Im sure its no surprise to readers of this newsletter that Im not the worlds biggest booster of Thanksgiving. This fall, as the rates of COVID-19 infections in California have ballooned from our previously flattened curve, the sentimental logic of gathering for a holiday that celebrates colonization has felt even more tenuous than usual. But things are different this year. The risk of a major COVID-19 surge means we should definitely not, under any circumstances, host or attend huge blowouts with people we dont live with. Yet we may still have a major opportunity to center the holidays stated values of generosity and gratitude in the way we celebrate. This year, if you can afford it, I want you to pick up your dinner from a local food business.
For many, Thanksgiving is all about cooking up a great feast for your loved ones. But theres also value in seeing Thanksgiving 2020 as an opportunity to support the restaurants, pop-ups and other food businesses you want to keep around. This has been an awful year for the restaurant industry, owing to factors that restaurants and their workers couldnt truly control. With a bipartisan aid package including generous grants specifically earmarked for independent restaurants completely stalled in the U.S. Senate due to GOP leaderships unwillingness to seriously engage with it, we risk losing even more restaurants than we already have.
Beyond Janelle Bitkers great list of places offering Thanksgiving meals in the Bay Area, I have a few other suggestions. (Also check out my pie guide!)
Bayview Bistro, a food hub for Bayview food businesses, is offering some really stunning holiday boxes featuring Jamaican jerk turkey by Peaches Patties, roasted Japanese yams flavored with maple syrup by Gumbo Social and pumpkin cheesecake by Yes Pudding. The boxes are on sale until Wednesday November 18 and come in omnivorous and vegetarian variations.
Also in the Bayview are the Vegan Hood Chefs, who will be taking orders for their a la carte Hoodgiving menu until November 22. Im a fan of their vegan macaroni and cheese, so Im glad its on offer. The menu is an appetizing mix of Southern classics like gumbo and dirty rice and autumnal dishes like pecan apple walnut salad.
For people who really cant get enough pie (me), Maison Nico, a new market and cafe from the owners of Michelin-starred French restaurant Nico, is offering a turkey tourte that can feed 6-8 people. Encased in a dome of attractively scored pastry, the tourte contains a mixture of turkey, quince and chestnut. I would imagine itd be perfect with pickled cranberries on the side.
If youre feeling even more generous this year, you could also buy a meal for someone else. La Santa Torta, a roving quesabirria truck, has been offering pay-what-you-can meals to anyone who asks. You can donate to that effort on its website. Seor Sisig has also been taking donations to feed people facing food insecurity during the pandemic; so far, the Filipino-Mexican food truck business has raised less than half of its $100,000 goal. Horn Barbecue in West Oakland is hosting a free community meal on November 23 from 1-3 p.m. and is actively seeking volunteers. (If youre interested in helping out, email them!) And Mak-amham, the organization behind the Cafe Ohlone pop-up, has been doing farmers market food drop-offs for tribal elders in San Lorenzo. Theyre taking donations for that community work as well as building the next iteration of Cafe Ohlone.
While not restaurant-related, even more urgent is the need for volunteers among area food banks, who have been struggling to keep up with increased demand. The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank told The Chronicle that it now serves up to 60,000 families every week, though half of its volunteer shifts have gone unfilled this fall.
In a year like this, everyone needs all the help they can get. If youre in a position to pitch in, theres never been a better time to do it.
This week, Virgie Tovar, an author and podcast host, talks with me about diet culture: what it is, how it feels and how we can push against it in favor of a less punitive way of thinking about how we eat. Battling fatphobia is about more than just changing attitudes on a personal level, she says. She also sees healthcare reform and economic justice as integral to that fight. Justin and I also discuss how food writers and food media at large have perpetuated myths about diets and eating.
Some may balk at the price tag on the imported anchovies at the new Anchovy Bar six fillets with accoutrements range from $18-22 but the restaurant really hustles to make it worth it. Its all about building the perfect bite, with a twirl of salty, creamy fillet; a dollop of crme frache; crunchy shaved radish; and crisp toasted ciabatta. Youve likely never had anchovies like these.
The vegan guava sticky bun from Tavos Joint, a new Venezuelan spot in SoMa, is such a brilliant bite. The pastry, presented like a cinnamon roll, gets heavy floral notes from a double-punch of guava butter and fresh guava jam. It reminded me of the king cakes I would get around Mardi Gras from Normas, a Cuban bakery in New Orleans, which were filled with guava pasta and sweetened cream cheese. Oof.
In the South Bay, Pav Bhaji Huts trucks are the best place to try pav bhaji, a slow-cooked and deeply savory vegetable mash paired with toasty glazed rolls. The famous Maharashtrian street snack is rich with butter and layered with toasty cumin, black cardamom and other spices. As with tacos or pho, fresh garnishes of chopped raw onion, citrus and minces cilantro add a refreshing, sharp edge to the dish.
For Eater, writer Charlotte Druckman interviewed S.F. restaurateur Pim Techamuanvivit about what it takes to keep two restaurants open right now. Techamuanvivit is brutally honest here. I dont understand why its up to me as a small-business owner to search my conscience every month to decide whether or not to support my employees, she said at one point. Where is the conscience of this government, of this social system to support people? Where is the conscience of the country?
In case you missed it, I reviewed the takeout (?!) at the House of Prime Rib, the storied English-style steakhouse that people seem to love for its refusal to change.
And if youre curious about eating outdoors in the Bay Area but dont want to freeze your butt off, weve updated our outdoor dining guides to include information about heat lamps! Check out my Top Outdoor Dining list and Janelle Bitkers guide to spacious patios.
Bite Curious is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles restaurant critic, Soleil Ho, delivered to inboxes on Monday mornings. Follow along on Twitter: @Hooleil
Read the original here:
Heres why you should get a restaurant meal for Thanksgiving this year - San Francisco Chronicle
