Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008...11:46 pm
Yard Sticks
Several years ago I was involved with the start of a Toastmasters group in Oakland. It was a great mix of folks from all around the East Bay who gathered weekly to work on their public speaking skills. The Toastmasters program involves giving a series of speeches on a variety of topics.
In one of my early talks I shared about some of my “bests” and “worsts” in terms of life experiences. I will save the worsts for another time. But I am constantly thinking on “bests”, especially in terms of food. In that speech I joked that my Mom experiences a “best meal of her life” at least once a week. For me, I try to be a bit more careful with my rave reviews. I am lucky to live in a city of great food, and in a broader region of good eats.
So here are some of my favorite food items. Just a few since it is late at night. These are the individual yard sticks against which I measure all my experiences with these same things.
- Best Chicago Pizza: Zachary’s Pizza in Oakland
- Best New York Pizza (not in New York): Gioia Pizzeria in Berkeley
- Best Pizza Other: Cheeseboard in Berkeley
- Best Chicken Enchiladas: Mario’s La Fiesta in Berkeley
- Best Burrito: Papalote in San Francisco
- Best Chile Relleno: Cactus Taqueria in Oakland
- Best Deli Sandwich: Genova Delicatessen in Oakland
- Best Hot Chocolate: Bittersweet Cafe in Oakland
- Best Morning Bun: La Farine in Oakland
- Best Chocolate Croissant (Chocolatine): La Farine in Oakland
- Best Ice Cream: Rick’s Rather Rich in Palo Alto
- Best Gelato: Naia in Berkeley
- Best Donut: Stan’s Donuts in Santa Clara
So that should get the ball rolling. I will update this post in the future.
Leave a Reply