Just after a visit to Café Bolita in Berkeley to document owner Emmanuel Galvan’s nixtamalization process for the Chronicle’s Instagram, I zipped across the East Bay to meet restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez for a slice of pizza at Arizmendi Bakery. (I would’ve eaten at Bolita, but it happened to be closed on the day I went!) The first location of the Bay Area bakery cooperative, Arizmendi Oakland was recently shouted out by Oakland native Zendaya as her favorite place to eat in her native city. I ordered the pizza of the day — a roasted potato- and red onion-covered slice with gorgonzola and garlic oil. Since I was in a rush to make my train, Cesar and I sauced up our slices on the trunk of his car. The shop’s herby salsa verde, a version of the famous Cheese Board green sauce, has a hefty kick thanks to plenty of garlic and serrano chiles. It was just what was needed to brighten up the creaminess of the pizza. I also grabbed some cookie brittle, which, appropriately dry and just short of the crispness of biscotti, was delightful when dipped in milk later that night.
Arizmendi Oakland. 3265 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. arizmendibakery.com
I finally checked out Joodooboo in Oakland (No. 14 on our Top 100 list this year), and its house-made Korean tofu did not disappoint. I ordered the fried dooboo set, which satisfied with its hyper-seasonal variety of plates and wobbly dooboo. Still, I found myself coveting my companion’s order of acorn noodles. A few bites of the mushroom-filled, nori-flecked dish yielded big flavor and the noodles a pleasing chew. But I did well to order the guava spritz!
Joodooboo. 4201 Market St., Oakland. joodooboo.co…