What’s it like to be an essential food worker right now?
We spoke with three restaurant and grocery store workers about the challenges and bright spots of providing an essential public service during the crisis.
Cirrus Wood
Cirrus Wood is a freelance writer and photographer living in downtown Berkeley. There are few things he enjoys as much as playing around with the alphabet.
Articles by Cirrus
Page 2
Social distancing gives rise to community sourdough starter project in Berkeley
Missing the communal aspect of sharing food, amateur baker Michael Kellman shares his wild yeast starter as a way to connect in this contactless age.
Seoul Hotdog serves Korean-style hot dogs with a side of mukbang and K-pop
Edward and Anna Yoon’s new restaurant on the northside of UC Berkeley is the first in the Bay Area to offer the Korean street food snack.
A chef’s memories of growing up in Oakland inform the flavors, menu at Serene pop-up restaurant
Jonathan De La Torre’s prix-fixe pop-up at Hidden CafĂ© in Berkeley focuses on North African flavors from his childhood retold through a California fine-dining lens.
Berkeley’s California Typewriter, star of documentary, closes shop
After seven decades servicing manual and electric typewriters, printers and business machines in Berkeley, California Typewriter is calling it quits.
Cider’s popularity and innovation continues to grow, but misconceptions — from skepticism to sexism — remain
Californians are drinking and making more cider than ever, but according to several East Bay makers and sellers, it’s still one of the most misunderstood beverages.
Dork’s Tec CafĂ© in Berkeley is a hybrid coffee shop-computer lab that’s as quirky as its name suggests
Opened by a police officer-turned-technician, this computer repair shop serves coffee and pastries, stays open late, and draws in a wide range of customers.
The founders of Oakland’s new zero-waste grocery store want locals to transition from single-use to bring-your-own
Sara Heady and Vanessa Pope work with businesses looking to switch to reusable foodware, and sell bulk goods at MudLab in North Oakland.
Berkeley’s new disposable cup law is now in effect, but here’s why you might not realize it yet
The Single Use Disposable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance went into effect on Jan. 1, but many restaurants and cafés are not in compliance with the new law.
Group aims to ‘green’ South Berkeley by transforming old railroad right-of-way
Instead of empty lots, the land could include elongated greenspace, walking paths, dog parks, play areas and community gardens.
This cold brew company founded by Cal undergrads claims to caffeinate without jitters. We gave it a try
Quokka Brew says it counteracts the anxiety-causing effects of coffee with amino acids and plant extracts, but does it work, and more importantly, does it taste good?
In ‘Living the Shuffle’ Robert Townsend delivers dramatic autobiography punctuated with punchlines
In his one-man show, the writer, actor and director tells of growing up and getting wise, sometimes making it, sometimes not, as he works his way through showbiz from childhood to the present.
This El Cerrito mom-and-pop Japanese grocery store is not only thriving, it recently doubled in size
For 21 years, Yaoya-san in El Cerrito has built a following for its well-stocked Japanese kitchen staples. In October, the market expanded its square footage two-fold.
Waste not, want more: Food Shift aims to create more jobs and save more food from the trash, but it needs more space
After eight years of fighting food waste while training, hiring and nourishing underserved communities in Alameda, the nonprofit catering company is ready to expand.
This Berkeley-based documentary project tells the stories of California ‘donut kids’
Pink Box Stories focuses on immigration, entrepreneurship and the families behind California donut shops.
Berkeley’s small food business owners get creative to make ends meet. But is it enough to compete with chains?
The costs of running a food business in Berkeley have gone up, but so have the number of corporate-backed chains and start-ups competing for diners.
