Inspired by the videos on my Instagram feed, I checked out Chinese Bakery & Deli in San Leandro, a dim sum bakery that gained popularity for its $3.50 buns stuffed with fried fish. Upon arrival, I was met with a line of about 30 people. I polled a woman holding a pink box and she said she waited an hour; another said about 20 minutes. The latter proved to be right. While in line, I watched as staff replenished its inventory every few minutes, only to be wiped out by a large order. The fish bun consists of a squishy bread with little character, a squirt of mayo and freshly fried fish, with a crunchy panko coating sheathing juicy white flesh. It’s comforting and cheap but missing something — perhaps hot sauce, pickles or mustard.
Chinese Bakery & Deli. 981 Manor Blvd., Suite A, San Leandro. 510-708-8498
On a recent outing, Rory’s Bakehouse in Napa was out of chocolate chip cookies. So I settled for a bag ($29) of take-and-bake cookies and drove home like a bat out of hell. Inside came six dough balls and a dubious drug-dealer baggie filled with flaky salt. I popped a cookie into the oven and 30 minutes later, I had a dark brown cookie the size of an Olympic medallion. It was gooey in the center, crispy around the edges, and radiating with butter and semi-sweet chocolate. These are the kind of cookies you’d leave out for Santa if you’re hoping for a new car.
Rory’s Bakehouse. 2766 Old Sonoma Rd., Napa. rorysbakehouse.com
The latest opening near Swan’s Market in Oakland, Bread Winners is a deli where you can customize sandwiches to your heart’s content. The satisfyingly hearty tuna melt ($13.95), minimally decorated with American cheese and red onions, offers two types of tuna salad: one made with eggs and one without. I went with the egg version, to which I added chipotle mayo for heat and pickles to cut through the richness…