First Look: Sophisticated Arab dining at Dyafa in Oakland
Reem Assil's new Jack London Square restaurant offers mezze and shared plates influenced by her Palestinian-Syrian heritage.
Benjamin Seto has worked as a reporter and editor for various newspapers around the country, and is currently a communications professional and freelance food writer based in Oakland. Ben is also the founder and creative mind behind Focus:Snap:Eat, a food blog he started in 2011 to showcase his love of food photography. He spotlights food he finds in his kitchen, around restaurants and shops in the Bay Area, and from his culinary adventures when traveling. A self-taught home cook, Ben enjoys a variety of cuisine but is influenced by his Chinese-American heritage and his childhood growing up in Honolulu. He loves lavender and hates eggplants. But isn’t afraid to try everything else in between.
The strategy for a new batch of Rockridge restaurants: remake, remodel
The neighborhood's recent crop of dining spots hit refresh to survive in the competitive East Bay dining scene.
Feast Your Eyes: Texas BBQ at Smoke Berkeley
While the future is uncertain for this Berkeley BBQ shack, the BBQ is most certainly worth trying.
First Look: Wild Ginger serves tongue-numbing Sichuan fare in Alameda
The menu focuses on hotpot, noodles and other classic Sichuan street snacks.
Signature Dish: Singapore Chicken Rice at Drip Line in West Oakland
The secret to chef Nora Dunning's childhood favorite and Drip Line's bestselling dish? A lot of time and crispy fried chicken skin.
First Look: Rustic Italian meets California farm-to-table at Donato & Co. in Berkeley
California sensibilities hold true, while the Italian touches feel authentic at Donato Scotti's newest restaurant in the Elmwood.
First Look: Les Arceaux brings Provençal flavors, wine spritzes to Berkeley
This café by day and wine bar by night finds inspiration from its chef's time in France.
Oakland’s Timeless Coffee reopens after expansion
The popular vegan coffee shop on Piedmont Avenue has now doubled in size and will expand its bakery items over the coming months.
Art gallery-café concept percolates in Oakland
Tertulia Coffee, Oakland's newest café, is also home to a contemporary art gallery showing the work of underrepresented artists.
Visiting the reborn Marzano Restaurant in Oakland
Well-executed crowd favorites like Neapolitan-style pizzas and pan-roasted octopus make the newly reopened Marzano a solid neighborhood restaurant.
From hobby to storefront: Oakland’s Preserved shop
Elizabeth Vecchiarelli's Temescal shop stocks everything you'd need to get into to home food preservation — from vinegar casks to canning jars.
