The San Francisco Bay Area’s greatest foodstuff in 2020

In the San Francisco Bay’s waters, famously prosperous with Dungeness crabs and halibut, are universities of minimal anchovies that we seldom, if ever, consume specifically. But in the palms of the workforce guiding Anchovy Bar (and the Progress and Point out Bird Provisions), who clean and brine them just about ideal off the boat, the humble baitfish turn into succulent and aromatic with citrus. They pair pretty properly with the avocado and slices of toast that accompany them. The dish’s availability coincides with the fishing period, which spans April to November.

When his day job slowed down for the duration of the pandemic, culinary advisor Charles Chen devoted his additional time to refining his personal edition of the burnt Basque cheesecake: one that captured the milk-ahead taste of Japanese desserts. The remaining item is a triumph, entire of caramel notes from the browned major and as silky in texture as a perfectly-ripened Brie. At this time, the cake is designed by Chen in tiny batches, which he sells by way of pop-up events and through numerous eating places across the Bay Location.

The first time I went to this cozy Italian spot in Rockridge, I was overcome with the assortment of handmade pasta on the menu. Randomly, I selected the casoncelli, a dish modeled after chef Michele Belotti’s mother’s rendition. Formed like independently wrapped gumballs, the toothsome pasta is stuffed with a advanced combination of remedied and cooked meats and Grana Padano cheese, a mix tremendously increased by a strong, herbal hit of sage. Pancetta contributes sweetness and a faint smokiness beef adds bulk and the melty excess fat in the prosciutto and ground pork shoulder keeps the mixture tasting moist and lavish. Deciding upon this was like hitting the jackpot on my very first slot equipment pull.

Topped with a luscious, drippy and downright suggestive fig, this limited-version pastry from the Richmond District’s Breadbelly bakery superbly captured the plenitude of late summer’s fruits: warmth and sunlight reworked into sheer sweetness. The candystripe fig from K&J Orchards was nestled in a bed of honey-flavored pastry cream and surrounded by flaky pastry studded with sesame seeds. The seeds’ toasty, to some degree savory taste was a elegant counterpoint to the sweetness of the other elements. Offered for just a handful of short months in August and September, the pastry was something truly distinctive in the bakery’s presently exceptional roster of seasonal specials.

Shengjianbao — a cousin to the much more well-known, water balloon-like xiaolongbao — are difficult to get proper. Crammed with meat and broth, then steamed and fried, the dumplings provide plenty of ways for the course of action to go incorrect. But thanks to Lily Wong’s auteurist arms, the model available at Hayes Valley’s Dumpling Property are loaded with a lot of very well-seasoned soup and sculpted with an curvaceous, vase-like framework. Their golden brown bottoms are a enjoyment to crunch into, nevertheless warn your tablemates in progress so they really do not get squirted in the confront with sizzling broth: Having these is a complete experience. Formerly, the dumplings were being only out there for in-person dining, but the dish is now available for takeout.

At Flour + Water’s pandemic-era side undertaking, which sells food kits and extra relaxed fare than the meal-focused flagship, I was impressed most of all by the hoagies, which are as major as any burrito you can get in the Mission. With the exception of the fried chicken sandwich, which arrives on a smaller-measurement roll, the hoagies — served on foot-lengthy rolls — are surely very good for two meals, generating this a incredibly economical lunch item. The eggplant parm is an exemplar of this sandwich genre, with organization and crisp bread plenty of dampness from a grassy kale-pepita pesto, marinara and garlic butter and an audible interior crunch from pieces of fried eggplant.

Certainly, the smoked brisket at Horn Barbecue in West Oakland is a celebrity well worth ready in line for, with the way it melts like butter onto a slice of bread, but can we communicate about the potato casserole you can get as a aspect? The tacky potato casserole, inspired by owner Matt Horn’s grandmother’s recipe, is thick with cheddar cheese, butter and product of rooster soup, with a sprinkle of eco-friendly onions to give the luscious mass an astringent counterpoint. It’s the sort of comfort and ease meals you extensive for when you want to be soothed the sort of detail you could quickly take in by the spoonful when watching “Actual Housewives” in your pajamas.

At Intu-on Kornnawong’s Isaan Thai pop-up, the chef serves up irresistible and modest bites like this shrimp toast, which I buy every single time I go. A mousse of shrimp and pork fats coats a thick, fluffy slice of Japanese milk bread, which is then fried and topped with cilantro and pickled crimson peppers for a dazzling pop of acid. Kornnawong employs acid like a chorus employs its sopranos, wielding the higher notes to pull an if not weighty dish up, up and up.

Tofu nuggets, extensive a punchline for the anti-vegetarian group, have been overdue for an picture rehabilitation, and Oakland’s Lion Dance Cafe has performed it. At their Singaporean-Italian vegan restaurant, C-Y Chia and Shane Stanbridge’s take on the nugget, built from nearby Hodo tofu, is massively labor-intensive. They freeze the tofu to give it a coarser, firmer texture then they brine it to infuse it with far more flavor. The nuggets appear breaded, fried and garnished with Thai basil and fried curry leaves, whose mature, roasted aroma is the initial factor that hits you when you open the takeout box. I daresay they’re leagues improved than any rooster nuggets I have at any time experienced.

Tucked away in a aspect room at this community butcher shop and industry in Bernal Heights is this tiny pop-up that specializes in breakfast tacos. It is the tiny details here that add up to a glorious image: handmade and pliant flour tortillas from La Palma superior-excellent bacon, steak and chorizo (a no-brainer, thanks to the butcher store upcoming door) flavorful homemade tofu “chorizo” and considerate variants in toppings, like corn salsa and fluffy, browned potatoes, that make each taco feel one of a kind and really worth ordering. Grab a single of each individual and throw down a blanket at close by Holly Park to make the most of your Saturday early morning.

There are not that several locations in the Bay Region exactly where you can get pav bhaji, the well-known Maharashtrian speedy food stuff. Which is unusual because the mix of flavorsome mashed vegetables, refreshing chopped onion and cilantro, and delicate toasted rolls is a real crowd-pleaser. Thankfully, the rendition served at Pav Bhaji Hut is bang-on, with shiny Parker Home-adjacent bread rolls, a curry topped with a pat of rich Indian butter, and a depth of flavor that comes only from extended, patient cooking. For something additional above-the-top with gooey, cheesy character, consider the rigorous spicy cheese variant.

Even though round pies are the basis of this small pizzeria in Windsor, a limited quantity of square pan pies are out there every single day. The thick, feather-smooth crusts just take on a crackly finish in the pan and have a stunning lightness from generous fermentation. The Mush-a-roni, which won pizzaiola Leah Scurto initially put at the 2018 U.S. Pizza Cup, has a straightforward composition that will fulfill just about any one: A foundation of crimson sauce with pepperoni and sliced mushrooms is garnished with salty shaved Parmesan and julienned basil. The flipside to the simplicity is that, with no bold toppings or gimmicks to conceal guiding, almost everything should be executed with the utmost care. In that way, the pizza is a revealing showcase of how severely Scurto and her group consider the craft of pizzamaking.

A nod to the famed cafe in Hanoi that specializes in this grilled fish dish, the cha ca la vong at Thien Extended is an exceptional rendition of a classic. Catfish fillets are seasoned with turmeric and, in pre-pandemic occasions, despatched out to your table with onions and fresh dill atop a warm grill. On the side are springy rice vermicelli noodles, refreshing herbs, lettuces and rice paper, which is technically optional, while a ought to-buy. Producing the suitable chunk requires building a very little rice paper wrap from just-grilled fish and a several pinches of herbs, which you then dip in a pungent sauce created with super-fermented shrimp, mam tom. Smelling sizzling dill and onions all all around me in Thien Long’s dining area is one of the issues I pass up the most about pre-pandemic eating. The cafe is serving the dish for takeout.