant parm is an exemplar of this sandwich genre, with firm and crisp bread; plenty of moisture from a grassy kalepepita pesto, marinara and garlic butter; and an audible interior crunch of fried eggplant.
Flour + Water Pasta Shop. $ 16.50. 3000 20th St., San Francisco. https:// flourandwaterpastashop.com
Granny’s potatoes at Horn Barbecue
Yes, the smoked brisket at Horn Barbecue in West Oakland is a superstar worth waiting in line for, with the way it melts like butter onto a slice of bread, but can we talk about the potato casserole you can get as a side? The cheesy casserole, inspired by owner Matt Horn’s grandmother’s recipe, is thick with cheddar, butter and cream of chicken soup, with a sprinkle of green onions to give the luscious mass an astringent counterpoint. It’s the kind of food you long for when you want to be soothed, the kind of thing you could easily eat by the spoonful while watching “Real Housewives” in your pajamas.
Horn Barbecue. $ 10. 2534 Mandela Pkwy., Oakland. 5102256101 or www. hornbarbecue. com
Shrimp toast at Intuon
At Intuon Kornnawong’s Isaan Thai popup, the chef serves up irresistible and small bites like this shrimp toast, which I order every time I go. A mousse of shrimp and pork fat coats a thick, fluffy slice of Japanese milk bread, which is then fried and topped with cilantro and pickled red peppers for a bright pop of acid. Kornnawong uses acid the way a chorus uses its sopranos, wielding the high notes to pull an otherwise heavy dish up, up and up.
Intuon. $ 15. Popping up Fridays at Hidden Cafe, 1250 Addison St., Suite 111, Berkeley; and Sundays at Birba, 458 Grove St., San Francisco. www. instagram. com/_ intu_ on_ sf
LDC Nuggets at Lion Dance Cafe
Tofu nuggets, long a punch line for the antivegetarian crowd, have been overdue for an image rehabilitation, and Oakland’s Lion Dance Cafe has done it. At their SingaporeanItalian vegan restaurant, CY Chia and Shane Stanbridge’s take on the nugget, made from local Hodo tofu, is massively labor intensive. They freeze the tofu to give it a coarser, firmer texture, then brine it to infuse it with more flavor. The nuggets come breaded, fried and garnished with Thai basil and fried curry leaves, whose mature, roasted aroma is the first thing that hits you when you open the takeout box. I daresay they’re leagues better than any chicken nuggets I’ve ever had.
Lion Dance Cafe. $ 10. 380 17th St., Oakland. www.liondancecafe.com
Breakfast tacos from LoJo’s Taco Shop
Tucked away in a side room at this neighborhood butcher shop and market in Bernal Heights is this tiny popup that specializes in breakfast tacos. It’s the small details here that add up to a glorious picture: handmade and pliant flour tortillas from La Palma; highquality bacon, steak and chorizo ( thanks to the butcher shop next
door); flavorful homemade tofu “chond rizo”; and thoughtful variations in toppings, like corn salsa and fluffy, browned potatoes, that make each taco feel unique and worth ordering. Grab one of each and throw down a blanket at nearby Holly Park to make the most of your Saturday morning.
Lojo’s Taco Shop. $ 4.50$ 5. Popping up 8 a. m. . noon on Saturdays at Avedaly no’s Holly Park Market. 235 Cortland Ave., San Francisco. www. instagram. com/ lojos ostacos
Pav bhaji at Pav Bhaji Hut
There aren’t that many places in the Bay Area where you can get pav bhaji, the famous Maharashtrian fast food. Which is weird because the combinalavorsome tion of flvorsome mashed vegetables, fresh chopped onion and cilantro, and soft toasted rolls is a real crowdpleasnkfully, er. Than the rendition served at Pav Bhajaji Hut is bangon, with shiny Parker Houseadjacent bread rolls, a curry topped with a pat of rich Indian butter, and a depth of flavor that comes only from long, patient cooksomething ing. For more over the top with gooey, cheesy character, try the intense s
Pav Bhaji Hut. $ 9.99$ 10.99. Loca tions in Fremont( 37100 Fremont Blvd., Suite A) and Sunnyvale ( 1201 Lawrence Station Road). https:// pavbhajihut. com
Musharoni pan pizza at PizzaLeah
While circular pies are the foundahis tion of the small pizzeria in Windsor, a limited number of square pan pies are available each day. The thick, feathers soft crusts take on a crackly finish in the pan and possess a surlightness prising from generous fermentation.
The Musharoni, which won pizzaiola Leah Scurto first place at the 2018 U. S. Pizza Cup, has a simple composition that will satisfy just about anybody: A base of red sauce with pepperoni and sliced mushrooms is garnished with salty shaved Parmesan and julienned basil. The flip side of the simplicity is that, with no bold toppings or gimmicks to hide behind, everything must be executed with the utmost care. In that way, the pizza is a revealing showcase of how seriously Scurto and her team take the craft of pizzamaking.
PizzaLeah. $ 28. 9240 Old Redwood Hwy., Suite 116, Windsor. 7076200551 or www. pizzaleah. com
Cha ca la vong at Thien Long
A nod to the famous restaurant in Hanoi that specializes in this grilled fish dish, the cha ca la vong at Thien Long is an excellent rendition of a classic. Catfish fillets are seasoned with turmeric and, in prepandemic times, sent out to your table with onions and fresh dill atop a hot grill. On the side are springy rice vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, lettuces and rice paper, which is technically optional, though a mustorder. Creating the ideal bite involves making a rice paper wrap from justgrilled fish and a few pinches of herbs, which you then dip in a pungent sauce made with superfermented shrimp, mam tom. Smelling sizzling dill and onions all around me in Thien Long’s dining room is one of the things I miss the most about prepandemic dining. The restaurant is serving the dish for takeout.
Thien Long. $ 27.95. 3005 Silver Creek Road No. 138, San Jose. 4082236188.
Canelé at Wild Rabbit Bakery
The basic canelé, a tall French pastry with a burnished, caramelized exterior and a tender custard interior, is so simple and disappears in just two bites. It looks like a tiny bundt cake, sized for a cat or baby. Its taste is eggy, with some dark notes from the outer shell and flavorings of vanilla and rum, and the process of making it is a puzzle that has stumped many pastry chefs. At Wild Rabbit Bakery in Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood, baker and coowner Michael Addison spent a year mastering the technique. Copper molds conduct heat evenly; a coating of beeswax and clarified butter grant the pastry a gorgeously glossy sheen. It is the best canelé you can get here outside of a lengthy tasting menu at a fine dining restaurant, and even then, it’s not all that removed from its haute brethren.
Wild Rabbit Bakery. $ 3.50. 3249 Grand Ave., Oakland. 5107662253 or www. wildrabbitbakery. com