Beast Blog

chile rellenos!

i am a huge fan of chile rellenos (you know, the mexican stuffed peppers that are dredged in an egg batter and cooked, then served in a sauce with tortillas?). but there are so many bad ones out there. too old, too bland, over battered, over cooked.

but today i wandered into Tacubaya, the taqueria started by the folks who own Doña Tomas in Oakland.

i plunked down $10 (plus tip) for the chile relleno & the fresh homemade horchata. While you only get one pepper, it was large & stuffed to the gills. and not just cheese, but cheese (several kinds), fresh corn, and more. the sauce was not a traditional ranchera sauce, but a verde (tomatillo) sauce, topped with fresh cream and cilantro. YUM!

it was easily the BEST relleno i've ever had.

Tacubaya:
1788 4th St.
(Cross street: Delaware)
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-525-5160
Daily Hours: 10 AM-9 PM

my fave food court spots

food courts can be a great place to get cheap eats, and many of the spots have awesome ethnic food.

Emeryville Public Market has food of practically every ethnicity you can imagine- every configuarion of asian and pan-asian, middle eastern, american, european countries including greece, germany, and italy.

my fave two spots at this food court are:

Wazwan - an indian place with great chaat- samosas with killer cilantro chutney (my fave kind!), and masala dosa.

and Kashmir (i think that's the name), right across the aisle from Wazwan. they serve afghani food. their spinach bulani rocks. i was a little sad that they felt the need to change the name of their food from afghani to persian after 9-11 (perhaps they experienced a boneheaded decline in sales?), but the food remains as good as ever.

another food court worth mentioning is in berkeley, just east off the telegraph haze on durant. there are several places in the court, but i like the pho place. i am a creature of habit, and tend to get the seafood egg noodle soup there, which is great. fresh cilantro leaves really add a freshness to this wonderful soup, which is just as good in the summer as it is on rainy days when you need some warmth.

A return to the Supper Club

What could be more fun than an evening out- seeing fabulous performers in all genres while enjoying a gourmet meal?

The Ghetto Gourmet does just that, several times a month in various locations.

Check them out to make a reservation!

Best Little Koffee Shop

Everyone has been posting restaurants that are exceptionally creative, unique, and fru-fru. While, I'll admit, I absolutely adore the Cheese Board as much as the next anthropomorphic mouse, there are times when new and unusual doesn't fit the bill. My entry into this particular meme is the Koffee Pot, a tiny hole in the wall of a business row between 25th and 26th on Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. This miniscule munchie haven is owned by Sam and his wife, who every morning make greasy spoon breakfasts that cost under $4.00. For lunch, they craft perfect sandwiches with exactly what you'd expect inside. And the prices cannot be beat, even 10 years ago. BLT? $2.60. Triple Decker Club? $3.60. It's got to be the only place in the East Bay where you can feed two people with fresh-cooked food for $6.00. Just be patient: there are only about 7 seats inside. It's a snug little spot, and Sam deserves much love!

How Now Good Chow?

This morning I got the latest issue of Chowhound.com's Chownews newsletter in my inbox. Every week this treats me to culinary delights around the Bay Area, with a healthy portion of goodies for we Beasties.

The latest issue clued me into Syrah ice cream at Tucker's in Alameda (yes, made with Syrah wine), where to get good offal on International Blvd., a Sichuan banquet at China Village in Albany, where to get good crawfish in Oakland, and more.

And I get these great tips *every week*.

If you're a Bay Area foodie, you've got to subscribe. Only $15 a year!