Hundreds turn out to support the Bakesale for Japan

Saturday morning, Oakland restaurant Pizzaiolo raised $12,000 selling cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods. Hundreds of people turned out to support the restaurant’s Bakesale for Japan and eye a wide selection of sweets and treats prepared by hundreds of professional bakers and local volunteers. A long stream of customers spilled out from Pizzaiolo and flowed halfway down the Telegraph Avenue block.

Read More

Oakland’s Pop-Up General Store preps for a flavorful Thanksgiving

Bay leaves, peppercorns, and red chiles are three of the key ingredients in Chris Lee's turkey brining kits.

For the founders of Oakland’s Pop-Up General Store—Chris Lee and fellow chef Samin Nosrat—food is, indeed, a labor of love. Since early 2009, the former Chez Panisse and Eccolo chefs have been selling gourmet goods out of Grace Street Catering in North Oakland. Once a month, Lee, Nosrat and a team of helpers prepare homemade delicacies and, along with a host of other specialty food vendors, set up for an afternoon and sell them to an ever-expanding group of Oakland and Berkeley foodies. Patrons can order beforehand online or buy up whatever is left on the spot.

Read More

Gourmet fare pops up in Oakland

On randomly-selected afternoons a couple hundred people gather in a big brick building on Martin Luther King Jr. Way to shop, browse and taste ready-made food from top chefs from all over the Bay Area. It’s not a farmers market, food fair or co-op—it’s the Pop-Up General Store, a place where people can buy pre-made food that can’t normally be found outside of an expensive restaurant.

Read More