Bay Region Food stuff Insiders Relied on These Restaurants in 2020

We asked a group of neighborhood writers, cafe business voices, and other assorted, and uniformly amazing, good friends of Eater SF to weigh in on this past yr in foods (and what a 12 months it was). We’ll share their answers to this, the once-a-year “Year in Eater” study, more than the class of many posts around the next two weeks. 1st up: Their frequent, go-to destinations for takeout and shipping in 2020.

© Minnie Bell’s/Instagram
The fried hen at Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement was a 2020 go-to for activist, writer, and chef Preeti Mistry

Very first and foremost, the stalwart Funky Elephant. If there is any East Bay cafe I was desperate to see endure, which is the 1. The other important players for me have been Vik’s Chaat House, June’s Pizza, and Prizefighter, the latter for cocktails to-go. I normally started off my day with 900 Grayson’s ideal $6 breakfast sandwich. — East Bay-centered novelist Robin Sloan, the author of (among the others) Sourdough and The Bizarre Circumstance of the New Golden Gate

Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack, Maverick Jacks in Burlingame, Coco Ramen, and Palm Town Wines. — San Francisco restauranteur Rica Sunga-Kwan, the proprietor of Portola District ice product shop Churn Urban Creamery

I ordered a great deal of Burma Enjoy mainly because at some points the only alternative for excitement in my working day was food items that was bold and spicy. And for the reason that I could include on a container of the spicy fermented tea leaf dressing and Burmese crunchy combine for “DIY” tea leaf salads. I also ordered far too significantly pizza (Slice Home, Sq. Pie Men, Beretta) due to the fact if not now, when, and due to the fact pizza will usually be the meals that travels greatest? Oh, and Bacon Bacon continued to be my hangover savior. It’s way much too shut to my condominium. I most likely need to move. — SF food stuff writer Daisy Barringer

At the time shelter in put hit, I probably stayed inside of a five-mile radius of my home in Richmond like 95 p.c of the time. That intended loads of dumplings and scallion pancakes from New Dumpling, tofu stews and popcorn hen from Gangnam Tofu, and whatever new factor (chirashi bowls, black curry, fruit sandos, etcetera., and so on.) B-Dama’s Chikara Ono was selling out of the Berkeley Bowl West Cafe. Also much more El Garage quesabirria than I care to confess. — Eater SF food editor Luke Tsai

Nicely, we created a transition at the commencing of the pandemic to dwelling comprehensive-time in Russian River location. So, at initially when we ended up transferring out of our house in Oakland in May well/June we had been undoubtedly hitting up lots of of our fav places in Oakland to stock up. The Cook dinner and Her Farmer for the burger, Minnie Bell’s fried chicken and the Ideal mac ‘n cheese, Cosecha for hen tinga and carnitas with stacks of fresh designed tortillas and all the yummy salsas and guacamole. Up right here our area favs have been The Backyard Forestville, Boon Eat + Drink and most of all Pizza Leah in Windsor. — Chef, activist, and writer Preeti Mistry

I are living in the Outer Sunset, and I’ve been fully commited to buying from my favourite community spots on a regular basis — poke burritos from Hook Fish (at least once a week), pies from the Pizza Spot on Noriega (with ample above-ordering for days of delectable leftovers), Expresso burritos and pitchers of property margaritas to-go from Celia’s, hen wings and kimchi pancakes from Toyose, great spreads from Previous Mandarin Islamic, and overall body-and-soul-therapeutic bowls of pho from Yummy Yummy. I’ll go even more afield for extensive-time favorites — focaccia sandwiches from Mario’s, specifically — and specific occasions. Nopa, Che Fico, and La Ciccia even now feel damn distinctive, while I skip those people dining rooms so substantially. — San Francisco food writer Lauren Sloss

Like everybody else, I gravitated towards what was most comforting, and in my scenario, that intended lots of carbs and fried points. I ate as well many bagels from Boichik right up until my trousers stopped fitting nicely and I had to end. I ate a bunch of Correct Burger foods and fried hen sandwiches from Bakesale Betty, alongside with kinds from Planet Well-known Hotboys, Mago and Hawking Chicken. Flavorful stews and curries are other dishes I crave, and Annapurna in Old Oakland (which does its own shipping and delivery), Vik’s in Berkeley, Teni East Kitchen area and Pyeongchang Tofu Property in Temescal are just a handful of favorites when I need some warming. At last, it’s not new, but it’s a new go-to for me: Patatas Kitchen area in Emeryville. Every thing on the menu is clean, flavorful and it is economical as well. My frequent purchase is the rooster plate that comes with two sides and a sauce. — Berkeleyside Nosh editor Sarah Han

Actually, I wouldn’t have made it via 2020 without Bernadette Melvin. I went to Bernie’s (espresso shop) just about every one day the to start with couple months of lockdown, and as the neighborhood claims, it is not just coffee, it’s treatment. For every regular, I will be shocked at the conclude of the 12 months to do my receipts and know just how many egg sandwiches and grandma-fashion cake slices I have eaten at Black Jet. And I’ve taken so much consolation from Besharam’s mainly veggie Gujarati menu, specially the gradual-simmered saags and stuffed rotis. — Eater SF reporter Becky Duffett

Aged Mandarin Islamic, Hook Fish, White Cap, Toyose, and Aziza were all repeats. — Resy editorial director (and Eater SF’s founding editor) Paolo Lucchesi

I requested the bucket of Thomas Keller’s fried chicken from Ad Hoc about the moment a month. Also, Bistro Don Giovanni due to the fact the hearty Italian dishes give me good consolation! — Napa food author Jess Lander

My two principal go-tos didn’t adjust — Minimal Star and RT Rotisserie remained favorites when I desired to deal with myself. — SFist editor Jay Barmann

I are living much less than fifty percent a block from Palm Metropolis, so almost just about every day they are open I probably seize some thing from there, be that a salad, a side, or a beer. Before it was shuttered by fire, Underdogs Too was my weekly breakfast burrito place, and Rosalind Bakery in Pacifica is my particular weekend pastry deal with place. When they pop up at Speakeasy Brewing, I often consider to get one thing from the Vegan Hood Chefs, and on my way house to take in it I typically get a margarita from Celia’s by the Seaside. And when I actually actually want consolation food stuff, I’m all about the sesame prawns at Tsing Tao #1 with, if it is open up, the tea leaf salad and samusa soup at Pagan, just up the avenue. — Eater SF editor Eve Batey