This 12 months was marked by a plethora of recent eateries opening across the Peninsula and a spate of restaurant closures. We noticed many eating places face delays as they readied to open their doorways, whereas others resolve to shut after lengthy battles in opposition to forces like a troublesome labor market, rising prices and the ever-present menace of redevelopment.
Between the newcomers and longtime institutions (in addition to some that at the moment are out of enterprise), our workers and contributors compiled our favourite drinks and dishes of 2022. Tell us what we missed by emailing [email protected]
Kate Bradshaw, Peninsula Foodist
Whereas creating after which narrowing down my checklist of essentially the most memorable dishes and drinks of the previous 12 months, I spotted I grouped my favorites into three classes: those who impressed my pleasure for the way forward for our native restaurant scene; those who epitomized one thing particular that was on its manner out; and those who represented high quality, consolation and celebration.
Albondigas, Wildseed, Palo Alto
I used to be thrilled to lastly eat at Wildseed in Palo Alto this 12 months, which highlighted for me the thrilling potentialities of plant-based eating — significantly the ways in which plant-based meat dishes can now seize what looks like a good imitation of a juicy, richly flavored lamb meatball.
The albondigas, an appetizer on the menu, are plant-based meatballs served with a spicy tomato sauce, black currants, pine nuts, vegan tzatziki and mint, plus grilled levain bread. It was the right solution to begin out a satisfying plant-based meal.
Wildseed, 855 El Camino Actual Constructing 4, Palo Alto; 408-781-0112, wildseedsf.com. Instagram: @wildseedsf.
Cherry cider, Redwood Coast Cider, San Carlos and San Mateo
After I made the pilgrimage to catch Redwood Coast Cider on one of many final days earlier than it closed its San Carlos location, I used to be blown away by the sense of neighborhood I discovered in an remoted nook of an industrial neighborhood. The truth is, the proprietor acknowledged me instantly because the reporter who’d deliberate to cease by as a result of my buddies and I have been the one ones who weren’t regulars on the institution.
Sipping on a pint of the cherry cider, which had a tasty mix of tartness, gentle sweetness and notes of cherry and bitter apple, I used to be struck by how unhappy it was that such heat and alluring neighborhood hubs are so laborious to come back by, and that this enterprise with such loyal followers could be closing its doorways quickly.
Margherita pizza, Avanti Pizza, Menlo Park
Avanti Pizza on the Alameda in Menlo Park is my go-to each time I am internet hosting family and friends for a fast and filling meal. It is so quick — with a roughly 10-minute turnaround time from order to pickup — and is tasty, dependable and permits you to feed teams of individuals with out breaking the financial institution, which feels fairly underrated and more and more uncommon on the Peninsula. Certainly one of my favourite meals of the 12 months was my yard birthday gathering in June with family and friends round Avanti pizzas.
Avanti Pizza Contemporary Pasta, 3536 Alameda de las Pulgas #4, Menlo Park; 650-854-1222, avantipizzafreshpasta.com. Instagram: @avantipizzafreshpasta.
Honorable mentions: “Good Funding” cocktail and truffle fries from British Bankers Membership in Menlo Park, the vegetarian paella at Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto, the sipping chocolate from Timothy Adams Chocolate and the crème brûlée doughnut from Merciless Donuts in San Mateo.
Anthony Shu, former Peninsula Foodist
Most of my favourite meals have been already shared within the Peninsula Foodist e-newsletter, however listed here are a few others.
Char siu, Wing Fats, San Mateo
I made it to the 84-year-old Wing Fats in San Mateo shortly earlier than its closing. The rhythmic strikes of a cleaver on a well-worn chopping board conveyed the restaurant’s expertise in getting ready its signature char siu, barbecue pork. The restaurant’s impending closure precipitated me to eat deliberately and recognize every barely candy, flippantly charred and ruby pink chunk.
Fajitas, La Nueva Perla, South San Francisco
Readers would possibly keep in mind how my suburban Peninsula childhood induced a permanent obsession with Chili’s. I happy my love of scorching, smoky platters of bell peppers at South San Francisco’s La Nueva Perla, the place handmade tortillas envelop well-seasoned fajitas.
La Nueva Perla, 222 Lux Ave., South San Francisco; 650-741-6696, lanuevaperlarestaurant.com.
Sara Hayden, former Peninsula Foodist
Kouign amann, Manresa Bread, a number of areas
I lastly made it to Manresa Bread and indulged within the legendary kouign amann. I had it on the finish of a mini highway journey in celebration of my fifth marriage ceremony anniversary, and it made our time on the highway significantly particular. I additionally occurred to be pregnant with our first kiddo, and it was a kind of moments when bread and pastry sounded significantly interesting.
The kouign amann’s checklist of components is brief and candy. It contains flour, water, sugar, salt, yeast and barley malt syrup. At Manresa Bread, these easy pleasures really add as much as one thing larger than the sum of their elements — a candy deal with for a candy event.
I’ve since delivered my daughter. She’s on a milk-only weight loss program for the time being. Within the meantime, I am going to gladly take one other kouign amann and sit up for sharing baked items along with her when she’s older.
Pop into one in every of Manresa Bread’s 5 areas for bread, pastries, toast and sandwiches. Come for the meals and keep for the craft, course of and fervour — founder Avery Ruzicka stated Manresa Bread is a spot of studying. It should proceed to be so even after the January closing of the three-Michelin-starred Manresa restaurant, the place Ruzicka first discovered her love of bread and went on to run the bread program.
Manresa Bread, 855 El Camino Actual, Suite 138, Palo Alto; 271 State St., Los Altos; 195 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell; 40 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos; 330 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz; manresabread.com. Instagram: @manresabread.
Julia Brown, editor
Asparagus soup, Flea Road, Menlo Park
Flea Road is one in every of my favourite special day eating places within the Bay Space. I all the time recognize founder Jesse Cool and chef Bryan Thuerk’s give attention to regionally grown seasonal produce, which was on show within the Durst Farm asparagus soup on the menu once I dined on the Menlo Park restaurant for my birthday. The meyer lemon and crispy shallot rounded out the intense spring flavors, and bits of olive bread within the soup added a pleasant textural distinction.
Flea Road, 3607 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park; 650-854-1226, Instagram: @flea_street.
408 Smash breakfast sandwich, Hash N Sprint, in and round San Jose
Sure, this pop-up is essentially primarily based in and round San Jose (I visited twice when Lookout Espresso in Campbell hosted them this 12 months), but it surely’s value waking up early for the 408 Smash. A breakfast sandwich with smashed sausage, grilled onions, an over-medium egg and a sauce mixing mayo, Tapatio and maple syrup, it balances a smokiness from the grill with the creamy egg yolk and candy trace of maple syrup. Founder Brandon Salmon usually serves out of native espresso outlets on weekends and declares his schedule for the week on social media. He sells out each pop-up, so get there early to snag your sandwich.
Hash N Sprint pop-up, Instagram: @hashndashsj.
Detroit-style pizza, The Pizza Collection, Stanford
I am a fan of pizza that may stand up to a slew of toppings, with a thick crust and flavorful tomato sauce sans limitless gooey strings of cheese. Matt Driscoll and The Pizza Collection ship with their Detroit-style pizza, which I picked up after a go to to the Stanford campus shortly after the eatery opened within the spring. The slight char on the nook items added a satisfying crunch that complemented pops of pepperoni and mushroom, and the tomato sauce tasted prefer it had been simmering on a stovetop all day. I sit up for choosing up a pizza on the best way dwelling from journeys to Santa Cruz when Driscoll opens his Scotts Valley location quickly.
The Pizza Collection, 459 Lagunita Drive, Stanford (inside The Treehouse); 650-723-4500, thepizzaseries.com. Instagram: @the_pizza_series.
Honorable mentions: Hen shawarma wrap from Shawarmaji in Santa Clara, boozy chilly brew from Solar of Wolf in Palo Alto, the Gem sandwich from Hidden Spot in South San Francisco and the masala dosa from Madras Cafe in Sunnyvale.
Devin Roberts, photographer
Plato de Arrachera, La Fonda, Redwood Metropolis
La Fonda is positioned in a small and unassuming strip plaza off of El Camino and gives an elevated but snug Mexican meals expertise with one of the complete mezcal and tequila collections within the Bay Space. I ordered the Plato de Arrachera, made with skirt steak, chorizo, refried beans, cambray onions, roasted jalapeno and handmade tortillas. It emerged as a superbly seared skirt steak, introduced fantastically on a picket engraved platter with scrumptious sides, together with unimaginable chorizo. I like to recommend ending the meal with the flan.
La Fonda, 820 Veterans Blvd., Redwood Metropolis, 650-362-3069; Instagram: @la_fonda_restaurant_and_bar.
Sidewinder’s Fang and Dragon Slayer, Wunderbar, San Mateo
Wunderbar is a reservation-only speakeasy positioned beneath Wursthall in downtown San Mateo. They function basic cocktails and a riff on these classics. The Sidewinder’s Fang and Dragon Slayer are two of essentially the most scrumptious rum drinks discovered outdoors a full-blown tiki bar. They’re well-balanced and made with the most effective booze and freshest components. To seek out the doorway, observe the white rabbit.
Wunderbar, 310 Baldwin Ave., San Mateo; wunderbarsm.com. Instagram: @wunderbarsm.
Shoyu ramen, HiroNori Craft Ramen, San Mateo
The shoyu ramen at HiroNori Craft Ramen is made with 100% rooster broth, pork chashu, inexperienced onion, spinach, bamboo, kaiware sprouts and a half egg. I went on a Bay Space ramen odyssey this 12 months and ate many distinctive variations, however this easy take was on the prime of my checklist. The broth is flavorful but balanced and the chashu is my favourite. HiroNori has a number of areas all through California and makes their very own unique ramen noodles, inventory and sauce. To organize the shoyu ramen, they use soy sauce barrel-aged for 2 years. These barrels have been used for greater than 300 years at one of many oldest soy sauce factories in Japan.
HiroNori Craft Ramen, 211 E third Ave., San Mateo; 650-242-1223, hironori.com. Further areas in Cupertino and Santa Clara. Instagram: @hironoriramen_bayarea.
Sophia Markoulakis, author
Smoky baba ghanoush, Capo, Belmont
It was late within the afternoon throughout Orthodox Holy Week in April and my cousin was right here visiting from Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt, the place he’s a working towards monk. After a day church service on the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont, we walked throughout the road to Capo to catch up. The house owners are accustomed to ready on males wearing lengthy robes sporting tall hats and lengthy beards. Additionally they know to not right a Greek when he orders “Greek” espresso, even when they seek advice from it as “Turkish.” Our fasting feast included cups of espresso, a basket of heat pita bread, a bowl filled with cured olives and a dish of essentially the most scrumptious smoky baba ghanoush, drizzled with olive oil and topped with toasted pine nuts.
Capo, 2040 Ralston Ave., Belmont; 650-508-1000, capobelmont.com. Instagram: @capo_belmont.
Gigantes plaki, Taverna, Palo Alto
Taverna’s gigantes plaki is the right instance of how a dish utilizing humble components like big (elephant) beans, tomatoes and herbs might be elevated when there’s respect for the components and within the fingers of a talented prepare dinner. Taverna’s gigantes are tender and creamy (not a simple job), and the layers of taste from the candy tomatoes, fruity olive oil, crunchy items of dako, salty crumbled feta and tender microgreens all add as much as a satisfying and decadent meal on a chilly day.
Taverna, 800 Emerson St., Palo Alto; 650-304-3840, tavernarestaurant.net. Instagram: @tavernarestaurant.
Nick’s fries and baklava-topped froyo, Nick the Greek, San Mateo
Each time the temperature hit above 80 levels this previous summer season, my husband and I’d head to San Mateo’s Nick the Greek to chill off in its air-conditioned eating room. The quick informal chain’s location within the Laurelwood Procuring Middle is our favourite — prime 40 Greek music, pleasant Greek workers and nice meals. We regularly break up an order of Nick’s fries piled excessive with gyro meat, feta and tzatziki. I all the time finish my meal with a tart Greek yogurt froyo drizzled with honey and crumbled baklava.
Nick the Greek, 1324 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo; 650-345-4976, nickthegreek.com. A number of further Peninsula areas. Instagram: @nickthegreek.
Grace D. Li, author
Kalbijjim, Daeho, San Mateo
That is my go-to place to take out-of-town company, particularly as the times develop colder. There’s only one dish that everybody will get: the kalbijjim, also called the braised beef rib. It is an unlimited, hearty dish, full of beef, rice muffins, carrots, potatoes, radishes and extra, and it is meant to be shared between at the least two to 3 individuals. Get it with the cheese and the waiter will set it on hearth in entrance of you; the result’s melty and bursting with taste. Each time I’ve come right here, the dialog stops when the meals arrives and would not begin up once more till the meal is sort of over — all consideration is on what’s in entrance of us.
Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup, 213 2nd Ave., San Mateo; 650-389-6689, daehodininggroup.com. Instagram: @daeho_official.
And proposals from neighboring cities:
Find out how to Repair Spoiled Meat, Sura-Gan, San Francisco
The tasting menu right here is nothing wanting an expertise. The recipes are impressed by the oldest identified Korean cookbook, and every dish is interpreted and up to date by the chef with cautious consideration to element. The spotlight is their present essential dish, Find out how to Repair Spoiled Meat, reimagined as a 48-hour braised brief rib served with walnut sauce, shiitake, radish and lollo rosso. It tastes like the perfect of Korean barbecue; fold the crunchy lettuce round melt-in-your-mouth brief rib, rice and a contact of walnut sauce to create the right pocket of taste. I got here right here for a special day on a wet night in San Francisco and was instantly transported.
Sura-Gan Korean Tremendous Eating, 250 Hyde St., San Francisco; 415-376-8853, suragansf.com. Instagram: @suragansf.
Kitfo, Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant, San Jose
I really like Ethiopian meals and make it a degree to strive a brand new Ethiopian place wherever I journey, so think about my delight when a pal really helpful this native Ethiopian place to me just a few months in the past. My go-to dish is the kitfo, which is a finely chopped beef dish seasoned generously and greatest served uncooked. It is the extra refined model of beef tartare, and it is all the time served on fluffy, spongy injera. Zeni’s takes this dish and does it completely; every chunk is bursting with taste and texture. In case you’re new to Ethiopian meals, let this restaurant be your introduction; if you happen to’re a longtime fan, it is simple to search out one thing to like right here. I’ve come right here with buddies and in addition alone, basking within the consolation of excellent meals.
Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant, 1320 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408-615-8282, zeniethiopianrestaurant.com. Instagram: @zeniethiopian.
Dig into meals information. Observe the Peninsula Foodist on Instagram @peninsulafoodist and subscribe to the e-newsletter at almanacnews.com/specific/foodist to get insights on the most recent openings and closings, study what the Foodist is worked up about consuming, learn unique interviews and sustain on the traits affecting native eating places.
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Palo Alto On-line is taking one final have a look at 2022 all this week. Come again tomorrow for extra photographs and recaps of the previous 12 months of stories.
• 2022 rewind: The year’s 10 most clicked-on stories
• With newfound spirit of cooperation, Palo Alto ends the year on a bright note
