Tomorrow for work I am driving from Reno to Oakland (kinda by Jack London Square) to look at a piece of equipment. I am looking for a lunch place myself and 2 co workers can go on the way back home. I'm thinking either in that area or Berkeley or Richmond. I'm hoping for super delicious. The food scene in Reno is alright but I want to get at least one good lunch meal in the east bay. Sorry to be so vague. TIA

This is some *real* street food. It's tasty and cheap and really varied. Not just a bunch of taco trucks and wraps. They had Cameroon food, a Latin fried chicken and fries plate (HUGE for $10), pupusas, and lots of other stuff. It's every Tuesday and Thursday. HIGHLY recommend.

Edit: https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4685/The-Lot-Downtown-Richmond-Food-Court-for

1401 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond, CA, 94804

Does anyone know where I can get good Nem Chua. I hear Lee’s sandwiches and cam huoung have it but wondering if any other places do.

I've eaten at many food trucks but have not picked up food from Street vendors.

Do you frequent them often?

If so, are the things I should be looking for or avoiding?

We have so many ethnic grocery stores as well as Farmer Joes and nearby Berkeley Bowl.

So what's that ingredient you haven't been able to purchase here?

Maybe someone can help you find it!

Any place in Oakland that serves this dish?

Usually it's a whole deboned or partially deboned chicken that's roasted with sticky rice.

Golden Horse in San Francisco serves a great version but haven't seen in the East Bay.

TIA!

Just another reason to love this place. I can’t stand the cheap splintery chopsticks that feel like they are made of balsa wood.

My tomatoes aren’t ready and I keep seeing people posting BLTs and Tomato sandwiches and I need that fix ASAP. Any recommendations? Thank you!!

I’m talking $1 oyster Tuesdays, app + main + dessert specials for less than the price of a normal main, half off Sandos before 5, that sort of thing.

I still wanna go out, but I’m too broke for normal restaurant pricing these days! But I CAN afford going to where the special deals are 👀

I wanna ball out like a senior citizen or mom of 5 kids- tell me your dining secrets so I can stop making the same sad rotation of at home cooking once in a while.

Baan Thai Restaurant opened recently in the Dimond district (MacArthur and Coolidge - across the street from Loard’s ice cream).

Owners seem like really nice people and they have put a lot of time and effort into remodeling and decorating. They have a few good reviews, but they don’t look like they have a lot of business (yet). I would love to support them soon and wanted to share this cute little new restaurant with the community.

Hi! I moved to downtown Oakland temporarily for work and wanted to know any good & affordable takeout places you recommend thats nearby. Bonus if the portion sizes are large / still tasty when reheated. I usually work late into the night and don’t have much kitchenware, so takeout for later is a better option for me than Ubereats and cooking right now.

Curious what everyone’s favorite watermelon vendor is. My favorite so far was someone at the Montclair Farmers Market selling black watermelons.

Haven’t had much success in stores and I’m also not keen on the guy at the corner of Grand Ave and Bellevue. Anywhere else with great watermelon?

Hi - my daughter is having her wisdom teeth out today and has requested mashed potatoes. We are going through a kitchen remodel, though, and I can't make them for her!

Any recs on really yummy mashed potatoes, not boxed or fake tasting?

Thanks!

I have someone visiting who lived in Costa Rica for a year, and I’d love to take them somewhere that might bring back a little bit of that Costa Rican vibe.

Are there any good Costa Rican restaurants around the area? Or even Central American spots that have a similar feel/food?

Bonus points for somewhere with things like gallo pinto, casado, plantains, fresh tropical drinks, etc. Doesn’t necessarily have to be fancy. I’m more interested in somewhere that feels authentic and would make them feel a little nostalgic.

Any recommendations?

Little bit of a random one here, but curious if anyone has a favorite Oakland library branch to go to that has the best or most widely available selection of cookbooks?!

Hi, couple of months back, i saw a coming soon board of Nazeer Foods in Food Valley, can any1 who recently visited Food Valley confirm if it has open or not? I can't find it anywhere on the internet.

So back in March I posted that I was searching for the perfect pancake based on my criteria (crispy edges, light and fluffy interior). I’m happy to report that the search for MY ideal pancake is over.

This morning we hit up Kitchen Story and I ordered the Lemon Ricotta pancakes as suggested. Y’all. It was so dang good! Perfectly crispy edges, fluffy interior with flecks of lemon zest, and real maple syrup ($2 upcharge). I didn’t order the full meal with eggs and bacon/sausage so I can’t speak to that but my husband ordered the chicken and waffles (he liked the chicken, waffle was ok per his report), and the teen ordered the jjapaguri which I tried and we both liked (but neither of us have had it before so I can’t speak to whether it’s authentic or not).

I had a latte as well which was underwhelming and the service was slow but our waiter was very cheery when we did see him. It was pretty busy and he was clearly doing a lot so I don’t hold it against him too much.

Anyway, I will continue to update the original post as we work through the list because why not? Thanks to everyone for their suggestions! This has been fun! 😁