New mobile vending proposal could create “food pods” throughout Oakland

By Catherine Traywick | December 6, 2011 |
Local business owner, Alfonso Dominguez, brought his taco cart, La Calle, to Oakland City Hall Tuesday for a press conference about a proposed mobile vending program.

A new pilot program championed by Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Jane Brunner would begin to legitimize Oakland’s largely underground street food businesses. And despite of years of contention, supporters and critics of mobile food seem to agree that the proposed program could be a boon to business, bolstering the mobile food industry while minimizing competition with dine-in restaurants.

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Eat Real bike tour goes behind the scenes at Oakland shops

By Brittany Schell | September 25, 2011 |
At the first stop on the bike tour, Linden Street Brewery, Robert Mueller (right) chats with owner Adam Lamoreaux about his beer brewing methods while group leader Karen Hester sips the Burning Oak Black Lager.

At the Eat Real Festival in Oakland’s Jack London Square on Saturday afternoon, crowds of people gathered on the waterfront, queuing up for $4 miniature sweet-potato pies and $5 citrus pork sandwiches on organic, brick oven flatbread. But in front of Bay Area Bikes, four cyclists had a different idea—riding gloves were slipped on, four helmet locks clicked shut, and the group rode away from the food festival to get an inside look at some of Oakland’s local food and drink makers.

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