Food

What do you get when you mix an outdoor market, workshops on healthy eating and food justice? A Phat Beets farmers’ market. This new North Oakland weekly farmers’ market, which debuted on Saturday, is more than just buying food locally—it’s about education, health and the community.

One or two days a week, a little before noon, a crowd of people begins to line up in downtown Oakland, right off Broadway near City Hall. It’s unclear what they’re waiting for though, because there’s nothing there. Shortly, a big white truck painted with colorful polka dots rounds the corner. Stenciled on the side of the truck, it says “Cupkates—a mobile cupcakery.”

Jon’s Street Eats is one of a new series of food trucks popping up all over the East Bay serving innovative street food — in this case, gourmet grub like grilled asparagus, butterscotch pudding and panko-coated mac and cheese. As Oakland-based chef Jon Kosorek puts it: “There’s not a lot of places where you can get hand-pulled mozzarella. I would never be able to do a hot dog cart with just boiled hot dogs. I’d go crazy.”

What’s behind the popularity of red velvet cake? Is it the texture, enhanced by the chemistry of buttermilk? The cream cheese frosting? Or perhaps, it’s the color red. Anrica Deb explores the food science behind the cupcake craze.

While the Port of Oakland’s activities may not be able to show whether the recession is over, or when it will end, it reveals a lot about the nature of the local and regional economies. Inside each shipping container lies a story about Northern California and its relationship with the rest of the world. Take the story of the almonds.

The wait is over.  The uptown location of Bakesale Betty’s, 2228 Broadway, Oakland, CA‎, started its soft opening Thursday at 7 a.m.  Employees from area businesses were elated to have a favorite so close. The soft opening will continue Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and next week from Wednesday through Friday. Plans for a grand opening celebration are in the works. Want to get updates on the latest news from Oakland North? Join us on Facebook

Willie Acklin, Uptown resident, was Bake Sale Betty II’s number one customer this morning, he says. Bake Sale Betty’s original location is in Oakland’s Temescal Neighborhood. The opening of a second shop on Broadway and West Grand Ave. was highly anticipated. Acklin said he woke up at 6:30 a.m. to be the first to get his grub. But he didn’t have to travel far: Acklin lives accross the street. He was hoping for chicken, but alas, Acklin says he will…

How’s the recent spate of bad weather effecting Oakland’s outdoor farmers markets? Take a trip to the Old Oakland Farmer’s Market with Patrick Kollman on a wet, windy day to find out.

Have you looked closely into your neighbor’s backyard recently? If you have, you might have noticed a beehive and thousands of buzzing bees. Turns out, backyard beekeeping is a growing trend in the Bay Area.