Coastside kelp can create crave-worthy concoctions
Seaweed is a lot more versatile than just sushi. Pickle it, make a broth from it, use it in pasta or even turn it into chocolate “ocean pudding.”
This week, assistant lifestyle editor Karla Kane spoke with Tanya Stiller, who’s been teaching people about seaweed foraging for the last 15 years. She holds classes on the Coastside, teaching about different types of seaweed (some even taste like bacon!), ecology and cultural history.
Meanwhile, I spoke with Amy Wong and Lawrance Combs, owners of Batch 22, a bakery born during the pandemic out of their home that’s opening its brick-and-mortar bakery Thursday in Los Gatos. Known for its Levain-esque 6-ounce cookies, they come in rotating flavors like ube-caramelized white chocolate-toffee and strawberries ‘n cream.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
Seaweed season: Tanya Stiller leads foraging classes on the San Mateo County coast
Most of us probably get our seaweed by ordering rolls at a sushi restaurant or in packaged-snack form from the grocery store. But if you head out to the Coastside, you can find it straight from the source.
Giant cookies get a permanent home, a gyro chain expands to Palo Alto and Alamo Drafthouse announces its opening date
- Batch 22, a pop-up bakery known for its mega 6-ounce cookies, is hosting the grand opening of its first brick-and-mortar bakery Thursday in Los Gatos.
- Nick the Greek will open its newest location in downtown Palo Alto on Thursday. To celebrate its grand opening, the restaurant will offer one complimentary entree per person from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Ethel’s Fancy in Palo Alto and Eylan in Menlo Park have been added to the 2025 Michelin Guide, although their distinctions have not yet been announced.
- Choose from 24 beers on tap at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, opening June 16 at The Village at San Antonio Center in Mountain View.
- Need a delivery of chocolate via drone? Mountain View-based Matternet is piloting drone deliveries in select areas of Mountain View and Sunnyvale.
- Take a look inside this 54-year-old family-owned Los Gatos diner.
- Dumpling Time will open its newest restaurant at Stanford Shopping Center on Saturday, with lion dancers at 2 p.m.
- Sushi Roku in Palo Alto is celebrating its one-year anniversary Monday and Tuesday with 50% off the dinner menu for those dining in.
- Zareen’s is hosting a community event aimed at sharing and painting peace notes Friday from 6-9 p.m. at its Palo Alto restaurant. Expect live music, bhangra and Kashmiri chai.
- Local Kitchens, a digital food hall, has permanently closed its Mountain View location after more than three years.
- Curry Pizza House is hosting its San Mateo grand opening Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The first 50 customers will receive a free small pizza.
- Basuku Cheesecakes, a bakery pop-up known for its burnt Basque cheesecakes, has announced on Instagram that it will likely permanently stop selling in the Bay Area in about four to five weeks.
- Bibimmate, offering handcrafted kimbap with a modern twist, soft opened at San Mateo Food Hall May 7.
- Early-bird pricing for the Taste of Mountain View Food, Wine and Beer Walk is available through Friday. The event, featuring wine and food pairings from participating businesses to be announced, will be June 11 from 4-8 p.m. in downtown Mountain View.
- Cityline Sunnyvale is hosting a potluck Sunday from 2-4:30 p.m. in honor of AANHPI Heritage Month. Bring an appetizer or dish for at least five people that’s meaningful to you and taste other people’s dishes.
- After three decades, See’s Candies permanently closed its Sunnyvale shop Sunday.
- Dessert Republic in downtown San Mateo has reopened under new ownership with a revamped menu after months of temporary closure, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
- Ocean Oyster Bar & Grill is hosting its grand opening Thursday at 5 p.m. in downtown Redwood City. The first 150 guests will receive complimentary sparkling wine and hors d’oeuvres.
Cinnamon rolls from Astranda Bakery
Astranda Bakery has been churning out gooey, fluffy, Instagram-worthy cinnamon rolls since its inception during the pandemic. But the pop-up bakery won’t be having its usual bake sales for at least the next few months. That’s because the complex owner Eric Chow bakes in is getting demolished. As he’s on the hunt for a new space, he’ll still offer smaller private events and deliveries, according to a recent Instagram post.
I managed to get my hands on his signature cinnamon rolls during his last big bakery pop-up at Cupertino’s Nirvana Soul. I tried all four cinnamon roll flavors ($8 each): cream cheese cinnamon, coffee, black sesame and Taiwan, made with sweet potato, five-spice peanuts and dulce de leche.
The cinnamon roll that most surprised me was the Taiwan, which was insanely sticky, gooey and fluffy with a beautiful crunch from the peanuts and slight earthiness from the sweet potato. I think if I had to compare the four, this would be my favorite.
For those who don’t like food that’s too sweet, I’d recommend the black sesame, which was nutty, toasty and significantly less sweet than the other three options.
Astranda Bakery, Instagram: @astrandabakery.
Beloved Silicon Valley institution Buck’s of Woodside goes up for auction — as an NFT
What is the digital replica of the quirky restaurant & tech meetup mecca worth? The first bidder says $250,000
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