Arizmendi Bakery Oatmeal raisin cookie: Based on the Cheeseboard Co-op in Berkeley, Arizmendi had virtually the exact same offerings, like pizza, baked goods, and hot beverages. If the cookies are any indication, though, it is far inferior. This cookie had a crunchy texture and bland flavor. It ate very dry, with little sweetness. Quite simply not good. 2.0/5.0
cookies sf arizmendibakery oatmeal raisin cookie 2.0
Garden Creamery Black sesame and oolong ice cream: By now, I've become wary of long lines in San Francisco, and there is nowhere else where this sense of trepidation is stronger than in the Mission, the tech-saturated, ultra-entitled west coast version of Williamsburg. Regrettably, I do find myself here once in a while, often to see a show at the neighboring Chapel, which is exactly what brought me to Garden Creamery, an ice cream shop squarely at the halfway point between the 16th and 24th street Mission BART stops. I had some extra time ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended dessert icecream frozen gardencreamery black sesame oolong ice cream 4.0 sf sanfrancisco
Pineapple Express Pineapple soft serve: Right in the middle of the ultra-touristy (and, thus, overly-stressful) Chelsea Market is a little oasis in the form of Pineapple Express, a stand/hut wrapped in bamboo sticks and straw trim, decorated with hanging pineapple-shaped Christmas lights. Here, they serve a variety of tropical treats, from fresh coconut juice to full-on ice cream sundaes. The price tag is still entirely Chelsea Market (get ready to dish out $7 for Dole Whip), or you can opt for the minuscule soft serve cone, bar... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional softserve icecream nyc pineappleexpress pineapple soft serve 4.5 chelseamarket
4505 Smokehouse BBQ Fried Pork Rinds: From San Francisco-based 4505 BBQ is a line of flavored pork rinds that I've seen both at Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl. If their Smokehouse BBQ is indicative of the quality of their restaurant, I'm definitely interested. The chicharrones are some of the lightest I've had in any packaged form, and the flavor is smoky in just the right quantity. It has a subtle sweet aftertaste yet is deeply savory at its core. 4.0/5.0
recommended meat pork chicharrones chicharrons 4505 smokehouse bbq fried rinds 4.0 berkeleybowl
Pirate's Booty Carrot Snacks: These orange-colored puffs are, at the very least, misleading, and at its worst, a cruel trick I imagine health-conscious parents might play on their children. Designed to look exactly like cheese puffs, the carrot snacks have no cheese flavor, instead tasting vaguely sweet and distinctly vegetal. They are by no means a replacement for cheese puffs, as they lack the satisfying fat content and sharp flavor you might expect. It's hard to overcome this fact, yet I will give Pirate's Booty cre... (read more) 3.0/5.0
carrots piratesbooty carrot 3.0
Juice Bar Collective Peanut butter banana shake: Juice Bar Collective is probably my favorite food spot in The Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley. It's a small worker-owned collective that offers a variety of veggie (and a few meat) entrees like polenta, lasagne, and bahn mi. This may be surprising given the name Juice Bar, but they also had some fantastic beverage options to accompany your meal. The peanut butter and banana shake I had with soy milk had just the right amount of peanut butter without affecting its smooth, creamy consistency. Much ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks shakes berkeley juicebarcollective peanut butter banana shake 3.5