Wild California Mango Jalapeño Crisps: Purchased from Monterey Market in Berkeley, these fruit crisps are a great snack in many ways. They’re sliced just right so that they’re crunchy but not hard to bite into, and the amount of spicy heat is surprisingly potent but well balanced with the sweetness of dried mango. While crisps like these tend to be paired with cheese or dip, I found them to be satisfying all on their own. 4.0/5.0
recommended montereymarket fruit spicy wildcalifornia mango jalapeño crisps 4.0
Food Should Taste Good Jalapeño tortilla chips: I’m generally a fan of the Food Should Taste Good brand, which in my eyes is Frito Lay for adults. Their range of chips are healthier yet still tasty and familiar, like these jalapeño tortilla chips. The chips are definitely spicy, with a heat that cumulates and overall flavor reminiscent of a good salsa minus the tomato. Well balanced, with the sweet flavor of bell pepper combined with a tasty spice blend. A very likable snack. 4.0/5.0
recommended spicy berkeleybowl foodshouldtastegood jalapeño tortilla chips 4.0
Noosa Mango whole milk yogurt: This is Noosa week, where I’ll share a review a day of the whole milk yogurt flavors I’ve tried over the past month. First up is the mango flavor, which contains cubes of ripe mango and whose sweetness pairs well with the slightly tart, creamy yogurt. While these containers are marked as single serving, I find the yogurt filling and sweet enough that I never eat more than half in a single sitting. This is a classic and quality fruit flavor that is easy to recommend. 4.0/5.0
recommended fruit noosa mango whole milk yogurt 4.0
Sweet Belly Desserts Rosie Milk Tea Soft Serve: Sweet Belly Desserts is a small shop around the corner from the 19th Street Oakland BART station. They have a rotating menu of seasonal soft serve flavors as well as mini donuts with housemade glazes and dips. I ordered just the softserve, without any toppings, which cost a little more than $5. This particular flavor is an excellent tribute to floral milk teas, capturing the herbal yet creamy essence of black milk tea along with an aromatic rose flavor. And it wasn't too sweet! Textuall... (read more) 4.0/5.0
oakland softserve icecream sweetbellydesserts rosie milk tea soft serve 4.0 recommended
Gjusta Miso date cookie: Gjusta, the sister bakery of Gjelina in Venice, LA, is apparently popular enough to not need any signage. It’s unlabeled storefront conceals a narrow counter and dining area, where patrons wait for a variety of pastries (cakes, cookies, croissants) and hot and cold prepared items (pizza, salads, pâtés). Luckily, their express line was relatively short, which meant purchasing this miso date cookie took just a few minutes. The sizable cookie contains a single date at its center. Its texture is... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended pastry sweets la losangeles venice gjusta miso date cookie 4.0 dessert
Cheeseboard Bialy: I’m tying to reduce my carb intake (which has drastically reduced snacking). But one morning, I woke up to find I didn’t have running water in my apartment and, giving up on low-carb life for a bit, I went to Cheeseboard for breakfast. I always find the savory breads at this Berkeley institution are better than their sweet baked goods. This bialy was especially satisfying after not having any bread for a while. Tasting strongly of garlic and sprinkled with poppy seeds, the round bread has a ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
bread berkeley onion bakery baked cheeseboard bialy 4.0 recommended