Bugs: a sustainable protein source you may not have considered
When modern Mexican restaurant Alisios first opened at Menlo Park’s Springline development in June, I was delighted to see that the first item on the menu, Guacamole & Tlayudas, had the description “agave-roasted grasshoppers optional.” I wasn’t delighted because they were optional; I was delighted that the offering even existed.
In all my years dining along the Peninsula, I’ve never seen insects on a menu. While there are Oaxacan spots in San Jose with insects (such as El Tule), it appears that insects are a rarity on menus along the Peninsula. After some digging, I learned that while it’s not written on the menu, the Sol restaurants also offer sal de gusano and chapulines as pairings for mezcal.
This week’s feature delves into the world of edible insects. I talked with Monica Martinez, owner of San Mateo-based edible insect company Don Bugito, and she discussed how insects are a sustainable and healthy protein source and her efforts to expand the market for bugs as food in the United States.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
From chocolate-covered crickets to guacamole with grasshoppers, here’s why these Silicon Valley businesses are embracing bugs as food
A staple of Oaxacan cooking, insects are a sustainable protein source slowly creeping their way onto Peninsula menus.
Bakery pop-up finds permanent South Bay home, a San Francisco Italian restaurant is making its way to the Peninsula and a chocolate chip cookie festival
- Creative San Francisco pop-up Tiny Croissanterie is opening its first brick-and-mortar bakery in Sunnyvale.
- Roma Antica, a San Francisco Roman restaurant since 2017, is opening a new location in downtown San Mateo.
- After just one year in downtown San Mateo, Colander Kitchens has permanently closed. The restaurant was created by the co-founder of Sushirrito.
- Hey Yogurt, which specializes in fruit and matcha yogurt, bingsu ice cream and other desserts, is soft opening in San Mateo Tuesday.
- After more than three decades in South San Francisco, Filipino restaurant Ongpin has permanently closed, according to KRON4.
- Gus’s Community Market, a family-owned grocery chain in San Francisco, is coming to the former Whole Foods space in Los Gatos. Opening is expected in spring 2027.
- Little Green A Plant Bar in Redwood City is temporarily stopping food and drink service while it works out permitting issues. Guests are allowed to bring in their own food and drink in the meantime.
- The Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto is hosting a Chocolate Chip Cookie Festival Saturday from 1-4 p.m. with cookies and milk, as well as Lego building, historic games, face painting, live music and an antique tech exhibit. Admission is free.
- The Hello Kitty Cafe truck will be parked at Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Foundation is hosting Half Moon Bay Lobsterfest Saturday from 5-9 p.m. benefiting youth and senior literacy programs.
- Hotel Citrine in Palo Alto is hosting a Back-to-School Community Mixer Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. benefiting families served by Ronald McDonald House at Stanford. Guests who bring new school supplies and other classroom essentials will receive 10% off their food purchase.
- Silicon Valley PRIDE is hosting a Drag Queen Cook-Off at Valley Goat in Sunnyvale Monday from 6-9 p.m.
- Quick service Chinese spot Tiger Bowl recently opened in the former Happy Chef space in Burlingame.
Ube pizza at Spinning Dough
I love a sweet-and-savory moment. From Tony Gemignani’s Apricot Fields slice (a perfect balance of sweet apricot jam, rich and savory bacon and sausage, brightened with herbaceous pesto and fired up with hot pepper oil) to La Stanza’s pear pockets (tender pasta pockets stuffed with sweet pear and savory Asiago cheese, smothered in a creamy tomato sauce), I find the sweet-and-savory balance makes for an addictive and interesting bite.
If you’re feeling in a pizza rut and want to tickle your taste buds, try the ube pizza at Spinning Dough in Millbrae. (And if you’re really adventurous, maybe even the durian pizza.)
Owner Jeff Chin’s ube pizza may seem a bit gimmicky – its purple crust and dollops of purple ricotta make for a great Instagram post – but it’s actually a remarkably balanced pie. The ube pizza is chock full of housemade sausage that packs a punch of salty, meaty, umami-rich flavors, with a hefty dose of fennel. The ube ricotta adds sweetness and creaminess, and the red onions and heavy sprinkling of fresh green onions cut through the fatty sausage and rich ricotta.
My one critique? The ube pizza dough doesn’t taste like ube. (The ube ricotta, on the other hand, definitely does.)
Spinning Dough, 414 Broadway, Millbrae; 650-697-5520, Instagram: @spinning_dough. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Mother-daughter team opens board game cafe Plucky’s Cafe in Burlingame
Find a plethora of board games plus an extensive food and drinks menu
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